DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?

DOES THIS MAKES SENSE? 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 week a headline read: Ontario Investing $16.5 Million to Protect Tariff-Impacted Workers and Businesses Projects will support $120 million in total investments while protecting and creating 1,500 jobs across Ontario November 17, 2025 Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade VAUGHAN —The Ontario government is supporting companies and workers impacted by U.S. tariffs by investing $16.5 million through the Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF) to help them increase resilience, build capacity and re-shore critical supply chains to Ontario. The announcement marks the first round of funding under the OTTF program, with the eight recipient companies’ projects amounting to over $120 million in investments that will create over 300 new, good-paying jobs and protect nearly 1,200 more across the province. I am no economist, no banker nor a financial scholar. Do the math on the investment vs the return. Does it make sense to plunge 120 million to create 1,500 jobs. The math tells you it is $80,000/job. On the surface one may say. Great. In reality, one has to wonder who will the 120 million be really going to. I know the old thinking. Something is better than nothing... the government is famous for putting out cash and ending up in someone bank account that had nothing to do with the initial intent. I believe that our society is falling and about to fall even harder. We elect officials that do not have the business understanding to make the decisions that they make. So what do they do... they bunch up. Spend millions on expensive consultant to give them a series of choices. From these choices they engage in all kinds of paths. Good or bad. It does not matter. As it is not their money. They make a bad decision. They truly do not care as they are not accountable to no one. Think about it... the article read: The Ontario government is supporting companies and workers impacted by U.S. tariffs by investing $16.5 million through the Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF) to help them increase resilience, build capacity and re-shore critical supply chains to Ontario. The question I have for the government.... do they really have an understanding on how tariffs work and or how it will impact industry. I ask this question because tariffs in my opinion should only cause a shift in consumer buying... At the manufacturing level it should produce a shift to newer suppliers. If this stand to be true then where are all these millions going? Who are they politically paying off? Will the average worker really benefit... and if so for how long...

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

The Strange Power of Fake Pills

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

A Candid Conversation

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

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

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

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

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

Why Flying Is Safer Than Surgery?

Why Flying Is Safer Than Surgery By Diana Gifford Many of us have the experience of boarding a plane with a prayer that the pilot has had enough sleep. With your surgeon, it’s a similar problem. Few people get to choose who will do their surgery. Even if you’ve gone to the trouble of arranging a referral to the best, how can you know the doctor hasn’t hit a rough patch? Maybe a crumbling marriage? Or a punishing work and travel schedule that simply has your surgeon fatigued? What can you do? As individual patients, not much. In fact, wait lines are often so long there’s a disincentive to jeopardize that precious surgery date. But as for airline pilots, health care systems have safeguards to ensure surgeons are in good working order. But they are a looser and more opaque. Working hours for pilots are strictly regulated by law. Residents in training often work 24-hour shifts despite known fatigue risks. Fully trained surgeons often have no legally mandated work-hour limits. Schedules are set by hospitals and departments. Is there a culture of bravado among doctors, that they tolerate this? When there’s a near miss in an airplane, the pilot faces the same consequences as passengers. When a surgeon makes an error, there no co-surgeon to prevent or correct it, and reporting of incidents is rare for fear of lawsuits. Physicians are trained to diagnose and to treat. They are not trained to admit vulnerability. Yet, the profession is showing serious strain. More than half of Canadian doctors report feeling burned out, with many contemplating early retirement. In the United States, the numbers are similar. Across Europe, countries have begun to notice alarming levels of depression, addiction, and even suicide among doctors. Why then does the public know so little about existing programs that support doctors and their families. Even healers need help when the going gets rough. We should be broadcasting the programs that care for doctors. And they do exist. The Ontario Medical Association offers a confidential Physician Health Program for doctors, residents, and medical students dealing with mental health challenges, addictions, or professional stress. Other provinces in Canada have comparable services. The U.S. has the Federation of State Physician Health Programs. In Europe, the NHS Practitioner Health service in England, the Practitioner Health Matters Programme in Ireland, and programs in the Netherlands, Norway, and France provide support. Spain offers a particularly sobering example. In the 1990s, several high-profile physician suicides shocked the medical community there. The profession realized that denial and silence were killing their own, and that patients, too, were at risk. In response, the medical colleges created the Programa de Atención Integral al Médico Enfermo, or “Comprehensive Care Program for the Sick Doctor.” It has become a model across Europe, combining confidentiality with structured monitoring to ensure doctors get well and return to practice. The model is strikingly consistent across jurisdictions, offering confidential support, separate from licensing bodies, to encourage doctors to step forward. Where risk to patients is clear, reporting obligations to regulators remain. But the central aim is prevention: address problems before they spiral into impairment, mistakes, or withdrawal from practice. Should the public know more about these programs? My answer is yes. Not to fuel distrust, but to build confidence. A doctor who seeks help is not a doctor to be feared; quite the opposite. Still, it is easy to see why some bristle. Shouldn’t the system be stricter, not gentler, with impaired physicians? Isn’t there a danger these programs “protect their own”? Such suspicion misreads the design. These programs are protective, for doctors and patients. Alas, medicine clings to its culture of invincibility, and that’s why flying is safer than surgery. —————————————————————————————————————— 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

The True Rise of Evil

The True Rise of Evil By Dale Jodoin There is cancer spreading through the Western world. It doesn’t come with tanks or uniforms. It spreads quietly through words, through fear, and through the silence of people who should know better. At first it looks like anger. Then it grows into protest. But before long, it becomes hate. And hate, once it takes root, is almost impossible to remove. Right now, that cancer shows up as antisemitism. Jewish people in Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia, and across Europe are being blamed, harassed, and attacked for a war they didn’t start. Students are bullied in schools. Jewish athletes and artists are targeted online. Shopkeepers and families are threatened in their own communities. These aren’t soldiers or politicians, just people trying to live their lives. We promised “Never Again” after World War II. Those words were meant to stand for something permanent, something sacred. But promises mean nothing if they aren’t defended. What we’re seeing today feels like the early stages of what our grandparents fought to stop. Silence, excuses, and political cowardice are letting that same darkness grow again. In some cities, people march in the streets chanting for the destruction of Israel and even the death of Jewish people. They call it free speech. But there’s nothing free about it. It’s not a debate, it's poison. And the most shocking part is how many governments stand back and do nothing, afraid of being called names by the loudest voices. That poison has started to seep into our schools and institutions, the very places meant to teach fairness and respect. The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ union in the United States, recently made headlines after removing references to Jews from its Holocaust education materials and distancing itself from groups that train teachers to fight antisemitism. Jewish teachers and students spoke out, saying they felt erased and betrayed. When a national education union does something like that, it doesn’t just rewrite history, it opens the door for hate to return to classrooms under a new name. Once hate enters education, it spreads faster. It shapes how young people think. It tells them who is safe to hate next. And that’s what worries me. Today, the target is Jewish people. But you can already see who might be next. Christians are being mocked and excluded more often in the U.S., Britain, and parts of Europe. Italian Catholics are starting to see similar treatment. After them, it could be anyone, any group that refuses to go along with the mob or disagrees with the loudest crowd. That’s how hate works. It doesn’t stay contained. It grows and consumes everything in its path. We need to start calling things by their real names. The Muslim Brotherhood, banned in several Muslim countries for its violent activities, operates freely in Canada and the West. Antifa, a movement that claims to fight oppression, often spreads its own version of it. These groups don’t just protest; they intimidate, threaten, and sometimes call for destruction. When an ideology pushes violence or calls for death, it stops being political. It becomes terrorism. And terrorism should never be tolerated, no matter what mask it wears. Our governments need to wake up. If an arts group, festival, or publicly funded organization denies Jewish people participation because of their faith, it should lose every dollar of public money. Immediately. Public money is a public trust, and when that trust is broken, it must be cut off. Any teacher, professor, or administrator who bullies or excludes students based on religion should be fired and charged. Schools should be safe for learning, not breeding grounds for hate. And the public must do its part too. Every citizen has a responsibility to speak up. Hate doesn’t just happen “somewhere else.” It starts in small ways a joke, a post, a shrug and before long it’s something no one can control. If you think it won’t reach you, you’re wrong. History has shown again and again that once hate begins, everyone becomes a target eventually. We can’t pretend this is just about one conflict overseas. This is about the soul of our countries about whether we still believe in fairness, freedom, and equal protection under the law. When we turn away from one group being attacked, we give permission for others to be next. If our leaders lack the courage to act, then it’s up to regular people to remind them what this country stands for. Canada, and the Western world, were built on freedom and respect. Those values mean nothing if we only defend them for some. Either we protect all people equally, or we become the very thing we claim to fight against. Hate is lazy. It finds a reason to blame someone else instead of fixing what’s broken. It hides behind politics and faith to excuse cruelty. It grows slowly at first, then all at once. That’s why I keep calling it cancer because you can’t wait it out. You have to cut it out before it spreads. So let’s be clear: anyone calling for genocide, anyone denying others the right to live in peace, anyone using public money to divide people they are part of the problem. If we keep funding them, we are part of it too. This isn’t about left or right, Jewish or Muslim, believer or atheist. It’s about right and wrong. Humanity or hate. The choice is still ours, but not for long. If we don’t act now, if we don’t stand shoulder to shoulder against this rising darkness then one day soon, we’ll look back and wonder when it was that we stopped being the good guys. About the Author: Dale Jodoin is a Canadian journalist and columnist who writes about freedom, faith, and social change. His work focuses on the moral challenges facing modern society and the importance of protecting human rights in an age of growing division.

Scrolling Away the Days - How Social Media is Consuming the Life of Every Adolescent

Scrolling Away the Days - How Social Media is Consuming the Life of Every Adolescent By Camryn Bland Youth Columnist Social media has been incorporated into the routines of billions of people daily. It is used for entertainment, information, and creativity, all beneficial concepts at their core. The current issue isn’t with the idea of social media, but with the modern purposes of its usage and the degree it’s relied on. Not only is social media incorporated into the lives of so many individuals, but it is a time commitment that is much longer than one would believe. Short-form content, such as tiktok or instagram reels are often used as a time filler, something to watch in a spare moment. Every time I get on a bus, walk into a cafeteria, or wait for a class to begin, I witness countless people facing their phones. When adding all these simple moments in a day, a few minutes of screen time can easily turn into hours wasted. This wasted time is something which I cannot avoid in my daily life. I am a busy student who has very little free time, yet I always manage to spend more time online than I ever intended to. Any free time which I have should be rewarded by an activity which makes me feel good. I should spend my time reading, going outside, or baking, not watching others do these activities as if they’re a far off dream. In 2025, it has become easier to watch others enjoy their lives than to live our own, yet our dreams are calling from the other side of the device. My phone usage feels like an unbreakable cycle. The more overwhelmed I feel, the more I want to relax, which leads to doomscrolling on every social media app I have. This wasted time makes me feel much more anxious than I did when I began, and the cycle repeats. What was originally used to reduce my stress only continues to increase it, creating an addiction difficult to fight. When you read about social media, it seems almost silly how the lives of so many people revolve around something they could delete with the click of a button. The solution is right in front of me, yet I never choose to break the habit. I fear what I will miss out on, the jokes I will no longer understand. How will it affect my friendships if I am the only one offline? Will I be the last to hear the news if I remove my sources? How will I relax if I cannot scroll? Disconnection is the rational answer to fight a phone addiction, yet the hardest promise to commit to. The issue with this media doesn’t just come from the time commitment, but from the negative mood associated with it. When I finally disconnect, I feel worse than I did when I began scrolling. When I am online, I am fed a constant stream of comparison, upsetting news, and fake information. This outlet is no longer entertaining, informative, or creative, but a key source of anxiety and regret. One of the main influences of this regret is the comparison which stems from social media. Whether it be beauty, lifestyle, or success, influencers post the highlights of their lives, leaving out any inconvenience which may seem undesirable. Almost every post undergoes edits and tweaks before being seen by the vulnerable viewer, to make their posts, and their overall lives, appear perfect. This content causes feelings of shame and disappointment in my own life, despite the fact I know what I view is unrealistic. Social media is no longer about what is real and fake, it’s about what makes adolescents feel something, even if that's jealousy and dejection. These wasted hours are not solely the fault of the viewer; the addiction can be traced back to the algorithms which are keeping viewers hooked. Every social media platform, whether that be tiktok, instagram, youtube, or facebook are all designed to keep you coming back for more. It collects data from your interaction history, modelling itself to do whatever makes you interested. It is an effective strategy which keeps the media thriving and individuals struggling with an addiction to watching one more video. Every night, I promise myself I will reduce my screen time tomorrow. I understand the consequences of the manipulative system, yet the next day I scroll just as much as before. It is useless, as something created to inspire creativity and enjoyment leaves me more unmotivated than ever before. I could spend hours scrolling through the algorithm, yet not remember a single video which I watched. It’s a cycle which needs to be broken, a jail cell made of screen time which I must break free from. The key is right in front of me, the solution so simple; just delete the social media apps. Yet, it is something I may never be able to do, no matter how bad the consequences may be.

STOP NEGOTIATING

STOP NEGOTIATING 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 week the International headlines read: Trump announces 10 per cent tariff increase on Canadian goods U.S. President Donald Trump says he is raising tariffs on Canadian goods by 10 per cent, after accusing Canada of airing what he called a “fraudulent” advertisement that misrepresented former president Ronald Reagan’s stance on tariffs. In a post published on Truth Social at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Trump wrote, “I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now.” Trump’s post cited his frustration over an advertisement produced by the Ontario government that used clips of Reagan warning about the dangers of protectionism and praising free trade. “Canada was caught, red handed, putting up a fraudulent advertisement on Ronald Reagan’s Speech on Tariffs,” he wrote. People, people, people. Am I the only one that sees this? Our so called leaders are playing right in to Trumps strategy. If I was Prime Minister. I would not negotiate a thing. Let Trump have his Tariff. Let’s regroup Canada and not worry about the American power trip. As it stand our markets look good to Americans due to the currency exchange. The more we seem desperate to negotiate the harder he presses. Ford has no business getting in the middle of an International economic threat. Trump is way smarter than any of our so called leaders. He knows he can do anything he wants.... so he sets people up. Let’s take this scenario. Trump will impost Tariffs on Canada. Do we really benefit from the fight back? Has it been working so far? NO. It’s a fight you can’t win and eventually will put you at a bigger disadvantage. People are quick to blame job loss to tariffs. Bull. The problem with job losses is poor management and greedy corporate bulls in board rooms. COVID.... The Chinese, Russia, Trump. There is always an excuse for corporations to look for ways to shift corporate interest in the name of making billions. Look at GM. I have been calling it for your the past 20 years. No one believed me. Remember not to long ago. The automakers cried wolf that they would be pulling out and the billions they took in aid? As a nation we need to stop being so gullable and so ignorant of the writings on the wall when it comes to our economy. Remember not to far away... when car companies turned to the Canadian government for assistance in the fear of bankruptcy? The Canadian government once again negotiated with the car automakers and the Canadian taxpayer lost big time... as the money that was to go to Canada to keep jobs ended up paying for new plants all over the world. I say to our Prime Minister... Stop being a fool to Trump. Let him do his thing and you do yours. Canadians are suffering... on our streets. Focus on that first.

When Democracy Becomes Propaganda

When Democracy Becomes Propaganda By Councillor Lisa Robinson When a sitting provincial premier in Canada produces a 60-second commercial using disembodied clips of Ronald Reagan speaking about tariffs — with the clear intent to influence U.S. political opinion — we cross a line. That’s not diplomacy or persuasion. It’s propaganda. Ontario’s government, led by Doug Ford, has spent millions on a U.S. TV ad blitz that features Reagan’s 1987 radio address, edited to criticize tariffs. The ad warns Americans that protectionism will cause retaliation, job losses, and economic collapse — extracting excerpts of Reagan’s voice to serve a modern political purpose. On the surface, using an iconic conservative figure to broadcast a message to Republicans sounds clever. But if you dig deeper, the ad is not an honest “Reagan speaks” piece — it is cherry-picked, decontextualized, and weaponized. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation has already stated that the Ontario ad misrepresents Reagan’s full speech and that the province did not secure permission to edit or repurpose it. By stripping away context, selectively choosing sentences, and presenting Reagan’s voice as an argument tailored to this moment, the ad turns Reagan himself into a tool — not a historical figure. That is propaganda, not persuasion. And it’s fair to ask whether this kind of political theatre should be paid for by Ontario taxpayers at all. What Doug Ford’s government did with Ronald Reagan’s words isn’t an isolated stunt — it’s part of a larger pattern. We’ve seen the same tactics right here in Pickering. Our own mayor used taxpayer dollars to produce a propaganda video — not to inform residents, but to attack and discredit an elected colleague who dared to challenge the status quo. The intent was the same as Ford’s Reagan ad: distort the narrative, confuse the public, and weaponize perception. Both rely on emotional manipulation instead of honesty. Both use the public purse to protect political power. And both demonstrate a dangerous trend: government officials using the machinery of public communication to silence dissent and reward loyalty. It’s no coincidence that Doug Ford and the Mayor of Pickering have become close political allies — buddies with mutual friends in the development world, often benefiting from the same cozy network of insiders who profit most when the public stops asking questions. When propaganda replaces truth, those friends get richer, while the people get poorer — in trust, in transparency, and in representation. In an age of AI, deepfakes, and micro-targeted messaging, citizens can no longer assume all “endorsements” are authentic. When governments use history’s icons — or public platforms — as political props, democracy suffers. Whether it’s a province meddling in U.S. politics or a mayor weaponizing City Hall communications, both cross ethical lines. The public should never have to fund propaganda against itself. Ford’s ad campaign and Pickering’s political videos both show how far officials will go to control the narrative. When governments use public money to attack the truth, the people must push back. Because once manipulation becomes normalized, it spreads. Today it’s Reagan’s voice; tomorrow it’s your tax dollars funding hit pieces on local opponents. The same playbook — just a different stage. History and truth belong to all of us. When leaders manipulate one and erase the other, they’re not governing — they’re performing. Doug Ford’s Reagan ad and Pickering’s propaganda videos are not about communication. They’re about control. And when politicians form alliances built on deception, backed by money and developers, the people lose their voice. The antidote is simple but powerful: call it out. Every time. Everywhere. Because once the truth is gone, democracy doesn’t stand a chance. "Strength Does Not Lie In The Absence Of Fear, But In The Courage To Face It Head-On And Rise Above It"

Canada’s Balancing Act: Slow Growth, Soft Inflation, and the Long Road to Confidence

Canada’s Balancing Act: Slow Growth, Soft Inflation, and the Long Road to Confidence by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As 2025 draws toward its close, Canada finds itself walking a fine economic line, not in crisis, but not quite in comfort either. Inflation, the ghost that haunted households through the pandemic years, is largely tamed even thought it has lately shown a tendency to rise again. Growth, however, remains tepid, leaving policymakers at the Bank of Canada facing a familiar dilemma: how to keep the economy moving without reigniting the price pressures they fought so hard to subdue. The latest figures from Statistics Canada show annual inflation rising to 2.4 percent in September 2025, up slightly from 1.9 percent in August. The jump resulted mainly from smaller declines in gasoline prices and persistent increases in rent and food costs. On the surface, the number still sits comfortably within the Bank of Canada’s 1-to-3 percent target band, but the upward movement hints at inflation’s stubborn core. Core measures of inflation, those that strip out volatile items like energy, hover closer to 3 percent, a level that keeps central bankers cautious. “We’re seeing encouraging signs, but underlying price momentum hasn’t fully cooled,” a senior Bank economist noted in a recent policy briefing. “It’s premature to declare victory.” For consumers, the relief is relative. Grocery prices are stabilizing but remain high compared to pre-pandemic norms, and rents continue to outpace wage gains in many metropolitan areas. The psychological fatigue from years of price turbulence is evident: Canadians are spending less freely and saving more defensively, even as inflation moderates. While inflation shows signs of normalization, the broader economy has yet to regain its stride. The Bank of Canada’s January 2025 Monetary Policy Report projected real GDP growth of around 1.8 percent this year, edging up modestly in 2026. Independent forecasters, including the OECD, are less optimistic, predicting growth closer to 1.0 percent. The reasons are structural as much as cyclical. Business investment remains soft, productivity growth is flat, and global demand for Canadian exports is lukewarm. Even the housing market, once the engine of national expansion, has cooled under the weight of past rate hikes and new immigration policies slowing population growth. “Canada’s productivity problem has reached emergency status,” warned a recent Wall Street Journal analysis citing senior central-bank officials. Despite record immigration levels earlier in the decade, per-capita output has stagnated, leaving Canadians poorer in relative terms. Households, still burdened by record levels of debt, have become far more cautious. Mortgage renewals at higher rates continue to strain disposable incomes. Many families are postponing major purchases, from vehicles to renovations. Consumer confidence surveys show a population anxious about the future wary of job security, skeptical of government spending, and uncertain about when relief might arrive. The Bank of Canada’s own business outlook surveys echo that mood. Firms report weaker sales and shrinking profit margins, with hiring intentions moderating across most sectors. Exporters, particularly in manufacturing and energy, face the double challenge of slower U.S. demand and global trade frictions. Yet there are pockets of resilience. The service sector hospitality, tourism, and professional services has recovered faster than expected, buoyed by pent-up demand and a rebound in travel. The labour market, while easing, remains relatively tight, with unemployment hovering just above 6 percent. Wage growth has softened but continues to run near 3 percent, roughly matching inflation and preventing a return to real-income declines. For the Bank of Canada, the task now is calibration rather than correction. After an aggressive tightening cycle between 2022 and 2024, which pushed the policy rate to 5 percent, the central bank has cautiously shifted toward a holding pattern and markets are speculating about when cuts will begin. The September uptick in inflation may have delayed that timeline. “They’ll be in no rush,” says Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at CIBC. “The Bank wants to see several months of consistent 2 percent-range inflation before pulling the trigger on rate reductions.” Still, pressure is building. Borrowers, from homeowners to small-business owners, are eager for relief. Federal and provincial governments face rising debt-service costs. A premature cut could risk reigniting inflation; a delay could push the economy closer to stagnation. It is, in Governor Tiff Macklem’s words, “a narrow path to soft landing.” Fiscal policy has little room to maneuver. Ottawa’s deficit remains high, and new spending commitments, from housing initiatives to climate-transition programs, are straining the federal balance sheet. The fall economic statement due in November 2025 is expected to emphasize restraint, though targeted tax incentives for investment and innovation may appear. Provincial governments face their own pressures. Ontario’s infrastructure ambitions and Alberta’s energy transition costs collide with the limits of provincial borrowing. Across the country, municipalities are pleading for more funding to expand affordable housing and transit networks, both crucial to restoring productivity and controlling inflationary housing costs. Meanwhile, the immigration recalibration announced earlier this year — tightening the inflow of temporary foreign workers and international students — is beginning to cool demand but also reduce the labour-supply growth that sustained GDP gains. Economists warn of a demographic “whiplash” if policy swings too sharply. Canada’s challenges are hardly unique. The U.S. economy, while still expanding, is also showing signs of fatigue. Global trade remains subdued, and geopolitical tensions from Europe, the Middle East to the South China Sea threaten to destabilize commodity markets. For a resource-exporting nation like Canada, volatility in oil and metals prices can quickly ripple through the national accounts. Yet Canada’s relative stability remains an asset. The banking system is sound, public institutions are trusted, and the inflation-targeting framework continues to anchor expectations. The Canadian dollar, while weaker against the U.S. greenback, has steadied after last year’s slide, helping exporters regain some competitiveness. Most forecasters expect 2026 to mark a modest turning point; a year of slow but steady recovery, provided global conditions hold. The Bank of Canada projects inflation converging toward 2 percent, with GDP growth inching higher as investment recovers and interest rates gradually decline. Still, the structural questions persist: How can Canada lift productivity? How can it make housing affordable again? And how can it ensure the next generation sees rising living standards, not just stable prices? The answers will not come from the central bank alone. They will require a mix of education reform, technology investment, infrastructure renewal, and immigration strategies that balance economic needs with social capacity. Without these, low inflation may be achieved, but prosperity will remain elusive. Canada has, in many respects, passed the inflation test. What lies ahead is the harder exam: restoring economic vitality. The numbers, 2.4 percent inflation, 1 percent growth, tell a story of stability on paper but stagnation in spirit. Whether policymakers can turn this “soft landing” into a genuine takeoff will define the next chapter of Canada’s economic story. Let’s see what the upcoming Liberal Government budget will produce. Hope for the best for the country.

MEANINGLESS WORDS

MEANINGLESS WORDS By Joe Ingino BA. Psychology Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States They say that words play a heavy role in it’s interpretation. If you can manipulate words you can manipulate the flow of communication. It is an art that is reserved for the true elite. For government in order to control the masses. Just this week the City of Oshawa released this online. Knowing very few people would actual read it. Internet posting is not publishing. Internet posting is the ability of municipalities to become a sub-Quasi media. Controlling what they release. Knowing limited or no readers. This is what the release stated: Oshawa Economic Development has unveiled a refreshed website oshawa@@#!@!$v.ca designed to showcase the City of Oshawa’s competitive advantage and deliver an insight-driven, user-focused experience for investors, entrepreneurs and businesses. (talk about a lot of words that mean nothing. 1st, Oshawa has been criticized in more than one occasion for being prejudice and bias on who they choose to do business with. The City does not even support their own City newspaper. Instead they opted out to be accountable to no one and post online knowing not everyone is online or can afford it. Very discriminatory and divisive). The new site features bold visuals, dynamic video and streamlined navigation that highlights Oshawa’s vibrant economy, skilled talent pool and strategic location. (Dynamic!!!!, Vibrant economy!!!, SKILLED TALENT POOL!!! Just because we have a University it does not make the population skilled as many graduates can’t get work in the disciplined they took part in. Look at the state of Oshawa downtown? Where is the resilience? Where is the video that show the suffering of those living on our streets and those barely keeping their businesses open?) In my opinion nothing short of an insult to those in the City that are actually doing something for the community. When was the last time you seen a politician enter your place of business? Or as a citizen.... when was the last town hall to consult on what matter to you? Never — Thought so. Hypocrites... ‘a new website’, wasting taxpayers money to make it look like they are doing something. I blame this on the poor leadership at City Hall. They do not care about you or me. They only care that you pay for their mistakes by increasing taxes year after year. There is no accountability nor responsible spending. Most after politics could not hold another job of same title and or responsibility. Remember 2026 is around the corner. Make it count...

Ontario’s Fall Legislature: Balancing Growth, Governance, and Public Trust

Ontario’s Fall Legislature: Balancing Growth, Governance, and Public Trust by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As Ontario’s Legislature returns for its Fall 2025 sitting, after a long summer vacation, the agenda reveals both the government’s ambition and the province’s unease. Premier Doug Ford’s team is pressing ahead with a series of reforms it says will modernize Ontario’s economy and clear the way for growth. However, an unknown factor generated by the evolution of the tariffs war with the United States is yet to influence the legislative agenda. Yet almost every file now before Queen’s Park—energy, labour, housing, or municipal governance—carries the same underlying question: how much efficiency can a democracy afford before accountability begins to fray? Working for Workers—or for Employers? The centrepiece of the session, Bill 30, Working for Workers Act 2025, bundles amendments to labour and employment statutes. The government presents it as a continuation of its promise to “stand up for the little guy,” streamlining outdated regulations and reducing red tape for businesses. Unions and opposition critics counter that the fine print tells another story: weaker overtime rules, looser enforcement, and fewer tools for vulnerable workers to challenge unfair practices. For employers, it offers flexibility; for labour groups, it marks another step away from workplace protections that took decades to build. Powering the Province—Quietly. Energy reform again takes centre stage through Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act. It rewrites parts of the Electricity Act, curtails citizens’ ability to sue over procurement decisions, and accelerates infrastructure approvals. Supporters argue Ontario needs to move faster to keep lights on and attract investment. Environmental advocates call it a rollback of transparency that shields the government from scrutiny just when the province is grappling with climate commitments. The tug-of-war between speed and oversight is not new, but this bill pushes it further than ever, prompting even some business voices to warn against concentrating too much discretion in cabinet hands. Municipal Friction: Bill 9 and the Camera Debate. Relations between Queen’s Park and municipalities remain strained. Bill 9, ostensibly about municipal codes of conduct, has raised alarms for reducing independent oversight of councillor behaviour. Big-city mayors say the province is “downloading” responsibility while limiting autonomy. The same tension underlies the automated speed-camera issue, now resurfacing across Ontario’s cities. Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton have expanded camera programs to curb residential speeding and fund road-safety campaigns. The province controls the legislative framework for camera enforcement and fine distribution, and several municipalities are pressing for clearer authority and a larger share of revenue to reinvest locally. Supporters view cameras as proven deterrents that protect pedestrians; opponents label them “cash grabs” that punish rather than educate. As installation expands into smaller communities, the fall session could determine whether Ontario adopts a province-wide policy or continues the patchwork of municipal bylaws. The Housing and Affordability Crunch. Ontario’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes by 2031 looms large. Construction remains well below target, while rents and mortgages climb. The government resists renewed rent controls, insisting that private investment, not regulation, will drive supply. Opposition MPPs advocate province-wide zoning for four-unit homes and stronger tenant protections. Municipalities, meanwhile, warn that they cannot meet housing targets without more infrastructure funding and social-housing support. Behind the rhetoric lies a fiscal impasse: cities bear the costs, while the province sets the rules. Red Tape or Red Flag? Few slogans define the Ford years more than “cutting red tape.” This fall, new measures promise to simplify approvals for industrial projects, housing developments, and mining operations. Business groups applaud; environmentalists and Indigenous leaders caution that “faster” can mean “less fair.” The critical-minerals strategy, particularly in the Ring of Fire, illustrates the dilemma. Ontario aims to halve project-approval timelines, positioning itself as a hub for EV battery materials. Yet northern First Nations say consultation cannot be rushed without violating treaty obligations. The province’s bet on resource speed could either cement its economic future or ignite years of legal conflict. Accountability and the Rule of Law. One striking feature of the current legislative package is the growing number of immunity clauses shielding the Crown and agencies from lawsuits. Proponents argue these provisions prevent costly litigation and provide certainty for investors. Civil-liberties groups respond that they erode a citizen’s right to challenge government decisions in court. The pattern extends beyond energy to land-use planning and environmental approvals; a quiet but significant shift in Ontario’s legal landscape. Everyday Climate and Worker Safety. Amid the large bills, smaller private-member initiatives are emerging: proposals to establish a “Heat-Protection Standard” for outdoor workers and public-awareness weeks on flooding and extreme heat. After two consecutive summers of record temperatures, even modest measures carry symbolic weight. They remind legislators that adaptation, not only growth, will define Ontario’s resilience. The Political Crossroads. Ontario’s Fall 2025 session is less about single pieces of legislation than about competing visions of governance. The Ford government’s supporters see a province finally cutting through bureaucracy to deliver results; housing, jobs, and investment. Its critics see a concentration of power, an erosion of checks and balances, and a steady sidelining of local voices. The debate over speed cameras captures the broader paradox: every initiative aims to make systems faster and more efficient, yet speed itself becomes the problem when accountability cannot keep up. As the Legislature debates these measures through the winter, Ontarians will be watching not only for what laws are passed, but for how they are passed and at what democratic cost. Efficiency may win headlines, but in governance, trust remains the hardest currency to replace. In conclusion, we are facing interesting times to come in Ontario

HOW ELECTED OFFICIALS USE FACEBOOK IN A WORD DOMINATED BY SOCIAL MEDIA

HOW ELECTED OFFICIALS USE FACEBOOK IN A WORD DOMINATED BY SOCIAL MEDIA THE USE OF FACEBOOK by elected officials, including mayors and councillors throughout Durham Region, varies significantly. The complexity of navigating the responsibilities of public office in the face of growing online engagement has resulted in a range of approaches - and even consequences for some. The more engaged members of Oshawa Council use their Facebook accounts to actively post updates, respond to questions, and communicate daily with their residents. Probably the best example of this is Ward 5 Regional councillor Brian Nicholson. One need only take a quick glance at his multiple Facebook groups to see how quickly information is shared – in real time - on matters concerning Council decisions that affect what he has long-since referred to as ‘Southern Oshawa’. However, communicating on a daily basis with constituents in this way must undoubtedly blur the line between a councillor’s public duties and their private life, with the increasing expectation that they make themselves available at all hours of the day and night. I had occasion some time ago during a casual conversation to raise that very subject with the councillor from Ward 5, and when I asked him as to the effect social media had on his time off, he immediately responded by reminding me that, once elected, a member of Council “really doesn’t have time off.” As it stands, councillor Nicholson administers a number of Facebook groups. I can recall him telling me not long ago that his individual posts were on average read by well over 20,000 people, and that actual constituent inquiries numbered in the range of 100 per day. He also used to constantly credit municipal staff for making him “look good” by the speed with which they were taking care of issues passed on from social media. Other councillors appear more inclined to use their Facebook presence to simply share specific announcements and various press releases issued by the municipality – on routine matters such as snow removal, garbage collection, and the introduction of new policies and programs that residents may find of interest. One such councillor is Rosemary McConkey from Ward 1. She once told me quite unequivocally that she “doesn’t do photo-ops” therefore what you won’t see by way of self-promotion on her Facebook page will undoubtedly be made up for by endless Excel spreadsheets and other routine documents. The councillor from Columbus appears more inclined to act as an information resource, and you won’t find a whole lot of real-time interaction on what many see as a somewhat tinder dry social media presence. On the other hand, some councillors seem to want very little to do with Facebook and all that it represents, and a good example of that is Ward 5 City councillor and ex-Mayor John Gray. A glance at his political page shows it to have been dormant since the last election, with the latest post dating back to October 2022. He does make use of his personal page to some extent, however you will see only seven posts since November 2024, all of which were added by others onto his timeline. He has repeatedly told me his preference will always be actual personal contact, either face-to-face or by telephone, and he has no willingness to change that. Another interesting example of the use of Facebook comes from the Man-Who-Would-Be-Mayor himself, Ward 2 Regional councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri. A glance at his political page shows no activity for the last four months, however if you swing over to his so-called personal page, you will see a veritable onslaught of selfie-videos the good councillor is using to share his views on everything from homebuilding to homicides. It seems he can’t make a move without finding one reason or other to offer his loyal viewers a bit of commentary. The abandonment of his Ward 2 councillor page is undoubtedly strategic, as he prepares to campaign for the Mayor’s job in the next election. As one might expect, there is more than a handful of fans ready and willing to press the “like” button on most of his Facebook posts, including Ward 4 Regional councillor Rick Kerr, a man who lives in hope of becoming Tito’s Deputy Mayor. Meanwhile, it’s important to remember a councillor's social media conduct can be reviewed by an Integrity Commissioner if it violates the Code of Conduct adopted by Council. Oshawa's own policy sets clear guidelines for online conduct. The expected standards dictate that members must not use their social media presence to bully, shame, or engage in disrespectful behavior toward the public, other council members, or staff. Of course, the most recent offender in this regard was Ward 4 City councillor Derek Giberson who decided it was somehow appropriate to make comments on social media regarding an identifiable individual within the community who was engaged in a matter that was before the courts. The Ward 4 councillor was ultimately found to be in contravention of the obligation of elected officials to refrain from commenting on such matters. No sitting Oshawa councillor has since been seen to bring about such public humiliation and shame. Of course, other rules exist to ensure that the proper use of social media is maintained. Blocking users on a Facebook account used for official business can be legally and ethically complex. In the city of Toronto, their social media guidebook advises councillors to be careful that blocking does not unfairly affect users, particularly if the account is intended for political debate. The consequences for violating a social media policy or Code of Conduct can be significant. The recent case in Cambridge, where a councillor faced a potential pay suspension, illustrates that misconduct on Facebook can lead to official punishment. On a final note, it must be remembered that, contrary to popular fiction, an elected official cannot separate their political Facebook account from any other they see as being personal. Statements and posts added or even shared to any social media account created in the name of a person holding elected office are equal in stature when held to the standards set by a municipal Code of Conduct. They are equally subject to potential review by an integrity commissioner or any other judicial body that may be called upon to examine a councillor’s conduct. Social media, and especially Facebook, are questionable means of communication and very much worthwhile in the practice of censorphip, but they can also be self-destructive when in the wrong hands.

I Am the Storm

I Am the Storm By Councillor Lisa Robinson There comes a point when the storm you’ve been forced to endure stops being something outside of you… and becomes the fire inside you. I’ve faced more than most will ever see behind closed doors. The slander. The political punishment. The calculated attempts to isolate, humiliate, and silence. Every tactic known — from weaponizing codes of conduct to manipulating procedure — was designed to wear me down, to make me doubt myself, to force me to give up and stop. But they underestimated me. I wasn’t built to bow to pressure. I was built to withstand it. The harder they’ve pushed, the stronger I’ve become. Every sanction, every vote to strip me of pay, (1.5 years thus far) every moment they tried to bury my voice has only deepened my determination. I’ve walked through their storm — head high, shoulders squared — refusing to bend to a system that punishes truth-tellers while protecting those who hide behind process. I’ve endured the isolation of standing alone at the table, watching colleagues look away instead of standing up. I’ve endured the personal attacks, the whisper campaigns, and the very public attempts to crush my credibility. But I am still here. Unbroken. Unshaken. Unafraid. Because what they don’t realize is this: I was never meant to be swept away by the storm. I am the storm. I was put in this place for a reason...to stand, to fight, and to rise. And storms don’t ask permission. They don’t wait for permission. They move with force, they reshape everything in their path, and they leave no doubt about their power. This fight was never just about me. It’s about every person who’s been punished for refusing to stay silent. It’s about calling out corruption, exposing hypocrisy, and standing up for what is right — even when you stand alone. I will not apologize for speaking the truth. I will not back down because it makes others uncomfortable. And I will never surrender my voice to those who fear it. They tried to contain the storm. Instead, they created one. I will survive the storm — because I am the storm. "Strength Does Not Lie In The Absence Of Fear, But In The Courage To Face It Head-On And Rise Above It"

Canada used to be a country that got things done

Canada used to be a country that got things done By Dale Jodoin Canada used to be a country that got things done. We built highways through rock, railways across frozen land, towns from nothing. We didn’t stop because someone might be afraid of noise or dust. We worked, we built, we grew. Now, it feels like we’ve traded courage for comfort and backbone for bubble wrap. Everywhere you look, someone’s afraid of something. The left tells us to tremble at every tweet from Donald J. Trump, the current president of the United States. They say his name will terrify Canadians into silence, making them fear their ammo. And if you don’t side with the left? You’re labelled fascist, racist, or worse. The center is under attack from both sides while the country slowly fractures. Look around. We’re scared of words, jokes, fireworks, even history. People demand that everyone else stop doing what makes them happy just because someone might be uncomfortable. Life doesn’t come with a comfort guarantee. Take fireworks. Every July, a few voices demand their cancellation—because they rattle dogs, unsettle veterans, or trigger anxiety. Those are valid concerns. But the solution is not to cancel joy for everyone. If fireworks bother you, stay home. Don’t take something meaningful away from thousands of others. That’s the deeper problem: we’ve become a nation afraid to offend. You can’t build anything that way. You can’t have free speech if everyone is terrified of it. When did we forget how to disagree without crying for someone to be silenced? On university campuses, the culture’s even worse. Students are screened for “triggering” words. Professors are censured for jokes that used to spark debate. We’re training a generation more worried about being offended than about being resilient. What happens when life gives them something truly hard, without trigger warnings or safe spaces? Here’s the truth: fear has become a shield. It’s easier to say, “I’m terrified,” than to take responsibility. If someone says something you don’t like, talk, debate, or walk away. Don’t demand the world rewrites everything just so you’ll never feel uneasy. Canada was built by people who faced fear, not by people who hid from it. Immigration, once a symbol of hope, is being twisted into a tool of division. Immigrants came to build something together with us to enrich the country. Now politicians use immigration stories to pit one group against another. They whisper victimhood to some, blame to others. That’s not unity. That’s manipulation. It’s quietly ripping the country apart. We used to be one people, proud and united. Now we fracture into isolated groups, each one afraid someone else will speak. The loudest voices are treated like everyone’s voice. The rest of us are just trying to keep the lights on, raise kids, and live in peace. It’s almost absurd. We live in one of the safest countries on Earth, yet act like we’re on constant alert. Our grandparents survived wars, hunger, freezing winters. We stress over tweets. If we keep living by everyone else’s fear, Canada won’t survive not in spirit. Fear shrinks people, kills joy, stops progress. The only cure is courage. And a little humour along the way doesn’t hurt. So here’s the deal: if you’re scared of something, fine. But don’t ask the rest of us to silence our joy because of it. If you don’t like what someone says, let it pass. If fireworks bother you, stay away. If politics makes you anxious, switch off the news. Canada can be strong again. We just need to remember who we are: people with courage, hard work, and the freedom to speak our minds. We’re not here to babysit fear. We’re here to build a country. And if that offends someone well, maybe they should try being offended elsewhere. Written by Dale Jodoin newspaper writer and journalists

A Candid Conversation

A Candid Conversation By Theresa Grant Real Estate Columnist Without question, it is a very different world today than the one I grew up in. I remember being a child living in what was then called uptown, it was actually the Yonge and Eglinton area of Toronto. It was a very modest upbringing. My parents worked hard to give their three daughters what they could. We all helped around the house, took turns doing the dishes and things to help our mom. We were respectful and obeyed the rules set out by our parents. We had one bathroom, one television and therefore had to agree on what to watch. Our parents set out most of the viewing schedule and I remember the whole family sitting around the living room watching Carol Burnett, The Waltons and many other entertaining programs. We as children didn’t use the phone much,we waited for someone to come knocking on the door to see if we wanted to play or we went door knocking ourselves. It was simple, stay close, come home as soon as the streetlights came on. At the time, we could not have imagined it being any different than it was. Progress to us (and to our delight), was returning to school in September to find a new piece of equipment added to the playground. For the many that grew up as I did in the sixties and seventies it is very hard to fathom what is going on with our youth today. Years ago, we thought that older people were looking to recruit the younger ones for their crimes and misdemeanors by telling them that they could not get into any serious trouble due to the young offender’s act.It would often be the case that a couple or a few named young adults would be arrested and we would see on the news that there was a young offender involved who could not be named. It seems that that is not even the case anymore. We see on the news on a regular basis, children as young as eleven and twelveare involved in horrific crimes and there are no older adults involved. Which begs the question, what the hell is going on with our youth?Where are the parents is one of the biggest questions that I hear posed when these stories hit the news. What is going on in homes across our region that would make these children think that it is okay to go out and commit the crimes they do? The most recent that comes to mind is the smash and grab at the Oshawa Centre involving a group of boys aged from 13-19. Then there are the 8 kids involved in the armed robbery of another youth on William Lott Dr. in North Oshawa. Here we had12-, 13-, and 15-year-old girls and boys. Back in the summer there was the swarming of a Pizza worker in south Oshawa that involved an 11-year-old boy and 3 girls aged 13,14, and 15. Most heinous of recent youth criminal acts is the elderly woman killed in frontof her home in Pickering by a 14-year-old boy in an absolutely unprovoked attack. Something needs to change. Now. People need to speak up.

Starting Point

Starting Point By Wayne and Tamara My husband and I have been married over 26 years. He was my dream come true. He has been drinking since age 16, but it never occurred to me he was an alcoholic because I thought alcoholics were bums drinking out of brown paper bags on street corners. My husband graduated from law school, then joined the Air Force where most activities he chose centered around drinking. Later he worked to establish a private practice and was successful. The nightly drinking continued, and he would blow in later and later. I sought counseling and the therapist told me he is what is called a functioning alcoholic. I was in total disbelief. My husband turned to the counselor and admitted he was an alcoholic, though he later denied that admission. The next session he came in wasted and was asked to leave. Since then the alcoholic has filed for divorce and refuses to speak to me. I know of at least one affair. He has acknowledged he is an alcoholic, but he has absolutely no intention to stop. I can’t believe this is really happening. How do I start over? Robyn Robyn, a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry reported 76 percent of alcoholics in the U.S. never seek treatment. The 24 percent who do get treatment wait an average of eight to 10 years before seeking that treatment. Even then, it will be years more before the alcoholic stops drinking for good, and additional years before they stop acting like an alcoholic, if they ever do. Alcoholics have a smugness about the castles in their mind. In that domain they set the rules and they make the laws. Like any absolute monarch, they are unwilling to give up their power. It doesn’t matter whether you think alcoholism is a disease, a moral failing, a chemical addiction, or the aftereffect of a lousy childhood. The prognosis for successfully living with an alcoholic is poor. If children are present, the consequences are dire. Human development follows a predictable pattern. To develop their own brain, children need to be around mature brains--brains working from reality, brains meeting challenges and facing facts. Observing those brains and patterning themselves after them, give children what they need to master life. Child abuse is the term which most accurately describes what children in an alcoholic home endure. The effects of an alcoholic home on children are well-known: depression, inability to form close relationships, relentless self-criticism, inability to complete projects, and constant approval seeking. Even the non-drinking spouse is changed. That person is co-opted into making excuses, covering up, and pretending what happened the night before never happened. That’s what’s so striking about your letter. You left nearly everything out. The fears, the arguments, the spoiled occasions, the conversations which he didn’t remember are all missing. It’s as if you still don’t want to go there. That’s understandable because denial is a powerful defense mechanism; it keeps us from having to face pain. Denial operates in two ways. On an internal level, denial keeps us from having to confront our fears and the loss of our hopes and dreams. On an external level, denial keeps us from difficult confrontations with events and other people. But the cost of denial is high. That is why it is so dangerous. When a person fails to prepare for the consequences of what they seek to deny, those consequences escalate. You feared the dismantling of your marriage and becoming a single woman again, but what you feared you must now confront. So it’s time to go back to your therapist and tell him or her what you didn’t tell us. You need to talk through why you did what you did, and why you couldn’t admit what was before your eyes. It will feel embarrassing and humiliating at first, but that is where you must begin. Wayne & Tamara

It’s Flu Season But It`s Not the Flu

It’s Flu Season But It’s Not the Flu By Diana Gifford “The superfluous,” said Voltaire, the French philosopher, “is a very necessary thing.” Alas, his thinking predated our understanding of the norovirus. The norovirus is one of the most common viruses on the planet – yet it seems to be doing nothing useful, let alone necessary. It’s just making hundreds of millions of people worldwide sick in any given year. A lot of people made sick by norovirus think they have the flu. The symptoms are similar. But norovirus isn’t the flu at all. It’s a tiny, highly contagious virus that infects the stomach and intestines. It spreads through contaminated food, water, surfaces, and most usually, dirty hands. The virus is found only in humans, not animals, and it doesn’t need much help to make trouble. A microscopic particle is enough to make you sick. Once ingested, it multiplies rapidly and exits just as quickly, shedding billions of copies that can infect others. It’s so efficient that it’s been called “the perfect pathogen.” Most outbreaks emerge in familiar places like restaurants, daycare facilities, cruise ships, or long-term care homes. The virus is so hardy that it survives freezing, mild heating, and many cleaning products. Even alcohol-based hand sanitizers, so effective against most bacteria, don’t reliably stop it. Soapy water is the best prevention. Symptoms of infection include sudden nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It comes on fast but is usually over in two or three days. Most people recover without lasting harm, though the elderly, very young, or those with weakened immune systems can become dangerously dehydrated. Unlike other viruses, getting it once doesn’t make you stronger. You might think that exposure would at least give your immune system a workout and lead to lasting protection. Unfortunately, norovirus doesn’t play by those rules. Your body does mount a defense and produces antibodies, but they fade quickly – usually within six months to two years – and only protect you from the exact strain that made you sick. But norovirus keeps changing. It mutates its surface proteins just enough to fool your immune system the next time around. That’s why you can catch norovirus again and again. There is literally nothing good about norovirus unless you count that it makes victims better appreciate good plumbing. Scientists have been working for years to develop a vaccine. But so far, the virus’s habit of constant reinvention has stymied efforts. There are dozens of strains, and new ones emerge every few years. Norovirus often strikes just after a family dinner. Within 24 hours, one person starts feeling queasy, another rushes to the bathroom, and soon everyone is apologizing or looking for culprits in the cooking. But it’s not the food. It’s norovirus that came uninvited on unwashed hands. What can we do? The answer is old-fashioned but effective. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before preparing food and after using the bathroom. Keep kitchen surfaces clean. Cook shellfish thoroughly, since oysters and clams can carry the virus if harvested from contaminated waters. And if someone in your home is sick, disinfect using a bleach-based cleaner and handle laundry and dishes with care. Norovirus may be hard to kill, but it doesn’t like hot water, chlorine, or good hygiene habits. The larger lesson in all this is about humility. For all our medical advances, a virus invisible to the naked eye can still level us for days. Immunity isn’t always cumulative, and strength doesn’t always come from exposure. Sometimes, health depends less on what we can endure and more on what we can avoid. —————————————————————————————————————— 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