Since November 5, when Donald Trump was elected as the 47th President of the United States, my editorial cartoons have been consumed by the transformational storm he’s unleashed. Every sketch, every punchline, and every biting observation has focused on the cascading implications of his return—not just for the U.S., but for Canada and, more specifically, Ontario. The Trump effect is not theoretical; it’s a tidal wave we’re bracing for, one that will undoubtedly redefine trade, climate policy, immigration, and the political tenor of our time.

I’ve acknowledged my TDS affliction in previous posts on this platform. And yet, today, I took a detour. Yay!

The Ontario Auditor General’s scathing report on Doug Ford’s mishandling of Ontario Place and his government’s broader pattern of cronyism demanded attention. For one brief moment, Ford managed to wrestle my pen away from Trump and centre it squarely on his mismanagement of Ontario’s public resources—a regional debacle with implications too urgent to ignore.

In my latest cartoon, the discarded Ontario Place sign lies in a dumpster, a visual metaphor for the abandonment of public trust. The iconic Cinesphere looms behind it, a silent witness to the installation of a garish new sign reading Crony Island. The Auditor General sits in a crane bucket, directing the transformation, while Doug Ford watches, nonchalantly musing, “Well, it’s got a nice ring to it.”

Do these reports even register with the average Ontario voter?

This cartoon emerged from a rare moment of clarity: regional corruption like Ford’s is not immune from Trump’s shadow. In fact, it thrives in environments where public trust is already eroded, where accountability feels distant, and where citizens are desensitized to scandals. The Ford government’s antics are not a distraction from Trump—they’re part of the same troubling pattern.

Tomorrow, or perhaps even later today, I’ll likely find my focus returning to the implications of Trump’s victory and how they’ll ripple through our province. But for now, Ontario Place and Ford’s audacious disregard for public accountability deserve their own moment. After all, if we don’t hold our local leaders accountable, how can we expect to withstand the seismic shocks to come from our neighbours to the south?

Stay tuned. Trump will inevitably be back on my drawing board. But today, Doug Ford and his Crony Island had to take centre stage.

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Please enjoy this making-of clip. Remember to turn up the volume!