“Two Nations. One Voice”: Palestine and Lebanon rally grips Victoria Park

“I was born in Haifa. I am older than Israel,” said Lilian Mattar-Patey, a Windsor-based United Church minister. She addressed crowds gathered beneath a grey sky at Victoria Park in London on April 19 for a Palestine and Lebanon rally; a social media post about the protest read Two Nations. One Voice. Together, we rise. “In 1948, the first day of the Nakba or ‘catastrophe’, my brother was carrying me. I was less than two years old then, and he said that the Israeli soldiers were shooting at us, and one bullet came beside my ear and he said if…

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PERSPECTIVES: Recollections and Reflections on the 2026 NDP Convention

There was much speculation going into convention that the NDP was a spent force in Canada’s political scene. I and many attending the 2026 bi-annual convention in Winnipeg were not of this view. That said, I venture to guess that many of the over 2000 delegates believed that, beyond electing a new leader, the organization must change to meet the moment.  Overall, I felt that the mood at this convention was hopeful. London was well represented by new and long-time members of all four London area ridings, including active union members, disability and education activists, and all four 2025 federal…

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The impact of closing Safe Consumption Sites in London

Ontario’s decision to end funding for supervised consumption sites has sent shockwaves through service users, service providers, and harm reduction advocates across the province. In London, Ontario, the potential that Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Services will close has ignited grief, frustration, and deep fear within the community.  Ontario’s Ministry of Health informed agencies on March 15 that funding will end on June 13, 2026, giving operators just 90 days to wind down services. The move, presented by Premier Doug Ford as a shift toward “public safety” and “a recovery-oriented model,” will shut down a service that reversed 218 overdoses last year and recorded…

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“We are all candidates for disability”: Humanitarian worker Elisha Byalungwe on disability and inclusion advocacy from DR Congo to Uganda to Canada 

Elisha Byalungwe’s earliest memories of school were marked by frustration. He describes his home country of post-1994 eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as war-torn, with children walking to school to the sound of gunshots and parents emphasizing education as the “only hope” for raising the “change-makers of tomorrow” who would better the country. Teachers were determined, students were keen to become political leaders, and Byalungwe loved school. But he struggled to see what was written on the teacher’s blackboard.  When he was almost nine years old, one of his teachers noticed his struggles and phoned his parents; a visit to…

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PERSPECTIVE: We Must Fight Ford’s Policies that Hurt the Working Class  

On March 28, in cities across Ontario, thousands of people gathered in protests to ‘Fight Ford’ including London. Doug Ford and his Conservative government have spent years attacking the very things that make our communities strong—our schools, our healthcare system, our workers, our environment—all while handing public wealth over to private corporate interests. We must be clear about something right from the start: this government does not have a real mandate. In the 2025 provincial election, they won a majority with just 43% of the vote—on only 45% turnout. That’s less than 20% of eligible voters. Twenty percent is not…

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