Reflecting on Mothers and Fathers

Reflecting on Mothers and Fathers By Diana Gifford We don’t choose the starting line. The family and life circumstances into which we are born is happenstance. Reading “Straight Life: The Story of Art Pepper,” a book described as ‘sheer horror’ and the ‘saddest autobiography ever written’, I’m reminded of my more fortunate start. Pepper was a jazz musician, born to a runaway, 14-year-old mother – drunk, violent, and mostly absent. It gets worse – a lot worse. Pepper’s extraordinary musical talent might have lifted him out of bad trouble. But it was not to be. It’s got me thinking about how the people closest us, in particular our mothers and our fathers, often set the stage for our lives. I am in the large club of people who believe they have the best parents in the world. My father, Ken Walker, wrote this column under the name W. Gifford-Jones, MD for 50 years, and readers will appreciate the good fortune my brothers and I feel. But what about our mother, a less well-known figure? When asked if she has any ‘wise words’ to share, she, in turn, reflects on her own parents. “I was blessed to have landed on this planet with many advocates before me who used ‘wise words.’ I did not appreciate them at the time and sometimes balked at their strictures, but eventually I learned that what they offered me, sometimes wordlessly, always by example, would provide a benefit I ought not to ignore. “My father, a corporate executive, became known by colleagues for his ‘integrity’, a word meaning strong moral principles. As a girl, I watched his behaviour, at home and in business. In time, I understood what that word meant. And I loved its strength and simplicity, as well as my father. I tried to emulate him. “Similarly, the word I would learn to apply to my mother was ‘rectitude’, correct behaviour or thinking. I saw that that made for a happy marriage. It was not easy to measure up to her standard, but she was insistent. “Those two words, thankfully, set me off on the right path. And I soon learned another word that was unexpected at the time. I set off for university in 1951, long before Women’s Lib. But I landed at a women’s college which was established to offer women ‘self-sufficiency’. Its motto was Non Administrari Sed Administrare. I learned during those four years to be true to myself, and to establish independence of thought and behaviour, against all odds. “Then came along one Ken Walker. It was not long before he showed me the meaning of ‘compassion’. I watched him over many years exhibit absolute devotion to each and every of his patients, in his office practice and in surgery. I worried about his own health. When he suffered intense criticism by colleagues and society in general for his forward medical thinking, he taught me another word, ‘tolerance’. This one I found very difficult at times, but he remained astute, and I could not argue. “There are enough ‘wise words’ to go around. Like ‘truth’ and ‘virtue’ and more. The world would be a better place if we used any and all of these words. They are so simple but so hard to find today. “This is my contribution to ‘wise words’. May it end with the word ‘health’, which blesses me at 93, and I wish it to all.” I can only say, “Thank you, Mom,” and “Thank you, Dad.” How tragic that some are born less lucky. But when encountering them, it’s an opportunity to reflect, and hopefully, an inspiration to be a better person and make the world a better place. —————————————————————————————————————— 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

Smart Tax Tips for Small Business Owners

Smart Tax Tips for Small Business Owners By Bruno M. Scanga Running a small business is exciting and rewarding—but it also comes with plenty of challenges. Between managing cash flow, building your client base, and keeping customers happy, taxes can easily slip down the priority list. With some planning, though, tax season can be less stressful and even work to your advantage. Keep Records Year-Round The number one rule for stress-free tax filing? Stay organized all year long. Keep receipts, invoices, and statements in one place—whether that’s a file folder or a cloud-based accounting system. Regular bookkeeping not only saves hours at tax time but also gives you a clear view of your business performance. As year-end approaches, run a quick estimate of your income and expenses. If you’ll owe taxes, set aside funds now to avoid a last-minute scramble. If a refund is coming, filing early means you can reinvest that money sooner—into equipment, marketing, or paying down debt. Use Interest Expense to Your Advantage Many business owners overlook deductible interest. One option is setting up a business line of credit—preferably secured by home equity or another asset—to cover expenses. The interest is typically deductible, which reduces taxable income. Meanwhile, you can use your available cash to pay down non-deductible debts like your mortgage or credit cards. This shifts interest costs into the deductible column and can improve your cash flow. Reduce Taxes Through Income Splitting If your spouse or children work in your business, consider paying them a fair wage for real work performed. This can reduce your household’s total tax bill because the income moves to someone in a lower bracket. Document hours worked, duties, and wages—just as you would for any employee. Family members are often exempt from Employment Insurance (EI) premiums, but the work must be legitimate, and the pay must be reasonable. Consider Incorporation For some entrepreneurs, incorporation offers tax advantages. If your business earns more than you need to withdraw for personal expenses, keeping funds in the corporation may mean paying lower corporate tax rates rather than higher personal rates. It can also offer legal protections and make raising capital easier. But it comes with setup costs, annual filings, and more paperwork—so it’s a decision to make with professional advice. The Bottom Line Small business taxes can be complicated, but they don’t have to be overwhelming. By keeping organized records, making smart use of deductible interest, exploring income splitting, and considering incorporation, you can keep more of what you earn. Before making major tax moves, talk to a qualified accountant or tax advisor. The right strategy can save you thousands, giving you extra resources to reinvest and grow. Running a business is hard work, but with a smart tax plan in place, you can make sure your profits stay where they belong—working for you. Saving taxes wherever you can free up more cash for your RRSP and other investments. The first step is getting professional advice.

Love’s Beggar

Love’s Beggar By Wayne and Tamara I am 20. Five months ago I started dating a coworker, 29. We work in separate departments, so we are not on top of each other every day. When we started dating, I told him I was looking for a relationship. He said he had just gotten out of a two year relationship four months before. We talk on the phone every day and see each other at least twice a week. I thought we were on our way to making it official as a couple—at least until two days ago. That’s when he confessed this new girl at work wants to get back together with him. That was a shocker. Before we started dating he dated her for a month, but she broke it off because he was moving too fast. Now he says he is stuck in the middle because he has feelings for both of us and doesn’t want to hurt either of us. I told him he was too late because he is already hurting me by leaving me to get together with her. I said I was beginning to fall in love with him, which is true, and if he cared as much as he said he did, he would stay with me. Well, he told me he wanted to be with me and he would tell her his decision. And he did. Problem solved, right? Wrong! While I was on the phone with him, she shows up at his house, and they have a long talk. He tells me she said he is confused, and now he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore because he’s stuck in the middle of a situation he doesn’t want to be in. I hurt so much when I realize I could lose him, because I have strong feelings for him. I want to be with him, and I already told him how I feel. What else am I to do? Shauna Shauna, some stories stick with us because they condense a truth in an unforgettable way. For us, one such story was a news item about a pilot guiding a large ship into port. When the ship collided with the pillar of a bridge, gravely damaging both the bridge and the vessel, the first words out of the pilot’s mouth were, “Don’t tell anybody.” People aren’t honest naturally. We are animalistic. Our self-preservation mechanism is still so strong that a lie is the first thing which tries to come to our lips. Only our good character can stop it. Your boyfriend is weak and a coward. When you jumped up and down, arguing with him, he didn’t have the courage to say he doesn’t want to be with you. Instead, he threw his hands in the air and said, “I’m confused.” But he doesn’t love you. He can’t explain why he doesn’t, he just doesn’t. No man can tell any woman exactly why he loves her. Love is an unmeasured quality, beyond factors and reasons. With a man who cares about you, you don’t have to beg. But when you beg, you know for sure you are not loved. Arguing will not change that. You think you have to make this relationship work because you are hungry for love. That is the first misstep in falling down a long staircase. When you find yourself tripping on the first step, you must grab the rail so you don’t fall all the way down the stairs. What railing are we talking about? The railing of reality. Grab hold of reality and say I’ve dated him five months, I told him how I feel, he doesn’t love me, and I’m not going to beg any man to be with me. Treat yourself as a person of value. Prize yourself, as the one who loves you will prize you. You need to be some man’s first choice, his right choice. Wayne & Tamara

A Candid Conversation (THE DOWNTOWN FACTOR)

A Candid Conversation (THE DOWNTOWN FACTOR) By Theresa Grant Real Estate Columnist One of the benefits of belonging to several community groups is that you meet many people. With many people come many opinions, and with an election less than a year away I thought it was a perfect time to see what is on the minds of the people. So, I asked, what are you looking for in the next election? I found it very interesting that after we got past the big three, so to speak, there were an array of different things that people took concern with. Now when I say the big three, I mean taxes, crime, and unemployment. Pretty standard stuff no matter where you live today. Being Oshawa, naturally, the state of our downtown is a big concern for most and I found that it really doesn’t matter where people live within the city, the downtown looms large in the minds of anyone who calls Oshawa home. I found it most interesting to sit and chat with people of differing walks and see what their opinion was. Some were more concerned with policing and thought that our police service was too constrained, that they should have more power. Of course, that is not determined at the municipal level, so we moved on to other topics. I found a woman who was not only outraged but saddened by Bylaws that govern helping the homeless. She wanted to see more freedoms surrounding how the individual person could help, contribute and donate. “When a corporate luncheon wraps up with 16 sandwiches left over along with dozen cookies or so, I should be able to take those to the people living on the street” she explained. “There is so much food waste in our society today and to think that I cannot give it away to people who would love to have it, we are forced to throw it away or let it go bad. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.” I spoke with another person who thinks that there should be a limit on how many cannabis shops should be allowed in one area. “From Athol to Bond on Simcoe Street, it seems like every other store is a pot shop”. “I don’t understand why there needs to be so many, he said.” One gentleman that I had the pleasure of chatting with thought that the vacant store fronts in the downtown were a glaring representation of decay in our city. “It’s a terrible shame that this is what the core looks like today, in my day people came downtown to shop and have a meal, it was really nice”. While there is no getting away from the fact that our downtown looks very different than it did many years ago, there is no shortage of opinions as to what is should look like and how to get there, among our citizens. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to sit with me, for being so open and willing to chat with a stranger who asks a lot of questions.

It Is Possible to Recover From a Bad Interview

It Is Possible to Recover From a Bad Interview By Nick Kossovan A job search strategy job seekers overlook: making a recovery attempt after a bad interview to try to alter their interviewer's opinion that they're not the right candidate. Like anyone who's ever job searched, I've had my share of bad interviews when I wasn't at my best. My nerves got the better of me; I hadn't slept well, traffic threw me off my game, a Mexican lunch wasn't settling right, and I leaned against a wall, serving as a cautionary lesson I'll never forget. I'd arrived early for a 10:30 AM interview, so I walked up and down the hall outside the interviewer's office. A guy was painting nearby, and we struck up a conversation. Then I looked around for a chair so I could sit down and gather my thoughts. Not seeing a chair, I leaned against the wall across from my interviewer's office. The moment I realized what I'd done, my interviewer opened her door. I could see she wasn't impressed as she looked towards the painter, who said, "I'll redo it." I took off my jacket, folded it, and carried it into my interviewer's office. The interview was curt and short. It's inevitable that, no matter how well you prepare for an interview, there will be days when you don't perform your best. Sometimes I wasn't as articulate as I'd like, or I didn't connect with my interviewer, or the interview ended abruptly before I could convey my value propositions, leaving me wondering if I could still salvage the opportunity. If you haven't interviewed in a while, nervous energy can easily spiral into anxiety and self-doubt. There's also the possibility, which I've experienced a few times, that your lacklustre interview performance was due to a lack of chemistry with your interviewer or feeling that things didn't quite "feel right." In such cases, accept that this wasn't the right job, company, or boss for you, trust your gut instinct and move on. However, if you genuinely want the job, instead of beating yourself up and dwelling on what went wrong, focus on ways to bounce back from a less-than-stellar interview. Think you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 1. Send an email ASAP after the interview On the same day, send an email that highlights your skills, experience, and value, and elaborates on any points you feel you didn't communicate as effectively as you could have. Your email should include: · Express gratitude for the opportunity to interview. · Acknowledge that you wish you had communicated certain aspects of your experience and skills more clearly. · Clarify or reinforce your value by highlighting a key skill, experience, or insight that sets you apart. · Reiterate your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Subject: Thank You and Follow-Up Hi [Interviewer's Name], Thank you for taking the time to speak with me this morning about the [job title] role at [company name] and your vision for [specific aspect of the role]. Upon reflecting on our conversation, I would like to expand on when you asked me to share a situation in which I demonstrated leadership. After I left, I realized I should have mentioned the marketing committee I led during my time at [previous employer]. This cross-functional team consisted of five individuals from various departments, and our goal was to ensure that all company materials adhered to brand guidelines while maintaining high design standards. Our efforts led to a 70% increase in employee satisfaction with internal materials, which had a positive impact on overall engagement and productivity. Again, thank you for your time. Sincerely, [Your Name] When composing your email, avoid being too candid, like, "I'm so sorry I completely bombed the interview." Instead, keep it more professional, such as, "I wanted to expand on a point about my leadership experience," or "I have more concrete examples I want to share with you regarding my software knowledge." 2. Call and request an opportunity to elaborate. The majority of job seekers will only be comfortable sending a version of the email example I gave. Job seekers who stay within their comfort zone are more likely to have a prolonged job search. However, a bold move that has worked for me is to call and say something along the lines of "Hi [Interviewer's Name], do you have a few minutes? [wait for response, which'll likely be "yes"] Thanks. During our conversation yesterday, I felt that I didn't fully convey my experience in [specific area]. I'd like to better explain how my experience in [specific area] relates to the [position]." Sure, you could insert a paragraph into your follow-up email asking to schedule a call, but that isn't nearly as proactive (read: controlling your job search) as taking a deep breath and making the call asking for a chance to elaborate. I've yet to meet a hiring manager who wouldn't be impressed by a candidate trying to recover from a bad interview. Everyone messes up an interview now and then; however, don't assume you're automatically out of the running. Think about how you can recover from a poor interview. Dwelling on a bad interview accomplishes nothing, especially when it's possible to bounce back. ___________________________________________________________________________ Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned corporate veteran, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. Send Nick your job search questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

The Price of “Free” Why Politics Has Forgotten Common Sense

The Price of “Free” Why Politics Has Forgotten Common Sense By Dale Jodoin Politics used to follow rules of logic and math. You could see where money came from and where it went. It made sense. Today, politics often ignores those simple facts. Leaders promise free programs without explaining how they will be paid for. But in reality, every dollar must come from somewhere. You can borrow, print, or tax, but the result is always the same. Someone pays. It may not be today, but it will be tomorrow. Economics is like physics. You cannot cheat the laws of balance. When governments spend more than they take in, they build a kind of energy debt. That debt has to be released later through inflation, higher taxes, or cuts to public services. These are not political opinions. They are measurable cause and effect results. Once, politics focused on responsibility. Now it is based on psychology. Humans crave safety, reward, and belonging more than logic. When times are hard, and prices are high, people become emotional voters. If someone promises relief, the brain releases dopamine, the same chemical linked to pleasure and trust. It creates a short term bond between voter and politician. But it also shuts down critical thinking. Studies in behavioural economics show that people value immediate rewards more than future ones. This is called “temporal discounting.” Politicians use it to win elections. They offer benefits today, knowing that future costs are invisible to most voters. When debt grows slowly, the pain is delayed. Like eating junk food every day, it feels fine until the health bill arrives. Psychology also explains why people defend bad policies. Humans are tribal creatures. We want to belong to a group, even if the group is wrong. In politics, this becomes “motivated reasoning.” Voters bend facts to protect their identity. They argue not to find the truth but to protect their side. The result is loyalty without logic. Media adds to this problem. Modern news rewards emotion over information. Algorithms push stories that trigger outrage or pride, not understanding. Research from major universities has shown that false or emotional headlines spread faster than factual ones. This constant stream of reaction weakens public focus. People believe they are informed, but they are actually conditioned to react, not reason. The cost of this behaviour shows up in the national budget. Canada, like many Western countries, spends billions more than it earns each year. Debt is now one of the largest items in government spending. Interest payments alone take away billions that could have funded hospitals, education, or senior care. This is the scientific side of fiscal policy: compound interest grows whether you like it or not. Every borrowed dollar multiplies over time. When people grow used to government support, another psychological effect appears. It is called “dependency reinforcement.” Once people rely on outside help, their motivation to return to independence weakens. The longer support continues, the harder it becomes to stop. The system feeds itself until it collapses under its own weight. Culture plays a role too. For generations, Canadians valued hard work and self-reliance. Those values supported stability. But modern culture often celebrates comfort over discipline. It encourages instant rewards and constant approval. From a psychological view, this is a shift from delayed gratification to emotional satisfaction. It weakens long-term planning and feeds political short-termism. The fix is not complex, but it is uncomfortable. The same way a diet requires discipline, national recovery needs restraint. Balanced budgets protect stability. Responsible spending builds trust. These are not outdated ideas; they are natural laws of systems. Whether in biology, physics, or economics, unchecked growth always leads to collapse. Citizens have more power than they think. Each vote signals what kind of system we want to live in. A vote for endless spending is a vote to delay pain. A vote for accountability is a vote for future security. The choice comes down to understanding the science of consequence. A country is like a household. You cannot keep running up the credit card and expect it never to be due. Debt is not evil, but it must serve a purpose. Borrowing for growth is good. Borrowing for popularity is not. The laws of economics do not care about politics. They always balance out in the end. The truth is clear. A stable country cannot be built on feelings alone. It needs facts, discipline, and courage to say no when spending goes too far. Real help does not come from promises that sound nice. It comes from leadership that respects the truth, even when it hurts. Science and math may not win elections, but they always win in the end.

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE DETAILS INCLUDED IN THE 2025 FEDERAL BUDGET

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE DETAILS INCLUDED IN THE 2025 FEDERAL BUDGET THIS COLUMNIST WHOLEHEARTEDLY CONDEMNS the decision by Mark Carney’s Liberals to exponentially increase spending in their recently released federal budget. Those words form the basis of one of last week’s editorials here at The Central, written in response to what has been labelled as the “Canada Strong 2025 Budget.” We were quick to highlight the fact that our nation’s debt continues to spiral out of control as spending on all manner of programs goes through the roof. We also suggested the Trudeau-Carney Liberals need to re-examine their ideology and actually start thinking of ways to get overall spending under control - because so much of what Canadians are paying in tax is now going to pay interest charges on our nation’s debt. The federal government is nowhere near balancing anything as they continue to borrow tens of billions of dollars every year, resulting in our having become a nation that now lives day-to-day on that same borrowed money, which is not sustainable. I did some research on what I see as a few key aspects of the budget, and this week I want to share some of the more relevant details. In the wake of years of prolonged deficits, there’s still a need for funding in crucial areas of national importance, and that requires a fresh look at where and how every tax dollar is being spent. Let’s begin by taking a look at the national crisis that is mental health and addictions – a crisis that is increasingly affecting our society in every way. The budget document has zero mention of meaningful support on this issue. There isn’t a single new dollar, program, initiative, or even passing reference to addictions treatment, recovery beds, opioid response, or any such mental-health-and-addictions funding anywhere in the budget. That seems almost unbelievable in the wake of so much suffering on our streets and in so-called ‘homeless’ camps. One notable mention is on page 247, informing us that current transfers to the provinces for the funding of home and community care - and mental health and addictions services - are set to remain at $1.2-billion each year for current programs that are set to expire in 2027. That means there is no new money being allocated to the healthcare crisis that is gripping our country. It is simply a recognition of the final two years of a 2017 commitment, with no mention of expanding or replacing that funding, either on page 247 or anywhere else in the budget. We need targeted action towards addictions treatment right now, not just a simple countdown of existing programs that we know will soon end. To let $1.2-billion in essential support simply vanish in 18 months without a known replacement plan at this stage is a failure on the part of our federal government to come to terms with a national crisis – one that has seen over 50,000 of our fellow citizens die from drug overdoses within the last ten years. The second issue I’d like to highlight concerns the state of childcare programs in this country. They are an essential element that helps keep our overall economy moving forward. Current federal programs have led to what many see as endless waits, a shortage of spaces, and a rationing of childcare. The Auditor General has issued a report which tells us the current approach on tackling this issue has actually resulted in less than half the number of spaces promised by the federal government. The report goes on to say the Liberals are in fact 69,000 spaces short of the target they set for the period ending in March of next year. Page 245 of the budget shows an expense outlook that offers little in the way of increased funding to alleviate the fact that 50 per cent of parents using child care said they had difficulty even finding a space. This is particularly challenging for those will low incomes who wish to enter the workforce. As it stands, there are too many prohibitive barriers to accessing childcare for vulnerable families, and the 2025 budget has failed to change that. Finally, let us turn our attention to the topic of productivity, research and innovation. The budget does seek to recognize that productivity and investment in research & development on the part of the private sector is lacking. Page 53 tells us, “Over the past decade, Canada’s productivity performance has been persistently weak. “In this time, productivity grew by only 0.3 per cent annually – less than one-third the pace of the previous two decades. “This has led to substantial productivity gaps with other G7 economies.” It has become common knowledge that for decades, Canadian companies have invested less per worker than their American counterparts. It’s a problem that has gotten worse since 2015 when commodity process began to collapse due to a sharp fall in energy investment. Well that’s no surprise, given the Trudeau government’s attack on our natural resource industries during their 10 years in office. Ironically, Page 54 of the budget document appears to offer up a dose of political humour. While seeking to double down on its attack against our oil and gas industries, it tells us that “Canada must look to new high-growth markets and invest in technology that can unlock its economic potential”. That is nothing less than ridiculous, given that we are literally sitting on massive wealth-generating resources as it is. Those resources are being kept locked in place by a radical environmental ideology the Liberals refuse to let go of. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the budget has the audacity to go on to say, “Doing so will position the economy for success in the future (What about right now?), defined by…decarbonisation…driven by technology advancement.” That sounds like another net-zero fantasy. So, in the face of all that we’ve reviewed, one does try to remain somewhat optimistic, which is a difficult task in our current economic and social climate. What the budget does do in terms of looking to a more prosperous future is provide enhancements to science & research initiatives, by encouraging investment in Canadian innovation. The federal government proposes to further increase the annual expenditure limit for science & research and to enable a more beneficial tax incentive program. If what is being proposed may truly help innovative businesses to scale up and grow, it can only be a good thing for a nation that is so desperately in need of increased productivity. There is so much contained within the 2025 budget that it would take another half-dozen columns to further highlight its important aspects. For now, we’ll simply have to leave it there.

ROGERS CUSTOMER SERVICE

ROGERS CUSTOMER SERVICE By Joe Ingino BA. Psychology Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers Is it just me? On Friday, Rogers had an outage in my area... or so I thought. As most of you would have done. I called Rogers. First the pathetic automated system. In my opinion it is useless and time consuming. It is set as a way to delay callers from going to an actual person. The automated is 100% programmed to favor Rogers. Not the customer... and forget thinking that it is for our security and or best interest. In my opinion it is not. Once you actually get someone. You have to identify, verify and be blessed by the attendant before they actually can help you. The frustrating thing is that in many cases I feel like I am calling some office in the Middle East or South East Asia. Don’t get me wrong. I am not prejudice in any way. I just expect that for my $1,500/mth bill that Rogers would have some sort of language standards. The real sad thing that these standards do not seem to apply to the cultural indifferences that are obvious on the mannerism and attitude of the so called ‘SPECIALIST’. After 30 minutes of automated system. You get passed off to an attendant. Only after having to hear a prompt telling you that ‘We are glad you called, there is a bit of a wait’.... This time they told me ‘estimated time 1hr’. I almost fell off my chair. Want to hear the kicker? You have no choice. Once they answered. Once again had to authenticate... You would think that they would transfer the call with an already authentication from the previous 3 or 4 authentications. Bottom line. Each department knew less then one before. It got so bad. That I demanded to speak with technical support as it was Friday and we needed the internet back up and running. We are now 2 hours in this call. After another long wait. Finally someone came on line. I asked them if there was an outage and he confirmed it. He openly said that they are backed up do to all the calls coming in from people like myself. I asked him. What is the resolve? He said, we are working on it and you should have your service back up and running in no time. I asked him how long. He could not tell me. So now I am in almost 3 hours to be told that Rogers did not know what caused it and or how long will the service be down. This is not customer service. A company that size should not have to put consumers through such and ordeal. Now don’t get me wrong. BELL is no better. What has happened to customer service? What has happened to standards? Have we fallen so far down the human scale that we do not care. That corporations only interest in feeding the goose that lays their golden egg? Customers are treated like a number? This is not right... Then again they know this and they know we have no choice. We have no consumer protection and or recourse. Sad that we allowed customer service to collapse.

Canada’s 2025 Budget: A Turning Point or Another Missed Opportunity?

Canada’s 2025 Budget: A Turning Point or Another Missed Opportunity? by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East When Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne rose in the House of Commons on November 4 to deliver the 2025 federal budget, the tone was unmistakably ambitious. Framed as a “budget for a generation,” the plan seeks to reposition Canada’s economy for a volatile world. With Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget now tabled, Ottawa clearly wants to mark a decisive break from the incremental politics of the past decade. From Maintenance to Nation-Building The headline figure—nearly $280 billion in new investments over five years—is staggering even by post-pandemic standards. Yet the government insists this is not another spending spree but a deliberate bid to modernize Canada’s productive base, expand infrastructure, and strengthen national resilience amid global upheaval. What distinguishes Budget 2025 is its structure. It introduces a capital-budgeting framework that separates day-to-day expenses from long-term investments. This seemingly technical reform signals a deeper shift: Ottawa wants Canadians to view public spending as investment in national assets—ports, clean-energy grids, research capacity, and housing—rather than mere consumption. The allocations reflect that philosophy: roughly $115 billion for infrastructure, $110 billion for productivity and innovation, $25 billion for housing, and $30 billion for defence and security. In essence, it is nation-building 2.0, reminiscent of the post-war decades when Canada built highways, railways, and pipelines. In Carney’s televised address, he called the effort “the price of staying sovereign in an uncertain world.” With supply chains fragmenting and rivalries reshaping trade, Canada must rely more on its own productive capacity—from critical minerals and clean manufacturing to digital and transport infrastructure. The Fiscal Balancing Act Ambition carries a cost. The projected deficit of $78.3 billion for 2025-26 exceeds earlier targets, prompting charges that the government has broken its fiscal promise. Still, Ottawa pairs its investment drive with two anchors: balancing day-to-day operations by 2028-29 and ensuring the deficit-to-GDP ratio declines over time The government argues that not all deficits are equal—those creating long-term assets can strengthen the balance sheet. Whether voters accept that logic will hinge on tangible results: more jobs, affordable homes, better transport, and a stronger industrial base. Importantly, the budget avoids broad tax hikes. Instead, it leans on targeted incentives: enhanced clean-tech and critical-minerals credits, immediate expensing for manufacturing facilities, and renewed support for capital investment. The message to business is competitive, not punitive. The “New Way” Ottawa Envisions Beyond the numbers, Budget 2025 seeks to redefine Canada’s economic model. After decades of dependence on U.S. demand and commodity cycles, the government outlines a path toward self-reliant growth. Major infrastructure, defence, and energy projects aim to reinforce the North American industrial base and link economic policy with national security. Housing policy also takes a new turn. After years of stalled pledges, Ottawa commits $25 billion to expand affordable supply and speed up permitting through federal-provincial-municipal partnerships. By tying transfers to measurable results, it aims to impose coordination on a system long marked by fragmentation. This “whole-of-nation” narrative—combining productivity, housing, defence, and climate—reflects Carney’s belief that fiscal policy must prepare nations for structural shocks rather than react to them. Opposition Voices and Alternative Visions A credible democracy requires credible opposition, and reactions to Budget 2025 reveal Canada’s shifting political landscape. The Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, branded the plan “a costly budget of broken promises.” Their critique focuses on the deficit, debt-servicing costs, and the absence of direct affordability relief. Conservatives warn it could rekindle inflation and do little to fix the housing crisis, calling instead for spending restraint, a smaller bureaucracy, and repeal of the carbon tax. These arguments resonate with Canadians who feel squeezed by rising costs. Yet their response remains largely reactive—emphasizing cuts and deregulation without offering a detailed growth strategy. Fiscal prudence matters, but rebuilding productivity requires more than austerity. Their criticism and essentially lack of an intelligent alternative constructive proposal demonstrate some deficiencies in their professionalism. The New Democratic Party offered a more nuanced view. Finance critic Don Davies welcomed infrastructure spending and co-operative housing—long NDP priorities—but warned that removing the Underused Housing Tax and trimming public-sector jobs could hurt fairness. The party also questioned generous incentives for foreign corporations, urging stronger domestic-content rules.mIn a minority Parliament, such conditional support could shape amendments and ensure social equity remains part of the growth agenda. The Bloc Québécois and Green Party criticized centralization and questioned environmental follow-through. While their influence is limited, their calls for transparency and accountability echo public concern about execution. Risks and Rewards Execution remains the Achilles heel. Canada’s regulatory maze and permitting delays often stall infrastructure projects for years. Without serious streamlining, many of these investments could remain PowerPoint slides long after political momentum fades. Fiscal risk looms as well. Interest payments are projected to reach $58 billion annually by 2028, more than the federal health transfer. If global rates rise or growth falters, Ottawa’s fiscal anchors could wobble. Yet the potential upside is significant. If implemented effectively, these investments could renew productivity, expand the industrial base, and strengthen Canada’s resilience. The capital-budgeting reform, if maintained, may also improve transparency—clearly distinguishing investment from consumption. A Moment of Choice Every generation faces a moment when the old economic model no longer fits new realities. Budget 2025 aims to meet that moment with an integrated, forward-looking vision. Whether it marks the start of a new Canadian era—or another cycle of lofty promises—will depend on disciplined execution and a Parliament willing to debate rather than weaponize fiscal policy. For now, the budget stands as both a gamble and a statement of intent: that Canada is ready to invest in itself again—to build rather than drift, and to chart a “new way” suited to the century ahead. Let’s see if the budget will be passed or not next week. It is a confidence vote. Its rejection would start a winter election.

I Had Enough

I Had Enough By Rosaldo Russo Retired I like to begin by thanking the Editor of this newspaper for allowing an average guy like me contribute back to my community even after my retirement. I don’t know about you. But I am sick and tired of calling just about any branch of the government and after a lengthy voice system... end up at a voice mail telling me that someone will get back to me in a day or so. They never do. The other day I received an adjustment to my taxes... $1,800. Wait did my old pension go up? Did I win some lottery? Then how is it that I am supposed to pay an additional tax? Should I claim refugee status in my own country? Should I use this new addition to my tax as a government oppression tactic and feel for my life? Look at all the benefits I could get by filling as a refugee in my own country. I worked all my life very hard. I remember the days when I could not even afford food. Not once did I turn to the government. With my limited education compensated by passion to contribute to this great nation. My pride would not allow me to turn to the government. I also thought that if I worked hard, at the end of my life the government would pay me back by offering a reasonable quality of life. Well, I was dead wrong. It appears that there are no standards. Customer service both in private and government affairs is a thing of the past. What is going on here. I been trying to get a hold of our Mayor in regards to property issue. Never returned a call. I tried calling the Region. Once again. No one to be found. Leave a message and we will call you in 24hrs. What am I paying taxes for? So that the government can send it to the Ukraine or some other foreign nation? Where is my money going? I am forced to pay or possibly loose my property. Then you hear on how the Federal government is paying out for immigrants wages, homes and the likes. Now, once again. I am an immigrant. I like to think I have standards and would never even consider turning to the government for nothing. Now in my old age all I ask is to be respected and to be treated like a human being. To live free of problems and policy. Much like this tax increase. No explanation. No reason. Just pay. Where am I supposed to get the extra income? I like to think I am blessed in part as I invested some of my hard work earning so I can afford a little tax increase. But how about all those out there living day to day? It is not right. Bring back common sense. Bring back customer service and for God sake bring back operators...

Prying Eyes

Prying Eyes By Wayne and Tamara Okay, so I’m going to be 25, and I have lots of best friends. One of them is 35. She’s so cool and is super easy to talk to about crushes and stuff. The problem is I know her dad’s side of the family really well, but I don’t know much about her mom’s side. She wasn’t that close to her mom till she had her baby, and now she has gone back to not mentioning her mom much. For some reason my friend doesn’t like her stepdad. She never mentions him—ever. For the longest time I didn’t even know their names, and I only met them once. You’re probably thinking I could just ask her. You see, though, most of this I only know from her grandma who is like a grandma to me. That’s how we met. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and she lived with her dad growing up. I know it’s none of my business, but it would be nice if she could trust me with it. My friend lives a couple of hours away, so I don’t see much of her. I don’t feel like asking her grandma. I shouldn’t let it bother me, but I have so many questions and I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable by asking. Joni Joni, we live in a world where you can go online and find a satellite picture of any stranger’s house, peek at their legal records, or hire a private investigator to ferret out their personal information. Those activities aren’t driven by altruism, but by baser motives. So the first question you might ask yourself is, why do I want to know? Your friend isn’t suicidal, on the edge, or depressed. Just the reverse. Her life is in order. Why do you need to know more about her background than she has already shared? Many people consider family to encompass everyone they are related to, biologically or through marriage. For others, however, family is the emotional network they were raised in. That seems to be your friend’s view. One thing is clear: you don’t have a true need to know, and a sure way to lose a friendship is by being snoopy and overstepping bounds. There is something creepy about the employee who wants a key to the business the second day on the job, and some of the most frightening movies, like “Single White Female” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” aren’t about chainsaw massacres. They are about a person who tries to invade a life. We say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but we don’t acknowledge that people who try to learn too much about us trigger our fears. We fear sharks because they can eat our body, but those who try to get too close may make us feel they are consuming our soul. The historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto has suggested the earliest human idea—an idea far older than the first written records—is cannibalism. That sounds shocking, but he explains that our ancestors around the world rarely practiced cannibalism for nourishment. Rather they did it in a ritual fashion to take on the prowess of those they admired or regarded highly. If he is correct, then the idea of incorporating into ourselves as much as we can about a respected person is deep within us. Perhaps that is why advertisers use sports heroes to get us to purchase products. Paparazzi try to steal images of famous people, and tabloids dig up dirt on them. When tabloids cannot find dirt, they make the dirt up. We don’t think that describes you, but neither do we see a reason for you to look into your friend’s background. Friendship is not something to tamper with. Her example as a person and the warmth of her light should be enough for any true friend. Wayne & Tamara

Life and Critical Illness Insurance Planning

Life and Critical Illness Insurance Planning By Bruno M. Scanga Deposit Broker, Insurance & Investment Advisor We all know the saying: nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. But there’s another truth we tend to forget—life is full of surprises, and not all of them are good ones. A sudden job loss. A medical emergency. A serious accident. Even the loss of a loved one. When you think about how many ways life can throw a curveball, the odds of facing at least one major financial shock are high. Many Canadian families are just one missed paycheque away from real trouble. The real question isn’t if something unexpected will happen—it’s when. So, why don’t more people prepare for it? Often, it’s because we think we’ll have time “later” or that bad things only happen to other people. The truth is, unexpected events rarely give warning, but you can soften the blow by preparing ahead of time. Here are five key steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. 1. Build an Emergency Fund Aim to set aside enough cash to cover three to six months of living expenses. Keep it in a savings account you can access quickly—not tied up in investments. And no, your credit card doesn’t count as an emergency fund. In fact, relying on credit in tough times is one of the fastest paths to bankruptcy. It may take a while to build this cushion, but budgeting and consistency will get you there. 2. Get Life Insurance If someone depends on you financially, protecting them is part of your responsibility. Life insurance isn’t as complicated—or as expensive—as many people think. The right policy ensures that your loved ones can cover bills, debts, and living expenses if you’re no longer around. 3. Protect Your Health If you don’t have extended health coverage through work, investigate buying your own. Medical costs like prescriptions, dental care, and other treatments can add up quickly. Even if you’re young and healthy now, accidents and illnesses happen. Some insurers even offer coverage for those with pre-existing conditions—so shop around. 4. Cover Your Biggest Risk: Disability Before age 65, you have a 1-in-5 chance of facing a long-term disability that keeps you from working for more than 90 days. If your employer doesn’t provide long-term disability insurance, explore individual coverage. It can be harder to qualify for than life insurance, so if you’re eligible, don’t delay. 5. Insure Your Assets If you own, it—and it’s expensive to replace—insure it. This means your home, your car, and the possessions inside. Renters should protect their belongings too. For homeowners, aim for full replacement value coverage indexed to inflation. And if your car is relatively new, consider collision coverage, even with a higher deductible. Life will always be unpredictable. But with smart planning, you can turn the unexpected from a financial disaster into a manageable challenge. Your future self—and your family— will thank you.

The Strange Power of Fake Pills

The Strange Power of Fake Pills By Diana Gifford I have been sorting through unpublished Gifford-Jones columns. Among them, I found a dusty clipping from a Reader’s Digest article by Robert A. Siegel and a rough draft of this week’s column. In it, we find a glimpse into a lecture hall at Harvard Medical School 75 years ago, and the teachings of Dr. Henry Beecher, the Harvard anesthetist who challenged the medical establishment’s views about truth and healing. Beecher had stunned his class of medical students when he asked, “Is it ethical for doctors to prescribe a dummy pill – a pill that does no harm, never causes addiction, and yet often cures the patient?” He was speaking of a placebo. The lecture shocked his students who’d been taught that honesty was an unshakeable tenet of medical ethics. And yet Beecher showed that sometimes, deception can be powerful medicine. Siegel’s Reader’s Digest story echoed this point. He described meeting Dr. John Kelley, a psychology professor at Endicott College who studies the placebo effect at Harvard. Curious, Siegel asked whether a “phony pill” might help him overcome his chronic writer’s block, insomnia, and panic attacks. Kelley obliged with a prescription: 100 gold capsules – Siegel’s favourite colour – costing $405. Each one contained nothing but cellulose. And yet, Siegel found that the more expensive they seemed, the better they worked. The gold capsules helped him focus and stay calm. Even when drowsy, another capsule kept him writing. Beecher published his groundbreaking paper “The Powerful Placebo” in 1955. He argued that all new drugs should be tested in double-blind trials so neither doctor nor patient knows who receives the real drug. The results were unsettling. Hundreds of supposedly effective drugs were found to be little more than expensive illusions. Many were pulled from the market. Placebo therapy itself is ancient. And there’s proof that belief predates biochemistry. In the medical lore, we’re told doctors once prescribed crocodile dung or powdered donkey hoof, and sometimes they worked! Later, physicians injected sterile water to relieve pain, and to their surprise, many patients improved. One study in 1959 found that when surgeons tied off an artery to increase blood supply as a treatment for angina, some patients reported relief. But when surgeons merely made a skin incision and did nothing else, the results were just as good. Ethics boards today would never allow such sham surgeries, yet they taught medicine an unforgettable lesson. The mind can profoundly influence the body. Even more astonishing was later research at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Placebo pills improved urinary flow in men with enlarged prostates. Some of these same men also developed side effects so real that they had to stop taking the dummy pills altogether. There is a popular account of a 26-year-old man who swallowed many capsules thinking they were antidepressants. But he was actually in the placebo arm of a trial. His blood pressure plummeted, his heart rate soared, but he stabilized when told the pills were placebos. How do placebos work? The colour of the capsule, the cost, the trust in the physician, all play a role. Our expectations can spark real physiological change, from heart rate to pain relief. Beecher’s lecture appalled some medical trainees. Others were intrigued. But all got the lesson. The placebo didn’t deceive patients; it revealed the self-deception of medicine itself. Of course, no placebo will mend a ruptured appendix or stop internal bleeding. But in an era when so many unnecessary prescriptions are written, perhaps it’s time to remember the wisdom of Voltaire, who wrote, “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” —————————————————————————————————————— 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

When Retirement Savings Meet Healthcare Realities

When Retirement Savings Meet Healthcare Realities By Bruno M. Scanga Ted and Martha had always planned well for retirement—about $600,000 in their RRIFs, which gave them nearly $4,000 a month before taxes. Everything seemed secure—until Ted began experiencing cognitive impairment. For a year or so, Martha managed to care for Ted at home. But eventually she had to make a heart-breaking decision: move him into an extended care facility. Today, depending on your province and whether you’re using publicly subsidized or private care, costs can vary dramatically. For example: · In British Columbia, the maximum monthly rate for long-term care services (publicly subsidized) is $4,073.40 in 2025, while the minimum is about $1,466.20 · Across Canada, private long-term care can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $15,000 per month, depending on location and level of care. In Ted’s case, the facility charged $2,500 per month—a mid-range private rate. Martha knew she needed to boost their RRIF income to keep up: roughly $46,000 extra a year after tax. But even with a strong 7.5% average annual return, the savings evaporated in just eight years. We also face systemic challenges. As of 2025, Ontario has just over 76,000 available LTC spaces, and they’re at full capacity. Meanwhile, nearly 48,000 seniors are waiting for placement—more than the population of many mid-sized Ontario towns. And it’s not just facilities: Based on updated figures from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, around 40% of people who reach age 65 will spend time in a retirement home at some point before they die, underscoring the real possibility that long-term care may be part of many seniors’ life trajectories. Many people prefer staying at home. But private home care isn’t cheap. Depending on the provider, rates for registered nurses run $33 to $41 per hour, medical aides $16 to $21, and personal support workers $22 or more. So, what’s a better way to prepare? Long-Term Care Insurance. Available for people aged 30 to 80, it pays benefits—usually $10 to $300 per day, depending on policy—when care is needed, starting after an elimination period (like 30, 60, or 90 days). Payouts kick in when a physician declares the insured unable to care for themselves due to cognitive impairment or needing help with two or more daily activities. It offers coverage on top of any government benefits. Final Thoughts Ted and Martha’s story is far too common. Retirement savings can disappear fast when unexpected care needs arise. With long-term care costs ranging from $1,466 to well over $6,000 per month in Canada, both planning and protective insurance can make a world of difference.

A Candid Conversation

A Candid Conversation By Theresa Grant Real Estate Columnist A Candid Conversation By Theresa Grant Real Estate We have always had three markets when it comes to real estate in Canada. The buyers’ market, the sellers’ market and a balanced market. Awhile back, I coined a new term for the market we seem to be in. The Trump market. What exactly is the Trump market you ask? Well, it’s a market where the interest rates have really come down nicely considering where they were a year ago, house prices are down 22% from their peek during Covid-19, in fact some absolutely stunning homes that would normally be on offer for well over a million dollars are now being offered well below a million dollars. It’s truly astonishing to see what some of the more palatial mansions of old Oshawa are going for in this market. Why is this the case? In a word, tariffs. Donald Trump’s Tariffs have cast a cloud of fear over Canadian workers to the point that those who were thinking about buying when the interest rates dropped, seem to have completely abandoned the idea. So, while we would have called this a buyers’ market a few years ago. There is definitely something that keeps the buyers from buying. That is the underlying fear of losing their jobs in this very uncertain time. I have heard many stories over the years of people who signed the mortgage papers one day and were laid off or let go the next. Nerve wracking times to be sure. Some real estate agents are reporting zero traffic through their open houses on weekends. That in and of itself screams volumes because even when you’re not necessarily looking to purchase immediately, it’s always been something that people who are intending to purchase at some point enjoy doing. They get out and look. The news is full of reports that housing starts have collapsed, prices are down, the volume of sales is down. Interest rates will continue their downward trend over the next year, but will that make any difference whatsoever? It will help the homeowner who is renewing their mortgage next year, but it will not do much to convince the would-be homeowner that the water is fine and to jump on in. I will admit I have never seen a market like the one we are currently experiencing. That being said, the observance of human nature never disappoints. I find it truly fascinating to see how people behave in different environments, and this is no exception. One thing that stays with me and has since I was a child is a saying that my uncle had. He always used to say, “this too shall pass”. I have brought that to mind many times over the years and firmly believe that it is something we can take comfort in when things are uncertain.

Four Words That Will Help You Get Hired: Features Tell, Benefits Sell

Four Words That Will Help You Get Hired: Features Tell, Benefits Sell By Nick Kossovan The selling principle features tell, benefits sell highlights that customers are driven by outcomes, not technical details. While a product's features describe what it is or does, its benefits explain why that matters to the customer. Successful salespeople focus on conveying the benefits of their products or services in a way that builds both practical and emotional connections. Most job seekers refuse to acknowledge that job searching is a sales activity, which explains their prolonged search. A job seeker has one goal: to sell their value (benefit) to employers. Applying the features tell, benefits sell selling principle to your job search will significantly shorten it. Getting hired depends less on what you can do and more on the value you can contribute to an employer's profitability. Start by identifying your features (skills, experience) and then explain how they offer a tangible benefit (value). Feature: 15 years of delivering $4 million+ projects under budget and on schedule. Benefit: Projects are finished on time and within budget, resulting in cost savings (enhancing profits) and client satisfaction (recurring revenue). Feature: Automated data collection and analysis processes, reducing reporting time from 7 hours to 1.5 hours. Benefit: Executives can make decisions more quickly. Feature: Delivered training to over 50 employees, raising performance metrics within three months by 15%. Benefit: Increasing employee productivity eliminates the need to increase headcount. LinkedIn Profile: Your 24/7/365 Online Presence Your LinkedIn profile is how recruiters and employers discover you and assess whether you're interview-worthy. For these reasons, you should consider your LinkedIn profile more important than your résumé. Your LinkedIn profile and activity will either enhance or hinder your job search. Employing the feature-benefit approach throughout your profile is a game-changer. "As a Sales Manager at Ziffcorp, I led a team of eight outside sales representatives for five years, consistently surpassing our annual sales target by at least 120%, resulting in a 15% year-over-year growth without additional marketing investment." This shows potential employers not just what you did, but also why it matters; what employer doesn't want growth without spending more on marketing? Applying the feature-benefit approach throughout your profile is how you get employers to see you as a solution provider worth having on their payroll. Why would an employer hire you if they don't see an ROI from hiring you? Résumé: Your Marketing Document Like your LinkedIn profile, résumé is an opportunity to leverage features tell, benefits sell. As you should be doing throughout your LinkedIn profile, craft narratives that highlight your accomplishments and their impact. Avoid duplicating your LinkedIn profile; redundancy wastes valuable space that could be used to expound the benefits of hiring you. "I oversaw Grubhub's marketing campaigns, which led to a 55% increase in lead generation from 2022 to 2024, eliminating the need to buy leads." Again, what employer doesn't want growth without incurring additional marketing expenses? Cover Letter: Reason to Read Your Résumé Not including a cover letter is lazy. I don't know a hiring manager who hires lazy. Using your cover letter to provide context around your features, the ones the employer is looking for (skills, years of experience) and explaining the benefits they offer, gives compelling reasons to read your résumé. Don't just say, "I have five years of customer service experience." Instead, say, "Having worked in customer service for five years, I have developed a skill that enables me to resolve conflicts quickly. This has led to a 95% customer satisfaction rate, which correlates directly with customer loyalty and retention." Name an employer that doesn't consider retention and loyalty essential for their business success. Interviewing: The Sales Pitch An interview is a sales meeting; therefore, a feature-benefit approach is a solid strategy. When asked about your experience, don't just recite your résumé. Use the opportunity to show how your features translate into tangible benefits. Imagine you're interviewing for an account management position; don't just say, "I managed a portfolio of over 500 accounts." Instead, use the features-benefit approach: "I oversaw 547 accounts. While meeting the wants and needs of purchasers was my priority, I also ensured invoices were paid in accordance with the agreed-upon terms. As I'm sure you can appreciate, Nifty Snacks, being a wholesaler, constantly monitored how much each retailer was purchasing in relation to their ability to pay on time. Compared to my predecessor, I reduced delinquency by 45%, resulting in fewer accounts being sent to collections agencies." Networking: Building Professional Connections When you meet someone, consider your features and benefits as talking points. Instead of saying, "I'm a project manager," reframe it: "I'm a project manager who has successfully led cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time and under budget, saving my last employer over $475,000." This not only creates a more engaging conversation but also leaves a lasting impression. Articulating your features and benefits makes you memorable. By focusing not just on "what you've done" (features) but on "how it matters" (benefits), you transform your job search into a solid explanation of how you add value to an employer, an explanation few job seekers offer because they fail to understand that employers aren't interested in their features, but rather in the benefits of hiring them. ___________________________________________________________________________ Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned corporate veteran, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. Send Nick your job search questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

Oshawa: The City That Refuses to Die

By Dale Jodoin I’ve lived in Oshawa my whole life. My family came here in 1964, when my father got a job at General Motors. Like many others, he came for honest work and a chance to build something real. He didn’t come for politics or promises he came because Oshawa was a place where you could work hard, raise a family, and take pride in both. He stayed, and so did I. The Oshawa I grew up in was a different kind of city. King Street was lined with diners, barbershops, and smoky pool halls. Some of them even had “no women allowed” signs, strange to think about now, but that was the way it was. The air smelled of oil and metal. You could hear the GM plant from blocks away, humming through the night. That sound meant stability. It meant a steady paycheck, a full table, and a reason to get up in the morning. I worked downtown for years before retiring. I’ve seen this city in its glory days, and I’ve seen it when the silence after the layoffs felt like grief. When the plants slowed down, Oshawa was shaken to its core. Families struggled, businesses closed, and it felt like part of our identity had been lost. But Oshawa doesn’t quit. We bend, we bruise, but we don’t break. Now when I walk downtown, I see a city finding its feet again. Cranes rise where old buildings once stood. The Bond-Simcoe Urban Square is nearly finished, bringing people back to the core. There are new cafés, art studios, and trails being built by the lake that connect us back to nature. The smell of engine grease has been replaced with the smell of coffee and hope. It’s not the same city, but it’s still home. You can still feel the old Oshawa if you stop by the McLaughlin House or the Oshawa Museum. Those places remind us of where we came from the families who built this town with their bare hands, and the industries that gave them a reason to stay. It’s not about who sat in city hall or what policies were passed. Oshawa has always been about the stubborn, hardworking, loyal people who don’t give up even when everything around them seems to change. That’s what keeps this city alive. You see it in the small acts of neighbors helping neighbors, teachers staying late for students, volunteers handing out food with a smile. That’s the real Oshawa. Not the politics, not the headlines, the people. Sure, we’ve still got challenges. Homelessness, addiction, and high living costs are real issues. But we’ve faced worse before, and we always find a way forward. The new HART Hub will help, but real change will come from us from the same people who built this place in the first place. And there’s life here again. Durham College and Ontario Tech have filled the city with new faces and energy. The Convergence Festival paints the streets with color and music every summer. And now the Albany FireWolves lacrosse team is coming to town, bringing pride and excitement back to the Tribute Communities Centre. You can feel momentum again, quiet, but steady. Some say Oshawa isn’t what it used to be, and they’re right. It’s different now but that’s growth. The factories built our bones, but the people built our heart. The city has learned how to change without losing itself. When I walk by Lakeview Park and see kids riding bikes and families laughing near the water, I think about my father. He is proud. He sees that Oshawa still works, still grows, and still believes in itself. The sound may have changed, but the spirit behind it never did. And before I close, I want to thank those who’ve helped keep Oshawa’s story alive. Rick Kerr, City Councillor for Ward 4, believed in this city when others doubted it. He pushed for downtown renewal and never stopped fighting for progress. His persistence reminds us what real dedication looks like. And to Joe Ingino and The Central Newspaper thank you for keeping Oshawa’s voice strong. The paper has stood through the city’s highs and lows, giving space to local stories and international news that affect us here at home. Joe’s work reminds us that Oshawa isn’t isolated from the world, it's part of it, shaped by it, and still proud to speak its truth. That’s what makes Oshawa what it is: persistence, pride, and people who care. We’ve never been the kind of city that waits for someone else to fix things. We roll up our sleeves and do it ourselves. Every time someone says we’re finished, we prove them wrong. That’s why I think our motto should be simple: Welcome Home. Because no matter how much this city grows, it still feels like home. You can leave for years and still find your footing the moment you return. Oshawa bends, but it never breaks. It falls, but it always stands back up. We’ve come a long way, and there’s more to do. But growth isn’t supposed to be easy, it's supposed to be earned. And if any city knows how to earn it, it’s this one. Oshawa doesn’t just survive. It endures. It remembers. And through every change, it remains what it’s always been: the city that refuses to die. Dale Jodoin is a lifelong Oshawa resident and retired downtown worker who writes about the people and spirit that keep his city alive. His words are published with appreciation to The Central Newspaper for continuing to share Oshawa’s voice and the world events that shape it.

Chasing the Clock The Universal Anxiety Which Surrounds Loss of Time

Chasing the Clock The Universal Anxiety Which Surrounds Loss of Time By Camryn Bland Youth Columnist Everyone is given the same 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and 365 days in a year. Yet, each individual chooses to spend those moments differently, shaped by personal goals, motivations, and circumstances. These moments make up more than one hour or day; they become our entire lives, second by second, whether we recognizeit or not. This reality of time can be viewed with either calm acceptance or anxious worry. Some individuals believe time is in abundance, that a few productive hours justify rest without purpose. However, many others fear the end of the day, concluding time slips away much too quickly. In a better system, I do not believe we would ever be confined to a 24 hour day. I am constantly paralyzed by the cl0ck, wondering how much of my unachievable workload I can get through before the clock strikes midnight. Although everyone shares the same 24 hour day, personal situations make each day distinct. While I study, a classmate is unable to do the same because she has to manage her family, while another can barely get out of bed. I know I am extremely fortunate to have the control which I do. I am able to choose the classes I study in and pursue activities which were chosen to better my future. Yet, despite the advantages, these choices overwhelm me. I want to manage everything, take extra courses, participate in every extracurricular, and master hundreds of skills. Doing it all is impossible, yet I hold a menu of possibilities which I am tooindecisive to choose from. I feel my only option is to order everything or nothing at all. I chase goals without understanding why, save money with no budget, study with no expectation. I spend such a large portion of my life working towards milestones I can’t explain, goals set with no real intentions. The clock keeps moving forward while I keep working, yet I don’t trust the direction either of us are heading towards. One day it may strike midnight, and I’ll realize I never wanted this in the first place. My combination of action and uncertainty can be closely related to the ideal “hustle culture,” as I am surrounded by others who seem so self-assured. People describe their non-stop days, every moment seemingly purposeful. Although this idea is clearly flawed, it continues to drain my motivation, setting an unattainable standard. This has created a need for action, even when the action lacks meaning. Somewhere along the way, time stopped being a gift and became a to-do list. We measure our worth by how many boxes we can check off, or how efficiently we use each hour. Rest, relaxation, and enjoyment never make it on the list, as they are never a priority. I sit, staring at the clock tick like sand running through my fingers, unable to catch a single grain. I fear it may be gone before I can prevent it, I know it is impossible to stop it. I may dictate my activities, but I will be forever confined to a day without enough time. The reality and illusion of control leaves me powerless, understanding I plan for something that was never meant to be mastered. The thought of looking back and regretting my past terrifies me. Every action is irreversible, every decision final. How many social events will I sacrifice for work, or assignments will I miss because of social events? Minor choices feel detrimental, and all regrettable. No matter which of the endless options I choose, none are correct. No matter which way I spin it, this anxiety is futile. I can not control every second, cannot plan the rest of my life. If I continue to attempt this, I will miss the moments in between the days, the seconds filled with happiness instead of intention. The point of a day isn’t to micro-manage and panic, but to experience and learn. As long as we spend our lives thriving to our own standards, then maybe our time is okay. Maybe, the point isn’t to fill every second, but to feel it. The only way to make full use of our time is to find a balance between micro-managing and apathy. We must plan what we can to make our days most worthwhile, but not sacrifice the little moments of rest. We need to stop chasing the moments not meant for perfection, and instead live inside of the opportunities they present. We cannot control the clock, cannot make it stop ticking. However, we can take control in a different way; we can fill each second, hour, and day with balance which makes life worth living.

I can’t believe I’m writing this but here we go

I can’t believe I’m writing this but here we go By Councillor Lisa Robinson Next time you’re at the grocery store, ask yourself: is the meat and dairy you’re purchasing real… or is it cloned? Most Canadians have no idea that our federal government has quietly opened the door to cloned animals in our food supply. Health Canada has reclassified cloned beef and dairy so they are no longer considered “novel foods.” That single decision removed the requirement for pre-market safety reviews, public notification, and labeling — leaving the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the very agency responsible for enforcing food safety and labeling, with almost no authority to intervene. The CFIA is the same agency that didn’t hesitate to kill healthy ostriches — no tests, no proof, no concern for whether the animals were sick or healthy. And now? With cloned meat, they don’t even need to approve whether it’s safe for humans to eat. Think about that. The very agency that treated living creatures like disposable objects is now deciding what we put on our plates — and they don’t have to show us a single shred of evidence that it’s safe. If they couldn’t care about birds, why should we trust them with people? If Health Canada doesn’t require labels, then the CFIA can’t enforce them. Let me be very clear: cloned beef and dairy products from cloned cattle — and their offspring — can now legally enter our grocery stores. There are no labels, no warnings, and no way for Canadians to know what they’re buying or eating. And the most disturbing part? We don’t even know if it’s already on our shelves. Health Canada has not told the public when the change officially took effect — and since there’s no labeling or tracking, there’s no way to verify what’s already in circulation. They say it’s “safe.” But this isn’t about safety anymore — it’s about transparency, ethics, and trust. Cloning is not natural. It’s a laboratory process that copies an animal’s DNA to create a genetic duplicate. Many cloned animals suffer from deformities, reproductive issues, and shortened lifespans. Even the surrogates that carry them face complications. So instead of increasing oversight, our government quietly removed it. Instead of warning Canadians, they decided we didn’t need to know. WTF Canada — time to start paying attention. Do you think this is transparency? I bet the majority of Canadians — maybe 60 to 70% — have no idea this is even happening. And a good chunk would probably call it a “conspiracy theory” while reading this post. Year a little research will prove it’s truth. This is deception, plain and simple Canadians deserve to know what we’re putting on our tables and feeding our families. Health Canada made the decision. The bullies, I mean the CFIA will enforce it. And the Canadian people are left completely in the dark. Time to open your eyes and start paying attention my friends, Because no government should ever decide that the truth belongs to them — and not to the people. Kind regards, Lisa Robinson “The People’s Councillor” City of Pickering“Strength Does Not Lie In The Absence Of Fear, But In The Courage To Face It Head On And Rise Above It” - Lisa Robinson 2023

THE REALITIES OF THE CLOWARD-PIVEN STRATEGY AND IT’S EFFECT ON CANADIAN SOCIETY

THE REALITIES OF THE CLOWARD-PIVEN STRATEGY AND IT’S EFFECT ON CANADIAN SOCIETY THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH WE LIVE are very often designed to favour particular outcomes, whether we realize it or not. Quite recently, I came across an online discussion about what is referred to as the Cloward-Piven Strategy, being a process for social and political manipulation – and a topic that has since led me to examine more thoroughly the degree to which this initiative may exist in Canadian society. In this week’s column, I will share with you some of what I've learned. The Cloward-Piven Strategy is a political and social blueprint that aims to create a crisis, both politically and within our welfare system. The aim is to force radical social change and an increasing dependency on government. In recent years, this has included the establishment of a guaranteed minimum income – a topic most Canadians have by now either read or heard about. The strategy was outlined in a 1966 article entitled "The Weight of the Poor: A Strategy to End Poverty," published in the ‘The Nation’ magazine by two American sociologists and political activists, Richard Cloward and Frances Piven. The central idea of their thesis is to encourage mass enrollment into social welfare programs to the point of overloading the administrative and fiscal capacities that support them. What that basically points to is a calculated effort, over time, to mobilize the ‘poor’ and so-called ‘marginalized’ groups in our communities to apply for all the benefits to which they’re entitled. The resulting flood of claims would strain local bureaucracies and budgets, leading to a breakdown in their ability to function properly. In theory, this would compel governments at various levels to intervene with a much bolder solution, such as a guaranteed minimum income provided by the state. As we know, this would result in a massive redistribution of wealth in our country – and add a frightening new level of dependency. For decades, Canadians have witnessed an ongoing expansion in Provincial welfare rolls, however, the concept of a guaranteed minimum income has yet to be implemented – regardless of the efforts made by social activists. I would argue that such a program would, primarily, encourage many thousands of unemployed people across this country to simply rely on government handouts manifestly designed to promote a socialist agenda. Stay with me, because there’s much more behind the ideals that form the basis of such an economic and political theory – ideals that go well beyond a guaranteed minimum income. Some of the more worthwhile commentary I have read on social media suggests the Cloward-Piven Strategy is right now being implemented by our federal government in ways I hadn’t previously considered. It begins with programs put in place during the Covid pandemic, those that included massive government stimulus spending, including the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which gave more than eight million Canadians free money with no strings attached. Some say desperate times call for desperate measures, however, there’s an argument to be made that CERB was in fact part of a broader agenda, one that helped to create an additional dependency on programs that allowed the federal government to gain more control. Justin Trudeau and his cabinet appeared ready and eager to raise our national debt to the point of bankruptcy-by-design, even under the guise of keeping our national economy temporarily afloat. Another example to be considered is the Liberals’ radical climate agenda that began affecting Canadian energy producers as major banks stopped issuing loans to oil and gas firms unless they complied with net-zero targets. With fuel prices soaring, we faced historic inflation, and food banks across the country reported record demand as the cost of groceries increased roughly 30 per cent between 2020 and 2025. This, too, helps to create a dependency never before seen, as individuals from coast to coast still struggle to feed their families and are more often starting to look to government for assistance. On a larger scale, our now-Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at the Vatican in 2019 in support of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, a group designed to unite global corporations, financial institutions, and the Catholic Church under a single moral-economic framework. His message was clear: Loyalty must shift from traditional institutions to a centralized system where authority is dictated by economic compliance. At the same time, there appears to be a movement dedicated to the creation of an even greater permanent dependency on the State through what is known as ‘programmable money’. Our Prime Minister has been seen as one of the most vocal international advocates for Central Bank Digital Currencies. In a speech given at a gathering of the Bank for International Settlements, Mark Carney suggested the future of ‘money’ will be programmable and trackable, and that its purpose must include support for what international agencies see as ‘sustainable’ development. In October 2023, the Bank of Canada began pilot testing a central bank digital currency, and our Prime Minister helped to advise that effort. If implemented, this programmable currency would allow the government to freeze accounts, limit purchases, and control every financial transaction – in theory. What is not mere theory but rather factual evidence is the swiftness of action taken by the federal Liberals to freeze the bank accounts of protesters they simply didn’t agree with. Those “financial incapacitation” measures by which individuals seen at a protest were subjected to bank account freezes and auto insurance cancellation decrees - all without a court order or even notice and a chance to respond - were ultimately deemed by the courts to be unlawful. The actions taken by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet remain as one of the most glaring examples of government overreach in Canadian history. Additionally, many Western leaders across the globe appear to have loyalties more connected to the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, and other unelected global institutions than to national sovereignty and the maintenance of individual freedoms. The future is full of doubt, particularly for Canada, as in recent days our federal government has brought forward a budget that forecasts a total debt of $1.347-trillion in 2025-26, while at the same time offering up additional spending in excess of $140-billion over five years. When taken as a whole, these and other government initiatives that tear down the rights and freedoms of the individual can only succeed when a community of citizens is itself corrupted into almost complete dependency. This is the Cloward-Piven strategy in full force.