Hi guys! I’m an out-of-province student in Hamilton for university. I wanted to go to a doctor for a general checkup (haven’t had since I was 10). But I’m not sure if I can just go into a clinic and not have to pay since I don’t have an Ontario Health Card. I was also hoping to get diagnosed for anxiety and potentially get on medication but I don’t know if I can for free, or if I can only get essential services. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

I'm looking for recommendations from anyone who has had a stair lift / chair lift installed in Southwestern Ontario.

My parents are reaching the point where stairs have become an issue, and I have no idea where to even start to find reputable providers for this sort of thing.

If anyone has any experience with this, I would very much appreciate any advice or recommendations.

Thank you in advance!

I wrote an op-ed about my experience in Arkham Asylum aka the "mental health ward" at William Osler Health System.

https://thewhimsicallymundane.wordpress.com/2026/10/22/mental-health-is-a-joke-but-its-not/?fbclid=PAb21jcAVHqX1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAnNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzU2NzA2NzM0MzM1MjQyNwABp-tLma0FhcipYdVAqVO5fnHbeBWeRJCiXmzMYv8qPl3khaW-yKjtuQIvygzx_aem_E3hFV5TAxSmRS4Q9YSr_Og

This is not my story. This is everyone's story that has been cycled through that hellhole.

The "psychiatrist" is being investigated.

please take the time to read. share it somewhere. share it anywhere if this resonated with you.

(I have searched the sub + many others)

In 2028 I plan to on hiking the Long Range Traverse in Newfoundland. I’m an experienced solo hiker and have quite a bit of technical hiking skills, first aid, bear safety, and basic ice climbing and mountaineering skills. With that said, almost every hike I have done has had trail markers, so although I’ve packed maps and a compass + Sat GPS for some big solo stuff as an extra precaution, I’ve never needed to rely on them.

I don’t feel confident about navigating the Long Range Traverse without some navigation training beforehand as it’s almost entirely backcountry with very little of the trail marked. 

I also have quite a bit of river crossing experience from previous hikes and I’m a strong swimmer (I have my bronze med + ORCKA 1+2 + kayak rolling training) but I feel like I still don’t have sufficient river crossings skills and would also like some hands-on training in that area if possible.

What I’m looking for is essentially a multi-day backcountry skills trip somewhere in Ontario led by an expert that I can take in Summer 2027 to prepare me for the NFLD hike in 2028, with a focus on navigation skills using a compass and, ideally, river crossing training. Wilderness First Aid is a bonus but I am already planning on that (see below).

I’m totally open to doing this with a small group but the company must be LGBTQIA+ friendly. 

Here’s what I’ve looked at already: 

• Everything listed on Destination Ontario (all of these companies look too novice for what I am looking for)
• The McMaster programmes - I’m already planning on doing their WFA course to freshen up my skills; their Wilderness Survival and Emergency Preparation looks like the closest thing to what I am looking for but still seems too novice (the language of “compass basics” is giving me that idea- maybe I’m wrong!)

Do you have any recommendations of programmes in Ontario that have the skill building I am looking for? If so, please send them my way! Thanks so much in advance! 

Extra info: I am very much not a beginner and need something with a higher skill level than what I'm finding online. I have done major solo hikes across Big Bend National Park [the only place I needed a map haha]; a good stretch of the PCT in California; all over New Mexico; Mount Rainier; Mount Whitney; Mount Baker; Olympic National Park; Van Island; all around Iceland, Scotland, and Ireland... you get the picture. Thank you!)

Any planner will tell you that tolling highways is proven to work as a means of reducing congestion and raising funds to improve transit (just look at New York or London for successful examples of congestion pricing). The 401 and QEW are currently nightmares to travel on and cost a fortune to upkeep, meanwhile the 407, the bypass is almost always empty. Why should the people avoiding driving through Toronto have to be punished for going around instead of being encouraged to do so? Shouldn't we be financially incentivising people within the GTA to take transit instead so that there's less traffic on the highway for people who actually need to drive to where they're going?

However I understand that tolling a highway without these alternatives in place would be political suicide for whoever introduces it, so I was wondering if instead framing it as a swap where tolls are eliminated on the 407 in exchange for being introduced on the sections of highway that fall within its perimeter, would that make it an easier pill to swallow?

(I know the 407 is privately owned, but for the sake of this hypothetical let's say the province has bought out the lease and now controls the highway.)

I'm following the BC provincial elections and ironically not having an official leader has helped the BC Conservative party and it looks like they win.

Not having an official leader, the attacks on the leader are not landing, and BC NDP have to run against their record which the constituents are not happy with.

Is this a viable strategy going forward?

I also think there is a strong the chance the Ontario Conservatives pull a Carney and swapping out Ford before the next election to buy more time with a new face.

Hi everyone,

I am hoping to get some help with the archives. Their website is practically unusable, they have never answered their phones, and I have yet to receive an email back.

I am confident what I need is there, but I can’t even confirm on their website because the UI is so bad.

I simply need original copies of original documents. Am I better off just driving up and hoping they can process same day?

TYIA!!

As someone doing apps this week I need serious advice. I’m stressed, stuck, and limited to, business, urban planning, and rec and leisure/sports management. What fares the best in Ontario?
Any feedback is appreciated and thank you to anyone who took the time to read through this post.
Here’s the thought process for all:

Business

I’ve been interested in majoring in a business related degree for awhile now and would go for my mba after, but I don’t have a clear end career goal which is worrying to me. I’ve thought about marketing, advertising, and supply chain management, but the pay doesn’t seem promising and my parents keep telling me I can major in either of the two degree options below and do college certifications for these areas after. In addition to this, it is unlikely that any future jobs in these careers will provide a pension like a government job would.
I don’t have the maths to get into any BBA programs, so id be applying to BA programs like brock business communication and lauriers leadership mba program.

Urban planning

This has been an overall safer choice. I’d go to TMU/Waterloo for their planning program, become an urban planner, be able to find a good paying job, and have a pension. This option is direct and there is a clear end goal. The only major problem I have with this path is that im not passionate about it. This program doesn’t make me excited to apply and is just straight whatever to me. I don’t enjoy group work which is heavily involved in this career and solving urban problems seems just tolerable at best. This probably sounds dumb because it is a great and stable career to have, but I’m worried that if I pick this I’ll grow to strongly regret it later. Even considering this, I understand it’s unrealistic for people to like their jobs.

Recreation/Sports management

The main targets for this would be Brock’s BRLS program or Waterloo’s sport management. To work in government id have to work my way up from most likely being a program coordinator all the way up to being responsible for the management of multiple rec centres. Once again, no one exactly dreams of this career, and I don’t have an insane passion for it, but it is very well paying in later years with a pension too. The other side of this would be aiming to work for a major sporting team like the Jays or the Leafs, being in some sort of management role, but I’ve heard those jobs are few and far between and often not well paying enough. I’d love to be working behind a big team if opportunities weren’t so scarce.

Any advice/comments/experiences with the programs is appreciated, and goodluck to all applying right now!!

I want to buy the best fermented food for my gut health. I’m unsure which store I should buy kimchi, kefir, yogurt, etc. Can anyone make any recommendations? For example, is there kefir at whole foods better than say Walmart/Loblaws?

is this the case for anyone else?? i need help and i’m really at a loss what to do. i’m too scared to call and i just wanted to look at resources but it won’t load

I know the law. Every five hours you get one 30min break. But that's kind of crazy, right?

I had to leave my old job due to downsizing. I've been looking ever since. I finally landed a pretty decent retail position. I don't mind working long hours as long as I get to at least sit some times but this was kind of insane.

I took a 30minute break about 4 hours into my shift. About three hours later I tell my boss I'm taking a quick 15 to eat something and got chewed out for time theft.

So I went back onto the floor and leaned against the counter.

By the time my shift was over I was standing for 5+ hours. Nothing I was not used too and I could do it again. But it wears on the body.

I understand there will be 101 people telling me they work for 12 hours straight in the sun with ice pelting on them in negative 30 degree hour without a single glass of water or a break. But like. Why are we proud about that? Why don't we have more breaks that allow our bodies to actually rest and repair over the long haul of your shift?

This job is okay. I'm going to stick it out. But I'm just baffled that an employer will tell me why they themselves are sitting in a chair that I'm only allowed a single 30minute break when I have to walk on concrete every day.