It’s been a good week for:

* Ontario power workers who were celebrated for getting the lights back on quickly following Hurricane Sandy. As well, 150 Hydro One employees have headed south to help with the U.S. cleanup. The death of a Bluewater Power worker in Sarnia on Wednesday was a grim reminder of the dangers the workers face.

* Toronto ombudsman Fiona Crean who was given a two-year extension despite attempts by allies of Mayor Rob Ford to oust her. Council voted 41-3 in favor of the extension.

* Tim Hudak who celebrated his 45th birthday – the only drawback was that with the legislature prorogued, the Tory leader had to make do without the good wishes that would certainly have come from both sides of the House.

* Toronto dogs who may soon get to roam free in any city park between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. thanks to an initiative of Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong.

* Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin whose first report on secret municipal council meetings was well-received in most quarters. Marin’s long-time push for oversight of hospitals also gained momentum.

It’s been a bad week for:

* Ontario's flu vaccine campaign which was awash in confusion after Health Canada flip-flopped on whether the FluAd and Agriflu influenza drugs produced by Novartis were safe to use.

* London Mayor Joe Fontana who ignored suggestions that he take a break while the RCMP investigates allegations that federal government cheques were used to pay for his son’s 2005 wedding reception.

* KPMG consultants who recommended that Hamilton cutting flood relief funding for city residents – on the same some day that remnants of Hurricane Sandy slammed southern Ontario, flooding basements everywhere. City councillors responded by increasing the budget by $1.5 million.

* The City of Wawa, which was dealing with washed out roads and costly repairs as it awaited a provincial declaration of emergency following an Oct. 25 flood. Full marks though to Wawa Mayor Linda Nowicki and New Democratic MPP Michael Mantha who were pushing hard for the province to act.

* The Ontario Liberal Party, still awaiting its first official candidate to succeed Dalton McGuinty who stepped down on Oct. 15. The opposition said, somewhat gleefully, that no one wanted the job as four cabinet ministers said they wouldn't run. Presumably that will change on Monday when Kathleen Wynne is expected to enter the race.

They said it:

"To paraphrase someone we all know, Joe Clark, in kind of a weird, reverse way, 'You'll still have me to kick around over the months ahead.' I look forward to that as I always do."

- Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid who said he won't be seeking the Liberal leadership and may not have heard of Richard Nixon.

“Disability will still be a life sentence to poverty if this report’s recommendations are implemented."

- Kyle Vose, co-chair of the ODSP Action Coalition, reacting to the Social Assistance Review report from Frances Lankin and Munir Sheikh.

“It would be my hope that down the road we would increasingly see more of an industry-based operation that relies less on government and is able to stand more and more on its own four feet.”

- Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin on the future of the horse racing industry.

“Some councils are models of transparency; others are shockingly secretive and even defiant in the face of public complaints. Transparency in government should not depend on where you live. It should not depend on the whims of local government.”

- Ombudsman Andre Marin as he released his first annual report on the openness – or lack thereof – of municipal meetings.

“You can’t fix stupid.”

- Wilmot Mayor Les Armstrong on bad drivers during a Waterloo Region education session on traffic roundabouts.

The week – for better or worse

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