Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

Robinson Huron Treaty Leadership calls on Ontario Party Leaders to Commit to Upholding Treaty Responsibilities

The Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund (RHTLF) leadership are calling on electoral candidates to commit to supporting the honourable resolution of the Robinson Huron Treaty annuities case. In Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the litigation, Justice Patricia Hennessy ruled in favour of the First Nations. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Appeal have encouraged ...

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Ontario Liberals launch Northern Platform

The Ontario Liberal Northern Platform will deliver on long-standing demands from Northern Mayors for an immigration plan that attracts New Canadians to cities and regions across Northern Ontario and ensure skilled labour matches the jobs needed to build and grow the Northern economy.  “This week’s announcement of the Northern platform was a proud moment for me. Our Northern caucus of ...

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Horwath launches platform for Northern Ontario

Andrea Horwath and the NDP are releasing a Northern platform — a plan to make life easier, healthier and more affordable for Northerners. “I want people to get the health care they need without long waits or long drives. And folks need lower costs and more good-paying jobs, so the next generation can stay and raise their own family in ...

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Letter – Who will take on the task?

Every year about this time I feel like a racehorse, pulling on the reins, ready to gallop over the meadow…. ln my case, pick up my gloves, bags and get dirty to clean up the environment. Unfortunately, old age put a limit to it, I can’t do it in grand style anymore, but a little around my immediate area and ...

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Letter – Removal of Crown Lands for NWMO potential host studies

Dear Brenda, Recently, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) celebrated Earth Day by announcing that 1450 square kilometres of Boreal forest in Northern Ontario, near Hearst, is to be protected. Certainly, it’s a step in the right direction. The cost of purchasing this land from Domtar is 46 million dollars. Comparatively, 3182 square kilometres were withdrawn from the Crown Land ...

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A Northlander Fix or Fixation? Part 2

My friends!  The Northlander will return!   I know that for a fact, my friends, because politicians on the re-election campaign trail are right now promising to give us a new, bigger, better and much improved Northlander … if… re-elected.   On the other hand, whenever I hear politicians doling out that “my friends” syrup, I check to see if ...

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A Northlander Fix or Fixation? Part 1

Ya gotta wonder how the politicians, their appointees and a circle of supporters prevent their noses from stretching each time another empty promise about the return of the Ontario Northland Railway’s Northlander is trotted out.   Led by their Nipissing sales rep, we hear the blather on about the wonderful work this soon-to-expire government has done… on the public tab. ...

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NDP proposes immediate price rebates for Northerners

The NDP is proposing an immediate $200 rebate to offset skyrocketing gas prices and the rising cost of living for northern households. Northern NDP MPPs and candidates say the rebate will help northern families after Doug Ford failed to keep his election promises to lower hydro and gas prices, and he refused to support a long-standing NDP plan to stop ...

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Auditor General will investigate Ford’s $1-billion write-off to Hwy 407 company

The NDP’s Transit critic MPP Tom Rakocevic (Humber River— Black Creek) said the Ford government should be helping Ontarians — not the corporation that owns the 407 ETR at every one else’s expense. The Ford Government has forgiven a $1-billion penalty for the private corporation that owns the 407 — and now the Auditor General has confirmed she will investigate ...

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Canadians across the country need affordable Internet services

NDP Critic for Innovation, Science and Industry, Brian Masse, issued the following statement: “The pandemic has shown how much people depend on Internet and cellphone services to stay connected, work, study and receive services. The reality is that Canadians are tired and frustrated of paying high fees for Internet services that make big, rich telecommunications companies even richer. They feel ...

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Burning the midnight oil

Recently after burning the midnight oil at the Legislature, I had to rise and shine long before the sun had risen or shone on a Friday morning. This was not really a choice to make because I had a long drive to get back to the constituency office to meet with my team in the early afternoon. It was a ...

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Brûlé l’huile de minuit

Récemment, après avoir brûlé l’huile de minuit à l’Assemblée législative, j’ai dû me lever bien avant que le soleil et brille un vendredi matin. Ce n’était pas vraiment un choix à faire car j’avais un long trajet pour retourner au bureau de circonscription pour rencontrer mon équipe en début d’après-midi. Ce fut une semaine difficile, c’est sûr. Il semblait qu’il ...

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Le gouvernement doit aider la population à faire face à la hausse des coûts

Le chef du NPD, Jagmeet Singh, a demandé au gouvernement libéral d’aider les Canadiennes et Canadiens à joindre les deux bouts alors que le prix des produits de première nécessité comme la nourriture et l’essence continue de grimper. Bien que les prix de l’essence et de la nourriture étaient en hausse avant la guerre en Ukraine, l’invasion russe a fait ...

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Government must help Canadians struggling with soaring costs: NDP

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has called on the Liberal government to help Canadians make ends meet as the price of necessities like food and gas continues to climb. Although gas and food prices were rising before the war in Ukraine, the Russian invasion has driven costs even higher. New Democrats believe that the federal government has a responsibility to help ...

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