Editorials - March 20, 2026
History v. Progress
The Middlesex County Court House was modeled after an Irish castle when it was built in 1827. It sits on a plot of land that was set aside as the original town plot for the city of London by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe after his visit to The Forks in February, 1793, at a time he proposed to locate the provincial capital in London. The building’s unique architecture and its park-like setting make it a standout in downtown London. In addition to its pedigree, generations of trials and executions have played out within its walls, including the proceedings behind the infamous Donnelly murders, the 1935 kidnapping of beer tycoon John Labatt and others.
The property was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1955, but despite the recognition of its “profound importance to the country’s history and culture”, the County of Middlesex sold it to a private developer in 2019, while continuing to lease the building for council meetings, weddings and more. The county will be vacating the property by the end of the year, leaving its future undetermined.
The developer has announced plans for a 54-storey apartment tower next to the historic building. Critics are concerned, as the site plan includes a four-storey underground parking garage a mere 16 metres from the court house. Even the engineering documents warn of a moderate potential impact from excavation close to the foundation.
While the developer promised to respect the heritage, there is no law in Canada that would compel them to protect the building. Canada is the only G7 country without a legal framework to preserve the country’s historic buildings. We need to protect these properties. – DS
Staying grounded
Late last week, CNN introduced this editorial board to the term “social offloading” in a lengthy story about members of Generation Z “outsourcing” difficult conversations to A.I. It begins with an anecdote from a real-life pair of young people, one of whom texted the other a message about not wanting anything too serious after their blind date just a few days earlier. It was A.I. generated and the recipient knew it.
The concerns over the generation’s ability to socialize is shared by Dr. Michael Robb of Common Sense Media, saying that using A.I. to outsource communication itself can create expectation mismatch while eroding users’ confidence in their own voices and creating a form of arrested development in reading social intent, inferring others’ emotions and tolerating ambiguity in social interactions. He also noted that one third of teens prefer A.I. companions over humans for serious conversations - the results of a 2025 survey from Common Sense.
A generation already facing challenges from growing up online, virtually navigating a pandemic, learning to live in a world of social media and an ever-blurring line between the digital world and reality is already behind the eight ball socially. With the proliferation of A.I., deepfakes and the like, they are dropped into another untested ocean of technology and being asked to swim.
How can parents, grandparents and teachers help? Through personal connection, hopefully, and developing relationships and ways of life to keep our young people’s feet safe and steady in the real world. – SL
We the (creative) North
Canada was not just watching Sunday’s Academy Awards. We were part of them. From key creative roles on Frankenstein to the latest nomination from the National Film Board of Canada, Canadian talent again proved it can compete, and win, at the highest level. Canadians helped build the very bones of films that captured global attention.
Members of the Frankenstein team used their moment to call out cuts to arts funding in Nova Scotia. It was a reminder that behind every polished production is a fragile ecosystem, one that depends on sustained public support. That is where institutions like the National Film Board (NFB) matter. The NFB is not a luxury. It is a long-standing public investment in Canadian storytelling, a place where distinctive voices are nurtured rather than filtered through commercial pressures. Its continued presence at the Oscars is not accidental. It is the result of decades of believing Canadian stories are worth telling on their own terms.
Too often, we fall into the habit of valuing our culture only after it is recognized elsewhere, particularly in the United States. If it wins an Oscar, it must matter. If it does not, perhaps it never did. That thinking shrinks us. Sunday night offered a better lesson. Canadian artists are already operating at a world-class level. The question is whether we are willing to support them before the trophies arrive.
Cuts to arts funding may be framed as practical, but culture is not expendable. It is how a country understands itself and tells its stories in its own voice. Without that, we risk becoming fluent in other people’s narratives while losing our own. We should celebrate Canada’s Oscar connections. But, more importantly, we should invest in the conditions that make them possible. – SBS