Mis-Leading Once Again

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Our Mayor of Caledon is nothing if not consistent. Consistently misleading, misinforming, and misdirecting.

Consider the public promise to hold a vote on the controversial 12 zoning by-laws at a certain date, and then moving the date back without a warning  to her constituents,

Consider the controversial 0 Shaw’s Creek infill by-law motion, where she changed the times of the public meeting three time over three days, cancelling any delegations and shortening time for questions by the hundreds of concerned citizens.

Consider the admission, along with Premier Ford, that “developer influenced” decisions just make “common sense” to them.

Consider this report in the Caledon Enterprise, Friday, September 12, 2025 regarding the mayor’s controversial “Destroy Swan lake” motion:  “According to the mayor, the motion was to grant the developer a bylaw ‘exception’ so a more-than-usual limit of 10,000 cubic metres fill could be brought to the site. This procedural step must be approved by council because staff do not have the authority to amend a bylaw, she explained.”

‘It was just to authorize an exception to the fill bylaw not to approve the permit,’ she said. ‘A month before, Councillor Early tabled a motion to amend the fill bylaw to allow them to be able to bring fill over in that Alloa-Mayfield West area, so it’s not unusual.’ Groves also said that she was not approached by the developer and had not been part of initial discussions. She agreed to present the motion, when asked by town staff, as part of normal procedure. This just starts the process for the proposal to be considered, she said.”

Whoa! Back that one up Mayor Groves! First, the motion by Councillor Early to ask for an exception to the fill by-law was to allow excavation fill from a residential site in an Alloa Mayfield West  project to be moved across the street to the adjacent commercial property so that it could be infilled and graded to safely complete the approved projects. Yes, not unusual at all.

What is unusual is for a motion to be tabled for a yet unapproved project that would allow a developer to bring tons of GTA construction waste soil and dump it in a freshwater lake in the middle of a fully rehabilitated greenspace. That is really unusual.

Secondly, with whom did the developer have his initial discussions? Who on the Town staff asked the Mayor to present the motion?

Misleading, misinforming and misdirecting. And yet, oh so photogenic, You spin things so well, I get dizzy just reading your media releases. It’s beginning to remind me of a line in a speech by Juliet in Shakespeare’s classic teenage love tragedy. Are you the “Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical. Dove-feathered raven, Wolfish devouring lamb. Despised substance of divinest show, Just opposite of what thou justly seem’st?”Can You Spot the Wolves in Sheep's Clothing?

All that glisters is not gold, the way I see it.

***

*Image from Covenant Caswell, Substack

 

Flags at Half Mast, Upside Down

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When a political figure who has been a positive role model and inspirational change agent in their communities and countries, dies naturally, or is assassinated,   our local and national flags should fly at half mast in honour of their contributions to the betterment of society.

When a political figure who has been a racist, misogynist,  homophobic and transphobic ideologue amplifying support for gun ownership and denying the tragedy of school shootings, dies naturally or by assassination, there should only be condolences to surviving family members.

If the leader of a country mourns such a death and wants to celebrate the life of such a person, then the flags of that country should be flown at half mast, upside down. For it surely indicates the death of intelligent governance for that country and chaos for the world order.

The way I see it.

The Swan and The Developer

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Many of us will remember one of the most riveting short stories we read in high school, “The Lady or the Tiger” written by Frank R, Stockton in 1882, but published in almost every collection of short stories read by students in the coming decades. Why?

Because …Summary, Review and Reflection: The Lady or the Tiger by Frank Stockton – THINK . WRITE . INSPIRE

… the ending created such a quandary for students that we debated it for months. The story basically centres around a King who held absolute authority over his lands. He had a way of determining justice by placing the accused in an arena filled with an engaged and excited public. The arena had two doors on the side opposite the King, Behind one door stood a beautiful youth, behind the other a starving tiger. One either became wed or devoured depending on their choice,

The King discovers that the Queen has been visited by a handsome youth, and hears rumours that they are in love. The King has the young man arrested and taken to the arena.

Bear with me now because this story affects the future of Swan Lake.

Once upon a time there was a Strong Mayor who dealt out decisions in their Council Chambers with a public audience. The decision facing their Council this month was to choose between two doors. Behind one was a Swan living in a beautiful lake and lush ecosystem; behind the other was  a Developer with trucks and construction fill to destroy the lake.

Now, in the original story, the Queen knows behind which door they both are waiting, the lady and the tiger. She is torn between her desire to see her loved one live and her jealousy that he will wed another. On the other hand, she is horrified by the thought of seeing him torn apart by the tiger. Her lover glances up at her and with the slightest gesture she indicates the door to her right.

Without hesitation he walks to the door and opens it. So, what door did she choose, the Lady or the Tiger? And the story ends. WTF? We debated her decision for weeks.

Caledon Council will soon walk into an arena filled with an engaged and excited public. Behind one door awaits The Swan. Behind the other door awaits a hungry Developer. The Swan represents the promises the Mayor made to protect the communities greenspaces, The Developer represents destruction and greed.

So which door will the Council choose? For which door will the Mayor cast a Strong Vote? The Mayor glanced to the door of their choice, The Councillors all saw the glance. Now they each had to make a choice.

And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door,  — The Swan, or The Developer?

Women in Leadership: MP Ruby Sahota

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As federal MPs return to Parliament on September 15, 2025, citizens of Caledon have a good reason to feel proud. Ruby Sahota, formerly the MP for Brampton North since 2015, is now the MP for the newly created riding of Brampton North-Caledon. When Parliament sits on September 15, 2025, she will be representing Canada as the  Secretary of State – Combating Crime.

I had the honour of interviewing Ruby Sahota recently, just before she moved from her old office to fresh headquarters In her new riding. I have interviewed many politicians over the years from Prime Ministers to Mayors to Trustees, and the measure of a person is often revealed in that first meeting. I was outside her office when an entire family of her constituents poured out the door – grandparents. parents, children, all smiling and still engaged in conversation with her.

She was still actively listening, fully engaged in their dialogue. Rarely do you meet a genuine representative of the people – completely empathetic, involved in their concerns, and fully committed to addressing their needs. That was my first impression in meeting MP Ruby Sahota. Our interview only reinforced that first impression.

My questions ranged from getting to know Caledon, to her new role in Parliament, to her goals for the term, to the legacy she hoped to leave her children. I opened by asking her jokingly (alluding to a famous Russian novel) if she had been appointed the Secretary of State for Crime and Punishment because she was from Brampton. She laughed, “Ah, Dostoevsky, I had to read that in law school.” Unpretentious and versed in the classics, is a winning combination.

As a lawyer, and with her background in Political Science, MP Sahota is more than ready to be combatting crime. She is looking forward to meeting with federal, provincial, and municipal colleagues to discuss issues of public safety and justice.

We then switched from Brampton to Caledon. “I am very excited to be representing Caledon,” she stated, adding that she was getting to be familiar with a lot of new issues: agricultural concerns, meeting dairy farmers, development issues, getting to know Southfields. She added that she was looking forward to dragon boat races on Heart Lake.

While engaging with the communities in her new riding, MP Sahota also acknowledged that she would be devoting a lot of time to her new role as Secretary of State. The crime in Brampton is a local issue, but she clearly stated that globally, “The rules have changed.” Locally, gangs would fight over turf and deal in their own territories, Globally. the criminal organizations now network, sharing supply lines, technology and access to weapons. Cars, drugs, weapons, smash and grab theft, and human trafficking still remain the top issues, However, if we follow the money, we discover that these criminal organizations are being funded primarily by the profits made from auto-theft.

She said the gangs now have better technology, weapons and more money than most of our law enforcement agencies. This means our police forces are going to need more training and better tools to combat both local and global crime. This costs money, so taxpayers will need to recognize that seriously combatting crime will become a major budget item for both federal and provincial governments.

My final question was about the legacy she would like to leave her children when they look back at her role as a person and an Honourable Member of Parliament. Ruby Sahota paused briefly and said, “I would like to be remembered as accessible and willing to listen, as a person who worked hard to understand the needs of my constituents.”

That is a legacy worth remembering. The way I see it.

*****

*Photo Credit: Bernard Thibodeau, House of Commons Photo Services

Note: This article was first written for Just Sayin’ Caledon.

 

Stand on Guard?

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The formerly petulant, provocative, partisan, populist Pierre Poilievre is back, and the leopard hasn’t changed its spots. Ridden on a rail out of Ottawa for his support of the insurrectionist Truckers’s Convoy and its occupation of the Capital, Mr. Poilievre was banished by Ottawa voters.

Enter the good ultra Conservatives from Alberta, who gave up a justly won seat by Damien Kurek, a well respected member of the Battle River-Crowfoot community, so that Poilievre could win a by-election. Yep, not even the Long Ballot could stop the shamed Poilievre from winning a seat in rural south eastern Alberta. He has now earned the moniker Parachute Pierre.

In the U.S.A. they would call him a carpetbagger, and it didn’t take him long to revert to the same populist Republican playbook that cost the Conservatives the last election. Sloganeering, innuendo insults, the blame game, the staged photo ops – nothing has changed. Prime Minister Mark Carney could have held off the by-election much longer, but he acted with integrity. Poilievre has responded by thanking him with populist slogans like “Axe the Carbon Tax 2.0”  and “Jail not bail”

Parachute Pierre used to blame all of Canada’s ills on Justin Trudeau. With Prime Minister Carney in charge, Poilievre now simply targets “The Liberals” as the source of all evil. At a recent photo op in Brampton, close to the riding of Brampton North-Caledon Liberal MP Ruby Sahota (the actual Secretary of State for Combating Crime) Mr. Poilievre announced his “Stand on Guard” law.

While gaslighting a Brampton family as his backdrop, Poilievre announced “After ten years of Liberals, the system treats victims like criminals and criminals like victims.” Nonsense. This all relates to a home invasion where the perpetrator, the criminal, was incapacitated by the homeowner, the victim, who was subsequently charged with assault. Note, None of the details of the assault were released, which leads one to wonder why Parachute Pierre leapt to the defense of the homeowner.

The police made the assault charge, indicating that they thought the amount of force used to stop the intruder was unreasonable. Mr. Poilievre finds this offensive. Under Canadian law we are allowed to stop any intruder/attacker with reasonable force. That means that once the attacker/intruder has been neutralized either through a de-escalation talk or by a physical response, that you stop applying force. But Parachute Pierre wants no limits to the force you apply to stopping an intruder. “The use  of force, including lethal force is presumed to be reasonable against an individual who unlawfully enters a house and poses a threat to anyone inside.” This is a close copy of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law that allows you to shoot and possibly kill anyone “invading” your property.

Think of Rodney King. Think of Dudley George. Think of the death of Sammy Yatim by police officer James Forcillo – way beyond excessive force. Now think of the North York van attack by Alek Venassian, who wanted “death by cop” but was calmed down by Officer Kenny Lam. There are choices.

Caledon MP Kyle Seeback appears to be echoing the same sentiments when he recently claimed, “Soft on crime Liberal laws are having Canadians living in fear.” Whoa, slow down there, Mr. Seeback. My family is not living in fear, except for the truck traffic in Caledon. You seem to forget that the “soft on crime” bail system in Canada is a partnership between the federal and provincial governments. Bail rights are protected by the Canadian  Constitution. I am not living in fear, YOU are creating a crisis.

In the press statement from your website, you added that “Under Mark Carney’s Liberal Government, repeat violent offenders are being released onto our streets, families are paying the price while the system keeps giving second third and even fifth chances to dangerous criminals'”  I think you need to slow down a little Mr. Seeback and first talk with fellow Conservative, the Honourable Zee Hamid, Ontario MPP on bail reform, as well as your your colleague in Ottawa, neighbour Ruby Sahota, our “Crime and Punishment” mentor.

You are right about one thing – Canadians do need to feel safe in their homes and secure in the knowledge that the reasonable use of force to defend one’s self and family from uninvited intruders, will remain protected by our Constitution,

Sadly Kyle, based on your ten years of blame game chatter, and Mr. Poilievre’s lifetime spouting of prickly propaganda, I doubt if the Conservatives will be much help.

The way I see it.