Join me in Toronto on September 30th
In a special edition, the newsletter goes 'IRL'; and stay for a great chat with Greg Brady.
To know my work is to know that I’ve been professionally critical of the Ford government since the early days of Covid — and since the early days of this newsletter back in 2022.
And to know me, is to know that ‘the work,’ and who I am personally, are very much one and the same.
For all the slings and arrows you can take in this industry, the back-room nonsense, the acts of career-limitation that come from burning the bridges that need burning, it’s been a gift that I get to be myself for a living, advocate for this audience, and that anyone would contribute their hard-earned money to help me do so.
If one is so lucky, you find your tribe, you get to write and advocate for those you very much regard as your betters, and opportunities come calling. In the case of this newsletter and this newsletter-er, that’s what’s happened here.
I’ve been blessed to have your support, and how that’s allowed this humbled non-profit director and Substack purveyor to expand what’s on offer, and the work as a contributor with ‘Project Ontario’ has become a big part of that. (Policy contributions #1 and #2, in case you missed them, or watch my chat with co-founder Matt Spoke.)
And now, that collaborative effort, which includes members from the major third-party groups, top campaigners, writers, advocates — all movement conservatives calling for and hoping for better from Queen’s Park — has an event next week, and if you’re around, I’d be thrilled if you could join us.
Click to grab your ticket now. They’re going fast.
"Throughout the evening, you'll hear from Alexander Brown (National Citizens Coalition, Juno News), Greg Brady (former Conservative candidate and 640 AM talk radio host), Tim Sargent (Macdonald Laurier Institute), Matt Spoke (Canada Strong and Free, Toronto real estate entrepreneur), Ginny Roth (Crestview Strategy), Brian Dijkema (Cardus Institute), San VanderVeer (Scotiabank, and former Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty Staff), along with a few special ELECTED GUESTS.
"We'll also be joined by fellow Project Ontario contributors Adam Zivo (National Post), Josh Dehaas (Canadian Constitution Foundation), Shawn Whatley (Macdonald Laurier Institute), Chris Spoke (Toronto real estate entrepreneur), Ariella Kimmel (Allies for a Strong Canada, A Better City, former Chief of Staff), and Peter Copeland (Macdonald Laurier Institute). You'll be among friends, as we gather with policy thinkers, political organizers, business leaders, current and former elected officials, and everyday concerned conservative citizens."
If you find yourself in and around Toronto next Tuesday, on Trudeau’s favourite day to surf, we’d be happy to have you, and please say hi if you’re able to attend.
Sharing the stage with elected officials and the nation’s top campaigners is a new one for me. What isn’t new is the gratitude I feel for these opportunities, and for this fellowship.
Speaking of new frontiers, I was thrilled to have Greg Brady on the Juno News show this week.
Greg and I go back to the early days of Covid, where he was kind enough and brave enough to platform mandate criticisms before the vast majority in legacy media, and even invited me on to report on my experience at the Freedom Convoy, at a time when government and media were shamelessly lying and conflating the protest into some imagined January 6th, at a prodigious clip.
On this continued theme of gratitude: I tell Greg in this episode there’s no Juno show without him; and that I get to now host him on my own show is a bit of a trip. And I’m looking forward to Greg joining us next week in Toronto, where he will be kicking off the proceedings.
Check out this chat if you can spare 30 minutes, do join us next week if you’re able, and as ever, thanks for being here.