A LOT HAS HAPPENED WITH MUCH MORE STILL TO COME

***MY CITY HALL COLUMN RETURNS TO THE CENTRAL*** A LOT HAS HAPPENED WITH MUCH MORE STILL TO COME By Dean Hickey THERE IS NOTHING IS SO IRRESISTABLE as a commanding position working in the name of the people, because, while it exercises a certain moral influence which belongs to the decision of the majority, it acts at the same time with the promptitude and tenacity of a single man. That man is me, and this my column. To suggest my time reporting on municipal politics last autumn was rewarding is a serious understatement. Thirty days had scarcely elapsed since I offered up my somewhat premature retirement, when my attention was once again struck by local events. Certainly, 2025 is shaping up to be a busy year at city halls across this region, and locally, residents have borne witness to the mundane, tolerated the unusual, and scoffed at what they could only describe as some of the more bizarre aspects of political theatre. January began with Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter waving his arms about and literally walking out of a committee meeting in a huff following repeated exchanges with the chair. Nevertheless, a degree of sympathy can be had for the Mayor, as this was a clear example of what happens when the chair of a Committee, in this case Ward 4 city councillor Derek Giberson, loses the ability to keep the discussion within the rules that govern proper procedure. It’s well known that the Mayor has been councillor Giberson’s political benefactor on more than one occasion, and to see them at odds was heart-wrenching to say the least. Meanwhile in Pickering, the New Year kicked off with the publication of a YouTube video, dedicated to exposing what Mayor Kevin Ashe described as “…a growing infiltration of alt-right individuals, ideologies, and influences” within his municipal arena. The video, aimed at Ward 1 City councillor Lisa Robinson, was created in the style of a television docudrama, complete with background music and a narration by staff. Subsequent events have resulted in all Pickering council meetings being held virtually, with city staff noticeably absent as tensions continue to rise. Expect big news on this in the weeks and months ahead, and perhaps a sort of “High Noon” moment where the opponents have their final showdown. Over at Regional headquarters, Durham councillors voted in favour of investigating the construction of a $1Billion gondola transit system along Oshawa’s Simcoe Street corridor, extending from Lakeview Park right up to Durham College. “We understand the public is going to be skeptical and council is going to be skeptical. It’s a new technology,” said Durham Region’s David Dunn, who gave the update on the Transit Study. “A large part of our plan moving forward will be in educating people so they can make informed decisions and they don’t just see this as a novel approach.” Well, that sounds like a tall order Dave, particularly for the residents of Oshawa, however there did appear to be one convert who could be heard offering up considerable praise for the idea. Mayor Dan Carter told his fellow councillors, "I find the conversation fascinating. I’ve been fascinated by the whole thing all the way through. I like that we’re forward thinking. I like that we’re trying to look at things a little bit differently." He went on to tell his colleagues, "I mean, we’re a ‘higher learning’ community, so to be able to get post-secondary education involved would be important. Mr. Chairman, I’m excited about this project and I’m excited about continuing on with the discovery, and I look forward to the final report." That sound pretty positive, right? Wrong. As often happens in politics, the mayor had second thoughts within minutes, and decided to vote against the idea. Another developing story in Oshawa continues to be the transformation of the downtown and surrounding area, which includes large scale developments like the multi-residential project that will soon take the place of most of the old Oshawa Clinic buildings. The City Centre highrise across from city hall also appears poised to begin in earnest, as does the renovations to the PHI Building at Centre and King St’s. As it happens, there are too many new projects to mention here, but readers can rest assured there will be multiple construction cranes visible very soon, on McMillan Dr, Athol St, Bond St, and possibly on the old Fittings property, although that remains to be seen. Oh, and look to see a revitalization of the old Bond Street bus terminal as well. Unfortunately, Oshawa residents continue to put up with ongoing acts of vandalism to some of the businesses located in the city’s downtown, and while staff and councillors condemn this illegal behaviour, one can only hope that the upcoming summer months will be nothing like last year when scenes of violence became an almost regular occurrence. This, too, will be a developing story in the weeks and months ahead. The process of drawing important information out of city hall is one to which I have become fully accustomed, and there is so much still to be reported on and discussed. The very essence of a democratic and transparent government consists in the sometimes more contentious aspects of investigative journalism. An aggressive yet honest approach by one in my position is not only fair, but also beneficial to the readers of The Central. Should anyone label this newspaper as either too bold or unforgiving, I would suggest it is nothing of the kind, because holding elected officials and others to account is, on behalf of the public, the special duty of writers and editors attached to the public press. The blood of certain members of council has been known to run high with righteous indignation against The Central as they sought to disparage the more pertinent aspects of an honest profession. The founder and publisher of this newspaper, Joe Ingino, has more than once shared a jaunty laugh, reassuring himself he is safe against any wound which could be inflicted by his antagonists. Let it be said the thin blade of reason continues to penetrate every page of this publication. Finally, it is worth noting that one Oshawa councillor recently suggested to his constituents and to others on social media that to go against his ideals and beliefs was, as he put it, “the antithesis to friendship.” Rest assured, this newspaper and this column will continue to support and promote the right of individuals to think independently. It’s nice to be home again.