Editorials - Aug. 7, 2026
Right road
With a deadly outbreak of the Bundibugyo form of the Ebola virus surging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Canada is at the forefront of the battle to get ahead of it. Health Canada has authorized Moderna to launch a clinical trial, just behind the UK which began trials two weeks ago. Time is of the essence, as the outbreak rises more quickly than any before. This is already the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record with more than 3,800 cases and at least 1,700 deaths, and cases are rising more quickly than the outbreak that lasted from 2014 to 2016. The 2018 Ebola outbreak took more than two years to end, and that was with a vaccine. Bundibugyo has been difficult to contain, but Moderna is beginning to vaccinate volunteers with mRNA-1469, based on the same technology used against the COVID-19 pandemic. They are faster to develop because they use a digital, cell-free “plug-and-play” design. Instead of growing physical cultures of live or weakened viruses in labs, a slow and complex process required for traditional vaccines, mRNA vaccines use a pathogen’s genetic code to teach our bodies to safely build a harmless viral protein to trigger immunity.
In an era when travel is constant and local outbreaks can turn into global crises in the blink of an eye, the threat of another pandemic is real. We must champion the medical reliability that keeps our community safe. Having the ability to develop these defences quickly and safely is the only way we’re all going to sleep better at night. – DS
Falling slowly
We’re not in Oliver anymore. Oliver, British Columbia in 2023 was, of course, the backdrop for Pierre Poilievre’s viral moment in an orchard. There he arrogantly chomped an apple while smugly conversing with local journalist Don Urquhart. The video earned praise from right wingers across North America. It was around then that Poilievre’s Conservatives opened a 24-point lead over the Liberals.
Nanos Research, late last month, released a poll showing Poilievre at 18 per cent support as this country’s preferred Prime Minister. He was tied at 18 per cent with multiple-choice stalwart “Don’t Know”, far behind Prime Minister Mark Carney at 54 per cent. Furthermore, the poll suggests that the Conservative with the best chance to beat Carney if he led the party is now former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Many Conservatives, no doubt, have a tough time understanding how fleeting a massive lead like Poilievre’s can be. Casual observers likely think that time’s up for Poilievre, who has overseen a historic collapse for the party and continues to founder. For left-leaning folks, it couldn’t have happened to a better guy. The arrogant smugness Poilievre imparted when he was flying high rubbed many the wrong way as he seemed poised to swoop into the Prime Minister’s chair.
The question now is whether the federal Conservatives will stand by their man, hoping to reignite that lightning in a bottle or if they will move on to someone who is clean of Poilievre’s stain. – SL
In this boat together
The devastating flooding in St. Catharines and Lincoln is another reminder that Ontario is facing a new reality. Extreme rainfall is becoming more intense, localized and difficult to predict, leaving communities with little time to prepare before streets become rivers.
Flooding is nothing new, but today’s storms are different. Rain that once fell over days can now arrive in hours. Areas with little history of flooding can suddenly be overwhelmed. Municipal infrastructure built for another era is increasingly unable to cope with weather that seems to grow more severe and less predictable each year. No government can stop every flood or forecast every cloudburst. However, governments can strengthen stormwater systems, improve drainage, replace aging infrastructure and help municipalities adapt to changing conditions. Those investments are becoming necessities, not luxuries.
Instead, the Ontario government appears more interested in telling people it will “Protect Ontario” than demonstrating that it can protect Ontario. Costly advertising campaigns may produce memorable slogans, but they do not keep water out of basements, reopen flooded roads or spare families the heartbreak of seeing their belongings destroyed. Ontarians deserve more than promotional messages. They deserve practical action that improves resilience before disaster strikes. Every dollar devoted to self-congratulatory advertising is a dollar that cannot be invested in infrastructure that helps communities withstand increasingly volatile weather.
These floods should not simply be viewed as isolated disasters. They are part of a broader pattern that demands serious attention. As storms become harder to anticipate and their impacts more severe, Ontario must focus less on selling the idea of protection and more on delivering it. The weather cannot be controlled, but better preparation certainly can.
Citizens expect leadership that matches the scale of today’s challenges, not advertising designed for elections. – SBS