As a long-time resident and…

As a long-time resident and someone who has spent decades watching this province evolve, I find the Ford government's attempt to exempt the Ontario Place redevelopment from the Environmental Bill of Rights deeply troubling, and frankly, disgraceful.
This bill isn’t just a bureaucratic maneuver. It’s a blatant attempt to sidestep public accountability and shut down the democratic process in order to push through a deal that serves private interests. It’s part of a larger pattern we’ve seen from this government: secrecy, backroom arrangements, and an alarming disregard for due process.
Ontario has already weathered multiple highly publicized corruption scandals under this government’s leadership. Each time, the Premier and his team seem to double down, rather than reflect. This latest move sends a clear message: the voices of Ontarians don’t matter.
And the world is watching. Even amidst the political chaos in the United States, the Wall Street Journal found this situation so dubious, so rife with controversy, that it warranted international coverage. That should be a wake-up call. When a foreign-owned spa and its politically connected allies can override our environmental protections and public consultation laws, we have a serious problem.
The Ford government should be ashamed of this bill. It’s yet another entry in a growing list of short-sighted, ethically questionable decisions that will ultimately cost them the trust of the very people who put them in office. There comes a point when constituents, regardless of political leaning, begin to recognize when a government is no longer working in their best interest.
If this is the legacy they’re building, it won’t be forgotten. Nor will it be forgiven.