This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Former Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty, unveiled his official portrait on Tuesday in hope of polishing a progressive legacy that included an end to coal-fired power plants controversy. The former premier left the office in 2013 in light of controversy surrounding the closure of gas-fired power plants in Oakville and Mississauga.
Mr. McGuinty used his sense of humour to draw parallels between the artwork and premiership as he said that “first they paint you in warm and glowing tones, then they frame you and then they hang you.” The portrait by Istvan Nyikos, of Collingwood, was unveiled in the presence of former staff, MPPs, cabinet ministers and David Peterson, the lone former premier to attend. According to McGuinty, his biggest achievements were being the first jurisdiction in North America to close heavily polluted coal-fired power plants, starting full-day kindergarten and creating a massive greenbelt in the Golden Horseshoe to protect farm and leisure land. He alleged that “we’ve gone from 52 smog days in a year to none.”
Although power plants terminated before the 2011 election did not get a specific mention from McGuinty, opposition parties’ charge the costly cancellations were to save Liberal seats at taxpayer expense. In a 10-minute speech from the legislature’s grand staircase, former premier explained that “yes, politics and politicians, this one included, have their shortcomings,” adding that “this will always be evident in the work that we do together . . . imperfection, my friends, is no excuse for inaction.”
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