The winter of 2013

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The tree in my backyard

From the front window

I like the way the snow looks sitting on the fence

As much as I dislike snow, at times like this I can't deny its beauty.

"Wynne"-ing ways

In the end, it wasn't even close - 1,150 to 866. Although Sandra Pupatello was leading after the second ballot, both Gerrard Kennedy and Charles Sousa dropped out and threw their support behind Kathleen Wynne and their delegates followed. Wynne becomes the first female Premier in Ontario history and the first openly gay Premier in Canada.

At the convention she didn't shy away from the possible impact of her sexuality.

Let's put something on the table: Is Ontario ready for a gay premier? You've heard that question. Let's say what that actually means: Can a gay woman win? ... I don’t believe the people of Ontario judge their leaders on the basis of race, colour or sexual orientation. I don’t believe they hold that prejudice in their hearts.

In the end it may be a factor for some, but not important enough to matter. What is more pressing is how she will deal with governing in a minority situation, the continuing labour strife with the teachers and, most importantly, the deficit of $11.9 billion. She seems to be making the right moves by promising to call back the legislature next month and to work with the opposition. The opposition, however, must want to work with her as well and, after all, this is politics where despite the lip service paid to putting the Province ahead of ideology that has seldom happened. She is a conciliator, but that can be a double-edged sword. She risks appearing ineffectual and overly accommodating.

None of this may matter. Ontarians have reached the end of their patience with the Liberals; McGuinty's prorogation of the legislature after his resignation as Premier didn't help. Wynne may not have time to change this, even if she can, before the Conservatives and the NDP, sensing blood, pull the plug and force an election.

Is it cold enough for you?

I know it's winter, I know it's Canada, but WTF

The Five and Dime

Source: Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library

Start at the northwest corner of King and Hughson, and move slowly up the sidewalk, alongside the old Right House building. It helps if it’s a sunny day. Peer across the street. And there on a slab of stone set into the brick wall, you’ll spot the outline of six big letters pulled down years ago – KRESGE. That name was once on hundreds of stores across the continent. It belonged to Sebastien Spering Kresge, who got his start in 1899 in Detroit. Link to the full article is at the bottom of this post

When I was growing up in the late 40's, early 50's I lived in a small city of about 35,000. Everything was centred in the downtown. The five & dime stores were Woolworth, Kresge, and Metropolitan, The higher end department stores were Eatons and the Right House. Around and among them were clustered all kinds of local stores as well as 4 theatres. You didn't have to travel to find things you needed or wanted no matter what the quality you were looking for or the price you could afford. That, of course, was a function of its time. While there were lots of cars many families, including mine, didn't own one, so the centralised businesses made sense. People went downtown to shop. Saturdays the sidewalks were packed, even more so because the open-air farmers' market was there as well.

The roots of the changes that happened are pretty well the same as in other cities no matter the size - growth, population shift and increased mobility. More people meant that they lived farther from the downtown. When we moved out of the city in 1952 we ended up in the outskirts surrounded by market gardens with a handful of neighbours. By 1958 the tar & chip street had become 4 paved lanes and there was a high school beside us. Plazas sprouted up with stores like Woolco and K-mart, followed by enclosed malls. No one went to the centre of the city anymore because there was no need; just hop in your car, park it for free and shop to your heart's content at the new downtown.

One by one the five and dimes closed as did the department stores. I think the Right House lasted the longest, eventually moving to one of the malls before the company closed its doors. Woolworth, Kresge, Metropolitan, and Eatons, the iconic Canadian department store, are also gone. So too are their replacements Woolco and K-mart. Relics of the past that only exist in photos and in memories stirred by newspaper articles.

Read the complete story A Sign Past Its Time

Samuel Giguère

Perhaps I've been missing out by not going to the Ticat games.

More on Samuel Giguère

Switching teams

Not really. In a previous post on Glen Murray's candidacy for leader of the Ontario Liberal Party I wondered if a gay man would be Premier of Ontario. With Miller's withdrawal on Jan 10th that is not to be, but there is a bit of a silver lining.

He threw his support behind Kathleen Wynne. Wynne, who is an out lesbian, has strong support. However, Wynne leans left and it may be she will be seen as unsuitable by the party members to continue the current austerity programs. We'll know on January 27th. And then the fun begins.

No matter who wins, will there be an election? Will the NDP instead support the minority Liberal government which will then limp on in uncertainty? With Liberal support at a low ebb, will there be time for them to try to rebuild or, like the Federal Liberals, are they doomed to be decimated by an election no matter when it takes place?

Will a gay man lead the Liberal party in Ontario?

When Dalton McGuinty retired as Premier and resigned as leader of the Liberal party, it threw open the door for many contenders. Among them, and one of the first to declare, is Glen Murray. Murray was mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1998 to 2004; he was also the first openly gay mayor of a major city in North America. He moved from Manitoba to Ontario and was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2010. His seat in Toronto Centre was previously held by George Smitherman who is also gay. In 2011, he was appointed Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities in the McGuinty government.

So far, he hasn't had any fellow cabinet ministers express support for his bid. It's early days in the campaign since the leader will be chosen in late January 2013. Other high profile candidates will likely outshine him, particularly Sandra Puppatello who, although not currently a member of the House, is considered a front runner.

Murray's sexuality is a non-issue in the leadership contest and likely would be in any election. Having said that, of course there are always bigots who will try to make it so, but that would likely have little effect

Whoever becomes leader of the Liberals will, by default, become Premier of Ontario. Ontario, like all of Canada, is a parliamentary democracy. The party with the greatest number elected forms the government. The leader doesn't necessarily campaign for the position of Premier, but to gain the largest number of seats. Of course, the leader sets the tone for the party, for the government and its policies, and has the most influence. He becomes the public face.

There is no requirement for the sitting government to resign and call an election. As a matter of fact, should Sandra Puppatello win, a by-election would have to be held in order for her to win election and take a seat in the Legislature. The Legislature is currently prorogued, likely until the new Premier takes office and requests the Lieutenant Governor to summon parliamentarians to continue the session.