Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

Dec 12, 2017 @ 08:16 Dear Brenda,   Today I received the email stating that I was denied the Student Relief Assistance Fund due to not providing the documentation that demonstrates my expenses during the strike.   As a student, we have many things to worry about; we all have our daily routines during our school year. This year, 2017, ...

Dec 6, 2017 @ 13:23 The Municipality of Wawa would like to inform all users of the Michipicoten Memorial Community Center regarding the recent ice cancellations. These cancellations are due to issues encountered with increased CO emissions from the ice resurfacer (Olympia). No persons have been exposed to harmful levels of CO at any time. This is a precautionary measure ...

Dec 4, 2017 @ 08:12 I don’t know about you, but anytime I hear the term loophole, I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts that the loophole is going to work against the average person and likely not to the benefit of those who are well-heeled and deep pocketed. I take you back to almost a year ago when Kathleen Wynne ...

“On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, let’s join together to honour the bravery and strength of survivors — and resolve to work together to end violence against women.   One-third of women around the world experience violence in their lives, often by someone they know and trust. Murder by an intimate partner accounts for half of all homicides of women. ...

Nov 6, 2017 @ 15:35 On Monday, Algoma-Manitoulin NDP MPP Michael Mantha issued the following open letter calling on Premier Kathleen Wynne to immediately commit to investing in the Huron Central Railway:   Nov. 6 2017 Hon. Kathleen Wynne Premier of Ontario Room 281, Main Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto, Ontario. M7A 1A1   Dear Premier, The Huron Central Railway ...

Oct 30, 2017 @ 08:12 In the Legislature and on the news you continually hear politicians referring to their “strategies.” Ask the average person what a strategy is and chances are they’ll tell you it just means a plan to do something.  In fact, however, a strategy is more complex than that. Strategy development is the art and science of ...

  Oct 27, 2017 @ 08:11 Five years after the provincial government canned the Northlander passenger train without so much as a single public hearing, is there any point in launching a new campaign to revive it?   A more appropriate question might be whether Ontarians are all entitled to transportation that is as safe, reliable, comfortable and affordable as ...

Oct 11, 2017 @ 08:08 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Infrastructure & Communities – Amarjeet Sohi Minister of Transport – Marc Garneau Good Morning Gentlemen, I have received the following Open Letter for publication. These two well-respected engineers have some valid concerns about the skyrocketing costs of ‘Signature’ or Cable-Stayed Bridges. (emailed link to letter) As a tax payer, ...

Sep 27, 2017 @ 08:15 Who is killing Canada’s passenger trains?  It can’t be our prime minister. Since he was a babe in his mother’s arms, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been exposed to the virtues of train travel.  That’s thanks to his father, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who had a genuine affection and respect for passenger trains.  He travelled ...

Plus les Canadiens examinent l’engagement des libéraux d’investir dans l’infrastructure publique, plus ils se rendent à l’évidence que le plan libéral consiste principalement à transférer de l’argent des contribuables et des biens publics au secteur privé. Il n’a jamais été question de ce modèle d’investissement à but lucratif pendant la campagne électorale, vraisemblablement parce qu’il n’aurait jamais obtenu beaucoup d’appuis ...

The more time Canadians have to unpack the Liberal commitment to invest in public infrastructure, the more it becomes obvious the plan is largely about turning tax dollars and public assets over to the private sector.  This for-profit investment model was never fleshed out during the election, most likely because it never would have received much in the way of ...

Dear Brenda and Wawa-news readers:   Why do I do it? Expend prodigious amounts of research time, travel to the North Shore and push for the preservation and resurrection of VIA Rail’s Canadian, that is.   Three good reasons:  past glories, present potential and people.   I grew up in a family of railroaders who embedded in me a deep ...

And so … it begins again… Despite the fact that Labour Day marks the “unofficial” end of summer, I am truly excited about going back to Queen’s Park soon. This coming week I’ll be joining NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and my NDP colleagues for our annual caucus retreat in which we plan and prepare for the fall session of the ...

Combien de fois avez-vous entendu une personne dire qu’elle en avait assez de la politique ou encore que rien ne changeait jamais? À l’approche de la fête du Travail, nous devons nous rappeler qu’un grand nombre des privilèges dont nous jouissons aujourd’hui ont été durement gagnés et qu’ils n’auraient jamais été obtenus si les gens avaient succombé à cette façon ...

How often have you heard someone say they are tired of politics, or that it is all the same and nothing ever changes?  As we approach Labour Day we should remember that so many of the gains we enjoy were hard-fought for and would never have come about if people succumbed to those sentiments.  While people may not consider the ...