Normally, events like the MP-MPP Luncheon and Mayor’s Luncheon, hosted each year by the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce, are fairly subdued gatherings.There was a luncheon a couple of years ago, following the significant land acquisition by the City of St. Thomas, where former Central Elgin Mayor Sally Martyn dominated the Q&A period, targeting Mayor Joe Preston.
But despite the stifling heat inside the Elgin County Railway Museum this past Monday (July 28), this MP-MPP get-together did have its moments, no doubt the result of the Trump tariffs impacting almost every facet of life as we know it.
The answer to literally all questions directed toward the two participants ultimately referenced the tariffs in some form.
For Andrew Lawton, this was his first such function as an MP, and in his opening remarks, he observed, “Since the House rose on June 20th, I’ve made it a point to go to as many things as possible.
“It’s been quite fun to see how much is happening and to try to cover as much ground, and I want to share with you a few things that have emerged as very key priorities and how this has changed even from the election, because during the election we had, going into it, a sense of what we thought the election was going to be about.
“There were a lot of key concerns that were being raised, not just by the business community, but by people across the country, that dealt with crime, affordability and that thing that no one wants to talk about anymore, the carbon tax.
“And then, of course, the landscape changed dramatically with all of the unjust actions taken by the United States, threats and tangible actions against Canada, and this overwhelmingly changed the dynamic of the election to the point where it was the only thing that people could talk about because it was such a pressing concern.”Lawton correctly noted that, despite the uncertainty of the tariffs, those challenges are still at play.
Lawton continued, “We have a much better sense of the trajectory this has taken, but there are still a lot of questions that we don’t yet know the answers to.
“We don’t yet know what tariffs and counter-tariffs are going to look like in three months, what they’re going to look like in a week. We don’t know what they’re going to look like long-term.
“So this has become a very front-and-centre challenge for a lot of businesses and community organizations, and one of the challenges that I’ve been seeing in some of the media coverage around this is that it’s not just large industry that’s affected by tariffs, and this is something that I’ve tried to communicate to some of my colleagues as well and to others that I’ve spoken to, that small businesses are definitely affected by this. In a lot of ways, disproportionately affected by it.”
“Property crime in particular does not come without a price tag, and property crime does not stay limited to property.”
He cited the example of a volunteer-run community organization “that received a grant to bring in a specific type of equipment that they needed, and this was an organization that worked for years to get the funding, and all of a sudden this piece of equipment is going to cost 25 per cent more, and they can’t afford it because the grant only covered the pre-tariff amount.”
Lawton stressed, “I don’t want to say I’m happy to talk about tariffs, because I dislike that this is something we have to deal with, but there is some movement and clarity that I’m happy to offer there if it’s of value.
“And one of the big issues as well that has become a business concern, which traditionally hasn’t been, has been crime and justice. And anyone who operates a store, especially in the downtown core, you are no doubt facing this massive challenge, which is causing people to feel unsafe in their communities, it’s jeopardizing the desire for some consumers to go out and shop in the community, and it is costing.
“Property crime in particular does not come without a price tag, and property crime does not stay limited to property.
“So in response to a lot of concerns that I was hearing from not just residents of the community in general, but specifically businesses, I have really stepped up my efforts on this file as one that is, I think, very significant for two reasons.
“One is that I sit on the House of Commons Justice Committee, so I have a direct line into tackling the crime and justice issues. But also, it was one that was so pressing we couldn’t just punt it down the road.
“And my philosophy on how to deal with business is to get out of the way.”
“And I’ve been very grateful to those of you in this room who have come and shared your stories. I’ve had tremendous conversations with police partners here in St. Thomas, as well as in Aylmer and London, about this.
“We actually had a very productive roundtable discussion last week that Chief (Marc) Roskamp graciously hosted at St. Thomas Police headquarters to talk about the need for bail reform, which is a public safety issue, and it is a business issue as well.
“But I want to go back to what we were talking about before the tariff threat. And my philosophy on how to deal with business is to get out of the way. And I am so heartened every time I see such tremendous innovation and courage and investment coming from people from all backgrounds.
“And I mean that in terms of their business background or lack thereof, people who have come from all over the world, immigrants who have come here and started a business that is thriving and is a powerhouse. And you see the entrepreneurial spirit in so many different ways.”
Lawton pointed out that the one thing that differentiates St. Thomas from other municipalities is how much the community wants to support its businesses and how much of a celebration there is of entrepreneurs and businesses here.
“And this is the spirit of this community that we need to keep alive. So what I would like to do is get government out of the way, ease some of the regulations, taxes and burdens that have made it difficult for businesses to thrive, work to navigate the system and provide the continuity and clarity you need to succeed.
“But this is a new era, and it’s important to bring solutions forward regardless of where they come from.”
“And more importantly, maintain a direct line between businesses and their representatives. Now, I’m aware that I’m coming to you as a Member of Parliament in opposition, which does have some limitations. But this is a new era, and it’s important to bring solutions forward regardless of where they come from.
“So one project that I am pleased to announce today that I’ll be starting in the coming weeks is a series of business advisory roundtables that I will be convening that will bring stakeholders from all different sectors, some more specific and some general, for tangible solution-oriented sessions that I can bring to Ottawa and put forward either in standalone legislation or put forward when we are navigating through and working on existing legislation from the government.
“And we have some people who we’re going to be inviting and have already been in touch with. If this is something you are interested in being involved in, please contact me either today or after, and I’m happy to include you.”
THERE’S LOTS OF GAS IN THE TANK, STRESSES MPP ROB FLACK
MPP Rob Flack launched into his opening remarks by reminding the gathering that his first priority is to his home riding.
“And no matter what job the premier gives me, this comes first. He knows it. He likes it. He tells and encourages everybody to be that way. And we will always fight and fight hard for everything you need to get. You need to support the growth and the dynamic opportunities we have in Elgin, Middlesex, and London.
“Much has happened since we gathered here 13 months ago. When you think about it, we had a new president elected south of the border in America. And we had a provincial election on February 27th.
“And as Andrew said, a federal election on April 28th. And the only big change, really, was that we got a new president. So we’ve got the same federal government in place, a different prime minister, but basically the same cast of characters in terms of cabinet, moved around a bit.
“And the same provincially. Premier Ford won his third resounding majority government. And again, most of the cabinet is the same, albeit a year ago I was Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. And now I’m Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.”
“And I take a look at the success you’ve had in terms of homelessness and in terms of community support. Not done, not finished, but I mean, you guys are light years ahead of some communities.”
In light of the uncertainty south of the border, Flack left no doubt that the government’s top priority is protecting Ontario.
More on that in a moment.
“But the one thing I will say . . . you have a lot to be proud of here. We do. Because I talk to so many municipalities now, and guess what the first words they all say? Minister, we’re so unique. Well, guess what? They’re right. But you guys have done a lot of things that are unique and right.
“And I take a look at the success you’ve had in terms of homelessness and in terms of community support. Not done, not finished, but I mean, you guys are light years ahead of some communities.
“You guys are the shining example when it comes to economic development. We are on a path to some great success, and the road to success is always under construction. We still have tremendous opportunities to grow and grow significantly. And with that come some challenges. And I’ll talk to you about those challenges.”
Beginning with the need to protect this province.
“We’ve got lots of gas in the tank, and Mr. Trump is going to see in Ontario something that he’s maybe not used to.”
“To protect our economy, to protect our jobs, to protect our businesses. And we are prepared, although we don’t like it, if we have to go into further debt to do it.
“Our economic position is strong. Our credit rating has never been stronger, frankly. But we will do it if we have to. Hopefully, it’s not going to come to that, but we are prepared. We’ve got lots of gas in the tank, and Mr. Trump is going to see in Ontario something that he’s maybe not used to.
“I can tell you all the bordering governors or governors that know the premier, have been in touch with us, him for sure, and whichever ministry makes sense, they are not supporting this.
“So he’s (Trump) going to have his own internal fights in the coming days and weeks, and we’re going to continue to keep the pressure on.”
A second priority, according to Flack, is growing the province’s economy.
“We continue to have an insatiable appetite for health care, education, community and children’s services, our social programs that are paramount to this province and this country. We continue to invest, invest, invest. And so we have to keep this economy growing because if it falls off significantly, then we are in trouble.
“So that is why we are continuing to be aggressive. Minister (Vic) Fedeli and Minister (Peter) Bethlenfalvy are fighting the good fight. We continue to attract new businesses and investments to come not only to Ontario, but hopefully to southwest Ontario. And we have a great parcel of land where they can land here.”
The last point is a nod to the city’s new industrial park, Yarmouth Yards.
And the third priority is housing.
“It is a crisis. It’s not partisan. We have a crisis in housing in this province. We have to get the cost down and the time it takes to get a home built. And that’s exactly what we plan to do.”
“And part of the reason I’m there, I think (Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing), is because I bring a little bit of business acumen, and I’m finding, again, as Andrew said, government needs to get out of the way.
“It takes too long and it costs too much to build a house in this province. We all know that. We are lacking land in some cases. Here in particular.
“But we introduced a bill called Protecting Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter, Bill 17. And it passed through the House before we rose. And I can say that it’s all about reducing time and cost to get housing built.”
In particular, steep development charges that are in effect in some municipalities in the GTA.
“So we’re going to be able to lend money to municipalities so they can put the infrastructure in the ground, amortized over 40, 50, 60 years. So that’s in place and I look forward to our first priority project, which will be Peel this fall.
“We’ve not kept up with infrastructure. We’ve not kept up with housing. And we have to make that change. But I would say our situation around here is a little less dire, maybe, than some of the other parts of the province.
“It is a crisis. It’s not partisan. We have a crisis in housing in this province. We have to get the cost down and the time it takes to get a home built. And that’s exactly what we plan to do.”
Locally, stressed Flack, the priorities are similar.
“First is infrastructure. I look at Mike Hans. The Ontario Water and Sewer Main Construction Association estimates $160 billion is needed to replace aging infrastructure or build new infrastructure.
“Think about it. Where’s the money going to come from? There’s only one taxpayer. The municipalities think the province should give more money. The province says, where are the feds?”
The solution, advised Flack, is the establishment of municipal service corporations that would unleash funds from private equity and pension funds to help finance the growth experienced in the province.
Continuing with the local theme, Flack turned his attention to the twinning of Hwy. 3 in St. Thomas and the Talbotville bypass.
“We’ve got to get that right. I don’t think we’ve really got that perfect yet. We’re still looking at the maps. I’m meeting with Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria regularly, talking to him. We’ve got to get that right. I think we have to build it right the first time, not have to go back in a few years. So let’s make sure we get that done right.”
Flack is adamant that there is a shortage of land available for housing in the province.
“When you take a look at what everyone has in terms of a land bank, in terms of land inventory, we’re not going to meet the challenge of the day to get the homes built we need to get people having roofs over their head.”
What about the hundreds of acres of land available at the site of the former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital?
“I promised this in 2022, and I’m on it. We’re going to develop these lands. We are going to make sure that homes get built to meet the demand we have. That is in our plan. It’s in the budget. It was in our economic statement last fall.
“We’re going to do it. And we’re getting really close. It’s taking a little longer than I thought it would. But for those who are patient, good things will come. So we are going to get that done.”
Thanks to Tarah Stock for the two event photos.
ABOUT THAT CITY FLAG
It would be a safe bet that many city residents would have difficulty identifying or even describing in some detail what the City of St. Thomas flag looks like.
This is relevant in that the city this week launched a public survey to garner input on the flag’s design and symbolism to determine whether a refresh is in order.
The flag was adopted in 1976 and has not been updated since the city underwent a rebranding in 2017.
Back in May, city council authorized staff to proceed with a review of the flag.
Mayor Joe Preston observed, “Our city flag is a symbol of our shared history and community pride. It’s important that our flag reflects who we are today and where we are headed.”
To get some context on the flag issue, we spoke on Friday with Coun. Steve Peters, who would prefer to keep the existing flag, which incorporates symbols that reflect the city’s heritage: a carpenter’s square, maple leaves and a seven-spoked cartwheel representing local history.
Peters noted, “To be honest, most of the symbols are still pertinent to the community today because one of the big things is the underlying theme of transportation and the builder’s square, which signifies building.
“And the wheel, the wheel with the seven spokes with St. Thomas at the hub, that’s still the County of Elgin.”
He forwarded a newspaper clipping from July 27, 1977, that noted city council of the day would receive the new flag at its next meeting on Aug. 15.
So the city’s survey has been launched almost 48 years to the day that the flag was presented to council.
The article notes “the general theme of the crests and flag is growth and progress, revolving around St. Thomas’ position as a major transportation centre.”
Of note are two white stripes on either side of the maple leaves.
According to the article, the stripes signify that St. Thomas is leaving an imprint on the world.
The green background colour symbolizes growth and progress.
The article also notes the flag was approved by the prestigious College of Arms.
Of note, the College of Arms is the official heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and much of the Commonwealth.
Peters wonders should a new flag design be adopted, “Is this ultimately going to lead to changing the city’s coat of arms? Because if you look at the city’s coat of arms, the flag is incorporated into our coat of arms. So, you have to change that as well.”
Is there a danger of going down a heraldic rabbit hole when we refresh the flag?
In any event, the flag survey, which closes Aug. 30, can be found here.
CANADA DAY INPUT
And still with public input, the city is interested in hearing your feedback on the Canada Day celebration this year in 1Password Park. And no, you didn’t have to attend the event to participate in the survey.
The survey asks participants about their experience, favourite activities, and suggestions for improvement.
The lack of shade at the venue may be one area that requires consideration.
The feedback gathered will help shape future events, ensuring they reflect the community’s interests and expectations.
The survey can be found here.
Questions and comments may be emailed to City Scope
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And a reminder, I can be heard weekday afternoons as news anchor and reporter on 94.1 myFM in St. Thomas. As always, your comments and input are appreciated.
