Editorials - Jan. 30, 2026
Snow! Snow! Snow!
Even before the record-setting snowfall on Sunday, big-city residents were wondering how to cope with the windrows left by plows.
A Brampton West resident has launched a petition that has garnered more than 7,500 signatures, asking the city to invest in adjustable plow blades or snow deflectors and adopt policies that keep driveways clear. City officials have responded that consultations with residents have shown that only 41 per cent of taxpayers were interested in the service that would see their tax bill increase by more that $90 per year in order to provide windrow clearing. In addition, the city provides grants to seniors and people with disabilities to hire additional services.
While the additional snow is an annoyance in rural areas, we have the luxury of space to deal with the relentless onslaught. Cities like Brampton and Toronto are already packed in and there simply is nowhere to push the snow. Snow removal can be a thankless task!
Snowmobilers, snowplow operators and tow truck drivers are all having a great winter. The rest of us are dreaming of spring! – DS
Killing in the Name
As manufactured chaos has reigned in Minneapolis as a result of President Donald Trump’s “crackdown” on “illegal aliens” the tide has begun to turn on Trump as citizens have been violated and brutalized, events have been cancelled and businesses have been forced into mass closure due to safety concerns and lives have been lost at the hands of federal agents. First it was Renee Good and now it’s Alex Pretti.
In the cases of both of those murders, it has been an abundance of video and photographic evidence that has told the truth about the last moments of these two Americans’ lives in the face of Trump and his officials aggressively selling wildly divergent accounts of both who these people were and how they came to be murdered by agents. Many have invoked a haunting quotation from George Orwell’s 1984 in the wake of what’s happening. “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
With the photos and videos from both bystanders and professionals left to be the lone truth-tellers in these tragic cases, one of the most enduring and harrowing images of this stand-off is destined to be Pierre Lavie’s pictures of fellow photographer John Abernathy. As Abernathy was taken to the ground by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, he heaved his camera and phone to Lavie, knowing that they would be searched, seized and never seen again if he didn’t. Until now, tales of journalists being detained, facing an uncertain fate, and having their devices searched and seized came from third-world nations ruled by ruthless authoritarian regimes. No longer.
As more and more - in the U.S. and beyond - grasp the severity of what’s happening within the U.S., the more we will need the voices and work of those on the ground telling the truth. We know now that the U.S. has elected an administration that has no interest in doing so. – SL
Man of the Hour
Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos drew global attention and briefly returned Canada to the centre of international conversation. Addressing an audience grappling with geopolitical volatility and economic uncertainty, Carney outlined a confident vision of Canada’s place in a rapidly shifting world. The response suggested his message carried weight beyond domestic partisan divides.
Shortly after returning to Canada, Carney announced an increase to the GST credit for low-income workers. The policy was deliberately limited in scope, aimed at easing affordability pressures rather than restructuring the social safety net. It signals a preference for targeted intervention over sweeping reform.
Before his election as leader of the Liberal Party, Carney faced doubts as a political newcomer. His résumé in finance and economic governance earned respect, but critics questioned if it would translate to the demands of electoral politics and public leadership. Those concerns persist among parts of the progressive left. Critics argue that Carney’s instincts remain shaped by fiscal restraint. From that perspective, boosting the GST credit is welcome but cautious; an incremental adjustment rather than a transformative response to rising inequality. What is harder to dismiss is Carney’s standing on the world stage. His Davos address earned praise across party lines, including from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Given Poilievre’s long tenure in federal politics and his habitual criticism of Liberal leadership, that acknowledgment is notable.
Political experience does not guarantee effective leadership, just as novelty does not ensure it. What is emerging instead is a governing style defined by caution, credibility and incremental change, rather than grand promises or theatrical confrontation. For Canadians weary of uneven progress and performative politics, this approach may feel reassuring. For others, it will fall short of the urgency they believe the moment demands. Competence is clear but results remain cloudy. – SBS