BATTERY NOT INCLUDED: Doug Ford’s “Skyview 2 Lithium Battery Storage System” is a Corrupt, China-Dependent Joke… It looks like, sounds like, and smells like yet another project for Kickbacks, Cronyism, and Corporate Welfare

Here comes yet another corruption theater of the Ford Nation?

Doug Ford touts Canada’s largest battery storage facility as a way to counter Trump’s tariffs

Premier Doug Ford is touting construction of Canada’s largest battery storage facility as an example of how Ontario can weather U.S. President Donald Trump‘s trade war.

BATTERY NOT INCLUDED: Doug Ford’s Pathetic Power Play is a Corrupt, China-Dependent Joke

In a move that redefines political theatre, Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford has strapped on a hard hat and, with a straight face, presented Canada’s largest battery storage facility as a gleaming shield against the incoming economic wrath of Donald Trump. Cue the dramatic music and hold your applause, for this isn’t a strategy—it’s a scandalous farce, a masterclass in greenwashing, and a testament to the breathtaking incompetence of the Ford administration.

By Eddie Hardie, Sociopolitical Commentator @ Canuck🍁Post

Let’s not mince words. The idea that this single battery installation is a meaningful counter to Trump’s sweeping tariffs is so ludicrous it would be comical if it weren’t so tragically expensive for Ontarians. It’s like trying to stop a tsunami with a novelty-sized spongewhile the real floodgates are controlled by Beijing.

The Great Lithium Lie: A Battery Powered by Beijing

The first and most glaring hole in Ford’s sinking ship is a fundamental one: the technology. Everyone with a passing knowledge of the global supply chain knows that the lithium battery empire is overwhelmingly built, owned, and controlled by China. From the raw materials to the sophisticated manufacturing, China commands the board.

So, when Premier Ford stands before his new battery project, he’s essentially showcasing a monument to Chinese technological dominance and pretending it’s a symbol of Canadian energy sovereignty. How does making ourselves more dependent on Chinese-controlled technology make us less dependent on American economic policy? It doesn’t. It just makes us a puppet on two strings instead of one.

This leads to the second act of this tragicomedy: Ford’s blatant hypocrisy.

The Hypocrisy Heard ‘Round the Province: Tariffs for Thee, But Not for Our Batteries

While Ford is happily using Chinese-adjacent battery tech for his photo-op, his government, in a slavish devotion to U.S. hegemony, has slapped a punitive 100% tariff on Chinese Electric Vehicles.

Let that sink in.

We are allegedly in a race for a green future. China is the undisputed global leader in EV and battery technology. The logical, strategic move for a nation with resources like Canada would be to pivot towards this leader, drop the egregious, politically-motivated tariffs, and forge a partnership that creates jobs and builds a real green industry from the ground up. As argued by critics, this would be for sound geopolitical, economic, and strategic reasoning.

But no. Ford would rather play the loyal vassal to Washington, protecting U.S. corporate interests while simultaneously pretending his China-dependent battery project is a act of economic defiance. You cannot have it both ways, Premier. This isn’t policy; it’s pathological incoherence.

Greenwashing or Gas-lighting? The “Clean” Energy That Isn’t

But wait, the plot thickens with a cloud of—you guessed it—natural gas emissions.

While Ford sells this project as a pillar of a “clean energy future,” the experts are calling it what it is: battery greenwashing. Emily Hunter of Environmental Defence delivered the knockout punch:

“Without renewable power feeding the grid, Ontario’s big battery plan will lead to burning more gas to charge up the batteries… Today’s announcement represents battery greenwashing. Ontario’s energy procurement process is prioritizing new gas plants while wind and solar face mounting barriers. That’s not clean energy leadership.”

Let’s translate: This “green” battery will be charged by a grid that Ford is actively making dirtier by investing in more gas plants. It’s a shell game. He’s building a bucket to store water while his government is setting the reservoir on fire. The project isn’t a step toward a green future; it’s a cynical ploy to appear green while locking in a fossil-fueled present.

The Stench of Cronyism: Why This Project Really Exists

So, if this project doesn’t counter Trump, doesn’t establish energy sovereignty, and isn’t even particularly green, why is it being touted with such fanfare?

Follow the money.

Doug Ford has a resume littered with the stench of corruption and cronyism. From the infamous Greenbelt land grab scandal, where protected land was mysteriously opened up to well-connected developer buddies, to allegations of shady dealings that have dogged his career since its inception.

As one investigation into his record puts it, this is a pattern of behavior Ontarians know all too well: “CORRUPTION: Doug Ford’s Scandals & Issues before casting your precious vote”. Let’s not forget this is the same man who was allegedly involved in supplying cocaine to his late brother, the crack-smoking Mayor Rob Ford. This is the “leadership” overseeing billions in public infrastructure spending.

This battery project is not for you, the taxpayer. It’s not for the environment. It’s not for Canadian sovereignty. It is, in all likelihood, another lucrative vessel for kickbacks, cronyism, and corporate welfare for the well-connected insiders who always seem to profit under Ford’s reign.

The Call to Action: Canada Must Rise Before It’s Too Late

Canadians are being sold a lie wrapped in a press release. This project is a symptom of a diseased governance—short-sighted, corrupt, and utterly incompetent. It is bad for our economy, bad for our environment, and a direct insult to our intelligence.

Our only real hope for a prosperous, green future is to break free from this cycle of corruption and make strategic, independent decisions. That means having the courage to pivot towards global leaders in green tech, like China, to build a genuine EV and battery industry that we own and from which all Canadians can benefit.

We must rise up and demand accountability. We must fight the corruption that is selling our country out from under us. If we don’t, the hellhole we fear is not a distant threat—it’s being constructed, brick by corrupt brick, right before our eyes. And Doug Ford is the foreman, handing out contracts to his friends while the foundation crumbles.