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A4 Opinion Wednesday, November 25, 2020 THE CHRONICLE-JOURNAL No denying damage done Free-spending Freeland by drinking must draw line somewhere ORONTO Maple Leafs fans — of which there are many in this country, despite their team’s lack of playoff success BY HEATHER SCOFFIELD Freeland is looking for ways to of late — likely noticed that former Leafs right-winger offer even more, in time for next Rick Vaive has a new book out. It’s just in time for the ANDEMIC fiscal policy has week. T come to us mainly in the At the other end of the spec- holidays, when many people drink too much. Pform of words. trum, airlines are hobbled by a Like scores of NHL players of his generation in the 1970s and “We will always have your lack of customers, and while the 1980s, Vaive, a sharp-shooter who logged three consecutive sea- backs,” Prime Minister Justin federal government has signalled sons with more than 50 goals, also had a drinking problem. It’s Trudeau and Finance Minister NATIONAL for months now that a bailout is in an issue he broaches in his book unflinchingly. Chrystia Freeland tell us repeat- AFFAIRS the works, negotiations have been In 2009, with his hockey career pretty much washed up, Vaive edly. “Whatever it takes, for as long and difficult — and almost was charged with impaired driving following an event at a golf long as it takes.” certainly not wrapped up by next course in Gravenhurst, north of Toronto. He was ultimately ac- Finally, we will get some num- There’s no Monday in time for funding in the quitted at trial, but Vaive says in the book he drank heavily while bers to go with the words — some fiscal update. his case wound through the courts and caused him all sorts of badly needed clarity about what At the same time, Freeland also the supports amount to and their guiding wants to send some solid signals unflattering publicity. effects. It was much worse for Rob Ramage, another NHLer of Vaive’s about what kind of recovery is in Freeland said Monday she will principle store, making a down-payment on generation who followed him as captain of the Toronto Maple give a detailed update on the fiscal some of the vision set out in the Leafs. Two years before Vaive was charged, Ramage was convict- state of affairs on Nov. 30, a docu- that suggests speech from the throne in Septem- ed of impaired driving in the death of Chicago Blackhawks great ment that will account for how ber. Childcare, job creation and a Keith Magnuson. Magnuson had been a passenger in a sports car much the pandemic has cost so far, government green recovery were all big com- that had crashed near Toronto with Ramage at the wheel. how much the government ex- mitments in that speech — com- In his book, Vaive says that alcohol was a prevalent factor in pects it to cost later, and how we knows when mitments that will require huge both his junior and professional career. Former Philadelphia Fly- will finance the economic rescue amounts of funding if they are to ers forward and fellow sharp-shooter Reggie Leach, who has operation that will come when we to say ‘No’ be meaningful. finally get the vaccine. The big money will come in the been sober for decades, has also spoken to youth groups about It’s been a long time coming. “the mistakes” of those booze-filled years, when he once scored budget, but the update may con- We’ve gone 20 months with no more future-oriented spending tain some teasers meant to give five goals in one night despite battling a hangover that would budget, only sporadic and partial plan in the form of a spring bud- people some hope and direction in have killed a horse. charts and graphs, and unprece- get. their planning. At 61, Vaive says he has finally come to terms with his alcohol dented spending — to put it mildly. In a way, the budget will be easi- What won’t be there is a fiscal problem, and how the booze did him more harm than good, even For a government committed to er. By spring, recovery should be anchor or principle that will guide when he drank to excess to try to cope with his fear of flying. transparency, it’s been too long. in plain sight. As vaccines become Freeland’s decisions on how much He’s not the first aging male celebrity in sports or the arts to ad- The deficit this fiscal year is available and more of the popula- is too much when the “whatever it mit how tightly an addiction had a grip on him. likely to be about $425 billion, ac- tion is able to resume safe interac- takes” pandemic policy graduates American actor Chevy Chase reportedly said he re-entered re- cording to the latest projections tion in public, the economy should into a recovery policy. from Scotiabank Economics. The pick up speed in tandem with the For sure, the urgency to adopt a hab in his early 70s to be “the best I can be.” Not that the decision provinces have run up a $100-bil- to stop drinking is necessarily altruistic: another famous actor, vaccination rate. new guideline has dissipated now lion tab in their fight against the But for now, there’s still an that bond rating agencies have the late Lee Marvin, allowed the main reason he cut out the pandemic. enormous amount of uncertainty. mainly confirmed Canada’s triple- booze was because he could no longer stand the inevitable morn- And while growth in the econo- While public health modelling A rating. But the need for some ings after. my will resume next year, we are points to a steep increase in the guidance for when the govern- While it is understandable that many men and women who in a bad space right now. The re- number of COVID-19 cases, the ment should say “No” to silly or turn the corner of age 60 no longer relish the prospect of spend- bound that many sectors of the economic effects of those rising counterproductive spending re- ing the dwindling years they have left slumped on a bar stool, get- economy experienced in the sum- numbers are difficult to put a mains. ting that message out to their adult children and grandchildren mer and early fall has been number on. It’s partly why the fed- It’s a relief to know that the remains a huge challenge. quashed by a ruthless second eral Liberals have taken so long to government will finally account wave that has not yet crested. put pen to paper for their fiscal in detail for all the spending of the On Saturday night, a 27-year-old Rainy River-area woman was Closures, restraints and fear of charged with impaired driving after a pickup truck rolled into a plan. past nine months, identify the contagion have halted the recov- But a few things are certain. challenges and give us its best pro- ditch. A passenger in the truck, a man his in his late 20s, was ery in its tracks in key parts of the Small businesses are on the brink. jection for how the pandemic will killed. Nothing has been proven in court, but the incident has un- retail and small business sectors. The federal government on Mon- play out for the economy over the doubtedly changed forever the lives of the accused and the mem- Consumers have once again scaled day rolled out new rent subsidies coming months, with its help. bers of the dead man’s family. back their spending and compa- for commercial tenants and in- But as the big spending that Alcohol consumption normally spikes during the holiday sea- nies are reluctant to invest. Trav- cluded a top-up for anyone caught was hinted at in the throne speech son, but health officials noted earlier this year that the amount el, accommodation and tourism up in a lockdown. Those compa- and that will be required for a sol- being imbibed has been up for several months, likely due to feel- are barely hanging on. And the un- nies will be able to have the gov- id recovery draws closer, some dis- ings of anxiety and isolation arising from the ongoing coron- employment rate remains high. ernment cover up to 90 per cent of cipline would be welcome as well. So the challenge for Freeland their rent or property expenses. avirus crisis. A pandemic needn’t be an excuse to reach for a bot- will be to use the fiscal update to tle; it can also serve as a time for honest reflection and the But even with the rent subsi- Heather Scoffield is an Ottawa- plug the holes in the federal gov- dies, the extension of the wage based economics columnist for the re-setting of priorities. ernment’s range of pandemic sup- subsidies until next summer, and Toronto Star. Email her at Rick Vaive should be congratulated for his honesty. His book ports, focusing on the pain of the the business loans that have been [email protected] or find probably won’t turn him into a millionaire, but for some its mes- second wave. But she will also on standing offer for months, @hscoffield to follow her on Twitter. sage will really turn a light on. need to set the stage for a bigger, many firms won’t make it. Look back so we can move ahead together Treaties Recognition Week an opportunity to reflect on history, build for future BY TANIS THOMPSON so we can improve our relations by being respectful to First Na- N 2016, the province of On- tions and Metis in the work that tario designated the first week they do, and acknowledge that we Iof November as Treaties can all do better in being good Recognition Week.

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