Ford government's changes to children's aid societies miss what actually needs fixing, critics charge
Proposed changes by the Ford government to bring new controls over the province's children aid societies focus too much on finances and not enough on kids' wellbeing, critics charge.
The legislation, announced in late May as part of the sweeping Supporting Children and Students Act, would give the province greater financial oversight of children's aid societies, as well as require increased transparency over how the organizations operate.
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Toronto Sun
13 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Annual Ford Fest barbecue this Friday at Etobicoke's Centennial Park
Ontario Premier Doug Ford attends his annual Ford Fest barbecue in Vaughan on Sept. 22, 2018. Photo by Jack Boland / Files / Toronto Sun The latest edition of Ford Fest is fast approaching. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is hosting his annual community barbecue at Centennial Park in Etobicoke this Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. And it is free to attend with no registration required. 'Get ready for an evening of fun [and] community spirit,' Ford said in a social media update. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Ford says this year's gathering is especially meaningful because it gives his supporters a chance to celebrate the historic third straight majority government for the Ontario PC Party following February's landslide provincial election victory — 'a testament to the trust Ontarians have placed in our team and our plan to rebuild Ontario.' The event offers free food including hamburgers, halal burgers, veggie burgers and hot dogs. 'The kids can enjoy free carnival rides,' Ford said. 'There'll be something for everyone.' The first 500 people in attendance will receive a free Fort Fest t-shirt as well. Music will also be part of the evening's festivities. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Ford Fest was started more than two decades ago by the premier's father Doug Ford, Sr. as a gathering at the family's Etobicoke property. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ford Sr. once represented the former Etobicoke-Humber riding as an Ontario Conservative member at Queen's Park. It continued with Premier Doug Ford and his late brother Rob Ford, a businessman who made a name for himself after being elected as a councillor in Etobicoke in 2000 and then as Toronto mayor from 2010 to 2014. It grew over the years from hundreds of supporters to thousands of attendees at parks across Toronto and, in recent years, throughout Ontario. Read More Celebrity NHL Editorial Cartoons News Toronto & GTA
Globe and Mail
19 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Is D-Wave Quantum Stock Still a Buy?
Sometimes, the market becomes so fixated on valuation metrics that it overlooks a fundamental shift in technology. That's exactly what's happening with D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) right now. Yes, the stock has exploded 113% year to date, as of June 9, 2025. Yes, it trades at a nosebleed 146 times projected 2026 sales. And yes, quantum computing stocks have been riding a speculative wave that makes the dot-com bubble look rational. But here's what the bears are missing: D-Wave just crossed the line from quantum promise to quantum delivery, and the implications are staggering. Last month, D-Wave posted blockbuster first-quarter results, with revenue surging 509% year over year, headlined by the landmark sale of its Advantage2 quantum system to Germany's Jülich Supercomputer Center. This wasn't just a financial win; it was a technical one. The company announced a watershed moment in applied quantum computing, with its next-generation prototype solving a complex optimization problem thousands of times faster than a classical supercomputer could. Most importantly, this leap from theory to practice is being validated in the commercial world. For example, Ford subsidiary Otosan recently slashed vehicle scheduling times using D-Wave's platform, proving the technology's real-world utility. The case for buying at these levels Research firm McKinsey & Co. projects quantum computing could create trillions in value over the next decade. D-Wave is squarely targeting the optimization segment, a foundational, multibillion-dollar piece of that market. Capturing even a fraction of the value in logistics, finance, and artificial intelligence (AI)-related optimization would imply a future valuation many multiples of its current size. D-Wave's distinctive approach -- quantum annealing instead of gate-based computing -- gives it a major lead in these real-world applications. With a strong balance sheet featuring $304 million in cash, the company is well-funded to scale its commercial lead. The powerful 92.5% gross margin seen in the latest quarter, driven by its high-end system sales, demonstrates the profound economic potential of its technology, proving that quantum computing can be a viable business today. Traditional valuation metrics alone are insufficient for a company creating a novel computing technology. D-Wave's quantum annealers aren't intended to replace classical computers wholesale; instead, they are engineered to excel at certain classes of problems, particularly in optimization. The goal is to achieve a "quantum advantage" where their systems can solve these specific, complex problems more efficiently than any classical computer. As one of the first companies to commercialize its quantum hardware, D-Wave represents a distinct approach focused on near-term applications in this developing field. Why D-Wave owns the quantum optimization niche D-Wave's commanding $5.56 billion valuation reflects a market that is finally waking up to a critical fact: The company has the most mature commercial offering in the only part of quantum computing delivering customer applications today: optimization. While giants like IBM and Alphabet pursue the long-term, research-heavy goal of building universal quantum computers, D-Wave is focused on the here and now. Its quantum annealing systems are built to solve real-world optimization problems, one of the most practical and immediate use cases for quantum technology. This isn't a narrow niche; it's a multibillion-dollar market hiding in plain sight, underpinning everything from airline routing and portfolio construction to drug discovery and manufacturing logistics. The proof is in the customer list. D-Wave has secured 69 paying commercial customers, including industry leaders like Volkswagen, Lockheed Martin, and Denso. These aren't just science experiments; they are focused efforts to tackle complex challenges. Volkswagen, for example, has used D-Wave's technology to optimize paint shop schedules, a clear sign of tangible, operational applications that drive efficiency. D-Wave's technical strategy is the key to its commercial head start. By focusing on quantum annealing, its architecture has different and less stringent requirements for error correction and coherence than universal gate-based systems. This is not a detour; it's a strategic advantage that has allowed D-Wave to leapfrog competitors in the race to commercial scale, deploying powerful 5,000+ qubit processors built for one purpose. While gate-based systems are a different technological path with different goals, no other player can match D-Wave's scale and commercial track record in the optimization space today. For investors, the $5.56 billion question is whether this valuation is justified. Given that D-Wave is the established leader in a market poised to disrupt dozens of global industries, its current capitalization may well be a prelude to future growth as its technology becomes mission critical for modern business. Still a buy? Every major technology shift creates trillion-dollar winners. The internet minted Amazon and Alphabet. Mobile created Apple 's empire. Artificial intelligence (AI) is birthing new giants daily. Quantum computing will be no different, except this time investors can buy the leader for just $5.56 billion -- considerably less than what Meta burns on Reality Labs in two quarters. D-Wave isn't a speculative bet on distant quantum breakthroughs. It's a growing business with bluechip customers. The only question is whether you believe quantum computing will transform optimization problems. If yes, then D-Wave stock isn't expensive. It's fundamentally mispriced. Should you invest $1,000 in D-Wave Quantum right now? Before you buy stock in D-Wave Quantum, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and D-Wave Quantum wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $660,341!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $874,192!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is999% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to173%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. George Budwell has positions in Apple, D-Wave Quantum, and Lockheed Martin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, International Business Machines, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool recommends Lockheed Martin and Volkswagen Ag. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Toronto Star
‘No buyers' remorse' for voters as Doug Ford's Tories enjoy big poll lead
Premier Doug Ford's third-term Progressive Conservatives are enjoying an extended honeymoon with voters, a new public-opinion survey suggests. In the first major Ontario political poll since Ford's Tories were re-elected in the snap Feb. 27 provincial election, Abacus Data found the governing party well ahead of its rivals. The PCs were at 49 per cent to 28 per cent for Bonnie Crombie's Liberals, 14 per cent for Marit Stiles' New Democrats and five per cent for Mike Schreiner's Greens. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Provincial Politics Doug Ford wins third majority after gambling on winter election Ford defied the odds Thursday becoming the first premier to win three consecutive majority 'We're seeing the highest vote share for the Tories we've measured since we've been tracking and we see Ford's personal numbers better than they've been since we've really been tracking,' said Abacus president David Coletto. 'At least right now, there's no buyer's remorse in re-electing the PCs,' said Coletto. In the February election, the Tories received 43 per cent of the popular vote to 30 per cent for the Liberals, 18.6 per cent for the New Democrats and 4.8 per cent for the Greens. Abacus surveyed 1,000 Ontarians from June 2 through last Thursday using online panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. While opt-in polls cannot be assigned a margin of error, for comparison purposes, a random sample of this size would have one of plus or minus 3.09 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. That means the poll was conducted during the first ministers meeting in Saskatoon — where Ford played a prominent role with Prime Minister Mark Carney — and as the Tories were ramming through their controversial Bill 5 designed to fast-track mining and infrastructure projects. Federal Politics Mark Carney, premiers agree on 'nation-building priorities,' but First Nations raise alarms over lack of consultation Prime Minister hints at prioritizing energy infrastructure — such as pipelines — after first While the premier received mostly positive press for working with Carney to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war against Canada, Queen's Park has been roiled by protests against the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW First Nation leaders have warned there will be 'fierce resistance' if long-standing treaty rights are overridden by the law passed last week. 'Bill 5 has generated, at least from my vantage point, no ... negative implications for the popularity of this government at least right now,' said Coletto, warning that could change. 'There's a lesson for those opponents of it — that they're going to have to do far more to get the public engaged, to be opposed to this at a time when people are really focused on just getting things done.' Indeed, Ford's current standing appears largely due to his vocal stance against Trump's tariffs and a willingness to work with Carney's re-elected federal Liberals. 'There is this moment where Ontarians, like the rest of the country, are rallying around their political leader. I don't think people are overly optimistic, but I do think they get a sense that their political leaders are working together ... working with a common purpose,' said Coletto. 'We have a common goal or enemy, or however you want to frame it,' he said, pointing to the existential threat to Canada that Trump poses. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The pollster said Carney's popularity is 'definitely benefiting the Liberal brand in Ontario,' which is encouraging news for Crombie's provincial Grits. But 'the collapse of the federal NDP has put downward pressure on the Ontario NDP' that's hurting Stiles' party. 'They're at the lowest we've measured them at in our tracking — 14 per cent,' said Coletto. In terms of personal popularity, Ford was at 44 per cent positive, 33 per cent negative for a plus 11 per cent favourability rating with 21 per cent of respondents neutral and two per cent unsure. Stiles was at 28 per cent positive, 25 per cent negative for plus three per cent with 31 per cent neutral and 16 per cent uncertain. Schreiner was at 24 per cent positive and 23 per cent negative for plus one per cent with 34 per cent neutral and 20 per cent unsure. Crombie, the subject of a multimillion-dollar pre-election attack ad blitz from Ford's Tories, was at 31 per cent positive and 33 per cent negative for minus two per cent with 25 per cent neutral and 11 per cent uncertain. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
