Week in Review: October 2, 2016
An interesting article by David Reevely in the Ottawa Citizen reveals that the PC Party of Ontario is in a big rush to nominate candidates in a number of ridings ahead of proposed changes to provincial election fundraising rules. They’re in a hurry to land high profile candidates like former Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin in Ottawa Vanier, so they can help haul the loot aboard before the big clamp down. So, don’t be surprised to see some more interesting nominations in the ridings Reevely identified as priorities. In the GTA, these include: Brampton-North, South and West, Milton, Mississauga Centre & Streetsville, Scarborough-Centre, Burlington, Markham-Stoufville, Pickering-Uxbridge, York Centre, Etobicoke-Centre (long rumored to be held for Doug Ford) and Eglinton-Lawrence.
Premier Wynne blinked on the Green Energy file Tuesday and cancelled plans to sign contracts for up to 1,000 MW of power from solar, wind and other renewable energy sources – something Patrick Brown’s PC Party has been demanding since he took over as leader. The reason: even the Liberals are starting to realize Ontario is awash with electrical power. We don’t need any more at the moment. Instead, we need better quality wires to get it from the generators to our homes and businesses. The Energy Minister said the move will save up to $3.8 billion and will keep up to $2.45 per month from being added to your hydro bills. Don’t expect to see a savings of any kind on your bills though.
Do you have a map of Australia? Throw it out. Australia is the fastest moving continent on Earth – so fast, that GPS coordinates are no longer accurate and the country will officially “relocate” it’s latitude and longitude again this year. It’s the fourth “move” in the last 50 years. On December 31, it will move about 5 feet. Not bad, considering its last move in 1994 was 656 feet. Geologists attribute the movement to shifting tectonic plates. I’m convinced, however, it has more to do with too much partying.
Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock reassured fans yesterday that it was “onward and upward” for the leaguered team. And, he’s right! I mean, there is literally nowhere else for the Leafs to go – but upward.
What is Metrolinx thinking? The provincial transit agency has officially scrubbed a developer's proposal to build condos over the Avenue Road station on the new Eglinton Crosstown Underground LRT. What better place to build condos than on top of a subway station? I’ve been complaining for years that this isn’t happening. It was part of the late Rob Ford's mayoral campaign platform: work with private sector developers to incorporate subway stations into mixed use buildings -- get the developers to help pay for them. A subway in the basement increases the value of the building. The TTC doesn't have the competence to build anything. But, Metrolinx is supposed to be the great hope for sensible transit construction. When I was in the Mayor's Office 5 years ago, we pushed them on this and they seemed to agree. I guess not.
Even the Toronto Star – or one of its columnists – agrees with me that Toronto’s new dark grey combat cars are a lot too Gestapo for the public good.
Hero of the Week
U of T Professor Jordan Peterson who released an online video criticizing political correctness on campus in which he refused to recognize a person’s “right” to be addressed by genderless pronouns such as “they” instead of “he” or “she.” Free speech, he argues, means he can call them anything he chooses. They can express a preference but, ultimately, it's his choice, not theirs.
He's absolutely right. I'm no Grammar Nazi, but the pronoun for a singular person is "he," unless you know it's "she." I may occasionally alternate between "he" or "she" when I should use "one," but don't want to sound like an English professor with a broom up my ass. Very rarely, in technical writing, I may use "he/she" or "s/he." But I will never intentionally refer to a singular person as "they." Unless they have multiple personality disorder, it's just wrong.
The idea that my choice of pronoun in my speech could harm someone is ridiculous. The idea it should be illegal is beyond the pale. George Orwell, it appears, was warning us about "liberal" thinkers. Who'd a thunk it?
Stupid of the Week
Beginning tomorrow, Toronto’s Public Library system will introduce a new benefit for young people – meaning people under 25. They’ll no longer have to pay the full fine when they don’t bring books back on time. “It’s part of an effort to welcome more people to the library and encourage more kids, teens and adults under 25 to use the library,” spokesperson Ana-Maria Critchley told Metro newspaper. This philanthropy will cost you $50,000 a year.
Toronto has 100 public libraries – more than New York City. It’s a great library system. But does encouraging people to keep books longer really help the cause of literacy? What if this works? We’ll need more books. That will cost more.
It’s almost like the library is trying desperately to stay relevant to younger people who get their knowledge from online sources – not dusty tomes. Maybe the library should just adjust to modern times and recognize the city of the future may need more free public WiFi access points, online resources and collections and fewer crusty old librarians patching torn pages with cello tape.
Because this idea is just stupid.