Under immense pressure, Doug Ford has backed down on his proposal to take land out of the Greenbelt. While this is a victory for Ontarians, the long saga has put Ford’s government in jeopardy. Three Down, Ford Should be Next The Greenbelt scandal has claimed four high profile members of Ford’s government, including two cabinet […]
Continue Reading
Tim Heffernan and Bill Hopwood, from Socialist Alternative Issue #26 The rising cost of living, boosted by high interest rates, continue to hit workers hard. In Canada and around the world there has been an upturn in strikes. As Mick Lynch, a British union leader, stated, “The working class is back, and we refuse to […]
Continue Reading
A joint investigative report in July from the Toronto Star and The Narwhal concluded that “Ontario developers have spent nearly $173 million scooping up hundreds of acres in the former Greenbelt this summer, months after the Ford government reneged on its promise to protect the environmentally sensitive land.” Why is the Greenbelt so important? The […]
Continue Reading
“We can’t even shop at our own grocery store. We can’t afford to.” The above comment in a news article came from Eman Chaudhry, a part-time cashier at a Toronto Metro store, explaining why they are striking. The article that included her quote stated that “she and her family struggle to make ends meet to […]
Continue Reading
Oliver Twist, desperately hungry in the workhouse, famously asked for “some more” thin gruel. Mr. Bumble is outraged and berates Oliver for his impertinence. Fast forward to 2023 Ontario, land of the business fat cats, auto makers Volkswagen (VW) and Stellantis, who do not request “more,” they demand billions in subsidies, or else. Not a […]
Continue Reading
In the media industry, there’s an old saying: “if it bleeds, it leads.” Sometimes the blood is real and gory, sometimes it’s a metaphor where the story in question involves drama, suspense, conflict or death, and, of course, “human interest.” The story gets top billing — the lead news story. And often it will displace […]
Continue Reading
Olivia Chow, former NDP MP and city councillor, is Toronto’s new mayor, the first “progressive” or left-of-centre elected since David Miller back in 2003. While issues around affordable housing, the exploding cost of living and the city’s ballooning financial deficit are worse now than they were back then, Chow’s victory marks a clear response to […]
Continue Reading
Climate change is global. But that doesn’t mean that all parts of the world are affected equally. To be sure, over the years, Canada has had its fair share of climate incidents such as forest fires and floods in Western Canada, hurricanes in the East, summer heat waves across the South, and ice storms in […]
Continue Reading
The Canadian government is giving Volkswagen Canada (VW) $13 billion to build a massive new electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in St. Thomas, Ontario. This is being hailed as a “game changer” for Canada’s auto sector as the ruling classes of various countries fight to secure investment in a broader and greener economy. Canada’s traditional […]
Continue Reading
On Wednesday, April 19, over 100,000 workers started their strike with pickets at least 250 workplaces. On Friday, April 7, 35,000 workers at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) voted in favour of strike action ahead of mediation talks set to take place later this month. On Thursday, April 13, they were joined by another 120,000 […]
Continue Reading