Saturday, January 10, 2026
THE NEW ‘ LA COSA NOSTRA’
THE NEW
‘ LA COSA NOSTRA’
By Joe Ingino BA. Psychology
Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers
‘La Cosa Nostra’, our thing in Italian. A phrase that the FBI during the American New York mob era in 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, found out to mean. “How is our business going.” The mob an Italian cultural system of taking care of their own and taking care of what they deem business became known world wide. It touched all that the government wished they could. They operated with rules and strict code. A system that proved to generate millions of dollars and as such. It had to generate systems to legally launder it. Much like what is taking place today with the Ukraine.
Back to the mob. The FBI, along with numerous international agencies, uncovered the "Pizza Connection" money laundering scheme through meticulous, long-term investigative efforts including extensive surveillance, undercover operations, analysis of thousands of phone calls, and international collaboration.
The investigations, which spanned over four years in the 1980s and involved agents across multiple continents, utilized a variety of techniques to dismantle the complex Sicilian Mafia operation that laundered an estimated $1.6 billion in heroin profits. Something that was crippling society.
Crucial intelligence was initially provided by FBI agents who had infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in 1976 and set the case in motion.
Authorities conducted round-the-clock physical surveillance on key players across multiple countries. Investigators traced and analyzed thousands of telephone calls, often made from remote public pay phones to avoid detection. The case was a massive multi-agency and multi-national effort, involving law enforcement from the New York Police Department, DEA, U.S. Customs, and international authorities in Italy, Switzerland, Spain, and many other countries. This cooperation was vital for tracing the flow of drugs and money across borders.
A mountain of records and evidence was gathered and analyzed to track the illicit cash profits as they moved through a web of banks and brokerages in the U.S. and overseas.
The FBI applied the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute to attack the criminal organization as an ongoing enterprise, which allowed for a more comprehensive case targeting the entire structure rather than isolated incidents.
These combined efforts allowed the agents to prove that the pizza parlors were being used as fronts for a vast heroin distribution network and subsequent money laundering operation, leading to the conviction of all but one of the final 19 defendants, including top boss.
The connection between the mob and pizza joints isn't just a stereotype; it's rooted in reality, with Mafia families historically using legitimate-looking businesses like pizzerias as fronts for money laundering, drug trafficking (famously in the "Pizza Connection"), and other illegal activities, while some former mobsters later opened pizza places as a legitimate venture, like Michael Franzese with Slices Pizza. Pizza itself came from Naples, Italy, and became popular in America, but its association with crime stems from Italian-American organized crime using these popular, cash-heavy spots for illicit operations. Pizza shops, like other small businesses (laundromats, restaurants), were perfect for cleaning dirty money by mixing illegal profits with legitimate earnings. During the mob years, the system was being used to infiltrate society with a hidden agenda. Money. Today, with the religious over tones shown on the media. One can say that laundering money to fund socio-political causes may not that be far out.
Take for example - ethnic cleansing, not "ethenic laundering". Ethnic cleansing is the systematic and forceful removal of a particular ethnic, racial, or religious group from a given territory by a dominant group to make the area ethnically homogeneous.
Is this not what we are witnessing today by all these immigrants all of a sudden opening up business and taking over industries much like restaurants and pizza joints, laundry mat? Interesting parallel that in theory could be the fuel for secret agendas much like the Mob did years prior. Have you been at any Tim Horton’s? Or tried to order a pizza locally? What makes the most work force?
Wether it is money, ethnic or other. Money is the root of operations... Money is what is needed to make the system operate. In the Italians it was raw profit through sheer force. In this modern new wave it is about preserving religious agenda and the conquer of civilization in the name of a God. Should we alarmed? Should we not be persecuting as they did with the Italians?
What do you think?
Revival of the Canadian National Defence: A Test of National Seriousness
THE DECLINE AND FALL OF A CANADIAN GREEN PARTY THAT NEVER WAS…
THE DECLINE AND FALL OF A CANADIAN
GREEN PARTY THAT NEVER WAS…
PUBLISHING A BOOK REVIEW is a pleasant and worthwhile task, as it allows me to share an intellectual debate brought about by the hard work and dedication shown by the author. Last week I looked at a volume penned by well-known journalist Kenneth McDonald, entitled ‘His Pride Our Fall: Recovering from the Trudeau revolution.’ It felt particularly worthwhile because McDonald was able to remind us of Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s radical vision for this country, setting out in detail the root causes of what would eventually become the most significant economic and social decline Canada has ever seen. I am, of course, referring to the disastrous decade of Liberal Party rule that took place between 2015 and 2025 under the direction of Pierre’s son and political heir, Justin.
This week I decided to delve into a sort of tell-all memoir published late last year by Mark Leiren-Young. In addition to his being a Canadian author, playwright and filmmaker, he decided in 2019 to accept a starring role in a real-life political farce by choosing to become a campaign manager for the Green Party. His book entitled, “Greener Than Thou: Surviving the Toxic Sludge of Canadian Ecopolitics” is a personal reflection on all that he believes went wrong with the movement and its inner circle.
In one of my earlier columns I outlined the absolute futility of supporting any of Canada’s fringe parties within today’s political reality, as we’ve essentially evolved into a more tolerable two-party system. That was no more evident than in early 2025 when voters from coast-to-coast decided the New Democrats were nothing more than a relic of the Soviet era, and that only a handful of Green candidates deserved more than a few hundred votes.
One of those Greens with his head still above water was Kitchener Ontario’s Mike Morrice, an incumbent MP who was ultimately defeated by over 66% of the total number of ballots cast. That left Elizabeth May as the sole-surviving eco-warrior and purveyor of political fiction who still serves as the Green Party MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, a post she has held onto since 2011.
Leiren-Young describes Ms May as the Green’s heart, soul, and supreme leader for life, and it’s easy to see why - however he pulls no punches in his assessment of her failure to understand the limitations of her Western-based fringe movement. “In 2024 … Greens worldwide pleaded with U.S. Green leader … Jill Stein to drop out of the race so that people who loved the planet could cast ballots for Kamala Harris and help defeat Donald Trump. “One of those worldwide Greens was Elizabeth May. “I asked a once high-powered Green, forgive the oxymoron, how that argument didn’t apply to Elizabeth, who was pulling support from the NDP and Liberal candidates who stood between Canadians and a Conservative government ... I got a shrug. “That person was convinced neither Elizabeth nor her ‘cult’ of Canadian Greens could spot a contradiction.”
Leiren-Young suggests anyone totally committed to environmental causes would have seen that as a pretty straightforward equation. “You line up behind the party with the best shot at defeating the guy saying drill, baby, drill. “But it turns out the Greens, who are supposed to be on the side of the angels, are just on the side of the Greens.”
It gets worse - and better, depending on your point of view: “Many books you read come with the proviso that all persons are fictional and any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. “My disclaimer is that the Green Party of Canada is purely fictional. “This became clear when Elizabeth took her first walk in the snow in 2019, announced her resignation, and neither of her party’s two sitting MPs stepped forward to replace her. “That sure seemed like a vote of non-confidence in Team Green. “Inexplicably, the party also took deputy leader Jo-Anne Roberts out of the running by declaring her interim leader. Next came an exhausting eight-ballot leadership race that vaguely resembled a high school environmental club’s version of The Hunger Games. “The winner, Annamie Paul, imploded within weeks, losing a by-election in Toronto Centre and leaving the Greens as the only federal party without its leader in Parliament.”
As one might expect, Elizabeth May is now back at the helm as sole leader of her fringe movement. While the so-called ‘party’ ratified a co-leadership model in February 2025, her co-leader at that time, Jonathan Pedneault, resigned shortly after the 2025 federal election.
As to that fellow Mike Morrice in the Ontario riding of Kitchener Centre, his prospect of recognition beyond the usual cabal of local eco-warriors and Marxist sympathizers appears doomed according to Leiren-Young, who reminds us that, “A new leadership race was announced in 2022. “Once again, there was a young Green MP serving in the House of Commons whom one might think the party would anoint. “I could have offered a free slice of Pizza-Pizza to anyone who could name the MP and rest assured, no one who wasn’t in his riding, or picking up a pay-cheque from the Green Party, would be able to collect.”
As it happens, during that leadership race, almost no-one threw their hat into the ring. In fact, party president and long-time Indigenous affairs critic Lorraine Rekmans resigned, declaring, “The dream is dead.” Her scathing three-page exit letter said, “It seems to me there is no vision for a better future … but only an effort to look back and settle old scores, while the planet burns.”
As Leiren-Young recalls, just before the 2025 election, the party magically rewrote its rule book, deciding it needed a co-leader after all. Mike Morrice, was appointed. The hope was that co-leadership status would gain Mike some national coverage and help him hold his riding... neither of which happened. “The party finally installed Jonathan Pedneault as co-leader. He arrived just in time to not represent the party on the federal debate stage - the Greens were deemed irrelevant and not invited to participate. Jonathan resigned his co-leadership after finishing fifth in an unwinnable riding in Montreal.
There’s so much more detail in his book ‘Greener Than Thou: Surviving the Toxic Sludge of Canadian Ecopolitics’ that it makes me wish I had a full page for my column. For the time being, I’ll give the last word to the author himself as he helps put an end to any illusions regarding the Green Party’s future. “I needed to share my misadventures as a Green insider … I’d taken notes, downloaded emails, texts, and memos, and, in honour of Jody Wilson-Raybould, the greatest leader the Green Party of Canada never had, recorded a few calls. Then, to make sure I was as accurate and fair as possible, I interviewed former party insiders who not only were insistent that the Greens were a cult, but that it was far more dysfunctional than I’d ever imagined.”
You would do well to heed his words come the next election. A vote is a terrible thing to waste. 
Toronto Taxes, Trades, and Political Conviction
Karmageddon
By Mr. ‘X’ ~ John Mutton
CENTRAL EXCLUSIVE
Toronto Taxes, Trades, and Political Conviction
This week, Toronto’s tax-and-spend Mayor Olivia Chow proposed a 2.2 percent tax increase.
Let me put a few things into perspective about Toronto taxes. Toronto homeowners do not pay anywhere near the level of property taxes that residents in the 905 do—largely because of repeated provincial bailouts over the years. That said, I do have to tip my hat to the Rob Ford years and especially the John Tory years, when tax increases were at least manageable and predictable. Now, everyone knows I am a fiscal conservative—not a socialist—but I also believe in giving credit where credit is due. Take, for example, what I consider one of the greatest trades in history, right up there with the Manhattans selling Manhattan Island for beads and trinkets, or when the New York Yankees picked up Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox.
In my opinion, one of the greatest political trades ever pulled off was Mayor Chow successfully uploading the Don Valley Parkway’s asset replacement and ongoing maintenance costs to the Province of Ontario. These costs are absolutely enormous. Frankly, I was surprised this move didn’t receive far more pushback from other politicians, given that taxpayers across the rest of Ontario are now on the hook for infrastructure that was previously the responsibility of the City of Toronto. So what did the province get in return?
Silence.
Silence on the Ontario Place mega-project—and quiet support from the City of Toronto. No project has meant more to the Premier than Ontario Place and its spa, and it clearly mattered enough that he was willing to assume all the costs of the Don Valley Parkway to secure that political peace. This was a massive win for Mayor Chow. In fact, I initially thought this deal might even result in a smaller tax increase for Toronto residents. Instead, much of the money saved from DVP asset replacement and maintenance appears to have been redirected into new social programsexactly as the mayor promised she would do.
To her credit, Mayor Chow was upfront about her intentions. She said she would expand social programs, and she said taxes would go up. She won the support of the electorate, and with strong-mayor powers, she now has the authority to implement her agenda.
While many fiscal conservatives like myself may strongly disagree with her priorities, I do respect the fact that she is doing exactly what she said she would do. Credibility and accountability matter. The real problem in politics isn’t ideological disagreement—it’s when politicians tell voters one thing and then do the opposite. We’ve seen this locally before. During the debate over the Durham-York Energy-from-Waste facility, then-Councillors Foster (now Mayor Foster) and Wu were vehemently opposed to the incinerator—until they were re-elected. After that, they supported incineration.
That is where trust breaks down.
The moral of the story is simple: I would rather have someone in public office— even if they’re not of the same political stripe as me—who stays true to their convictions and to the public, rather than someone who tells a bold-faced lie to get elected.
Now, with Trump-era tariffs once again impacting our economy, and growing pressure to double—or even triple—the size of the Durham incinerator, let’s hope we have politicians across Durham Region who actually stand by what they say.
Because convictions don’t mean much if they disappear the moment the votes are counted.
If Toronto Can Hold the Line, Why Can’t Pickering or Durham Region?
If Toronto Can Hold the Line, Why Can’t Pickering or Durham Region?
At a time when families are struggling to keep up with the cost of living, one question keeps coming up at the kitchen table: why are municipal taxes rising faster than inflation?
Toronto — Canada’s largest city, (our next door neighbour) - with aging infrastructure, enormous service demands, and a far more complex budget than most municipalities — has proposed a 2.2% tax increase, roughly in line with inflation. Yet here in Pickering, residents are being asked to absorb a 3.5% increase at the City level, with the Region of Durham proposing increases that could reach as high as 6.04%.
That disparity deserves scrutiny.
Inflation is often used as the justification for tax increases. When costs rise, governments argue, revenue must rise too. But if inflation is the benchmark, then why are some municipalities managing to stay close to it — while others far exceed it?
Pickering residents are not receiving income increases of 3.5% or 6%. Seniors on fixed incomes are not seeing their pensions adjusted to match these numbers. Young families are already stretched by mortgage payments, rent, groceries, fuel, and utilities. Every additional percentage point matters. The issue is not whether municipalities face financial pressure — they do. The issue is how those pressures are managed and who is expected to carry the burden. Toronto has made difficult choices. It has prioritized restraint, examined spending, and acknowledged that affordability is not an abstract concept — it is a daily reality for residents. If Toronto, with its scale and complexity, can hold a proposed increase to 2.2%, then smaller municipalities and regions must explain clearly why they cannot.
Too often, higher tax increases are treated as inevitable rather than as a last resort. Instead of asking, “How do we control costs?” the question becomes, “How much more can residents absorb?” That is the wrong starting point. Municipal government is closest to the people. It is where residents feel financial decisions most directly. That proximity comes with a responsibility to be disciplined, transparent, and honest about trade-offs. It also means being willing to say no — to expansions, to discretionary spending, and to growth plans that outpace infrastructure and affordability. When City and Regional increases are combined, the total tax impact on Pickering residents becomes significant. Residents don’t experience these increases in isolation; they experience them all at once. City, Region, school boards — it all comes from the same household budget. If inflation is the standard, then governments should be expected to justify every dollar above it. Not with slogans, not with generalities, but with clear explanations of what is driving costs and what alternatives were considered.
Affordability is not a talking point. It is the difference between staying in a home or selling it. Between managing and falling behind. Between trust in local government and growing frustration. If Toronto can aim for restraint, Pickering and Durham Region owe residents a clear answer to a simple question: why can’t we? Taxpayers deserve nothing less.
When Fear Takes Over Our Thinking
When Fear Takes Over Our Thinking
By Dale Jodoin
Columnist
People keep asking me the same question lately.
What is going on with people?
They do not ask for it. They ask if they are tired. They ask it confused. They ask it the way someone asks when they no longer recognize the room they are standing in. I heard it at the coffee shop. I hear it while waiting in line. I hear it from people who voted left, right, and some who stopped voting at all. Different people, same feeling.Something feels off. I think part of the answer is fear. Not fear of war or hunger, but fear of a person. Fear of a name. Fear of what that name has come to represent. Say the name Donald Trump and watch what happens. Some people tense up. Some laugh in that nervous way people laugh when they are uncomfortable. Some get angry before the sentence even finishes.
That reaction is not thinking. It is emotion grabbing the steering wheel.People joke about Trump Derangement Syndrome. It is not a real illness. No doctor can diagnose it. But as a way to describe behavior, it fits better than many want to admit.
This is not about disagreeing with Trump. That is normal. That is politics.
This is about fear so strong it shuts down logic.
I want to be clear. I am not punching down. I am not calling people stupid. I am talking to people who are scared, even if they would never use that word themselves.
Fear makes good people act in strange ways.
When people are afraid, they stop listening. They stop weighing facts. They sort the world into teams. Good side and bad side. Approved opinions and forbidden ones.
That is where we are stuck.
A good example came out of Venezuela.
People were freed from a brutal system. Real people. Real families. People who lived with fear, prison, and violence. When they were released, they celebrated. You could see it on their faces. Relief. Joy. Hope.
You would think that would be one of those moments where everyone pauses and says, at least something good happened.
But many people did not.
Instead, they got angry. Not at the dictatorship. Not suffering. But at the fact that Trump had anything to do with it.
That should stop us in our tracks.
If people who were tortured are smiling, and people watching from safe homes are angry, something has gone wrong.
That is not a value. That is pride mixed with fear.
Some people have built their whole identity around hating Trump. If he does something good, even once, it feels like admitting it would crack their worldview. So they refuse. They say it does not count. Or it was fake. Or it was evil somehow. Anything except saying, yes, that helped people.
Fear does that. It makes good news feel dangerous.
We see the same thing here in Canada. If you question taxes, spending, or the direction of the country, some people do not argue back. They label you. They call you Maple MAGA or Mega Maple. Same idea, different flavour.
It is meant to shut you up.
I have met people called Maple MAGA who have never worn a red hat, never attended a rally, and never cared much about American politics at all. They just voted Conservative. Or questioned government spending. Or asked why groceries cost so much. That is it. But now, disagreeing with Liberals or the NDP gets you lumped into a cartoon version of something you are not. It becomes a shortcut. No discussion needed.
Calling someone Maple MAGA is treated like calling them racist or dangerous. It sounds serious. It sounds moral. But most of the time, it is just a way to avoid answering hard questions.
That is not a debate. That is fear wearing a mask.
The strange part is watching people defend governments that are clearly hurting working Canadians, just because those governments are not Conservative. High taxes get explained away. Missed promises get ignored. Waste gets shrugged off.
Fear makes people excuse things they would never excuse otherwise.
In the United States, people were told that obvious problems did not matter as long as Trump was gone. Questioning that made you the problem. Not the policy. Not the results. You.
That is not healthy for any country.
Here is the part that matters.
You can dislike Trump and still admit when something works. You can support him and still criticize him. Most normal people live in that middle space. Quietly. Without shouting.
Trump helped move peace talks that others could not. That does not make him perfect. It makes those moments real. Pretending they never happened does not make you moral. It just makes you dishonest. Fear has turned politics into a team sport where cheering matters more than outcomes. Where being right matters more than people being free.
I am not saying people who think this way are evil. I am saying they are overwhelmed. Afraid of being wrong. Afraid of losing control. Afraid of what happens if the story they were told does not hold up.
That fear is powerful. But it does not have to run things.
We can still talk. We can still disagree without hating. We can still say, I do not like him, but that helped. Or I voted Conservative, but they got this wrong.
That is what grown ups do.
Calling names will not save Canada. Screaming will not fix the United States. Fear will not build better leaders.
Thinking will.
If hearing Trump’s name makes your heart race or your jaw tighten, it might be worth asking why. Not to change your politics, but to get your balance back.
Politics should not steal your peace.
This is not about worshipping anyone. It is about staying grounded. About not letting fear turn you into someone who roots against freedom just to stay consistent.
People are not crazy. They are overloaded. And overloaded people sometimes forget how to breathe.
That is what is going wrong today.
And the good news is, we can slow it down if we choose to.
How You Prepare Now Will Define Your 2026 Job Search
How You Prepare Now Will
Define Your 2026 Job Search
By Nick Kossovan
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" - Benjamin Franklin
Once again, we've stepped into a New Year, provoking reflection and contemplation, which is a good thing. People rarely take the time to assess where they are in their various life journeys and ask whether, regarding their health, relationships, finances, career progression, or, if they're job searching, their job search, they need to make adjustments. (I don't believe we're on one singular "life journey." Rather, our lives consist of divergent paths that often feel like forced adhesion.)
Most job seekers still approach their job search as if it's 2005, applying to jobs online—the equivalent of playing the lottery—naively expecting their resume will get them an interview. They overlook the fact that they're competing against younger, more skilled, more qualified, and hungrier candidates.
By all indications, the 2026 job market will be cutthroat and unforgiving. A Wall Street Journal "heads up" article, Companies Are Outlining Plans for 2026. Hiring isn't one of them, by Chip Cutter, doesn't hold back that job seekers will face a job market characterized by fierce competition, and for those employed, especially those whose jobs don't directly influence their employers' profitability, job security will feel like a fragile illusion.
Whether currently unemployed or employed, in which case, as I pointed out, they can be summoned to an HR meeting at any time, those unprepared for job searching in an unforgiving job market will quickly realize that only those who not only have the skills and experience but also know how to position themselves as someone who'd be a value add to an employer's profitability, are getting hired. Therefore, before jumping into the 2026 job market, take some time to prepare for what you'll be up against.
Clean up your digital footprint.
The 2025 job market marked a clear shift from the aggressive hiring of previous years to a more deliberate, selective approach. A critical part of an employer's "selective approach" is reviewing a candidate's digital footprint. Fair or not, recruiters and employers will Google you to determine whether you're interview-worthy. If you're applying for jobs you're qualified for but aren't getting interviews, your digital footprint may be the reason. Although there may be other reasons you're not getting interviews, a controversial online presence is a common one. Spend a few minutes scrolling
through LinkedIn, and you'll see that many job seekers post content driven by ego without considering its negative impact on their job search.
Delete any posts, especially those criticizing an employer's hiring practices, as well as comments and pictures that could put employers off. If you've been heavily active on social media, posting about your job search frustrations, using a service like Erase.com or MineOS to clean up your digital footprint can be a good investment. Moving forward, commit to posting comments that showcase the value you'd add to an employer's profitability, rather than publicly demonstrating your inability to control your emotions.
Let go of any sense of entitlement you have.
A sense of entitlement is a job seeker's biggest enemy. It's why many job seekers are constantly frustrated and angry. The belief that employers owe you a job, a certain lifestyle, or even a living is unrealistic.
Letting go of entitlement will significantly improve your job search prospects. An entitled attitude is a major red flag for employers, suggesting a lack of humility, limited teamwork potential, and unreasonable expectations about compensation and responsibilities.
Adopt a mindset that focuses on what you can contribute to employers, not on what you expect them to give you.
Start speaking in numbers.
The majority of job seekers offer only opinions about themselves, rather than numbers that quantify the impact they had on their employer's business; hence, they don't get interviews—employers don't hire opinions; they hire results.
Update your resume and LinkedIn profile to include numbers that quantify your contributions to your employer's business. Did you generate revenue, create savings, introduce efficiencies, increase production, reduce waste, etc.?
Today, employers hire only candidates they believe will positively impact their profitability. Therefore, make sure your resume and LinkedIn profile clearly illustrate, using quantifying numbers as the most efficient way, how you enhanced your employer's profitability.
Refresh your LinkedIn profile with a new headshot and banner. If you don't have either, add them.
Job searching in 2025 is all about being visible and, more importantly, trustworthy. I still see LinkedIn profiles without a headshot. Why? A LinkedIn profile without a headshot is suspect; it suggests you're not a real person, that you're a fake profile.
No headshot = "What's this person trying to hide?"
Noteworthy: LinkedIn profiles with a headshot receive 14x more views than those without one.
Besides a profile headshot, a LinkedIn banner is crucial when job searching, as it serves as your professional storefront, significantly boosting visibility, signalling your intent to recruiters and employers, building trust, and providing instant branding that helps you stand out. Head over to Canva and browse their free-to-personalize LinkedIn banner templates.
Begin your 2026 job search with intention, not by continuing what hasn't been working for you.
Group Eco Leadership
Group Eco Leadership
by Larraine Roulston
‘Protecting Our Ecosystem’
Every community has citizens who join a group of like-minded individuals. Whether they are known as a committee, team, society, club, association, council, or network—their first discussion in the new year will probably include the results that they hope to achieve in 2026.
For all groups, a positive first meeting after the holidays would be the appointment of environmental advocates to share resource management ideas.
To be gentler on the earth’s ecosystem, these ‘Eco Avengers’ volunteering for this post would be mindful of all the ‘Rs’ —Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Revamp, Refill, Recover, Repair, Rethink, and composting — all the alternatives to creating waste. This approach will not only cut costs, but also lighten the load of those in charge of cleaning up.
Money would be saved from purchasing bottled water or coffee at meetings, as the environmental crew would encourage that each attendee bring their own beverage in a thermos. This decreases the use of single-use plastic. Also, supply a container to retrieve apple cores, tea bags, et cetera from snacks for composting at home.
Another suggestion is for all printed correspondence to be double-sided.
For social events, reusing decorations would take top priority over recycling or discarding. Avoid disposable plates and cutlery. An alternative option could be to purchase several sets of dinnerware from a thrift store. The money spent on disposable plates and taxpayer money to landfill, would now be channelled toward a community thrift store. Either find a spot to keep all the plates, or return them as a donation.
A discussion regarding carpooling might be possible for some.
Although it may be easier to order prizes online, local retailers should take preference. Some items could even be purchased at a thrift store —no excess packaging or transportation involved. Springtime prizes can include potted plants or garden seeds.
If a social group is one that meets at a fast food restaurant, each member brings their own mug. For a round of donuts/muffins, also provide a cookie tin. It sends a strong message for customers who line up behind several people all carrying their own reusable containers.
When the organization needs items or equipment, the ‘Eco Avengers’ will recommend renting or borrowing.
If your group creates crafts, perhaps there is a waste material - such as wood chips or pieces of fabrics. Advertise what you discard might become another person’s treasure!
Over the past decades, we have all been cleverly manipulated through social media, advertising, and the movies to be a throw-away society. You may even remember actor Tom Bosley promoting the larger, heftier green garbage bags. This history has shaped us to imagine ourselves not as citizens or residents, but as consumers.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead 
Apocalypto
Apocalypto
By Wayne and Tamara
At the bottom of a cupboard in a spare room I have a shoe box containing every love letter that has ever been written to me. Recently I had a look through the box and read some of the poems, cards, and long, passionate letters. It made me realize how long it had been since I felt the magic of a meaningful relationship.
Despite my romantic youth it hit me that I have not been able to kindle any skerrick of romance with any man I have met since my last relationship ended four years ago. I am single, 34, and more than anything would love to spend the rest of my life with one special man.
I believe I am attractive, youthful, positive and even charming, but it just hasn’t happened that I have met someone I like, who likes me too, since my last relationship. Now when I look at the box I have a strong urge to throw it out.
It is not an urge which comes from anger or sadness or even longing, but more like a command from the gods to sacrifice something as symbolically powerful as that box. Without it the occasional trip back to my romantic past will be impossible, those sweet memories will exist only in my imagination, and there will be no tangible, physical proof that I have ever known love.
It is like taking a risk and placing my faith that the gods will fill the vacuum in my life.
Do you think I should make this sacrificial offering in the hope that the universe will repay me? Or, do you think the chances of me meeting someone have nothing to do with a symbolic gesture, and I should keep the box and show my granddaughters what a romantic young lass their grandmother was?
Angela
Angela, our primitive nature wants to dance around the fire chanting, “Uggabugga, uggabugga, uggabugga.” When we are finished, we imagine the headman will step forward and say, “Bring me the child, our sacrifice to the gods.” After the deed is done the headman will proclaim, “Now it can rain.”
Humans search for explanations and causality. While we think we are more sophisticated than humans who lived thousands of years ago, we are driven by the same psychological forces. Behind books claiming to show you how to attract the perfect mate or save any relationship is the same psychological force which led our ancestors to chant, “Uggabugga, uggabugga, uggabugga.”
We want to fight the randomness of the universe. We want to cheat the odds and make things happen, but there is a limit to what we can do. One lesson we can learn, however, is the secret of the fisherman. A fisherman knows you cannot catch fish in a cornfield. You have to be in the way of catching fish; you have to be in the stream.
We often receive letters from people trying too hard to make this happen or fishing in the cornfield of a cheating boyfriend. They are like Eugen Herrigel in “Zen in the Art of Archery.” When Herrigel tried to force his shots and force the results, his teacher kicked him out of class. The lesson he needed to learn was, good things happen when we are in the flow of life.
The records of your romantic past are in your mind. Let them stay there. You don’t need to cling to the past when you are moving forward, and the man for you does not need these past proofs. What you are thinking about putting on the pyre are proofs of failure, evidence of relationships which did not blossom.
Loosening your grasp on the past and living fully in the moment will put you in the stream. No one can guarantee it will happen for you, but it can, just as it happened for us.
Wayne & Tamara
2025 Year in Review: Staying Financially Strong in Uncertain Times
2025 Year in Review: Staying Financially Strong in Uncertain Times
By Bruno Scanga
Financial Columnist
Financial Strategy
As we wrap up 2025, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on what the year has brought—and more importantly, how to position ourselves for success in 2026. This year has been another reminder that global uncertainty is here to stay. Trade tensions, fluctuating interest rates, and uneven economic growth have all played a part in shaping Canada’s financial landscape. The good news? Despite all the noise, there are solid, practical steps you can take to stay financially strong.
A Look Back at 2025
Inflation continued to cool through 2025, allowing the Bank of Canada to begin cautiously lowering rates after several years of tightening. While this offered some relief to borrowers, many Canadians renewing their mortgages still faced higher payments than before. Growth remained modest—around 1%—as global trade pressures and slower exports weighed on the economy.
For investors, markets were mixed. Canadian equities were steady, U.S. markets showed resilience, and bonds regained some traction as interest rates eased. Overall, it’s been a year where patience and diversification paid off.
What This Means for You
Periods like this call for a thoughtful financial strategy. Here are a few strategies to carry into 2026:
1. Revisit your budget and cash flow.
Higher living costs and mortgage renewals can tighten monthly budgets. Take time to review spending and look for ways to increase your savings margin—even a small monthly surplus can build valuable flexibility.
2. Strengthen your emergency fund.
If 2025 has taught us anything, it’s that uncertainty can show up quickly. Aim to keep at least three to six months of essential expenses in a readily accessible account.
3. Stay invested but be strategic.
Trying to time the market rarely works. Instead, focus on supporting a diversified portfolio that matches your goals and risk tolerance. If interest rates continue to drift lower in 2026, both fixed income and equity investments could benefit.
4. Use registered plans wisely.
Whether it’s topping up your RRSP, maxing out your TFSA, or contributing to a RESP or FHSA, these accounts offer powerful tax advantages. Every dollar sheltered from unnecessary tax is a dollar working harder for your future.
5. Plan for the long term—no matter the headlines.
Economic slowdowns, trade issues, and market swings are part of every cycle. The key is having a plan that adjusts with conditions, not one that reacts to fear or hype.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Most forecasts suggest a slow but steady recovery next year. If inflation stays near target, the Bank of Canada could trim rates further—good news for borrowers and markets alike. That said, it’s still wise to prepare for volatility.
The bottom line? Focus on what you can control: your savings habits, spending discipline, and investment strategy. Global uncertainty may persist, but a well-built financial plan stays your best tool for confidence and stability.
Here’s to finishing 2025 strong and stepping into 2026 with clarity and purpose. 
Kindness at Christmas Time
Kindness at Christmas Time
A Candid Conversation
By Theresa Grant
Real Estate Columnist
So, here we are in an election year, and it appears that it’s going to be a long one. At least in terms of campaigning. Right out of the gate, January 1, Tito Dante- Mariampetri declared his intention to run for Mayor of Oshawa. A few other people in different Municipalities have also declared their intention to run for either City Council or Mayor.
At some point a few months back I said to a colleague to watch as the hopefuls come out of the woodwork as though they’d been there all along, informing and updating people as to what’s going on in their ward and things they themselves are doing or motions they’re putting forward. When in fact the opposite is true. The current Council seems to operate under a veil of secrecy so to speak.
The only Councillor that I see communicating with the residents of Oshawa is Ward 5 Councillor Brian Nicholson. In fact, in Ward 4, some residents have stated that they’ve called their Councillor and got no reply at all. They’ve sent emails that go unanswered.
Yet, just before Christmas the Councillor for Ward 4, Derek Giberson, issued an ‘urgent plea’, stating that we had a homeless crisis in Oshawa and he needed people to send emails to Council for a particular meeting so that the issue didn’t get kicked down the road. That was issued on Facebook.
When I responded with, “We’ve had a homeless issue in Oshawa for years, why are you just bringing this up months before an election?” One person jumped to his defense saying that he had brought the motion forward previously (Probably in another election year). The Councillor himself never responded to my question. In fact, he deleted the question from his post.
It's outrageous that elected officials sit on these committees, have their meetings, collect a paycheck and seem to vanish for 3 years at a time.
They pop back into the picture at the 3-year mark to start campaigning for another term, thinking that nobody will notice. Who knows, they might even start answering phone calls or replying to emails at that point as well.
I, for one feel that we definitely need some new blood on the Council. I am not interested in the same people trying to make a career out of being a Councillor because they have nothing else to go to. Oshawa deserves better than that. 
Family History Makes for a Good Story
Family History Makes for a
Good Story
Common Sense Health – Diana Gifford-Jones
How many of us can recall our grandfathers leaning back in a favourite chair, saying, “Let me tell you something you should remember.” What followed was usually a story that had grown larger with time, about hardship, happenstance, or a decision made when the stakes were high.
On the other hand, if your grandmother was anything like one of mine, the stories amounted to a different kind of education. Hers were stories that began with confidence and ended in laughter. “I never worried,” she’d say, before describing in detail how she worried about everything. Funny at the time. Instructive in retrospect.
At the turn of a new year, when families gather and time loosens its grip just a little, stories come out naturally. It’s a great time of year to be paying closer attention, and perhaps asking for, the stories we haven’t heard.
I’m talking about the stories buried in the family tree.
Norman Cousins, the longtime editor of The Saturday Review, remarked, “History is a vast early warning system.” It is as true for kings and queens as for each one of us. Royal families once reshaped nations through ignorance of genetic disease. And when inherited risks for disease go unrecognized in our own families, we are missing the chance to avoid them and to change the life course for ourselves and those who follow.
Factual stories are important in the family tree. You may ask, “Could you remind me, how did Uncle Frank die?” To which the response might be, “Oh, a heart attack.” Followed by, “No, it was a stroke.” And that correction matters. A lot.
Family history remains one of the most powerful predictors of future health problems. Long before genetic tests and predictive algorithms, doctors relied on family stories to identify patterns – heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, mental health challenges. And here’s the truth: even today, many people walk into a doctor’s office with no idea of their family medical history.
That’s a mistake. Studies show that people who know their family health history are more likely to get screened earlier, take preventive steps, and give their doctors the information needed to make better decisions. Knowledge doesn’t guarantee good health, but ignorance almost guarantees missed opportunities.
Children and grandchildren benefit the most. Understanding health patterns in the family gives them power. “Your grandfather ignored high blood pressure for years, and that’s what caught up with him.” Knowledge becomes the motivation needed for prevention.
But many families avoid these conversations. They feel awkward. It’s too personal. Or people assume “someone else knows.” And then the memories fade. Details disappear. And before long, no one remembers who had what, or when.
It need not feel like a medical interrogation. The conversation can start with the spark of a story. “What do you remember about how your father’s health changed as he got older?” “I remember great-Aunt so-and-so, but whatever happened to her?”
If you are the source of family knowledge, use the holidays to share what you know. Laughter about good memories can be interspersed with important details about family health history and advice to avoid preventable problems.
If you are the recipient of the stories, let them unfold. Then write things down.
As we edge into a new year, people love to make resolutions: eat better, exercise more, stress less. Fine goals, all of them. But here’s another one to consider: resolve to preserve the family story.
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How many heart attacks, strokes, or cancers could be delayed – or prevented – if warning signs are recognized earlier? We’ll never know. But it’s worth a good story.
This column offers opinions on health and wellness, not personal medical advice. 
Monday, January 5, 2026
Those Who Will Get Hired In 2026 Will…
Those Who Will Get
Hired In 2026 Will…
By Nick Kossovan
It's widely predicted that 2026 will be a more challenging year for job seekers than 2025. Although there will be fewer job openings, employers will still be hiring, albeit at a slower, more selective pace. The job seekers who'll be hired will be those who hyper-focus on how they present themselves to employers.
Throughout 2026 and beyond, the following factors will shape hiring processes and decisions:
1. The continuing talk of a looming recession.
2. Employers are realizing that artificial intelligence isn't a novelty—it's technology that can transform how work is done, enabling fewer employees to deliver the same level of productivity. (SUMMARY: Employers are banking less on employees and more on AI.)
3. Employers are hiring only essential employees, those who can contribute measurable value to their profitability.
4. The job market is flooded with bad actors.
In light of the above, savvy job seekers are keeping in mind that employers are understandably trying to remain competitive (read: run lean) and therefore will:
Demonstrate how they can add measurable value to an employer.
Employers need to see how you'll be a value-add to their business; therefore, your resume and LinkedIn profile need to clearly articulate how you improved your previous employer's business. Employers are no longer willing to keep employees on payroll who aren't contributing to their bottom line; therefore, they're only hiring for positions that drive profitability.
Being able to answer the question, via your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter and especially when interviewing—how your skills and experience have made a measurable difference to your previous employer's revenue—will expedite your job search.
Have a 1 - 2-page resume.
The ongoing debate about the ideal length of a resume is childish, as it overlooks that most resumes are viewed on mobile devices, and the reader's likely age isn't considered. Resumes don't get read; they get skimmed. Therefore, you need to make your resume as concise as possible, enhancing clarity by getting to the point and leaving a lasting impression rather than long, opinionated explanations.
Write your resume with the understanding that in the seconds it's glanced at, the reader is looking for:
· Job title relevance
· Core skills that match the job description
· Recent experience
· Career progression
· Employment stability
When interviewing, demonstrate that they'll be manageable.
Showing you're easy to get along with goes a long way toward getting hired. Fair or not, being likeable outweighs your skills and experience. Adopting a defensive attitude, or worse, showing a sense of entitlement, is how many job seekers get rejected.
Gladly do assessment tests and assignments.
Having interviewed thousands of candidates, I can unequivocally say that most talk a good game, but few can deliver. Increasingly, I'm seeing a disconnect between what candidates claim and what they can actually do.
Motivated job seekers don't hesitate to prove themselves. They don't see assignments as free work, but as an opportunity to prove themselves. If, for whatever reason, you're opposed to doing assignments and assessments, then you're free—an announcement on LinkedIn isn't necessary—to leave the opportunity to someone who actually wants the job. Regarding the unsubstantiated claim that employers steal job candidates' ideas and assignments, I've yet to see any solid evidence of this having ever happened.
Interview like a rock star!
If you don't believe in yourself, then why should your interviewer? Get good—really good—at interviewing. "I'm not good at interviewing," or "I'm an introvert," are excuses job seekers tell themselves to stay in their comfort zone. Interviewing well, very well, is essential to landing a job; therefore, let go of the limiting beliefs that keep you from interviewing with confidence.
The key to interviewing well is to know your career story, where you want to take your career, and why and what value you have added to your previous employers.
Move on quickly.
Yes, ghosting is annoying, but you have to get over it. Ghosting is how younger generations, who are now gatekeeping jobs, communicate. As for rejection, it's a given when job searching; therefore, expect it as part of the process. In terms of feedback, given the litigious world we live in, providing it is risky; hence, employers wisely don't give it.
Accepting ghosting and rejection without judgment isn't only mentally healthy; it also saves your energy for your job search.
Be willing to work on-site.
Since the employer is paying for the work their employees do, they have every right to decide where that work is done. For many reasons, employers are introducing return-to-office mandates. Holding out for a remote job is a surefire way to prolong your job search.
Not participate in the LinkedIn pity party or bashing employers.
It amazes me how many job seekers still don't understand that employers review their LinkedIn activity and digital footprint to determine whether they're interview-worthy, and that venting publicly about job search frustrations or criticizing how employers hire only shows employers you can't control your emotions. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that many job seekers exhibit online behaviour that's hindering their job search.
In 2026, job search success will come down to making yourself easier for employers to choose. 
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Blocking Pain Without Breaking Lives
Blocking Pain Without
Breaking Lives
By Diana Gifford
I hear paternal grumbling at what I’m about to say. Dr. Gifford-Jones often warned we are a “nation of wimps” when it comes to pain. He believed we were losing the toughening effect that ordinary aches and setbacks once gave us. Furthermore, anyone who has run a marathon, climbed a mountain, or given birth knows that discomfort can be part of life’s great achievements. But we can agree that when pain becomes relentless, disabling, or overwhelming, medicine should do better.
Here’s a familiar story. Mrs. B. arrived in the recovery room after surgeons repaired a fractured hip. The operation was textbook. The pain was not. The medical team’s routine treatment was an opioid. Within an hour Mrs. B. was comfortable. A few days later she was calling for refills. Soon she was taking more than prescribed, feeling anxious when she tried to stop, and sleeping poorly.
Older people may remember a time when pain was treated with what now seem like modest tools: aspirin, codeine, local anesthetic, ice, rest, even hypnosis. None were perfect, but none carried the dangerous seduction of modern opioids. When drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone arrived, they were welcomed as miracles. They work by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, muting pain but also activating the brain’s reward system, the same pathway that leads to craving and dependence.
What followed became one of the great public-health disasters of our time. Prescription opioid use exploded in the 1990s and 2000s, fueled by aggressive marketing and the false belief that these drugs were safe when prescribed by doctors. They were not. By 2017, about 2.1 million Americans were living with opioid use disorder, and nearly 48,000 died from overdoses in a single year. The economic cost exceeded a trillion dollars in health care, lost productivity, and broken families. Numbers like that cannot capture the grief of parents who lose a child or the despair of people trapped by addiction that began with a prescription.
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug — suzetrigine — the first truly new kind of painkiller in decades. It is not an opioid. It does not act on the brain. Instead, it blocks pain at its source by targeting a protein on pain-sensing nerves called the NaV1.8 sodium channel.
To explain, pain travels along nerves like electricity through a wire. Sodium channels are the switches that allow that signal to fire. The NaV1.8 channel is found almost exclusively in peripheral pain-sensing neurons, not in the parts of the brain that produce euphoria, addiction, or breathing suppression. By blocking this channel, drugs like suzetrigine prevent pain messages from ever reaching the brain, without the high or sedation.
Clinical trials show that suzetrigine reduces post-surgical pain compared with placebo. It does not erase pain the way high-dose opioids do, but it takes the edge off in a way that allows healing to begin. Side effects have mostly been mild itching or muscle spasms, not the nausea, constipation, confusion, and addiction risk so familiar with narcotics. Other sodium-channel blockers are now in development, including those that could quiet pain for weeks after a single injection.
These new drugs may be costly. Insurance coverage may lag. They may not work for all needs. And we may yet discover side effects. There is also the risk that a shiny new “non-opioid” label could distract us from the value of physical therapy, exercise, and other non-drug approaches.
Still, this is science worth watching. And hopefully of better help to people in need.——————————————————————————————————————
This column offers opinions on health and wellness, not personal medical advice. Visit www.docgiff.com to learn more. For comments, diana@docgiff.com. Follow on Instagram @diana_gifford_jones
Not Far Right. Just Fed Up. A View From Regular Canadians
Not Far Right. Just Fed Up. A View From Regular Canadians
By Dale Jodoin
Columnist
I want to write this the way people actually speak when the microphones are off and the cameras are gone. Not as a lecture. Not as a warning. Just as a person who has listened long enough to notice a pattern. Something is shifting, and it has nothing to do with secret symbols, coded music, or hidden messages in culture. It has everything to do with trust being broken.
Lately, large left leaning newspapers keep telling us the same story. They say the far right is quietly creeping into everyday life. They say it hides in jokes, fitness videos, clothes, online influencers, and casual conversation. They say regular people do not even notice it happening. They warn us to be afraid of our own culture.
But that story does not reflect what people are actually living through.
What I hear from Canadians is not fear of one another. It is frustration with a system that no longer feels fair. People feel talked down to. They feel managed instead of represented. And when they try to speak honestly, they are immediately labeled.
That label is always the same. Far right.
The term used to mean something serious. It described real extremism. Today, it is used as a shortcut to shut down debate. If you disagree with government policy, you are far right. If you question new laws, you are far right. If you worry about your children, you are far right. Once that word is applied, discussion ends.
That is not journalism. That is social pressure.
Most of the people being described this way are not radicals. They are parents trying to raise kids in a confusing world. They are workers watching prices rise while services fall apart. They are seniors scared to get sick because health care is overwhelmed. They are immigrants who came legally and feel angry that fairness has been replaced by chaos.
These are not people being pulled into some dark movement. These are people paying attention.
The idea that everyday culture is being infiltrated suggests that citizens are passive and easily fooled. It assumes people cannot think for themselves. It assumes they need to be protected from their own thoughts. That attitude alone explains why trust in the media is collapsing.
Canadians know when something feels off. They know when the rules apply differently depending on who you are. They know when crime is explained away while victims are ignored. They know when speech is policed more harshly than violence.
Young people see this clearly. They are not being radicalized. They are watching adults argue while institutions fail. They see fear used as a tool. They see words redefined. They see silence rewarded and honesty punished. Many of them are stepping back, not because they believe something extreme, but because they do not trust the system to treat them fairly.
That is not dangerous. That is rational.
Immigration is one of the clearest examples of how honest discussion has been poisoned. Canada has always welcomed newcomers. That has not changed. Most Canadians still believe in immigration done properly. What people object to is scale without planning, promises without infrastructure, and rules that no longer apply equally.
Mass immigration without enough housing drives prices up. Without enough doctors, it overwhelms health care. Without honest expectations, it creates tension. Saying this is not hatred. It is reality.
Yet if you raise these concerns, the response is not discussion. It is an accusation.
Parents face the same problem. Many feel they have lost their voice. They are told not to question schools. They are told concern is harm. They are told to trust systems that refuse transparency. When parents push back, they are treated as dangerous.
This creates fear, not progress.
Across Europe, citizens are expressing the same frustration. They are not marching for hate. They are voting for change. They are asking for borders that work, laws that apply equally, and leaders who listen. When they do, media voices warn the public to fear them.
That reaction reveals more about power than about people.
What is really happening is not a rise of extremism. It is a collapse of patience. People are tired of being blamed for problems they did not create. They are tired of being told silence is kindness. They are tired of being managed by narratives instead of served by policy.
This is no longer about left versus right. That argument is outdated. This is about citizens versus systems that forgot who they exist for.
The people being called far right do not share one ideology. They share a sense that something fundamental is being lost. Fairness. Balance. Common sense. The ability to speak without fear.
They stand against real antisemitism and real racism. They stand with Jewish Canadians who feel unsafe. They stand with Muslim Canadians who came here for freedom and peace. They stand for freedom of worship and equal law.
They do not want chaos. They want stability.
Calling people names will not fix housing.
It will not fix health care. It will not protect children. It will not reduce crime.
It only deepens resentment and destroys trust.
The real danger is not culture being influenced. The real danger is citizens no longer believing those who claim to inform them. When people stop trusting media and government, society weakens. People withdraw. Conversation dies.
People know when headlines do not match their lived experience. They know when fear is being sold as concern. They know when power is protecting itself.
That awareness is not frightening. It is necessary.
Canadians are not far right. They are not far left. They are tired of being bullied by language and ignored by policy.
They are simply asking to be treated like adults again.
That is not extremism.
That is a country quietly but firmly asking to be heard.
2026 AN ELECTION YEAR..
2026 AN ELECTION YEAR..
By Joe Ingino BA. Psychology
Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers
It has been four years since the last election. How has your life improved? Did you make the right choices back in 2022? Has the quality of life for you and your family improved?
The other day in conversation with a very good friend of mine. He asked. “How would Oshawa been different if you had won in 2022?”
Well, I can tell you that today. My conscious would have been cleared. That I would have taken care of all those in need. That our streets would be free of crime and the homeless. I bring to question everyone sitting at City of Oshawa council how they can put their heads to rest every night knowing people are sleeping on our sidewalks.
They should all do the honorable and resign.... but then.... What is expected. We elect people with no real life experience. No real business sense. Limited intellectual aptitude.
You get what you get. People that become numb to reality and only care about cushioning their pensions and or a weekly pay check that they would not be able to obtain if not elected. Just look at where most of those former politicians end up working? Or look at where they have been working.... Not even close in responsibility and or pay.
If you recall. During my candidacy, I had made it public that I would not be taking a penny in renumeration until I rid our core of crime, drugs and the homeless. I had also made it public that I would have cut wasteful expenses and un-necessary projects like the 30 million wasted on the ‘ED Broadbent’ park. There was no need to put a park next to a park.
I would have not wasted 70 million of your hard earned tax dollars on investing on the what we know best as the GM Center. I would have not wasted 30 million on the outdoor Rotary pool. I would have surely not wasted another 10 million on the downtown Oshawa ‘Veterans’ Park.
These major announced waste of taxpayer money. Sums up to about 140 million. This all money that could have gone to better the quality of life for all taxpayers.
No instead what do we have to show for it? Tax increases, year after year. Crime at an all time high. People being shot and stabbed all over Oshawa. Our downtown core looking like some third world country.
I know what you are thinking... Ok, Joe. How would you have handled the homeless and crime problem.
Simple, With 140 I would have save from not going forth with the project we have. I would have searched for the larges empty warehouse we have. Possibly one of GM former complexes. I would be interested in a 400,000 sq. ft plus. I would have retro, so that it would be able to have four features.
1. It would bring people from the cold. A screening place where people cold sleep, shower and eat. Anyone on our streets or living in tents would be brought there. Once there they would be assessed. If in need of mental health. They get moved in the same building to an area dedicated to mental health. With paid professionals out of the 140 million wasted.
Those that needed jobs and a chance at life. We would move them to the third part of the facility. There they be given a job through the city... Or at the facility. We would implement a garbage squad program where they would get paid to clean up our city. We would create work programs for all kinds of disciplines.... Those with families would be moved to the fourth part of the facility. A place where you could raise a family based on a program that would promote building character through special programs that would assist those families in need. Anyone caught using drugs would be arrested and banned from Oshawa. Anyone with a substance abuse would get treatment.
We need to give these folks hope. We need to be pro-active.
We need to rid our streets of crime due to desperation. Crime is an animal of desperation not so much of choice. Those that actually choose crime. The police will deal with them. Change can come you have to wonder. Remember 2026 is your chance to make real choice and clean your City.
For Love Or Money!!!
For Love Or Money!!!
By Wayne and Tamara
I’ve been married twice and think I was a good husband. Shortly after my son was born, my first wife started staying out until the wee hours. I cared for our two young children while she prowled for men. She became hostile anytime I objected, and screamed at me in front of our children. At the urging of her family, I divorced her and now have my children most of the time.
My second marriage ended when I found my wife having relations with the frozen food deliveryman. The truth is neither of my wives loved me. They liked my earning potential, but they did not love me.
In any case, reading websites promoting affair-repairing services, I wondered why infidelity was such a deal-breaker for me. Was I simply a less evolved, less forgiving type? I know in my day-to-day existence I am not a grudge holder. I couldn’t put my finger on why, after finding my wives were cheaters, I had no desire to reconcile.
You articulate the reasons very well: the desire to be loved to the exclusion of all others, and an aversion to having to remain ever vigilant in the future. Your view makes so much sense to me.
Gil
Gil, emotion used to be considered the poor cousin of reason, but contemporary neuroscientists now see our emotions as part of how we reason. Our emotions evolved over eons for a purpose.
Just as revulsion at the sight of maggots tells us not to eat the meat, so the soul sickness we feel at discovering infidelity is intended to protect us. Your follow-up letter, below, may reveal the source of your problems.
Wayne & Tamara
Rest Of The Story
After my second divorce and a period where I wanted to be alone and take care of my kids, I went on a date. I really like this woman, and we became close. I was honest about my kids being a big priority, and she seemed fine with that.
After four months and hearing she loved me and was so happy, she came to me one night and broke up, citing her trepidation about being in a relationship with a guy with young children. I was saddened but thanked her for her honesty.
Two days later I called to return the books she loaned me. She was not home so I left a message I would leave them on the porch, wrapped up. When I got to her house, she was home and invited me in for coffee. She then asked for a hug and tried to kiss me. I excused myself and said goodbye.
Two weeks later she began emailing, saying how hard this was and how her heart was breaking. The last email included her photo in a revealing, see-through dress. After one email from her describing how compatible we were, I asked if she wanted to still be a couple, as I had strong feelings for her. She said no, due to my obligations to my kids. Why on earth does she keep emailing me?
Gil
Gil, this woman is offering you a choice. “You can have what I’m offering in the photo, or you can have your children. But you can’t have both.” Women who exude sexuality may offer excitement, but excitement is not fidelity or love. When a woman uses her sexuality to get what she wants from you, believe she will use it on other men as well.
Ask yourself if that is not the story of your two marriages. Sex may be your Achilles’ heel. If you confuse unvarnished sexuality with the sexuality which flows from love, or if you unconsciously use money to generate female interest, that may explain your problem with women.
You want to know why this happened to you before, and it appears you are in the midst of doing it again.
Wayne & Tamara
When Seniors Are Told to Borrow to Survive, Leadership Has Failed
Only Child Dreams - The Transition from Being an Only Child to One of Four Kids
Only Child Dreams - The Transition from Being an Only Child to One of Four Kids
By Camryn Bland
Youth Columnist
Growing up as an only child, I spent my days hoping for a sibling. I was always looking for someone to talk to, play with, or go places with. I hoped and prayed for a brother or sister to accompany me through my boring days, and for over fifteen years I was disappointed. As I got older, I stopped hoping, adjusting to independence in place of reliance. However, just as I accepted my life as an only child, I was introduced to three kids who would make every dream come true; my future step siblings.
In February of 2025, my mom and I moved in with her boyfriend and his three kids. The move felt very sudden, and confusing. We originally planned for us to move together in late 2026 or early 2027, when I was in grade 12 and could drive myself to school. Now it was early 2025, and my mom decided we were going to move soon. It felt like I blinked, and all of a sudden I was packing everything into big boxes. By late February, our two person basement apartment had been replaced by a chaotic home, inhabited by six people and three pets.
The biggest adjustment for me was my new role as a sister, a role which I’d never been exposed to before. Time which was once spent reading alone was replaced by helping with homework, time to bake was now used to pick up after others and do chores that were never mine to begin with.
Although I had known the kids for almost three years, always being surrounded by them felt new and unfamiliar. Every boundary I knew had changed and I found myself struggling to adjust to the simplest things. I worried about what to talk about during meals, where I could be in the house without bothering anyone, and when I could go out without causing scheduling issues.
At first, the new dynamics felt like a maze. However, over time the change got easier, and now it feels almost normal. I’ve realized my step-sisters are like built in best friends, who make sure there’s never a dull moment in my day. I’ve accustomed to my step-brother, who always has an honest opinion, even when I don’t want to hear it. They’re an aspect of my day that feels so normal, yet so special at the same time. I know it would leave a gap in my life if they left. I think what made the transition, and even my time now, easiest was the time apart. My step-siblings only spend half of their time at my house, and the other half living with their mom. These rotating weeks act as a break a lot of siblings don’t have. They’re my time to see my friends, focus on my own work, or do personal projects. By the time my week alone is almost over, I miss my step-siblings and I’m excited for them to come home. It’s a system that I’m lucky to have in place, as it made it easier to adjust to a new family, and it helps even now. With my step-siblings, I’ve not just adjusted to them, but also feel like I belong among them. Despite the fact I came into their family late, I don’t feel excluded or different from them. The four of us laugh like siblings, fight like siblings, and share like siblings. Even when I’m arguing with them, or getting annoyed at something they said, I appreciate them the same. In the span of 10 months, I have found a family which I always wished for, and it feels right. I will forever be grateful for that.
Despite my gratitude, not everything is perfect. There have been many doors slammed and voices raised which have made me wish things were back as they used to be, back as I grew up with. However, that feeling doesn’t last, and we always make up, as family does.
The imperfections don’t just come from others; I know I also have room for improvement as a sister. I need to be more patient and understanding. I’m quick to get annoyed when my step-siblings are bothering me while I’m working, even if they just want to spend time together. I get upset when they don’t clean, even if they don’t notice the mess in the first place. Sometimes, I get upset over small jokes they made and make a big deal out of nothing. Over time, I hope to fix these habits so I can be a better sister, a fitting member of the family.
For fifteen years, I wished to have a brother or sister to spend time with. Now I have three of them, and it’s so much different than I imagined. Our household is one of chaos and arguments, but also of gamenights and laughter. I try to appreciate every second of it, because I know my younger self would be thrilled to spend time with my new family. Most days, I’m thrilled to spend time with them too. 
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