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

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145 St. George has become poster child for renters facing eviction

By Carly Penrose  Read more

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Where is Ford in Toronto’s time of need?

By Jessica Bell

The first official Toronto budget under the new strong mayor reign has revealed an unpleasant truth. This is a fantasy budget built on a house of cards. Even with a seven per cent planned property tax hike, the federal and provincial governments need to hand over $1.4 billion to the city for the budget to balance in 2023. And even if they say yes to Toronto’s official funding request, the city will still cut services.  Read more

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Governance, climate, and road safety goals emerge as priorities

By Dianne Saxe

Thank you all for selecting me as your city councillor. I would like to thank the Gleaner for inviting me to regularly update residents on what is happening in Ward 11 and at city council.   Read more

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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

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Residents’ associations come together to condemn move

By the HVRA and the ARA

Bill 23, the provincial government’s promise to build 1.5 million homes by 2031 is nothing short of an early Christmas gift to developers.

There’s no guarantee homes will be built, there’s nothing to ensure they will be affordable, and there’s no help for renters.  Read more

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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

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