It was a cold and blistery day, but the outrage kept about 200 people warm as they stood on all corners at the intersection of Gordon and Wellington to make their displeasure known. The source of their disgruntlement is the Ontario government under Premier Doug Ford, and it encompassed a variety of issues from education to healthcare to affordability to democratic rights. Check out some the sights and cleverly written signs from the protest below.
Hosted by “some local citizens”, the Guelph version of the Fight Ford Protest joined other similar gatherings in nearly 40 cities across Ontario. It’s point, according to a media release, was to “be a province-wide show of force against Doug Ford and his conservatives.”
“The Fight Ford province-wide banner includes the following very long list of issues with the Ford government: Freedom of Information Scandal, Basic Income Pilot Cancellation, cutting funding for supervised consumption sites, lack of healthcare funding, cuts to OSAP, threatening First Nation Treaty Rights via Bill 5, merging Conservation Authorities, blatant Nepotism, Patronage and Political Cronyism, closing Ontario Place, Highway 413, cancelled climate initiatives, cutting protection for endangered species, cuts to the Ontario Autism Program, pushing Water System privatization, democratic interference with the City of Toronto, the ongoing Greenbelt scandal….and the list goes on,” the release said,
No big speeches were planned, no major groups were identified by name, but both Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner and Ward 5 City Councillor Leanne Caron were on hand to offer support to the group. Also offering support were the honks of many cars passing through the intersection, some of them louder than others. After an hour or so, most of the people gathered there left for somewhere warmer, perhaps content that they got out onto the streets and did something.
For the record, here are the headlines from the Tip Sheet newsletter in the last week:
*Once again, the Ontario government is announcing their intention to make changes to ticket reselling that are not dissimilar to the changes that they canceled when they took over from the Liberals in 2018.
*Ipsos says that the force is still strong with Doug Ford, but a growing number of people think he’s taking the province in the wrong direction too.
*Although he’s ruled out using the notwithstanding clause to get rid of trustees, the Education Minister promises that “significant changes” are coming for Ontario school boards.
*The Speaker of the Legislatures asked anyone planning on coming to Queen’s Park to protest OSAP changes on Tuesday to please not vandalize our precious statues.
*Four premiers, including Doug Ford, want provincial governments to have a say in what judges get appointed to the federal bench. The justice minister says no dice.
*Following up on their promise (threat?), the Ontario government has moved to seize the Toronto Island airport, and the lands around it, and are making it a “special economic zone”.
*The information and privacy commissioner is asking the Ontario government to hit the breaks on those FOI changes before its too late.
*The headline from the Ontario budget announcement Thursday is that the provincial deficit will now hit $13.8 billion. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy blames “uncertainty” and “heightened trade tensions”.
*Doug Ford said that he would “send an army” to Mississauga to prevent Bonnie Crombie, a private citizen, from running to be Mississauga’s mayor again. What “army” he was referring to is one of many questions about this statement.
Guelph Politico 