Special dispatch: What Queen's Park is thankful for
Speakers' secret recipes, Liberals' top charities, Paikin's Turkey Day bombshell, the ghosts of Queen's Park, holiday headlines and more
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For this special Thanksgiving edition, I asked big players around the Pink Palace what they’re thankful for, their favourite local causes, family recipes, political war stories and how the turkey came close to becoming Ontario’s official bird.
Before we dig in, I want to take a moment to give thanks to you, the readers. This newsletter wouldn’t be possible without you, and I’m so grateful for your support.
🙏 WHAT THE LEADERS ARE GRATEFUL FOR
PREMIER DOUG FORD: “We have so much to be thankful for here in Ontario, from our beautiful landscapes and growing communities to our talented workers and innovative entrepreneurs…I also want to recognize and give thanks to our amazing health care workers, first responders, and our Canadian service members who go above and beyond, every day, to keep us safe and healthy.”
On his home turf in Etobicoke, Ford handed out turkeys to families and packed boxes at the Daily Bread food bank alongside Mayor OLIVIA CHOW. Ford also thanked PC Party supporters and donors in a special message:
OPPO NDP LEADER MARIT STILES: “For Thanksgiving, my family tries to get as many of us together as possible. We make a big meal — we all help make it — and while the turkey is cooking, everyone goes for a big walk. Because we know what's coming; we know that once we eat, we won’t be able to move again.
“We always have certain dishes that honour our family history. So, we’ll definitely eat German red cabbage (there’s a bit of a debate as to whether its German or Frisian) with apples and bacon; it’s delicious. We have to put Newfoundland savoury in the stuffing — and I mean, a lot of it. I even ordered some from Newfoundland this year. In Newfoundland, that’s the only herb you put in your turkey and you put a lot of it in. The kind we use is Mt. Scio Newfoundland Savoury.
“I’m thankful to be getting together with my partner and daughters, my parents, my sister and her family. We had some sickness this year in our family, and it’s really nice to be all of us coming together.”
🥫 LIBERAL LEADERSHIP CANDIDATES’ FAVOURITE CAUSES TO GIVE TO
The holiday season is all about giving back to the community — so here are the wannabe Grit captains with one good charity, organization or cause to give to in their ridings. This year, it’s all about addressing growing food insecurity.
MP YASIR NAQVI (Ottawa Centre), who took the opportunity to re-up his plan to create an Ontario “Farmbelt”: “The Parkdale Food Centre is a cherished non-profit organization in Ottawa whose mission is to challenge inequalities through good food and community partnerships. They offer warm nutritious meals to those in need and various programs and supports to achieve greater equity in the community. This Thanksgiving, when so many folks are struggling to afford the basics, it’s more important than ever to support places like Parkdale Food Centre that offer good food and community.”
Mississauga Mayor BONNIE CROMBIE, who holds an annual mayoral Thanksgiving drive in partnership with her pick, Food Banks Mississauga: “The number of people facing food insecurity across the province is at an all-time high, with over 35,500 food bank users in Mississauga just last year. This year, the drive aims to raise $1,000,000 by October 15. If the goal is reached, it will bring the total amount raised since…2015 to over $5.5 million and over 2.5 million pounds of food.”
MPP TED HSU (Kingston and the Islands): “Lionhearts Kingston. This organization works in close partnership with many other charities and nonprofits (supporting them in their work by realizing efficiencies like a central warehouse, organized large food pick ups, provision of refrigerated trucks) and with the city. At their core is food rescue and redistribution but they now run shelters, do vocational training, and more. They work closely with Trellis (a local HIV and Community Care Organization) and the ICH (Integrated Care Hub) to address addictions by providing food, low barrier shelter and work to their clients.”
🥣 RECIPES: SPEAKERS’ APPS, SIDES & PIE
If you’re still looking for a last-minute Thanksgiving dish to bring to your potluck — the Speakers have you covered. Props to TED ARNOTT’s office for unearthing the 2010 Legislative Cookbook, an endeavour from then-Speaker STEVE PETERS. Here’s what the Speakers are cooking up for their Thanksgiving table:
From former Speaker DAVE LEVAC: Delicious Apple Pie… “We have many apple orchards here in my riding of Brant, and fall is the perfect time of year for our family to take advantage of this wonderful bounty! This is a recipe passed down from my wife ROSEMARIE’s family, and still a favourite in our family.”
Ingredients for pastry:
— 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
— 3/4 teaspoon salt
— 1 cup Crisco
— 4 tablespoons cold water
Directions: Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut Crisco into flour until pieces are sized of large peas. Do not over-mix. Sprinkle cold water (a tablespoon at a time), lightly mixing. Turn out onto a floured surface, form into a firm ball half the dough and roll each half into 1/8” thickness.
Ingredients for apple filling:
— 7-8 Macintosh apples, peeled and sliced (approx. 5 cups)
— 1 tablespoon flour
— 1/2 cup white sugar
— 1/2 cup brown sugar
— 2 tsp cinnamon
Directions: Mix above and let stand at least 1/2 hour. Line pan with pastry. Fill with apple mixture. Put at least 5 dots butter (1/2 tsp each) on top of apples. Cover with top crust, and pinch all around to seal. Cut several slits on top to allow steam to escape. Brush top of pie with milk and sprinkle lightly with white sugar. Bake approximately 50-60 minutes at 350° - 375°.
From Arnott: Aunt Bonnie’s Cauliflower Soup…
From Peters: Best of Elgin County Baked Beans…
Hankering for more? Don’t forget PC Party president MICHAEL DIAMOND’s classic pumpkin-pecan pie.
🗳️ BILL DAVIS BOMBSHELL
Thanks to STEVE PAIKIN — host of TVO’s The Agenda who literally wrote the book on BILL DAVIS — for this political gem about the former popular Tory premier’s most consequential Thanksgiving:
“It’s Thanksgiving weekend, 1984, and Premier Bill Davis has gathered his family at their cottage near Honey Harbour, Georgian Bay. This is an annual tradition, but this year’s gathering is different. That’s because Ontario’s second-longest serving premier is going to share the news with his family that he’s decided to leave politics after 25 years as an MPP, education minister, and Premier. While they surely knew this day was coming, it was still a shock to everyone. Tears flowed freely around the table. It was left to the oldest of Davis’s five children, NEIL, to make the following observation: ‘You know, Dad, since you were minister of education for almost a decade, and then premier for almost 14 years, you haven’t had to drive yourself anywhere for almost a quarter of a century. The first thing we’re going to need to do is send you back for some driver’s ed!’
“Davis returned to Queen’s Park the day after Thanksgiving and I can tell you, since I was there, no one knew whether he’d take advantage of his sky-high popularity and call an election, or retire. Even his staff didn’t know. His communications director JANET ECKER (a future cabinet minister) told me she had two speeches written: one for retirement, one for ‘we’re having an election.’ In the end, Davis announced to his cabinet he was stepping down, bringing to an end one of the most successful political careers in Canadian history. Davis won the leadership of the Ontario PC Party in 1971; he won four general elections as party leader in 1971, 1975, 1977, and 1981. And he won personal election in Brampton seven times. He never lost.”
🦃 BIRD IS THE WORD
Before the loon was crowned the official bird of the province, a cheeky MPP suggested a turkey would be a better pick, subtly dissing the Davis government of the day during a 1983 debate on the Avian Emblem Act.
Unparliamentary language: NDPer MICHAEL BREAUGH (Oshawa) said that if the official bird was representative of the ruling Tories, it would have to be a “capon” — a castrated fowl.
Via Hansard: “If we were going over the record of the government of Ontario and we wanted to choose a bird to represent Ontario, for the last period of time I think some criteria could be established. First of all, it would obviously be a capon of some sort; I do not think there is any question of that. The logical choice most likely would be a turkey. If we were trying to parallel the bird of choice with the government’s actions, without question it would be a turkey of some kind.”
📰 HOLIDAY HEADLINES
— WHAT FORD NATION IS WATCHING: Ontario News Now may be off the air, but Premier DOUG FORD is back in the spotlight with a new promo series that profiles Ontario-Made products.
Ford’s office was on the defensive, especially after it was pointed out that the PCs still haven’t restored the Auditor General’s oversight powers over government advertising, as promised. “This is social content not advertising and is entirely consistent with the rules. No money is being used to promote the videos,” posted TRAVIS KANN.
Still, the AG has recommended that the office have more say over partisan, taxpayer-funded ads on social media.
— ISRAEL VS. PALESTINE: It’s a perennial hot-potato — and while most politicos were unequivocal, one politician in particular has landed in hot water for a now-deleted comment about the attacks in Israel.
At issue: Liberal leadership contender and MP NATE ERSKINE-SMITH had said that “It is both true that the Israeli government has mistreated the Palestinian people and that the violence we’re witnessing is entirely indefensible. The news coming out of Israel is heartbreaking, and it’s going to get worse as it escalates. We need an end to the violence.”
Cue blowback. “Are u kidding me???? Say nothing if u can’t stand on the right side,” posted am640’s Alex Pierson…“Someone who ‘both sides’ terrorism will never get my vote in Ontario. Looking at you, [Erskine-Smith],” said X user George Graham.
To which Erskine-Smith replied: “I thought it read as saying that no grievance justifies terrorism and violence, but clearly was taken to mean something different. Will delete so there’s no confusion.”
Meanwhile, Ford spoke out against a string of events held to celebrate the attacks which have left hundreds dead and thousands injured. “The hate rallies celebrating the kidnapping and slaughtering of innocent Israeli people by terrorists are reprehensible and disgusting. They have no place in Ontario. Now more than ever, we stand with Israel and affirm its right to defend itself and its people.”
— USE IT OR LOSE IT: “Amid sluggish housing construction starts in Ontario, the Progressive Conservative government is working on a use-it-or-lose-it policy that would force developers in the province to act on building permits that have been green-lit by municipalities.”
But don’t hold your breath: “Representatives for [Housing Minister PAUL] CALANDRA told Global News the policy ‘is being worked on’ but could not provide a timeline, citing the complexity of the housing file and the focus on implementing the recommendations from the province’s housing affordability task force report.”
— DEVELOPER DRAMA: “The Ford government appointed this developer to a committee to protect at-risk species. A month later, he’s been turfed over serious allegations.” The Star has the story: “SAJJAD HUSSAIN said he was honoured to have been appointed. He didn’t address allegations that he misappropriated millions from a Markham development.”
— LUCRATIVE LIBERALS: The Sun’s Brian Lilley points out that every Liberal leadership contender is essentially getting paid by taxpayers to hit the partisan hustings. “The minivan party, unable to gain official party status two elections in a row, has four remaining candidates and all of them are drawing a paycheque from taxpayers while running their campaign.”
Don’t forget, as of this weekend BONNIE CROMBIE is on an unpaid leave of absence from City Hall, but she’ll be back next month to see the budget through. The PCs pounced: “Classic Bonnie Crombie. She’s not in it for you.”
— POLKAROO PICKET: “The ongoing strike at Ontario’s public broadcaster TVO involves just 74 employees, but the fate of their contract talks could have implications both for Premier Doug Ford’s government and among the 1.2 million people in the province's public sector workforce.” CBC delves in: “With inflation running high, unions across Canada are looking for contract settlements that at least keep pace with the rising cost of living. That desire is particularly acute among Ontario's public sector, whose wage hikes were capped at one per cent annually for three years under the Ford government’s Bill 124.”
— JOB NUMBERS: Unemployment was up ever so slightly last month, ticking up 0.1 percentage points to six per cent. More from Statscan.
SPOOKY SEASON:
👻 It’s that time of year again — and not for the faint of heart! The popular Queen’s Park Ghost Tour is back. Per this reporter’s experience, you’re most likely to spot a spectre around the Speaker’s quarters, Lieutenant Governor’s suite, and third-floor Globe and Mail office. Tours run Fridays at lunchtime. Sign up here…if you dare.
🥳 HAPPY BIRTHDAY: PC RUDY CUZZETTO (Mississauga-Lakeshore).