Editorials - Oct. 11, 2024

The Ford government placed a moratorium on school closures back in 2017, a move that was popular with parents weary of the constant fight to keep schools open. Now, on the heels of a letter from the Toronto District School Board begging to close under-utilized schools, comes an internal report prepared for the Minister of Education that highlights the high cost of maintaining schools that may otherwise have closed. The board points to several areas where schools could be consolidated, with an estimated savings of $600,000 annually per consolidation.

The report has found that the average age of schools in Ontario is 40 years and boards are finding it difficult to keep up. NDP Education Critic Chandra Pasma pointed out that growing deficits are forcing boards into difficult choices, such as cutting programming to balance the books.

Keeping kids in school in their home communities is a vital component of their education. While a moratorium on closing any school may not be the solution, the school boards of the past few decades certainly didn’t take any community’s needs into consideration when they were relentlessly closing and consolidating schools.

Of course, the government needs to ensure that the funding formula takes into account the increased facility costs as these buildings age to ensure that there are schools available in all communities and that consolidation doesn’t cause a community to lose a school because a 40-year-old building needs some upgrades. – DS

While there may not be a farmer among the three members of this editorial board, we feel safe in declaring that, for an International Plowing Match to go ahead, at a bare minimum, you need farmland.

It was heartening then to see reporters and protestors alike grill Premier Doug Ford at last week’s IPM over the 770 acres of farmland in Wilmot under threat of expropriation. Forget about food production and agricultural sustainability, if farmland goes, where will Ford mug it up for cameras while riding a tractor? That kind of photo opp just won’t have the same impact at a factory, nor will it make any sense.

Ford faced tough questions at the match about the controversial land assembly in process in Wilmot, but hey, fear not - it’s someone else’s fault. Ford passed the buck and blamed the Region of Waterloo for “mishandling” and, furthermore, said he didn’t understand the secrecy and lack of transparency. Takes one to be confused by one, Dougie! Coming from one of the least transparent and secretive governments in Ontario history (anyone negotiated any 95-year leases recently?), how can anyone take Ford on this with anything but a grain of salt?

Even if what he said in Lindsay is true, it’s impossible not to draw a straight line between Ford’s development-obsessed governance and the brazen steamrolling we’re seeing ever more frequently, all in the name of building more. More houses, more factories, more everything.

If there was ever a place for Ford to face the music (to an extent), it was the IPM. Without farmland, agriculture will never be in a healthy, thriving position. If Ford is lying, we need brave reporters to expose him. If he’s not, perhaps Ford should get involved. He’s never had a problem getting involved in municipal politics before. – SL 

As Canadians gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, to appreciate the warmth of family and friends, we’ll reflect on the harvest, share a table laden with food and give thanks for the good things that are possible when people come together. Canadian Thanksgiving falls just after the anniversary of a terrible event that shook the world: the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The violence unleashed that day was truly devastating and the aftermath has been filled with further horrors. This conflict is not an isolated tragedy, but part of a long-standing struggle that has caused deep divisions and immense suffering. Regardless of where one stands on the ideological spectrum, the human toll of this war is inescapable.

We are living through a period of heightened division, both globally and here at home. The political rhetoric of today, whether abroad or within our own borders, often stirs discord rather than promoting understanding. Even the traditions of Canadian Thanksgiving are not free from difficult history, as the holiday brings to mind the painful legacy of colonialism and the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples. Yet, as Canadians, we are fortunate to live in a country where dialogue is possible, where we can debate our differences with the aim of understanding. We mustn’t ignore the complexities of the world around us - the conflicts that continue to rage, the historical injustices that linger - but rather commit to the hard work of empathizing. We can engage with different perspectives and strive to listen deeply.

Thanksgiving is a reminder to us not just of the abundance on our tables but of the potential for unity amidst division. We should cherish the freedom we have to come together in peace and let it guide us as we navigate the many challenges beyond our tables. – SBS