Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

Ontario NDP MPP Chris Glover (Spadina – Fort York), Official Opposition Critic for Accessibility and Disability Justice Sarah Jama (Hamilton Centre), and MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto – Danforth) announced their legislation today, September 18, 2023 to proclaim September 23rd as the International Day of Sign Languages to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages, the need for accessibility services, ...

MPP Michael Mantha (Algoma-Manitoulin) responded to Health Minister Sylvia Jones’ announcement that the government will provide a one-time funding increase to Public Health Units (PHU) who voluntarily merge. “In the North PHUs provide services to vast areas spanning dozens of communities with unique needs and circumstances,” said Mantha. “The realities faced by Northern PHUs are different from those in urban ...

Regular readers of this column are accustomed to me relating events and issues at Queen’s Park to everyday experiences that I find myself in, be they personal or professional. I think, in a way, the writing style compliments the way I approach my job. It is one of the things I do to stay focused, grounded and in touch with ...

Les lecteurs réguliers de cette chronique savent que je fais des liens entre les événements quotidiens et les enjeux de Queen’s Park. Je pense que, d’une certaine manière, le style d’écriture complète la façon dont j’aborde mon travail. C’est l’une des choses que je fais pour rester en contact avec les gens d’Algoma-Manitoulin. Cette semaine, cependant, ce que je veux ...

On Wednesday, NDP MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) is calling on the Liberal government to ensure the proposal for Alstom workers to build subway cars for the Toronto Transit Commission goes ahead by providing the necessary funding. The NDP is demanding that the Liberals prioritize improving Toronto’s subway system, and focus on creating good, unionized jobs in Northern Ontario. “The ...

Following the release of the Auditor General’s “Special Report on the Changes to the Greenbelt“, Michael Mantha (MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin) is calling on the Premier to immediately recall the legislature and reverse the removal of land from the Greenbelt that happened last fall. MPP Mantha issued the following statement: “Today the Auditor General made it clear that the ‘exercise’ undertaken ...

Les lecteurs de cette chronique savent à quel point je suis fier d’être un habitant du Nord né et élevé. J’ai grandi à Gogama, où le français était la langue maternelle dans presque tous les foyers. Les gens parlaient français dans les églises, les écoles et les entreprises. Dans l’esprit de mes frères et sœurs et de mes amis, notre ...

Readers of this column know how proud I am to be a born and bred Northerner. I grew up in Gogama, where French was the mother tongue in almost every home. People spoke French in churches, schools, and businesses. In the minds of my siblings and friends, our whole world was French-speaking. For us, French was the norm. You may ...

Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition NDP and NDP MPPs Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay – Superior North) and Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) demanded support and resources for forest fire workers during a press conference today addressing the severe and urgent crisis as wildfire season rages on amidst a retention and recruitment crisis. “Forest fire crews have been doing incredibly difficult ...

In the wake of a heartbreaking death at the Notre-Dame Hospital in Hearst, Ontario, NDP Health Critic France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) and MPP Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk—James Bay) are calling on the Ford government to take immediate action. They urge Ford to prioritize the growing healthcare needs in Northern Ontario, including adequate emergency air transportation. The incident at Notre-Dame Hospital involved ...

On Wednesday, the final report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario was tabled in the House of Commons. Despite clear objections regarding representation in the North from the NDP and Liberals, electoral districts in Northern Ontario will be reduced, from ten to nine, with those districts set to become significantly larger. The Conservative party provided a ...

Mercredi, le rapport final de la Commission de délimitation des circonscriptions électorales fédérales pour la province de l’Ontario a été déposé à la Chambre des communes. Malgré les objections claires du NPD et des libéraux concernant la représentation du Nord, les circonscriptions électorales du Nord de l’Ontario seront réduites, passant de dix à neuf, et ces circonscriptions deviendront beaucoup plus ...

As Canadians start to take their summer vacation, Canada’s NDP is calling on Premier Ford and Prime Minister Trudeau to ensure electric vehicle (EV) chargers are available and reliable across Northern Ontario and Canada, as promised in the federal government’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program. The call comes in response to reports of chargers across Northern Ontario, specifically Marathon, White ...

NDP MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo) met with seniors who have experienced spousal separation in Ontario’s Long-Term Care system today, pushing to bring the Till Death Do Us Part Act back to Queen’s Park committee for discussion and debate. “It’s heartbreaking to hear the stories of older adult couples who are forced to live apart,” said Fife. “I invited all PC ...

Lundi, le NPD a renouvelé son appel au ministre des Finances pour qu’il prolonge la date limite de remboursement des prêts du Compte d’urgence pour les entreprises canadiennes (CUEC) car les petites entreprises qui ont compté sur ces prêts pendant la pandémie font face à une lente reprise en raison de la crise du coût de la vie. Les petites ...