The demise of Ontario’s middle class

It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of the middle class sector of Ontario.

Since its birth on July 1, 1867, it has worked diligently to create a comfortable existence in a province rich with beauty and natural resources. It never asked for too much, never expected too much, just wanted a simple lifestyle that was fair to all.

It has been beaten down and robbed repeatedly by various political parties and somehow still managed to sustain. The newest battle however, has proven to be its likely demise. A simple necessity of life has caused strife for so many.

Businesses that employed thousands have packed up shop and moved on elsewhere. The average family now has to choose from between feeding and clothing their children adequately or providing hydro and heat to their homes.

Many of the middle class sector were already living paycheque to paycheque just to get by. They were always at the risk of poverty should an emergency such as a job loss or an illness.

Even the most brilliant minds cannot understand the billing system of Hydro One. It seems that no one who works for the organization can understand it either, never mind explain it. It has become the final nail in the coffin, preceded by the temporary tax known as GST, which has now been rolled into HST and somehow has become permanent.

So, it seems going forth Ontario will have two sectors — the rich upper class comprised of mainly politicians and the corporate elite who make their wages solely from the backs of the other class, and the poor working class guesstimated to be about 95 per cent of the population.

The biggest dilemma of the demise is, if this is a democratic province, how can so many be overlooked so easily? A sad time indeed!

Steve Woolfrey
Wahnapitae