Helix

Tuesday April 18, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday April 18, 2023

Ford’s Fumbled Vision for Ontario Place

Young Doug Ford: The Series

Premier Doug Ford’s recent announcements about Ontario Place and the Ontario Science Centre have left many scratching their heads. Ford, known more for his political blunders than his youthful exploits as a rebel without a cause, seems to be haphazardly scribbling plans for these iconic attractions on the back of a napkin, as NDP Leader Marit Stiles aptly pointed out in the legislature.

Opinion: Doug Ford’s vision for Ontario Place puts people last

January 12, 2019

Ford’s bewildering plan to uproot the Science Centre from its historic location and hand over public lands to a private European developer to build a luxury spa and parking lot on Ontario Place’s West Island has raised more than a few eyebrows. The lack of transparency and accountability in Ford’s decision-making process is as clear as mud, and critics are rightly concerned about the environmental impact of cutting down over 800 trees for a proposed spa, as revealed in a recent City of Toronto planning staff report.

Mayoral candidates Josh Matlow and Olivia Chow have called for preserving Ontario Place as a public park without a private spa, while Ford’s former adviser, Mark Saunders, seems to view it as a “tourism opportunity” for the city. However, Ford remains resolute in his plans, claiming that the idea to relocate the Science Centre came up a year ago and that he personally thinks it’s a brilliant idea. Perhaps his rose-tinted nostalgia for the good old days is clouding his judgment as he makes decisions about these provincial treasures.

Wikipedia: Ontario Place

July 30, 2012

As the June 26 mayoral byelection looms, Ford’s puzzling vision for Ontario Place and the Science Centre has become a contentious issue. Many are clamoring for more transparency and accountability in Ford’s decision-making process, and urging him to put aside his impulsive napkin-scrawled plans and approach these beloved attractions with a modicum of strategic foresight. It’s high time for Ford to heed the concerns of the public and consider the long-term implications of his ill-conceived plans for Ontario Place and the Ontario Science Centre, instead of making rash decisions that seem more fitting of his political misadventures than his youthful escapades. (AI)

 

Wednesday February 26, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 26, 2020

Indigenous MPP says singing God Save The Queen in legislature ‘a step backwards’

Members of Ontario’s legislature began a new tradition Monday of singing God Save the Queen in the chamber, which an Indigenous politician said is a step backward for reconciliation.

Young Doug Ford: The Series

The legislature recently adopted a host of procedural rule changes, including singing the royal anthem in addition to the Canadian national anthem on the first Monday of each month. It was sung

Monday for the first time since the legislature resumed from the winter break and the new rule went into effect.

Sol Mamakwa, a New Democrat who represents the northern riding of Kiiwetinoong, with a majority Indigenous population, said it was hurtful to hear the anthem.

“As a First Nations person, as a colonized person, it’s a step backwards when we talk about reconciliation,” he said.

Mamakwa, a Kingfisher Lake band member, said he would prefer instead to see some type of acknowledgment to First Nations people in Ontario.

British Monarchy Merch

“I see the revival of God Save the Queen in this house as a step backwards, a shift from modern reconciliation to a past that celebrated the colonialism, that sought the destruction of cultures, languages and communities,” he told the legislature before question period.

“For me, singing God Save the Queen is a celebration of a hurtful and violent colonial past. I cannot be part of it.”

Government house leader Paul Calandra said singing the anthem is a show of respect for the Queen of Canada, who has served for 68 years.

“I believe that Her Majesty … was the first person to show reconciliation to the First Nations,” he said. “Many of our past monarchs didn’t do that. But Her Majesty, over 68 years, has had and continues to have a very special relationship with our First Nations.”

Calandra noted that the NDP didn’t flag it as an issue during debate over the rule changes, though the Liberal and Green members raised it with him in private. (CBC) 

The inking process using the app ProQuest on an iPad