NEEDING HELP!!!

A Candid Conversation By Theresa Grant Real Estate Columnist We’ve all heard for some time now that downtown Oshawa is in desperate need of help. If you’ve driven or walked through the downtown in the last few years you have probably seen firsthand the very sad decline of a once beautiful and vibrant area. I was making my way home from grocery shopping the other day and I turned left onto Simcoe from John St. I no sooner made my left-hand turn when traffic came to a complete stop. There was no visible reason for this abrupt halt in the middle of a beautiful sun-filled day but there we were, several cars behind a big orange school bus stopped dead in the street. I immediately assumed that the school bus was the reason we were going nowhere fast. In a way I was correct. However, after what seemed like an eternity people started getting antsy and pulling to one side or the other to try to get going, someone naturally laid on the horn a couple of times. Finally, the school bus which had been the vehicle blocking traffic, started to veer to the left and in doing so actually exposed the real issue that had traffic at a standstill. There, in the middle of Simcoe St. was a man looking very statuesque, half bent over at the waist with one arm seemingly bent as if posed. Truly looking like a stone statue. It was as though he was in midstride and then just froze. I have never seen this to this degree before. I have witness people in odd positions and have been told that it is the effect of particular drugs. I have seen many times groups of people in the downtown core either stooped or in a questionable pose, but I have never witnessed this in the middle of a major street and being able to bring traffic to a complete stop. It made me wonder, how is it that if this is happening in broad daylight in the middle of our downtown that the powers that be and I mean the Mayor and the Councilors are not witnessing this on a regular basis? Are they seeing it and ignoring it? Surely, they are aware of the state of our downtown. I know they like to say that they are not responsible for any of it and that the drug addiction and homelessness problems that Oshawa faces are the problem of the Region and or the Province, but does that mean they walk by it or drive by and just continue on their way? I would really like to know what, if anything at all the Council of Oshawa does on a daily basis in regard to this matter. I think it’s a question every citizen of Oshawa should be asking themselves.

THREE STORIES FROM CLARINGTON, WHITBY, AND PICKERING THAT TELL A TALE OF CHRISTMAS HUMBUG

CHARLES DICKENS PENNED HIS CHRISTMAS STORIES every December for an eager public. It was a years-long effort that would eventually culminate into a 508-page volume of tales using all manner of story lines – a copy of which is included in my personal collection. Well, I’m no Charles Dickens, but after having studied municipal politics for four decades, I’ve often thought of penning a short story of my own, or perhaps even a full-scale novel. Like modern-day writer Arthur Hailey, the British-Canadian novelist known for his meticulously researched, best-selling thrillers that delve into the inner workings of various industries, I thought I could capture the public’s attention with a story line about the fundamentals of life at City Hall. Of course, I would also imitate the style of certain writers who deliberately exaggerate their characters for a bit of comic effect. In that regard, there are a handful of elected officials at city halls right across Durham Region who would make it downright easy to portray real people and actual events under the disguise of fictional names. I’d begin with Oshawa’s Derek Giberson, and I’d cast him as the odd man out – a character who starts off as a political underdog but manages to successfully navigate the corridors of power thanks to a mayor who becomes his political benefactor. Of course, by the end of the novel Giberson’s character would prove to be entirely ego-driven and self-destructive, as his hopes for the future are crushed by sheer incompetence. My friend Brian Nicholson, a man now of a certain age, would also find a prominent place in my cast of characters. If you read Dickens’ novel Bleak House you may well recall the character named Grandfather Smallweed, a man physically dependent on others for most of his mobility, and often described as a "clothes-bag" who needs to be "shaken up" by his caregiver. Well, Brian can still walk on his own – at least for the time being – but after 40 years at city hall he’s certainly earned the name “Grandfather Smallweed” or one very much like it. Oh, the fun I could have creating a character who ends up being the perfect compound of geriatric statesmanship. As enjoyable as all that would be, there are a few real-life sub-plots that are playing out right now at city halls in Clarington, Whitby and Pickering that one doesn’t have to somehow create as a writer. The circumstances of each appear to have been perfectly arranged, not only as part of a potential best-selling novel, but to qualify for a series of nail-biting reality-TV shows. The top of the list is the drama over at Clarington City Hall where Ward 3 Councillor Corinna Traill was recently arrested and charged with two counts of uttering threats after a three-month police investigation. What we know is that the charges stem from an alleged voicemail left for Tom Dingwall, a former Durham Regional Police officer and potential mayoral candidate. Dingwall alleged the message contained threats to kill him and to sexually assault his wife if he did not withdraw from the next mayoral election. I know… it sounds like a script right out of an end-of-season episode from the 80’s television show ‘Dallas’. Traill, for her part, denies leaving the voicemail and claims artificial intelligence was used to manipulate her voice. She was released on an undertaking and is due in court in January 2026. As one might expect, Tom Dingwall has called for her resignation from elected office. What makes this story unusual is the fact Ms Traill is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and now runs her own law practice specializing in – among other things – civil litigation. Second on the list of local real-life political dramas comes from the darkest shadows over at Whitby Town Hall. Here, taxpayers have already come together to contribute a heart-warming $100,000 just to pay for investigations of various sorts involving a dispute surrounding Mayor Elizabeth Roy and Regional Councillor Steve Yamada. The plot in this story wastes no time in capturing even the most casual of observers, as one of the main characters decided the only way to keep the dispute alive was to march straight over to the Ontario Human Rights Commission and file a complaint. Now there’s a real page-turner for you. Councillor Yamada has set his sights against Mayor Roy, the Town of Whitby, the Town’s integrity commissioner, Regional Councillor Rhonda Mulcahy and Ward 3 Councillor Niki Lundquist – who is, as it so happens, a human rights and labour lawyer by profession and a Senior Director of Equity and Education at Unifor National. I suppose the rest of us can feel somewhat fortunate to have escaped getting caught in Yamada’s big net. This latest twist in the Whitby storyline could cost an additional $150,000 to $250,000. The total contribution needed from the caring and compassionate taxpayers since the start of the dispute could amount to as much as $350,000. That ought to help make their Christmas merry. The Roy-Yamada feud began late in the autumn of 2023 when it became clear the Mayor didn’t want councillor Yamada to serve as her Deputy, and she even sought a legal opinion on the issue at the time. Perhaps prayer would have been more effective – who knows? The last item on my short list of literary-style dramas emanates right out of Pickering City Hall. To draw a parallel to the ongoing war of words between Mayor Kevin Ashe and councillor Lisa Robinson, one need only look to my favourite 19th century author Anthony Trollope. The first novel in his famous ‘Palliser’ series was ‘Can You Forgive Her?’ which was the start of a six-volume journey through the intricacies of British political life - first written and published in serial form starting in 1864. The way things have progressed over there in Pickering, any attempt to somehow chronicle the lengthy dispute between councillor Robinson and, well, most of the rest of the world, would take at least a dozen such volumes to complete. But think of the television rights. I may have finally discovered a way to support myself in my old age.

Canada Needs a Real Immigration Reset—One That Matches the Country’s Actual Needs

Canada Needs a Real Immigration Reset—One That Matches the Country’s Actual Needs by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East For decades, Canadians have taken pride in an immigration system admired around the world—rules-based, humanitarian, and economically grounded. Immigration has shaped the country’s identity, supported its growth, and replenished a labour force too small to sustain a vast nation. But as Canada enters a period of economic uncertainty, housing scarcity, strained public services, and shifting global realities, it is increasingly clear that the current immigration model no longer aligns with the country’s real needs. A serious, evidence-based review is overdue. Not a politically charged fight about whether immigration is “good” or “bad,” but a sober assessment of how to ensure immigration strengthens Canada rather than overwhelms the systems that must support newcomers and citizens alike. The core issue is not immigration itself—it is the misalignment between Canada’s intake levels and the country’s actual capacity to absorb newcomers. Over the past several years, Canada has admitted more than a million newcomers annually through permanent immigration, temporary workers, asylum seekers, and international students. This is the fastest population growth in the G7 by a wide margin. Yet the infrastructure needed to support this growth—housing, transit, schools, health care capacity—has lagged far behind. Municipalities from Halifax to Vancouver warn that they cannot keep up. Even the Bank of Canada has acknowledged that infrastructure constraints are now limiting economic productivity. The result is a system where immigration remains a national strength in principle but a source of strain in practice. Newcomers face record housing costs, long wait times for services, and difficulty integrating into jobs that match their skills. Canadians, in turn, feel the pressure in their daily lives: competition for rentals, crowded hospitals, and rising local taxes to fund expansions happening too slowly. Canada does not have an immigration problem. It has a planning problem. Meanwhile, the country’s labour market tells a more complicated story. Canada desperately needs more workers in key sectors: skilled trades, health care, agriculture, transportation, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and technology. These shortages are not abstract. They directly slow down construction of housing, delay energy and infrastructure projects, limit food production, and reduce competitiveness across the economy. And yet large numbers of immigrants—especially highly educated professionals—continue to find themselves underemployed. Many cannot work in their trained field because of fragmented credential recognition and slow provincial licensing systems. Employers complain of shortages while thousands of qualified newcomers drive taxis, stock shelves, or work far below their skill level. In other words, immigration is high, but labour-market alignment is low. Part of the issue lies in the explosion of temporary and semi-temporary immigration streams, especially the international student program. Designed as a tool for attracting talent, it has grown into a revenue engine for private colleges and cash-strapped universities, often without ensuring real educational quality or job-market alignment. Tens of thousands of international students pay high tuition for low-value programs with minimal oversight, while housing shortages worsen and employers continue to struggle to find workers with needed skills. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program, meanwhile, has become a patch for chronic shortages that should be addressed through long-term workforce planning, not perpetual dependency on temporary labour. In some sectors, employers rely on temporary workers not because Canadians refuse certain jobs but because employers have not invested in training, apprenticeships, or improved working conditions. This patchwork approach—high immigration intake on paper, low integration capacity in practice—undermines the credibility of the system. Canadians remain broadly supportive of immigration, but that support is not unlimited. It must be earned through effective planning and visible results. The way forward requires a modern immigration framework built around real-world needs, not political slogans or economic wishful thinking. First, Canada must adopt a national labour-force strategy that brings federal and provincial governments together to determine actual needs. This means identifying how many workers are required each year in essential sectors, how many students can realistically be housed and educated, and what regions require population replenishment. Immigration must be tied to this analysis—not to arbitrary growth targets. Second, credential recognition needs a complete overhaul. It is unacceptable that engineers, nurses, medical technologists, and other trained professionals wait years to obtain recognition, even as provinces lament shortages. Canada should establish national licensing standards for key professions, accelerate testing and evaluation, and fund “bridging programs” that directly connect newcomers to employers. Provinces and regulatory bodies must justify any barriers that stand in the way of qualified immigrants entering their field. Third, Canada needs a dedicated Skilled Trades Fast Lane, with pathways designed to recruit electricians, plumbers, carpenters, heavy-equipment operators, welders, and other technical workers essential to national growth. Without a surge in trades, Canada will simply not build the housing, transit, and energy infrastructure required for the next generation. Fourth, the international student program must be realigned with national priorities. Institutions should be required to demonstrate that they can support students with adequate housing and high-quality programs. Study permits should be linked to labour-market outcomes, not institutional tuition revenue. The federal government must also curb abuses by low-quality private colleges that profit from vulnerable students while contributing little to Canada’s long-term prosperity. Fifth, settlement and integration services must be strengthened. Successful immigration does not end at the airport. It requires affordable housing, language training tailored to professional needs, rural immigration incentives, and partnerships between employers and municipalities. Integration reduces social tension, builds community cohesion, and ensures newcomers can contribute their full potential. Finally, Canada needs to treat immigration not as a short-term fix for temporary labour shortages or a tool for population growth statistics, but as a national strategy. One that balances economic opportunity, humanitarian commitments, and social cohesion. One that recognizes that welcoming immigrants is not enough—Canada must set them up for success. A modern immigration policy should be grounded in three principles: sustainability, alignment, and integration. Sustainable levels that match Canada’s housing and service capacity. Alignment with real labour-market needs, not institutional interests. And integration that ensures newcomers can thrive rather than struggle on the margins. Canada’s future prosperity depends on getting this right. Immigration will remain essential to the country’s economic health and demographic survival. But for immigration to continue as a national strength, Canadians must see that the system works—for newcomers, for communities, and for the country as a whole. A national immigration reset is not a step backward. It is a step toward the kind of thoughtful, strategic, nation-building immigration system that Canada has always aspired to—and that it urgently needs now. What do you think?

Eco-Friendly Holiday Gifts

Eco-Friendly Holiday Gifts by Larraine Roulston ‘Protecting Our Ecosystem’ In December, we use more resources than during any other month. Often they do not get reused, recycled, or composted. When giving Christmas gifts, there are many ways to be gentler on the earth. Although shopping online may be convenient, try to support your community’s small businesses. If purchasing a bicycle or other sports equipment, for example, local sports retailers are better equipped to help you with your selection, accessories, as well as any ongoing maintenance issues. Check out thrift stores for board games, toys, and unique gifts. Everything is generally in mint condition. Jewellery as well, sparkles elegantly in a thrift shore’s small showcase. Buy in bulk! From a bulk food store or special area in your supermarket, select nuts, dried fruits, candy or other holiday treats. If you take your own small bags or other containers, you may even receive a discount. Bulk stores can weigh empty jars prior to your filling them. From the resident chef, Christmas cheer can take the form of homemade cookies, mincemeat pies, chocolate squares, and braided fruit breads. Even liqueurs like Baileys, can be whipped up in a few minutes. The recipe is simple. Using a blender, add 3 eggs and 3 tablespoons of chocolate powder mix. While this is blending, include a few drops of almond extract, 1 pint of whipping cream, 1 can of Eagle Brand milk, then top with 1 cup of inexpensive rye whiskey. Bottle, add a bow, and refrigerate. Experienced knitters are able to create doll clothes, stuffed toys, toques, slippers, mitts, and finger puppets. The season offers an opportunity to teach a child how to knit a scarf or a hot pad. Simple gifts such as these are treasured forever. Older children can have fun crafting personalized stationery in art, or using a computer. They can also create word search puzzles. If sourcing scented herbs or other ingredients, one can find recipes on how to make homemade lip balm, soaps, shampoos and other personal care products. Your time can also be appreciated. Just as much thought and effort can go into practicing a favourite song on a musical instrument. Library books can become a gift when accompanied by an offer to do more household chores so that your recipient has time to read them before their due date. Gifts also can include repairing or up-cycling. Enjoy giving a memorable experience such as theatre tickets or dining out. Be creative wrapping gifts with magazine pages, newsprint, tea towels (a gift within a gift), or other fabrics. If you do buy wrapping paper, avoid glossy and metallic ones that cannot be recycled. Generally, eco-friendly ideas and do-it-yourself crafts will help people stay within their budget. This year, have fun making your holiday season easier on our fragile ecosystem Christmas clean up as well, requires reusing, recycling, and composting. Think about World Soil Day that is celebrated on December 5th. To have healthy soil for a healthy future — Compost! Larraine has been an environmental freelance writer since 1988 and authors children’s books on composting.

Let Him Lead

Let Him Lead By Wayne and Tamara I ended my marriage after 15 years. I’ve been separated for five years and haven’t dated anyone. I really had no interest in dating. In July I met the father of my son’s friend. He, too, is separated and has been for four years. In his case his wife ended the marriage. He was devastated. He indicated at one time he could never go through that again. His son lives with him, and since the boys are together all the time, we talk often. We’ve become good friends and enjoy talking to each other. I’m becoming attracted to him. He has all the qualities I look for. He has a wonderful personality, a sense of humor, and a closeness to his family. He is interesting and kind. I find it hard to decide if he is attracted to me but afraid of getting involved with anyone, or not attracted to me at all. We have not yet gone on a date. He did invite my two boys and me to his camp this summer for the day, and had the boys and I to his camp for Thanksgiving dinner with some of his family. While talking to him the next day, I told him the boys had a great time, and he asked if I had as well. I’ve invited him to my office Christmas party, which he accepted. It is a large event with dinner and dancing. This will be the first time we will be out alone. What should I look for to determine his feelings toward me? Elaine Elaine, don’t make a problem which doesn’t exist. A relationship between the two of you has been slowly building. You understand his fears and concerns. So how do you address that? By letting him lead. If you force the relationship, he will feel threatened. When he senses this is a relationship he wants, he will move forward on his own unless he sees you only as a friend and the parent of his son’s friend. Since there is no problem here—you are not dating him—act like a single, available woman. Imagine you are a fisherman. There is a big trout in the water and you’d love to land him, but all you can do is throw your lure out there. You can’t make the fish bite, but there are other fish in the stream. Making yourself available will make you less disheartened and desperate about this one fish. The more you try to force your lure on a fish, the greater the chance you will scare it off. Be relaxed, patient, and open to all possible relationships. Not only does that give you the greatest chance for success, it creates a desirable aura around you—the kind of aura which will attract others, including this man, to you. Wayne & Tamara Approaching Storm After 10 years of marriage is it settling to be with someone who says they love you but aren’t in love with you? What if that person thinks being “in love” is a childish fantasy and grownups don’t need to be “in love” to have a happy marriage? Is being “in love” really that important? Kim Kim, let us assume the person who says this is your husband. Then the question for him is, how do you keep sailing once you’ve thrown out the star which guides you? What is the foundation of your captaincy? Financial security? Personal advantage? Convenience? Circumstances change. Sickness, a business failure, or an ill wind can alter any of the reasons for being together. So can unexpected success. But love holds people together both on calm seas and when things get rough. Without love you have to keep changing why your contract should still be valid. A marriage without love is like sailing in the Bermuda Triangle. At any time one of you might disappear forever. Wayne & Tamara

Employers Weigh the Risks of Hiring a Candidate, Along With Their Qualifications

Employers Weigh the Risks of Hiring a Candidate, Along With Their Qualifications By Nick Kossovan Strategically appearing as a low-risk candidate is one of the most effective ways to stand out from your competition. Many job seekers love to spend their time and energy criticizing how employers eliminate and hire candidates, which is easy to do when you're not the one bearing the many risks that come with hiring. When I hear or read job seekers "venting," I think to myself, "Easy for you to say, you're not the one taking the hiring risk." An employer's hiring process revolves around reducing hiring risks. Employers aim to hire low-risk candidates. A job seeker who understands and empathizes with the employer's point of view recognizes that showing they're a low-risk hire with high potential for success greatly increases their chances of getting hired. Keeping in mind that the hiring process is inherently a process of elimination, which candidate comes across as low-risk, A or B? Post interview: Candidate A: Their LinkedIn profile lacks a banner, a headshot, measurable achievements, a compelling career summary, and recommendations. Candidate B: Their LinkedIn profile is fully optimized, clearly demonstrating the value they can add to an employer's profitability. Candidate A: Their resume contains grammatical errors and/or typos. Candidate B: Their resume is error-free. Candidate A: Doesn't include a cover letter. Candidate B: Includes a well-written cover letter that offers three strong reasons why they're qualified for the position. Candidate A: Has held three jobs in the past five years. Candidate B: They've been with their current or former employer for over eight years. Interview: Candidate A: Arrives a few minutes late. Candidate B: Shows up 10 minutes early. You find them in the reception area, engaging with the receptionist or reading one of the industry magazines on the table. Candidate A: Limited eye contact and facial expressions. They avoid small talk and don't appear enthusiastic about the job or the company. Candidate B: Offers a firm handshake, smiles, builds rapport, maintains eye contact throughout the interview, is conversational, and asks thought-provoking questions. Political strategist Lee Atwater once said, "Perception is reality." Be mindful of how you present yourself to recruiters and employers. Although it's impossible to be a 100% risk-free hire, focus on appearing as low-risk as you can in these three key areas. Frequent Job Changes / Employment Gaps Turnover is expensive and disruptive, so employers understandably hesitate to hire candidates with a history of job-hopping, without clear career progression, or with significant employment gaps. Generally, employers see this as an indication that the candidate is unlikely to stay long or that they struggle to adapt to new work environments. For any short-term position (under three years), include on your resume and LinkedIn profile whether it was a contract, resulted from a layoff, relocation, career progression, or other reasons. (e.g., "Project Manager (1-year contract)," "Software Engineer (part of a company-wide layoff).") Providing context for why your job(s) duration was short is an essential part of sharing your career story, which employers consider when evaluating your candidacy. Similarly, when a hiring manager notices an extended period of unemployment without explanation, they tend to assume (perception shaping their reality) that you were either fired, unable to find work (employers rejecting you), or "taking it easy." Provide context for any employment gaps you may have. If you took time off for education, caring for a family member, personal growth, or any other reason, mention it in your resume and LinkedIn profile. Negotiating Compensation / Asking for an "Exception" This and the following truism might lose some of you, but they need to be said. At some point during the hiring process, you'll learn about the compensation package being offered for the position. You've three choices: accept what's offered, walk away or try to negotiate a better deal. Negotiating carries the risk that the job offer might be rescinded; it can also make you seem like you'll always want more, which can make you appear difficult (read: risky) to manage. If you're willing to walk away, you have nothing to lose by trying to negotiate. However, if you need the job, focus on securing it! Don't risk losing it over $10,000, which is significantly less after taxes. Furthermore, asking for "an exception" can also make it seem you'll be difficult to manage. The team's harmony, business policies, and processes are already established, and the employer's working hours and clients' expectations are set. Requesting an exception, such as working from home when the team works onsite, suggests a lack of fit; thus, you'd be a risky hire. Overqualified Being overqualified means you possess more skills and experience than the job requires or that it's reasonable to pay for. Overqualified isn't code for ageism or that you'll be a threat to your boss; these are comforting lies job seekers tell themselves. When you apply for a job, you're clearly overqualified for, it's natural for the employer to question your motivation and assume you'll be a flight risk, making you a risky hire. Overcoming the challenge of being overqualified can be tough. Begin by being honest with yourself: are you applying because you genuinely want to take a step back, or because you're desperate? If it's the latter, don't blame employers for not hiring you. Would you hire someone who's desperate? My advice for overcoming being overqualified is to trim unnecessary information from your resume and LinkedIn profile; some things are better left unsaid. Think about the job you're applying for and highlight the specific experiences that demonstrate why you're a good fit. If any experience isn't relevant to the position, leave it out; now's not the time to showcase all skills and experience.

When Common Sense Dies A Nation Dies With It

When Common Sense Dies A Nation Dies With It By Dale Jodoin Journalist and Columnist Some mornings I sit with my coffee and wonder how the world slipped so far off its track. It did not happen in one big moment. It happened in small steps until regular people woke up and felt like strangers in their own country. The pressure grew. The rules changed. The words changed. And the truth started to feel like something you had to hide. When I grew up, the big fear was nuclear war. It was a real worry, but at least people spoke honestly about it. At least you knew what the threat was. Today the fear comes in soft waves. Every few years someone says the world will end in five years. They repeat it to kids who barely understand life yet. You cannot grow hope on fear. You cannot build a strong country on doom. Kids today do not have the anchors we had. We had parents who worked hard. We had grandparents who carried old lessons. We had aunts and uncles who taught us how to stand up and make our own way. How many young people only hear warnings? They hear that everything is broken. They hear that nothing will get better. They hear that the climate is falling apart and that they might not have a future. It leaves them empty. While this fear fills the air, the Liberals and NDP tell people to trust them. They promise that more spending will fix everything. More programs. More rules. More taxes. They treat the country like a bank card that never runs out. But money always runs out. Bills always show up. And regular families always pay in the end. People feel this every day. At the grocery store. With rent. With gas. With heat. They feel it when taxes climb while services fall apart. They feel it when the government says everything is fine even though nothing feels fine. Leaders keep saying this is progress, but nobody living a regular life agrees. And underneath it all there is a message. Keep quiet. Do not speak up. Do not question anything. If you protect your family, people call you selfish. If you point out a problem, people say you are dangerous. If you disagree with a popular idea, they use names as weapons. They use fear to control the conversation. This pressure hits young men the hardest. Many grow up hearing that everything wrong in the world is their fault. Some are told they should stop being who they are. They are confused before they even start their lives. They feel like they have to apologize for being born. It wears them down. At the same time, the government keeps bringing in more people who also need help. This is not an attack on newcomers. It is simple math. If a boat is sinking you cannot load more passengers on it. But the Liberals and NDP do it anyway because it looks good in a headline. They ignore the fact that hospitals are full, housing is gone, and schools are stretched thin. They want to be seen as kind, even if the country snaps under the weight. University was supposed to teach young adults how to think. How many walk in hopeful and walk out bitter. They come home speaking like the country is an enemy. They talk about ripping everything down and building something new with ideas that never worked anywhere else. It is not learning. It is training. And it leaves them lost. Hate has also grown in ways many older people never expected. The sudden rise in hostility toward Jewish Canadians and Jewish people around the world has shocked those who remember real history. They thought the world had learned. Now they watch crowds chant angry things while leaders stand back and mumble. It shakes something deep in the soul. And through all of this, regular people are just trying to survive. They wake up tired. They go to work. They try to raise kids in a world that feels loud and mean. They try to stay out of trouble. But every step feels like thin ice. If they speak up, someone attacks them. If they stay silent, nothing gets better. This is where your line fits, Dale. A country cannot find itself if the people inside it are too scared to tell the loud confused voices to sit down. We have people now who try to kill common sense on purpose. They twist words. They spread lies. They demand we stop thinking. And if you dare to use your own mind they beat you with nonsense until you doubt your own eyes. It reminds me of a poet I like. If a boy with a simple slingshot can stay calm, the world can bend. A whisper is enough to set people free if they hold on to it long enough. So what do we do when the country feels like it is heading into a fog. The answer is not smooth. It is not pretty. But it is simple. People need to vote for someone who will do the hard work. Not someone who makes us feel good. Not someone who hands out money we do not have. A leader who tightens the belt. A leader who says no to public unions when needed. A leader who puts the country first instead of politics. It will upset people. It always does when someone tries to clean up a house that has been ignored. But if we keep going the way we are, nothing will improve. Kids need hope again. Families need stability again. The country needs a spine again. The world is loud right now. It tells people to sit down. It tells them to obey. It tells them to stop thinking. But a country cannot survive if the people inside it feel unwanted. Canada cannot grow strong if its citizens are treated like problems. Real change starts with a whisper. A simple voice saying I want a life that makes sense again. That is how a country finds itself.

CITY OF OSHAWA WEBSITE POSTS DECEMBER “DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE” WITHOUT CHRISTMAS

CITY OF OSHAWA WEBSITE POSTS DECEMBER “DATES OF SIGNIFICANCE” WITHOUT CHRISTMAS VISIT THE CITY OF OSHAWA OFFICIAL WEBSITE and you’ll see a list of what’s happening by way of upcoming council and committee meetings, community events, and what the municipality considers to be important news for the benefit of its residents. Click on the ‘News’ tab and you’re taken straight to the City’s ‘Newsroom’ page where you’ll find a host of information on all manner of topics, ranging from career opportunities to emergency communications. Nowadays it seems difficult to imagine a time when all we had was a list of important telephone numbers and the odd newspaper advertisement informing us of upcoming public events. Within the neatly arranged network of information provided by various city hall departments is a link entitled “December 2025 days of significance” which transfers you to a rather non-descript page showing a list of cultural and other special occasions for the current month – occasions that “…mark meaningful days and milestones that echo our values and bring us together…” You can also elect to become a subscriber to receive e-mail notifications in real time, should you be interested in knowing first-hand what’s happening in the community. As part of this month’s ‘e-blast’ as they’ve come to be known, subscribers received a notification as to the current Days of Significance list, however, in what can only be seen as an appalling slight against our nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage, the list provided by the City did not include any reference whatsoever to December 25th, being of course, Christmas Day. The omission was soon caught by residents who viewed a graphic of the list (shown here) that had been posted simultaneously onto social media. As a result of the ensuing public outcry, and the efforts of at least one of the more involved members of council, a revised list that included the Christmas celebration was posted some time afterwards, although the offending error appeared as a Facebook 'story' until the following day. Things like this don't happen by accident, and this very unfortunate occurrence is nothing less than a black eye on the face of Oshawa’s civic administration - and someone must be held to account. That said, this didn’t happen overnight. Certain members of staff somehow felt it necessary to alter the process of providing information to the residents of Oshawa by turning what should have been a simple notification into something quite disturbing. Included alongside the list of dates are no less than two links that take you to the City’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives page. It seems the current mission of those who make up the DEI division is to impose their ideology on an unsuspecting city. Part of that ideology is an obvious determination to at least partially exclude references to Christian celebrations that are enjoyed by a majority of Oshawa’s residents - all in the name of celebrating “the rich tapestry of cultures, voices, and stories that shape our community” as long as those voices represent anyone outside the Judeo-Christian fabric that remains the foundation of this country. The Central newspaper was the first media outlet to post a Breaking News story about this issue directly onto social media, and the resultant ‘thread’ of public commentary was certainly instructive. It is impossible to escape the impression that too many people on Facebook are driven to use false standards of measurement as they seek to advance thoughts and ideas they should realize are inherently destructive. For reasons I suggest are the result of self-denial, they seek to share an underestimation of what is really of true value in our society. What they see as greatness rests on attributes that are completely foreign to the ideals of the majority of Canadians. The views that were expressed as to the omission of Christmas from the Days of Significance list caused me no small difficulty, rest assured. There are obvious delusions among keyboard warriors pretending to be champions of social justice, and they are at times quite difficult to deal with. I have endeavored to guard myself against the enthusiastic prejudice which holds that our Western culture is somehow not worth maintaining, and that its continuation can only be a reflection of some sort of oppression against other ideals. None of that is true, and I suggest those who are offering up such a narrative on social media and elsewhere fall into two categories, those being malevolent, and ignorant. The kind of ideological agenda that gave rise to the omission of the Christmas celebration from the City of Oshawa’s December list of dates won’t self-correct. It has been imposed on the cultural fabric within city hall, and by extension, the community at large. Every year, an increasing number of indoctrinated people enter into a combined effort to erode the cultural consensus that has up to now held our nation in relative peace. This is a fight, and unless the rest of society fights back and hard, it will only get worse.

Queen’s Park

Queen’s Park By Theresa Grant Real Estate Columnist If you’ve been paying attention to the recent news out of Queen’s Park, you’ll know that the extremely controversial Bill 60 has passed. But what exactly does that mean for the people of Ontario? Well, I guess that depends on whether you’re a landlord or a tenant. Believe it or not, even people that are neither have very strong opinions on this Bill. I guess it goes back to the fact that the vast majority of us at one time or another were tenants and almost everyone has had to deal with a landlord at some point. For as much as the opposition is shaking their fists and saying this is far too aggressive on the part the landlords’ rights, it really is just leveling the playing field somewhat. For many years the pendulum swung far too much to one side and that side was the tenant’s rights. For years now landlords have had their rental properties held hostage in a sense by tenants that won’t pay rent and won’t move out. All the while, the landlord has to fill out mountains of paperwork, meet strict deadlines for filing that paperwork and then sit back and wait. As usual, many people are reacting to headlines before they get the actual meat and potatoes of the story. I would say there have been adjustments more than real changes when it comes to the Landlord and Tenant Board. For example, the landlord now only has to wait 7 days after nonpayment of rent as opposed to 14 to file for eviction for nonpayment of rent (N4). In a lot of cases, if you are a good tenant and always pay your rent on time, your landlord will hold off on this procedure anyway. The key here is your past behaviour and your relationship with your landlord. Another notable adjustment has been the procedure for eviction when it comes to having a family member move in or if the landlord needs the unit themselves. The landlord no longer has to compensate the tenant and no longer has to provide alternative housing. The landlord absolutely still has to give the proper notice to the tenant though. The bill also states that if you are a tenant and you are not up to date on your rent and you choose to raise issues about your landlord during a hearing with the Landlord Tenant Board, you will have to pay at least half of the back owed rent prior to being able to raise those issues. I would say overall, this has been a recalibrating of power between landlords and tenants in the province of Ontario which has been lopsided for far too long. At the end of the day, there are red flags for bad tenants and bad landlords. Look for them and heed them when you see them.

2025 Year in Review: Staying Financially Strong in Uncertainty

2025 Year in Review: Staying Financially Strong in Uncertainty By Bruno M. Scanga 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 maintaining 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 is still your best tool for confidence and stability. Here’s to finishing 2025 strong and stepping into 2026 with clarity and purpose.

I Smell A…

I Smell A... By Wayne and Tamara I was in love for the first time with a man for five years while he was a student at an elite university. We were secretly engaged to be married quietly. During the last year he was away for other training. Two months before the wedding, he called it off. A year later, on the same day we were to be married, he married another woman. Four years later I married, and today I am divorced from the man I settled for. Forty-three years later the first man contacted me. We met and he told me this story. He claims he is happily married. The reasons he did not marry me were he thought I was smarter than him, he did not want to take me from my family, and he did not think I would like the travel involved in his career. None of these things were told to me at the time. He said he thought about me for years and would not come to our home city for fear of seeing me. He said he checked to be sure I was divorced before contacting me. I am so angry with him for reentering my life. I still cannot believe him. Plus, how dare he say he is happily married and was still thinking of me, even while making love to his wife! After talking awhile following our brief reunion, we stopped all communication. Have you ever heard a crazier story? Ursula Ursula, plane geometry involves proving propositions from axioms. When Wayne was in school, he had a geometry teacher who often grew impatient with the illogical reasons students offered as proof. When students threw out any old thing they could think of, the teacher would interrupt and say, “You’re just throwing manure at the barn wall in hopes that some of it will stick.” That seems to describe this man’s reasons for breaking your engagement. What woman wants a secret engagement? She wants to shout it from the rooftops and show the ring. So I would surmise secrecy was his idea, and if the promise of marriage changed the nature of your relationship to his benefit, that’s the proof. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done.” Forty-three years ago this man engaged you in secret, and when he was out of town, he broke the engagement. Then he rubbed your nose in it by marrying another woman on the same date the following year. Forty-three years later, in another act of disloyalty, he comes to you without his wife’s knowledge, and shares a vulgarity about their lovemaking which you didn’t want to know. It appears he stirred the pot and is waiting to see if it starts simmering. If you go forward, then it’s all on you. It’s too bad more things in life are not like a hot stove: touch it once and you learn the lesson of getting burned forever. This man said I love you, I love you, I love you, and then in a way which would satisfy even Wayne’s old geometry teacher, he proved the opposite. But women often cling to memories of their first love, especially when the relationship involves physical intimacy. You are no longer the innocent girl you once were. You are a mature woman who can see that actions are the proof of character. You cannot project that a life with him would have ended well simply because your need for the right partner was never fulfilled. When we think of things in our own head, we don’t have to phrase them charitably or in shades of grey or in psychologically correct terms. We are free to think in terms which express both the situation’s reality and our legitimate anger. You are free, for example, to think the moral of this story is: once a rat, always a rat. Tamara

The Wonder in Adulthood

Why We Lose Childlike Wonder as We Age, and How to Gain It Back By Camryn Bland Youth Columnist As children, our world consists of learning, playing, and experiencing. We spend our days in the park with friends or playing with a new toy, free of all responsibility and stress. Everything seems surprising, new, and exciting. Everything sparks a sense of wonder. Yet, as we grow older, perspectives shift, and that same wonder dies out. Everything which sparked familiar j0y is replaced with the burden of adulthood, a transition which seems impossible to fight. Although the transition to adulthood may feel inevitable, there are specific childhood memories which survive, never to be forgotten. Learning to ride a bike, early birthdays, and the first day of school are moments that feel engraved in our memories. These times feel more colorful, bright, and emotional than the current days. Something just felt special, something which is impossible to describe and unfeasible now. One of my most prominent, bright memories is from third grade, when my class visited an old schoolhouse museum in North York. I remember dressing up, and walking with my class to the schoolhouse. We did lessons on small chalk slates, after we played with wooden toys during our break. The weather was gorgeous, my friends were happy, and the lessons were interesting; it was the most perfect day. When we had to walk back to our real school after lunch, I was devastated, as the day seemed far too short. To me, this was the best field trip, which I will never forget. The interesting aspect about this memory is not the enjoyment, but what happened afterwards. I recently found out I threw up immediately upon returning to my elementary school. According to my mother, I got sick during the day, and she had to come pick me up before we got dismissed by the bell. I have absolutely no recollection of this turning point of my favorite trip, no memory of sickness that same day. I can confidently say if this happened to me today, the key memory would be my sickness, the embarrassment of vomiting in school and being forced to leave early. However, as a child, my mistakes were completely irrelevant and forgettable. I cared only about new experiences and enjoyment, and so almost all recollections from my childhood bring warmth and laughter. I believe this positivity is founded from the wonder which is engraved in every child. Everything is new and exciting, whether that be a schoolhouse, a toy, or a person. Our stress is insignificant, limited to external attention and learning to share. New foods taste bolder, new songs sound louder, and new places seem brighter than they do currently. Sometime while growing up, the perfection of childhood transitions to the melancholy of adulthood. This can be mostly attributed to daily burdens. As we grow older, our sense of responsibility increases, replacing childlike wonder with adult anxiety. Things which were once interesting are now insignificant, everyday experiences duller, and routines formed by necessity instead of enjoyment. When everyday is planned due to efficiency and responsibility, it feels impossible to incorporate the creativity and open mindset which was so abundant just a few years prior. Although balancing this wonder with responsibility may be difficult, I believe it is far from impossible. One way to relive this nostalgia is through choosing old favorites. Whether that be listening to an old album, binge watching a classic TV show, or eating a childhood food, these relived moments come with a forgotten sense of peace. To me, this could mean playing Just Dance, eating chocolate pretzels, drawing new characters, or reading a book in the Geronimo Stilton series. Each individual will have different nostalgic choices, which makes it even more special. Achieving the joy of childhood is just one step away, and it doesn’t require the disregard of any aspects of the current routine. Instead, it simply involves the addition of nostalgia in everyday life. The next time you’re feeling stressed, listen to your favorite band from your youth, or eat food you were obsessed with in the past. Engage in new experiences to surprise yourself, and recreate favorite memories. Regardless of your age, these simple actions will bring back the joy and wonder which disappeared after youth. This may not remove all the negative of current responsibilities, however it may bring back an emotion long lost.

Property Taxes Out Of Control

Property Taxes Out Of Control By Joe Ingino BA. Psychology Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States This is why I did not win the Mayoral election in 2022. I did not win because people do not like the truth. They do not like politicians with common sense. By the results one would think that voters are masochist’s. How else do you explain in Oshawa the return of all of council with the exception of one? Were the voters happy with the never ending deterioration of the core. Were they happy with all the homeless, the open drug use... and last but not least. The huge tax increases? A masochist is a person who derives pleasure from pain, suffering, or humiliation. This can include sexual gratification (sexual masochism) or a more general enjoyment of difficult or painful experiences, which can be a personality trait or a psychological condition. I know that If I had been elected. We would have solved in a humane way the problem of the homeless, mental health and open drug use on our streets. I would have made sure that due to the economy. Taxes were kept at zero increase. You may be wondering... How? Simple. I am a local business man. I know the value of every dollar. I know how it feels to ride the razors edge when cash flow is tight. I hear every day as people call me for helps as they are either being forced out by a landlord or forclose by banks. During my Mayorship. I would have made sure that wasteful expenses... Like the Broadbent park (30 million), the Rotary Pool (20 million) and the truly waste of money park (Veterans park) smack downtown to the tune of (20 million). Would never happen. Not to mention the 70 million sunk into the “GM CENTRE”. A facility that has yet to turn a penny profit for the taxpayers as we own it. There alone we have close to 140 million. This is what we know. Imagine all the millions that are being wasted and the taxpayers have no idea. I would estimate that the total cold be as high as 500 million waste. This is what happens when you keep voting candidates from the same public toilet.  Quality of life keeps going down while they fill their pockets with your money. Simple look at the tax roll. One would think with all the new housing... that the tax roll would increase significantly. More revenue for infrastructure and administration. NO, it appears that the incompetents voted in, instead cry that due to the increase in numbers there are more cost associated with services. ‘BULL’. I say that is pure mismanagement. The key to keeping taxes at zero is eliminate unnecessary expenses as those above. Enter into more partnerships with industry and trade to offset infrastructure costs. Implemented programs that has peak tax rates for all new homes and grandfathered type of programs for homes over 40 years. Or paid off properties by owner. Anyone with more than 2 property pay a premium. Cutting cost on staff, salaries and things like security at an estimate of 1 million. We that tax payers need to take our city bak. 2026 is around the corner. Learn from your mistakes.

Canada’s Infrastructure Crisis Can No Longer Be Ignored

Canada’s Infrastructure Crisis Can No Longer Be Ignored by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East Canada’s infrastructure is quietly approaching a breaking point. The country that once prided itself on modern public works, dependable utilities, and efficient transportation systems is now grappling with decades of deferred maintenance, political hesitation, and fragmented planning. Every year the cracks become harder to hide. Congestion on key highways intensifies. Transit delays multiply. Ageing bridges demand increasingly frequent emergency repairs. Storms knock out energy grids never built to withstand twenty-first-century climate extremes. Despite these unmistakable warning signs, Canada still lacks a coherent national strategy capable of reversing its infrastructure decline. The issue is not abstract. It affects the daily lives of millions of Canadians. An infrastructure system largely constructed between the 1950s and 1980s is now expected to carry a population nearly twice as large, with economic and environmental pressures unimaginable to previous generations. The result is a widening gap between what the country needs and what its current systems can deliver. For years, analysts have estimated Canada’s infrastructure deficit at more than $250 billion—a figure representing everything from deteriorating highways and outdated waterworks to digital networks that lag behind global competitors. However, even this number understates the true scale of the challenge, because it does not account for the new infrastructure required to support rapid population growth, and energy transition. Canada is not just replacing old assets—it must build entirely new systems to survive and compete. Municipalities shoulder the heaviest burden. They own over 60 percent of Canada’s public infrastructure but rely overwhelmingly on property taxes, a deeply limited revenue tool never intended to support multi-billion-dollar projects. Federal and provincial programs exist, but they tend to be episodic, politically timed, and short-term. In this funding environment cities struggle to plan decades ahead, even as their infrastructure increasingly demands precisely such long-term vision. The consequences are visible across the country. In the Greater Toronto Area, drivers lose countless hours each year on highways that function as slow-moving parking lots. Toronto’s and Montreal’s transit systems require major overhauls to keep pace with demand, while Vancouver’s SkyTrain network needs significant expansion to serve rapidly growing suburbs. Rural communities face aging water systems, limited public transit, and unreliable broadband—problems that undermine both safety and economic opportunity. Climate change has escalated the crisis, as Canada’s infrastructure was engineered for a climate that no longer exists. Extreme rainfall overwhelms storm water networks, flooding neighborhoods that were once considered safe. Severe heat strains energy grids. Melting permafrost destabilizes northern runways and roads. Wildfires damage transportation corridors and cause air quality hazards disrupting everything from schools to airports. The financial burden of climate-related disasters has ballooned from roughly $300 million annually two decades ago to more than $3 billion per year today. Without a modernization strategy focused on resilience, these costs will continue to rise. The digital sphere is no better. In an economy that depends on connectivity, Canada’s telecommunications infrastructure has proven increasingly vulnerable. Rural and remote regions remain underserved, and nationwide outages in recent years have demonstrated that the country’s networks lack redundancy and resilience. As artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, and high-bandwidth services reshape the global marketplace, Canada risks falling behind. Budget 2025 attempted to address part of the problem by introducing a new capital-budgeting framework, which separates long-term infrastructure investments from annual operating expenses. This structural reform is promising: it allows the federal government to finance large projects without distorting its operating balance. The budget also announced major investments in housing-related infrastructure, clean energy corridors, and Indigenous communities. While positive, these measures are only initial steps. They do not yet constitute the unified, multi-decade national plan Canada urgently requires. A genuine infrastructure overhaul must begin with a long-term national accord involving federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments. Many countries—including Australia and the United Kingdom—have independent infrastructure commissions that operate beyond political cycles. Canada needs to do the same. A national body with the authority to prioritize projects, evaluate costs, and coordinate funding would break the cycle of fragmented, election-driven decision-making. Next, resilience must become the foundation of all new infrastructure. Projects should be designed not merely for present conditions but for the complex realities projected 30 to 50 years ahead. This includes stronger flood defences, heat-resilient transit and energy systems, fire-adapted transportation corridors, and modernized water infrastructure built to withstand extreme weather. Retrofitting vulnerable assets should be as central to the strategy as building new ones. Municipalities also need expanded, predictable funding tools. Whether through revenue sharing, a national infrastructure bank with stable contributions, or more flexible taxing authority, cities cannot continue relying on sporadic grants. Thriving, resilient cities are economic engines; underfunded ones become bottlenecks that drag down national productivity. Speed and efficiency must also be prioritized. Major projects in Canada routinely take far longer to approve and build than in peer nations, inflating costs and delaying benefits. Streamlined approvals, harmonized regulations, and improved intergovernmental coordination would accelerate progress without compromising environmental or community standards. Canadians should not wait 15 years for transit lines or 20 years for energy corridors that other countries build in less than half the time. Equally important is modernizing Canada’s digital backbone. High-speed internet, cybersecure networks, and redundancy systems must be treated as essential infrastructure—not optional conveniences. The economy of the future will depend on fast, resilient connectivity as much as it depends on stable highways and bridges. Remote work, telemedicine, AI-driven industries, and online education all falter without a reliable digital foundation. Finally, infrastructure planning must be integrated with Canada’s housing strategy. Rapid population growth and historic immigration levels are placing unprecedented pressure on water systems, roads, transit, and electricity grids. Housing cannot be built in isolation from the services that make communities functional. Planning these systems together is essential to avoid repeating past mistakes where residential growth raced ahead of infrastructure capacity. Canada is at a pivotal moment. The challenges are serious, but the opportunities are just as great. A bold, coordinated, and well-financed infrastructure agenda would stimulate economic growth, attract investment, improve productivity, and strengthen national cohesion. It would create jobs, enhance resilience to climate change, and raise the quality of life in every region of the country. Failing to act will cost far more than the investments required to rebuild. Patchwork repairs and perpetual delays are already expensive; inaction in the face of climate stress, population growth, and global technological shifts will be even more costly. The true price of neglect is measured not only in dollars but in the erosion of Canada’s competitiveness and the everyday frustrations experienced by Canadians. The time to overhaul Canada’s infrastructure is now. The country can either continue down the path of deterioration or choose renewal, resilience, and long-term prosperity. The choice, and its consequences, will define Canada’s future for generations

This Past Weekend (THE DOWNTOWN FACTOR)

This Past Weekend (THE DOWNTOWN FACTOR) By Theresa Grant Real Estate Columnist This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the new food hall on King Street here in Oshawa. Market at 70 king is what it’s called. They were advertising a few weeks back for vendors for their Christmas on King Street event and I decided to rent a table. What a great decision that was. At the time, I knew very little about the venue other than it had once been home to the Genosha Hotel. What a grand spectacle it was when it opened its doors on December 5th, 1929. Soon to be overshadowed by the great depression, the Genosha went on to host dignitaries and celebrities from around the world and take its rightful place in history. Over the years the Genosha changed ownership a few times and eventually fell into disrepair. In 2003 with all the glitter that once was completely gone, the hotel closed its doors for good. The structure sat empty and declining for 14 years until it was purchased by a group of people with a vision. Strategically and methodically the vision came to life. First up was the complete renovation of what used to be the hotel rooms which have been transformed into luxury apartments. Then the complete restoration of the main floor which is now the food hall. The food hall is quite something. It is a smattering of unique owner run restaurants with the exception of Church’s Chicken. They offer a variety of food from Sushi to Greek, Italian and Filipino. There is a sweet shop serving coffee and ice cream along with a few other gems. The absolute stand out for me was the Lobby Bar. The lobby bar faces King Street and is done up in a style and theme that evokes memories of the roaring 20’s through the fabulous forties. They offer a high tea service, which is a very popular thing in Durham Region. They also have happy hour, lunch, and some wonderful specialties. The entire building is steeped in history and pays homage to that. It was a real treat to spend the weekend so close to home yet feel as though I could be in old Montreal or Ney York City back in the day. I am grateful for this brilliant team of people who have come together with such an amazing vision. Downtown Oshawa certainly deserves it! I, along with many others, look forward to seeing what will take place next at this grand old building. There is parking behind the building itself along with street parking on King and Bond and Mary. When you drive by the building you will see it all lit up with beautiful lights. Take that as your personal invitation to take a moment to step through the doors and back in time to a glamorous world of art and entertainment. Soak it in and enjoy a drink or a fabulous meal. You won’t be disappointed.

Canada Needs a Real Review of Its Criminal Justice System—Before the Trends Get Worse

Canada Needs a Real Review of Its Criminal Justice System—Before the Trends Get Worse by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East Canadians have long taken comfort in the idea that we live in one of the safest societies in the world. For decades this belief was supported by the numbers: violent crime steadily declined from the early 1990s onward, and homicides rarely reached the levels seen elsewhere. But the recent trajectory of serious crime—especially youth violence and non-homicide assaults—suggests that this old narrative no longer reflects the full reality on the ground. It is time for a sober, evidence-based review of Canada’s criminal justice system. Not a political slogan, not a reflexive “tough on crime” or “soft on crime” posture, but a genuine national assessment of what is working, what is failing, and what must be fixed to protect the public while maintaining fairness and due process. The starting point is the data. While Canada’s homicide rate actually declined last year, the overall Crime Severity Index, which measures both the volume and seriousness of police-reported crime, continues to rise. More troubling is the sharp increase in violent offences committed by youth. Police services across the country report more stabbings, swarming attacks, and group-related assaults by minors—crimes that not only shock communities but expose weaknesses in prevention, supervision, and early intervention. Non-homicide violence is also climbing. Assaults, armed robberies, carjackings, and gun-related incidents connected to organized crime have increased in several major cities. These are not isolated events. They are indicators of a criminal ecosystem in which a relatively small number of repeat offenders, gang-affiliated networks, and hard-to-supervise youth are driving a disproportionate amount of the harm. Yet our justice system still operates as if this pattern does not exist. Instead of a coordinated national strategy, we have a patchwork of bail rules, sentencing practices, and provincial policies that vary widely and often lack the resources to be effective. Police officers arrest the same violent offenders again and again, only to see them quickly return to the streets. Courts struggle with backlogs, prosecutors are overloaded, and probation and parole services are stretched beyond their limits. In too many cases, the result is predictable: a system that looks busy but does not deliver the level of public safety Canadians reasonably expect. One area urgently needing scrutiny is bail. Although reforms have tightened reverse-onus provisions for certain violent and firearms offences, the concern from police services across the country remains the same: high-risk repeat offenders are cycling through the system far too easily. Bail decisions are often made within minutes, with incomplete information, in crowded courtrooms that lack the personnel and time required to make properly informed assessments. This is not about punishing the innocent; it is about ensuring the system has the capacity to evaluate risk accurately and consistently. Sentencing and parole also require careful review. Canada must confront the fact that a small fraction of offenders are responsible for a disproportionate amount of serious, violent, and organized crime. For these groups, sentencing ranges, parole eligibility, and supervision models must reflect the real level of threat they pose. The goal is not mass incarceration, but targeted, effective incapacitation of those who consistently endanger the public. At the same time, a credible review must address prevention—not as an afterthought, but as a central pillar. The rise in youth violence is not merely a policing issue. It is connected to social dislocation, mental-health pressures, school disengagement, online radicalization, and the easy influence of criminal peer networks. Without early intervention, mentorship programs, addiction treatment, and collaboration between schools, communities, and justice agencies, the pipeline into criminality will continue unchecked. Canada also needs transparent, standardized national data on recidivism, bail breaches, weapons offences, gang activity, and case backlogs. Without reliable metrics, governments fall back on ideology rather than facts. A justice system that does not measure outcomes cannot improve them. This is why a full review is not just necessary—it is overdue. Canadians deserve a system that protects them while respecting rights, one that distinguishes between those who need treatment, those who need supervision, and those who must be separated from society for the safety of others. The current mix of rising serious crime, growing youth involvement, and administrative overload shows that the status quo is neither sustainable nor responsible. A national review, carried out with integrity and led by independent experts, would allow Canada to build a criminal justice system worthy of its reputation: firm where necessary, fair where possible, and focused always on the safety of its people. In conclusion, Canadians rightly expect a justice system that protects their families, supports victims, rehabilitates those who can be rehabilitated, and isolates those who pose a continuing threat to society. Today’s mixture of rising serious crime, overstretched courts, uneven policing resources, and growing youth violence shows that the current system is not meeting those expectations. A national review—independent, comprehensive, and driven by evidence rather than partisanship—offers the best path forward. Such a review would strengthen public safety, restore confidence in the justice system, and ensure Canada remains the safe, fair, and orderly country it has long aspired to be. With so many lawyers in the Parliament of Canada, that should be a relatively easy task, partisanship aside. This moment calls for leadership and clarity. Canada cannot afford complacency. The trends are unmistakable, the consequences are real, and the need for action is immediate. An evidence-based national review—supported by the many legal minds in Parliament and guided by a genuine commitment to public safety—would allow Canada to modernize its justice system before the problems become so entrenched they become cancerous.

Speed Dating

Speed Dating By Wayne and Tamara I am a 19-year-old college freshman who has never been married. I am actually dating my first boyfriend, but that is by choice, because I never wanted to be a part of the high school drama scene. I wanted a mature relationship that transcended all that. However, I seem to have gotten myself far too deeply into something I am not ready for. I have been dating my boyfriend for almost three months. He’s 21, and we get along wonderfully. I am not his first girlfriend, but the first girlfriend he ”really wanted.” Just a few days into our relationship, he told me he loved me, and kept saying it, though I never responded in kind. After four weeks, I did finally tell him I loved him. I thought I meant this. However, since then, he’s come to mention quite often plans for the future. Plans such as marriage after we both finish college, children, names for those children, and more. I am not ready for this. I cannot definitely say I want to spend the rest of my life with him, though he is completely enamored with me. I’m also worried, because I have not known how to respond, and in saying nothing, I believe he has read my assent. I am truly scared I’ve led him on. This is not something I can accept of myself, since I honestly do care for him. I don’t want to hurt him, but I will continue to lead him on if I don’t say anything. Bobbi Bobbi, ancient artists drawing on cave walls didn’t sign their work. They couldn’t because they didn’t have a written language. Instead they put their hand against the cave wall, took color in their mouth, and blew. The outline of their hand is the mark they left for us. Lovers also leave a mark—on each other. When your boyfriend said “I love you,” he put his mark on you. When you said it back to him, you put your mark on him, even though you had your doubts. The problem with marks is, if love isn’t there on both sides, then the relationship has missed the mark. In sociology there is a term called the “norm of social reciprocity.” That simply means we feel obligated to give back to others what they give to us. It’s called a norm because if we violate it, if we don’t give back, we feel we have done something wrong. When social reciprocity involves sharing or being polite, there is nothing wrong with it. But it has a dark side. It can be used to take advantage of us. When your boyfriend kept saying “I love you,” it created the expectation that you had to say it back to him. Eventually you succumbed. “I love you” is also an implied promise. It says I will behave in certain ways toward you, now and in the future. Since people are supposed to stick to promises, you feel bad about pulling back now. But if you don’t, you will grow weaker as a person, and farther from your true feelings. You went to college to learn things, and one of the most valuable things you can learn is how to say no. You have a chance, through your education, to secure your future. That is an opportunity many young women don’t have. So grab that brass ring and put it in your pocket, knowing that economic freedom gives a woman the power to make wise decisions all of her life. One of the marks of maturity is the ability to do the right thing, even though it is a hard thing. We totally understand not wanting to trifle with another, but if your boyfriend has moved too far forward, that’s on him. The norm of social reciprocity is no substitute for the mark of genuine love. Wayne & Tamara

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

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.