 By Gazette Staff
January 5, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Marit Stiles, Leader of Ontario’s Official Opposition, has issued the following statement, after an Ontario court ruled that Premier Doug Ford must turn over his personal phone records in compliance with numerous freedom of information requests:
 Stiles: “This goes back to the beginning of the Greenbelt scandal ,.. “ “This goes back to the beginning of the Greenbelt scandal, when we demanded that the Cabinet Secretary lock down the Premier’s records. We have continuously called for transparency from Doug Ford and his government, despite their constant refusal to provide it.
 Stiles: “…continuously called for transparency”. There has been no response from the Premier. “Ontarians shouldn’t have to take the Conservatives to court to get answers about this, but Ford plans to waste more time and taxpayer dollars with another appeal. Just like the scandalous Skills Development Fund, he pulls out all the stops to avoid being honest with the people of our province.
“Clearly Ford is conducting government business on his personal phone. Ontarians deserve the truth, and they will get it.”
“Ontarians deserve the truth” said Stiles.
 By Tom Parkin
January 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
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Liberals and Conservatives are down while the NDP, Greens and Bloc Quebecois are up. But the poll respondents weren’t in an election, were they?
Polling averages to December 2025
Pollsters’ December reports framed federal political support as “deadlocked,” “a coin toss” and “gripped in a tie.” Left unsaid was that both the Liberals and Conservatives have lost ground and the smaller parties are up. But are those smaller party gains bankable?
Data Shows’ average of the 14 publicly released polls in December shows the Liberals down 4.4 points and Conservatives down 3.3 since the April election. The NDP is up 3.3, Greens up 1.8 and BQ up 1.0.
Before NDP supporters get excited, there’s good reason to think, for now anyway, the pollsters’ framing isn’t wrong.
In the abstract, you’re my choice
There was no threat of an election in December, as Canadians responding to pollsters were well aware. So their responses were about an abstract decision, one not pressurized by the real risks voters face in a real election.
If their responses were amid an election campaign and polls were showing the big two parties “gripped in a tie,” minds of many liberal-left supporters of the NDP would be churning over a key thought: the Conservative are a threat, “strategic voting” is required.
Maybe before the next election call the NDP can rally back to 20 per cent. But in the heat of a “deadlock” election campaign, those gains can melt before election day.
Perhaps there are more pathways, and comments are open, but it seems there are three ways the NDP’s strategic voting countdown bomb can be diffused. By surpassing the Liberals. By hardening its own support. Or by eliminating the Conservative threat.
Surpassing the Liberals
The NDP surpassing the Liberals in the polls would make it the strategic choice for the “Not Conservative” liberal-left voter. Though it’s difficult to believe this support gap can be bridged before the next election, politics can be unpredictable.
The problem is, banking on surpassing the Liberals and reversing the logic of strategic voting is an all-in wager. If they don’t surpass, and it’s a “coin toss” election, any gains made vaporize.
But despite the strategy’s unlikely medium-term success, it should be pursued. If the NDP gains from the Liberals but cannot surpass them, any partial success toward the goal can be reaped if another strategy can successfully diffuse strategic voting.
Hardening NDP supporters
Hardening supports means increasing voter loyalty, regardless of anticipated electoral outcome. It requires either strong affinity to the NDP or strong antipathy to the others. It needs a unique party identity in sharp contrast to the others — so sharp that supporters will cast an NDP vote and let the chips fall where they may.
To be successful, hardening doesn’t need supporters who believe the other choices are the same, only that both are no good. It benefits from a strong sense of personal identity about where a supporter “fits” into politics. Bargaining over material gains, such as a dental plan or some money for this or that, tends to undermine political identity. Something that can be bargained can be divided. An identity cannot.
As Carney moves right, hardening support is certainly possible. But data tables provided by IPSOS shows how far the NDP is Delmar the goal.
IPSOS shows that while the NDP now holds about 10 per cent support, only 41 per cent of them disapprove of Mark Carney. From that we might think the NDP’s hardened core is 4.1 per cent of the electorate.
Only 41% of NDP voters disapprove of Carney’s performance
 Disapproval of Carney is 59% among Green supporters, 67% among BQ.
But unlike surpassing, a payoff from hardening support isn’t contingent on another strategy’s success if hardening isn’t fully successful. If no other party is good for someone’s personal political identity, that vote is decided, regardless of the conditions.
Eliminating the Conservative threat
Finally, there is the strategy of eliminating the threat that activates strategic voting, high Conservative support. Poilievre’s party is current at 38 per cent. The experience of the 2019 and 2021 elections suggests if the Conservatives were at about 34 per cent the perception of a threat would be abated.
We saw in November’s polling analysis that while Carney’s rightward move is helping the NDP it is also eroding the Conservatives. And perhaps there is more of that to be had. But the NDP should be looking to shave at least three points off the Conservatives if they want to eliminate the threat.
Like the goal of surpassing the Liberals, a payoff from driving Conservative support to 34 per cent or lower requires that either the strategy is fully successful or another successful strategy protects partial gains made. In a “coin toss” election, Conservatives may be able to call home “Not Liberal” voters who shifted to the NDP.
All of the above
While hardening support is the most reliable strategy, surpassing the Liberals and eliminating the threat of a Conservative government probably have the greatest payoff.
The issue is not to select between the strategies, but to create a harmonizing grand strategy that ties together three campaigns in the three theatres: the first between the NDP and Liberals, another with the NDP and its own supporters, and the third between the NDP and the Conservatives.
If a new NDP leader in 2026 can find that harmony, the party has a good chance of making gains, and holding them until day the votes are cast.
 By Gazette Staff
January 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
UPDATED – The event will not be streamed on Facebook
It has become an event that draws a crowd that gets bigger each year.
The annual New Year’s Levee at the Art Gallery of Burlington.
This year the event will be on Sunday January 11th, 2026; 1:00 p.m.
You might want to add this to your personal calendar.
 The event celebrates everything. Gould and the husband are delighted; the expectant Mother – not so sure.
By Pepper Parr
January 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
 The title of the meeting – Beyond the Ballot – a public engagement initiative sponsored by Focus Burlington, is intended to draw out what people are thinking about the municipal election that will take place in October.
A panel will be in place to respond to some questions Focus Burlington wants to ask.
The event takes place at the Lions Hall on January 20th. 7:00 pm
There is no fee. Email: contact@focusburlington.ca to RSVP
By Gazette Staff
January 5th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
It’s just a good Canadian winter. We appear to be getting a little soft.
Nature and the climate we have – and we made this client – is doing it’s thing.
Bundle up and enjoy it.
Or go south – and you know how bad it is down there.
Ontario Public Service workers return to in-office work five days each week starting today. Going to be a lot of grumpy people in a lot of offices today.
 Vehicles are well spaced – drive in should go smoothly.
 By Pepper Parr
January 4th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
As I was working through what the Gazette had published in 2025, one question kept popping up in my mind.
There wasa some nice stuff on how well some of the students had done, consistent reporting on what City Council had done and failed to do.
Following the senior staff changes could have been as funny were it not really serious.
Stable senior leadership is critical, and ensuring the right people are in the right job is a task delegated to the City Manager (CAO), a job the city delegates to the City Manager, now called the CEO.
 Tim Commisso, served the city well if you forget the conversion of Bateman High School into a $100 million community Centre Burlington just keeps burning through them: Meed Ward followed through on her promise to rid the city of James Ridge when she was elected Mayor in 2018 – no mention on what that cost the taxpayers. The City would have to cover the cost of his returning to British Columbia. Meed Ward then brought in Tim Commisso who served the city well but didn’t want to put up with the verbal backstabbing that took place. Weeks after getting a salary increase, he advised the city that he would not be renewing his contract.
 Hassan Basit That introduced Hassan Basit to the city. His five-year contract ended 16 months after he took on the job. There were greener pastures at Queen’s Park – Deputy Minister and Chief Conservation Executive
The Mayor needed a new CEO quickly – Curt Benson, a solid planner in his own right, got talked into taking on the job until the end of this Council’s term of office next October.
Hard for a vision to develop roots that are critical for growth which Council knew was coming.
 In 2010, when Meed Ward was a Council member there were 18 property owners in the football. It was possible then do some remarkable with the football. The developers moved in quickly and began assembling the property. Hardly a single lot left for development. An unfortunate missed opportunity. The 2018 promise to limit growth in the Downtown core was lost when the Nautique won its Ontario Land Tribunal case. The tragedy with that situation was that the city was in a position early in the LPAT Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, (preceded the OLT) hearing to have it stopped in its tracks. They failed to take advantage of the opportunity.
Meed Ward did manage to get the Urban Growth centre moved north and making the MTSA’s (Major Transit Service Areas) the focus for development.
Can anybody point to a serious plan for any of those MTSA’s: They are built around the three GO stations: Aldershot, Burlington and Appleby Line.
 The three GO stations made sense. The transit station at the bottom made no sense. They never were major transit points – it took losing an LPAT appeal for the city to learn that. There are development applications either in the process of going through planning or already approved. At this point, no one is building residential housing, be it high rise or single-family dwellings.
Bronte Meadows had hoped to break ground before the end of the year. There are no stakes in the ground – never mind shovels.
The public wants to know what their city is going to look in five to ten years – different is all this city Council can say.
Whatever the vision is, and I’m not at all certain that there is one, the best that can be said is that it is adrift.
And that is not what leadership is about.
Perhaps that is what the October municipal election will be about.
How do you do a photo op about a vision?
 By Gazette Staff
January 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Obituary
With hearts full of gratitude, we celebrate the life of Douglas Roy Leggat. Doug passed away peacefully at home in Burlington, Ontario, on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, surrounded by family. Doug leaves behind an enduring legacy of family, community and entrepreneurship.
Born and raised in Hamilton, Doug was predeceased by his parents, Roy and Florence Leggat, and his two older brothers, Bob and Don. He is survived by the love of his life and sparring partner, Maryella (Foran). They met while attending TMU (Ryerson) and were married for nearly 70 years, building a partnership grounded in love, respect, humour, and shared purpose.
Together, their greatest joy was raising their children and watching their family grow: Sue (Bill) Kidd, Brian (Michelle Capriotti), and Leighan (Bob) Basadur; his grandchildren Tanner, Charlie (Larisa Yurkiw), and Hugh Kidd; Julien (Bianca Jivan), Portia, Mason, and Ella Leggat; and Molly and Dougie Basadur. He was also a proud great-grandfather to Nora, Lydia, and Monty Kidd, and Lawrence Leggat.
Doug’s professional life was defined by leadership, integrity, and vision. He was a true entrepreneur and mentor to many. He started his automotive career, in Dundas, Ontario. Over the years, he grew the car business by acquiring property and opening dealerships under the Leggat banner. He was passionate about the automotive industry and believed that business should serve people and strengthen communities. He led by example; he was fair, honest, and had an unwavering sense of responsibility.
As Chair of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), Doug provided steady leadership. He was an integral part in establishing the Benefits 360 program, which brought security and peace of mind to families while traveling. He played a key role in the creation of the NADAP agreement, bringing dealers and manufacturers together to create a fair and enduring framework that remains in place today. His collaborative, principled approach earned him lasting respect throughout the industry.
Doug was philanthropic and had a profound impact on his community. He served as the inaugural Chair of The Burlington Foundation and led the Joseph Brant Capital Campaign. He was a past President of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, and an active member of numerous boards and committees. Among the causes he most enjoyed supporting were the Nelson Youth Centre, CityKidz Hamilton, and Ridley College. He was guided by his deep belief in the importance of opportunity and education.
Doug was a keen competitor and enthusiastic athlete. He excelled in football and hockey at Ridley College and Ryerson. His love of sport extended to golf, tennis, and epic water volleyball competitions. Nothing brought him more joy than spirited family board games, spoons and card games.
Doug would tell you that his greatest joy was his family, family first – always. He treasured summers on Muskoka’s Penman Island, where no one was too old for a boat ride with Doug at the helm, especially if the destination was Port Sandfield for ice cream.
Generous, warm, and deeply dedicated, he gave his very best to those he loved.
The family extends their heartfelt thanks to Raymund Samera and Gerald Lugtu for their devoted and compassionate care of Doug, as well as all involved at Joseph Brant Hospital and PSW’s.
Visitation at SMITH’S FUNERAL HOME, 1167 Guelph Line (one stop light north of QEW), BURLINGTON (905-632-3333), on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 from 3 – 5 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at Port Nelson United Church (3132 South Dr, Burlington) on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the Leggat family kindly requests that those wishing to honour Doug consider donating to the Doug Leggat ‘54 Bursary at Ridley College or the Burlington Community Foundation.
Burlington Community Foundation Link
Ridley College Donation Link
 By Gazette Staff
January 3rd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
There is no mention, at least not yet, on the city website about an agenda item related to the FIFA opportunity that will cost the city as much as $160,000 if it actually happens.
What the Gazette is seeing is articles in print media on the “predatory World Cup pricing model.”
 Officially, FIFA is a not-for-profit body under Swiss law. The cheapest standard seat (known as a category 4 ticket) for the final will start- start at $4,185 and rise to more than double that for the best non-VIP seats – Category 1.
General admission tickets for the Group stage are about three times higher than they were for the 2022 World Cup Games.
This clearly isn’t priced for the family to attend a game.
 Emilie Cote is leading the RCC effort to have the FIFA Caravan come to Burlington. While we have yet to learn just where the Recreation, Community and Culture people are with their efforts to bring the FIFA Caravan to the city – one has to ask if Burlington wants to do business with an organization that is rapacious in just about everything they do.
Granted,it is the biggest sports event in the world – bigger than the Olympics.
We will have to wait and see what city staff have to report.
Focus Burlington did a survey on what people thought about the spending of the $160,000 – they came up with an amount of $200,000. Link to that story is HERE
 By Gazette Staff
January 2nd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Originally published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Living the high life
 Bleak news for ordinary workers: Canada’s 100 highest-paid CEOs have already made what it will take the average worker all of 2026 to earn.
The average worker’s pay has increased by only 15 percent over the previous year, while CEOs’ pay has risen by a staggering 49 percent.
Meanwhile, regular costs are rising faster than workers’ income: beef is up 39 per cent, eggs are up 36 per cent, rent is up 26 per cent and utilities are up by 23 percent.
That’s the latest from our annual CEO pay report, Living the High Life: A record-breaking year for CEO pay in Canada, by CCPA Senior Economist David Macdonald.
“Canada’s highest-paid CEOs are enjoying another year of smashing new pay records,” Macdonald says. “Those 100 CEOs now make 248 times more than the average worker—the biggest pay gap in Canadian history.”
We don’t have to stand by idly as this income gap keeps growing. David includes solutions in this year’s report, including a new tax on millionaires—which would apply to those 100 high-flying CEOs.
We’ll be pushing for that, and many more solutions this year. Please join the fight against income inequality.
Inequality in a graphic format.
If you want the complete report on Living the High Life click HERE
By Gazette Staff
January 2nd, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
It wasn’t Hibah Abdellatif’s first visit to the maternity ward.
 Abdellatif family celebrates the birth of their third girl. Her third child was born at Joseph Brant Hospital at 9:09 am on January 1st.
Hana Abdellatif is the first baby to be born at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) in 2026, The child weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce.
Hibah and Mohamed Abdellatif of Oakville spent New Year’s Eve celebrating when, in the early hours of January 1, Hibah went into labor. They welcomed the new year with the arrival of their third daughter, Hana.
“It was a smooth delivery,” said Mohamed. “The nurses joked with us that we should come back next year to deliver another baby because of how smoothly it went.”
In keeping with a time-honoured New Year’s tradition, Hana and her parents were presented with a gift from the hospital.
More than 1,500 babies were delivered at JBH in 2025. The physicians, midwives and nurses in the hospital’s Labour and Delivery unit provide excellent, quality care to pregnant, labouring persons and newborns.
After delivery, parents and newborns move to the Maternal & Child unit, which provides a broad range of care and services to address the physical and emotional needs of families before and after delivery.
 By Sandeep Saroya
January 1st, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
At Medical Grade Physiotherapy & Wellness, we believe that effective care doesn’t rely on a single approach. Instead, it comes from collaboration. By combining physiotherapy and chiropractic care under one roof, our clinic is proud to support the Burlington community with comprehensive, patient-centred treatment that targets both pain relief and long-term physical function.
Two Disciplines, One Shared Goal
 Physiotherapy focuses on restoring movement, strength, and control. Physiotherapy and share a common purpose: helping people move better, feel stronger, and live with less pain. While each profession has its own expertise, their collaboration often leads to better outcomes than either approach alone.
The Role of Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy focuses on restoring movement, strength, and control. Physiotherapists assess how the body moves as a whole and develop personalized treatment plans that may include:
- Therapeutic exercise and strengthening
- Manual therapy for muscles and joints
- Postural and movement retraining
- Injury prevention strategies
- Education to support long-term recovery
Physiotherapy plays a key role in helping patients regain function after injury, surgery, or prolonged pain.
The Role of Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care focuses on the health of the spine and joints and how they influence the nervous system. Chiropractors use hands-on techniques to:
- Improve joint mobility
- Reduce spinal restrictions
- Decrease nerve irritation
- Restore proper joint mechanics
When joints move more freely, the body can perform daily activities and rehabilitation exercises more effectively.
Why Working Together Makes a Difference
 Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce joint stiffness and improve mobility. At Medical Grade Physiotherapy & Wellness, physiotherapists and chiropractors collaborate to create integrated treatment plans that address both the cause and the consequences of pain.
More Effective Pain Relief
Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce joint stiffness and improve mobility, allowing physiotherapy treatments to be more effective. This combination often leads to quicker and more sustainable pain relief.
Improved Physical Function
Pain relief alone isn’t enough — restoring function is essential. Physiotherapy builds strength, stability, and movement confidence, ensuring that improvements achieved through chiropractic care translate into real-life activities.
Personalized, Coordinated Care
Every patient’s experience with pain is unique. Collaborative care allows our clinicians to tailor treatment plans that reflect individual goals, whether that’s returning to sport, managing chronic pain, or staying active in daily life.
Better Long-Term Outcomes
By addressing joint mechanics, muscle strength, and movement patterns together, patients are less likely to experience recurring pain and more likely to maintain long-term results.
Supporting the Burlington Community
 Dealing with ongoing discomfort or looking to improve how your body moves, our integrated approach ensures you receive the right care at the right time. Burlington is an active community, and staying mobile is essential to enjoying everything it has to offer. At Medical Grade Physiotherapy & Wellness, we are committed to helping our neighbours stay active, independent, and pain-free through collaborative, evidence-based care.
Whether you’re recovering from an injury, dealing with ongoing discomfort, or looking to improve how your body moves, our integrated approach ensures you receive the right care at the right time.
To learn more about how our team can help, visit Medical Grade Physiotherapy & Wellness or explore our physiotherapy and chiropractic care services.
 By Gazette Staff
January 1st, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
New Year , new slate.
What do you want to write on yours?
What are the changes you want to make in your life?
For the City of Burlington?
For the Region?
For the Country?
For the world.
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