Tumbler Ridge School Shooting - Media, RCMP Failures & Canada’s Response

This week's edition of On The Ledge – Your Ontario Politics Podcast, Dave Trafford is joined by John Wright (CEO, Canada Pulse Insights), Keith Leslie (Political Analyst, CHCH), Tim Hudak (Partner, Counsel Public Affairs; former Ontario PC Leader), and Kathleen Wynne (Former Premier of Ontario) for a wide-ranging and deeply serious discussion.

We begin with the tragic mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. What happens to a small community when nine lives are lost? The panel examines trauma, media responsibility, RCMP communication failures, misinformation online, and the difficult but necessary conversations around mental health and guns.

From there, we turn to Ontario. Allegations of police corruption in Toronto and Peel have triggered oversight questions across the province. Is a broader review justified — or overreach?

We also unpack Donald Trump’s comments about the Gordie Howe International Bridge and what they signal about Canada–U.S. relations.

And finally: does Ontario need a public inquiry into the Eglinton Crosstown LRT delays and billions in cost overruns?

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Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
Opening remarks and setting the agenda.
00:48 – Tumbler Ridge Tragedy
Community trauma, media coverage, RCMP communication gaps, and mental health & gun policy questions.
25:20 – Police Corruption & Oversight in Ontario
Toronto and Peel allegations; debate over a province-wide Inspector General review.
34:50 – Trump, Trade & the Gordie Howe Bridge
Canada–U.S. tensions and the politics of cross-border infrastructure.
47:20 – Crosstown LRT: Inquiry or Overreach?
Cost overruns, P3 procurement, Metrolinx accountability, and whether a public inquiry is warranted.




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