September 14th, 2023 · Comments Off on FORUM: Shelters overwhelmed by refugee seekers (Summer 2023)
Crisis underscores a larger housing crisis that Ford refuses to help fix
By Jessica Bell
Refugees and asylum seekers who arrive in Canada have been forced to flee their homes for many reasons, including war, violence, and natural disasters made worse by the climate crises. Read more
August 8th, 2023 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Ford’s poor planning will hurt us all (May/June 2023)
Back in 1973, when Ontario Premier Doug Ford was just nine years old, Conservative Premier Bill Davis brought in the Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act. This was the foundational legislation for what we now call the Greenbelt—2 million acres of farmland, forest, wetlands and watersheds in southern Ontario. Every premier since then, of every political stripe, has fought to protect that—until now. Premier Doug Ford is bent on tearing the area apart despite whatever promises he made in the last election, and that destruction is justified by a false premise. Read more
August 8th, 2023 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Bleed it and then blame it for dying (April 2023)
Mayoral candidate Anna Bailao launched her campaign with a plan to move the Science Centre to Ontario Place and replace it with housing. Premier Doug Ford promptly seized the moment by saying this was his plan all along, for three years now! This is hard to believe; it’s a scheme fraught with problems and a scheme that must absolutely be challenged. Read more
April 12th, 2023 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Ford’s budget is a fail (Mar. 2023)
The province is enjoying a windfall from sales tax on the inflated prices of goods and services. Notwithstanding a legacy of debt, which provincial governments of all stripes have contributed to, this government here and now is swimming in cash. One might have expected a budget with more punch, a budget that makes a difference for the economy, the environment, or for the many Ontarians who are struggling right now—but no. We have a budget that is neither conservative nor progressive, and there appears to be no underlying vision whatsoever, beyond kicking the can down the road. Read more
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Freedom Ford-style (Feb. 2023)
Doug Ford abandoned us. That’s what a 200-page decision reviewing Ottawa’s invocation of the Emergencies Act says. Written by Commissioner Justice Paul Rouleau and published by the Public Order Emergency Commission, this report points the finger for last year’s Freedom Convoy riots squarely at the premier, whose failure to act, it says, led to some members of the public feeling emboldened. Read more
March 27th, 2023 · Comments Off on FORUM: Bike lanes made permanent, more warming centres open (Feb. 2023)
Budget process reveals Toronto’s financial house not in order
By Dianne Saxe
The first month of the new year has been an eventful one at city hall. I am pleased to report that two crucial issues have successfully moved forward. Read more
December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Bill 23: A housing plan built on corruption (Dec. 2022)
Back in 2018, Doug Ford spoke his truth and it was caught on camera. The reaction to that video was so swift and forceful that the premier was forced to make a promise: he would never touch the Greenbelt, he said. If we’ve learned anything about Doug Ford since then, it’s that saying one thing and doing another is standard practice, and promises are meant to be broken. In breaking his promise on the Greenbelt, Ford is inflicting incomparable damage on this province that extends from the land to our trust in democratic systems. Read more
November 22nd, 2022 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Leaders show up (Nov. 2022)
The Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) is reviewing Ottawa’s use of the Emergencies Act to break up the “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa and at border crossings last winter. Their work involves hearing the testimony of people involved, including senior civil servants. In the past, premiers have testified in such commissions, despite the fact that the commission’s mandate is to hold all levels of government to account for the events that led to Prime Minister Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act last winter. Read more
November 22nd, 2022 · Comments Off on FORUM: Ford unleashes his sprawl agenda (Nov. 2022)
This sets province back to the 1940s
By Jessica Bell
Now that the provincial and city elections are over, the real Doug Ford has stepped out from behind the veneer of moderation. The Premier has unleashed his aggressive plan to spur suburban sprawl, parking lots, and highways across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area, at the expense of farmland, renters, municipal services, and all-important climate change goals. Read more
July 18th, 2022 · Comments Off on NEWS: Bell re-elected in University–Rosedale (July 2022)
Annex backs NDP, province backs PCs overall
By Carly Penrose
New Democrat Jessica Bell won University-Rosedale by 4,000 votes while Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives won a sweeping majority in the bid to lead Ontario’s government. Read more
May 24th, 2022 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Buck-a-fare just another sound bite (Provincial Election 2022)
Doug Ford has lowered the discourse for campaign-time politics by sucking another party into a vacuum of sorts. The PCs have given free licence plate renewals and are promising a five-cent drop in the gasoline tax—if reelected.
The Liberals have countered with a buck-a-fare public transit plan. It feels like we are at the CNE with hucksters competing for attention. Read more