Editorials - March 1, 2024

Arran-Elderslie Council is the latest council to wrestle with protection of a commercial core. This time it was in Chesley, as councillors considered the possibility of rezoning in the downtown to allow residential use. A resolution was ultimately passed to uphold the current policy so that anyone making an application for converting a downtown property to residental would know that council would not support it.

 

The question has come up repeatedly across the region as rural communities struggle to attract a vibrant commercial core. Gone are the days when every town and village had lines of shops catering to every need of its citizens. As the demand for housing, especially low-rent apartments, increases, municipalities must balance the needs of every segment of their constituency. We used to blame the loss of agricultural acreage on urban sprawl, but a drive through rural Ontario shows small towns and villages spilling their borders with houses, rather than crops. 

 

Can we afford to keep building when there is empty space available? Can a community thrive without a downtown, commercial core? These are questions that modern planning needs to address. We have to start looking at communities from a big-picture standpoint. If we are going to zone properties to be exclusively commercial/retail space, how do we ensure that the business we want to exist there can succeed for the long-term? It’s one thing to say that we will only allow commercial properties on a certain block in town, but if they are sitting empty or become a revolving carousel of failed niche shops, is that of any true benefit?

Politicians and planners are going to have to take a cold, hard look at zoning and decide what is the best, long-term use of space. – DS

Ontario Superior Court Justice Renee Pomerance made history last week when she reached what she called an “inescapable conclusion” that Nathaniel Veltman committed an act of terrorism when he struck and killed members of the Afzaal family with his truck in June of 2021. Pomerance handed Veltman five life sentences while doing so.

 

“Terrorism is not exclusive to any group or ideology,” she said. “Right-wing extremism is as potentially destructive of the social order as any other belief system promoting hate and violence.” This marked the first time Canadian terrorism laws were used in a murder trial. Experts have weighed in, saying the decision will have “profound reverberations” across Canada, while another has said it’s important for terrorism laws to be “applied fairly across ideologies and movements.”

 

This marks an important legal precedent, calling terrorism what it is, despite the fact that it doesn’t fit the lazy, racist stereotype, which many accept as coming from someone outside of the country who often doesn’t look a whole lot like the victim does. Our friends to the south, for example, have had a hard time crossing that line, struggling to use the word “terrorism” to label shooting after shooting after shooting.

 

And yet, when someone targets a group of people for their religious beliefs or because of who they are, it’s hard to see it as anything but terrorism. We can only hope that, in heinous cases of violence like this one, be it here in Canada or further afield, follow Pomerance’s lead and label people like Veltman what they are: terrorists. – SL 

Retired general Rick Hillier, Canada’s former chief of defence, has issued a stark warning about Canada’s position in an increasingly unstable geopolitical world, cautioning that the nation faces the peril of “irrelevance”. This comes against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts and aggressions from global powers like China, Russia and Iran.

 

Hillier advocates for a significant increase in defence spending, emphasizing the necessity of modernizing military equipment to ensure Canada’s security. Hillier’s concerns extend to the situation in Ukraine, where he serves as the chair of the Ukrainian World Congress’ strategic advisory council. He highlights the vulnerability of Ukraine and warns of the potential consequences if the West fails to provide adequate support. Moreover, Hillier underscores the broader implications of not assisting Ukraine, pointing out the domino effect that Russian aggression could have on neighbouring countries and the global economy. He stresses that by aiding Ukraine, Canada is not only defending the interests of the Ukrainian people, but also safeguarding its own security and prosperity in the face of geopolitical threats. Successive Liberal and Conservative governments have neglected to adequately invest in the Canadian military, leaving us vulnerable amidst a pivotal shift in global geopolitics. This failure imperils national security and casts doubt on Canada’s ability to navigate the challenges of the 21st century. Complacency is no longer an option, but what’s the alternative?

 

Canada’s global role is at a crossroads. It’s time to ask ourselves: What kind of country do we want to be, and what steps must we take to realize that vision? If we are not willing to properly prepare and protect our soldiers, why should they be prepared to protect us? – SBS