The shouts to preserve farmland were not enough to reverse course on the breakup and development of southern Ontario’s Greenbelt, but it appears several scathing reports of misdoings and resignations of ministers was. Late last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford held a press conference (CTV clip below) to not only announce a pull back on… Read More
Tag: Doug Ford
Urban sprawl is a real threat to farmland long-term in many areas of Canada and the U.S., but our attitude about developing farmland is littered with hypocrisy. As I see it, farmers are in the land business as much as the food production business and that is the reality we tend not to discuss openly…. Read More
When Doug Ford’s provincial government changed the boundaries for Toronto’s Greenbelt in 2022, it failed to consider environmental, agricultural, and financial risks and impacts. It also proceeded with the deal with little input from experts or affected parties, and favoured certain developers/landowners, says Ontario’s auditor general, Bonnie Lysyk. The auditor general says that provincial government… Read More
OPINION Travel with me to a time not long ago when the government in Ontario was of the red variety. The former premier, at one point, went so far as to also serve as agriculture minister, in an effort, one can only imagine, to show her commitment and respect for the portfolio. Kathleen Wynne’s government… Read More
Ontario Premier Doug Food offered a sincere thank you to the province’s farmers for helping maintain Ontarians’ confidence in their food supply during COVID-19. “You’ve all pulled your weight and then some during this crisis and I appreciate that,” said Ford during his opening remarks as he helped kick off the virtual 2020 Ontario Federation… Read More
Premier Doug Ford set up at Lambton-Kent-Middlesex-area Carven Farms to announce not only the province’s $7 billion share of the federal $19 billion “safe re-start” of the economy, but also to announce the planned bump to Ontario’s risk management programs would go ahead a year early. The federal transfer payment is to cover health care,… Read More
Ontario’s government will roll out $150 million in cost-share funding through its Improving Connectivity in Ontario (ICON) program as part of its plan to build broadband and cellular service in rural areas. ICON is part of the province’s $315 million initiative called Up to Speed: Ontario’s Broadband and Cellular Action Plan. When leveraged, ICON has… Read More
The news The premiers of Saskatchewan and Ontario have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the intention of improving and increasing trade between the two provinces. According to a just-released report, Sizing Up Provincial Trade Barriers, from BMO Capital Markets, the impact from free interprovincial trade could amount to $50 billion in total in ten years…. Read More
Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford began his western tour Thursday by visiting a kindred spirit, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. Moe clearly indicated he’s glad to have Ford on his side on several issues, but particularly Saskatchewan’s long-standing opposition to the carbon tax. Ontario announced it is intervening in the Government of Saskatchewan’s reference challenging the federal… Read More
The news Ontario’s new government, led by Premier Doug Ford, has announced its plan to expand natural gas access to families and businesses throughout rural and Northern Ontario. Speaking at the 2018 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo this week, Premier Food says he plans to introduce legislation to develop a new natural gas program. If passed,… Read More
Ontario’s new provincial government is officially joining Saskatchewan in challenging the federal government’s carbon tax in court. “We agreed today to join forces and use every single tool at our disposal to challenge the federal government’s authority to arbitrarily impose a carbon tax on the people of Ontario and Saskatchewan,” says a joint statement issued… Read More
It’s been a wild few months for Ontario’s provincial leaders. From the sudden resignation of the PC’s Patrick Brown in late January, to the nail-biter of a leadership race between Christine Elliott and the eventual victor Doug Ford, and on to an election that saw Andrea Horwath’s fortunes rise even as Premier Kathleen Wynne conceded… Read More
Perhaps you saw it differently if you took in the televised Ontario leaders’ debate earlier this week, but from what I saw, Kathleen Wynne is done, Doug Ford did not impress, and — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — the NDP’s Andrea Horwath knocked it out of the park. It’s most certainly Doug… Read More
Last week, the Ontario government formally announced the blueprint for bringing high speed rail (HSR) to southern Ontario. The $11 billion line item in last month’s election-ready budget would see Phase One connect London and Toronto by 2025, according to the province. The proposed HSR line would eventually run all the way to Windsor for… Read More