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Articles by Eric Wickham
Inside The Fight Against Data Centres in Canada
PODCAST Inside The Fight Against Data Centres in Canada Mississauga is one of a growing number of municipalities pushing back against data centres in their communities. On September 16, Mississauga passed an interim control by-law pausing approval on all data centres with a peak power draw of over 10MW for the next year.
What Doug Ford Should Know About Encampment Residents
News Feature Down the street from the Kitchener GO station and beside a busy four-lane arterial road, exposed to traffic, the elements, and anything else that comes its way, sits a sandy lot. Tents nestle throughout. A few fences covered in tarps provide a small amount of privacy for sections. Garbage bins and portable washrooms have been placed in the middle, creating a small clearing where people can gather.
Ontario’s Recent Policy Changes Are Part of a Larger Pattern to Centralize Power and Silence Dissent, Critics Say
Critics are calling out the Ontario government’s consolidation of provincial power, describing the wave of transformative policy changes claiming to “modernize” and streamline the province’s processes as “self serving, undemocratic” and even, “authoritarian.” The past year has seen unprecedented change from the province, including several changes and bills that circumvent or undermine organizations and governing bodies that act as checks and balances to Queen’s Park.
Doug Ford Got Rid of Toronto’s School Trustees. At One School, Things Blew Up.
News Communication breakdowns with school administration, the removal of the locally elected representative who could advocate for students and the feeling that the province is not hearing their concerns have driven parents at one public school in Toronto to attempt to take matters into their own hands.
More Than 100 Gazans Have Been Accepted to Canadian Universities. Canada Isn’t Letting Them In.
Despite a UN report and multiple human rights organizations stating Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, advocates are accusing the federal government of stalling on providing student visas for people from or currently in the region. Graduate students living in or originally from Gaza have been stuck in limbo waiting for the government of Canada to approve their visas, in some cases for well over a year. One group says these wait times are evidence of a “systematic bias” against Palestinians.
Ontario’s Government Claims the Province Isn’t Privatizing Water. Experts Are Not Convinced.
The Ontario government is pushing back on claims that it is trying to privatize water, but experts and advocates are saying the province’s explanation fails to ease concerns about its plans. At a press conference at the Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant in Mississauga on Nov. 14, Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles gave a statement accusing Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives of attempting to restructure water delivery by moving to a private, for-profit model.
Ontario Cities Are Clearing Homeless Encampments. Where Are People Supposed to Go?
Analysis by Eric Wickham, Ontario Reporter When PressProgress reached her by phone on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 15, Maggie Helwig was at the Toronto Reference Library. Her memoir had been shortlisted for this year’s Toronto Book Award, and she was waiting for the prize ceremony to start.
University of Toronto building shut down, police investigating threat, amid backlash to professor’s X post
A building housing several humanities departments at the University of Toronto has been shut down until Monday, following an intense backlash against a professor whose office is located there. The professor, Ruth Marshall, who is reportedly now on leave, had tweeted comments that media platforms and activists on the right and far right had interpreted as celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk.
How Doug Ford Plans to Dismantle Ontario’s Most Popular Provincial Park
Doug Ford’s provincial government is set to make changes to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act as part of a move that would see the majority of the beachfront removed from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. The plan is to turn the land over to the local municipality, which could then take steps towards developing it.
When Metrolinx Hooked Up with European Rail Experts, the Result Was a “Slow-motion Train Wreck”
For the latest edition of our Sources podcast, Ontario reporter Eric Wickham spoke to The Trillium’s Jack Hauen about the far-reaching consequences of the many big, beautiful bills Doug Ford’s government has recently been pushing. They also got talking about Hauen’s recent investigation into the transit agency Metrolinx and how it largely gave up on an ambitious plan to evolve GO Transit’s train service into a European-style rail network.
Activists Spent a Decade Getting Cops Out of Ontario’s Schools. Doug Ford’s Government Is About to Put Them Back
After a decade of work by community advocates, trustees at the Toronto District School Board voted in 2017 to remove police officers stationed in their schools. Over the next few years, activists and trustees across Ontario brought an end to similar School Resource Officer programs throughout the province. Now, Doug Ford’s government is set to put them all back — and, if it gets its way, there won’t be anything that school boards can do about it.
Disability Advocates Demand Ontario Fix “Crisis” in Group Homes
Disability advocates are calling Ontario’s treatment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities a “crisis,” citing deaths, chronic underfunding, incidents of abuse and the stripping of rights from group-home residents as symptoms of deep structural issues with the way the province is administering care.
Advocates Accuse Ford Government of Targeting the Homeless with New Bill
Housing activists and community groups across Ontario are speaking out against the Doug Ford government’s controversial Bill 6, the Safer Municipalities Act, which they say would infringe on the rights of homeless people across the province.
Journalist in Poilievre’s Viral ‘Apple’ Video Says Election Results Bring Him ‘Satisfaction’
Don Urquhart likes these apples. “It would be fair to say I feel a substantial degree of satisfaction that Pierre Poilievre lost, not just the election but his own seat,” the journalist caught in the firing line of the Conservative leader’s most viral moment said in a statement to PressProgress.
Conservatives missed all-candidates events at a much higher rate than other major parties
In the run-up to today’s federal election, local MP candidates spent weeks making their case to the public that they were the best person to represent their interests in the House of Commons. But not all of the candidates took the opportunities in front of them.
Introducing the 2025 Candidate Story Map
NEWS INTERACTIVE by PressProgress As this election heads into its final weeks, much has been said about the major political party leaders. It can be much harder to find information about the MP candidates in individual ridings across the country. However, it turns out many of them have previously worked in or around politics and have been reported on or mentioned in stories by PressProgress.
Pierre Poilievre is Trying to Distance Himself From Donald Trump. American Right-Wing Media Keeps Praising Poilievre.
Despite Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s recent attempts to distance himself from US President Donald Trump, American right-wing MAGA media personalities and influencers have been some of Poilievre’s biggest supporters. Poilievre has enjoyed several years of sympathetic coverage from right-wing media in the United States.
Why Kingston, Ontario’s Rising Costs-of-Living are at the Centre of a New Strike at Queens University
Graduate students at Queens University say they are going on strike because they can no longer afford rising costs-of-living in Kingston, Ontario given what the city’s biggest employer is paying them. The strike began last week after a breakdown in negotiations with the employer.
LBGTQ+ Activists Issue Mass Call to Organize This Weekend Ahead of Possible Federal Election
While the federal government is prorogued and most of the country focuses on the ongoing trade disputes with the USA, one group is preparing itself to make its voice heard ahead of the possible upcoming federal election. As anti-trans bills continue to be rolled out across the United States, the LGBTQ+ community in Canada is gearing up to make sure that something similar does not happen in Canada.
Despite Trade War Talk, A Canadian TV Network is Broadcasting Ads for American Apples
Despite growing national support to boycott American products at the grocery store, a major Canadian television company is broadcasting advertisements for an American fruit growing commission. A recently aired commercial by CTV promotes Washington Apples amid tariff tensions between the US and Canada. The ad runs for around 30 seconds, talks about the benefits of eating apples, and provides tips about good times to eat apples.
Doug Ford’s Ontario PCs Have the Most High-End Big Donors, Donation Records Show
Doug Ford claims he’s “working for workers,” but a new analysis of Ford’s donation records show his party is racking up the most big donations from wealthy donors. According to a new Democracy Watch report released Monday analyzing donations to Ontario’s provincial political parties between 2021 and 2024, Doug Ford’s Ontario PCs were supported by more high-end donors than any of Ontario’s other political parties.
Doug Ford Claims There Are ‘More Cranes’ Building Homes Than Ever Before. Actually, The Number of New Home Builds Has Decreased Under Ford.
In the final Ontario leaders’ debate that took place February 17, Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford faced heavy criticism from his opponents about the cost of housing and his government’s inability to build more housing for the province. Doug Ford had a simple message to those who cast doubt on his record on housing – “look outside.” “…All you have to do is look outside the door, there’s more cranes,” Ford said during the debate.
Ford government’s chronic underfunding of education is creating compounding issues for staff and students
Violent incidents, classroom disruptions, staff shortages and worker burnout are happening at unprecedented rates in Ontario schools, and education workers say chronic underfunding from the province is the reason why.
Doug Ford Criticized for Out-of-Touch Comments Comparing Ontario Works Recipients to Lazy Youths Watching ‘The Flintstones’ Cartoons at Home
Advocates calling for increased social assistance rates say Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford’s recent comments about people receiving support through the Ontario Works program are “inaccurate” and “unfortunate.” Last Friday, while at an announcement promising to build a tunnel under the 401 that experts estimate will cost tens of billions of dollars, Ford was asked about potentially doubling Ontario Disability Support Program rates — a campaign promise made by both the Ontario NDP and Ontario...
Donald Trump’s Tariff Threats Show Why Canada Needs To Be Less Dependent on the United States, Experts Say
After narrowly avoiding a 25% tariff on specific products from the United States, experts say there is no going back to the way things were before. US President Donald Trump was set to introduce 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Tuesday, but has delayed introducing them for another 30 days after calls with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
After three cities in Ontario declare food insecurity an emergency, experts hope for more action from Doug Ford
As Ontario prepares itself for an early election, experts, municipal politicians and advocates are hoping to see more support from the next provincial government on the food insecurity crisis, which has been prevalent in Ontario for some time. Kingston is the third city in Ontario to declare food insecurity an emergency in the past three months, following Toronto and Mississauga. According to regional public health officials, one in three people in Kingston are experiencing food insecurity.
The Hoser | Taking On a Grocery Empire: Understanding the Loblaw Boycott
E arlier this spring, I stepped into a Metro to do a simple price comparison on some food staples. While walking through the store I happened across a 2.5kg fruit tray that cost $22.00. I took a picture and posted it on Twitter (also known as X) with the caption, “What are we doing here folks?” I then went back to my day and didn’t think about it until I checked back on my post in the evening. To my surprise the internet had converged onto my post.
The Hoser | Grocery Graphs = Tracking + Time
S ince the fall of 2023, The Hoser Grocery Tracker has been building and expanding an online tool that collects and compiles price data from grocery store websites across the GTA. Although the main function of the tool is to be used directly by consumers to check prices on key grocery items at stores in their area, the tracker is also meant to create a historical record of grocery item price changes over time.
The Hoser | The Myth of Affordable Housing in Toronto
he current state of Toronto’s rental market for minimum wage workers is grim. Toronto, one of the largest cities in North America, is also one of the most expensive. The average cost of a one bedroom rental unit in the city in 2022 is $2,474 — a 27.5 per cent increase since last year. Wages are not keeping up with increased cost of living. As of October 1, the Ontario minimum wage is $15.50.
Meet Postmedia’s favourite right-wing think tank
Postmedia opinion editors are way too willing to let people affiliated with conservative think-tanks write nonsense in their papers, allowing private interests to shape public opinion. In fact, people affiliated with the conservative think tank the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI) published over 80 columns in Postmedia papers this year alone. I’m going to tell you why that’s bad in a second, but first here’s a bit of context.
It’s Time For A Postmedia Sunshine List
Postmedia isn’t very good at making money. Nearly every year, Postmedia announces massive losses, more layoffs and more local newsrooms closing under their supervision. What’s shocking is that Postmedia gets to act like this is business as usual while the federal government is subsidizing them through the $600 million media bailout. Postmedia columnists love to shriek about Canada’s deficit, which is set to hit $343 billion this year.
It’s Time For A Postmedia Sunshine List
Postmedia isn’t very good at making money. Nearly every year, Postmedia announces massive losses, more layoffs and more local newsrooms closing under their supervision. What’s shocking is that Postmedia gets to act like this is business as usual while the federal government is subsidizing them through the $600 million media bailout. Postmedia columnists love to shriek about Canada’s deficit, which is set to hit $343 billion this year.
Keep Moving Forward
The weekend after the surgeons said I could take my neck brace off, I found myself making breakfast for my girlfriend for the first time in forever. Not being able to look down really inhibits your ability to cook properly, not to mention the depth perception issues I was dealing with from wearing an eyepatch. We had a nice little breakfast, scrambled eggs, bagels and coffee. The sunlight peaked through the kitchen window which made it feel much warmer than it was outside.
A quick primer on handling self-isolation during COVID-19
If you’re responsibly dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, you are at home right now. You probably have been at home for the past few days. You’re also probably bored to tears about now and are looking for any excuse to go outside. I get it. Self-isolation isn’t a whole lot of fun.
Learning how to ask for help
I am not good at asking for help. I could only really call myself a functioning adult by my late 20’s. I also really like to pretend that I’m resourceful enough to always solve my own problems. Asking the people around me for a hand was a little bit of a sore spot for me. There’s nothing like breaking your neck to show you how stupid that is. When I was first discharged from the hospital – I was incapable of doing anything by myself. Eating soup was a disaster.
Editor's Report: Navigating the New Night Sky
Stargazing seems to become more difficult with each passing decade. Things to come: Menacing streaks of light from a flock of SpaceX Starlink satellites obscure this Lowell Observatory view of the NGC5353/4 galaxy group. Courtesy: Victoria Girgis/Lowell Observatory As an avid amateur astronomer, I found last May’s launch of the first batch of SpaceX Starlink satellites to be an emotional roller-coaster ride.
This Week's Sky: October 21-27
By John Lindblad Highlights of the Moon’s quiet phase, and Neptune a prime telescopic sight October 21: The Moon enters last quarter. After midnight, observers will catch the Moon in its “quiet phase,” a time when the vast, dark lava plains of Mare Imbrium and Oceanus Procellarum are illuminated by the low-angle Sun. Binoculars and telescopes show the bright arc of the Apennine Mountains near the terminator.
Navigating the New Night Sky
Stargazing seems to become more difficult with each passing decade. Things to come: Menacing streaks of light from a flock of SpaceX Starlink satellites obscure this Lowell Observatory view of the NGC5353/4 galaxy group. Courtesy: Victoria Girgis/Lowell Observatory As an avid amateur astronomer, I found last May’s launch of the first batch of SpaceX Starlink satellites to be an emotional roller-coaster ride.
This Week's Sky: October 2
Jupiter shines bright in the evening sky, while Saturn reaches east quadrature Waxing Crescent Moon, Photo Courtesy: NASA Goddard October 3: The waxing crescent Moon makes a vivid appearance 2 ½° east of a bright companion at dusk. That glowing celestial body nearby? It’s Jupiter, and the pair will be visible across Canada until mid-evening. Use binoculars to enhance your view. Through a telescope, the crescent Moon and Jupiter will look spectacular.
Liberal MPP says "no-man's land" comments were misconstrued - My Parry Sound Now
Liberal MPP says “no-man’s land” comments were misconstrued The Liberal MPP who the PC’s claim called Northern Ontario a No Man’s Land insists his comments are being misconstrued. In an interview with Moose News, Lou Rinaldi says at the time MPPs were debating legislation to create two new ridings for Northern Ontario. Rinaldi claims when Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli spoke about the pending legislation, he got off topic. Rinaldi says that’s what prompted his comment.
Parry Sound Council October 3 preview - My Parry Sound Now
Parry Sound Council October 3 preview Photo: Supplied by Eric Wickham Parry Sound council meets this Tuesday night. The agenda has a number of items for council to discuss. The meeting has several deputations, including one from Trevor Pinn who will be providing council with a demonstration on the town’s new budget software.
MacFarlane Street Transfer Station switching to winter hours - My Parry Sound Now
MacFarlane Street Transfer Station switching to winter hours The MacFarlane Street Transfer Station is switching over to winter hours. That’s according to an announcement on the Town of Parry Sound website. The change will be in effect from October 16 onwards. That means after the October 15, the station will not be open on Sundays. The final day for the hazardous waste depot is also October 15. It will re-open in April next year.
Blue-green algae found in Armour Township - My Parry Sound Now
Blue-green algae found in Armour Township There is a blue-green algae bloom in Pickerel Lake. That’s according to the North-Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. The health unit says to not use the water while the bloom is occurring. That includes, drinking, bathing, cooking or swimming. Toxins from the algae can also build up in fish and shellfish. The health unit do not have a timeline on when the water will be safe for use again. Find out more about Blue-Green Algae at myhealthunit.ca
Town of Parry Sound elevator out of service - My Parry Sound Now
Town of Parry Sound elevator out of service Photo: Supplied by Eric Wickham If you’re visiting the town office, you’ll have to take the stairs. The Town of Parry Sound says their elevator is currently out of service. The expected date of repair for the elevator is currently unknown. The town apologizes for any inconvenience.
Parry Sound putting together committee for potential Hotel Tax - My Parry Sound Now
Parry Sound putting together committee for potential Hotel Tax Photo Credit - James King, MooseFM The Town of Parry Sound wants to put together a committee to look at creating a “hotel tax”. This comes from a direction from a council meeting earlier this month. The town is looking for members of accommodation industry to be a part of the committee on a volunteer basis. Members of the committee would help the town review the potential for this type of tax in town.
Carling Market supporting local firefighters - My Parry Sound Now
Carling Market supporting local firefighters The Carling Market will be raising money for the local fire department this Thanksgiving. The market is held every Saturday through the summer. The last market day this year was on September 2nd. However, a special Thanksgiving Market is happening next weekend alongside a barbecue hosted by the Carling Fire Department. There will be fresh produce, handmade goods and gift ideas on display.
Parry Sound Blood Drive tomorrow still in need of donors - My Parry Sound Now
Parry Sound Blood Drive tomorrow still in need of donors You can help save a life this week. A blood drive is taking place tomorrow (Sept. 29) at St. Peter’s Knights of Columbus Hall from 2 – 7 PM. According to Elaine St. Pierre from Canadian Blood Services, there are fewer donors than usual signed up for the upcoming drive. CBS is looking for around 120 units of blood. One donor can donate one unit of blood. This September is Childhood Cancer awareness month.
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month - My Parry Sound Now
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, and the OPP want you to be aware of online threats. Online fraud totals in the billions of dollars annually, and is only expected to grow. During October, the OPP will focus on four major themes: identity theft, two factor authentication and digital citizenship, online shopping and safe trade zones and the OPP Cyber Crimes Investigations team.
Kelly Shires Breast Cancer foundation holding fundraiser at gas pump - My Parry Sound Now
Kelly Shires Breast Cancer foundation holding fundraiser at gas pump You help the fight against cancer at the gas tank. The Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation’s pumping for Breast Cancer event is taking place next weekend in Glen Orchard. The event is taking place from 8 am to noon. It’s happening at The Glen Orchard General Store on Highway 169. All proceeds will go towards The Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation.
Nominations open for Order of the North - My Parry Sound Now
Nominations open for Order of the North Nominations are now open for the Order of the North. The Jack Munroe Historical Society of Elk City has given the award annually since 2014, and is now accepting nominations for this year. The award is meant to recognize people reaching high levels of achievement or excellence in any field that benefits the North. According to the historical Society, no award prior to the Order of the North specifically recognized the achievements of northerners.
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