H is for “Hockey” and H is for “Heroes” and H is for “Heartbreak”…

And that’s the thing about “the best game you can name.” Sometimes, the home side prevails in the dying seconds (think of Paul Henderson’s last-minute goal that resulted in Team Canada triumphing over the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series.)

Then there’s the proverbial agony of defeat (think of Team Canada losing to the Czech Republic in a shootout in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games.)

Alas, we regret to report that after four years of drama, Markham, Ont., resident Martin Ross has lost the battle to save his beloved backyard hockey rink. And there’s plenty of blame to go around.

For starters: the City of Markham, which clearly has a personal vendetta against Martin.

Let’s begin with cowardly Markham city councillor Reid McAlpine.

Some Nosey Parker neighbours complained to McAlpine about the rink. Kids were having too much fun, you see. McAlpine allegedly told Martin that he did the math and it came down to eight votes against the rink from the insufferable Karens versus one vote from Martin.

Alas, a couple of those Karens, the Gagnons, live next door to Martin. They are the ones who were allegedly the most vocal complainers. Coincidentally, they are financial donors to (drum roll, please)… Reid McAlpine! Funny how that works, eh?

Incidentally, the primary bone of contention regarding the City’s ire over the rink is that Martin lives in a heritage property that is not supposed to be altered. How odd that the Gagnons actually added an addition to their principal residence (also a heritage property, by the way) AND built a two-storey guesthouse in the backyard. Why the double standard? Oh, yeah, as previously stated, they grease McAlpine’s palms with fabulous moolah, thereby ensuring it is “one law for me, one law for thee.”

Calls to the Gagnons were not returned. Meanwhile, when we paid a personal visit to McAlpine at Markham City Hall last month, he refused to answer any questions and then enlisted a security guard to frog-march us out of the council chambers (suddenly, the council meeting that day was declared “private.” Democracy in action yet again.)

Alas, a last-ditch attempt to save the rink last week was shot down in court when a judge declined Martin’s application to seek an injunction.

More proof of Markham’s vendetta: the city informed Martin that if he did not remove the rink, they would do so and bill him $500,000, later revising this sum to “just” $352,000 (of note: the original cost of the rink was $300,000!) As well, when Martin sought a quote from a demolition company, he was told it would be only $59,000 to tear down the rink. Isn’t it funny how Silly Hall works?

And there’s no accountability, either. The bully bureaucrat behind the legal threat letters to Martin is Graham Seaman. Not only will he not comment, but Seaman has since removed his name from those letters, no doubt due to public backlash. By the way, last year the ever-diligent Seaman earned more than $192,000 in salary and claimed almost $10,000 in benefits. Your tax dollars hard at work yet again, folks…

But the blame game continues. Last month, Martin was contacted by Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Ford promised to reach out to Markham Mayor Frank Scarpetti to seek a resolution that did not involve tearing down the rink.

Alas, that meeting apparently never transpired, showing how yet again, Douggie has earned the unfortunate yet apropos nickname, “Flip Flop Ford.”

We would love to get the Premier’s side of the story, but Ford, who was once a guest speaker at Rebel Live and actually pitched his own Rebel News show, no longer returns our calls at the behest of his puppet masters. Meanwhile, his spokeswoman, Ivana Yelich, a.k.a., the mistress of Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley, has made it abundantly clear that non-Justin Trudeau-funded media are journalists non grata and will call police on unapproved media types who show up to Ford events. (Fun fact: last year, Yelich received a 45.3% raise! This horse-tooth jackass now earns almost $220,000 a year plus benefits for pretty much doing, well, nothing. Must be nice…)

But the fat lady has sung, and it’s lights out for the rink. When we visited Martin’s home last Thursday, the netting had already been taken down. In the days ahead, the boards must be removed. By Spring, the concrete pad has to go. Thus, in the months ahead, the racket of jackhammers will replace the sound of children laughing as they play shinny.

Talk about gross misconduct. And the question arises: how do the likes of McAlpine, Scarpetti, Seaman, Ford, and the Gagnons go to sleep at night with a clear conscience?

PETITION: Save the Rink!

939 signatures

Goal: 15,000 signatures

The City of Markham is threatening to tear down Martin Ross’s beloved backyard hockey rink and charge him up to $500,000 for the demolition. This iconic rink has brought joy to Martin’s kids and neighbourhood children, celebrating the heart of Canada’s national winter sport. Despite the city’s claims about "heritage property" rules, other homes in the area have undergone significant renovations without issue. We need to stop this unfair overreach. Sign this petition to tell Markham’s politicians to leave Martin’s rink alone and let Canadian traditions live on!

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