doug ford

Doug Ford hauling cases of cucumbers has people upset about Ontario highways

It seems as if Ontario Premier Doug Ford might be better off not using social media at all these days given the amount of censure he's been receiving for virtually every post as people continue to take issue with his team's governance.

The latest tweet that has drawn the public's ire includes a photo op of Ford at an Ontario farm, where he could be seen chatting with workers, and helping to pack and carry boxes of cucumbers.

"Great to be back at @DoubleDiamondAr with our PC Candiate [sic] for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, @TrevorJonesCKL," Ford wrote on Thursday as he continued on the campaign trail.

"This family-owned farm is an Ontario success story and one of the Largest Greenhouse Growers in North America employing over 1,200 in Ontario."

But, many were quick to point out that despite attempting to appear pro-farm with the post, Ford has been quite the opposite when it comes to some of his actual actions as premier.

There is, of course, the leader's love for highways, and his efforts to build multiple new ones as fast as possible despite public pushback and the fact that it's been proven the projects will have little benefit upon completion.

The controversial Bradford Bypass, for example, will only save drivers up to 35 minutes per trip if they drive the entire length of the roadway over alternative routes (the equally-contested Highway 413 will save even less time), and experts say more freeways won't reduce congestion, but will actually make it worse.

There is also the fact both thoroughfares will necessitate the razing of dozens of hectares of farmland, wetlands, forests and environmentally-sensitive greenbelt land that was supposed to be protected, all while contributing millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

Then there are the less obvious impacts, like the shocking amount of gravel mining that will be needed for the work, meaning expansions of the province's thousands of quarries.

The fact that Ford keeps pushing through more roadways and other work without following due process for public and city consultation has also ruffled some feathers, with the province going over the heads of municipalities to demolish buildings and more.

Ford has been all about fast-tracking all types of developments lately and not only ignoring, but getting rid of the red tape to do so, whether the majority of the public wants them or not.

His prioritizing of motorists and car-based infrastructure in general is undeniable — he just removed a number of road tolls and has other highway expansions on the docket — along with his weird obsession with licence plates and drive-thru fast food; not exactly the type of advocacy that is on the side of local formers.

Though there have been protests against the two highways from residents, environmental groups, city councils and yes, farmers in the affected areas, they are indeed going to be built.

Environmental Defence and Ontario Nature are among those now suing Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault for the lack of a proper federal impact assessments for the projects.

Lead photo by

@fordnation


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