death

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday July 25, 2018

Does Canada Have a Gun Control Problem?

July 18, 2012

In the aftermath of the deadly mass shooting in Toronto that left two bystanders and the shooter dead and 12 others injured, a right-wing blogger has questioned whether Canada’s gun control laws actually work.

 
“I thought they had gun control in Canada,” Laura Loomer, tweeted. “What happened?” she asked.
 
That tweet was one of dozens of others posing the same question, with many branding the shooting as evidence that gun control laws do not work. 
 
But others have been quick to point out that the number of shootings should speak for itself. 
 
“This is the first mass shooting in our country in almost two years,” one Canadian tweeted. “How many has the USA had just this year? Gun control DOES work, obviously. Just not 100 percent of the time.”
 
The past year has seen a spate of mass shootings across the U.S., with a total of 154 taking place since June 28 alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as any that results in four or more individuals shot or killed in the same general time frame or location. 
 
Sunday’s mass shooting in Toronto was the first in Canada since an attack on a mosque in Quebec City on January 29, 2017, which saw a single gunman kill six people and wound 18 others. 
 
Before that, Canada had not had a mass shooting since January 22, 2016, when a 17-year-old student shot and killed two people at a residence in La Loche, Saskatchewan, before continuing his rampage at La Loche Community School, killing a teacher and an assistant, and wounding several others.
 
A firearm is nearly seven times less likely to be used in a homicide in Canada than in the U.S., according to Statistics Canada. (More Stats: Newsweek) 
 

SaveSave

Wednesday April 25, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 25, 2018

Toronto struggles with tragedy in wake of attack

As in much of the country, spring was slow to come in Toronto.

It was only this past weekend that temperatures finally climbed into double digits, ending the tyranny of hats, gloves and heavy winter coats. People spilled into the streets, liberated by the warm sunshine.

Monday was the nicest day yet. Sweet and bright; the kind of afternoon that invites lazy lunches, a cup of coffee at the neighbourhood cafe, or simply a stroll down the sidewalk.

The portion of Yonge Street up above Highway 401 isn’t the most pedestrian-friendly part of the city. It boasts the six lanes of traffic and extra-long blocks of a former suburb.

But 20 years of growth and densification has seen a canyon of condos and office towers sprout up where there used to be bungalows, low-rise plazas and fields. Tens of thousands have moved into the busy neighbourhood, including so many young families that the overburdened local schools have closed their doors to new students.

We may never know why a man selected that stretch of road for murder and mayhem. But his white rental van found plenty of targets in the almost three kilometres between Finch and Sheppard Avenues.

The attack left 10 people dead, and injured 15 — many of them severely.  

Toronto hasn’t yet fully absorbed the tragedy.

Some of that might be the geography of a big metropolis. Or the fact that someone is in custody. And the peculiar sense of relief that comes from suggestions that such an unspeakable act was driven by one type of hatred versus another.

Either way, city life barely skipped a beat in the immediate aftermath. The streets were clogged and subways packed per usual, and the hockey game went on. (Continued: CBC) 

 

Wednesday February 7, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator –  Wednesday February 7, 2018

“Gentle giant:” Hamilton’s longest serving mayor, Bob Morrow dies at 71

Hamilton’s longest-serving mayor never stopped working for the community he loved.

That sounds like a cliché — except Bob Morrow literally spent the hours before his death working the phones to try to find a Sunday mass replacement organist for his beloved St. Patrick parish downtown.

His death Monday, at age 71, spurred a flood of online tributes Monday from friends, politicians of all stripes and even new Canadians welcomed by the former citizenship judge.

Morrow guided pre-amalgamation Hamilton as mayor from 1982 to 2000 and later stepped up in 2014 to fill a vacant Ward 3 council seat. But his passion for the community was visible outside of politics, too.

Morrow left “a number of messages” in the early hours of Sunday apologizing for missing mass at St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church where he served as organist for almost a decade, said Fr. Tony O’Dell by email. “In his last message he reminded me that this was the first time he missed a mass during his time with us. He will be remembered as a true statesman and kind-hearted man in our parish and beyond.”

That was his father in a nutshell, said son George Morrow.

Morrow, who kept his health challenges to himself as much as possible, tried to keep up with his volunteer commitments despite being on dialysis for months due to an undisclosed illness, said his son. He said a complicating lung infection interfered with his father’s treatment and hastened his death.

Morrow is survived by his two sons, George and Kerr.

“He was so passionate about (his church duties),” said George. “He was going into the hospital and he was still calling around, looking for a replacement. It mattered to him.”

Those sorts of stories followed Morrow throughout his political career. (Hamilton Spectator) 

RIP Mayor Bob Morrow

News came yesterday of the death of Bob Morrow, Hamilton’s longest serving Mayor (1982-2000). His political career was coming to an end by the time I had arrived on the scene as the Spec’s editorial cartoonist in mid-1997. As the cartoons below illustrate, the issues he had been dealing with at the time were related to a declining downtown, ridicule of Hamilton, and the coming amalgamated city of surrounding communities into an expanded city of Hamilton. While he failed to attain enough votes to continue as mayor in 2000 he proved to be the biggest civic cheerleader of the city, and he served it well.

Bob Morrow- 1998
June 13, 1998
October 9, 1998
January 28, 1999
December 4, 1999
January 18, 2000
March 2, 2000
March 16, 2000
June 6, 2000
September 14, 2000
September 22, 2000
October 28, 2000
November 1, 2000
January 24, 2014

Friday April 28, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 28, 2017

LRT to Eastgate Square reborn after council nod

Hamilton’s contentious $1-billion LRT project has survived a high-stakes council vote to push ahead after last-minute provincial agreement to extend the light rail line to Eastgate Square.

April 19, 2017

Wednesday night’s 10-5 vote means provincial transit agency Metrolinx should be able to seek private sector bids to design, build and operate the project — now a 14-kilometre LRT line — as early as this summer.

It also appeared to convince at least some council opponents to pledge reluctant support to the project going forward, despite one last voting opportunity next year to derail LRT when council is asked to sign a final operating agreement.

“I hope that after today we come together as a council and say, we’re moving forward,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who acknowledged “frustration” among LRT supporters at apparent efforts to kill the project. “This has not been a short journey.”

January 14, 2017

Ward 5 Coun. Chad Collins, a vehement LRT critic, shocked observers by voting to submit the project study for provincial approval.

He made clear his preference would be to hold a referendum on LRT, but added by next year Metrolinx would have spent $80 million-plus on planning and property purchases. “There’s no turning back at that point,” he said.

Collins said he would continue to criticize the project as required, but also urged councillors to “make the best of a bad situation” and work together to ease challenges for affected residents. He warned the project will be a “gong show” if council and the community remain bitterly divided over LRT.

Ward 9 Coun. Doug Conley voted against submitting the study, but also served notice he would support council’s majority decision thereafter. “I really, really hope that it works out great … I have my doubts,” he said.

December 6, 2016

A late letter from Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca promising a three-kilometre line extension — but no new money — appeared to tip the scales for councillors like vocal LRT critic Terry Whitehead.

Whitehead was criticized by project fans for urging a vote delay earlier this month to investigate the feasibility of an Eastgate extension. He called inclusion of the commercial and transit “destination location” a critical way to strengthen the project for the whole city.

Del Duca said the province will “work with the city to explore ways to reduce costs to accommodate the extension” to Eastgate Square — the city’s original requested eastern end point — rather than stopping at the Queenston traffic circle.

He said project planners expect to reallocate savings from a recent decision to axe a spur line to the James Street North GO station, estimated at between $100 million and $125 million.

But Metrolinx has warned an Eastgate extension could cost anywhere from $150 million to $225 million. Del Duca’s letter doesn’t clearly spell out what would happen if the extension put the project over its $1-billion budget, but notes the change is contingent on “consideration of available funding to address any additional cost requirements, if necessary.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Tuesday November 22, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday November 22, 2016 O Canada: Trudeau's Castro tribute raises eyebrows Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's tribute complimenting Fidel Castro as Òremarkable" and a "larger than life leader who served his people" drew criticism and derision. Commentators viewed Trudeau's statement as gushing and tone-deaf -- one that ignored the Cuban leader's human rights abuses and record of political oppression. It inspired parody tributes with the hashtag #TrudeauEulogies. Ê In his statement, Trudeau expressed "deep sorrow" after learning of "the death of Cuba's longest serving president.Ó "Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation.Ó Fidel Castro greets Justin Trudeau at the former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's state funeral on October 3, 2000. "While a controversial figure, both Mr. Castro's supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for 'el ComandanteÕ." Trudeau added that his late father, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau "was very proud to call him a friend." Castro had been an honorary pallbearer at his father's funeral. The statement concluded: "We join the people of Cuba today in mourning the loss of this remarkable leader.Ó The prime minister's statement had Sen. Marco Rubio asking: Is this real? "If this is a real statement from the PM of Canada it is shameful & embarrassing," he tweeted. (Source: CNN) Canada, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Justin Trudeau, press, media, democracy, death, worship, hero

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday November 22, 2016

O Canada: Trudeau’s Castro tribute raises eyebrows

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tribute complimenting Fidel Castro as “remarkable” and a “larger than life leader who served his people” drew criticism and derision.

Commentators viewed Trudeau’s statement as gushing and tone-deaf — one that ignored the Cuban leader’s human rights abuses and record of political oppression. It inspired parody tributes with the hashtag #TrudeauEulogies.

In his statement, Trudeau expressed “deep sorrow” after learning of “the death of Cuba’s longest serving president.”

“Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation.”

Fidel Castro greets Justin Trudeau at the former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s state funeral on October 3, 2000.

“While a controversial figure, both Mr. Castro’s supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for ‘el Comandante’.”

Trudeau added that his late father, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau “was very proud to call him a friend.” Castro had been an honorary pallbearer at his father’s funeral.

The statement concluded: “We join the people of Cuba today in mourning the loss of this remarkable leader.”

The prime minister’s statement had Sen. Marco Rubio asking: Is this real?

“If this is a real statement from the PM of Canada it is shameful & embarrassing,” he tweeted. (Source: CNN)