Potty-mouth Premier
All aboard in Mississauga
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ABOVE THE FOLD
The proverbial provincial karma gods have gifted us another glorious Ford-ism — plus, everything else the Premier said at another good-news press conference during this unofficial campaign summer:
— TAKE THIS WALZ: On his football buddy and Minnesota Governor TIM WALZ becoming KAMALA HARRIS’s Veep pick, DOUG FORD said he’s “happy as punch” and re-upped his “buy North America” line, which has been tweaked from his earlier “buy Ontario.”
“We share a lot in common. When we sat down [in June], we tossed the football around a little bit in my office, we gave him a CFL football…Talking about ‘Buy North America’ — he understands that, and I get it, during the election I’m just as bad as everyone else, saying ‘buy Ontario’…and they’re ‘buy USA’ — but we’re stronger together…I don’t care — Republican, Democrat — I don’t care who’s in there. We’ll work with them.” That’s a different tune than Ford’s previous pro-TRUMP stance.
— LESSONS LEARNED: On the anniversary of then-Auditor General BONNIE LYSYK’s scathing Greenbelt report, Ford isn’t looking in the rearview mirror. “We made that decision not to move forward with it, and we’re going to keep moving forward, building homes everywhere other than the Greenbelt.” As for the AG’s recommendations to improve that sketchy process: “We’ve taken 14 of them, implemented them, and we’re working on the 15th one.”
— SCIENCE CENTRE 2.0: On the Science Centre’s temporary location (which could cost more than repairing the roof, per one expert, and won’t be ready until 2026): Ford punted to Infrastructure Minister KINGA SURMA, who said staff are already looking at a flurry of responses to the government’s Request for Qualifications. “What I will say is a big thank-you to communities across Ontario, whether it’s Kitchener or the Toronto Zoo, different organizations and municipalities have reached out to government offering space for Science Centre programming. So we’re looking at all options; once there’s an update, I will share that with the public.”
— COP TALK: Ford was also asked about reports of embattled business magnate FRANK STRONACH’s companies making two $25,000 donations to the York Regional Police chief’s retirement dinner. Ford is A-OK with that — “I don’t know what the conflict of interest is here, supporting our police” — and took the opportunity to weigh in on that video of a Toronto police officer flipping the bird at a heckling citizen.
“It was harassment…These guys walking around with these Google Glasses. It might be the thing, but I find it pretty creepy. Imagine some guy walking down the street videotaping everything…I support our police and as far as I’m concerned, they did nothing wrong. I absolutely love them.”
— THE KICKER YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR: “Folks, don’t be pooping on the beach. Simple as that,” Ford said when asked about Wasaga Beach’s plea for help to clean up the shore after alleged defecations started popping up on TikTok. “We’ve given Wasaga Beach $1 million to build bathrooms and hire more people. But I’d be more than happy to talk to the Mayor. It’s a very popular beach [but] they have no proof that people are pooping on the park, per se.”
As for Wasaga’s request to ban tents in provincial parks: It ain’t happening. It’s “just not going to cut it across the board…You can’t pick and choose.”
— MISSISSAUGA GO: Local rep RUDY CUZZETTO (Mississauga-Lakeshore) teased another vote-grabbing goody for his vote-rich region: “Thousands of new affordable and [still undefined!] attainable homes within steps of transit, including a new GO Transit Station on the Lakeshore West line.” That’s near the 20,000-home development planned for Brightwater and Lakeview Village. Public transit wonks are pumped up — and hopeful it’ll be electrified soon.
— LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Ford was in Mississauga — ex-mayor, now-Liberal Leader BONNIE CROMBIE’s turf, though Ford bristles whenever that’s mentioned, quickly pointing out the PCs scored all six seats in the last election.
The actual announcement: An extra $250 million for the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which will help cities and towns bankroll the development, repair, rehabilitation and expansion of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure that’s necessary for housing development. The first tranche saw $970 million go toward 54 projects across 60 municipalities. $1.2 billion is up for grabs in total, and municipalities can start applying for the second round of cash on August 14.
Throw this on to the pile of hints that we could be headed for a snap vote: the PCs have been playing nice with municipalities. COLIN BEST, head of the Association of Ontario Municipalities, and Guelph Mayor CAM GUTHRIE, past chair of the Ontario Big City Mayors, were on hand for the self-congratulatory announcement.
HAPPENING TODAY
10 a.m.: Agriculture Minister ROB FLACK is making an announcement in Guelph.
10:30 a.m.: Back in the Media Studio, Ontario’s Big City Mayors are up to launch their “Solve the Crisis” campaign, which addresses “the homelessness, mental health and addictions crisis happening in our communities.”
CANDIDATE TRACKER
6:30 p.m.: CHANDRA PASMA — the NDPer who wrested Ottawa West-Nepean from the PCs in the last round — will be officially nominated as a candidate tonight at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church on Woodroffe. It’s part of a possible-early-election push — and Oppo’s mad dash to nominate contestants.
CLIPPINGS
— DOC BY POP: “Rural towns are trying their best to woo family doctors [with ‘a bag of money up front’] — but they can’t bear the cost alone.” John Michael McGrath makes the case over at TVO.
— HOUSING BY POP: “Record population growth. Falling housing construction. These are the ingredients of Ontario’s housing crisis, which continues to worsen as rents across the Greater Toronto Area exceed $2,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.” MIKE MOFFATT opines in the Star.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
First in Observer — COMEBACK KID — BRADLEY METLIN is returning as D-Comms to newly-shuffled Education Minister TODD SMITH. Metlin previously did stints at Transportation, Labour and Social Services before joining the other side at consulting firms Santis Health and Upstream. Catch up on the latest moves in Smith’s camp and beyond.
BEYOND THE BUBBLE — WILLIAM HOLLIS, previously comms and tour adviser to the Labour Minister, has launched his own namesake firm, Hollis Strategies, which will have a digital bent. Promo.
SPOTTED:
BOB RAE — Ontario’s only NDP Premier who benefitted from the 1990 snap vote that was a disaster for the Liberals — offers a moment of levity on the latest early election speculation…
LOBBYING DISPATCH
Here are the new, renewed and amended registrations over the past 24 hours:
Tea Cirovic, Enterprise Canada: Ontario College of Family Physicians
Vienna Psihos, Sussex Strategy Group: Cogeco Inc., Wyloo Ring of Fire (formerly known as Ring of Fire Metals)
Chris Benedetti, Sussex Strategy Group: BHE Canada Limited
Alexandra Hoene, Loyalist Public Affairs: Caivan Communities
Nour Fahmy, Crestview Strategy: Ontario Good Roads Association
Chad Rogers, Crestview Strategy: Insurance Bureau of Canada, Music Canada
Frederick Nicholls, Nicholls Group: Tonic Solutions
William Pristanski, Prospectus Associates: Resolute Forest Products
In-house organizations: McDonald’s Canada Corp — Arterra Wines Canada — Health Care of Ontario Pension Plan — Sun Life Financial — Canada Nickel Company.
🥳 HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Trade Minister VIC FEDELI.
🍽️ ON THE MENU: It’s Thursday so you know what that means — fish and chips is on special in the basement caf.
⏳ COUNTDOWN: T-minus 74 days until the House reconvenes…8 days until Ford Fest in Milton…43 days until the Liberal AGM in London.