Open Sources Guelph - April 5, 2018

This week's episode of Open Sources Guelph is a chorus of abuse. The Government of Ontario is abusing deficit spending by making some big spending promises. The Pope is trying to avoid having to apologize for the abuses of his Church on Canada's First Nations people. A U.S. broadcaster is abusing the trust of the people by reaching for fake news talking points. And animal abuse activists are taking out their frustrations with a Toronto restaurant. This one's going hurt...

This Thursday, April 5, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:

1) Mo' Money! In their final budget before the election (perhaps ever), the Ontario government under Kathleen Wynne launched a high stakes bid to convince voters to give them another turn at the helm of provincial government by offering the electorate everything but the kitchen sink (that will be an official election promise). From dental care, to childcare, to mental health, to home care, to social assistance, to even help for Sears employees who had their pensions burned when the company went bankrupt, there's literally something for everyone. Is this enough to get the Liberals over the hump, and what do the PCs and NDP do now?

2) No Apologies. In a surprise move, Pope Francis and the Vatican announced that there would be no apology issued to Canada's Indigenous peoples for the abuses and indignities suffered at residential schools, many of which were run by the Catholic Church. An apology from the pope was one of the 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and while Francis hasn't ruled out a trip to Canada and a personal meeting with First Nations people, how can people accept the contrition of the Church and their desire to move forward without hearing them accept responsibility for past atrocities?

3) Broadcast Ooze. It took a while, but it now seems there's widespread concern about the intentions of Sinclair Broadcast, which already owns over 170 local TV stations in the U.S. and is looking to buy a few hundred more. Over the weekend, a viral video captured the concerns of people worried about losing a free and independent media, a mash-up of local anchors all repeating the same Trumpian sounding talking points. And before you say that can't happen here, TorStars Metro papers launched a rebranding effort with an editorial that did more or less the same thing. We'll talk about the dangers of media consolidation on both sides of the border.

4) The Deer Hunter Hunters. Where do you go in Toronto for a good slice of deer? If you said Antler, you might be at the centre of controversial series of protests right now as vegans have descended on the Dundas Street establishment to protest animal rights. Things escalated, and got more media attention, when the owner of the restaurant cut up a leg of meat at the restaurant's window in full view of the protestors, which only riled up anti-meat demonstrators more. But why are these people turning their ire towards a small, boutique establishment that makes an effort to get their supply from sustainable sources?

Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.