August 10, 2023 Published in The Conversation, August 17, 2023 Findings of this week’s report from Ontario’s Auditor General on the Ford government’s decision to remove 7400 acres from the Greater Toronto Area Greenbelt came as no surprise to those …
Ontario turns rational energy planning on its head
July 18, 2023 (updated from July 10); Version published in the Toronto Star July 15/July 21, 2023. Ontario’s energy plan released last week opened the door marginally on renewable energy and energy efficiency. But it also reaffirmed the centrality of …
Doug Ford at 5 years: Selling out Ontario’s future to please the well-connected
Published in The Conversation June 13, 202, The Hamilton Spectator, June 24, 2023 The initial political success of the Doug Ford government in Ontario has been attributed to its ability to connect with those who have seen themselves as the …
Finding pathways out of Ontario’s hydro and climate mess?
Version published in Policy Options, May 29, 2023 The recent federal budget reinforced the centrality of the electrification of transportation, building heating, and industrial activities in meeting Canada’s climate change targets and obligations. The situation has led to suggestions that …
Is Ottawa’s ‘clean’ industrial and climate strategy putting energy production ahead of energy productivity?
Version published in Policy Options, April 23, 2023. By Mark Winfield and Johanne Whitmore The federal government’s 2023 Budget has drawn considerable praise for its $80 billion in federal investments in a ‘clean industrial’ strategy aimed at meeting Canada’s climate …
Doug Ford calls federal environment minister ‘a real piece of work’
March 31, 2023 The Editors The Toronto Star Toronto, Ontario Dear Editors, Doug Ford says he will put his “record on the environment against any government in the history of this province, or right across the country.” He had better …
Re: Critics wary of Moltex’s nuclear-waste strategy
Published in the Globe and Mail April 5, 2023 The Editors The Globe and Mail Toronto, Ontario Dear Editors The Globe’s article on the proposed molten salt nuclear reactor at the Point Lepreau site highlights a critical weakness in the …
Has Metrolinx become a law unto itself?
February 23, 2023, updated March 2, 2023; Related story in the Toronto Star, April 22, 2023 Photo: CBC Although Metrolinx has recently backed down on its proposal to build a railway yard in the Don Valley, the project, along with …
Letter to the Editor Toronto Star and Globe and Mail re: “Greenbelt is Ontario’s jurisdiction, Ford says”
January 28, 2023 Published in the Globe and Mail, February 5, 2023 Dear Editors, Ontario Premier Doug Ford claims that matters related to the GTA Greenbelt and land-use are “our jurisdiction.” The constitutional, legal and financial reality is a bit …
A Triumph of the Incumbents? Assessing the federal government’s choices on the road to decarbonization.
Published in Policy Options, January 25, 2023 Canada’s nuclear industry got an important pre-Christmas gift from the federal government in the form of the announcement of its decision not to conduct an impact assessment of a proposed small modular nuclear …