Greetings, fellow denizens of the city we love to call Canada’s London. We’re looking at the May Two-Four weekend here in London, Ontario and, somewhat puzzlingly, our annual celebration of Queen Victoria1. This is the time the weather somehow seems to fix itself2 and all the people who insist on wearing shorts become a bit more easy to take. You know who you are.
Welcome to London Ontario Online News, where my City Hall notes and this weekly ROUNDUP continue to be free and sent to more than 200 leaders of London in the public interest. Thanks for paying attention and making good decisions based on the facts. This is your briefing, from a comms support, and this is how we make an impact. Join in if you like.
Scroll down for stories to skim and my own framing, while I ponder life in quarantine and how much I’d quite like an egg sandwich, really, though this hantavirus is bloody terrifying, so careful now. Still, no man is an island3, and we must take our place in the world and can no longer hide away. Perhaps we should congratulate Tourism London on the pitch to World Cup fans, even if it’s a bit of a stretch4.
Let’s go.
Soundtrack of the week
Each week, I offer a bit of music to accompany your reading. This time, it’s Mis-Shapes, by sardonic English indie darlings Pulp. I’ve had this song in my head all week as I’ve been thinking about the gap between rich and poor, and what that can do to an election.
We learnt too much at school
Now we can't help but see
That the future that you've got mapped out
Is nothing much to shout about
Anyway. There’s a lot going on, especially...
That municipal election, oh my
<David Attenborough voice> The politicians are skittish. They can smell the blood. They will be unpredictable until the calls of the seasons are answered. They may stampede.</David Attenborough voice>
Obviously, the big news was Ward 4 councillor Susan Stevenson filing her papers to run for mayor. I started us off on Tuesday with this post, which gathers some reporting, and - although it is notable that Stevenson is selective about granting interviews - there is a lot of new material out there already, much of it with my distinctive-yet-indistinct voice included.
I hope you will start with the AM980 Morning Show with Devon Peacock, where I joined London Police Services Board Chair Ryan Gauss, who ran Mayor Josh Morgan’s last campaign, to talk politics. This is a Spotify embed, which seems the best way to go straight to the item5. You can also find it on the website, although this link goes to the whole show.
And, this link should take you to my earlier chat on the Matt Brown podcast. That’s really about the first week and, though it has additional framing, pre-dates the Stevenson announcement. Also rewarding stuff.
Got a podcast? Wanna improve it by adding a Scotsman with a speech impediment and a questionable attitude? Gimme a yell - I’m easy to find, evidently.
Update: all the City Hall races
Just two updates to the MEGAPOST:
Another candidate for Thames Valley District School Board Trustee Wards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: Veena Joshi
And a CTV News interview with incumbent-and-running-again TVDSB Trustee Sherri Moore.
So far I’ve republished the MEGAPOST three times (other than wee typos and such), and the last two rounds of updates are listed prominently in it.
I’m happy to keep adding there, and once a week I’ll double-check websites and the filings and so on, and make sure it’s fresh and fair. Please keep using/sharing this post, which is designed as a public resource and will remain available for free.
Thanks to the various candidates talking to me about interviews. Not yet, maybe soon.
And other issues.
Road safety, and why it matters even when you’re not a driver
Here’s one of my favourite topics: car culture.
On Monday, a vehicle ran into a salon on Wharncliffe Road. Here are the news hits, with dramatic photos: CTV, CBC and LFP. We might note the disruption to the neighbourhood, the cost of emergency services, the closure of a nearby school and the effect on the students, and of course the human cost to those directly involved.
Here’s a CBC London story from Josiane N’tchoreret-Mbiamany, interviewing the couple this happened to - TWICE. “Like reliving your nightmare”.
And, as a result, Councillor Skylar Franke renewed a call for the Wharncliffe Underpass project to move ahead. Comprehensive journalism there from Jack Moulton at the London Free Press, and I also think of the nearby homeowner who found you can’t fight City Hall. (That’s an Andrew Lupton CBC story about Nan Finlayson, the retired kindergarten teacher whose house was expropriated for this project six years ago and continues to stand empty.)
Will that underpass project solve Wharncliffe’s problems? Maybe.
But it won’t solve this: Car crashes into Lay-Z-Boy store.
Or this: Stolen van hits multiple houses.
Or this: Car hits variety store on Richmond.
Or various others that I could pull, of course.
Did you know that cars crash into buildings in London five times a month? Now you do.
This isn’t even the only story on this topic this week. Bryan Bicknell of CTV London went to Vauxhaul Park and he has some scary footage here: “My house has been hit three times”.
Or, the absolute ultimate example is the Woodman Avenue explosion (TW: that’s national CBC coverage from the time). A search shows this story as the latest on Woodman Ave; that’s a 2023 report in which a convicted criminal is/was suing someone for serving her drinks. People, eh?
I wish this was higher on the political agenda. I think candidates will get votes if they address this and show leadership on it. Just sayin’.
Next!
Backyard Chickens update: e-scooters
The current cause celebre at City Hall is not, in fact, cars crashing into buildings, or numerous other deleterious effects of car culture. Our city council continues to talk about this provincial e-scooters trial and whether it’s safe to walk the streets6.
Here are some e-scooter stories - LFP and CBC - with the current situation: London, the City of Trying Out New Products, will continue with this program. And the London Free Press has established JUST HOW DANGEROUS these e-scooters may be.
I really want one now. Can you tell?
Commercial break
Irn-Bru is a drink that’s made in Scotland, from girders7. Tough to crush, and I may have been tired.
And back to work.
Housing and development
Breaking news today: delighted to see Indwell taking over the YMCA’s downtown building for a supportive housing project. Norm De Bono’s LFP story is here.
And in the north west of the city, the focus was on a development on Bluegrass Drive, and here are two stories, both by Jack Moulton:
Report: Neighbourhood Opposition etc
Analysis: It’s all about the votes
Here’s one from CBC, where there’s no paywall.
Opinion alert: as I said about my own neighbourhood, this is a tough ask for communities. It’s change, which <strategic communications consultancy> needs to be clearly and consistently communicated, to help people accept it </strategic communications consultancy>.
Instead, we have on-the-spot planning decisions by councillors all over the media, and the London Plan is in the corner with a stake driven through its heart, and people are confused. Meanwhile, the effect on neighbourhoods is very real, and clearly affecting folks lower down that socioeconomic ladder, who can vote. It seems to me we have another example of changing times hitting poor folks harder.
Play the Pulp song again.
Education
Seriously, 10 minutes less of recess? Must stay positive but… mixed reaction to new school schedule8.
Healthcare
And the LHSC latest, hmph: Highest deficit in the province.
That Western Fair gym
More on those fancy gym plans at the old agriplex. In last week’s ROUNDUP, I shared a Norman De Bono story about this, picking apart the numbers. Now Norm’s back with a new breakdown showing profits.
Lightning round
Let’s do some quick zaps with lightning, and start with:
Tornado! Confirmed near Lucan.
A fun project for London’s big anniversary: Forest City Facts.
And Home County is back.
Don’t forget your locals
People who work independently and tell stories about our city. Take a look.
And wait until you hear about what Cedric and I are cooking up. MUCH EXCITE9.
The street view: Cedric Richards’ Southwestern Ontario Journal.
Comment: Steve Cordes’ Community Matters.
Discuss: Matt Brown’s podcast.
Reflect: Larry Cornies’ audio blog.
Culture: The Beat Magazine and TheatreInLondon.ca.
Biz: London Inc.
Sports: Gameday London.
Enough
I’ve had an awesome and eventful week, and my thanks go to the many, many people who have been generous with their time as I seek to make a living by making an impact. Watch this space.
And mirror, signal, manoeuvre, FFS.
- Mike
Here, the Senate of Canada asks “Might Canada be Queen Victoria’s greatest legacy?” but does not mention the word “famine”.
Shakespeare. I’m dead fancy and quote Shakespeare. EDIT to ruin the joke: it’s John Donne and I’m not fancy at all.
In 1978, Scotland qualified and England didn’t. It spawned this monstrous piece of culture, which we Scots love unironically. Brace yourself if you click that - it’s like another planet.
I accidentally turned on the closed captions and now wish to reject formally the name “Mike Donicky”, thought it’s OK as a guide to pronunciation.
My only fear is the coming of the Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town.
Seriously.
Pink Floyd The Wall, but we DO need education.
Nobody knows London better than Cedric.