Editorials - Sept. 25, 2026
Highway 61 Revisited
Commercial truck drivers account for a disproportionate number of accident fatalities. Nowhere is this felt more acutely than in northern Ontario and along the TransCanada corridor. In response to a scathing report by the Auditor General in May, the Ontario government is finally taking action to strengthen training, tighten eligibility requirements and improve oversight. Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria announced the province is developing a standardized curriculum for prospective commercial drivers, aimed at improving road safety.
The province is developing a new curriculum, in consultation with industry leaders, that will include more than 103 hours of training designed for anyone applying for a Class A commercial driver’s licence. Instruction will focus on subjects such as fatigue management, rural driving, human trafficking awareness and air brake training.
After sending undercover officers into driver training programs, the report found that the career colleges were cutting corners and placing unqualified drivers on the road, with little to no oversight from the two provincial ministries responsible for commercial driver training.
Transport companies, desperate for drivers, frequently employ new Canadians and place them in challenging conditions, particularly the harsh winter driving environments along northern Ontario routes essential for cross-country freight. Lacking experience with Canadian roads and winter weather, these drivers are placed in perilous situations that too often lead to tragedy. Proper training and oversight will give them the tools they need, while keeping everyone safe. – DS
Pressing on
In his clearest and most aggressive assault on the freedom of the press yet, President Donald Trump pulled the credentials of Politico, MSNOW and CNN from the White House grounds. This, refreshingly, was met with solidarity with the White House pool, which has, since the ban was announced, refused to cover the president. The pool even includes Trump-leaning networks like Fox News which are, for once, putting something above Trump. In this case, it’s a free press. This may leave people anxious, wondering where their next dollop of Trump news will come from. Well, fear not Trumpheads - your favourite dictator-in-training has launched Trump TV. The new stream is said to be comparable to state-run television in other flourishing democracies like North Korea, China and Russia.
While members of the press that cover Trump and his administration for some of the biggest media outlets in the world have doubled down on their resolve to hold him accountable, this is a stark reminder of the fragility of the freedom of the press. As funding for journalism continues to dry up and “citizen journalists” poorly take the places of proper news gatherers - untrained and with agendas - we’re reminded just how precarious the position of the press can be; that, little by little, the ability of journalists to do their jobs properly can be eroded by people in power who’d rather not answer to anyone.
No bad actor - from abusive athletes to handsy politicians - wakes up one morning and decides to atone for his sins. Bad behaviour is almost always brought to light by reporters. To undermine that work is to undermine justice, truth and civility. And as people like Trump continue to win, the work gets harder, but journalism endures. – SL
Too much of nothing
There is something wonderfully satisfying about seeing downtown St. Catharines ranked the ninth-coolest neighbourhood in the world by Time Out. Not Toronto. Not Montreal. St. Catharines.
Time Out highlighted the downtown’s independent businesses, restaurants, arts, entertainment, heritage and public spaces. But here’s the important part: this did not simply happen. St. Catharines made a decision to invest in culture. It has put money behind arts organizations, cultural projects, public spaces and the creative sector.
And now an international publication is calling the result cool. Cool, it turns out, is what investment looks like when it has had time to work.
There is a lesson here for Huron County. This area is hardly short on culture. There are artists, musicians, theatres, festivals, museums, makers, galleries, historic downtowns and enough stories to keep a newspaper busy for several lifetimes. Huron County’s own planning documents recognize that culture can strengthen communities, support tourism, attract investment and contribute to economic development.
One grant won’t create a cultural economy. But sustained investment can create an ecosystem in which all of the pieces reinforce one another. St. Catharines offers a useful case study. Huron County doesn’t need to become Downtown St. Catharines. We have our own identity, and thank goodness for that. But we should understand the lesson: if you want people to notice your community, consistently give them something noticeable. Culture is not decoration. Invest in it, and eventually, somebody might even call you cool. – SBS