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Newsstand: November 26, 2014
The Weather Network is forecasting colder-than-average temperatures from eastern Saskatchewan through to New Brunswick this winter. Unless Ontario gets some legs and heads west to hang out with British Columbia, this means we’re officially in for it. In the news: Doug Ford is still considering a bid for leadership of the PC party, a Markham private golf club is set to sell for $412 million, the province pledges $65 million to improve mental health services, and the Toronto Public Library board proposes security budget cuts.
Those of you who like your provincial politics served up with a side of ridiculous spectacle can jump for joy. Yesterday, Doug Ford hinted that he is still considering a run for leadership of the Progressive Conservative party. According to Ford, a decision will be made in the next few days. He was critical of the first candidates debate held in Sudbury on Monday, saying, “You know what’s missing? The word is ‘pizzazz.’ There’s no pizzazz there. It’s all rah-rah-rah. We should be going into these towns and filling it up with 500 to 1,000 people.” Naturally, he hopes his candidacy would add some spice to the candidate field that already includes MPPs Christine Elliott (Whitby-Oshawa), Vic Fedeli (Nipissing), Lisa MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton), Monte McNaughton (Lambton-Kent-Middlesex), and MP Patrick Brown (Barrie).
York Downs Golf and Country Club in Markham has received an offer of $412 million from a land developer who wants to see the 27-hole course turned into residential and commercial real estate in the near future. The private club is closed to new members, but at one point charged members $30,000 to join. It is expected that the deal will be approved, and each member will earn approximately $200,000 from the profits of the sale. While there is some discussion still happening as to whether or not the club would simply relocate if sold, one member says the idea is gaining little traction now that it is clear how much can be earned from the sale. If approved, the land would transfer over to developers in 2020.
The province has pledged $65 million toward providing better-quality mental health care, and improving access to services. Health Minister Eric Hoskins says that the province plans to focus on expanding existing programs such as community, employment, and housing support while launching new initiatives aimed to increase early identification and intervention. The goal of the province is to reduce the amount of mental-health diagnoses that come from crisis moments and contact with the criminal-justice system, which remains a common occurrence. The new funding, which will increase to $83 million the following year, will also provide more support for teens with mental illnesses who are transitioning into the adult health-care system.
As the Toronto Public Library Board attempts to trim some fat from its 2015 expense budget in an effort to boost funding for services, controversy was stirred at a recent board meeting over a proposed cut to security guard services. The 40 per cent cut stands to save the library system $663,000 annually, and was spearheaded by board chair Michael Foderick on the basis that 68 of the current 99 Toronto library branches do not have on-site security. According to Foderick, incident reports from many library branches indicate that on-site security staff provided little intervention. Foderick also says that libraries with higher rates of incidents will not see cuts to on-site security.