As I write this column I find myself concluding another week of constituency clinics covering numerous northern communities in the riding. MPPs are back to the Legislature on Monday. I take pride in being able to say that my face is no stranger to virtually any community in Algoma-Manitoulin. There is no doubt in my mind that constituency clinics play ...

Like many Ontarians, I often find myself trying to balance my career life with that of being a dad. I can honestly say that while being a politician and a father, both jobs come with some real challenges, but I couldn’t be happier and more proud to have the opportunity to fulfill my duties for each of these roles. I ...

I spend a great deal of time on the road which gives me lots of time to think things over. Just recently I was travelling along the TransCanada heading back from Wawa. The view along the shores of Lake Superior are truly breathtaking. The view made me think of how fortunate we are to live in Algoma-Manitoulin where we readily ...

This week MPPs returned to the Legislature after the winter break. Recently the NDP caucus members spent several days meeting to prepare for the weeks and months ahead. Undoubtedly the consensus was that all of us are eager to return to the Legislature to do our best to help guide the government to work toward bettering the lives of all ...

In my view, Ontarians, in general, are pretty resilient people. I take great pride in saying this is particularly true of Northern Ontarians. Ontarians can work with just about any situation that comes our way. Here in the North, sometimes we just don’t have easy access to every product or service we need. Be that as it may, if Northerners ...

In looking at all snowballing headlines that are hitting the papers lately, I concluded that it only makes sense that they come at us now. After all, snowballs do form in winter. And since we have been experiencing some pretty cold temperatures lately, the headline snowballs continue to grow and grow. It reminds me of when we were kids we ...

More than likely, very few readers will recognize the name Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, but it would be a pretty safe bet most will be familiar with some of his work. Alphonse Karr, a French journalist and novelist, is credited with the epigram, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose,” or “The more things change, the more they stay the ...

Most of us have by now taken down our Christmas trees, packed away the decorations and polished off any remaining Christmas baking left in the cookie tins. Hopefully, too, you have stored away a host of wonderful memories of time spent with family and friends. And now, it is up to all of us to fan the embers of warmth ...

Lately, to say that there is never a dull moment in Queen’s Park would by no means an understatement. To be sure, Kathleen Wynne definitely kept the all of the parties on their toes but truly Doug Ford’s wave of legislative changes and budget cuts make Wynne’s years in office look like ripples on the pond in comparison to Ford’s ...

I know I’m not alone in saying how happy I am that the Holiday Season is upon us. Mind you, with all of the events, activities and Christmas parades which I love to attend each year, I feel extremely fortunate that getting into the holiday spirt usually comes pretty early and easy for me. As well, having to spend so ...

Frequent readers of this column well know how much I value holding regular constituency clinics in communities across the riding. Having the opportunity to talk face-to-face with individuals to listen to their concerns is one of the most effective ways for an MPP to stay in touch with what is going on in the lives of their constituents. Not only ...

Wow…this was one of those weeks in Queen’s Park. We all have them from time to time. Everyone knows what I’m talking about.  You know the feeling you get when you walk into a room or garage that you know needs to be sorted out, but when you look at it you say out loud, “Where do I begin?” That’s ...

I recently enjoyed an opportunity to catch up with a long-time friend of mine when I happened to be in his community during constituency week. As we sat in his living room a three-way conversation developed with his adolescent son who was sharing some recent experiences involving his friends that he was concerned about. At one point my friend replied ...

This week it’s all about honour. Without doubt, hosting constituency clinics in various communities about one week per month effectively helps me to stay abreast with what’s on the minds of the People of Algoma-Manitoulin. Those clinics allow me to meet one-on-one with constituents who wish to discuss matters of concern to them. In addition, Canadians celebrated Remembrance Dayand since ...

Well folks, another election campaign has come and gone, this time municipal. I congratulate all those who bravely put their names forward as a candidate. Whether they were elected or not, their desire to make their community a better place to live gave rise to meaningful dialogue. To those who were elected I offer my best wishes as you assume ...