Editorials - Nov. 28, 2025
Fighting the good fight
Next week marks the return of the Friends of Ball’s Bridge & Little Lakes (FOBBLL) to the Ontario Land Tribunal to try to stop the expansion of the Little Lakes Pit, a massive below-the-water-table gravel pit that threatens the ecologically-sensitive area beside the Maitland River between Ball’s Bridge and River Line.
The proposed pit expansion project is surrounded by woodland that is designated as “provincially and locally significant” as well as “significant wildlife habitat” in the Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh official plan and would take 3,315,284 square feet of prime agricultural land out of production.
It has been left to a group of concerned community members to fight the zoning change from Agricultural to Extractive in order to stop the sand and gravel company from clearcutting a mature woodland on top of an aquifer refresh area. The group is raising money to present expert evidence to the Tribunal to demonstrate the risks to groundwater, wetlands, the Maitland River, wildlife and the cultural landscape.
Resource extraction is a necessary evil, but gravel deposits are not rare, and the environmental impact of these pits need to be first and foremost when issuing licenses.
Kudos to the FOBLL’s members for taking the time and energy necessary to attempt to stop the destruction. – DS
Match Point
While his level of influence might not be red hot these days, it was Woody Allen who once said that 80 per cent of success is showing up. Well, U.S. President Donald Trump - not that this editorial board is in any way comparing the two men - learned the hard way (or in a way in which he doesn’t really care) the perils of not showing up last week.
He and his government officially boycotted the G20 summit in South Africa due to a made-up story about white genocide that Trump has chosen to believe, but, as they say, the show must go on. And it did.
Composed and respectful world leaders went about their business without the shadow of Trump - occasionally spitting out tirades about climate change being fake, white people being slaughtered in South Africa and how great the U.S. is - looming over them. Prime Minister Mark Carney, in Trump’s absence, assumed somewhat of a leadership role and, while stories were written, the group didn’t miss Trump.
Meanwhile, as Trump has failed to follow through on his hissy fit from about a month ago over Premier Doug Ford’s Ronald Reagan ad and Trump and Carney have largely channeled Mariah Carey when asked about the other (“I don’t know her”), Carney has been shoring up relations with nations other than the United States, announcing deals at best and warming relations at worst with many countries while Trump has kept busy definitely not being implicated in the Epstein files.
The longer Trump delays, seemingly, Carney and his team is gifted more time to build the country’s defence and make new friends. He is fulfilling his promise to diversify our interests with reliable trade partners, rather than trying to tame the untameable. – SL
National pride at the plate
Even though the Blue Jays’ season is over, baseball in Canada is still buzzing. Fans across southern Ontario are talking about games, debating plays and thinking about next spring. That energy is exactly what the Intercounty Baseball League is tapping into as it becomes the Canadian Baseball League (CBL), going fully professional in 2026.
Last season showed just how much Canadians want baseball. Rosters included players with Major League and high-level minor league experience, and nearly 250,000 fans turned out to see their teams in action. The appetite is real, and the CBL is ready to meet it.
Next season will feature 48 games and a tightened playoff format. Five teams will make it to the postseason, with the fourth- and fifth-place teams facing off in a one-game showdown, and the best-of-seven series deciding the Dominico Cup. Every game will carry weight, every win will count and the stakes will feel higher than ever.
Some teams carry history that keeps the game grounded. The London Majors play at Labatt Park, one of the oldest ballparks still in use. Hamilton, Welland, Barrie and the other teams now combine local tradition with professional-level ambition.
Fans won’t miss a moment. Games will continue on YouTube and, in 2026, will also stream on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and mobile devices. The CBL is making it easy to follow the action.
The league is honouring its roots while moving forward. Photos, memorabilia and stories from the IBL’s history are being preserved so the league’s past remains part of its future.
This is more than a league. It’s a chance for Canadians to enjoy high-quality baseball close to home, rooted in community and built for the fans. The Canadian Baseball League gives us another reason to gather, cheer and celebrate the game we love. – SBS