Editorials & Letters

L’autre jour, je prenais un café-zoom avec un vieil ami afin de se rattraper de ce qui se passe dans nos vies. À un moment donné, nous parlions des tactiques de pression que certaines entreprises et certains fraudeurs utilisent pour inciter les gens à acheter un produit ou un service sur place. Beaucoup d’entre nous ont entendu des répliques, par ...

The other day I was having a zoom-coffee with an old friend of mine, catching up on what’s been happening in our lives.  At one point we were talking about pressure tactics that some fly-by-night companies and scammers use to hook people into purchasing a product or service on the spot.  Many of us have heard lines, for example, perhaps ...

I remember a favourite primary school teacher who, when I think back, really knew how to get her students to quickly switch gears and engage their minds on a particular focus.  It was nothing terribly special really, but she would tell us to reach into out desks, pull out our thinking caps and be sure to tie them on securely ...

Considérez ce scénario: BigBlue, un grand constructeur automobile, est frappé par un rappel massif de milliers de modèles de voitures récentes parce que le mécanisme à cliquet dans les ceintures de sécurité est défectueux. Les autorités de sécurité automobile découvrent cela parce qu’il y a eu tellement de personnes tuées parce qu’elles ont été éjectées de leur voiture dans des ...

Consider, if you will, this scenario: BigBlue, a major automaker, is hit with a massive recall of thousands of recent model cars because the ratchet mechanism in the seatbelts is defective.  Automobile safety authorities discover this because there have been so many people killed because they were ejected from the car in accidents.  An investigation into the cause determines that ...

Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) welcomes yesterday’s announcement that the Government of Ontario will make a significant investment to “preserve more areas of significant ecological importance, protect natural areas and promote the importance of healthy, natural spaces.” The investment $20M over 4 years to support land conservation and stewardship, will be matched by OLTA and our partner organisations, Nature Conservancy ...

The newly released Ontario 2020 budget sets a strong course forward for economic growth and recovery, but there is little in it that addresses the real needs of seniors. While there is a marked increase in health care investment and a promise to improve long-term care over the next few years, C.A.R.P.—A New Vision of Aging (also known as the Canadian ...

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Doug Ford’s 2020 budget is waving a white flag in the battle against COVID-19, and telling people: you’re on your own. With Ontario on the brink of a health and economic disaster, Doug Ford’s budget doesn’t take any new actions to make everyday families safer or healthier. In fact, as the second wave of COVID-19 ...

La cheffe du NPD, Andrea Horwath, a déclaré que dans son budget 2020, Doug Ford lève les bras dans la bataille contre la COVID-19 et livre les gens à eux-mêmes. Alors que l’Ontario est au bord d’une catastrophe sanitaire et économique, le budget de Doug Ford ne prévoit aucune nouvelle mesure pour assurer la sécurité et la santé des familles ...

The Ministry of Transportation is seeking feedback from Northerners to “better understand the unique transportation needs of people and businesses” situated along the Toronto, North Bay and Cochrane/Timmins rail corridor to “help develop a plan to improve the transportation system” in the region.   Remind me again … didn’t Ontario Northland just submit its very own passenger rail business case ...

The Ford government has failed to deliver its promised needs-based program, one year after receiving the OAP Advisory Panel Report. The panel, made up of parents, autistic adults, educators and other experts released their report as a guide for developing a needs-based system to serve children with autism in Ontario. One year later, nothing has changed. In a statement released on the same ...

Dear Editor: Cat owners beware! During my early evening dog walks I noticed cats sitting near houses and I feel sorry for them because a few hours later in the dark, I could see dogs (make that coyotes) prowling through the neighbourhood. A few of my friends lost their beloved kitties – put those two facts together and there is ...

I’m often asked that question by folks who’ve heard of my rail industry credentials.  I guess they haven’t listened to MPP Vic Fedeli, who has described me as one of those “consultants with self-serving agendas” because I pointed out the lack of action by his government and Ontario Northland Railway (ONR).   It’s a fair bet Fedeli & Co. won’t ...

Sol Mamakwa, NDP MPP for Kiiwetinoong, is calling on Doug Ford to make every effort to support the residents of Neskantaga who are being evacuated due to the complete shutdown of all running water. “Doug Ford must ensure that the provincial government supports the evacuation of elders, children and the most vulnerable in the community who need assistance immediately.  Losing running water to the entire ...

Readers of last week’s column about utilizing my “political barometer” skills may recall that I alluded to sort of a general vexation that Ontarians, and most Canadians for that matter, have for the seemingly endless gamesmanship and squabbling emanating from their elected officials.  In truth what Ontarians want is for their political leaders to speak, act and lead with confidence, ...