Politics

A short while ago my office team was telling me about some improvements to a computer program we use to manage the huge volume of case work that comes through our office. The improvements were predominantly geared to efficiency, streamlining file management and advanced means of file saving and recall. I was very pleased to hear my team finds the ...

Northerners tend to be very fond of the early days of spring. You know, the days just before the leaves come out. I say this because Northerners also know what comes along immediately after the opening of the leaves – Blackflies! So I decided to make the most of these fleeting blackfly-free–daysand get some work done around my camp. While doing ...

It seems to be an unfortunate sign of the times that almost all of the news people are exposed to is, to be quite frank, of an extremely negative nature. Some like to put the blame on media, but in my opinion, that’s simply too broad of a paintbrush stroke. Yes, media reports a steady stream of disconcerting news, but ...

Recently some of my Northern region colleagues and I were discussing concerns regarding Doug Ford’s deep cuts to public health. Later as I was driving down the road after the meeting, a particular former politician’s image came to my mind followed by the name – Walkerton. Even those too young to remember the horrific circumstances involving the contamination with the ...

If you were a kid who had to take your lunch to school with you, did you ever experience “lunch bag let down?” Most of us did from time to time. As a kid you would sit in class all morning and your mind would wander to thoughts of a favourite PB&J sandwich or some of Mom’s homemade cookies. Then, ...

All of us have heard the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child,” many times. Some attribute the origin to the Igbo and Yoruba tribes in Africa, while others say it was passed down through North American Indigenous teachings. No matter what the origin, few would argue with the statement. Those of us who have children can readily ...

You know those sci-fi movies and television programs in which the story revolves around a portal adjoining two worlds. Often the plot is based on the idea that whatever the main character does in one world has some sort of effect in the other world. Some days, when I plunk myself down in my residence in Toronto, I feel like ...

How many times has Canada been chosen as the best place to live or placed at least in the top ten best nations to live in the entire world? There have been many surveys based upon responses to a large variety of criteria. Admittedly I didn’t come up with a final answer in my research, but suffice to say we ...

Recently I was in the positon of needing to make arrangements for a special retrofit project back home. Knowing such a project would likely take some time to complete and given my work schedule, doing the work myself just wasn’t practical. Besides, I admit that I didn’t really know where to begin, so I needed to hire someone. As I ...

As I write this column I find myself concluding another week of constituency clinics covering numerous northern communities in the riding. MPPs are back to the Legislature on Monday. I take pride in being able to say that my face is no stranger to virtually any community in Algoma-Manitoulin. There is no doubt in my mind that constituency clinics play ...

Like many Ontarians, I often find myself trying to balance my career life with that of being a dad. I can honestly say that while being a politician and a father, both jobs come with some real challenges, but I couldn’t be happier and more proud to have the opportunity to fulfill my duties for each of these roles. I ...

I spend a great deal of time on the road which gives me lots of time to think things over. Just recently I was travelling along the TransCanada heading back from Wawa. The view along the shores of Lake Superior are truly breathtaking. The view made me think of how fortunate we are to live in Algoma-Manitoulin where we readily ...

Frequent readers of this column well know how much I value holding regular constituency clinics in communities across the riding. Having the opportunity to talk face-to-face with individuals to listen to their concerns is one of the most effective ways for an MPP to stay in touch with what is going on in the lives of their constituents. Not only ...

    Anyone who knows me would likely agree that I truly am a Northerner through and through. I will admit that at times, though not often, I do take advantage of some opportunities that are more urban in nature, such as professional sports, musical concerts and theatre. Toronto’s reputation as a cultural centre is growing. There are some truly ...

Michael Mantha has been successful in securing a third consecutive term as MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin. Mantha was delighted with the final outcome of the election results for this riding but said right from the beginning that he was taking nothing for granted. At this time the final tally for all ridings has not been officially announced; however, the NDP is ...