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Friday September 29, 2023

September 29, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday September 29, 2023

Greenbelt Reversal: Ontario’s Compensation Commitment Under Scrutiny

September 22, 2023

In a recent announcement, the Ontario housing minister, Paul Calandra, has assured the public that developers whose lands are being returned to the protected Greenbelt will not receive compensation. However, skepticism runs high regarding this promise, given the province’s track record and the circumstances surrounding this decision.

Calandra’s assertion that the government will not compensate these developers is met with a degree of cynicism, and for good reason. The province’s previous actions, including removing land from the Greenbelt last year as part of an ambitious housing development plan, have raised questions about its true intentions. While Premier Doug Ford has now announced the return of 15 parcels of land to the protected area and offered an apology for the initial decision, it’s worth noting that this move came only after damning reports from the auditor general and the integrity commissioner exposed flaws and favoritism in the process.

News: Doug Ford won’t compensate developers for Greenbelt flip-flop

August 24, 2023

The auditor general’s revelation that property owners stood to gain a staggering $8.3 billion from this land transfer only adds to the doubts surrounding the government’s intentions. The aftermath of these reports saw the resignation of key figures, including the then-housing minister Steve Clark, further eroding public trust.

The upcoming legislation, which aims to codify Greenbelt boundaries and prevent future changes via regulation, seems like a step in the right direction. However, the government’s history of favoring certain developers and its reluctance to compensate for past actions raise concerns about its commitment to true reform.

Opinion: Doug Ford is very, very sorry. But for what?

December 1, 2021

Moreover, the lack of transparency regarding the deals made with developers is a troubling aspect of this entire affair. Opposition leaders rightly question whether there are other ways developers might be compensated, which could ultimately benefit them in the long run. The absence of disclosed agreements and a tendency to operate behind closed doors only fuel suspicions.

YDF Merch

In essence, while Minister Calandra’s statement may suggest a change of heart, it is difficult to ignore the lingering skepticism. The province’s actions have, unfortunately, cast a shadow of doubt over its commitment to protecting the interests of the public over those of influential developers. Only time will tell whether Ontario can truly uphold the principles of a civilized democratic society in this matter. (AI)

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro. If you’re creative, give illustration a try:

Thursday May 14, 2020

May 21, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday May 14, 2020

‘Social bubbles’ allow you to see friends as coronavirus lockdowns ease — but they might not work

As more countries look to lift their coronavirus lockdowns, “social bubbles” have been floated as an idea of how to ease restrictions, but experts say they could be difficult to put into practice.

Marvellous Maps

A social bubble entails allowing people to form a group with a select number of people they are allowed to see socially outside their own household.

They have been put forward as a way to continue containing the spread of Covid-19, which has infected more than 3.6 million people worldwide and killed over 257,000, according to the latest figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

New Zealand — which has been heralded as an example for bringing its coronavirus cases down to zero — has already implemented social bubbles. It lifted certain lockdown restrictions last week and allowed people to expand their bubbles to contact with close family outside their own households.

April 18 2020

Meanwhile, Belgium is reportedly considering allowing people to socialize with a group of up to 10 people. It currently allows people to meet up with two others outside their household, so long they are outside and keep a distance from each other.

William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said social bubbles were “certainly a component of how, once the initial outbreak is under control, measures could be refined.”

However, he added that “as the size of the cluster grows, the probability that one of its members could become infected obviously increases.”

Mike Tildesley, an associate professor who specializes in infectious disease control at the University of Warwick, said that while “in principle, it’s a really sensible strategy,” practically it would be difficult to implement.

He also said that narrowing down a list of friends — and ensuring that those friends also have the same list — sounded like a “social nightmare.”

“You could envisage this situation where you name a group of friends, they name a group of friends that includes you, but it has some people that aren’t included on your list and all you’ve got is some sort of porous process that (the coronavirus) filters through the population more slowly that it did before,” Tildesley added. (CNBC)

Wednesday November 15, 2017

November 14, 2017 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 15, 2017

Hamilton’s aviary birds can stay put for now

The city is giving Hamilton Aviary volunteers until next summer to find a new home for the popular bird sanctuary.

May 10, 2017

A report in October recommended closing the Westdale facility and “rehoming” 65 birds because the dilapidated, city-leased building has sparked orders from the provincial Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Bird-loving volunteers appealed for time to put together a proposal for a new facility that would keep the feathered friends together.

Councillors at a public works committee Monday agreed to allow the birds to stay at the Oak Knoll Drive facility until the end of June 2018 — and pay up to $40,000 for short-term repairs — while volunteers work to find a new home for the aviary.

September 26, 2017

If the proposed new “forever home” for the birds looks like it will fly next year, the city will sell all 65 parrots and parakeets to the newly reconstituted Friends of the Aviary for $1.

Ward Coun. Aidan Johnson said he appreciated the “passion” of aviary supporters but noted the tough balancing act the city faces in trying to “fulfil its (legal) obligations as zookeeper.”

The provincial SPCA has said the city will face charges if it doesn’t deal with orders related to mice infestation and bad lighting at the aviary by the end of this month. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Monday, November 4, 2013

November 4, 2013 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday, November 4, 2013

Rob Ford joins Mike Duffy as Stephen Harper ‘distractions’: Tim Harper

It was barely a month ago, with allegations hanging over Rob Ford, that Stephen Harper took the highly unusual step of arranging a photo op with the Toronto mayor — on a Sunday — to pre-announce subway funding.

This prime minister just doesn’t do Sunday photo shoots with mayors. Except this one.

Harper must have known he was taking a risk inviting cameras to record this unusually high profile grip-and-grin, a two-step of mutual celebration followed the next morning with a full announcement with Ford beaming at Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

With the news Thursday that police have the infamous video that appears to show Ford smoking crack cocaine, it is fair to question Harper’s judgment in so eagerly courting his fishing and barbecue buddy, the man who gave the prime minister the big bear hug and thumb’s up on the eve of the 2011 federal election.

So, move over Mike Duffy.

You are not the only “distraction” hanging in the air as Conservatives gathered Thursday for their mid-term convention here.

Harper and his office made the bet in September that cozying up to Ford again was okay because they had clearly determined there were no more nuclear missteps looming for a mayor whose support they wanted again in 2015.

They lost that bet.

Harper also appeared to bet that a cornered Duffy would not fight back with his own allegations and documents in the ongoing Senate debacle.
Alexander Lisi’s lawyer speaks to the media
Another bet lost.

Now Harper appears to be betting that his former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, will remain quiet as the prime minister drags his name through the muck. (Source: Toronto Star)

SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDS

This cartoon found quite a bit of exposure on social media. At Yahoo! Canada News it was selected as part of its November 2013 cartoon gallery, and here it is on the Yahoo! Canada Facebook page. It appeared in the Montreal Gazette and the Calgary Herald.

Friday April 24, 2009

April 24, 2009 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 24, 2009

Ignatieff comes to America, to be educated

May 2, 2009

The Leader of the Official Opposition is in town to talk with senior Obama administration and congressional figures and to deliver a speech on Afghanistan before a private audience that includes Richard Holbrooke, the President’s special envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Michael Ignatieff had dinner last night with Mr. Holbrooke as well.

The Department of Foreign Affairs would kill for this kind of access.

Mr. Ignatieff is more than a moderately important Canadian politician hoping for a photo-op with a departmental secretary and maybe a senator or two.

He used to be one of the world’s better-known public intellectuals, a man more at home in common rooms than in his too-small office on Parliament Hill.

Having taught at Harvard, having been a regular contributor to The New York Times, having acted as host on BBC programs – being, in other words, a prominent member of the transatlantic intelligentsia, equips Mr. Ignatieff with an intellectual credibility in the eyes of this administration that Prime Minister Stephen Harper simply cannot emulate.

Within any culture, the question that matters is: Is he One of Us? For the Obama administration, Mr. Ignatieff is One of Us. Mr. Harper never will be. And there’s nothing he can do about it.

During his visit, Mr. Ignatieff hopes to impress his views about Afghanistan – Canada should stop shooting at people there and work harder on rebuilding Afghan society – on Mr. Holbrooke and other figures close to the President. (Source: Globe & Mail)