A Massive "Strike Against Doug Ford" Is Being Held In Ontario Next Week
Ontarians are fighting against the Premier's countless policy changes next week. A "General Strike Against Doug Ford" is being planned at Toronto City Hall on May 1st. The strike's organizer describes on the event's Facebook page that the objective of the rally is "To make our voices heard, our numbers seen and our opinions respected by Mr. Doug Ford."
The General Strike has garnered a lot of attention on social media, with over a thousand Facebook users planning to attend the event and over seven thousand that have clicked "interested."
Event attendees have also contributed to the documentation of all of the Ford government's "doings and undoings" through the compilation of a complete list of policy changes enacted by the provincial government since July 2018.
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Some of the most recent policy changes that Ontarians are rallying against include significant education cuts, reductions to library funding, and public healthcare cuts in Toronto. Just last week, nearly 200 Ontario high school teachers received layoff notices as the provincial government moved forward with class size increases.
The layoffs follow Ontario Education Minister Lisa Thompson's announcement of the province's plans to increase Ontario class sizes for grades 9 through 12, from 22 students to 28 students on average. The average class sizes for grades 4 through 8 will increase from 23 students to 24 students.
The strike against Ford will begin at noon on Wednesday, May 1st. The strike coincides with Toronto's "May Day" March to celebrate International Workers' Day. The May Day March, held on May 1st, commemorates the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago and is a public holiday internationally in countless countries. The May Day March is taking place at 5:00 PM on May 1st at Nathan Philips Square. The event's description reads, "On May 1st, you and I can reject the divide between migrant, immigrant, undocumented and citizens and assert that we are all workers. We can reject the divide between those who work and those who cannot. We can reject the divide between paid work and unpaid domestic and care work. Together, we must insist that no worker be left behind."
Between the anti-Ford rally and the May Day March, it'll be a busy day of protests in Toronto.
Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, centre, applauds with Parti Québécois elected members following a swearing in ceremony at the legislature in Quebec City, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
This composite of handout images shows Canadian Armed Forces members, left to right, Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Sgt. Morgan Wong, who died during a training exercise at CFB Wainwright on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Facebook, Nadine Dunford; Patricia Farrell; Wylder Goulding; Canadian Armed Forces (Mandatory Credit)
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith arrives to speak during a news conference in Calgary, Alta., Friday, May 22, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
A recent paper by the Quebec English-speaking Communities Research Network, which operates out of Concordia University in Montreal, shows that young English-speaking adults are more likely to leave Quebec. The CHU de Quebec, Université Laval, Hotel Dieu de Quebec hospital top right, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 in Quebec City.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot