Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

Twelve Northern First Nations from Northern Ontario sent an open letter voicing their united opposition to the disposal and transport of highly radioactive nuclear waste in the North. The First Nations communities cite the potential for spills or leaks that could happen on site or while the waste is being transported through their communities, watersheds, airsheds, and lands they rely ...

MPP Teresa Armstrong, NDP critic for Child Care, released the following statement in response to funding cuts to affordable child care: “Families across Ontario deserve access to affordable and reliable childcare. Instead, we’re seeing wait lists explode across the province as affordable childcare becomes harder to find. Today, instead of adding funding for affordable childcare spaces, Ford is choosing to ...

Ever been stood up one too many times by a friend or a date? Feel like they’re just not getting the message that your needs aren’t being met? This regrettably summarizes the experience of travelling aboard VIA Rail in Northern Ontario. Between closed stations, chronically late trains and nearly no integration with local or regional transit providers, rail service in ...

It is very difficult to write this, but given the findings from the recent hearing, Mike Mantha should resign from political office today. He should have done this already. The hearing between the Ontario New Democratic Party Caucus, the Canadian Office & Professional Employees Union, Local 343 and Sole Arbitrator Jasbir Parmar held via videoconference on July 25, 2024, and ...

Last week, Loblaw Cos. Ltd., as well as its parent company, George Weston Ltd., agreed to pay $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit for their part in a 14-year industry-wide bread price-fixing scheme. It’s alleged that Loblaws, along with other large grocery chains such as Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, and Giant Tiger, were all involved in a conspiracy to ...

Ce jeudi, le chef du NPD du Canada, Jagmeet Singh, a dévoilé un plan ambitieux visant à interdire les rénovictions pour rendre les loyers plus abordables à travers le pays. Le plan de M. Singh propose des incitations fédérales pour obliger les municipalités à légiférer contre les rénovictions. Hamilton a été la première ville en Ontario à adopter cette interdiction, et ...

On Thursday, Canada’s NDP leader Jagmeet Singh laid out a plan to ban renovictions to make rent more affordable across the country. Singh’s NDP is proposing federal incentives to force municipalities to legislate a renoviction ban. Hamilton is the first city in Ontario to adopt such a ban and London may soon be the second. Singh was in London Thursday ...

Last month, the Finance Minister began a 30-day consultation period to examine Beijing’s trade practices in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, with the goal of determining whether Canada should follow suit with the U.S. and the EU in applying trade tariffs on Chinese imported EVs. This comes as the U.S. has recently applied a 100 percent tariff, and the European ...

For a decade, we’ve been hearing, with almost comical absurdity, problems with the Government of Canada’s beleaguered payroll system, Phoenix. It’s been responsible for thousands of people being underpaid, overpaid, or worse, not paid at all. Just as problematic, it’s been responsible for massive cost overruns that have ballooned over the years to fix catastrophic problems with its design. According ...

When the federal budget was presented in April, many people with disabilities and organizations who assist them were looking forward to announcements surrounding the Canada Disability Benefit. The legislation that set the framework for the Canada Disability Benefit, C-22, passed with unanimous support in the House of Commons a year and a half ago, and received Royal Assent a year ...

On Tuesday, NDP MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) called on the Liberal government respect their promise to fund the Weeneebayko Health Authority project in Moosonee. In response Minister Hajdu stated that the prime minister is confirming funding for the project, despite seeming to walk away from it earlier this spring. “After weeks of pushing, the NDP secured a commitment from ...

Mardi, le député néo-démocrate Charlie Angus (Timmins–Baie James) a exhorté le gouvernement libéral à tenir sa promesse de financer le projet de l’Autorité sanitaire de la région de Weeneebayko à Moosonee. La ministre Hajdu a répondu que le premier ministre confirmait le financement du projet, bien qu’il ait semblé s’en éloigner plus tôt ce printemps. « Après des semaines de pression, ...

On Thursday, NDP MP Charlie Angus (Timmins – James Bay) spoke up in Parliament to call on the Liberal government to take action to clean the Wabigoon River and help the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation. For over 50 years, residents in Grassy Narrows have been dealing with toxic mercury poisoning in the Wabigoon River as a result of ...

The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) supports universal drug coverage for seniors but as the largest seniors and older Canadians advocacy group in Canada, we have concerns that Bill C-64 is not designed for the coverage many of our 225,000 members and their family’s need to cover effective and world class care in 2024.  We also have concerns that ...

Two steps forward, one step back. That’s how I’d describe the process of getting the Northlander once more on track. For nearly six years, the Ford government repeatedly stated they’re bringing back passenger rail to north-eastern Ontario. Political promises aplenty, the Tories haven’t exactly gotten the job done during their first term. Metrolinx and Ontario Northland (ONTC) eventually completed initial ...