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One hundred days in, has Premier Doug Ford delivered?

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Doug Ford promised dramatic change when his Progressive Conservatives toppled Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals.

As the premier marks his 100th day in office Sunday, he has delivered on that pledge.

Since his majority government was sworn in June 29, Ford has moved quickly to dismantle many of the policies implemented by Wynne and her predecessor Dalton McGuinty during their almost 15 years in power.

“We cannot afford to dither or delay,” the Conservatives declared in the July 12 speech from the throne outlining their agenda.

“To overcome these challenges, we must challenge the status quo, reject the old compromises and embrace change,” the Tories emphasized.

“The road ahead will not be easy, but the path is clear.”

Clearing that path, like Indiana Jones with a machete in a jungle, is the rookie MPP from Etobicoke North.

His decision, in the middle of the municipal election, to slash Toronto city council from 47 councillors to 25 was never broached during the spring campaign or in the throne speech.

Even though the hitherto unmentioned reform preoccupied the fledgling PC government for weeks when his legislation was ruled unconstitutional by an Ontario Superior Court judge, Ford forged ahead.

He threatened to use the Charter’s “notwithstanding” clause for the first time in Ontario history and convened an unprecedented midnight session of the legislature before the Court of Appeal overturned the judge’s ruling.

While some of his advisers privately worried about frittering away political capital on something so parochial, the premier got his way.

Similarly, it was Ford’s idea to scrap the updated 2015 sex education curriculum and revert to the 1998 syllabus, which predates legalized same-sex marriage, LGBT human-rights protections, and social media.

That was to appease social conservatives who helped him win the March 10 PC leadership.

Against the backdrop of court and human-rights challenges, students will learn the outdated curriculum while Education Minister Lisa Thompson consults on an entirely new syllabus for the 2019-20 school year.

Ford has been at his most politically successful and surefooted on pocketbook issues.

The premier eliminated the unpopular Drive Clean emissions-testing program and froze driver’s licence fee renewal rates at $90 when they were scheduled to jump to $97.

By extricating Ontario from its cap-and-trade environmental alliance with Quebec and California, which brought in $1.9 billion annually to bankroll greenhouse-gas reduction initiatives, he should be able to keep his promise to lower gasoline prices by 10 cents a litre.

As well, that should lead to natural gas savings of about $80 a year for the average household and $285 annually for small businesses.

But ending cap-and-trade killed the subsidies of up to $14,000 toward the purchase of electric vehicles and cut $100 million from the schools’ repair budget since environmental retrofits will no longer be offered.

Some $790 million could be saved by cancelling 758 green energy contracts, though costly litigation could still loom.

There will be a showdown with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals next year over carbon pricing — the province will spend up to $35 million challenging the federal measure in court and has joined forces with Saskatchewan to fight it.

While it will have no impact on electricity rates, which are set by the independent Ontario Energy Board, the shakeup at Hydro One and the departure of Ford’s fabled “$6 million man” CEO Mayo Schmidt, played well with PC supporters.

The premier received a lot of media attention during the campaign for pledging to lower the minimum legal price for a bottle of beer to $1 from $1.25.

Even though few companies embraced the change — Labatt, Molson, Sleeman, and nearly every craft brewer passed because it is not affordable — the premier touted his kept “buck-a-beer” promise when Cool Lager began selling four-packs for $4.40, including deposit.

Beyond beer, Ford has shaken up the provincial cannabis market as Canadians gird for federally legalized recreational weed on Oct. 17.

Wynne’s plan to have the Ontario Cannabis Store, a subsidiary of the LCBO, operate 40 retail outlets across the province has been scrapped. Instead, between 500 and 1,000 privately owned marijuana shops will begin opening next April.

The government’s weed company will continue to control the online sales market, though it will no longer be affiliated with the LCBO.

Like all politicians, Ford has already broken some campaign promises.

He cancelled the groundbreaking three-year basic-income pilot, which has been helping 4,000 Ontarians since last year, despite pledging to see it through.

To the dismay of some Muskoka residents and cottagers, Ford reneged on his pledge to kill the Bala Falls hydroelectric project because it could cost $100 million to scuttle the deal.

Despite promising to find $6 billion in savings in the $150 billion provincial budget, the premier has so far been able to keep his promise that no public-service jobs will be cut.

The Tories have artfully — and artificially — inflated the Liberals’ $6.7 billion deficit to a $15 billion shortfall.

That was through an accounting change that could end up being temporary and by including $5.7 billion in Wynne’s spending on child-care and other programs that will not be funded.

But it means Finance Minister Vic Fedeli will be able to unveil a much smaller deficit in next month’s fall economic statement.

Still, Ford is proceeding with a select committee of Tory and NDP MPPs to examine how the deficit ballooned to $15 billion.

A report will be completed in time for the premier’s next 100 days.

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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