Editorials - Feb. 27, 2026
A gathering storm
The current Canadian political landscape seems to be in a chaotic state that may just deliver stability to it, if that makes any sense.
First, Canadians await three by-elections, two of which are in Liberal strongholds. The first two will fill the Ontario seats vacated by Liberals Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair, while the third is in Quebec where, last year, Liberal Tatiana Auguste defeated Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné the Bloc Québécois candidate by a single vote. The too-close-to-call result, along with a printing error controversy, triggered a by-election.
If the Liberals win those three elections, Prime Minister Mark Carney will have a majority in the House of Commons. And yet, that’s not the only ball in play. Ottawa media have reported rumours swirling about the potential for more Conservative MPs crossing the floor. This comes as Carney boasts a 12-point lead over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in recent polling (45 per cent support for the Liberals compared to 33 per cent for Poilievre’s Conservatives). As several of the floor-crossers have said, they see now as a time for national unity, not petty political games, which they have accused Poilievre of playing in Parliament.
Not coincidentally, further Parliament Hill reporting alleges that both former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney have been advising Poilievre, preaching a more unified, Canadian message and that the Conservative Party’s leader is eschewing that advice. He, it appears, knows better.
As polls slip away, opportunities run through his fingers and people turn their backs on him, Poilievre, in his quest for success, should lose the tunnel vision, sure that he knows better than the politicians trying to help him and the people he needs to vote for him. – SL
Same old story
Not long after the American men’s Olympic hockey team earned universal praise for a class move, including the children of their late teammate Johnny Gaudreau in their on-ice celebration after beating the Canadians for gold, they squandered that goodwill almost instantly as they joined a call with President Donald Trump to snicker at the prospect of inviting the gold medal-winning women’s team to his State of the Union address. The women have declined (scheduling issues).
Respect, especially that of the international variety, is so hard to win and so very easily and quickly lost. During the Opening Ceremonies, fans made it clear that they abhorred Trump and his merry band of sycophants by booing Vice-President J.D. Vance, yet clearly cheering for the American athletes. The delineation there is important. They saw the athletes as unwilling pawns in a political game being played above their heads. However, as the American men partied with F.B.I. Director Kash Patel (on his taxpayer-funded, private government jet-facilitated paid Italian vacation) and then snickered through a phone call with Trump minimizing the achievements of female American Olympians, they made it clear that they were draping themselves in the flag of Trump and that they, unlike the others, did not deserve delineation.
And now, what should have been a triumph nearly a half-century in the making, returning the U.S. to the mythical status of 1980’s Miracle on Ice, is tainted by sexism and arrogance. And as Canadians tip their caps to the gold medalists, we have yet another reason to think that the better team, on or off the ice, did not win the game that day. – SL
The dawn of a new day
As winter loosens its grip and daylight stretches a little further each evening, a familiar ritual returns. The Toronto Blue Jays have opened spring training, and with it comes the quiet, stubborn hope that defines Canadian fandom. Last autumn still lingers. The Jays rode a tidal wave of belief all the way to the World Series, only to fall short at the final hurdle. The disappointment was real. Yet so was the joy. For weeks, the country pulsed in unison. Strangers nodded at one another in grocery store aisles, united by batting averages and bullpen debates. We lost the trophy, but we rediscovered how thrilling it is to care that much.
That feeling matters, especially now. After the sting of Olympic hockey heartbreak, Canadians could be forgiven for retreating into cautious pessimism. Instead, spring training offers a reset. Baseball, like our climate, runs on cycles. Snow yields to mud. Mud yields to green. A roster that came achingly close gets another chance. Spring training games do not count in the standings, but they count in spirit. Prospects test their nerves. Veterans tune their timing. Fans begin to sketch out new dream scenarios, daring to imagine a parade down Front Street. Hope stretches its limbs in the Florida sun while we shovel driveways at home.
There is something uniquely Canadian about this rhythm of belief and recalibration. We brace for the cold. We endure it. Then we look forward again. The Jays’ first spring pitches remind us that sport is not a straight line. It is seasonal. It asks patience. It rewards faith.
So here we are, once more, ready to believe. The road back will be long, but it is open. And as the Blue Jays begin again, so do we. – SBS