Monday Mural

 I'm linking up at Monday Mural

April 2026 - Toronto ON Part 3

Part 1             

There are more murals from this outing to come.

The main artist for this piece is Hungr, known for intricate lettering styles.
The mural features a prominent, stylized lettering design for "Hungr" with a distinctive green and pink color scheme.
The artwork also includes a small, detailed stencil of a raccoon, typical of work by artist Emily May Rose.

Also by Hungr.

D. Terra and more Emily May Rose

Jimmy Chiale.  Another Chiale.

Also Chiale.

 Christina Mazzulla, for the Golden Turtle Restaurant. I have many of her murals posted, click on her name in the tags/labels at the bottom of this post.

Morning Reflections

 

Foto Tunes

 Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme

Stompin' Tom Connors - TTC Skidaddler in 1973 at the Horseshoe Tavern

I'm a TTC Skedaddler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

I've been a streetcar driver now about eleven years

And I know the old Toronto city well

There's a whole lot of people who wait along the track

For the signal from my clangin' trolley bell

I'm a TTC Skedaddler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Put the pole upon the wire now and open up the switch

It's time to get old rattler sparkin' through

She's red around the bottom and she's yellow on the top

And I drive her like a driver ought to do

I'm a TTC Skedaddler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

.

I love my little wife at home, I love my couple kids

They often take the trolley to the park

They know their daddy's drivin' the people here and there

But I'll be back again to pick them up at dark

.

I'm a TTC Skedaddler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Don't forget your ticket when I open up the door

Kindly make your way along the aisle

I'll drive you down to work and I'll safely bring you back

And I'll try to render service with a smile

I'm a TTC Skedaddler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

I've been a streetcar driver now about eleven years

And I know the old Toronto city well

There's a whole lot of people who wait along the track

For the signal from my clangin' trolley bell

I'm a TTC Skedaddler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Get a socket from my big red rattler

Why I want Doug Ford Gone

 A "comprehensive" list of every political misstep, policy reversal, and broken promise by Ontario Premier Doug Ford is difficult to definitively compile due to the sheer volume of his administration's actions since taking office in 2018. 

However, his major controversies, policy reversals, and significant political "screw-ups" cluster around several key areas:

1. Ethical Scandals & "Cronyism" Allegations

• The Greenbelt Scandal: The Ford government attempted to open thousands of acres of protected Greenbelt land for housing development. After the Auditor General and Integrity Commissioner released scathing reports detailing how select developers were tipped off—increasing the land's value by billions—Ford cancelled the plan and apologized. 
• Ontario Place Redevelopment: The government committed billions in taxpayer subsidies to build a private European spa (Therme Canada) at Ontario Place. The Auditor General found the bidding process "not fair, transparent, or accountable". 
• Skills Development Fund: Auditor General reports raised alarms that the Minister of Labor and partisan staff interfered in grant rankings, funneling millions of dollars to lobbyists and consultants tied to the Progressive Conservative party. 

2. Labor & Wage Disputes

• Bill 124: The Ford government passed legislation limiting public sector wage increases (including nurses and teachers) to \(1\%\) per year. This legislation was eventually ruled unconstitutional and struck down by the courts for violating Charter rights. 
• Minimum Wage & Labor Laws: Ford cancelled a scheduled \(\$1\) minimum wage increase, repealed legislation requiring equal pay for part-time workers, and cut guaranteed paid sick days early in his tenure. 

3. Healthcare Management

• COVID-19 Long-Term Care Response: The government faced severe backlash over its handling of for-profit long-term care homes during the early days of the pandemic, where thousands of residents died and the military was eventually called in to assist. 
• Hospital Capacity & Hallway Medicine: Despite promises to end "hallway medicine," emergency room wait times have remained exceptionally high, and Ontario spends less per capita on hospitals than any other province. 

4. Democratic Norms & Transparency

• Freedom of Information (FOI) Changes: The government introduced sweeping changes that restricted access to internal government records and exempted cabinet ministers' offices from standard FOI requests, leading to widespread accusations of trying to hide public records. 
• Notwithstanding Clause: Ford has utilized the notwithstanding clause multiple times to override court rulings, including attempting to arbitrarily cap spending by interest groups during election years. 
• Strong Mayor Powers: The government expanded mayoral powers across numerous municipalities, overriding city council decisions to force through development plans and zoning overrides. 

5. High-Profile Policy Reversals

Due to massive public outcry, the government was forced to entirely reverse a number of major decisions: 

• The Greenbelt: Fully walked back after attempting to excise lands for development.
• Class Sizes & E-Learning: Abandoned plans to increase high school class sizes and mandate mandatory online courses.
• Municipal Boundaries & Peel Dissolution: Reversed plans to arbitrarily alter municipal urban boundaries and abandoned the controversial dissolution of the Peel Region. 

For more daily tracking of the current administration's missteps, visit the Ontario Federation of Labour cuts tracker or the Democracy Watch ethical actions registry

Morning Reflections

 

AI