A Big Win is Coming for More Highways and Carbon Emissions, and Fewer Public Services. A Big Loss for What is Left of Same Public Services, Our Natural Heritage, and a Healthy, Affordable Future for Generations to Come
A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper
Posted May 21st. 2022 on Niagara At Large
Doug Ford and his Ontario Conservatives have Winner written all over them. For those working against Ford, it is over.
How much do I want Andrea Horwath and her New Democrats to win?
How much do I want Niagara, Ontario’s current sea of NDP orange in the ridings of Niagara Centre, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines extend to Niagara West, where a very capable NDP candidate in Dave Augustyn is running against Ford Conservative incumbent Sam Oosterhoff?
I can’t tell you as s one citizen watchdog who cannot feel more disturbed over the Ford government’s last four years of wreaking havoc on public health care, education, environmental protection and other fundamentals, how much I dream of seeing a big NDP win this time.
But to paraphrase the late, great George Carlin; ‘Dreams are for people who are asleep because you have to be asleep to believe them.’
When one awakens to the real world, one may have noticed that Ontario’s governing Conservative leader Doug Ford spent the last two days(May 19th and 2E0th) in Niagara where, among other things, he promised to get on with the business of twinning the Garden City Skyway and building a new “South Niagara” hospital in Niagara Falls.
Three good pals. Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, Ontario Conservative Leader Doug Ford and Niagara Falls Riding Ford candidate Bob Gale, doing a photo-op in Niagara Falls this May 20th.
In the last two weeks of an election, party leaders don’t invest that kind of time in a region unless they smell the kind of blood that spells victory for their side.
Indeed, ongoing tracking polls – and I’m talking about polls that have proved to be highly accurate in previous provincial and federal elections – continue to show a solid lead for the Doug Ford Conservatives and projections of enough seats in the winning circle to gift them a solid majority when all votes are counted on June 2nd.
No wonder Ford is showing all of the tell-tale marks of a winner as he continues campaigning across the province during these last 12 days of the election.
Ontario PC leader Doug Ford reacts with his family after winning the Ontario Provincial election to become the new premier in Toronto, on Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Nathan Denette/CP)
That leaves even a dreamer like me conceding that it is over – that as much as I continue to preach about the need to address climate change, protect our waters and green space, keep our health care services public, high quality and accessible to all, and make our lives in our communities more affordable, the even larger and better finances forces of building more highways, sprawling urban buildings over more green lands, and not caring all that much about climate change, are going to win – AGAIN!
To quote George Carlin one last time; “F— hope.”
To visit two key tracking polls for this Ontario election, click on the following links –
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/ontario/
https://338canada.com/ontario/
A Brief Footnote from Doug Draper at NAL – This hopeless dreamer will have a post here before the election, urging Niagara voters to support our region’s NDP candidates, even while fearing that they will very likely not be representing representing us on the government side. After all Ford still needs at least some opposition.
NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.
Niagara At Large 
I share your dismay! I am saddened, especially by voters who seem to have forgotten how poorly Ford dealt with the pandemic and allowed thousands of seniors to die in homes rather than insist that help be provided to them. I am saddened too, by the fact that we are about to see our public schools and our public health care be gutted to be replaced by big business while Christian charter schools will get more funding and be able to preach, even more widely, about pulling back our social programmes and rights. So sad, indeed!
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Is it OK to say SH!T ?
Are Canadian brains turning to mush like the MAGA morons in the US?
A Reply from Doug Draper. I tried to avoid using that word and more in my commentary, but say it if it makes you feel any better.
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Why won’t you print opposing comments and submissions?
Reply from Doug Draper – I don’t believe Niagara At Large has ever deliberately not posted opposing views unless they are unsigned or offensive some ways that cross a zone into racism, etc.
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Please encourage people to get out and vote for anyone, but not Conservatives. It doesn’t matter what the polls say – we all need to take part!
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I refuse to believe the polls because it then would point out that Canadians have truly lost their minds if Ford got in with a majority. No I believe by saying he is going to get in with a majority is so negative and absolutely not true. The man is nothing but love the almighty buck and let us pave over all of Ontario! No I have more faith in fellow Canadians to stand for that. Get out and vote for other deserving parties who appreciate Mother Nature and not concrete,
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Have hope. Look at Australia!
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