Brown-John: Better watch out — Santa is coming to Windsor-Essex

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By: Lloyd Brown-John

As that lovely 1934 Christmas song goes, “you better watch out … Santa Claus is coming to town!” Notably, Santa is making a list and checking it twice to determine who is naughty and who is nice.

As Christmas begins to overwhelm us I thought it might be worth having a look at Santa’s local list of likely naughty and nice politicians.

However, just looking isn’t sufficient because I think it might be worth adapting a Christmas tradition from Europe and assessing our politicians with awards of coal and/or a sweet. I’ll stick to coal and offer candy cane as a sweet.

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Beginning locally, and on my nice list worthy of candy canes, I’d start with Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, whom I’ve known for several years. Focused and dedicated — perhaps a little too intense now and then — this elected public official sits on top of my “nice” list with two candy canes.

Windsor city council has some substantial compositional talent, including Fred Francis, Jo-Anne Gignac, Fabio Costante, Ed Sleiman and Kieran McKenzie — each warrants a candy cane.

Three other members of council will at least not receive coal. Keep your coal or candy canes handy as in 2026 they’ll be seeking your vote.

A few Essex County politicians stand out as worthy of candy canes:

Recipients of the not-coveted Lloyd Brown-John Christmas candy cane award: Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy (1.5 candy canes); Essex County Warden Hilda MacDonald and her Leamington council colleague Larry Verbeke; Mayor Tracey Bailey and councillor Kirk Walstedt in Lakeshore; Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara; Mayor Crystal Meloche and Deputy Mayor Michael Akpata of LaSalle; Deputy Mayor Kim DeYong and councillor Tony Gaffan in Kingsville.

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There are no significant coal awards in the county but that could change!

For the Greater Essex County District School Board, Santa plans an entire scuttle of coal, with the exception of trustee Ron LeClair who receives one candy cane.

We have three members of Parliament in the region. Brian Masse (NDP — Windsor West) is certainly worth two candy canes for his dedicated work on a national urban park and other border issues. A very capable Irek Kusmierczyk (L — Windsor-Tecumseh) certainly deserves at least one candy cane as frontman for unpopular federal Liberals. He’s a gentleman in an uncomfortable position.

There is also MP Chris Lewis (C — Essex) who, to the best of my recollection, is notable for not much of anything — so a shovel of coal for his obscurity.

Provincially, MPP Andrew Dowie (PC — Windsor-Tecumseh) has been a capable addition to Queen’s Park. He’s worked very hard his first term and thus receives a candy cane. Lisa Gretzky (NDP — Windsor West) also warrants a candy cane largely because she has been outspoken about some of the dreadful policy announcements — and often follow-up retractions — by Premier Doug (one large lump of coal) Ford.

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Associate minister of emergency preparedness and response Trevor Jones (PC — Chatham-Kent—Leamington) receives half a candy cane.

Anthony Leardi (PC — Essex) ostensibly represents Essex County. I’ve never met the deputy government house leader and parliamentary assistant to the minister of health, but those titles must warrant a small piece of candy cane.

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And a few more  Christmas gifts:

• To Canada Post, a truckload of coal to keep that spiffy head office in Ottawa winter-warm.

• To postal workers convinced their alleged constitutional right to strike exceeds the public’s right to receive Christmas mail, a truckload of coal should they need to keep future picket line bonfires burning.

• To former deputy prime minister and federal finance minister Chrystia Freeland, a bouquet of candy canes for finally speaking truth to power.

• And for our power-clinging prime minister who apparently does not understand the phrase “it is time to go” — a very large lump of coal and a scuttle of coal for his office “team.”

Oh yes! One more humongous load of coal on Jan. 20 for that recycled former U.S. president Trump who, it seems, is passionate about becoming Canadian.

Lloyd Brown-John is a University of Windsor professor emeritus of political science and director of Canterbury ElderCollege. He can be reached at lbj@uwindsor.ca.

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