Last year I posted my personal wish list for 2025. I promised to let you know which of my wishes came true and to write another wish list for 2026.
To be perfectly honest, very few of my 2025 wishes came true. Donald Trump holds on to power, although he is neither mentally nor physically fit to be president of the United States. He represents almost everything I find repugnant. However, I will not lose hope and I will continue to support democracy. Unfortunately, I believe that the whole world is in for a rough ride. Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump's buddy, is still the Israeli prime minister. He is facing corruption charges, but will fight tooth and nail to hang on to power. As for Vladimir Putin, he is a murderous dictator who will never willingly give up power.
In sports, I wished all the Toronto teams the best of fortune in 2024. Only the Toronto Blue Jays delivered. The Toronto Raptors didn't even make the NBA playoffs. After winning the Grey Cup in 2024, the Toronto Argonauts had a lacklustre 2025 season. The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Florida Panthers. The Panthers went on to win the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the final. The Toronto Jays, however, did the unexpected. They delighted their fans in Toronto and the rest of Canada by going all the way to the World Series. They gave us a thrill, despite their heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They brought some excitement and fun to Canadians during a grim 2025.
My wishes for 2026
I refer to Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu as the Unholy Trinity. They are all Alpha males in their 70s and they have caused an enormous amount suffering, death and destruction. All three pose a threat to world peace.
Israel's national election is officially set for October 27, 2027. However, there is a report that Netanyahu has asked his aides to prepare contingency plans for elections as early as June, about four months sooner than expected. If that happens, I hope the Netanyahu government is soundly defeated.
The U.S. midterm elections will be held on November 3, 2026, unless Trump stops them from being held freely. I hope that the Democrats win control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
I am not a fan of Premier Danielle Smith of Alberta. However, the next provincial election is to be held on October 18, 2027. It may be called earlier. If that happens, I hope Smith's United Conservative Party government is defeated by the New Democratic Party (NDP) of Alberta, led by Naheed Nenshi, the former mayor of Calgary.
In sports, I hope the Toronto Blue Jays can finish the job and win the World Series in 2026. I'm a homer and I want all the Toronto teams to do well. Unfortunately, the Leafs seem to be just an average team this year. They may have to struggle to even make the playoffs. As for the Raptors, they have improved. The Argos need to have a better season than the last one.
The Winter Olympics will take place in Milano Cortina, Italy from February 6-22, 2026. I hope Canada does well, especially in hockey.
The FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19 in North America. It will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. I wish the Canadian team well. I fear that Trump's horrible immigration policies will turn the event into a fiasco.
The World Baseball Classic will take place from March 5-17, 2026 in Miami, Florida, Houston, Texas, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Tokyo, Japan. Of course, I'll be cheering for Team Canada.
Finally, I wish for a just peace in the Middle East and in Ukraine. In the Middle East, there must be a two state solution. There must be a Palestinian state and the Palestinians must recognize Israel's right to exist.
Russia must never gain control of Ukraine. Putin will never stop at Ukraine. He will attack other countries. Everything possible must be done by the liberal democracies to bring about a just peace to these troubled regions. It is unfortunate that the United States, under Trump, does not support its longtime European allies and threatens the sovereignty of Canada, its northern neighbour.
- Joanne
