A sunny disposition
I understand the appeal of Justin Trudeau. I saw it in the Maclean’s debate—the selfassuredness, the optimism and the vitality— and in every debate since. For those hoping for more from our nation’s leader, Trudeau cuts a dashing and hopeful figure against his dour and worried opponents. We want to be hopeful and optimistic. We […]
Us and them
Your voice matters. Politics matter. It is all that stands between your hospital and an empty building. It is all we have. Yet it may not be enough. Bit by bit, our hospitals in Picton and Trenton are being dismembered to shore up the finances for the hospital in Belleville. Even the most spirited and […]
A good day
Homs was a working town. Tough and self-reliant. Its people had endured centuries of the ebb and flow of rule ranging from Christian Byzantines to Muslim Ottomans. It had abided the whims and cruel heel of distant kings, emperors and dictators. But by 2011, the people of Homs had had enough. Enough of the corruption […]
On the beach
Social media lit up. Suddenly, if you were anywhere near Ostitional Beach in Costa Rica earlier this month, you had to get down to the shoreline to observe an amazing natural phenomenon. Hundreds of thousands of olive ridley turtles were crawling out of the ocean to lay their eggs in the sand. Soon, vacationers and […]
Harm, harrass or kill
Bill Mauro stood before a hastily assembled group of reporters and nature groups in May 2009. The MPP representing Thunder Bay–Atikokan was back home with money from Queen’s Park— $107,000 for the protection of species at risk in the area. “People in our communities are concerned about the protection of species at risk and the […]
Unravelling
The revelations in Demorestville on Friday were as shocking as they were predictable. Many folks harbour a degree of cynicism about their government’s action and intentions. Sadly last week, for many, their worst suspicions were confirmed. To fully grasp the significance of Joe Crowley’s explosive testimony on Friday at the reconstituted Environmental Review Tribunal (Tribunal) […]
Irreversible
As we embark on yet another leg of the journey to spare Prince Edward County’s rugged south shore from the scourge of industrial wind turbines; as we prepare for the final legal battle that will weigh the destruction of an endangered species against the hunger for profit by a well-financed developer and the political avarice […]
The moral case for growth
In the first three months of 2015, just five new-home permits were issued by the County’s planning department. At that rate, the municipality was on track for its worst new-home construction performance since it began keeping records. A healthy second quarter, however—fuelled by strong numbers in May and June—helped stabilize what appeared to be a […]
A collective duty
Heritage costs money,” said the councillor to the residents who had come to Shire Hall asking for a stay of the demolition for two buildings at Wellington’s intersection of Main and Wharf Streets. “Somebody has to pony up.” The councillor made it clear. In his view, it was the folks wishing to see the 117-year-old […]
Still divided
There is jubilation across the land. Stephen Harper is gone. And Justin Trudeau is leading a majority government promising real change. A nation celebrates the end of a regime that came across as small and petty—out of touch with the way Canadians think and view their country. Ushering in a new way of looking at […]