Showing posts with label Durham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Durham. Show all posts
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Is It Legal!!! And Or Fair?
Is It Legal!!! And Or Fair?
A Candid Conversation
By Theresa Grant
Real Estate Columnist
I just saw a REEL on Facebook of Tito-Dante Marimpeitri outside of City Hall in downtown Oshawa. It is easily the twentieth video I have seen of him since he declared his intention to run for Mayor of Oshawa on January 1st. I have never seen him on Facebook or in REELS prior to making this announcement and it’s obvious he intends to post something everyday to try and stay top of mind with the voters and show the residents that he covers all areas and all topics.
I guess my question is, what happens after the election? Win or lose does he intend to keep this level of engagement up? If not, then what a farce this is. If so, where will he find the time?
I have to say that it’s more than a little annoying that these local politicians get elected, disappear from the public view, collect a paycheck, and won’t take or return a phone call, or email. Then, when we’re in an election year, they seem to pop up everywhere. Like they are literally coming out of the woodwork. Shameful. Oshawa residents deserve better than that.
Why don’t we have some sort of accountability system for these local politicians? That is something that needs to be seriously considered going forward.
I am seeing every single Councillor for all the wards front and centre with their motions, observances, statements etc…Where have they been for the last three years? And in some cases, seven years.
I don’t find it engaging, I find it contrived, obvious, and insulting. Surely, we can do better than this.
Our current council is made up of several people who are quite literally collecting a paycheck for nothing more than the fact that they got elected! They have no intention to move on, nor do they do this city any good. Career politicians are what they call those types.
They didn’t come in with any real credentials, and they have nothing to go to when they leave so the plan is just to run, election after election and hope they slide by. That may work for a period of time and in certain places, but I have a feeling that the residents of Oshawa are ready for something new. Their charitable spirits have been stretched to the limit, and they are hungry for change.
Not talk of change and the quaint catch phrases that actually mean nothing, but real change, the kind you can’t help but notice when you walk downtown. Yes, I do think change is coming and it might be prudent for some of the current Councillors to polish up their resumes. 
Nuclear Energy and Industrial Revival: Why Durham Region Matters More Than Most Canadians Realize
DESPERATE MOVE…
DESPERATE MOVE...
By Joe Ingino BA. Psychology
Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers
ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800 ,000
Published Columns in Canada and The United States
Whitby Council has called on the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to remove the GST/HST from all newly-built or substantially renovated homes purchased from the builder as primary residences in Ontario.
This in my opinion is a sign of desperation by Whitby. 1st. Who ever came up with this does not understand the bigger picture. The problem with affordability is not the HST. The problem is the prices in comparison to incomes. This move by Whitby shows the lack of desperation and leadership. 2nd, If Whitby is so concerned over affordability. They should have pressured the builders to drop prices... After all. I am sure you can run a type of auction mentality when it comes to who can build where. NO instead the municipality attempts to make the problem political instead of economic and beneficiary to those suffering at the hands of over priced developers and mortgage companies.
Staff was directed to send the resolution to the Prime Minister of Canada, Federal Ministers of Finance, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and to the Premier of Ontario and Ontario Ministers of Finance, Municipal Affairs and Housing, Whitby MP and MPP, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and to all municipalities in Ontario. In Whitby’s desperation... they forgot to cc. To God himself. These type of move by municipalities showcase the lack of Leadership.
Roy in my opinion has to go.
The current GST/HST rate on new homes in Ontario is 13 per cent, which adds tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of a typical home.
The existing federal and provincial HST rebates on new homes purchased from the builder are limited by purchase-price thresholds, with most new homes in Ontario priced above the level required to qualify for meaningful relief, thereby limiting their effectiveness in improving overall housing affordability, a town statement pointed out. With this said. You can write all the letter you want to the Feds and they will surely use it for toilet paper as the builders are within the rules of the game set out by the Feds.
Then the real beef should be with the builders that inflate prices in order to stay above the threshold.
The federal and provincial governments have proposed new GST/HST rebates only for first-time homebuyers purchasing from the builder a newly built or substantially renovated home.
In other words. It favor no one. Specially new home buyers.
According to research conducted by the Ontario Homebuilders’ Association, first-time home buyers currently represent approximately 5 per cent of the new home market.
Once again. Whitby’s attempt are nothing but an attempt to politically grandstand during an election year.
Here is my suggestion if I had the priviledge of being elected.
1st. Cap home values in the municipality. You don’t like it go build some other place.
2nd. All builders would have to pay a community surcharge for future affects of their developments. Make them pay for destroying our municipalities. They want to make money. So should we.
3rd. The government is forcing municipalities to build, build, build. They put all kinds of pressure and up to incentives. This is wrong.
In order to lead we must play within the rules...
We can’t win as a single municipality. We must learn to work with the rules stipulated.
In this case. The problem with housing is not so much availability as it is affordability. Who can affor a million dollar income on one salary?
Who can afford the down payment? Who can afford the taxes and all the other things that go along with a mortgage and home ownership? Then if this stand true. What is the real reason of sending a meaningless letter to the Feds to get rid of the HST.
It has no purpose other than a political move during an election year.
This bringing me to my point. We must get rid of all incumbents and start fresh. Most on most councils are either careered politicians, pension fluffers and or sitting on the top of their personal achievement mountain. Look where most of them end up working after politics. We need to elect people from the business community. Front line soldiers that know the value of a dollar. Someone that can be atoned to the harsh economy. I know that if I had won in 2022. I would have kept taxes at zero increase during my administration. I would have cut waste all around. If you can run a business you can run the corporation of any municipality. Let’s stop electing those that have no real life business savvy.
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Blocking Pain Without Breaking Lives
Blocking Pain Without
Breaking Lives
By Diana Gifford
I hear paternal grumbling at what I’m about to say. Dr. Gifford-Jones often warned we are a “nation of wimps” when it comes to pain. He believed we were losing the toughening effect that ordinary aches and setbacks once gave us. Furthermore, anyone who has run a marathon, climbed a mountain, or given birth knows that discomfort can be part of life’s great achievements. But we can agree that when pain becomes relentless, disabling, or overwhelming, medicine should do better.
Here’s a familiar story. Mrs. B. arrived in the recovery room after surgeons repaired a fractured hip. The operation was textbook. The pain was not. The medical team’s routine treatment was an opioid. Within an hour Mrs. B. was comfortable. A few days later she was calling for refills. Soon she was taking more than prescribed, feeling anxious when she tried to stop, and sleeping poorly.
Older people may remember a time when pain was treated with what now seem like modest tools: aspirin, codeine, local anesthetic, ice, rest, even hypnosis. None were perfect, but none carried the dangerous seduction of modern opioids. When drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone arrived, they were welcomed as miracles. They work by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, muting pain but also activating the brain’s reward system, the same pathway that leads to craving and dependence.
What followed became one of the great public-health disasters of our time. Prescription opioid use exploded in the 1990s and 2000s, fueled by aggressive marketing and the false belief that these drugs were safe when prescribed by doctors. They were not. By 2017, about 2.1 million Americans were living with opioid use disorder, and nearly 48,000 died from overdoses in a single year. The economic cost exceeded a trillion dollars in health care, lost productivity, and broken families. Numbers like that cannot capture the grief of parents who lose a child or the despair of people trapped by addiction that began with a prescription.
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug — suzetrigine — the first truly new kind of painkiller in decades. It is not an opioid. It does not act on the brain. Instead, it blocks pain at its source by targeting a protein on pain-sensing nerves called the NaV1.8 sodium channel.
To explain, pain travels along nerves like electricity through a wire. Sodium channels are the switches that allow that signal to fire. The NaV1.8 channel is found almost exclusively in peripheral pain-sensing neurons, not in the parts of the brain that produce euphoria, addiction, or breathing suppression. By blocking this channel, drugs like suzetrigine prevent pain messages from ever reaching the brain, without the high or sedation.
Clinical trials show that suzetrigine reduces post-surgical pain compared with placebo. It does not erase pain the way high-dose opioids do, but it takes the edge off in a way that allows healing to begin. Side effects have mostly been mild itching or muscle spasms, not the nausea, constipation, confusion, and addiction risk so familiar with narcotics. Other sodium-channel blockers are now in development, including those that could quiet pain for weeks after a single injection.
These new drugs may be costly. Insurance coverage may lag. They may not work for all needs. And we may yet discover side effects. There is also the risk that a shiny new “non-opioid” label could distract us from the value of physical therapy, exercise, and other non-drug approaches.
Still, this is science worth watching. And hopefully of better help to people in need.——————————————————————————————————————
This column offers opinions on health and wellness, not personal medical advice. Visit www.docgiff.com to learn more. For comments, diana@docgiff.com. Follow on Instagram @diana_gifford_jones
Not Far Right. Just Fed Up. A View From Regular Canadians
Not Far Right. Just Fed Up. A View From Regular Canadians
By Dale Jodoin
Columnist
I want to write this the way people actually speak when the microphones are off and the cameras are gone. Not as a lecture. Not as a warning. Just as a person who has listened long enough to notice a pattern. Something is shifting, and it has nothing to do with secret symbols, coded music, or hidden messages in culture. It has everything to do with trust being broken.
Lately, large left leaning newspapers keep telling us the same story. They say the far right is quietly creeping into everyday life. They say it hides in jokes, fitness videos, clothes, online influencers, and casual conversation. They say regular people do not even notice it happening. They warn us to be afraid of our own culture.
But that story does not reflect what people are actually living through.
What I hear from Canadians is not fear of one another. It is frustration with a system that no longer feels fair. People feel talked down to. They feel managed instead of represented. And when they try to speak honestly, they are immediately labeled.
That label is always the same. Far right.
The term used to mean something serious. It described real extremism. Today, it is used as a shortcut to shut down debate. If you disagree with government policy, you are far right. If you question new laws, you are far right. If you worry about your children, you are far right. Once that word is applied, discussion ends.
That is not journalism. That is social pressure.
Most of the people being described this way are not radicals. They are parents trying to raise kids in a confusing world. They are workers watching prices rise while services fall apart. They are seniors scared to get sick because health care is overwhelmed. They are immigrants who came legally and feel angry that fairness has been replaced by chaos.
These are not people being pulled into some dark movement. These are people paying attention.
The idea that everyday culture is being infiltrated suggests that citizens are passive and easily fooled. It assumes people cannot think for themselves. It assumes they need to be protected from their own thoughts. That attitude alone explains why trust in the media is collapsing.
Canadians know when something feels off. They know when the rules apply differently depending on who you are. They know when crime is explained away while victims are ignored. They know when speech is policed more harshly than violence.
Young people see this clearly. They are not being radicalized. They are watching adults argue while institutions fail. They see fear used as a tool. They see words redefined. They see silence rewarded and honesty punished. Many of them are stepping back, not because they believe something extreme, but because they do not trust the system to treat them fairly.
That is not dangerous. That is rational.
Immigration is one of the clearest examples of how honest discussion has been poisoned. Canada has always welcomed newcomers. That has not changed. Most Canadians still believe in immigration done properly. What people object to is scale without planning, promises without infrastructure, and rules that no longer apply equally.
Mass immigration without enough housing drives prices up. Without enough doctors, it overwhelms health care. Without honest expectations, it creates tension. Saying this is not hatred. It is reality.
Yet if you raise these concerns, the response is not discussion. It is an accusation.
Parents face the same problem. Many feel they have lost their voice. They are told not to question schools. They are told concern is harm. They are told to trust systems that refuse transparency. When parents push back, they are treated as dangerous.
This creates fear, not progress.
Across Europe, citizens are expressing the same frustration. They are not marching for hate. They are voting for change. They are asking for borders that work, laws that apply equally, and leaders who listen. When they do, media voices warn the public to fear them.
That reaction reveals more about power than about people.
What is really happening is not a rise of extremism. It is a collapse of patience. People are tired of being blamed for problems they did not create. They are tired of being told silence is kindness. They are tired of being managed by narratives instead of served by policy.
This is no longer about left versus right. That argument is outdated. This is about citizens versus systems that forgot who they exist for.
The people being called far right do not share one ideology. They share a sense that something fundamental is being lost. Fairness. Balance. Common sense. The ability to speak without fear.
They stand against real antisemitism and real racism. They stand with Jewish Canadians who feel unsafe. They stand with Muslim Canadians who came here for freedom and peace. They stand for freedom of worship and equal law.
They do not want chaos. They want stability.
Calling people names will not fix housing.
It will not fix health care. It will not protect children. It will not reduce crime.
It only deepens resentment and destroys trust.
The real danger is not culture being influenced. The real danger is citizens no longer believing those who claim to inform them. When people stop trusting media and government, society weakens. People withdraw. Conversation dies.
People know when headlines do not match their lived experience. They know when fear is being sold as concern. They know when power is protecting itself.
That awareness is not frightening. It is necessary.
Canadians are not far right. They are not far left. They are tired of being bullied by language and ignored by policy.
They are simply asking to be treated like adults again.
That is not extremism.
That is a country quietly but firmly asking to be heard.
Only Child Dreams - The Transition from Being an Only Child to One of Four Kids
Only Child Dreams - The Transition from Being an Only Child to One of Four Kids
By Camryn Bland
Youth Columnist
Growing up as an only child, I spent my days hoping for a sibling. I was always looking for someone to talk to, play with, or go places with. I hoped and prayed for a brother or sister to accompany me through my boring days, and for over fifteen years I was disappointed. As I got older, I stopped hoping, adjusting to independence in place of reliance. However, just as I accepted my life as an only child, I was introduced to three kids who would make every dream come true; my future step siblings.
In February of 2025, my mom and I moved in with her boyfriend and his three kids. The move felt very sudden, and confusing. We originally planned for us to move together in late 2026 or early 2027, when I was in grade 12 and could drive myself to school. Now it was early 2025, and my mom decided we were going to move soon. It felt like I blinked, and all of a sudden I was packing everything into big boxes. By late February, our two person basement apartment had been replaced by a chaotic home, inhabited by six people and three pets.
The biggest adjustment for me was my new role as a sister, a role which I’d never been exposed to before. Time which was once spent reading alone was replaced by helping with homework, time to bake was now used to pick up after others and do chores that were never mine to begin with.
Although I had known the kids for almost three years, always being surrounded by them felt new and unfamiliar. Every boundary I knew had changed and I found myself struggling to adjust to the simplest things. I worried about what to talk about during meals, where I could be in the house without bothering anyone, and when I could go out without causing scheduling issues.
At first, the new dynamics felt like a maze. However, over time the change got easier, and now it feels almost normal. I’ve realized my step-sisters are like built in best friends, who make sure there’s never a dull moment in my day. I’ve accustomed to my step-brother, who always has an honest opinion, even when I don’t want to hear it. They’re an aspect of my day that feels so normal, yet so special at the same time. I know it would leave a gap in my life if they left. I think what made the transition, and even my time now, easiest was the time apart. My step-siblings only spend half of their time at my house, and the other half living with their mom. These rotating weeks act as a break a lot of siblings don’t have. They’re my time to see my friends, focus on my own work, or do personal projects. By the time my week alone is almost over, I miss my step-siblings and I’m excited for them to come home. It’s a system that I’m lucky to have in place, as it made it easier to adjust to a new family, and it helps even now. With my step-siblings, I’ve not just adjusted to them, but also feel like I belong among them. Despite the fact I came into their family late, I don’t feel excluded or different from them. The four of us laugh like siblings, fight like siblings, and share like siblings. Even when I’m arguing with them, or getting annoyed at something they said, I appreciate them the same. In the span of 10 months, I have found a family which I always wished for, and it feels right. I will forever be grateful for that.
Despite my gratitude, not everything is perfect. There have been many doors slammed and voices raised which have made me wish things were back as they used to be, back as I grew up with. However, that feeling doesn’t last, and we always make up, as family does.
The imperfections don’t just come from others; I know I also have room for improvement as a sister. I need to be more patient and understanding. I’m quick to get annoyed when my step-siblings are bothering me while I’m working, even if they just want to spend time together. I get upset when they don’t clean, even if they don’t notice the mess in the first place. Sometimes, I get upset over small jokes they made and make a big deal out of nothing. Over time, I hope to fix these habits so I can be a better sister, a fitting member of the family.
For fifteen years, I wished to have a brother or sister to spend time with. Now I have three of them, and it’s so much different than I imagined. Our household is one of chaos and arguments, but also of gamenights and laughter. I try to appreciate every second of it, because I know my younger self would be thrilled to spend time with my new family. Most days, I’m thrilled to spend time with them too. 
A LOOK AT THE ROOT CAUSES OF CANADA’S DECLINE BETWEEN 2015 AND 2025
A LOOK AT THE ROOT CAUSES OF CANADA’S
DECLINE BETWEEN 2015 AND 2025
NATIONAL POST COLUMNIST TRISTAN HOPPER released a short work of roughly 164 pages last April entitled ‘Don’t be Canada: How the Great White North did Everything Wrong all at Once.’ In it, he says Canada has mismanaged several critical issues compared to other developed nations, including drug and crime policies, euthanasia, health care, transgender policy, the judiciary, and housing. “We just sort of became wildly complacent and got into a headspace that we were special, we were Canadian, we had a functioning society, and ... we didn’t have to defend it,” Hopper said in an interview with the Epoch Times.
His work makes for interesting reading, and it reminded me of an earlier volume penned by author and journalist Kenneth McDonald, a copy of which I bought during my time as a college student in Toronto. McDonald’s work is entitled ‘His Pride Our Fall: Recovering from the Trudeau revolution.’ It’s a critique about Justin Trudeau’s father, Pierre, and the damage that resulted from 16 years of Trudeaumania when, as prime minister, the elder Trudeau made himself a nuisance by inserting the tentacles of government where they had no place to be – in the private lives of ordinary citizens.
Once a thriving nation, Canada has seen a steep erosion in prosperity and security since 2015 as a direct result of self-inflicted policy failures. My column this week will highlight some of the philosophical extremes from the first Trudeau ‘legacy’ which ultimately gave rise to the disastrous sequel, during which time Justin Trudeau aggressively pursued a vision of Canada that has left us with a crippling debt, an ever-expanding government, and a variety of misguided policies on immigration, justice reform, and gender issues – just to name a few.
Let’s begin by identifying the state, or what I like to refer to as Big Government, for what it is; a massive regulator of all things – a sort of untamable master exercising full dominion over its people. Those are my words, however Kenneth McDonald offers the following analysis: “The secret of (the state’s) power lies in its very remoteness. “It is one thing to refrain from advising the man next door, whom we know. “It is another thing altogether to compose a set of regulations for people collectively…not in order to create wealth, but to regulate the private citizens who are engaged in wealth creation.”
When the growth of the state passes beyond control, as ours has, it becomes a law unto itself. Justin Trudeau enjoyed a powerful opportunity to bring forward a self-satisfying process of dismantling a nation that he described in a 2015 interview with The New York Times as “a country with no core identity, no mainstream…" which he said made it the "first post-national state".
As ludicrous as that sounds, it has its origins in Pierre Trudeau’s own policies - most notably official multiculturalism and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms – both of which were manifestly created to shift the Canadian identity away from its traditional Eurocentric and Common Law heritage towards a more civic framework based on universal liberal values.
In 1971, Trudeau introduced official multiculturalism within a bilingual framework. This policy was revolutionary because it decoupled state and culture, and It asserted that no single cultural entity could (or should) define Canada. It was an attempt to actually delegitimize – in his view - the idea of a "core" national identity. As most of us now realize, encouraging diverse ethnic groups to preserve their own heritage has not resulted in a peaceful Canada enjoying some sort of fictional mosaic. Rather, we have become a series of politically armed cultural camps – each one jostling the other in an attempt to gain power and control.
On the matter of our economy, or more to the point, what’s left of it, we can look back to 1971 when the prevailing wisdom among Trudeau’s inner circle suggested that, to one who sees some people as poor while others are rich, it may seem obvious that the rich should share some of their wealth – and if they are at all reluctant, surely a just society would require (force) them to do it. From this rather frightening inclination sprung the idea within the Liberal Party – one that remains central to their manifesto – that state socialism is, in itself, part of the ‘age of miracles’.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau's premiership (1968–1984) marked a definitive shift toward structural deficit spending in Canada. The federal government had carried debt since Confederation (1867) to finance nation-building and wars, however, Trudeau oversaw a period of nearly continuous and rapidly increasing budget deficits – a tradition carried on by his son and political heir, Justin.
Trudeau the elder’s first budget ran a deficit of $667 million, and as a result of his spending habits, Canada's national debt increased from approximately $18 billion to over $200 billion, representing a more than tenfold increase, or roughly 700% in nominal terms.
Not to be outdone by his father, Justin Trudeau’s first budget saw a deficit of $19.0 billion after accounting adjustments, and during his ten years in office, the total debt in Canada nearly doubled, reaching approximately $654.2 billion by the end of the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Like father, like son.
Of course, one cannot attempt to highlight the more disastrous aspects of the Trudeau-x2 legacy without referencing the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a legal instrument that has caused significant damage to our justice system by having shifted too much power to unelected judges, allowing them to overrule the will of democratically elected legislatures. Charter challenges can be lengthy and complex, contributing to delays in the justice system - but more importantly, certain judicial interpretations of the Charter have made it much more difficult to secure convictions for serious crimes. Now isn’t that just great.
Once again, not to be outdone by his father, Trudeau the younger made his own legal mess through a determination to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for drug and firearms offences, and to codify a ‘principle of restraint’ into law which encouraged granting bail at the earliest opportunity. Fast forward to today and we all know the results of his "soft-on-crime" ideology and the disastrous outcomes that have allowed repeat offenders the freedom to commit more crimes.
And yet, in spite of the damage left by these two men, there exists an element within Canadian society who refuse to accept certain realities, preferring instead to hold on to a collective dream where peace and love and good intentions are all that is needed. God help them – and indeed, the rest of us.
Ottawa’s Bubble Problem: Why Political Staffers Should Step Outside Before Running for Office
Ottawa’s Bubble Problem:
Why Political Staffers Should Step Outside Before Running for Office
by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC
FEC, CET, P.Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
Canada does not lack political talent. What it increasingly lacks is political leaders who have lived meaningful working lives outside politics before asking voters for power.
Over the past two decades, Ottawa has quietly normalized a narrow career pipeline: university, partisan internship, political staffer, senior adviser, nomination contest, elected office. Many MPs now arrive in Parliament fluent in messaging, strategy, and procedure—but unfamiliar with payrolls, private-sector risk, frontline public services, or life outside the political bubble.
This is not renewal. It is monoculture.
If Canadians want better policy and greater public trust, political parties should adopt a clear expectation: no one should run for elected office without substantial work experience outside politics. Not as a symbolic suggestion, but as a serious norm shaping nominations and political culture.
A Closed Political Ecosystem
Ottawa has become an echo chamber. Political staffers work long hours, but within a narrow universe dominated by polling, communications strategy, stakeholder optics, and partisan warfare. Over time, reality is filtered through briefing notes rather than lived experience.
This helps explain why governments increasingly confuse announcements with outcomes. Billions are “invested,” strategies unveiled, targets proclaimed—yet housing remains unaffordable, infrastructure projects run late and over budget, and health-care access deteriorates. Politics becomes performative, while results lag.
When people who have never left the bubble write the rules, they often mistake motion for progress. They know how to manage process, but not consequences.
Why Outside Work Experience Changes Judgment
There is a fundamental difference between studying how the economy works and participating in it.
Someone who has run a small business understands regulatory burden in their bones. Someone who has managed people knows that labour shortages are not solved by press releases. A nurse, teacher, engineer or tradesperson understands burnout, staffing gaps, and operational reality in ways no departmental memo can capture.
These experiences create judgment. They teach trade-offs, limits, and humility. They discourage ideological rigidity and bureaucratic fantasy.
Canada’s political class increasingly lacks this grounding. Too many MPs arrive skilled in social media but inexperienced in balance sheets. Too many cabinet ministers have negotiated caucus politics but never negotiated a commercial contract. Too many critics of “corporate greed” have never tried to keep an enterprise alive through inflation, interest-rate shocks, and supply-chain disruptions.
This gap shows up in policy failure after policy failure—across party lines.
Policy Made by People Who Don’t Bear Its Costs
Consider housing. Ottawa produces endless plans, funding envelopes, and targets, yet affordability worsens. Why? Because policymakers underestimate timelines, misunderstand incentives, and overestimate state capacity. Few have ever tried to build anything—literally or figuratively.
Consider infrastructure. Anyone who has managed projects outside government knows that missed deadlines and cost overruns carry consequences. In Ottawa, they generate reviews and task forces.
Consider health care. Decisions about staffing models, compensation structures, and reform are routinely made by people who have never worked a night shift, covered for a sick colleague, or faced a waiting room full of frustrated patients.
These failures are not abstract. They shape daily life for millions of Canadians. And they are exacerbated by a political class trained in politics before life.
A Crisis of Representation
There is also a deeper democratic cost. Voters increasingly distrust politicians not only because they disagree with them, but because they do not recognize them. When candidates have spent their entire adult lives in politics, empathy sounds rehearsed. Outrage feels performative. Solutions feel disconnected.
Canada once sent farmers, factory workers, engineers, nurses, entrepreneurs, and veterans to Parliament in large numbers. Today, staffers and lawyers dominate. Both groups have value—but neither should dominate to this extent.
Politics should not be a profession you enter before you have lived under the rules you intend to write.
Answering the Objections
Defenders of the status quo argue that political staffers gain deep insight into how government works. That is true—but incomplete. Knowing how to move a file through a department is not the same as knowing whether the file makes sense in the real world.
Others worry that valuing outside experience could disadvantage young or marginalized candidates. In reality, the current system already favours those who can afford low-paid internships and precarious Hill jobs in expensive cities.
Valuing experience gained in trades, community work, small business, or frontline services could broaden—rather than narrow—the pool.
This is not about age. It is about perspective.
How Parties Can Act—Now
This reform does not require new laws. Political parties control nominations.
They could:
· Discourage staffers from running without a minimum period in non-political employment;
· Explicitly value outside work experience in nomination criteria;
· Introduce cooling-off periods between senior staff roles and candidacy; and
· Require transparent disclosure of candidates’ work histories so voters can judge for themselves.
None of this bans anyone from running. It simply changes incentives—and expectations.
A Healthier Politics
Political staffers are not the problem. They work hard and are essential to democracy. However, working in politics is not the same as living outside it.
Canada would be better governed if fewer politicians learned politics first and life second.
Until then, Ottawa will remain trapped by its most dangerous illusion: that understanding government is the same as understanding the country.
Before we trust people to run Canada, we should insist they first live in it—beyond the bubble.
Hope somebody will listen.
Saturday, December 27, 2025
A FEW PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT APPEARD IN THIS COLUMN IN 2025
A FEW PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT APPEARD
IN THIS COLUMN IN 2025
HOW WE PERCEIVE THE ACTUAL SPEED OF TIME will very likely be influenced by our attention, emotions, and the inevitable series of events - whether good or bad - that conspire to shape our memories year after year.
The age-old saying ‘time flies’ has never been more real for me, personally, since I began writing a weekly column for this newspaper. Constant research and the reality of having to meet a deadline every Friday has created a sort of whirlwind of activity that goes far beyond just keeping up with the news. Writing what has amounted to 55 essays on the issues of our time has definitely been a rewarding, if daunting task.
For the purposes of what will be my last column for 2025, I decided to look back at some of what has transpired in local and regional politics. I now invite you to tag along with me for a short while as we consider the merits or otherwise of what amounts to a brief ‘Year in Review’.
January began with Oshawa’s Mayor Dan Carter literally walking out of a committee meeting in a huff following repeated exchanges with the chair, councillor Derek Giberson. Up to that point, the Mayor had been acting as councillor Giberson’s political benefactor, and to see them at odds was a defining moment that foreshadowed a deteriorating working relationship for the rest of 2025.
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 a style similar to a television docudrama, complete with background music and a narration by staff. 580 days of docked pay so far haven’t been enough to put the brakes on the Ward 1 councillor’s determination, and she and her opponents still seem to be headed for some kind of final showdown. A real nail-biter, to be sure.
Also in January, Durham Region councillors were seen to hold their noses and actually vote in favour of investigating the construction of a $1-Billion gondola transit system along Oshawa’s Simcoe Street corridor, extending from Lakeview Park right on 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.” Good luck with that Dave, however, I for one can’t wait for the inevitable CBC documentary entitled “Gondola Apocalypse – An Oshawa Nightmare.” Should they in fact turn this story into a television movie, I can envision Dave’s character being played by Mike Myers of Austin Powers fame. Remember the famous line, “I hope I didn't just say that all out loud just now”?
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in his 1842 poem Locksley Hall, gave us the line, "In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” Well, in Oshawa, Mayor Carter’s thoughts turned heavily towards flexing his own muscles as he warned Council that, “At this particular time, I have embraced the Strong Mayor Powers, and I just want to remind everyone of that.” Those comments were made as some councillors had the apparent audacity to challenge a few key components of his tax-and-spend agenda during a springtime debate.
Undeterred, councillor Nicholson went on to move a motion that “Council recommends a budget increase target of not more than 4% in 2026.” This proposal was ultimately successful, but without the support of the Mayor and certain councillors apparently unwilling to rule out another major tax increase, including Derek Giberson, Jim Lee, and Rick Kerr.
Fast forward to Christmas Day and you’d have seen councillor Nicholson on social media still enjoying his success in having given every Oshawa taxpayer a present containing a more moderate increase of 3.89 per cent. As to councillor Jim Lee, he was ultimately joined by his colleague Derek Giberson – both of them donning a Grinch’s hat while steadfastly refusing to abandon their career-ending desire for higher spending on the backs of Oshawa taxpayers. “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch…”
Spring soon turned into summer, and things got quite heated as to proposed changes to a municipal by-law governing the number and location of social services within Oshawa’s city limits. One councillor took his colleagues to task on social media by suggesting, “If tomorrow's Zoning By-law amendment passes…it will prevent any new social services operated by a non-profit or charity from opening anywhere in the City of Oshawa within an 800 metre radius of an existing social service…”
Well, the amendment did pass, and a degree of sanity has been added to an issue that still wreaks havoc on the entire downtown. Of course, the By-law as it now stands is being challenged by one or more representatives of the alt-Left who enjoy a bit of theatre, however that’s not likely to sway anyone of good sense.
Also occurring in the early days of summer was a memorable ‘epic fail’ over at the Heritage Oshawa committee, as certain members decided it was in everyone’s best interest to remove an architecturally significant home from a list formulated by volunteers in 1998 identifying properties that showed built-heritage value.
What was most remarkable was the flippant manner in which committee member Sarah Smale apparently came to her decision. To suggest, as she did, that a mere drive-by glance was either in whole, or in part, a suitable method of deciding the fate of a historically unique structure was tantamount to a betrayal of her role to work at preserving Oshawa’s built heritage. For his part, councillor Jim Lee was nothing less than adversarial towards the committee itself, and I foresee many more unique properties being threatened by the wrecker’s ball as a result.
So that brings us to the end of 2025 as we look to the year ahead. Time alone will reveal just how the ongoing saga over at Whitby Town Hall plays out between the Mayor and councillor Yamada – who has filed a human rights complaint in his ongoing attempt to become a political dramatist. What better than to act out your own screenplay? He may want to take notes as to the drama playing out in Clarington where a lawyer - who just happens to be an elected official - was arrested and charged with uttering threats.
I used to enjoy making predictions about the people and events likely to make the news, however, as time moves on I have come to expect the unexpected. You know what they say – a week is a long time in politics. Happy New Year!
Friday, December 26, 2025
Why Big Science Matters
Why Big Science Matters
By Diana Gifford
We applaud people solving problems who are focused, efficient, and fast. But I was recently reminded that progress doesn’t always follow a straight line. Before investigators can conduct studies that yield breakthroughs, they often need others to finance and build major research infrastructure. It takes time, with various stops and starts, different collaborations often involving many institutions and countries, and not always a clear sense of direction.
TRIUMF, Canada’s national particle accelerator centre in Vancouver, a partnership of 21 universities, enables study on the inner workings of atoms. The high-energy cyclotron technology developed there, and the specialists trained to use it, produce lifesaving isotopes used to diagnose cancer and guide treatment. As Dr. Lisa Kalynchuk, Vice-President of Research & Innovation at the University of Victoria, put it to me: “When you invest in scientific infrastructure, you’re investing in possibility. You can’t always predict where breakthroughs will appear – but you can create the conditions for them to flourish.”
The Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon is a synchrotron – essentially a machine that bends electrons until they emit intense light. It was built to explore the physics and chemistry of advanced materials, enabling researchers to visualize viruses, investigate chronic lung disease, and understand how drugs interact with the body. Infrastructure constructed for physics and engineering research functions as a lab for understanding human life.
The International Space Station is an example of extraterritorial international collaboration at the frontiers of scientific exploration. It is also a health lab. Astronauts lose bone density rapidly in microgravity, so efforts to keep them strong have helped with osteoporosis, frailty, and aging here on Earth.
Ocean Networks Canada collects and shares data about all aspects of the ocean. The seas are a source of medicines for cancer treatment, new sustainable materials from kelp, renewable energy that reduces the negative health effects from burning fossil fuels, resources to reduce food insecurity, and adapting ocean life systems to better understand human health. The unusually large nerve fibres of squid, for example, made it easier for scientists to understand the electrical basis of the nervous system, knowledge that is shaping treatments for epilepsy, depression, and Parkinson’s disease.
Some of the greatest breakthroughs in human health have arrived not by design, but by accident – provided an inquisitive mind was paying attention. Alexander Fleming wasn’t searching for the world’s first antibiotic when he returned from holiday to find that a wandering mold had killed bacteria on a petri dish. Yet penicillin went on to prevent more deaths than we can count. As Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.”
Increasingly, big science facilities throw researchers from different domains together, triggering unexpected and important outcomes.
These examples remind us why we must invest in large scale research collaboration even when the practical benefits are not obvious. It’s tempting to demand that every dollar be tied to a clear payoff. But history teaches the opposite. Discoveries emerge when we give scientists the freedom to ask bold questions, even ones that seem unrelated to human health. To insist that research must always serve a tidy, immediate purpose is to miss the possibility of much more.
Most people will never see a cyclotron or synchrotron at work. Very few will set foot on the Space Station. But many are benefitting. The decisions made years earlier – that few noticed, debated, or celebrated – have delivered health advances that now touch almost all of us.
The next time we hear about governments debating billions in scientific infrastructure, we might remember, these aren’t abstract investments. They are the seedbeds of discoveries that one day may save our lives.
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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
Many Canadians Take Extra Risks When Traveling Without Insurance
Many Canadians Take Extra Risks When Traveling Without Insurance
By Bruno M. Scanga
Purchasing travel insurance is one of the easiest decisions you will ever make. However, the sad reality is that many Canadians do not purchase proper coverage before they travel and, in some cases, medical expenses incurred in foreign countries have forced some families into bankruptcy.
In 2009, CBC News reported that Canadians made nearly 40 million day trips or overnight excursions to the US.1 This number does not include the number of travelers going abroad for vacations or business functions.
In 2012, the Toronto Sun reported that 6 in 10 people2 do not arrange for travel insurance coverage when leaving the country. Traveling without insurance is a risky venture and Canadians pay tens of millions of dollars each year for unexpected injuries or illnesses that require out-of-country hospital care; even if only for a day trip.
Why Buy Travel Insurance?
Nearly everyone insures their vehicles, homes, and life in the event of an accident, natural disaster or fire. So why are Canadians reluctant to buy travel insurance for the same reasons? Some think it is unnecessary; especially younger people who are generally in very good physical health. Others simply cannot justify the cost….that is, until they experience a problem when they are traveling.
Here are a few reasons that you should invest in travel insurance:
Provincial governments cover only minimal expenses for out-of-country healthcare. Claims for those expenses can take months or even years to be settled.
Accidents happen. They do not discriminate as to who and where they will strike. Something as simple as a broken leg can cost upwards of $20,000.00 in foreign medical expenses.
In some countries, medical facilities will refuse to treat those that do not have medical insurance coverage.
Travel Insurance Providers
Various institutions can provide travel insurance that is based on the length of travel, age and pre-existing medical conditions. Travel agents, insurance brokers and credit card companies offer insurance but it is important that you understand the terms and conditions and any exclusions that the policy may carry.
A few of the many questions to ask are:
Does the policy have continuous coverage while you are away and is it renewable if your stay becomes extended?
Does the underwriter have a 24 hour, English, or French language emergency contact number?
Do you have to pay for all applicable expenses and claim later, or do they pay the institution up-front?
According to the Government of Canada’s website, the following incident occurred. ‘Gabrielle had insurance that lapsed three weeks before she was involved in an accident. Her Canadian family had to raise $300,000 over a three-day period to cover the costs of medical treatment and evacuation. Fortunately, she survived, but her family is left with a hefty debt to repay.’ 3
There are various types of travel insurance plans depending on your needs. Single and multi-trip policies as well as annual premiums are available. And if you are flying abroad, most plans also cover trip cancellation, loss or damage of luggage, flight, and travel accidents.
Enjoy peace of mind with travel insurance for you and your whole family. Don’t risk the trip without coverage.
The New World Order Canada Is Walking Into
Saturday, December 20, 2025
Put Some Perspective In The Christmas Stocking
Put Some
Perspective In The
Christmas Stocking
By Diana Gifford
Put Some Perspective in the Christmas Stocking
How many times in 2025 did you complain about something? And with good reason! But this is the time of year for setting aside our thoughts about the issues driving us crazy. Take a step back during the holidays and reflect on what really counts.
Health and happiness. That’s the bottom line.
My Christmas wish to all is a generous dose of perspective. The year 2025 brought a long litany of disasters. Deadly heat waves. Catastrophic flooding across parts of Europe and Asia. Wildfires forcing mass evacuations in North America and Australia. Powerful earthquakes striking without warning. And humanitarian crises that deepened, driven by conflict, hunger, and climate displacement around the world.
I don’t think I would be alone to say that 2025 brought bad news to family members and dear friends. We suffered setbacks. We lost loved ones. Our hearts ache for those who have been dealt a terminal illness, at no fault of their own.
It’s likely the year ahead will bring more trouble. Though, I hope and pray for less. Don’t we all.
Every year, my husband and I stuff four stockings for our children – now all of them grown up, but still we love the tradition. And every year, I try to find that little something that instills a sense of faith. But faith in what? It’s hard to say.
Faith in our common man? After all, we’ve watched neighbours shovel each other out after storms, while strangers raise millions overnight for people they will never meet.
Faith in our country? That’s harder, when public trust feels thin and institutions seem slower to protect the vulnerable than to protect themselves.
Faith in artificial intelligence? It promises efficiency and answers at the click of a button, yet it still can’t teach compassion, wisdom, or when to pause before doing harm.
I’d like to have more faith in a greater God. But aside from the humility of knowing that we just don’t have all the answers, religion has not been kind to the world.
I have decided to put luggage tags in the stockings this year. The message is, get out in the world. Go far enough away to see how small your own assumptions are and how much we all share once borders blur. When you get to know distant people by being up close, it’s a lot easier to love one another.
In fact, though, one needs not go far. Just down the road is often far enough to come across people who are perfect strangers, and yet, neighbours. There is nothing wrong about trying to “do unto others” with the people right around the corner.
Perspective doesn’t just broaden the mind. It teaches gratitude by showing us how much we have compared with how much we truly need.
And gratitude is the hardest thing of all to put into a Christmas stocking.
We are now a quarter century into the 21st century. We have more information than at any time before, more comfort, more choice, and yet remarkably little patience for uncertainty or inconvenience. But gratitude has not kept pace with innovation. And we are slow to learn it.
This is the first year I must wish readers a Merry Christmas without my father alongside. I can hear his voice, lamenting that over all his many years, people have not learned from history. But hope springs eternal, I prefer to think. Let’s make the year ahead a better one.
If you catch yourself complaining, just stop. Have perspective. Be well. Be happy.
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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
Year-End Tax Planning Ideas
Year-End Tax Planning Ideas
By Bruno M. Scanga
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all our readers!!
The following are some ideas for individuals and business owners to reduce income taxes as 2025 draws to a close.
Individuals should consider doing their RRSP contributions before the RRSP rush in the first 60 days of 2026. You can get better values by buying today than when all the last-minute procrastinators rush to buy their RRSPs in the New Year and temporarily push up market values.
Another idea is to remember to top up any RESP contributions to take advantage of the 20% educational grant before year-end. While there is no technical deadline, it is best to spread your contributions out annually to a maximum of $2,500 to generate the maximum $7,200 in Federal education grants (plus any applicable provincial grants).
If you have children in college or university, start looking at their earned income and whether they will have any unused tuition or other credits that can be used by the parents. Remember also to keep track of all receipts for expenses related to moving expenses to get the children to school as well.
Consider delaying the purchase of any mutual funds in open or non-registered accounts until the New Year. Many funds pay year-end tax distributions in December and any purchases late in the year will get the same taxable distributions as those made in January. So check with your Advisor on the possible taxable distributions if any, on all such purchases before year-end.
Finally, keep track of and gather all medical and dental receipts to see if you can get any tax credits for large expenses incurred during the year not covered by insurance.
Business owners have a wider range of tax planning strategies available to them. Proprietorships can consider incorporating for 2025 if they are having a year of higher than normal income. The goal would be to reduce personal income taxes by having some of the business income taxed at the much lower corporate tax rate.
Business owners can also reduce their taxes by income splitting with spouses or even teenage or adult children. The key is to make sure they are doing work for the corporation whereby the compensation is reasonable for the work being done. Consult your tax accountant for the CRA guidelines in this area.
You can also start planning your income mix between earned income and dividend income. Some shareholders can receive dividends only and pay little or no tax on up to a certain maximum if they have no earned income. Recent Federal Budget tax changes to tax rates on retained earnings will affect this strategy so consult your tax specialist for their advice.
Make sure you deduct as many of your medical expenses as possible in the corporation for those businesses that have Heath Spending Accounts. The medical expense is a deduction to the company, and the reimbursement is tax free to the individual with the savings being equal to something close to your personal marginal tax rate.
Some other tactics to consider include taking or repaying shareholder’s loans from the corporation and making sure you pay the interest on any outstanding shareholder loans.
The key is to get started before year-end to reduce your taxes.
The Menu
The Menu
By Wayne and Tamara
My husband and I are working on 12 years of marriage. We have relocated several times for jobs, but are finally settled down (we hope!). My mother-in-law says we are keeping her grandchildren from her by taking this job and moving where we are. We live nine hours away from his parents, which is closer than we’ve been in years.
Last year because we were unemployed we went to their house for Christmas. This year, now that things are financially mended, we are hosting the Christmas shindigs. The family will be here Christmas Eve and Christmas night, and I planned on taking care of everything as hostess.
My mother-in-law told me she is bringing Christmas dinner. Then a couple of days later she said she is going to bring the meal for Christmas Eve as well. Now, I am in no way incapacitated, ill, unable, or unwilling to cook. I had reserved a prime rib and a ham and planned on all the fixings to go with them. Now both will go unused, so she can bring lasagna and a small pork loin roll.
That’s not enough to feed everyone. My husband says let her, but I don’t feel it’s right. As a hostess I feel insulted. As a daughter-in-law I feel encroached upon. I don’t want to set a precedent for future holidays or visits. I also don’t want to offend her. Is she being helpful or overbearing? And how do I tactfully discuss this with her so as not to make matters worse?
Sara
Sara, in your own home you never give in. Because if your home is not your haven, your castle, and your refuge, then you are homeless. You are right about setting a precedent you cannot live with. In a situation like this the hostess tells the guests—whether they be family or friends—what will be served and when. If someone wishes to bring another dish, it can be placed as a side dish to the main fare the host and hostess provide.
Your mother-in-law can rule the roost in her own home, but she doesn’t get to rule the roost in yours. As in dealing with children, be firm, fair, and consistent. Simply state what the meals and mealtimes are to be. That is your absolute right as a hostess.
Wayne & Tamara
Willow In The Wind
Two years ago I met the love of my life. He is sweet as can be. We love each other’s families, share secrets, and laugh until our stomachs hurt. We have an amazing sexual, emotional, and spiritual connection. I feel as if I’m looking into my own eyes when I look into his. I care for him like I would my child.
But something has gone terribly wrong. His best friend just moved across the street, and this friend has a younger brother who lives with him. They make my fiancé a different person. He makes rude comments to me in front of them for entertainment, and ditches our plans to hang out with them. They want to start a rock band together, something my fiancé said he would never waste his time on. Now he is considering it. I dropped friends for him, but he refuses to drop these men--excuse me, boys--for me.
Frances
Frances, we get letters from women who are angry when another woman mimics their dress, hairstyle, or interests. Because your fiancé is the opposite sex you don’t see a connection to that behavior. When with his friends, your fiancé mimics their behavior; with you, he mimics you. He doesn’t wear your same dress, but he takes on your opinions and outlook.
If it is his nature to be malleable, this can happen with anyone. Ask yourself if your communion with him is genuine, or only present when you have sole custody of your “child.”
Wayne & Tamara
Karmageddon
Karmageddon
By Mr. ‘X’ ~ John Mutton
CENTRAL EXCLUSIVE
As I write my column from my second home in Croatia, it is impossible not to see the horrible events happening across the world.
The total landscape change in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada proves the age-old theory that if you “import the Third World, you become the Third World.”
Christian values have been established for centuries, and those who think they can be watered down—or that politicians can bring the wrong type of people into our country without causing a clash of heritage and culture—belong in Fantasyland.
True leadership is necessary, like that shown by my friend Tommy Robinson in the UK, who arranged the Unite the Kingdom rally with Polish legislator Dominik Tarczyński.
What is causing extreme violence is extremism or radicalism from both the left and the right.
Closer to home, Olivia Chow has introduced a luxury tax on homes over $3 million, which in Toronto is not difficult to reach. However, her quote was that people who own $20-million homes can afford the tax. What about those who are additionally taxed under $20 million Sharpie?
I must admit, this year’s budget process at the Region and in some of the local municipalities has brought about some of the most interest and activity I’ve seen in years. Some great debate from the anti–tax-increase side was led by Regional Councillors Brian Nicholson, Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Maurice Brenner, Steve Yamada, and Chris Leahy.
The need to change the governance of Regional Council has never been more evident, given the plethora of non-mandated services we are providing. I have said it before: tax decreases can be achieved when we focus on what we are supposed to fund and exit funding and taxation for services we are not mandated to provide under the Municipal Act.
The sooner we turn the Region into a services board—drop the regional councillors and make the Chair a Speaker of the House with no voting power—the better. Let local municipalities purchase only the services they require from the Region.
At the provincial level, Doug is “Captain Canada,” taking on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by claiming tourism in Florida is down. Ron pointed out that tourism has actually increased. I don’t think this one was researched by the kids running Doug’s communications—much like the flow regulator that wasn’t removed from the Crown Royal bottle during that stunt.
Listen folks, I know both Doug and Ron, and I consider them both good people looking after their electorates. That said, if I had to bet on either one in this debate, I’m taking Ron DeSantis. He is brilliant, and his staff would not make rookie mistakes like Doug’s.
So this week I was thinking about which rock stars our local politicians resemble.
Here’s what I came up with:
John Henry looks like Henry Rollins
Olivia Chow like Yoko Ono
Dan Carter like David Lee Roth
Brian Nicholson like Chris Stapleton
Jennifer French like Katy Perry.
Christmas 2025 and the World Today
Christmas 2025 and
the World Today
by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC
FEC, CET, P.Eng.
Former Member of Parliament
Pickering-Scarborough East
Christmas has always been more than a holiday. It is a moral and cultural pause, a moment when societies slow down—however briefly—and take stock of who they are and where they are going. In 2025, that pause feels unusually heavy with meaning. The world arrives at Christmas marked by conflict, uncertainty, and deep social strain, yet also sustained by quiet resilience and enduring hope.
The international landscape remains unsettled. Wars that many assumed would be short have become grinding tests of endurance. In Europe, the consequences of prolonged conflict continue to reshape security thinking, energy markets, and political alliances. In the Middle East, cycles of violence persist, exacting a terrible human toll and destabilizing entire regions. Elsewhere, tensions in the Indo-Pacific and beyond remind us that the post–Cold War assumption of a steadily converging world has long since faded. Christmas 2025 arrives in a world where peace feels fragile and often secondary to power calculations.
Economic anxiety compounds this insecurity. While inflation has moderated in some countries, the damage of recent years has not been undone. Housing affordability, food prices, and access to basic services remain pressing concerns for millions. Younger generations, in particular, face a gnawing sense that the social contract is weakening; that hard work no longer guarantees stability, let alone prosperity. Christmas lights may glow brightly in city centres, but behind many doors the season brings stress rather than ease.
Within democracies, social cohesion is under strain. Public debate has grown sharper and less patient, driven by polarized media ecosystems and the relentless pace of online life. Political disagreements increasingly become moral judgments, and compromise is treated as capitulation. Institutions meant to foster trust—parliaments, courts, even universities—are questioned or dismissed when they produce inconvenient outcomes.
Christmas stands in quiet contrast to this climate. Its message insists on dignity, restraint, and humility—values that feel almost countercultural in an age of permanent outrage.
At the same time, Christmas 2025 exposes widening inequalities. For some families, the season is marked by abundance: full tables, generous gifts, and the comfort of time off. For others, it is a period of calculation—how to stretch paycheques, which expenses can be delayed, how to shield children from worry. Charitable giving peaks in December, a testament to enduring generosity, but it also highlights a troubling reality: too many people rely on seasonal kindness to meet year-round needs.
Christmas challenges societies to ask whether compassion should be episodic or structural.
Globally, the season underscores the human cost of unresolved conflict. For refugees and displaced families, Christmas is often spent far from home, in temporary shelters or crowded camps. Traditions are reduced to memories, and celebrations are tinged with grief. History contains moments when Christmas truces briefly halted violence, reminding us that even in war, restraint is possible. While such gestures are rare today, the season still poses an uncomfortable question to leaders and citizens alike: when conflict becomes permanent, what happens to our moral limits?
Beyond geopolitics and economics lies a quieter, less visible crisis, which is loneliness. Despite unprecedented digital connectivity, many people feel isolated. Elderly individuals, migrants, and those separated from family experience Christmas not as a time of togetherness but as a sharp reminder of absence. The season exposes a paradox of modern life: we communicate constantly, yet often struggle to truly connect.
In this sense, Christmas places responsibility not only on governments or institutions, but on individuals. A visit, a call, or a simple invitation can matter profoundly.
Yet it would be a mistake to see Christmas 2025 only through the lens of crisis. The world is also sustained by countless acts of care that rarely make headlines. Parents invest patiently in their children’s future. Teachers, health-care workers, and volunteers continue their work despite fatigue and uncertainty. Communities gather; not out of denial, but out of determination to preserve meaning and continuity. Faith traditions, civic rituals, and family customs endure because they offer orientation in unsettled times.
The enduring power of Christmas lies precisely in its realism. It does not promise that the world will suddenly become just or peaceful. Instead, it affirms that compassion is not naïve, that restraint is not weakness, and that hope is a discipline. Its message is demanding: peace begins locally, dignity is indivisible, and prosperity carries responsibility.
As 2025 draws to a close, Christmas offers the world a choice. It can be treated as a brief interlude; an island of warmth before returning unchanged to division and distraction. Or it can be taken seriously, as a reminder that the future is shaped not only by grand strategies and global summits, but by everyday decisions to listen, to include, and to care.
In a world marked by uncertainty, that reminder may be more necessary than ever.
Merry Christmas! 
Sunday, December 14, 2025
Merry Christmas and Thank You
Merry Christmas and Thank You
By Joe Ingino BA. Psychology
Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers
ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000
Published Columns in Canada and The United States
What a great nation that we live in. A place that are blessed with great opportunity and all kinds of freedoms. Freedoms such as being able to celebrate traditional holidays such as Christmas without the fear of persecution and or prosecution.
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment, harm, or oppression of an individual or group by another, often based on religion, race, political beliefs, or identity, involving severe discrimination, violence, threats, torture, or denial of fundamental rights like freedom and equality, and can range from social ostracism to being a crime against humanity.
It's more than just unfairness; it's a deliberate campaign to subjugate, drive out, or exterminate people, as seen historically with religious groups or currently with political dissidents, and it can involve physical harm, psychological violence, or legal injustices like trumped-up charges.
Prosecution is the institution and conducting of legal proceedings against someone in respect of a criminal charge. Canada is rich in its history in the championing of rights and freedoms. So much so that many of our forefathers gave their lives in the preservation of being able to speak freely. Christmas season brings us face to face with what is important to us. At the Central we could never have been able to achieve number one without the help, support, and assistance of our readers, our advertisers and all our supporters, associates, collaborators and contributors.
Our columnists, like my good friend Cornelius Chisu, who has contributed to the Central for many years. A scholar and a true gentleman. His insights and his opinions on matters that are important to Canadians are enjoyed by millions. Without his contributions the Central would not be your favorite regional newspaper.
Men, like Dean Hickey go way out of his way to uphold industry standards. A man that has earned my respect through his intellectual appetite to become part of an industry that he has so rightly earned. An outsider to the trade that has made the outmost effort to reach for the stars and actually reach them. Thank you for your ongoing efforts and contributions.
Just recently John Mutton joined the Central team, or as he is known, Mr. X. True Durham royalty as there are few that have accomplished as much as he has in one lifetime. Welcome to the Central home.
Then there are notorious names like Lisa Robinson, Pickering councillor. Or, as she is best known.... “The People’s councilor”. A very unique human being with a mission to champion right from wrong, and to expose all that is wrong in politics and society.
One other person that really sticks out when it comes to exceptional contributions is my good friend Nick Kossovan. Here is a man that appears to have never-ending work-related topics to write about. I look so forward to his columns. Thank you, Nick. You are the best.
Then we have Diana Gifford, daughter of a great medical mind, a medical journalist Dr. Ken Walker (who writes under the pseudonym of Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, MD. He was a true scholar and gentleman... his legacy continues today through his daughters writing. We are very appreciative of your contribution from yesterdays, today and tomorrow.
Dale Jodoin, one of our most interesting columnists. His contributions have made legendary strives across the region and online. People writing and calling wanting more. Exceptional work my friend.
Among the great there is world followed, syndicated writers Wayne and Tamara. Writing on issues that touch the heart. They always present topics that are for everyone. Thank you.
Newly joined to the Central: Theresa Grant, our real estate columnist. Her local insights are very well read and commented on. Thank you for your contributions.
In a similar arena we have our good friend Bruno Scanga. His contributions are eye opening and very informative. Thank you.
Camryn Bland, in my opinion a young lady with a lot of potential. Her columns on young minds topics are a fresh welcome. Wishing you the best.
Thank you all for reading the Central. For writing for the Central.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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