Justice Gibson’s ruling on the 100 Victoria encampment is a good one, but it’s not the end of this story. It’s another milestone in the reckoning over homelessness in Waterloo Region, because it won’t solve homelessness. Courts simply can’t do that. It reminds us that people have rights, whether they have shelter or not. People are not a planning inconvenience or a public relations problem. “The homeless are not Other. They are Us. They are rights bearers no less entitled tha

If you skim the headlines, it can feel like more of the same: another bill, another review, another “streamlining” of how our cities and schools are run. But put the pieces together and a clear picture emerges: Queen’s Park is steadily pulling more power up and away from local communities. In the last year, the Ford government has taken the extraordinary step of sending provincial supervisors into multiple school boards sidelining trustees voters actually elected. At the same

Update: Summer 2025 After I had given this delegation and left the meeting, the council decided how to fill the vacancy. They’ve chosen a middle ground that, in my view, achieves much of what I recommended. The details can be found here . Inclusion . The process allows for the consideration of more possibilities than just those that were on the ballot in 2022. Life circumstances change, and individual priorities change. Critical Reflection . Regional Council will actively co

A few late summers thoughts on how this went... I didn't win. I put forward my best effort to show that I was the best candidate. To...