Editorials - Sept. 19, 2025
My own worst enemy
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ latest volley in the ongoing labour dispute with Canada Post has shut down Neighbourhood Mail services, with union employees refusing to deliver any pieces. Neighbourhood mail is primarily a flyer service, but is also used to deliver free newspapers, magazines, government information pieces and other mail that need a blanket delivery coverage. Many businesses rely on it as a cost-effective way to get in front of consumers, from fast-food restaurants tempting us with coupons, to community newspapers sending free copies occasionally to build up subscriptions. You likely received a copy of The Citizen this way, and were so impressed that you signed up!
It’s true that the average consumer will not necessarily miss the flyers, and many turn to the internet to find the deals, but receiving a coupon or catalogue in the mail might just help you discover a new business or a deal on something you didn’t know you were looking for.
By shutting down this option, the union is just driving business away from their employer. With the advent of the internet and easy e-mail blasts for everything from invoices to renewal notices, letter mail is no longer a viable business model. Unaddressed mail and parcel delivery seem to be the path forward to a sustainable future, but by taking away the option now, the union is forcing many companies and small businesses to find alternatives; alternatives they might retain.
Both sides need to wipe the slate clean, set aside two years of division, and come to the table looking for a solution. – DS
B-a-n-a-n-a-s
Political tensions have continued to ratchet up as our divisions grow and we now need calm and temperance. Take it away, Jason Kenney!
Kenney, the former Premier of Alberta, is not necessarily known for his calm demeanor or his quest to unite the people of his province, but he recently called the possibility of Alberta separation irresponsible. “It’s bananas if we allow a tiny, perennially angry minority to drag the whole province through a deeply divisive debate,” he said recently.
Not only is Kenney reminding us how far we’ve fallen in Canadian politics, when he is the sensible adult in a room full of Danielle Smiths, but he’s tapping into a relic of the world of politics that is, if not extinct, certainly on the endangered species list: responsibility.
As politics have become more extreme with increased pandering to the extreme corners of supporter bases, actions are being taken without care or regard for how they may affect the average person, be it here in Canada or the United States under Donald Trump. How a referendum might improve things for Smith and her political standing - both here and in an increasingly right-wing world - or Alberta’s global market position with trading partners, is not considered as Smith seems uninterested in the scars a referendum could leave on constituents.
To paraphrase Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, Smith and extreme Alberta separatist advocates have been so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they haven’t stopped to think if they should. – SL
The kids aren’t alright
Recent events have cast a stark light on troubling trends among youth, raising urgent questions about the social, psychological and digital influences shaping young minds today.
In Toronto, a 12-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man were arrested in connection with the murder of a 62-year-old homeless man. This case is part of a broader pattern of youth involvement in violent crime. In 2022, for instance, a group of teenage girls, aged 13 to 16, swarmed and killed Kenneth Lee, a 59-year-old homeless man. Reports indicate that the girls initially met through social media and carried out the attack in an attempt to steal alcohol. In Holmesville, a 13-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a young girl. The case is ongoing, with psychological assessments still pending.
Meanwhile, just last week in Howick Township, a 17-year-old was charged with uttering threats after posting online comments suggesting a potential school shooting. The swift action of the OPP, who arrested the suspect within hours, demonstrates both the immediacy of digital threats and the necessity of rapid response, but also the underlying concern that young people are increasingly expressing extreme intentions online.
These incidents collectively point to the growing impact of social media, online communication and digital culture on youth behaviour. In both the 2022 swarming death and the Howick Township case, initial planning, co-ordination and expression of violent intent took place online. The speed and anonymity of digital platforms can magnify aggression, blur the boundaries between fantasy and action, and desensitize young people to the real-world consequences of violence.
The environments in which youth grow up, both online and offline, play a critical role in shaping behaviour, moral reasoning and social awareness. Without meaningful guidance, supervision and support, the potential for harm increases. – SBS