A Special 100th Edition of To the Point for the Week of September 27, 2026
A Special 100th Edition of To the Point for the Week of September 27, 2026
It gives us great pleasure to bring you the 100th edition of To the Point.
When we launched To the Point two years ago this month, our intent was to deliver the most distinctive analysis, insights and commentary of any government relations firm. We wanted it to be objective, but perceptive; thought-provoking, but entertaining; and, most importantly, useful to the people trying to make sense of what is really happening in Ontario, federal and municipal politics and government.
We are blessed and humbled to have such a dedicated readership that recognizes our analysis, insights and commentary as a practical tool to help keep decision-makers and leaders abreast of the issues that matter to them and their organizations. Our readership continues to grow as we work toward another 100 editions of To the Point.
To help us grow that readership, please share and like our posts on LinkedIn and X, or forward this week’s edition to people in your network and encourage them to subscribe to To the Point.
As we mark this milestone, we reflect on three convictions that 100 editions of To the Point have reinforced.
100 EDITIONS. THREE CONVICTIONS.
Authenticity in the Age of AI
It’s probably happened to all of us at least once or twice in the last few years. You’re scrolling through social media and come across a video, image or text, only to be unwittingly duped by something generated by artificial intelligence. Don’t feel bad. You’re not alone.
In an era of hyper-information, where millions of people are sharing and consuming information every second of the day, many have grown cautious and skeptical, which we think is healthy. If you now regularly question whether everything you see or read on the internet is real, you are among the growing number of people who pause, question and think critically before accepting what is in front of them as fact.
As AI continues to integrate into our day-to-day lives in almost unimaginable ways, we believe people will actively seek out and be able to identify what is made by a human and what was produced by a machine.
That was part of the design of To the Point. We deliver it to give our clients, government stakeholders and friends of ONpoint something that is insightful, objective and unquestionably authentic. Of course, every organization leverages AI in some form or another. For To the Point, we use AI for research, proofing and fact-checking. But one of the most important elements of To the Point, and one our readership values, is that our analysis, insights and commentary are verifiably written by a human. Someone whose experience, expertise and personality cannot be replicated with zeros and ones.
AI cannot replace political judgment, understand multiple competing and conflicting political dynamics, or truly grasp the mechanics of government institutions and how they affect your organization. Our commitment is simple: never deviate from the human authenticity, experience and insight that help our clients make sense of the political landscape at every level.
The Headline is Rarely the Whole Story
There was a time before the internet when folks consumed the news through a concentrated and recognizable group of television, print and radio news sources. Think Global News, CBC and CTV on your TV, or The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star at your local convenience store. Before twenty-four-hour news stations like CNN, you could only consume the news at designated intervals throughout the day; 12 noon, 5 or 6 p.m., and then late-night news at 10 or 11 p.m., depending on your market. People, for the most part, trusted the outlets and the personalities reading the teleprompters, writing the articles and broadcasting over airwaves that were delivering the day’s top stories.
The pre-internet news ecosystem is fondly and nostalgically looked back upon, a now-bygone era. What exists today is a myriad of online news sources – including legacy mainstream media outlets like the ones noted above – that vary in accuracy, credibility, frequency, format, style, readership composition and, often, political bias. Very active users on X, for example, could point to dozens of different accounts that break down, synthesize and make sense of information and current events. This has created an intense competition between legacy news media and independent news outlets that has upended the traditional sense of “trusted news source.”
The consequence of this tension between legacy news media and independent news is an information overload environment where the headline is rarely the whole story. The topline “who, what, where, when and why” of a government policy or funding announcement is a small pixel of a larger picture. For example, the recent announcement by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney designated the proposed West Coast oil pipeline – now known as Pacific Link – as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act. While the headline of an official national interest designation for a new oil pipeline capable of transporting an additional one million barrels of oil a day to Asian markets is the story, it overshadows the significant pressures that question the viability of the project, including the lack of private-sector backing, the unpredictable timelines that coincide with First Nations consultations, and the expected court challenges from various environmental groups.
Various institutional and individual news sources now uncover more dynamics at play in government’s actions, like political calculations, impacted stakeholders, economic considerations and a host of other factors beyond the headline that are at play.
It is precisely where ONpoint’s experience matters and the value that we deliver with To the Point. Our team has spent years working in and around government, pinpointing the factors, processes and dynamics that shape political and government decisions that impact your organization. We take the headlines and provide you with more than a summary of what happened. As we work toward another 100 editions, we will continue to provide our best assessments of why it’s happening, why it’s important to you, and provide some insight on what may come next so we can help you make informed decisions.
In an Age of Disruption
The cyclical nature of history teaches us that ages of profound disruption are inevitable.
The Industrial Revolution spurred new, more efficient forms of production that displaced industries, transformed where people lived and worked, and forced governments to respond to changing social and economic conditions under intense pressure. The 1970s postwar unravelling witnessed the end of the Bretton Woods global monetary system and accelerating inflation. The Iranian Revolution sent energy shocks across the global economy, global conflicts intensified, and domestic political realignments and changing social mores upended the institutions and expectations that had defined the decades after the Second World War.
The 2008 global financial crisis ushered in the new era of disruption, arguably far more intense than the previous era, in which we currently find ourselves. Declining trust in public and private institutions, transformative political figures flying the populist flag, unpredictable global trade conflicts, and exponential advances in information technology and artificial intelligence are all changing the assumptions that governments, businesses and communities have relied on for decades. Keeping up is no longer enough. Understanding what these changes mean as quickly as possible has become critical to decision-makers in a variety of sectors and industries.
Understanding and appreciating the disruptive characteristics, dynamics and forces that are shaping the political and economic environment is something we believe is critical to serving our clients. Our experience in and around government throughout this era is a critical value to our clients because simply waiting for certainty is not a strategy. We have sharpened our ability to identify risks, opportunities and barriers that inform decisions that recognize what may be stable today may destabilize tomorrow. This is what helps our clients make informed decisions as outside forces continue to impact their organizations, and we will continue to leverage these lessons in pursuit of our clients’ objectives and priorities.
What’s Next for To the Point
We are excited to continue delivering what we believe are the most valuable political analyses, insights and commentaries of any government relations firm. That said, we are always exploring ways to add value for our clients wherever we can. Stay tuned over the next few months as we develop new ways to deliver success and value for our clients.
Christopher Mourtos, writing on behalf of ONpoint Strategy Group
ABOUT TO THE POINT
To the Point – ONpoint Strategy Group's weekly roundup – cuts through the noise to deliver insight and analysis of key federal, provincial, and municipal stories shaping Canada's policy and political landscape. Designed for decision-makers and thought leaders, this newsletter is your go-to resource for staying ahead. Share these trusted insights with your network to spark meaningful conversations. Simply hit forward or follow ONpoint Strategy Group on X and LinkedIn to spread these valuable perspectives."