Guest: Noor Javed, staff reporter Ontario’s 444 municipalities are often referred to as “creatures of the province,” which has certainly proved to be true since Premier Doug Ford took over at Queen’s Park. The provincial Conservatives have repeatedly exerted authority over all aspects of local government — slashing Toronto city council, suddenly bestowing strong-mayor powers, cutting development charges and ushering in the breakup of Peel Region. This has rendered municipalities and their elected officials seemingly powerless as the former city councillor turned premier is, as one expert said, “excessively preoccupied with municipal governance” and leaving people to feel “like they have lost control over local decisions.” Audio Sources: Global News, CityNews This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Kevin Sexton.