Barrhaven Independent April 12, 2024

‘I’m

Lyne and Dave

Lisa MacLeod gets a hug from a supporter during her celebration for being in politics for 18 years. She told friends and supporters that despite the rumours in the community, she intends to remain as the Nepean MPP. For the full story, see page 4.

Ontario extending gas tax cuts to keep costs down for families

To continue keeping costs down for families and businesses, the Ontario government is introducing proposed legislation through its spring 2024 Budget that would, if passed, extend the existing gasoline and fuel tax rate cuts until December 31, 2024.

The Ontario government temporarily cut the gasoline tax by 5.7 cents per litre, and the fuel (diesel) tax by 5.3 cents per litre, from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024. Today’s announcement would ensure the rates remain at 9 cents per litre until December 31, 2024, saving Ontario households $320 on average over the two and a half years since the tax rate cuts were first introduced.

The proposed extension to the gasoline and

fuel tax rate cuts builds on the government’s additional measures to help put more money back into people’s pockets, including:

- Eliminating the licence plate renewal fee in March 2022, saving the average household $600 to date.

- Banning new road tolls on 400-series highways in Ontario and permanently freezing driver’s licence and photo card fees, saving drivers an estimated $66 million over the next five years.

- Launching One Fare, which will save daily rid-

ers on participating systems an average of $1,600 each year.

- Introducing legislation that, if passed, would give Ontario voters a veto over a new provincial carbon tax, cap-and-trade system or other carbon pricing program.

- Ending the Drive Clean Program, saving taxpayers over $40 million every year.

Quick Facts

- The price paid at the pump is made up of the cost of crude oil, wholesale margins, retail margins, federal excise tax, the federal carbon tax, Ontario gasoline/fuel tax and HST.

- Ontario continues to call on the federal government to eliminate the federal carbon tax, which

increased to 14.31 cents per litre on gasoline and 17.38 cents per litre on diesel on April 1, 2023 and is scheduled to increase by 23 per cent on April 1, 2024.

Ontario Investing Over $1.8 Billion to Build More Homes

The Ontario government is investing more than $1.8 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure funding to help build at least 1.5 million homes. This funding includes $1 billion for the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and $625 million more for the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, bringing its total funding to $825 million. This new funding complements existing and ongoing provincial

investments in housingand community-enabling infrastructure, including the $1.2 billion Building Faster Fund, the original $200 million investment in the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the investment of nearly $2 billion for the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund since 2021–22.

The new $1 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program will support core infrastructure projects that help enable housing for growing and developing communities, such as roads and water infrastructure. This funding will help municipalities get shovels in the ground on critical infrastructure that will lay the groundwork for more homes across the province, with an emphasis on projects that can build the

greatest number of homes. More information about the program, including eligibility and application intake details, will be announced later this year.

Ontario is more than quadrupling its investment from $200 million to $825 million over three years to expand the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which will help municipalities repair, rehabilitate and expand drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure needed to build more homes. First announced in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, municipalities can still submit an application for the program until April 19, 2024.

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Ontario is also supporting housing outcomes through its Building Faster Fund, that was announced in August 2023 to provide up to $1.2 billion over three years to reward municipalities that are building more homes. The fund is designed to help municipalities pay for critical housing- and community-enabling infrastructure needed to accommodate growth, such as site servicing and building new roads. The Building Faster Fund includes $120 million that is being reserved for small, rural and northern municipalities to help build housing-enabling infrastructure and prioritize projects that speed up the increase of housing supply.

The government is giving municipalities the tools they need to build more homes faster and tackle the affordability crisis that is pricing too many people, especially

young families and newcomers, out of the dream of homeownership. In partnership with municipalities, Ontario will continue working hard to unlock housing opportunities and support growing communities. The province continues to call on the federal government to pay its fair share and help fund housingenabling infrastructure investments, and support vibrant, growing communities.

Quick Facts

- To support the future of Ontario, the government is investing $185 billion in hospitals, longterm care homes, highways, public transit and other key public infrastructure.

- As announced in Ontario’s 2023 Fall Economic Statement, the government is introducing additional measures to help build critical infrastructure faster and smart -

er. This includes the Ontario Infrastructure Bank, and the building of more rental homes by taking steps to remove the full eight per cent provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

- The three-year Building Faster Fund, announced in August 2023, supports municipalities in achieving their housing targets, including housing- and communityenabling infrastructure. Funding is provided to municipalities that have reached at least 80 per cent of their provincially assigned housing target for the year with increased funding for municipalities that exceed their target.

Province levelling playing field for Ontario businesses

Effective April 1, 2024, a new regulation under the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act, 2022 (BOBIA) gives businesses across the

province access to more government and public sector procurement opportunities.

The new regulation enshrines in law that Ontario’s public sector — including hospitals, schools, colleges and universities — give preference to Ontario businesses when conducting procurements for goods and services such as acquiring school supplies or food for cafeterias.

This Act is part of Ontario’s ambitious plan to centralize and modernize public sector procurement. The new regulation, which defines what is considered an Ontario business and what goods and services are covered under the Act, leverages the province’s purchasing power to support Ontario businesses and made-inOntario innovations.

To ensure Ontario remains compliant with its trade obligations, this regulation applies

to procurements below $121,200 for goods and services in the Broader Public Sector. Similarly, for the Ontario Public Service, the thresholds are set at $30,300 for goods and $121,200 for services.

The government anticipates that at least $3 billion in contract awards will be targeted to Ontario businesses through to 2026.

Every year, the Ontario Public Service and Broader Public Sector spends about $29 billion on goods and services. The province is leveraging this to help grow Ontario’s local businesses, including technology and manufacturing sectors.

Supply Ontario is a

BARRHAVEN

provincial agency created to address challenges faced in the public sector supply chain system. Supply Ontario works with partners to transform and modernize the procurement process to benefit the economy and businesses across the province.

Office Notice:

My office is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. If you require assistance on any matter, please contact me at any time. My staff and I will be happy to assist. Even if it’s not a provincial issue, I’ll make sure to connect you with the proper office.

www.barrhavenindependent.ca

Goldie

Your voice at Queen ’s Park

By Charlie Senack

In a packed church hall with a roaring crowd on March 27, Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod celebrated her 18th anniversary serving the residents at Queen’s Park.

A few hundred supporters gathered at St. Patrick’s Fallowfield Parish, alongside Ontario Premier Doug Ford, finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and transportation minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.

During a fireside chat hosted by Richmond media personality Sam Laprade, MacLeod said she has no emotions of leaving politics aside.

“You always hear rumors that I’m running federally. I’m retiring; I’m going to Pluto. Just look at this room. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here,” she said to a cheering crowd. “I am home, I am well, and I am committed to doing what Park.”

MacLeod is now the longest serving female MPP at Queen’s Park. She was first elected to the provincial legislature in March 2006, and quickly became a vocal critic in opposition.

Her fierce spirit and fiery remarks led the Nova Scotian Native to becoming an Ontario cabinet minister when the Ford-led PC party took power from the Kathleen Wynne Liberals in 2018.

The Nepean MPP began as the minister in charge of women’s issues and also took on the challenging role of minister of children, community and social services. In 2019, MacLeod transitioned to the minister in charge of tourism, culture and sport, leading that sector through the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While dealing with tough files, MacLeod was dealing with her own personal strug-

Lisa MacLeod poses for a photo with Councillors David Hill and Wilson Lo, and Premier Doug Ford.

a display showed the highlights of MacLeod’s tenure as MPP.

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“Any type of issue is making sure that you put your boots on, your gloves on, and get to work,” said MacLeod. “You help whoever needs it. You don’t pick and choose.”

“There is no better representative for the riding than Lisa has been for over 18 years,” he said, calling MacLeod “the number one retail politician.”

“You don’t get elected

During his speech in the church hall, Premier Ford called MacLeod a “champion” and said she always has the best interests of Nepean at heart.

unless you take care of your riding,” Ford added. “I always preach to our caucus to focus on their ridings: Take care of your people, don’t forget where you came from, (and) always remember the people that got you there.”

The Premier also noted recent investments being made in Barrhaven for education, health care,

and infrastructure. A day after his speech at MacLeod’s party, funding for the Barnsdale Highway

416 interchange was announced — a project the Nepean MPP has long campaigned for.

A packed house showed up to help Lisa MacLeod celebrate 18 years as the local MPP. Live music was part of the festivities.

Brian Mulroney was foreign policy superstar

Retrospectively rating political leaders is an academic cottage industry that invariably generates interesting news copy.

Brian Mulroney’s foreign policy accomplishments chiefly revolve around repairing Canada’s relations with the United States, leading to the Free Trade Agreement that subsequently morphed into the broader North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Although fiercely criticized by the opposition at the time, NAFTA is now cherished virtually across the board. And there was also the Air Quality Agreement, designed to combat the problem of acid rain.

But there was more to Mulroney than bilateral relations with the Americans. He was also active on the multilateral front, playing an important role in co-ordinating international pressure on South Africa to end apartheid and move to majority rule. Nelson Mandela both recognized and appreciated that.

One of Mulroney’s dominant characteristics was a strong belief in the importance of interpersonal diplomacy, which he pursued with a blend of energy, charm, confidence and – when the chips were down – toughness. This enabled him to develop strong relationships with a number of world leaders, and thus be taken seriously by them.

The most important of these was the bond formed with Ronald Reagan. Although it didn’t endear Mulroney to broad swathes of Canadian opinion, it allowed him to successfully seek Reagan’s personal intervention on Canada’s behalf when disagreement over the dispute resolution mechanism threatened to torpedo the free trade negotiations.

Mulroney also recognized the importance of tone.

Prime ministers have often viewed international relations as a “licence to sermonize regarding other countries,” something that tends to play well with domestic audiences, especially when the target of the sermon is the U.S. Mulroney didn’t approach Canadian-American relations that way. In his view, the relationship between the two countries was Canada’s single most important one, and thus shouldn’t be impaired with unproductive irritations.

In addition to answering the specific 10 questions, study contributors were invited to address an open one: Among Canadian prime ministers, could they identify a foreign policy superstar? Three names came to the fore – St. Laurent, Mulroney, and Pearson.

Being the hypersensitive guy that he was, when his popularity plunged during his second term, Mulroney took to asserting that history’s longer-term perspective would vindicate him.

Turns out he was right.

Troy Media columnist Pat Murphy casts a history buff’s eye at the goings-on in our world. Never cynical – well, perhaps a little bit.

© Troy Media

The little apartment that helped change the world

Rachel Robinson has lived through 101 summers.

And still, to this day, there is one special summer that stands out.

She and her husband spent the summer of 1946 at a small and unassuming apartment in Montreal. You would hardly expect the little place at 8232 Avenue de Gaspe to be a home that tourists would flock to. In fact, had you not been aware of the historical significance of that home, you would wonder why it was a site revered by the U.S. civil rights movement.

But it was.

Rachel Robinson paused to catch her breath.

from the other side

“Being black in the 1940s, it was impossible to rent anything,” she recalled. “We had been beaten down by every type of racism and discrimination imaginable when we arrived in Montreal. So to be welcomed like that, I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful that felt.”

On April 15, locals, visitors and tourists will line up to see the old apartment. It was Old Montreal meeting the long line of cars endlessly snaking their way to Kevin Costner’s baseball diamond in the middle of a corn field at sunset.

For an African-American couple who had just been married, moving to Canada and, specifically, to Montreal, the summer of 1946 was a dream come true. It wasn’t just a dream come true for Rachel Robison and her aboutto-be-famous husband, Jackie. It was a dream that millions lived vicariously through them.

Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey had wanted to pick the right person to break the archaic and cruel colour barrier in professional baseball. While, today, baseball is just a game, generations ago it was more than that. People clung to baseball like many people in Canada cling to hockey. The World Series was like the gold medal hockey game at the Winter Olympics. People followed baseball, both literally and figuratively. Baseball gave us our greatest heroes of their time – from Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio to Mickey Mantle to Willie Mays to Roberto Clemente to Reggie Jackson, and so on.

There was no greater hero than Jackie Robinson.

In the movie, 42, Rickey is portrayed by Harrison Ford. He knew that young Jackie Robinson was going to go through hell as baseball’s first African-American player integrated into white baseball. His most poignant line in the movie was when he told a young Jackie Robinson that he didn’t want to sign a player brave enough to fight back, he wanted a player brave enough not to fight back.

Rickey felt that Montreal, home of the Dodgers’ farm team, was the perfect place to start changing history.

“They gave us a list of apartments that were available from the newspaper,” Rachel Robinson recalled in an interview years ago. “I remember walking up the steps of the first apartment we looked at. I knocked on the door and even though the woman was French, she greeted me in English. I was expecting to have the door slammed in my face. She offered us the apartment, furnished, and then invited me in for tea. She insisted that we use her things – her linen and her china.”

While Jackie Robinson was endearing himself to the people of Montreal for his incredible talent, his exciting style of play and his humble nature, Rachel Robinson was soaking in everything good about Montreal.

“There was a family with eight children living upstairs,” she recalled. “Even though they couldn’t speak English, we formed a close friendship. We communicated through gestures and smiles. I would leave a bowl of fruit for them outside the door in the morning. When they saw me bringing groceries home, they would rush to help me carry the bags.

“That’s what I remember most about Montreal and that little apartment. It wasn’t so much the building; it was the people who lived there. It was the people of Montreal who made that year special.”

Jackie and Rachel Robinson were newlyweds, but because of the demands of Jackie’s baseball schedule, they were never able to have a proper honeymoon. Rachel would often say that their summer in Montreal was their honeymoon.

In Montreal, Jackie Robinson became a hero. His popularity had equalled the great Maurice Richard. The Royals had even given Robison the Rocket’s iconic number 9. People looked up to both of them. They were celebrated symbols of hope.

My father used to tell me stories about Jackie Robinson and that summer. Years ago, we saw the little monument at Delorimier Downs, which was once a stadium where the Royals played. He would tell me that while Jackie Robinson was the subject of threats and abuse in the United States, he was treated with admiration, dignity and respect in Montreal.

Robinson would lead the Royals to the Little World Series as minor league baseball champions that year. After the final game, the crowd cheered loudly, until Robinson made a curtain call. After more than a half hour of cheering, Robinson emerged from the dugout, already showered and changed, to a thunderous ovation. The fans even followed Jackie Robinson to his home on Avenue de Gaspe, literally chasing him down the road.

Sam Maltin, a Montreal sportswriter and a friend of Robinson’s, captured the moment with words that will be forever linked to 1946.

“It was probably the only day in history that a black man ran from a white mob with love instead of lynching on its mind.”

April is Daffodil Month, symbolizing strength and courage to those fighting cancer

Since the 1950s, bright yellow daffodils have arrived in communities across Canada to mark the beginning of Daffodil Month. To this day, the daffodil continues to symbolize strength and courage in the fight against cancer.

This is a flower that you will see in all sorts of spring bouquets. There are other uses for this flower

THis week, THIS MONTH

by Larry Ellis

though; there are cultures that really like this flower. The Chinese see it as a symbol of wealth and good fortune and celebrate when the daffodil blooms. The

good thing about the daffodil is that it is so easy to grow. This is a flower that is a great beginner flower, and this is proven with all the flowerbeds that it is in across the world. Make sure that if you are growing this flower that you are taking care of it, give it enough water and make sure that it has proper drainage.

The daffodil is the sym-

bol adopted for cancer research, organizations that raise money for cancer use this as their fundraising symbol and have daffodil days which are going to give people a flower in return for the donation to the Cancer Society. It is easy to support the Canadian Cancer Society, many of us has been personally touched in some manner by cancer.

Volunteering during Daffodil Month is an incredibly rewarding experience, whether you have been touched by cancer or not. Show your support and make a difference in your own way! Get involved in local events happening across your area. Wear the yellow pin!

Money raised during Daffodil Month helps people living with cancer

and their families. Donations fund life-saving research, information, and support services.

Poutine a Canadian icon celebrating 60 years of global delight

By Sylvain CharleBoiS

Poutine, that deliciously indulgent combination of cheese curds, fries, and gravy, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. While many attribute its creation to Jean-Claude Roy in Drummondville in 1964, the true origins of poutine can be traced back to Fernand Lachance and his wife Germaine in Warwick, Quebec. It was at their restaurant, L’Idéal (later Le Lutin qui Rit), where the word “poutine” first appeared on a menu in 1957. At that time, Quebec was under the influence of Maurice Duplessis (premier from 1936 until his death in 1959, except for the war years of 1940–44)

and the Catholic Church.

Interestingly, the original poutine didn’t include gravy, as Fernand wasn’t a fan. It wasn’t until around 1962 that Germaine added her sauce as a side dish, completing the iconic trio of ingredients. However, in 1964, Roy, a professional saucier, was the first to combine all three main ingredients: cheese curds, gravy, and fries. This historical account is detailed in my book Poutine Nation, released in 2021.

The dish’s popularity grew rapidly, with chip trucks spreading it across rural Quebec. In 1972, Ashton Leblond, the founder of the Ashton restaurants, further popularized poutine in the Quebec City re-

gion, emphasizing the importance of Quebec’s cheese curds in the dish.

Today, poutine can be found on menus worldwide, from Washington to Shanghai, forever associated with Quebec and Canadian cuisine. Despite its global popularity, poutine has yet to receive the recognition it deserves on the international stage. UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency, has been declaring intangible cultural heritage since 2003, including dishes like Neapolitan pizza, French baguette, and Chinese traditional tea. Canada, however, has not signed this convention, meaning no Canadian dish is currently on UNESCO’s list.

Canada has the opportunity to change this by becoming a signatory to the convention and nominating poutine as the first Canadian dish to be declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Poutine’s journey from a humble rural Quebec dish to a global culinary icon is a testament to its cultural significance, deserving of recognition on the world stage.

Poutine’s success story is one of resilience and adaptation. It has evolved over the years, with variations that include toppings like pulled pork, foie gras, and even lobster. Despite these modern twists, the core elements of poutine remain unchanged, a testament

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

to its enduring appeal.

Part of what makes poutine so special is its ability to bring people together. Whether you’re enjoying it at a roadside chip truck in rural Quebec or a trendy restaurant in a cosmopolitan city, poutine has a way of creating a sense of shared experience. It’s a dish that transcends borders and cultures, bringing a little piece of Quebec and Canada wherever it goes. Yes, it may be disgustingly unhealthy, but it is indeed iconic.

In addition to its cultural significance, poutine is also economically important. It has become a symbol of Canadian identity, attracting tourists from around the world who want to

experience this iconic dish firsthand. In Quebec, poutine is not just a dish; it’s an industry supporting cheese curd producers, potato farmers, and restaurateurs across the province.

As we celebrate poutine’s 60th anniversary, let’s not just enjoy this delicious dish but also reflect on its cultural and economic impact. Let’s recognize poutine for what it is: a true Canadian success story and a culinary masterpiece that deserves its place among the world’s most beloved dishes.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

© Troy Media

Push against reality and the rights of ‘normal’ people should be rejected

The Editor,

I was saddened to read the letter from Claire Aimee Spencer, for both the apparent distress Spencer feels and the free use of the term “transphobic”. That term was coined late in the last century. It was soon used to stifle discussion of the growing trans-activism and wielded as a weapon against

even faint dissent. The claim about the “murder” of trans (non-binary?) Nex Benedict being reason to avoid talking about the issues is wrong in at least two ways.

First, the example is false, because Benedict, though bullied no doubt, wasn’t “beaten fatally” but died by suicide from toxic drugs. Second, insisting

that we avoid discussing access to sex-segregated spaces such as washrooms is inimical to the civil discourse we need in a free and well-functioning society.

Spencer clearly subscribes to the claim that a transgender girl is truly a girl rather than a male expressing an opposite sex identity. Most of us rec-

ognize that notion as weirdly unscientific. Are we supposed to hide that reality to avoid offending the trans person? There are activists who insist that, yes, we must not favour reality over trans people’s feelings. But if feelings are what you’re going by, why are you denying the feelings of normal people, females in particular,

who feel that their space has been invaded and made less safe? Why are their perceptions denigrated? Why are they told that they must change their views and accept male bodies in designated female spaces?

We’re now in a time of exploding numbers of trans- and queer-identifying youth. It’s hard to imagine a phenomenon

more worthy of serious efforts to understand the reasons and nature of this change. Instead, we see efforts to block, even vilify, discussion. Spencer deserves sympathetic acceptance, but the activist-inspired push against reality and the rights of normal people deserves rejection.

David Wieland

We should be more open to listening and putting ourselves in others shoes

The Editor, I had been encouraged to see you air the recent thoughtful piece by Claire Aimee Spencer regarding LGBTQ+ matters but this weeks’ response? OH

MY GOODNESS! Please, let’s take a breath, “Take the moat out of our own eye”, take a look in the mirror or coining

a very apt saying from my original homeland (and I’m not from NL) “Catch yerself on!”. While granted it’s not the toxic bile spewed by luddites at more than a few recent OCDSB meetings on the matter but the letter’s faux reasoning can’t hide the insidious undertone of bigotry. I am of course talking

of the ‘Push against reality” piece that you gave the oxygen of publicity to in the last issue. The belittling and tired, condescending rhetoric was perhaps not intentional though referring to “normal people”, parenthesizing transphobic (only added to OED in 2013 BTW) and general tone of mal-

aise for a fad would sadly suggest otherwise. The nadir had to be taking exception to the cause of death of a tormented, bullied trans youth; I can visual the outrage now “they were only driven to suicide and not beaten fatally so come up with a better argument young missy or whatever nonsense of a pro-

noun we normal folks have to use for you types”.

LGBTQ+ rights are not a “phenomenon”. Some of the phrases now being widely used haven’t just been “coined”, they are now in use as prejudices have eased (though sadly not with, or for, all). That we are able to bring these issues

to the fore and on the pages of this publication is because this is Canada, we are diverse, we are inclusive and we should be more open to listening and putting ourselves in others shoes than expecting all to conform to our view of normal.

Yours aye

Bobby Strawbridge

Barnsdale Highway 416 interchange to receive provincial funding

By Charlie SenaCk

The long-awaited Barrhaven Barnsdale highway 416 interchange is finally one step closer to happening after Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced funding for the project.

Ford was in Ottawa on March 28 to take part in the Mayor’s breakfast series — the largest on record with over 600 attendees at the Shaw Centre. There he announced a ‘historic” $543 million funding deal for the city, labeled as a “new deal for Ottawa.”

In his weekly newsletter, Barrhaven West councillor David Hill said the new interchange will be of great benefit to the community, particularly for Half Moon Bay residents.

“I have heard from many of you that we need to better balance our infrastructure investments with residential growth,” he said. “I have said that I would advocate on this and am doing everything that I can to improve our situation. Getting the $20 million additional Greenbank realignment allocation and now the Barnsdale Interchange will greatly improve the traffic concerns in the Stonebridge/Half Moon Bay areas.”

Barrhaven is rapidly growing, in fact it’s one of the fastest growing suburbs in Canada. The cookie-cutter community of over 100,000 people has added about 1,500 homes per year, totalling about 3,500 new residents. Much of the development is occurring on the south side of the Jock River in Half Moon Bay.

Once built, the Barnsdale interchange will fill a roughly 10 kilometer gap between the existing interchanges at Fallowfield Road and the other at Bankfield Road. It’s unclear when construction will begin or how much it will cost.

In his fireside chat at the breakfast, Ford thanked Ne-

pean MPP Lisa MacLeod for her longtime advocacy efforts to get the interchange built, calling it “a game changer.” MacLeod joked the funding was a present for her 18th anniversary in provincial politics.

No investments in transit

There are some concerns over what was not included. Little to no mention was made over affordable housing and OC Transpo is not getting any additional funding. The transit group is reporting a $50 million deficit this year due to low ridership caused by the COVID-19 system and a lack of trust in the struggling system.

A recent “new deal” for the City of Toronto saw $600 million in provincial funding budgeted for transit.

When asked why Ottawa’s bus and light rail system was being left out, Ford said ridership needs to pick up before more transit funding is brought to the table. He’s already said funding for a possible Phase 3 LRT line to Barrhaven is out of the question for now.

The Premier also put the blame on the federal government who has only mandated federal office workers back to in-person work two days a week.

“Talking about the federal government, we need the ridership to go up and keep the economy going downtown to be able to pay for the LRT and all that,” Ford said at a city hall press conference. “But they have to get people back to work. It sounds crazy to be begging people to go to work for three days. But it really affects the downtown. We need them to go back to work. To go into the restaurants, to go into the shops downtown, to get on transit. That’s what we need.”

Barrhaven east councillor Wilson Lo, who used to work for OC Transpo, previously

told the Barrhaven Independent it shouldn’t be suburban residents’ job to support the downtown core. He said a revitalization of the area was necessary.

“I don’t think we should be responsible for supporting downtown businesses. I think downtown residents should support downtown businesses just like how Barrhaven sup-

ports Barrhaven and Kanata supports Kanata,” said Lo last June. “Downtown needs to support itself. It can’t rely on people who don’t want to be there.”

Sutcliffe said it was important for all three political parties to work together in order to find a solution.

The Professional Institute of

the Public Service of Canada has said Ford should stay out of federal issues and “leave this issue at the negotiating table where it belongs.”

Ford, who said he will be in Ottawa again next week, was also pressed over why he hasn’t visited the Nation’s Capital recently, including when a tornado hit the Barrhaven com-

munity last summer. A defensive Premier said he’s been here “countless times.”

“Ottawa is one of my favourite places to go. I have a great time. It’s very productive every time I’m here,” he said.

Funding for the proposed 416/Barnsdale interchange was part of the Ontario Government’s 2024 Budget.

OCDSB joins Toronto school boards in lawsuit against social media giants

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has joined the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic School Board, and Peel District School Board to commence legal action against tech giants Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook and Instagram), Snap Inc. (SnapChat), and ByteDance Ltd. (TikTok) for disrupting student learning and the education system.

According to the lawsuit, social media products, negligently designed for compulsive use, have rewired the way children think, behave, and learn, leaving educators and schools to manage the fallout. These addictive properties have compromised students’ ability to learn, disrupted classrooms, and resulted in increasing mental health harms.

According to recent research:

- Approximately 91 % of Ontario students in grades 7 – 12 use social media daily*

- 45 % of these students use social media for five hours or more a day*

- 1 in 10 Ontario students report feelings of pervasive nervousness when not using their electronic devices, and that this discomfort is relieved by “use.”*

- We are facing a youth mental health crisis with many reporting poor or fair mental health (38%), and feeling as though they are in serious psychological distress (26%).*

- Almost one-third (30%) of students report being cyberbullied at least once in the past year.*

- 21.8% of Instagram users aged 13-15 stated they were the target of bullying over the product within the previous seven days.**

- One in five report harming themselves and/or have seriously contemplated suicide.*

(*Source: CAMH’s

2021 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS); **Source: 2021 Internal Instagram BEEF Survey Results)

“As the largest school board in Eastern Ontario, we are committed to the well-being of our students,” said Pino Buffone, Director of Education, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

and to respond to the school-

based problems social media giants have caused.

“The impact of social media on our school system is irrefutable,” said Duncan Embury, Partner, Head of Litigation, Neinstein. “The most advanced tech developers in the world have knowingly and negligently designed their products to maximize the amount of time young people spend on their platforms at the expense of their wellbeing and education. Social media

Online Safety Resources: The OCDSB has compiled a number of online safety resources for parents/ caregivers and youths”

“The crisis caused by social media giants is putting children and youths at risk. Our students, society’s next generation of leaders, deserve better.”

According to the OCDSB, students are experiencing an attention, learning, and mental health crisis because of prolific and compulsive use of social media products. The fall out of compulsive use of social media amongst students is causing massive strains on the four school boards’ finite resources, including additional needs for in-school mental health programming and personnel, increased IT costs, and additional administrative resources.

The boards are advancing claims in excess of one billion dollars. This action calls on social media giants to remediate these enormous costs to the education system and to redesign their products to keep students safe.

Neinstein LLP, a Toronto-based litigation firm, has been retained by the school boards to represent them in their fight for social media change. The goal of the litigation is to provide school boards with the resources needed to support student programming and services,

companies should be held accountable for their negligence and the harm they have caused to our schools, and our community at large.”

School boards will not be responsible for any costs related to the lawsuit unless a successful outcome is reached.

The litigation is not focused on taking away access and use of social media. We understand that social media is a part of life, and a communication tool that is used by many in our community. That said, social media companies know about the negative impact of their products on children but continue to ignore and dismiss their own findings. The lawsuit calls on social media giants to make their products and/ or services safer for youths and to compensate district school boards for disrupting their educational mandate.

To learn more about the lawsuit and to follow developments, please visit the Schools for Social Media Change Alliance at https://schoolsforsocialmediachange.ca/

Premier announces historic deal between the province and the city

With Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe on one side of him, and local MPPs including Goldie Ghamari and Lisa MacLeod his other side, Ontario Premier Doug Ford addressed the large crowd at the Mayor’s Breakfast at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa Thurs., March 28 with a major announcement.

The Premier announced that the Government of Ontario and the City of Ottawa have reached a new deal that recognizes and invests in the city’s unique needs as Canada’s national capital and eastern Ontario’s economic hub, helping ensure the city’s sustainable, long-term growth and prosperity. The agreement includes a phased plan to guide the upload of Ottawa Road 174 to the province, provincial support for the repair and upgrade of the city’s major connecting routes and rural roads, designing and building a new interchange at Highway 416 and Barnsdale Road, and improving public safety by opening a new police neighbourhood operations centre in

the ByWard Market area.

“This historic new deal reflects our government’s dedication to the economic success of Ottawa and all of eastern Ontario,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I want to thank Mayor Sutcliffe for working with us to reach an agreement that will help Ottawa continue rebuilding its economy and deliver on key priorities, including building homes and highways.

Now it’s up to the federal government to step up with support for our national capital, particularly when it comes to funding infrastructure and supporting shelters and asylum claimants.”

Ontario and Ottawa are calling on the federal government to step up with support that recognizes its responsibility to the national capital and helps restore public transit ridership while revitalizing Ottawa’s downtown economy.

“This is a big win for Ottawa,” said Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. “These investments will relieve significant budget pressures for the city and will

help us to deliver better services to our residents. It’s also an example of what happens when elected officials do what the voters expect them to do: work together to solve problems and build better, safer, more affordable communities.

I want to thank Premier Ford and Minister Bethlenfalvy for being great partners and for understanding the unique challenges that Ottawa faces.”

In recognition of the unique economic and social challenges faced by the City of Ottawa, which has had a slower rebound from the effects of the pandemic and is an economic and social service hub for people across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, Ontario is providing up to $543 million in operating and capital funding tailored to fuelling Ottawa’s economic recovery and accelerating revitalization of the downtown core. Funding will further support upgrading and building essential road and highway infrastructure to support the local economy and drivers across Ottawa’s large

suburban and rural footprint.

The agreement includes up to $197 million over three years in provincial operating supports and up to $346 million over 10 years in provincial capital supports, including:

- Maintenance and rehabilitation for Ottawa Road 174 while a three-stage phased assessment of potential provincial ownership of the road is underway.

- Funding to help revitalize the downtown area, with dedicated funding to Invest Ottawa.

Premier Doug Ford speaks Thursday in Ottawa with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and local MPPs, including Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari, flanking him.

OPH says limit your risks during the solar eclipse on April 8

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is advising individuals to stay safe during the upcoming solar eclipse and to be aware of the risks associated with looking directly at the Sun. On Monday, April 8, 2024, the Moon’s orbit will position it directly between the Earth and the Sun, causing a solar eclipse. While other areas(link is external) will experience a total eclipse, this will not be the case in Ottawa. The max-

deal continues from page 10

- Funding to support public safety and address increased levels of crime, which have had an impact on city services.

- Additional conditional funding for emergency shelters and homelessness prevention to address the needs of increasing levels of homelessness.

- The repair and upgrade of major connecting routes and roads critical to keeping the people, goods and services of Ottawa moving.

- Advancing design and construction of a new interchange at Highway 416 and Barnsdale Road to support population growth and development.

- Funding for the Kanata North Transitway to support economic growth and recovery.

- Support for housing- and community-enabling infrastructure through the Building Faster Fund, conditional on the city achieving at least 80 per cent of its housing targets.

In addition to financial supports, Ontario commits to working with Ottawa to explore opportunities to fund and build more infrastructure, including through the Building

imum the eclipse will reach will be approximately 99% occurring for 2 to 3 minutes starting at approximately 3:25 pm.

Looking directly at the Sun at any time without protection may cause damage to your eyes. Because the eclipse is not total in Ottawa, looking at the Sun remains dangerous even during the greatest extent of the eclipse. Damage can occur without any sensation of pain, and the

Ontario Fund and policy changes to assist the city in removing barriers to getting more homes built faster.

The City of Ottawa has made a number of reciprocal commitments to Ontario, including opening up municipal lands for housing development to support shared housing priorities, ensuring Ottawa meets and exceeds its housing targets, strengthening the city’s vacant home tax, implementing efficiency measures that minimize the property tax burden on Ottawa’s people and businesses and facilitating the development of a long-term care home at The Ottawa Hospital.

Together, Ontario and Ottawa are calling on the Government of Canada to provide federal support on shared priorities, including shelter supports for asylum claimants, infrastructure funding to support new housing, and support for Ottawa’s unique and excess costs arising from managing protests and demonstrations in the capital.

“Today’s agreement is about building up and bringing back Ottawa’s vitality and growing its local economy,” said Minister of Finance Peter

injury can be temporary or permanent. The best way to protect yourself from harm is to not look at the Sun at any point during the solar eclipse without approved eye protection. Regular sunglasses will not protect your eyes. However, if you do wish to view the eclipse, there are ways to reduce your risks.

You can wear approved eye protection, such as ISO Standard 12312-2:2015 solar filters that have the manu-

Bethlanfalvy. “By working together, we’ll ensure sustainable growth for our iconic nation’s capital, while continuing to make life better and more affordable for the people and businesses who call Ottawa home.”

In addition, as the largest employer in the city, Ontario and Ottawa ask the federal government to do its part to help revitalize the downtown economy. The federal government has an important responsibility to revive Ottawa’s downtown and ensure the city’s unique character and attractions continue making the nation’s capital a tourism destination for Canadians and international visitors.

Through an extensive range of municipal funding supports, including the newly announced $1.8 billion for housing-enabling infrastructure, the Building Faster Fund and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, the province is supporting all of Ontario’s 444 municipalities to deliver valuable services for growing communities.

“We need all levels of government to step up to support our communities and build

facturer’s name and address printed on the product. Ensure to follow approved eye protection instructions for safe use. Remember to always supervise children while using eclipse glasses.

Never look at the Sun (eclipsed or otherwise) through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device even if you are wearing approved eye protection. The concentrated solar rays will burn

the infrastructure and housing needed to support the growth we’re seeing,” said Paul Calandra, Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “The City of Ottawa has shown that it is removing obstacles and finding ways to get more shovels in the ground to build much-needed homes faster. However, it is critical that the federal government also provides desperately needed funding to help support the construction of homes and build stronger communities.”

through your eye-protection filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury. Optical instruments require their own special solar filters.

Watching the progress of an eclipse may mean you are in direct sunlight for a long period of time. Prevent skin damage by wearing sunscreen, a hat, and protective clothing.

And finally, a reminder to drive carefully and defensively. Once-in-a-life-

Ottawa is geographically four times larger than Toronto, encompassing interconnected urban, suburban and rural areas. The city is an important interprovincial gateway to Quebec and Eastern Canada and is uniquely reliant on the public administration sector.

“As the largest city in eastern Ontario, Ottawa plays a significant role in our province’s economic ecosystem,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

time events like the April 8th solar eclipse can attract much higher traffic including people who are in a hurry and/or distracted. Your biggest risk on April 8th might be on the road!

You can also view the solar eclipse safely online via a livestream.

For more information and to learn more about the solar eclipse please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/ SolarEclipse

“Today’s agreement will aid in revitalizing the city’s longstanding history as a prosperous tourist hub and key jurisdiction for the advancement and adoption of critical technologies. As our province continues to foster resiliency and stability, this partnership between the Government of Ontario and the City of Ottawa will play a pivotal role in attracting strategic investments and the creation of good-paying jobs within the nation’s capital.”

Accused killer De-Zoysa makes brief virtual court appearance with audio link

Febrio De-Zoysa made a brief, virtual appearance in court on the afternoon of Thurs., March 28.

De-Zoysa, the 19-year-old who is accused of killing six people, was connected from the Ottawa Detention Centre with an audio link only and no video.

Not much was said by DeZoysa, as he could only be heard stating his name, birth date and the confirmation of his next court appearance.

De-Zoysa is facing charges of six counts of first degree murder and one charge of attempted murder for the March 6 slaying of six people whom he lived with in a twostorey townhouse on Berrigan Drive in Barrhaven.

Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs said last month that the victims were killed with a knife-like object.

“I can comment that he’s in protective custody,” said Ewan Lyttle to reporters. “He’s doing okay.” Lyttle is representing De-Zoysa.

Killed in the attacks were Barrhaven residents Darshani Dilanthika Ekanayake, 35 and her four children” her sevenyear-old son Inuka Wickramasinghe; her four-year-old daughter Ashwini Wickramasinghe; her three-year-old daughter Ranaya Wickramasinghe; and her two-month old daughter Kelly Wickramasinghe. They were all Sri Lankan nationals with the exception of Kelly, who was born in Canada earlier this year. Also killed was 40-yearold Amarakoon Mudiyanselage, a friend of the Wickremasinghe family who was also living with them. Mudiyanselage had a wife and two children living in Sri Lanka. The lone survivor of the attack was Ekanayake’s husband and the father of the four children, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe. He was seriously injured in the attack.

.Febrio De-Zoysa, 19, is facing six counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Dhanushka Wickramasinghe and De-Zoysa met while they were students at Algonquin College. Wickramasinghe’s family was still in Sri Lanka at the time. He invited De-Zoysa to come and live with them when his family arrived from Sri Lanka. De-Zoysa lived in the basement of the townhouse

rent free.

De-Zoysa has been ordered not to have contact with

five people, including Dhanushka Wickramasinghe. Judicial pre-trial is sched-

uled for April 17, and DeZoysa is scheduled to appear in court April 18

Area artists featured in Manotick Art Association’s Inspirations 2024 art show

The Manotick Art Association is thrilled to announce that its annual spring show and sale, “Inspirations”, will be back again this April 19-21. The show will take place at the Curling Club in Manotick, 5519 South River Drive, and will feature the works of 44 area

artists. The show runs Friday, 6-9 PM; Saturday, 104:00; and Sunday, 10-4:00. Entry is free and there is plenty of parking, as well as an accessible entrance. This year, the Manotick Art Association will be working together with the Manotick BIA who will be hosting

their Spring Fling on Saturday, April 20.

The show brings a breath of fresh air into the community after a long winter through a feast of vibrant colours and images. Visitors can enjoy viewing landscapes, abstracts, florals, and wildlife painted in oils,

watercolours, acrylics, pastel, batik, and wood. There are also several photographers showing their art. Many of the artists will be familiar to long-time patrons of Inspirations, but they are excited to welcome several new and exciting artists to the line-up this year.

The show will also feature live music on two of the days. Scott Voelzing will entertain guests on Friday evening. Saturday 1-3, will feature Chad Wolfe on fiddle and Sherryl Fitzpatrick on piano. As every year, there will be door prizes that can be won simply by filling

out a ballot.

MAA has always taken pride in supporting charities through the proceeds of our spring show. This year they will be supporting The Manotick Food Cupboard. They will also be collecting cash donations at the door for this worthy charity.

Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, left, is pictured with his wife and four children, all of whom were killed March 6.

Local author’s debut novel a finalist for international Wishing Shelf Book Award

Local author N.P. Thompson’s debut novel, River of Crows, has been listed as a finalist in the 2023 Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Awarded annually, the international Wishing Shelf Book Awards are a readers’ choice program judged by panels of readers in London, England and Stockholm, Sweden. In the children’s and YA categories, the books are judged by kids in multiple schools throughout London.

“I just happened to be up early because I couldn’t sleep, so I saw the email come in from the UK at 5:00 am, our time. It was definitely an exciting start to the week,” said Thompson. “I think authors are always nervous when a new book gets sent out into the world—and more so when it’s a debut novel—because you put so much time and effort into creating it, but you never know how it’s going to be received. It can be really stressful. So, getting this kind

of recognition has been very gratifying, but also a bit surreal. It took me six years to write this book, and if you’d told me way back then that it would someday be a finalist in two different book awards, I don’t think I would have believed you!”

Inspired by the thousands of crows that roost near the General Hospital in Ottawa, River of Crows is the first book in Thompson’s middle grade fantasy series, the Arcanium Saga, and it was also listed as a 2023 finalist in the Vancouver-based Canadian Book Club Awards, the largest readers’ choice award in Canada. Book two of the series, Mirror of Wolves, was published last year, and book three will be released in May

Monday-Friday : 8:30am - 6:00pm

Saturday: 8:00am-5:00pm

River of Crows is author N.P. Thompson’s debut novel.

The Nepean Ravens U14AA ringette team will be travelling to Prince Edward Island this month to take part in the Eastern Ontario championships. It will be the first time the Ravens will compete in this event since 2017. They earned the right to go to PEI by winning the Ontario championships held last month in Kitchener. There is a fundraising page online for anyone who wishes to support the team with a donation to help pay for expenses for their trip. The page can be found at https://www.flipgive.com/teams/351434/?fundraiser_ id=1962984

Raiders in Leo Boivin U18AAA Showcase

The Nepean U18 AA Raiders took part in the 50th Annual Leo Boivin International U18AAA Hockey Showcase Tournament in Prescott over Easter weekend. The Raiders split their first two games in division play, beating the CIHA Hockey Academy team 3-2 before losing to Markham by a 6-0 score. The Raiders were placed in the Dr. Peters Memorial bracket, where they beat the Rideau St. Lawrence Kings U16 team 5-2 before losing to the Kings U18 team 4-2 in the final. In the top photo, the Raiders celebrate after scoring against CIHA during their opening game win.