Ontario as we knew it
Graeme MacKay's selected work from 2024
Graeme Gallery 2024: Ontario (December 26, 2024)
In Ontario, 2024 was a year where Doug Ford played both the showman and the improviser, juggling promises, policies, and populism with mixed results. From resurrecting long-deferred plans for expanded alcohol sales to his head-scratching tunnel proposal under the 401, Ford’s penchant for bold but often impractical ideas kept the province guessing. Meanwhile, serious issues like healthcare, housing, and climate action lurked in the shadows, occasionally breaking into the spotlight. The year unfolded like a theatrical production, with Ford as the headliner, opposition leaders providing the counterpoint, and Ontarians left wondering what kind of act might follow.
Premier Doug Ford finally makes good on his 2018 promise to expand alcohol sales, with 8,500 new outlets set to roll out by 2026. The delays, bogged down by industry agreements, draw comparisons to Scrooge's ghosts, as living and dead premiers visit Ford in an Ontario twist on A Christmas Carol.
Ontario’s hospitals and universities, strapped for cash, start eyeing sketchy loan offers to stay afloat. Like gullible shoppers duped by fast-cash jingles, the desperation exposes just how underfunded essential services have become.
Doug Ford’s populist cuts, from nixing tolls to scrapping fees, might feel good now, but the billion-dollar revenue hole left behind threatens Ontario’s infrastructure. His off-ramp to popularity seems to end in a fiery pile-up.
Ford’s “Get It Done Act” is slammed for tackling easy, flashy projects while healthcare and housing monsters loom large in the shadows. His love of low-hanging fruit leaves critics questioning his priorities.
While critics call Ford’s “Get It Done Act” a gimmick prioritizing highways over the environment, his rare collaboration with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow on housing shows he can dance to a more constructive tune—awkwardly, but earnestly.
Bonnie Crombie and Pierre Poilievre’s anti-carbon tax rhetoric harmonizes in a familiar populist chorus. But as they play the same tune on different instruments, voters wonder if either has a meaningful climate solution in their repertoire.
The Ontario Legislature’s kaffiyeh ban puts hypocrisy on full display, with party leaders draped in their own political colours while demanding conformity from others. Queen’s Park is as fashionably inconsistent as ever.
Ford’s vision for a tunnel under the 401 comes off as an expensive, impractical digression. Like a wayward Buzz Lightyear, he promises to bore Ontario "to infinity and beyond," while neglecting practical fixes like better transit.
With Ottawa distracted and weakened, Ford briefly steps into the superhero role, filling the vacuum in the face of a looming Trump presidency. For one shining moment, Ontario's Premier dons the cape—but the jury’s out on whether he can actually fly.
As 2025 approaches, Ontario faces familiar challenges with a mix of hope and apprehension. Will leaders prioritize meaningful solutions over political theatrics, or will the province continue its dance of distractions? From infrastructure debates to a looming federal leadership vacuum, the stage is set for new acts of ambition and accountability—or more of the same spectacle. For better or worse, Ontario’s future will be shaped by how well its leaders can “get it done” where it really matters. The audience remains seated, ready to see what the next act holds.
Graeme Galleries: Ontario 2023 | Ontario 2022 | Ontario 2021 | Ontario 2020
Hello, friends!
As 2024 winds down, I’m excited to share my editorial cartoons through The Graeme Gallery, my Substack newsletter inspired by a cherished Hamilton Spectator tradition. For 28 years, I’ve used cartoons to recap the year’s big stories—locally and globally—with humour and insight.
These annual retrospectives are the inspiration for what I now offer weekly on Substack: newsletters delivered every Saturday, summarizing the week’s events through my cartoons. Subscriptions are free while I remain a staff cartoonist with legacy media.
This year-end series kicks off December 26 with four special posts:
Dec. 26: Ontario’s key moments.
Dec. 27: Canada’s ups and downs.
Dec. 28: The cost-of-living crisis.
Dec. 29: Donald Trump’s 2024 antics.
Thank you to the 100+ subscribers who’ve already joined—your support keeps this art form alive. Please spread the word, and let’s celebrate satire together.
Happy holidays and here’s to a bright 2025!
—Graeme