flood

Tuesday August 1, 2017

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday August 1, 2017

Murray quitting as environment minister signalling a climate change at Queen’s Park

Premier Kathleen Wynne is suffering the loss of a key member of her cabinet with the surprise departure of Environment and Climate Change Minister Glen Murray, the Star has learned.

March 2, 2017

Murray, 59, who has been out of the country and was unavailable for comment, will announce Monday at Queen’s Park that he is set to resign from provincial politics.

The Toronto Centre MPP, also a former mayor of Winnipeg and one-time Star columnist, has been Wynne’s point person on climate change.

He will step down immediately from cabinet, forcing the premier to do a minor shuffle of her executive council on Monday morning, but will remain as an MPP for a few more weeks to wind down some local constituency business.

Internationally respected on environmental issues, he was first elected in a February 2010 byelection after then-deputy premier George Smitherman left to run for mayor of Toronto and lost to Rob Ford.

Former premier Dalton McGuinty elevated Murray to cabinet just six months later where he served as minister of research and innovation. After the 2011 election, he was promoted to minister of training, colleges, and universities.

After McGuinty stepped down in October 2012, he launched a Liberal leadership bid, but dropped out to support Wynne shortly before the party’s convention in January 2013.

The new premier rewarded him for his timely endorsement, which gave her campaign momentum, by making him transportation and infrastructure minister in February 2013.

Following her majority victory in June 2014, Wynne moved him to the Ministry of the Environment and added “Climate Change” to his title to underscore its importance as Ontario was joining Quebec and California in a cap-and-trade system.

In a move some Liberals felt demonstrated petulance, Murray responded to being shuffled by taking to Twitter that June 25 and saying: “Today it sunk in the last election was my last.”

“Promised that if I couldn’t make a difference in 8 or 10 years I couldn’t make a difference,” the minister tweeted more than three years ago.

“First openly gay person elected in Canada. I have to thank Winnipeggers for electing me councillor and mayor and TO for electing me MPP and minister,” he continued.

“Minister of Environment in Ontario is the best political position I have ever had the privilege to hold. I was not demoted. Kathleen Wynne put me in a position where I can fight to ensure we can survive climate change.”

While his prophecy turned out to be true, Murray had indicated to allies more recently that he planned to run again next year, so his exit is blindsiding the governing Liberals.

A strong performer in the legislature, where he usually deflects opposition questions skilfully, he has emerged as one of Wynne’s better known ministers. (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

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Saturday May 6, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 6, 2017

Shoreline and flood worries as wind and rain hit Hamilton and region

A flood watch was in effect for Hamilton as the city and much of southern Ontario brace for several more days of rain.

The Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) says this forecasted rainfall may result in further increases in water levels and flows in area watercourses, with the potential for significant flooding.

There is further concern about the potential impacts of northerly winds on the shores of Lake Ontario. Those  winds may increase the risk of shoreline flooding and erosion, with Lake Ontario levels already high.

The latest rainfall — from Thursday through to Saturday — comes on top of records numbers for the year so far.

“This has been a record rainy first 125 days of a year, never has there been so much rain in that period in the Hamilton area,” said Dave Phillips, Environment Canada.

Phillips says Hamilton has received about 87 per cent more rain than the city would normally get so far this year.

The potential rainfall may also result in local drainage issues in low-lying or poorly drained areas, and storm sewer systems may become overwhelmed in intense rainfalls over short durations. (CBC News)

 

Thursday May 4, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 4, 2017

More rain coming, flooding possible: Environment Canada

Environment Canada says there’s more rain on the way this week and with the ground already wet there could be flooding.

The weather agency issued, on Wednesday morning, a special weather statement for Hamilton and much of Southern Ontario.

It says that with wet weather set to return later in the week and with the ground already saturated, there may be flooding.

Environment Canada says “rain will spread back into Southern Ontario from the southwest Thursday reaching Eastern Ontario by Friday morning.”

The agency expects total rainfall amounts may approach 50 mm in some areas by the weekend.

This comes after an April 20 rainstorm flooded parts of Hamilton — especially Dundas. The city declared it a disaster to unlock thousands in potential compassionate grants for homeowners who suffered water damage. (Source: CBC News) 

This comes a week after Hamilton Council almost rejected sending an environmental Assessment on the proposed LRT to Queen’s Park. Councillor Terry Whitehead decided not to vote against the assessment after the Province endorsed extending the line to Eastgate mall. Waterdown councillor Judi Partridge was opposed along with 4 other councillors

 

Thursday November 1, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday November 1, 2012

Romney tones down Obama attacks

Mitt Romney campaign affected by hurricane damage

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney pledged Wednesday to deliver the “real change” he says his Democratic opponent promised but has not achieved.

With President Barack Obama in New Jersey surveying storm damage, Romney softened his line of attack against the president. He did not mention Obama’s name in his first two rallies in Florida — a third was planned in the evening — but in a race that polls show to be extremely close, he found an avenue to challenge Obama nonetheless.

“I don’t just talk about change,” Romney told an estimated 2,000 supporters at an airport rally before outlining general plans to improve the nation’s economy. “I actually have a plan to execute change and make it happen.”

Romney aides concede that the political balancing act is not over as the nation continues to focus on Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath. The day before, Romney canceled some rallies and converted one into a storm relief event aimed at collecting donations for those in need.

Back on the campaign trail Wednesday, Romney encouraged Floridians to donate “a dollar or two” to storm victims across the East Coast.

“Today we wanted to make sure we kept a positive tone and talked about what the governor would hope to do on Day One of his presidency,” adviser Kevin Madden said aboard Romney’s campaign plane.

That’s exactly what Romney did in campaign speeches in Tampa and Coral Gables that were stripped of his standard anti-Obama political jabs (Source: CBC News) 

 

Thursday January 23, 2003

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday January 23, 2003 The Great Flood of 2003 The old pipe couldn't take the pressure anymore and blew just before 5 a.m. For 76 years, it had ferried water from the city's main trunk line up Locke Street to fill the Beaumont Reservoir, which in turn quenches west Hamilton's thirst. But yesterday, after days of bitter cold, frost worked its way under the 30-inch cast iron pipe, right where one section connects the next under the intersection of Herkimer and Locke streets. The frost pushed the ground up until the big feeder pipe shattered like a poorly fired clay vase, blowing out a one-metre-square piece of metal. It released a geyser of water so powerful it blasted straight up through concrete roadbed and asphalt and spewed three metres into the air. Within minutes, it sped down streets into more than 100 homes and businesses, completely flooding some basements and reducing water pressure across large parts of west Hamilton. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Hamilton, Locke Street, Marvin Caplan, water, infrastructure, flood, pipe, politics

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday January 23, 2003

The Great Flood of 2003

The old pipe couldn’t take the pressure anymore and blew just before 5 a.m. For 76 years, it had ferried water from the city’s main trunk line up Locke Street to fill the Beaumont Reservoir, which in turn quenches west Hamilton’s thirst. But yesterday, after days of bitter cold, frost worked its way under the 30-inch cast iron pipe, right where one section connects the next under the intersection of Herkimer and Locke streets.

The frost pushed the ground up until the big feeder pipe shattered like a poorly fired clay vase, blowing out a one-metre-square piece of metal.

It released a geyser of water so powerful it blasted straight up through concrete roadbed and asphalt and spewed three metres into the air.

Within minutes, it sped down streets into more than 100 homes and businesses, completely flooding some basements and reducing water pressure across large parts of west Hamilton. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)