As Sun Tzu once said, “Know thy enemy.”
And today’s enemy, or at least the face of the foe, is Laryssa Waler.
She’s the chief spin doctor for Henley Strategies, a Toronto PR firm hired by York1 to direct eyes at pretty recycling baubles and away from the grim reality of out-of-town waste potentially being dumped near Dresden.
And in terms of “enemy,” we’re not talking about a physically violent confrontation, but one of a war of words; the environment versus big business; small-town Ontario versus big-city folks who probably had to look up where Dresden was on a map.
York1’s proposed recycling/landfill operation is a kilometre from Dresden’s downtown, less than that to a local school and the Sydenham River, which is home to a diverse range of species at risk.
Hundreds of trucks per day could rumble down nearby roads into and out of the facility, if it is approved.
The premier’s Bill 5 – Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act 2025 calls for a reversal on an environmental assessment on the Irish School Road site in question. This would fast-track the issue to go from a dormant old tile yard to active landfill/recycling site.
Imagine, if you will, someone trying to establish a landfill site in an old brownfield near the heart of Toronto. Think of the uproar from the local citizens.
In other words, it would not happen.
But here, tucked out of sight of Greater Toronto Area residents, it remains a tragic possibility. Perhaps it is a likelihood.
Keep fighting, folks.
On a side note, we must say that York1’s hiring of Waler is not a conflict of interest. She has deep provincial and national Conservative ties, but she runs her own business.
It’s a smart move by York1 to obtain the services of someone with intimate knowledge of operations at Queen’s Park, who also has deep experience spinning the narrative.
You don’t have to like York1 or Waler, or Ford, but on this level, there is no conflict of interest.
