Community News Update - August 29, 2022

Dear Community,
 
Today at Queen’s Park, the Ford Government doubled down on their decision to stifle any public debate about Bill 7 – legislation that will allow seniors and people with disabilities to be transferred into long-term care homes that they don’t want to go to.
 
This bill is a horrifying admission of the PCs failure to fund our healthcare system adequately and is simply not a solution that I am willing to accept for patients in Ontario.
 
This morning, knowing that the PCs would not allow official public hearings on the bill, we held our own emergency public hearings with experts and stakeholders who weighed in on the proposed legislation. Those experts painted a grim picture of the current state of the Ontario healthcare system, and the steps that the Ford government are taking towards privatization.
 
I will continue to fight, alongside my Official Opposition colleagues against this bill – and all the attacks that are being made on our healthcare system by this government. Beyond that, the Ontario NDP is also putting forward our own proposal to solve the healthcare staffing crisis.
 
Our demands include:

• Staffing up hospitals by repealing Bill 124 and giving health care workers the pay, incentives and respect they deserve.
• Passing legislation to address workplace violence in health care settings
• Providing unlimited mental health supports to healthcare workers
• Making education for nurses and other health professionals free or low-cost
• Hiring tens of thousands of the most qualified internationally educated doctors and nurses by reinstating the Practice-Ready Assessment program Doug Ford cancelled

We will continue this fight.

I spent much of this weekend out at Sinting Fest on Eglinton West – and let me tell you – it was a terrific festival. This was the first year that it was put on, and it did not disappoint.
 
The music, the dancing, and the food were enough to keep everyone’s spirits high, and I want to thank the Black Business and Professionals Association (BBPA) for their incredible work bringing this to life. Putting on a multi-block street festival in Toronto is a herculean task, especially so in the first year – and ultimately it was a smashing success.
 
I was very proud to be able to participate in the opening remarks of the event and to have the opportunity to present the incredible Michie Mee with a scroll of recognition for her incredible career.
 
It was also fantastic to be able to speak directly with so many members of our community who came out this weekend and stopped by my office’s booth.
 
I’m looking forward to coming back next year already!

Coming up this weekend, I will be back in the Vaughan and Oakwood Community at Cy Townsend Park for an important Back-To-School Supplies Exchange!
 
I will be setting up a table and bringing some school supplies for anyone to pick up if they are in need. Further, we are asking anyone in the community who is able to drop off supplies as well.
 
Here are some of the key items that we are looking for:
·         Backpacks
·         Pencils/Pens
·         Notebooks
·         Rulers
·         Lunchboxes
·         Calculators

If you are looking to come by the event here are the exact details.

Sunday, September 4
1PM to 3:30PM
Cy Townsend Park
455 Winona Dr (Corner of Vaughan Road and Winona Drive)

I also wanted to shout out another great festival! Starting tomorrow is the 13^th Ashkenaz Festival!
 
In their own words:
 
The Ashkenaz Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious showcases of Jewish music and culture anywhere in the world.  Since 1995, the festival has taken place biennially at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto’s premier venue for the presentation of world and folk culture and for the meeting of diverse communities through the arts. Originally founded as a showcase for Klezmer and Yiddish music and culture, the Ashkenaz Festival has evolved over the years into an eclectic showcase of global Jewish art and culture, encompassing not merely the traditions of eastern Europe, but also Sephardic, Mizrachi, and Israeli culture, and all manner of cross-cultural fusion.
 
The Festival is offered 90% free to the public and attracts a multicultural audience of over 60,000 people. Nowhere else in the world does so large and diverse an audience come together to experience Jewish cultural arts. Though strongly focused on music, Ashkenaz is a multidisciplinary festival, including dance, theatre, film, literature and talk, visual arts, and kids/family programs. Ashkenaz usually features over 80 performances and 200+ individual artists, hailing from across Canada and around the world. Over the years, Ashkenaz has presented artists from over 25 countries and 6 continents.
  
The festival runs from August 30^th to September 5^th – and it’s primarily happening down at the Harbourfront Centre! You can find more information and the schedule here: https://ashkenaz.ca/festival/

In Solidarity,
 
Jill Andrew
Toronto—St. Paul's