Sunday Soapbox by Dave Dale
Updated list of my BayToday columns
Below are links to my columns published at BayToday.ca during 2021: November 2 Parallel universes exist in North Bay too Unfortunately for the Cassellholme board, what’s remaining of it anyway, they didn’t have very good political advice or didn’t follow it. November...
Computers can’t write columns, can they?
There’s probably a way to automate the writing of a weekly column. We already have artificial intelligence programs to cover news events. Take an issue, insert trending posts via an algorithm of sources and ‘presto’ you’ve got a reaction piece. Same basic approach...
Did I have my last handshake?
Please note: This column was written March 11, 2020 and initially published through A Bit of the Bay Productions. North Bay officials are getting a COVID-19 wake up call after a man in Sudbury tested positive following his attendance at a major international mining...
Do you care about the truth?
The Catholic Church needs to come clean with all its records pertaining to residential schools for Indigenous students in Canada. Same for the other religions involved in this shameful legacy. There’s no reconciliation without truth and knowing where they buried all...
Is it time for Ford to turtle?
At least Mike Harris knew enough to fall on his sword when it was clear the Common Sense Revolution had killed too many citizens and hamstrung the economy. Whether by OPP sniper fire, tainted municipal water or poor people falling through the shredded safety net,...
Has the yo-yo ying-yanging got you perplexed yet?
Next to nil. That's the volume of sense the provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic has made so far. None at all. That's the level of interest I have in joining the outrage parade over how little Premier Doug Ford has impressed since he kinda looked leader-like...
Does McDonald regret staying for a third term?
There were several main subjects I wanted to broach with North Bay Mayor Al McDonald during our Zoom interview April 7. It was a follow up to our April 2020 Skype interview, which took place as the COVID-19 pandemic and reality of lockdowns were still a novelty....
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Here we go. The long and winding trail of life has put another crossroad before me and I’m deking down the path less traveled. Again. As if life in a pandemic wasn’t exciting enough. The redesign of the Small Town Times website, turning my hobby platform into a...
Recorded meetings improve transparency
Livestream and video recordings of municipal meetings allow constituents immediate access to a greater amount of transparency and shouldn’t end when public council gatherings resume. And I’m not talking about that tiny ‘fly on the far wall’ camera shot North Bay used...