Editorials - Dec. 1, 2023

By now, most Ontario residents have seen the headlines whirling around food bank usage in the province by a Feed Ontario report, a collective of hunger relief organizations. Blackburn News called it “a crisis in the making” while CTV Northern Ontario says “Food bank usage soars in the province, running out of food in Sudbury”.

 

In a modern, developed country like Canada, it’s hard to fathom that food bank usage would grow 38 per cent in just one year, the largest leap in usage since 2008’s recession. The Daily Bread and North York Harvest Food Banks report that one in 10 Torontonians are “relying” on food banks, more than double the number last year. 

 

A community is in crisis when so many citizens rely on donations of food to survive. Organizations run food banks and food shares in most communities, making it the only way that many people can get through the month, thanks to donations from others in their community. There is little relief for other areas of a budget like rent, utilities and transportation and, with inflation eating into everyone’s budgets, even people with full-time jobs are finding themselves needing to access food banks. The report said 22 per cent of visitors said housing costs exceed their monthly income, and two-thirds have less than $100 after paying for housing each month. There is no “rent bank” to help them. Now we are seeing the strain on food banks, which are now facing their own financial challenges, in addition to keeping food on the shelves. What happens as the needs outstrip the available resources? – DS

One Toronto City Councillor, Mike Colle of Eglinton-Lawrence, claims he is “euphoric” that the provincial government will be taking on the responsibility of both the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway - two of the absolute busiest highways in Ontario.

 

The city, like many lower-tier governments, was facing a tough road - reportedly a $1.5 billion budget hole and extensive maintenance costs associated with both highways. However, the city has stepped aside on Ontario Place, allowing Premier Doug Ford to do as he pleases with land that’s special to Torontonians and Ontarians alike.

 

For those dubious of Ford’s government, this is a mixed bag to say the least. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, a critic of Ford’s Ontario Place plans, has put down her sword, but the city will have a rosier future without having to pay to keep up two major highways that, frankly, should have been the provincial government’s responsibility all along. But, with Ford at the helm, no one can fly the “Mission Accomplished” banner with a straight face. Will he sell the roads to private companies? Will he flip-flop and send them back Chow’s way in two months? Will  he revive Ontario News Now and build a state-of-the-art headquarters on the Gardiner between Lower Simcoe and Rees Streets to fill the Lyndsey Vanstone-sized holes in our hearts? Only time will tell.

Ford’s arrival - with a big bag of taxpayer money in tow - isn’t the white knight arrival it’s being hailed as, considering his track record, but lower-tier municipalities are struggling and councils could fall prey to a deal with the devil, so to speak. This will help Toronto City Council, which, in turn, helps us all, but, like anything with Ford’s government, strict oversight is needed to keep things on track. – SL 

Under the leadership of Rev. JoAnn Todd, Blyth’s Trinity Anglican Church has made a concerted effort to improve its facilities to attract more usage from community groups. Uncomfortable and cumbersome pews have been replaced by padded chairs, the washrooms have been upgraded and are now fully accessible and the kitchen is fully equipped for preparation of snacks and refreshments or elaborate suppers.

 

Other area churches, now shuttered, were not quite as nimble in response to modern challenges, shifting demographics and diminishing parishioner numbers. Trinity is clearly determined to survive in order to continue doing what it has always done - providing space for community members to be part of something bigger than themselves.

 

Last week, the facilities were put to good use. On Thursday night, the very good people responsible for The Citizen, North Huron Publishing, presented recipients of the Citizen of the Year (COTY) award with their plaques. This was the first time the ceremony was held in-person since the pandemic began and included winners from the past four years. The world is full of problems; this room was full of problem solvers.

 

On Friday night, “Songs of Hope” hosted by recent Blyth transplant and musical genius Darryn de Souza, packed the church on Dinsley Street. Attendees received exactly what was advertised by de Souza and his incredibly talented band of co-collaborators Kathryn Peach and COTY winners Annie Sparling (2020) and Joe Gahan (2023), and at the end of the evening $2,300 was raised to support Huron Hospice, a result that shifts the context of conversations about “cost of living”.

 

Seeking inspiration? It already lives in your neighbourhood. – SBS