Dear editor:

The election of Donald Trump as the U.S. president, and his subsequent imposition of tariffs on Canadian products, clearly influenced the outcomes of the Ontario and federal elections in our country.

Premier Doug Ford convinced voters that he was the best person to stand up to Mr. Trump, as did Mark Carney. Both ran successful campaigns built primarily on that premise.

While Mr. Carney also put forward innovative plans to address housing affordability and the economic fallout from the U.S. trade war, Mr. Ford’s campaign was focused almost entirely on his supposed abilities to protect Ontario workers from potential job losses and the impacts of U.S. tariffs.

Despite the efforts of his political opponents to talk about health care, affordability and other issues, Mr. Ford’s message clearly resonated with voters.

In hindsight, I’m disappointed that the state of democracy in Ontario was never raised as an issue in the provincial election.

It’s easy to decry the decline of democracy in the U.S., where President Trump has used executive orders to rule virtually unchecked, but Ontario isn’t perfect either.

Premier Ford’s bestowing of superpowers on mayors across the province has created the means for our municipal elected leaders to act in similar ways. When mayors can legally override the decisions of an elected municipal council and usurp the hiring process for senior staff positions, democracy is in peril.

We’re about to find out just how serious an issue this is for Niagara-on-the-Lake. Perhaps Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa will be cautious about using the super mayor powers bestowed on him by Premier Ford (“‘It’s still a democratic process’: Council doesn’t reject strong mayor powers,” May 8, The Lake Report). I certainly hope that proves to be the case.

But I won’t be surprised if he does opt to use them, nor to see controversial development projects and large municipal tax increases get the green light as a result.

That’s just one of the reasons why I plan to attend the upcoming Niagara-on-the-Lake Residents Association meeting. Voices raised in opposition to undemocratic decisions might make a difference. I hope so.

Because the basic principle of democracy — one person, one vote, whether by a member of a municipal council or by a voter at the ballot box — no longer applies in Ontario.

Terry Davis
NOTL