111022 November 10 2022

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InFlandersFields

BYJOHN MCCRAE

InFlandersfieldsthepoppiesblow

Betweenthecrosses,rowonrow, Thatmarkourplace;andinthesky Thelarks,stillbravelysinging,fly Scarceheardamidthegunsbelow.

Wearethedead.Shortdaysago Welived,feltdawn,sawsunsetglow, Loved,andwereloved,andnowwelie InFlandersfields.

Takeupourquarrelwiththefoe: Toyoufromfailinghandswethrow Thetorch;beyourstoholdithigh. Ifyebreakfaithwithuswhodie Weshallnotsleep,thoughpoppiesgrow InFlandersfields.

COVID-19protectivemeasures

Statement from Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Sudbury & Districts, Dr. Penny Sutcliffe

Our latest data shows that the local COVID-19 risk index remains high, with worseningtrends.Thenumberoflocalcaseshas almostdoubledsinceSeptemberandthepercent of COVID-19 tests that are positive has increased to 15%—a number that has only been beatenfortwoweeksduringtheentirepandemic, todate.Therearegrowingnumbersof COVID19outbreaks,hospitalizations,andsadly,deaths. Thisiscombinedwithearlyreportsofinfluenza inourcommunity.

Lettherebenodoubt.Nowisthetimeto strengthen your personal protective measures if youhaven’talreadydoneso:

! Alwayswearawell-fittedmaskinindoor public places such as retail stores and public transportation.Justputiton.

! Get your COVID-19 booster dose as soonasyouareeligible.

! Stayhomeandawayfromothersifyou’re notfeelingwell.

! Bookyourflushot.

! Inadditiontoprotectingyourownhealth, you are also protecting your elderly neighbour, thecashierwithaweakenedimmunesystem,and thenurseyouaregoingtocountonifyoudoget sick. That’s a lot of benefit from a few simple actions.

For more information, please visit phsd.ca.KeepconnectedwithourFacebookand Twitter pages or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).

LOCALDATA

! Therewere11COVID-19relateddeaths in October. This is up from about 7 deaths per

monthonaverageinAugustandSeptember.

! As of November 2, Public Health Sudbury&Districtshasreported186deathsdue to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

! ThedailynumberofconfirmedCOVID19casesincreasedfrom25casesperday(7-day average)inmid-Septemberto40casesperdayon October 21. It has decreased slightly in the past week, though there are often delays in reporting casestoPublicHealth.

! Percenttestpositivityhasincreasedfrom about 7% in mid-September to 15% last week. There have been only 2 weeks since the beginning of the pandemic when it was higher than15%.

! The number of active cases increased from 244 in mid-September to 449 on October 25,beforedecreasingabit.Therewere299active casesreportedlocallyonNovember2.

! The number of confirmed cases in hospitalincreasedfrom22onSeptember20to70 on October 16 and has remained above 60 patientsonmostdayssincethen.

! There were 16 active COVID-19 outbreaksinhigh-riskfacilitieslastweek.There have been at least 9 active outbreaks in such facilities each weekforthepast15weeks.

! Currently, there are 299 known active cases of COVID19 in our service area, which is an underestimation of the actual numberofcases,astheyinclude only those who are eligible for PCR testing under current

In Loving Memory of Paul Micheal Cloutier

October 14, 1983-November 11, 2009

Sweetisamemory, Preciousisyourname, Deepinourhearts, Youwillalwaysremain.

Love Mom, Dad, Christina, Dan & Ava

provincialguidelines.

! As of October 31, 89.5% of residents aged 5 years and older have received their first doseof COVID-19vaccine,86%havereceived theirseconddose,and58%havereceivedathird dose.

Nowisthetimetostrengthenyour

Chapleau Moments

by MichaelJ. Morris

As the anniversary of the end of World War I approaches on November 11, and the centennial of Chapleau's Legion Hall neared in 2020,itisveryappropriatethatBranchNumber Five (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion is planning major renovations to one of the community'slasthistoricpublicbuildings.

Afterreceivingacopyoftheletterthatthe branch sent out to its members regarding the plannedrenovations,IcontactedNellieMitchell, the branch president, for an update on the plan. Nellie replied that the branch had " good productive meeting" and it would now proceed withgettingtherenovationdsunderway.

Icouldnothelpbutreflectontheamazing role the "Legion Hall" and the members of the "Legion" have played in the life and times of Chapleau since it was opened officially in 1920 asStJohn'sParishhouse.

ChapleauCelebratesRemembranceDay

donorsofthebuildingdidnotputtheirnameson the monumental inscription: they were content thattheworldremembersthemasthefatherand motherofLieutenantLorneW.Nicholson.”

Georgeaddedthatonthecarvedtransom

withaChapleauconnectioninWorldWar II,29 of whom, including my father Flying Officer JamesMorris,didnotreturnhome.

Those who returned and made their homesinChapleau,liketheWorldWarIveterans became very active in community affairs. In 1947,whenJ.M.'Jack'Shoup,whohadservedin World War I and II. was branch president, said theyhad"adutytoserve"theydidinallaspectsof community life with the "Legion Hall" as their centralplace.

After World War I, Harry Searle a veteran, led a Chapleau delegation to Winnipeg for the founding convention of the Legion, and thebranchreceiveditscharterin1926--Number Five in Ontario, quite an accomplishment for a small community. On a personal note I have always been proud that Harry Morris, my grandfather,aWorldWarIveteranwaspartofthe Chapleaudelegation.

But, "the Legion", was not home to the branch in the beginning. Mr. and Mrs. G.B. Nicholson had it built in memory of their son Lorne and his friends who were killed in action duringWorldWarI.It wastheparishhouseofSt John'sAnglicanChurch.

The late George Evans, former teacher and assistant principal at Chapleau High School wrote in a column that "It is significant that the

abovethefrontdoorisaninscription.Itreads:"St John'sParishHouse.InmemoryofLt.LorneW. Nicholsonandallthosewhowithhimvoluntarily gave their lives in the GreatWar. Erected by his fatherandmotherA.D.1919".

In our book, 'The Chapleau Boys Go To War'MichaelMcMullenandIidentifiedalistof 283 volunteers with a Chapleau connection, not allofwhomreturnedhome.Thirty-twolosttheir lives.

St. John's was unable to maintain the buildingduringtheGreatDepressionand indue coursethemunicipalitytookitover,andBranch Five rented it, then by 1955 when B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt was reeve, it was bought by the branch. Mr.Zufelt(whointheinterestsoffulldisclosure was my uncle) was given a life membership for

AsIreflectedonmygrowingupyearsin Chapleau I was a fan of Legion hockey and baseball teams with mostly veterans on them. I would hardly ever miss one of their games and Garth 'Tee' Chambers, a veteran, was my personalheroandfriend.

TheLegionanditsmembersbecamevery involvedincommunitycoachingandsponsoring teams,holdingannualposterandessaycontests, assisting veterans and their families in need, serving onlocalboards,committeesandcouncil, providing colour parties for local events, and much much more towards making Chapleau a betterplaceforall. Cont’donP.5

hisefforts.

Michael and I identified 418 enlistments

Mr. Frank Cranston, Chapleau’s only W.W.I andW.W.IIVeteranreceivesaspecialJubilee Medal at the Harry Searle Branch No. 5 Charter Night celebrations held Saturday September21,1985.

Tee Chambers, Butch Pellow, Aldee Martel 1954

Back Baisel, Mike McMullen, Mrs Broomhead, Dave McMillan, Richard Pilon, Tim Goodwin, Front Charlie White, Ken Schroeder,BooHong

REPORT from OTTAWA Rapport

d’Ottawa

by/par Carol Hughes Federal member of Parliament Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing

One of the most fundamental rights workers have in Canada is the right to collective bargaining. It allows workers to unite under the bannerofaunion,andtodemandfaircontractsata fairrateofpay.It'sanessentialpartoftheCanadian LabourCode,butthoserightscanbeundermined.

One way in which employers are able to sidestep these fundamental rights are through the hiring of non-union members when employees go on strike or are locked out. These people are commonly known as either replacement workers, orafar-less-flatteringterm:scabs.

The use of scabs undermines workers' collectivepower.Itdoesthisbyremovingthemost essentialpowerthatalabourstoppageissupposed togiveworkerstohelpenddisputes:theabilityof workerstoapplyeconomicpressuretoacompany when they can't come to a logical collective agreement.Companiesemployscabstoensurethe work they need gets done, which applies undue pressure on workers in a labour dispute and puts

Au Canada, l'un des droits les plus fondamentaux des travailleurs est le droit à la négociation collective. Les travailleurs peuvent ainsiseregrouperensyndicatetexigerdescontrats équitablesetunerémunérationjuste.Or,sicedroit est un élément essentiel du Code canadien du travail,ilarriveparfois qu'ilsoitbafoué.

Les employeurs peuvent contourner ce droit fondamental notamment en embauchant des personnes non syndiquées lorsque leurs employés sont en grève ou en lockout. Ces personnes sont communément appelées des « travailleurs de remplacement»ou,defaçonmoinsflatteuse,des« briseursdegrève».

Le recours aux briseurs de grève sape le pouvoir collectif des travailleurs. En effet, il les priveduprincipalpouvoirqueleurconfèreunarrêt de travail, c'est-à-dire la capacité d'exercer une pressionéconomiquesurleuremployeurenvuede résoudre le conflit de travail, lorsqu'ils ne parviennent pas à conclure une convention collective raisonnable. Quand les entreprises embauchent des briseurs de grève pour maintenir leursopérations,celaexerceunepressioninduesur les travailleurs en conflit et les désavantage injustement à la table des négociations. Par conséquent, les grèves et les lockout s'en trouvent biensouventprolongés,etlestravailleurs,eux,sont poussés à accepter des conditions inférieures à cellesqu'ilsméritent,sansamenerl'employeuràla tabledesnégociations.

Anti-ScabLegislationEssentialtoProtectWorkers'Rights

them at an unfair disadvantage at the negotiating table, often prolonging strikes and lockouts, and putting more pressure on workers to settle for less thantheydeservewithoutpushingmanagementto thenegotiatingtable.

Thelegalityoftheuseofscablabourvaries across the country. In provincially regulated industries,onlytwoprovinces,QuebecandBritish Columbia, have laws against the hiring of replacement workers. In Federally regulated industries,therearecurrentlynoanti-scablaws,but thatisabouttochange.

TheLiberals,intheirlastelectionplatform, promised some form of anti-scab legislation in federallyregulatedworkplaces,butonlyinthecase of lockouts, where employers prevent workers from entering the work site during negotiations. However,atarecentpressconference,theMinister of Labour, with NDP Labour Critic Alexandre Boulerice on his flank, announced that the governmentwouldbetablinglegislationthatwould preventtheuseofreplacementworkersininstances of both lockouts and strikes within Federally regulatedworkplaces.

PriortotheGovernmenttablinglegislation, anNDPPrivateMembersBill(C-302)onanti-scab legislation was taElizabeth Bernard bled which clarifiesexactlywhatwewantoutofeffectiveantiscablegislation.TheBillsetsoutthatnoemployer

shall use, to perform all or part of the duties of an employee in the bargaining unit on strike or lockout, the services of a new hire, contractor, or anotheremployeetoreplacetheworkofthoseona legal strike or lockout or face significant financial penaltyofupto$100,000aday.

Additionally, the legislation is reasonable initsdemandsoftheemployeranddoesnotprevent thelimitedhiringofemployeestoensureessential maintenance work to protect the integrity and safety of the workplace, prevent damage or destruction to equipment and machinery, and preventenvironmentaldamageonthejobsitethat mayresultfromworkdisruptions.

Bill C-302 should be the guide the government uses to implement anti-scab legislation, or, better yet, should be the bill the government passes as it is supported by labour leadersacrossthecountry.

Anti-scab legislation has been introduced intheHouseofCommonseighttimesoverthepast 15 years. Conservatives have obviously never supported attempts to prevent scab labour from disrupting legal strikes or lockouts, because they tendtobeonthesideofcorporateinterestsandnot workers.Although, the Liberals haven't either, the latestnewsthatthegovernmentisnowcommitted tofinallyimplementrealanti-scablegislationwith teethisagoodsignforworkers.

Lalégalitédurecoursauxbriseursdegrève varie d'un endroit à l'autre du pays. Seules deux provinces, le Québec et la Colombie-Britannique, ont des lois qui interdisent l'embauche de travailleurs de remplacement dans les secteurs de compétence provinciale. Les industries sous réglementation fédérale, quant à elles, ne sont actuellementviséesparaucuneloianti-briseursde grève,maislasituationestsurlepointdechanger.

Les libéraux, dans leur dernier programme électoral,ontpromisd'adopteruneloianti-briseurs degrèvequis'appliqueraitauxlieuxdetravailsous réglementation fédérale, mais uniquement en cas de lockout, c'est-à-dire lorsque les employeurs empêchent les travailleurs d'entrer sur le lieu de travail pendant les négociations. Cependant, lors d'une récente conférence de presse, le ministre du Travail, accompagné du porte-parole du NPD en matièredetravail,AlexandreBoulerice,aannoncé que le gouvernement déposerait un projet de loi pour empêcher le recours à des travailleurs de remplacement,tantencasdelockoutquedegrève, dans tous les lieux de travail sous réglementation fédérale.

Avant même que le gouvernement ne présentesonprojetdeloianti-briseursdegrève,le NPD a déposé un projet de loi d'initiative parlementaire,leprojetdeloiC-302,quiprécisece que nous attendons exactement d'une loi antibriseursdegrèveefficace.Laloiproposéeinterdità toutemployeurd'utiliser,pouraccomplirlatotalité ouunepartiedestâchesd'unemployédel'unitéde

négociation visée par la grève ou le lockout, les servicesd'unnouvelemployé,d'unentrepreneurou de tout autre employé, sous peine d'une amende sévèrepouvantatteindre100000$parjour.

Précisons par ailleurs que ce projet de loi imposedesexigencesraisonnablesàl'employeur.Il n'empêchepas,parexemple,l'embauchelimitéede travailleurspouraccomplirdestravauxd'entretien essentielsvisantàassurerl'intégritéetlasécuritédu lieu de travail et à prévenir la détérioration ou la destruction de l'équipement et des machines, ou encore des dommages environnementaux susceptibles de découler des interruptions de travail.

Le gouvernement devrait s'inspirer du projet de loi C-302 pour mettre en place une loi anti-briseursdegrèveou,mieuxencore,adopterce projet de loi, qui a reçu l'appui de dirigeants syndicauxdepartoutaupays.

Au cours des 15 dernières années, huit projets de loi anti-briseurs de grève ont été présentés à la Chambre des communes. Évidemment,lesconservateurs,quionttendanceà défendrelesintérêtsdesentreprisesavantceuxdes travailleurs,n'ontjamaisappuyéceseffortsvisantà empêcherlesbriseursdegrèvedenuireauxgrèves légales ou aux lockout. Si les libéraux n'ont fait guère mieux, le récent engagement du gouvernementàmettreenfinenœuvreuneloiantibriseurs de grève sévère et musclée est une bonne nouvellepourlestravailleurs.

Uneloianti-briseursdegrèveestessentiellepourprotégerlesdroitsdestravailleurs

With the release of the federal government's Fall Economic Statement, the governmenthasmadesomecommitmentstohelp Canadiansstrugglingwithhighinflationthrough key NDP proposals, but it is evident that more needs to be done to ease the burden on people's pocketbooks.

“TheFallEconomicStatementdoeshave some measures New Democrats have been fighting for to help Canadians deal with rising costs,butIremainconcernedabouttheimpacta recession will have on people struggling to get

by,” said Carol Hughes, MP for AlgomaManitoulin-Kapuskasing.

“Ibelievetheyfinallydidtherightthing by listening to New Democrats and making Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans permanently interest-free. This will help studentswhoarestrugglingwithrisingdebtloads get a good education while cutting back on the money they owe once they get into the job market.”

Other measures Hughes was pleased to see as part of the Fall Economic Statement

ChapleauMoments

Cont’dfromP.3

I also went looking for photos and decided to share one of Baisel Collings, who coached the 1954 Chapleau Bantams, posing withtheteam.AfterWorldWarII,Baiselplayed onLegionteamsbutlikemanyhealsocoached.

HewasawardedtheDistinguishedFlying Cross along with three other Chapleau boys: Willard Bolduc, Donald Freeborn and Lloyd 'Sparrow'McDonald.

His citation reads: "Warrant Officer Collings has at all times displayed outstanding abilityandastrongsenseofduty,andheholdsa finerecordofachievementonthesquadron.His untiring devotion to duty in moments of danger has been largely responsible for the successful completionofhiscrew'smanysorties,andbyhis example of cheerful courage has maintained a very high standard of morale, not only for his crewmembers,butthesquadroningeneral."

To me, Baisel's citation could have been written for any Chapleau person who served in World War I or 2, and then came home and

contributed to the community. They sure followedMr.Shoup'sdictum"adutytoserve.”

included some of the investments in affordable housing,includingthedoublingofthefirst-time homebuyers' tax credit, and an anti-flipping tax toreducehousingspeculation.

However, there were several missed opportunities that the Fall Economic Statement couldhaveaddressed.

“One thing that New Democrats have been pushing for years is to cut the GST from home heating,” said Hughes. “That's an easy, concrete way to save people money on an essential service, especially moving into winter, and they ignored this common sense proposal. There's also nothing in here to address greedflation and the increasing cost of food acrossthecountry.”

“Westillneedtoreadthroughsomeofthe finer details to make sure this Fall Economic Statement is really in the best interests of Canadians,butsofar,it'sabitofamixedbag.”

Not too many veterans of World War II remainnow,butitisgreattoseethatmembersof Branch Number Five are carrying on the good worksofthosewhoservedbefore,andtheyhave undertaken major renovations to "the Legion". Congratulationsandthankyou.

Myemailismikejmorris@outlook.com

NewDemocratssecurehundredsofextradollarsforNorthern Ontariofamiliesstrugglingwiththecostoflivingcrisis

Due to months of New Democrat pressure, millions of Canadians will see double the amount of their typical GST credit in their bank accounts on Friday, November 4th, after struggling with soaring inflation. Since last spring, New Democrats have called on the government to double the GST rebate, and now thisweek,NorthernOntariofamilieswhoneedit themostwillreceivehundredsofextradollarsto helpthempayfortheirgroceries.Asfoodprices hit a 41-year high, New Democrats say this supportcouldnotbemoreurgentlyneeded.

“New Democrats know that Northern

Ontario families, workers and young people are working hard, doing everything right, but still can't get by. It took months for the Liberals and Conservatives even to acknowledge the cost-ofliving crisis, much less take action, and as a result,Canadiansarepayingtheprice,”saidNDP MPCharlieAngus(Timmins-JamesBay).“New Democrats forced the government to deliver relief directly to Canadians.And this is just the beginning.We won't stop until all families have thesupporttheyneed.”

Whilebigcorporationsseerecordprofits and refuse to raise wages, Northern Ontario residentsareresortingtofoodbankstofeedtheir families.Formonths,LiberalsandConservatives haveignoredtheNDP'spushtodoubletheGST taxcredittogiveCanadiansmuchneededrelief. It'sclear-Canadianswouldhaveneverreceived helpiftheLiberalswerelefttotheirowndevices.

“Familiesarerackingupcreditcarddebt topaythebillswhileCEOsmakemillions,”said NDP MP Carol Hughes (Algoma–Manitoulin –Kapuskasing). “Without the

hard work of New Democrats, families of NorthernOntariowouldn'tbereceivingthisextra cashtohelpthemmakeendsmeet.Thereliefwas longoverdueandsonecessarytohelpCanadians get by as they feel the inflation squeeze. New Democratsarehereforyou-andwewillcontinue tofightforyouandyourfamily.”

OPEN INVITATION TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF CHAPLEAU

The Corporation of the Township of Chapleau is pleased to extend an invitation to all residents, groups, organizations, associations and businesses in the Township of Chapleau to attend: “The Swearing In Ceremony of Your New Council” to be held Tuesday, November 15th, 2022, 6:30 pm in the Civic Centre Council Chambers. Come out and support your Local Government, welcome your new Council and enjoy a reception with them.

For further information please feel free to contact Pat at 705 864 1330.

INVITATION OUVERTE A TOUS LES CITOYENS ET CITOYENNES DE CHAPLEAU

La Corporation municipale de Chapleau est heureuse de convier tous les résidents, groupes, organismes, associations et commercants de Chapleau à : “La cérémonie d’assermentation, de votre nouveau conseil” qui aura lieu le mardi 15 novembre 2022 à 18h30 dans la salle de réunion du conseil à l’Hôtel de ville de Chapleau. Venez appuyer votre administration locals et souhaiter la bienvenue au nouveau conseil dans le cadre d’une réception pour souligner l’événement. Pour plus de renseignements veuillez communiquer avec Pat au 705 864 1330.

Denis Duguay CAO Administrateur municipal

MOMENTS IN TIME

On Nov. 21, 1941, Tweety Bird debuted in the Warner Bros. cartoon "A Tale of Two Kitties." Originallyawild,nakedchickwithrathermalicious tendencies, the character evolved over the decades into a wide-eyed canary with a far more genialdemeanorthatincreased(andretained)his audiencepopularity.

NorthernLightsFordSales

Andrew G. McKenzie

Travis Gendron

ALLEMANO, FITZGERALD PASCUZZI & BERLINGIERI

Barristers and Solicitors

MICHAEL C. ALLEMANO, B.A., L.L.B.

Certified by the Law Society as a Specialist in Real Estate Law

P.O. Box 10, 369 Queen St. E. Suite 103 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 1Z4 Phone (705) 942-0142 Fax (705) 942-7188

P.O. Box 1700, 37 Broadway Avenue, Wawa, Ontario P0S 1K0

Phone (705) 856-4970 Fax (705) 856-2713

Local MARKETPLACE MARKETPLACE

CHADWIC HOME, FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE. Offers shelter, emotionalsupport,andinformationforwomenandtheirchildrenwhoarein crisissituations.WehaveaTollFreeCrisisLinewhichisstaffed24hoursa day.WecanarrangeforfreetransportationtotheCentreforwomenwho liveintheAlgoma/Chapleauarea.Wealsooffersupporttowomenwholive in the communities of Chapleau, White River, Dubreuilville, and HornepaynethroughourOutreachProgram.OurOutreachWorkertravels tothosecommunitiestomeetwithwomenwhoneedemotionalsupportas wellasinformationabouttheirrightsandoptions.Ifyouneedtospeakwith the Outreach Worker when she is in your community, you can call the Centre at any time to set up an appointment. You do not need to be a residentoftheCentreinordertouseourservices.Ifyouneedsomeoneto talktoorifyoujustneedsomeonetolisten,callourTollFreeCrisislineat1800-461-2242oryoucandropinattheCentre.Wearehereforyou.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (A.A).Open discussion meeting every Monday evening. Brunswick House First Nation Band office lounge 7pm.NarcoticsAnonymous(N.A)everyTuesdaysameplacesametime. NNADAPWorker@864-0174info.

“AllIReallyNeedtoKnowILearnedin Kindergarten.” Some readers will recognize this titleofabookwrittenbyRobertFulghum.Itwas hispublishedideologyorstatementofbeliefsand aimsforlife.Ihavemadereferencetothisbookin previouscolumnsovertheyears.

In essence, Fulghum explained his belief that by following some fundamental principles, wehelpmaketheworldabetterplaceandvastly improveourchancesforsuccessinlife.Suchlife lessons include: share everything, clean up your ownmess,don'ttakethingsthataren'tyours,play fairly, saying sorry when you hurt someone and when you go out in the world, watch out for traffic,holdhands,andsticktogether.

Iactuallydothinkthereisalotofcommon sensebehindFulghum'sphilosophy.What'smore, I believe politicians would do well to remind themselves of these lessons as they fulfill their duties.IknowIwoulddowelltofollowmyown advice.

I raise this issue here because I am saddenedthatIsitacrosstheaislefromgovernment leaderswhojustdon'tseemtoreflecttheelements oftheabovephilosophy.And,becausetheydon't holdfasttotheselessons,allOntariansarefacing harshandunnecessaryhardships.

Lookattheconceptthatwemustallplay fairlyandtreatothershowwewanttobetreated. This entails acting reasonably, being honest and following the game's rules. Premier Ford clearly does not understand this concept because he doesn'tthinktherulesandlawswelivebyapplyto himorhisgovernment.Whatkindofleadershipis demonstrated by a premier who threatens to implementtheNotwithstandingClauseinSection 33 of the Constitution Act when case law tells themthattheiractionsarenotlawful?

Rather than using the more refinedsounding phrase, “invoke the notwithstanding clause,”callitwhatitis.Itisadeliberatedecision tooverridecitizens'constitutionalrights.

The first occasion he threatened to use it wasin2018whenhesaidhewoulduseittoensure

Toronto City Council seats were slashed. Ultimately the courts said he had the power to pass the legislation, but nonetheless, he was positionedtodosoifhedidn'tgethisway.

Later, Doug Ford gleefully wielded that swordinthespringof2021whenthegovernment rushed through legislation that doubled the limitationperiodforthird-partyelectionadvertis-

ingfromsixmonthsto12monthsbeforearegularly scheduled election. This effectively muted criticism of the Conservative government's actions. So much for following the rules (laws). On top of that, the government didn't play fairly because while it stifled Ford's critics, it was permitted to continue spending on its own selfpromotion.

Then, of course, we are now seeing Premier Ford thumb his nose at the federal government's commission of enquiry into the necessityofthedecisiontoinvoketheEmergency Act when the Freedom Convoy laid siege on the city of Ottawa and other key transportation locations across the country. Ford refuses to appear as he believes the laws requiring him to testifyifcalleddon'tapplytohim.Thisdespitethe manycontrarylegalandjudicialopinionsthatsay, inthiscase,hisclaimofparliamentaryprivilegeis notapplicable.

NowFordisatitagain,takingon CUPE education workers, some of whom make a mere $39,000 annually. After CUPE suffered several yearsunderalow-wagecontract,DougFordplans to impose a contract through legislation because these workers want to use their constitutionally protectedrighttoorganizeasaunion.

You know, there is a reason that labour contract negotiations work. The threat of a possibledefinitelyholdsthefeetofbothpartiesto the fire. If the union strikes or the employer declaresalockout,ithurtsbothsides.Thepointis tokeeptalkingandmovingforward,evenslowly, to find a way to make things work through compromise.Butitonlyworksifeveryonecommitsto fair-playandfollowsthesamesetofrules.Neither sideshouldhavetheupperhandovertheother.

Currently, the government is offering meagre wage increases of just 2.5 percent each year for those earning less than $43,000 and 1.5 percentforeveryoneelse.Withaninflationratein Ontarioalreadysetat 7percent,howfair-minded is such an offer? Would you call that treating othersthewayyouwanttobetreated?

Thesearethepeoplewhoourchildrensee day after day. These people support kids with disabilitiesintheclassroom.Theyareresponsible for our children's safety, education and wellbeing. Yet this government believes they don't deserve more than the $39,000 a year they're making,onaverage.

PremierDougFordandMinisterStephen Lecce are using our children's school year as a bargainingchiptobullythelowest-paideducation workers. And in doing so, they are callously draggingourchildrentothebrinkofmoreschool disruption.

JustlookatwhatishappeninginOntario hospitalsbecauseDougFordisforcinga1percent wage cap on public sector workers, including nurses.Thesehighlytrained,pricelessprofessionalsarefedupandleavingtheprofessionindroves.

If education support workers continue to suffer such mistreatment, they too will turn their backs insearchofjobsthatcanpayalivingwage.

StephenLecceandDougFordareputting our kids' support at risk by cutting public education, trying to hold wages behind inflation, and lobbingconstantattacksateducationworkers.We alreadyhaveashortageofthesevaluableworkers — the Conservatives' attempts to make it worse are despicable. If these people leave, what will happen to the safety and education of our children?

NewDemocratswillkeepfightingforthe investments in schools that our kids need right now.But,wecanensuretherearecaringadultsin the classroom to support students by giving educationworkersadecentstandardofliving.Mr. Ford should respect workers' rights, rip up his anti-workerlegislation,andreturntothebargaining table with a fair deal that retains education workersratherthandrivingthemaway.

I won't try to pretend that all the world's woes can be resolved if everyone just abides by the guidelines taught to us at the knee of our parents and teachers. That is clearly oversimplistic. However, imagine how much better our community, province and the world would be if we think back and apply what we learned in kindergarten to our home, school, work, and play lives. Imagine what our world would be like if politicians also applied these lessons.

As always, please feel free to contact my office about these issues or any other provincial matters.Youcanreachmyconstituencyofficeby email at mmantha-co@ndp.on.ca or by phone at 705-461-9710orToll-freeat1-800-831-1899.