<p>For the better part of a decade, municipalities have been expected to chip in a portion of new hospital infrastructure. This practice was brought in under the previous Ontario Liberal government and is continued by the current Ontario PC. When hospital infrastructure runs upwards into the billions of dollars this can become quite the burden on a municipality's bottom line.</p><br><p>This issue came to the forefront last week during Mississauga City Council's deliberation over whether or not to fund the Trillium Health Partner's request for $450 million to help fund the Peter Gilgan Hospital redevelopment. The main reason cited was that the funding of health care is the sole responsibility of the province. Municipalities do not have the funds or fundraising mechanisms to invest in healthcare infrastructure of this size. According to the city, to fulfill this request would mean that the city would need to raise property taxes to pay off the debt for many years to come.</p><br><p>Stepping back away from this specific issue, the matter of municipalities paying for what is essentially the province's responsibility is one that we keep coming back to time and time again on this podcast. If this is going to be the expected model going forward, then perhaps a new deal for cities is required.</p><br><p>To discuss the city's rationale, and the matter of who pays for what in Ontario, we invited back to the podcast Alvin Tedjo, Mississauga City Councilor for Ward 2. He joins us to give us insight into how the city is pushing back on the province's pressure to fund their responsibilities and to discuss why Ontario's cities need new ways to fund their responsibilities.</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>There have been a few stories that popped onto our radar recently that made us think we ought to do a 905 Round-Up Episode to cover them all. In the course of our discussions about them though, we discovered a common thread. All of the problems we discuss are a result of the poor decision-making of the Ontario PC Government.</p><br><p>The Mississauga LRT project is under threat of not being completed due to questions of where funding to pay vendors and suppliers will come from. The funding has turned into a mess of who's owed who and who is paying for it. Metrolinx is the Ontario government's transit corporation in charge of this project so why isn't the province stepping in to sort this out? Another project that the current government is leading to failure.</p><br><p>In Hamilton, The Spec reported how a new distribution model for home care supplies has left major gaps in the way they are distributed to patients. The result is that patients and home care providers are not operating with the tools they need. All due to the current government's need to upend the old way of doing things, resulting in a mess.</p><br><p>Lastly, we look at the fact that Burlington is raising property taxes again. We face the reality that it's due to the Ford government's upending the municipal funding formula but not replacing it with a new model for 905 municipalities to operate with.</p><br><p>What is the common thread we mentioned at the beginning of this note? We describe it as malicious incompetence. Listen to the episode to understand what it means.</p><br><p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10810909/hurontario-lrt-credit-rating-construction-delays/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hurontario LRT track trouble and delays threaten credit rating, completion timeline</a></p><br><p><a href="https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/we-re-panicking-says-home-care-co-ordinator-dealing-with-supply-shortage-crisis-with-no/article_dd56b004-7364-527e-baa5-2de62fc4ce42.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘We’re panicking,’ says home care co-ordinator dealing with supply shortage crisis with ‘no end in sight’</a></p><br><p><br></p><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p><br><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>As reported by Global News earlier this month, an internal document to then Minister of Education Todd Smith states that the province could be facing a teacher shortage.</p><br><p>Too many teachers are leaving the profession with fewer new teachers joining their ranks. The Ministry of Education is predicting that as early as 2027 we could start seeing a gap in available teachers and the number of students. If this continues we could see an already burdened education system stretched to its limits.</p><br><p>The current Minister of Education Jill Dunlop says that this looming crisis will be addressed by dealing with absenteeism as well as shortening the time for teaching candidates to get in front of classrooms.</p><br><p>Our guest today though has a different viewpoint. Karen Brown is the president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. Previously she was on to discuss the issue of violence against teachers in the classroom. Today she joins us to expand on that topic and discuss why Ontario has enough teachers. Just the province isn't stepping up to the plate to make the profession attractive to the qualified.</p><br><p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10788773/ontario-teaching-shortage-internal-warning/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Classroom Crisis: Ontario student, teacher disparity to ‘widen’ more, internal document warns</a></p><br><p>Previous Podcast: <a href="https://905er.ca/2023/04/karen-brown-of-etfo-talks-violence-in-our-schools/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Karen Brown of ETFO Talks Violence in Our Schools</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our own patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Last week saw news that another beluga whale died at Marineland.</p><br><p>For years now, the Niagara Falls-based theme park has been under intense scrutiny, after evidence of animal mistreatment and deaths have emerged at the park. The Ontario Solicitor General has stated that the park is under inspection by the province but will not divulge what it has been examining or looking for. Meanwhile, the park has reduced its operations to a mere shadow of its former glory.</p><br><p>The idea of Marineland overcoming its current woes and becoming a prestige destination attraction in Ontario is long gone. As people speculate on what the future of the park will be, the remaining Beluga Whales and Dolphins welfare is questioned.</p><br><p>We invited on to the podcast the whistleblower who brought to light the mistreatment and condition of the animals at Marineland, Philip Demers to discuss the current state of the park and what its future might be.</p><br><p>His not-for-profit organization to protect marine animal life is called UrgentSeas, and today he joins us to talk about Marineland</p><br><p><a href="https://urgentseas.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://urgentseas.org</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Last month the Ontario Liberal Party held their AGM in London.</p><br><p>Normally this isn't newsworthy, but this time a few items put it on our radar. Policy proposals to change the nature of the party's provincial council, limiting the number of Young Liberals on it, as well as potentially changing the leadership review process allowing current Leader Bonnie Crombie to stay on, even if she does not deliver for Ontario Liberals in the next election.</p><br><p>The proposals ultimately failed. However, the fact that such divisive motions made it as far as they did caught our attention. Furthermore, accounts from the AGM show a party that is not unified together. A problem for the Ontario Liberals as it appears Premier Doug Ford may try to call an early election early next year. So what actually went down in London?</p><br><p>To get the inside scoop, we reached out to Ahmad Elbayoumi, the publisher of the Policorner.ca substack. Ahmad is a political reporter, covering Queen's Park politics for the last four years and is now an independent journalist. He was one of a handful of journalists to cover the AGM and published a detailed account of what he saw. We asked him to come on the podcast to give his account and insight into what is happening to the Ontario Liberal Party leading into a potential election in 2025.</p><br><p><a href="https://www.policorner.ca/p/inside-the-liberal-convention" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Policorner Substack on the Ontario Liberal Party AGM</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The last week has seen many out-of-touch comments on the part of Ontario's Premier, Doug Ford.</p><br><p>A visit to Hamilton saw him brush off criticism of his failure of the housing file by stating that the plight of homeless encampments in 905 cities would be solved if those living there got off their quote 'A-S-S' and applied for jobs. The fallback position of him to a Ronald Reaganesque quote demonstrates how out of touch he is with the problems his lack of action has caused on the number one problem of the province.</p><br><p>Not letting that statement stand alone though, later in the week, Ford announced a multi-billion boondoggle in the waiting of promising to build a tunnel under the 401 from Brampton to Scarborough to alleviate traffic on Canada's busiest stretch of highway. Rough estimates state that it could cost over $100 Billion. Not to mention the fact that government projects never end on time. The money could be spent infinitely more wisely and have a better impact on Ontarians.</p><br><p>This week we have to look at the staggering incompetence and realize that when it comes to the people of Ontario, we are last in priorities for this Ontario PC government.</p><br><p><a href="https://x.com/siomoCTV/status/1838294599389057194" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doug Ford's A-S-S Comment</a></p><br><p><a href="https://x.com/fordnation/status/1838946726817787971" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doug Ford's announcement of the 401 Tunnel</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It seems that downtown Hamilton has been under fire for the last few months.</p><br><p>The federal tax court recently shut down citing gun violence.</p><br><p>Tent encampments are a feature in city parks, and most recently the President of LiUNA made the outrageous claim that busloads of homeless people were being brought into the city to take advantage of services in the downtown core.</p><br><p>The problems downtown Hamilton is facing are monumental.&nbsp;Development of affordable housing is desperately</p><p>needed, as well as encouragement of economic development.&nbsp;These problems didn’t pop up overnight.&nbsp;They have been stewing for decades.&nbsp;And are the result of a myriad of policies from all levels of government.</p><br><p>However, that is no excuse to stop trying to solve the problem.&nbsp;But are our government’s up to the task?</p><p>To talk about the task ahead and to help sort through the hyperbole we invited back to the podcast downtown councillor for Hamilton, Cameron Kroetsch.</p><br><p>Cameron is the councillor for Ward 2 and has been most vocal on many of the issues affecting the downtown of Hamilton and what needs to be done to change the course</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us </strong></p><p><strong>if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>This week we’re talking to Melanie Walker, co-chair of “Walk to the Lighthouse” in Burlington, and social worker in Mental Health and Addiction Services at Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital, where she has worked for 22 years, in addition to her own private practice.</p><br><p>In the previous decade Jo Brant hospital received a major expansion and renovation via a large new patient tower, funded by the province, the city and community donations. At the time this was described by people involved - even some in provincial government - as ‘Phase 1’, and there was a clearly appreciated need and perhaps even expectation of a Phase 2. At the top of the list of ‘Phase 2’ needs was the urgent need to upgrade the cramped and aging facilities used by Mental Health and Addiction Services.</p><br><p>Infrastructure built for a small suburban town in 1960s, today handles the needs of a major urban centre. And then COVID-19 hit in 2020. COVID may have been a virus that caused physical symptoms, but one of its greatest knock-on public health effects was a massive increase in demand for mental health services. I saw first hand mental health professionals exhausted by the increased demands being put on them in 2020, but that demand has never returned to pre COVID levels.</p><br><p>Despite these pressures, the staff at Jo Brant, like so many around Ontario, Canada and the rest of the world, have risen to challenge magnificently, providing excellent services to their community, even if their facility is almost literally bursting at the seams.</p><br><p>Walk to the Lighthouse aims to raise both awareness of this need, and practical money towards the day when ‘Phase 2’ finally happens. We wanted to learn more, and to help spread the word about this fantastic community initiative.</p><br><p><a href="https://www.equilibriumburlington.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.equilibriumburlington.com/</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p><strong>Warning this episode deals with child abuse and endangerment</strong></p><br><p>We welcome back to the podcast Ajay Sharma for this episode.</p><br><p>As we prepared to cover this episode several news items broke ground in Ontario that we felt could not be ignored. First was the Ontario PC government's plan to back out of the $ 10-a-day daycare funding formula for private daycare providers. The result could be disastrous for parents, children, and ECEs who were enjoying a $2 an-hour pay increase. This sudden reversal is going to leave a big game and lead to what we think will be two-tiered daycares in the province. Result in greater costs for parents with less return.</p><br><p>The second and rather quite alarming news item was a story broke by Global News that under this Ontario government, wards of the state in Children's aid programs were dying at the rate of one every three days. A dishonour that should bring down any provincial government. So why is there so little outcry or attention being paid to this travesty?</p><br><p>Links to the articles and previous episodes mentioned in the episode are here.</p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/2021/11/karina-gould-minister-of-families-children-and-social-development-will-the-province-blink-first-on-childcare/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development: Will the Province Blink First on Childcare?</a></p><br><p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10736430/ontario-funding-daycare-centres-10-a-day-program/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ontario cutting funding from daycare centres not in $10-a-day program</a></p><br><p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10735101/ontario-child-care-system-deaths/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘The system has fallen apart’: A child dies every 3 days under Ontario’s care network</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It's the end of summer and Ontario and the 905 are returning to work and school.</p><br><p>We thought it prudent to take a moment and look back on the summer that was. This summer, Doug Ford faced the first LCBO strike ever, suddenly shut down safe consumption sites across the province based on his gut feeling, and lost his Education Minister at the last minute just before the start of the school year. Normally this would be the cause for alarm and stress in the Ontario PC government. At least that's what probably should be happening if an effective opposition was present. Which begs the question: Where have Bonnie Crombie and Marit Stiles been all summer? Why haven't we seen the Ontario Liberal and Ontario NDP Leaders around the province much this summer? Have they blown their chance at making a good first impression with Ontarians in the 905?</p><br><p>These were the questions we posed to Sabrina Nanji of the QP Observer. Sabrina is the publisher, founder and reporter for the QP Observer a substack that covers the ins and outs of Queen's Park politics. We've had her on before to talk and we welcome her back this episode to discuss why the opposition in Ontario has yet to find traction in the province and what the fall might look like for the Ontario Liberals and Ontario NDP.</p><br><p>You can check out the QP Observer here: <a href="https://qpobserver.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://qpobserver.ca/</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We are back from vacation folks!</p><br><p>After some needed time off Roland and Joel are back to talk shop and of course the first you do when getting back to work is...cleaning out the ol' email inbox. In the process, we discovered an interesting email from a San Francisco start-up Optiwatt.</p><br><p>Optiwatt is partnering with The Atmospheric Fund here in Ontario to offer an app that can lead to cheaper rates to charge electric vehicles in the 905. As the push for electrification of the auto industry intensifies, saving money on our energy bills is always a good thing. More importantly, saving money on charging new electric vehicles can help to make them more affordable to everyday consumers which in turn helps promote greener, less carbon-intensive measures on our environment—helping to take on climate change.</p><br><p>Small things like this always catch our eye. We want to look at any measure to help us take on climate change. So in that regard, we reached out to Optiwatt to invite them to discuss what their app will do exactly, what their plans are for the electrification of North America, and ultimately why they decided to do this in the 905 of all places on the continent.</p><br><p>If you'd like to learn more about the app you can visit their website at:</p><br><p><a href="https://www.optiwatt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.optiwatt.com</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Ajay Sharma joins us again to discuss the latest stories from around the 905.

<p>The news moves fast and people are moving on from the flooding in the 905 last week. However, those affected by the intense rainfalls still struggle to make themselves whole again.</p><br><p>Joel's neighbourhood was one of the most intensely impacted by flooding, and thus he attended a neighbourhood meeting with his city councillor to discuss what came next. What he took away from the meeting is that ten years ago, the province, region and city response to this level of damage was monumentally different. All levels of government seemingly mobilized to help put people together and supposedly to take measures to mitigate future flooding.</p><br><p>Instead, the message is only the bare minimum will be done. Insurance is expected to pick up the tab, even though it won't cover all the damage for some. This echoed what Mark Cripps mentioned in our previous episode. As these climate change events continue to grow and become more common, the costs to people will mirror the severity. The question comes though, what happens when people who can't afford the costs are impacted? Are they to be written off as expendable?</p><br><p>Last week's episode with Mark Cripps is here: <a href="https://905er.ca/2024/07/the-905-flooding-is-only-the-beginning/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://905er.ca/2024/07/the-905-flooding-is-only-the-beginning/</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Last week the 905 saw flooding that overwhelmed many parts of its respective cities. Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and Toronto saw an estimated $3.1 billion in damage to infrastructure and homes.</p><br><p>This isn't an isolated incident either. In the last few years, the region and Canada have seen an increase in the frequency and severity of storms and conditions affecting our communities. The fact is that this is exactly what scientists predicted would happen as a result of climate change. As we emit greater quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, our weather and climate will become more and more extreme.</p><br><p>Unfortunately, the situation is too politicized to address it head-on. Politicians are making their careers on reversing climate change policies, and denialism runs rampant across all parts of Canadian society. There is one industry though that is taking it incredibly seriously. They are working on the numbers of what the true costs of this catastrophe will be. The insurance industry for years has been forced to pay out increasing sums due to climate change events.</p><br><p>We've talked about this before on the podcast, but in light of recent events, we thought it prudent to revisit the topic. To that end, we've invited back to the podcast Mark Cripps from the Insurance Bureau of Canada to explain that whether our leaders are taking climate change seriously or not, the insurance industry is. So whether we like it or not, we're going to end up paying for it, one way or another.</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It looks like this is going to be a dry summer for Ontarians.</p><br><p>Just as schools let out, the government's talks with LCBO Unionized employees broke down. All LCBO retail locations are closed for the summer, leaving only grocery and convenience stores available for Ontarios to purchase wine or beer. For the union, this is to ensure that LCBO locations retain the sale of ready-to-drink cocktails from private retailers.</p><br><p>The Doug Ford, Ontario PC Government isn't backing down. They are doubling down on moving ahead with greater privatization in the sale of alcohol to Ontarians, promising greater choice in the marketplace when it comes to where Ontarians can purchase their alcohol.</p><br><p>However is this what this strike is actually about? Who gains from this strike action? And in fact, are Ontarians trading a publicly owned monopoly for a private one in alcohol sales? These questions are being asked by our guest, from the independent news site Corruptario. Morgan Grenfell is a journalist who has looked into the makeup of the board of the LCBO and uncovered several conflicts of interest when it comes to who gains from the strike, and whether or not they do have Ontario's best interests at heart.</p><br><p><a href="https://www.corruptario.ca/fords-obsession-with-booze-sales/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can read the article from Corruptario here</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The proposed Highway 413 is the Doug Ford government's landmark project. It has been promised for years by the Ontario PC, despite facing court battles and criticism from grassroots organizations and environmentalists. It has been heavily criticized for its effectiveness and the environmental impact it could have on habitats and farmland. Yet despite all this opposition, the project is still being pushed forward at the highest levels of the Ontario government.</p><br><p>So with the pressure to move forward, one would think a plan and budget had been formulated for the project. Thanks to reporting by Emma McIntosh of The Narwhal, information has come to light about the lack of a solid plan and budget on this highway. Despite assurances that shovels will be in the ground next year to start the project, there is no budget, assessments or definitive plans on how this highway will be built or designed. So what does this mean going forward?</p><br><p>We have Emma McIntosh on the podcast to discuss her article and what's next for the Ford Government's legacy project.</p><br><p><a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-highway-413-construction-timeline-commitment/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Emma's article on The Narwhal Website is here</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Last week, Premier Ford visited Burlington's small business community. The purpose of which, of course, was to find clout with the small businesses. In the lead-up to a potential election? Who knows. </p><br><p>During the visit, however, Premier Ford was asked about Hamilton's LRT project, and when it would begin construction. Ford reiterated his government's support for the project, but the question remains...when will it start being built? For almost 6 years now, the LRT has been just a promise on paper. No tenders have been issued for work and ground has yet to be broken on King St. Yet Ford re-committed to the building of Hamilton's LRT. The catch though, is this comes in light of the government's failure to sufficiently fund the Ontario Science Centre, forcing it to close due to the risk of collapse. In June, a heat wave raised concerns about sufficient air-conditioning in Ontario schools and the Ford government refusing to commit the necessary money to ensure schools are suitable for children. Our point is that this government is tepid on actually spending money, even on items that some would deem crucial. So why would they want to spend money on Hamilton's LRT?</p><br><p>After our break, we face facts that Conservativism is on the rise in North America. We recorded this episode the day after the disastrous debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the United States. Trump is going to be a real contender to become president. Here in Canada, we appear to be eager to select Pierre Poilievre as Prime Minister of Canada. And in Ontario, Doug Ford is riding high in the polls. Why is it, that we appear to be giving conservative right-wing authoritarian parties the keys to democracy for the foreseeable future? We have some theories, have a listen.</p><br><p><a href="https://youtu.be/N0c5EQW2BVM?si=TkWASveaJVV29AJf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The CHCH News Clip that we reference in the episode is here.</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We planned on finishing our coverage of the Mississauga Mayor's By-Election with our episode last week. However, something crossed our path that we couldn't ignore.</p><br><p>A column appeared in the Toronto Star, titled Good luck, Mississauga. With your new mayor, you’re going to need it. The column was written by Ajay Sharma, a university political science lecturer specializing in municipal governance. His column outlined many of the problems involved with the system we have for electing municipal politicians, and that the system itself does not reward change. A link to the column is below.</p><br><p>We reached out to Ajay to invite him on to the podcast to let him elaborate on his column and how our current system of municipal government promotes a passing-of-the-buck culture, resulting in many of the real problems we have never been properly addressed. Ajay has been a lecturer at the University of Guelph since 2010, specializing in Municipal governance and Environmental Policy</p><br><p><a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/good-luck-mississauga-with-your-new-mayor-youre-going-to-need-it/article_e9892c28-29c8-11ef-8440-e343657265ea.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=copy-link&utm_campaign=user-share" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">His column is here</a>.</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Nokha Dakroub on the Mississauga Mayor By-Election

<p>It's a good old-fashioned 905 Round Up!</p><br><p>The Ontario government is on break now until October. However, Doug Ford shuffled his cabinet before he let out the Ontario Legislature. It's not anything incredibly noteworthy in our opinion. However, one raised our attention, and we thought threw fuel on the rumours from last week of an early election in Ontario.</p><br><p>Stephen Lecce is out of the Ministry of Education and into the Ministry of Energy. With such little time left until the actual scheduled election, that doesn't leave a lot of time to execute an agenda or major plans in the energy field. It does, however, leave enough time to make some friends with industry insiders and those with deep pockets in the field who might help fuel Lecce's future political ambitions.</p><br><p>After our break, we looked at a local 905 story in Burlington that we weren't able to talk about until now. The rebellion of sorts of local councillors against the big mayor powers given to Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. Clearly, not all are comfortable with a big city mayor in the 905 having this much power. How tenable is council cohesion going forward? And why are they so timid to speak out about this?</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Rumours are circulating in Queen's Park of Doug Ford's interest in an early election for Ontario. Polls show he is riding high, possibly earning another majority for the Ontario PC party. He just won two by-elections in Milton and Lambton Kent Middlesex. He is moving ahead on the construction of the new Highway 413 in the 905 and is currently announcing beer in corner stores by year's end. All in all it's been a good year so far for Doug Ford and the Ontario PC Party.</p><br><p>So is it no wonder that the Premier has been reluctant to stomp down persistent rumours of an early election call? However, is this just posturing or is there a real chance that we'll have an election in Ontario before June of 2026? We thought we'd dive into the rumour mill and see what is going on in the back rooms of Queens Park. So we invited back to the end the founder and publisher of the QP Reporter, Sabrina Nanji to discuss if there are any merits to the rumours running around and if we should be preparing for an election soon.</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>A couple of stories caught our eye the previous week.</p><br><p>In Newmarket, the town council heard pushback from the community over a proposed 9-story condo project, over concerns that a Tim Horton's drive-thru down the road could face increased times at the window. In Oakville, the Town Council received a harsh letter from Federal Liberal Housing Minister Sean Fraser threatening to withdraw their Housing Accelerator money due to its refusal to grant higher density in the city around Sheridan College.</p><br><p>Are we facing a pushback against the needs of density and development in our 905 communities? Despite the need for more housing, it seems that fewer and fewer communities are willing to let their neighbourhoods grow and change to accommodate that need. People want housing affordability to come down, but are they willing to see the change in their communities that will result in more affordable pricing? What might happen if NIMBYs win the arguments against change in the 905?</p><br><p>We invited back to the podcast, housing economic expert Mike Moffatt to discuss this new wrinkle in the housing crisis, and what might happen if we don't solve it.</p><br><p><a href="https://www.yorkregion.com/news/completely-out-of-character-concerns-raised-about-proposed-newmarket-9-storey-condo-building/article_f0531f5f-e0c9-5832-9b5f-3dcf3c8e910a.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘Completely out of character’: Concerns raised about proposed Newmarket 9-storey condo building</a></p><br><p><a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/federal-minister-threatens-to-pull-housing-funding-after-oakville-reneges-on-promises/article_274b1860-1465-11ef-abd6-dfe394bf5ba9.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Federal minister threatens to pull housing funding after Oakville reneges on promises</a></p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p><br><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Times are tough these days. It's getting harder and harder to make ends meet. Rent, mortgage, and gas are increasing, outpacing real wages and salaries for the average Canadian. Most noticeable to Canadians coast to coast is the price of food. It's harder and harder to stretch your dollar when feeding your family these days after stepping foot in a supermarket.</p><br><p>Politicians like Pierre Poilievre like to espouse that it is taxation that has caused the increase in prices. Justin Trudeau on the other hand is saying he's keeping an eye on grocery stores about the increase in prices. So where does that leave the average Canadian?</p><br><p>For a subreddit community, it's forced them to take action on their own. To send a message to the corporate conglomerates that own the food retail business in this country, using the only tool available to them...their hard-earned money. The subreddit community, LoblawsIsOutOfControl is organizing a nationwide boycott of the country's largest supermarket conglomerate. What started as a small protest against the rising cost of groceries, has turned into a national movement of ordinary Canadians trying to send a message to the corporations that control food in this country. Canadians aren't going to take it anymore.</p><br><p>However, does this movement have legs? Especially in the 905? If this boycott can make an impact on the ledger of Loblaws it will be here in the 905. So to that end, we reached out to the organizers of the boycott, Emily Johnson. Emily is a single mother, who lives here in the 905 and is taking on Canada's richest grocer, Galen Weston. We spoke with her to talk about the origins of this boycott, how it's going, and what victory looks like to them.</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p><p><br></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>At the beginning of May, Pam Damoff, the Liberal MP for Oakville - North Burlington announced that she would be retiring from federal politics at the end of this term. She would not be seeking re-election.</p><br><p>Her reasoning was a common refrain from female politicians across all party lines. The misogynistic and violent threats to her personhood and family had become too great to make the job worth it. While it takes tough skin to make it in politics it's another thing entirely when it becomes impossible to go out in public to grocery shop or run errands because threats are lobbied across aisles.</p><br><p>What does it say about our politics that we consider threats a common part of our civil dialogue now? Where it's no longer satisfactory to simply vote out a politician we disagree with, we must now drive them from office under threats to their person? When political parties use rhetoric to drive support and build up anger in the populace? More important, what happens to that anger if it has nowhere to go?</p><br><p>We asked Pam Damoff to join us today to discuss how she came to this decision in her career, the state of political discourse at the moment in Canada, and where do we go from here.</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Well, the Milton By-Election has come and gone.</p><br><p>The people of Milton handily supported Zee Hamid and the Ontario PC’s to represent them in the Ontario Legislature until the next general election.</p><br><p>During the by-election, Doug Ford gave special attention to the riding.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>In the last week of the campaign, Doug Ford made a point to reiterate that the controversial Highway 413 construction would begin in 2025.</p><br><p>The proposed highway would connect Milton to King City bridging the 401 and 400 highways.&nbsp;Doug Ford says it will alleviate traffic congestion in the 905, while critics of the proposed highway say it will save a mere 30 seconds of travel time, at the cost of invaluable farmland and an unknown price tag, estimated in the billions.</p><br><p>With the by-election victory in Milton, Doug Ford is taking this as a sign of permission from the electorate to move ahead on this project.&nbsp;But is that what we all want?&nbsp;How much did this announcement play into winning Milton?&nbsp;What were the factors that led to the Tories keeping Milton?</p><br><p>To answer those and a few other questions we have, we reached out to a friend of the podcast Laura Steiner to join us.</p><br><p>Laura covered the Milton By-election for the Milton Reporter and today she joins us to discuss whether or not Highway 413 is wanted in Milton, how exactly the Tories won the Milton By-Election, and how they got a long-time Liberal supporter like Zee Hamid to carry their banner into the next general election.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Our Episode with Sabrina Nanji of The QP Observer:</p><br><p>https://905er.ca/2024/04/sabrina-nanji-and-the-milton-by-election/</p><br><p><strong>It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving, and keep paying the bills.</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://905er.ca/membership-account/membership-levels/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca</a>. We didn’t like sharing your generosity with that other ‘patron’ website, so we created our patron system. Become a patron, get member benefits and our eternal gratitude, and know that you’re not mainly funding some crummy web company in the US. Win-win!</p><br><p>Or, why not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/the905er" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buy us a coffee</a>?</p><br><p>Nicholas Paul: sound editing.</p><p>The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4723909">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>