With the Lieutenant-Governor Edith Dumont dissolving the legislature at the request of the Premier Doug Ford, the surprise, though not-surprising, 2025 Ontario general election has begun! If you’re wondering about the election basics like when to vote, where to vote, or how to vote, Elections Ontario has provided this information as we formally begin the countdown to Election Day on February 27!! Continue reading “Ontario Election Officially Begins!”
Politicians, and those critical of politicians, often talk about thinking “outside the box”. Well, let it never be said that Premier Doug Ford doesn’t know how to think because Wednesday, from the side of the road in Toronto, he announced a bold new plan to fight congestion on Highway #401: A tunnel *under* the 401. Ford is directing engineers from the Ministry of Transportation to do a feasibility study to see if the GTHA can dig their way out of gridlock. Continue reading “A Tunnel?! Ford Has Ideas About Gridlock”
This week is the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, a chance for staff and council members from Ontario’s 444 municipal governments to meet with their federal and provincial counterparts. But if there was a theme on Monday, it was provincial party leaders making a case for doing more for cities by forming the next government, and adding more fuel to the fire that a snap fall election is coming! Continue reading “AMO Speeches from Party Leaders Sound Like Campaign Kick-Off”
As promised, and over two years to go before the next provincial and municipal elections in 2026, Elections Ontario has made it’s move to take over the voters list for all elections in Ontario. In other words, 2022 was the last election where the list of voters is managed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), who has managed that list for the last 15 years with varying degrees of success. But now, voting is a one-stop shop! Continue reading “Elections Ontario Moves to Take Over Voters List for Local Elections”
It started with one Waterloo Regional Police officer. Then two. It wasn’t too long before 10 officers were standing at the west entrance to Bingeman’s, the site of FordFest in Kitchener on Friday night. The detail was traffic control of a sort. On the roadside in front of the amusement park and conference centre complex were well over 500 people representing labour, environmental, and education groups who had come to (un)welcome the premier and his supporters to Waterloo Region. Continue reading “500-Plus (Including Guelphites) Form Unwelcome Wagon For Doug Ford in Kitchener”
A housing crisis plus 1.5 million homes to build in the next eight years is a task that might require a Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in the Government of Ontario cabinet. You might have heard that the previous minister resigned this morning, which is why late Monday afternoon Premier Doug Ford announced a light cabinet shuffle in the wake of Steve Clark’s resignation. And you’re new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is… Continue reading “Ontario’s Cabinet Shuffled in the Wake of Clark’s Resignation”
Nearly a month into the scandal that has absorbed almost all the attention put on the Government of Ontario, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark announced on Labour Day that he was resigning from cabinet. Even though it was less than a week ago that Clark said that he could continue in cabinet despite the damning indictments of both the Auditor General and the Integrity Commissioner, he’s now had a change of heart. Continue reading “Apropos, Clark Quits Cabinet on Labour Day”
Greenbelt-gate continues to be a pain for the Government of Ontario, and the opposition parties are twisting the knife. Today, Guelph MPP and Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner took things up a notch by calling for an independent public inquiry into the scandal. It’s another pressure point in a week full of renewed pressure on Doug Ford and company about the deal to sell Greenbelt land to developers. Continue reading “Schreiner Calls For Public Inquiry into Greenbelt Shenanigans”
Ontario farmers are expressing their concern about the Ontario government’s latest proposal to supercharge the development of housing. It’s called Bill 97 – the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act – and while that sounds like it has nothing to do with farming, there is a caveat in the legislation that has farmers concerned. Something they say will accelerate the loss of precious farmland in Ontario. Continue reading “Farm Groups Have Concerns About Bill 97 Leading to Land Loss”
It’s 2019 all over again! That’s how Guelph MPP and Green Party leader Mike Schreiner described the situation at Queen’s Park during his most recent appearance on Open Sources Guelph. It’s been a very busy first few months for the new Ontario Legislature, and as we close 2022, Schreiner has notes about Bill 23, Doug Ford’s leadership style, and whether or not he’s going to change team colours. Continue reading “On OSG, Schreiner Calls Out Ford Policies as “Dangerous” and “Unnecessary””
Guelph Politico 