Community News Update - June 5, 2023

Dear community,

It's not the 90s anymore. An affordable & reliable wireless connection is a necessity; not a luxury. So why is it being billed like one? Indeed, Canadians are paying some of the highest rates for Internet and data in the world, all while the profit margins of telecom companies are also among the highest globally. It doesn't take a mathematician to put two and two together here.

That's why Leader Marit Stiles, MPP Rakocevic (Humber River-Black Creek), and your Ontario NDP has a plan to bring down your mobile and internet costs and improve services. One built by you, for you.

What do you need to see as we advance into Ontario's digitally-dependent future? What can we do to make Internet access more affordable & accessible? 

Register here to indicate your interest in taking part in our first public consultation, happening in-person at Queen's Park on June 28th.

Can't make it in-person? My inbox is always open. Email [email protected] to share! 

On Saturday thousands of us said it loud and clear: DOUG FORD HAS GOT TO GO! Ford continues to attack the most vulnerable of our community members: renters, workers, students, seniors, people with disabilities, impoverished, EVERYONE! I was proud to join my fellow MPPs and other activists to tell him: "We won't take this!"

Also on Saturday we celebrated the joyous birthday of the one and only living legend Mr Muhtadi Thomas of the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival. Friends, family and community came out to share their love of and appreciation for the man who has given so much to our arts, culture and musical landscape locally and abroad! It was a BEAUTIFUL evening! Thank you Joe G. Thomas for organizing such a wonderful time! The food was courtesy of Atiba Farm.

This weekend I had a fabulous time catching up with friends old and new to help raise funds for an organization located in our community that literally lifesaving work: Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR).

The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) was founded in 1987 and aims to end Canada’s HIV epidemic by leading national strategies to increase prevention, testing, treatment and linkage to care, and working to end HIV stigma.

Want to give your kid a front row seat to all that goes down at Queen's Park? Well, now's your chance through the Legislative Page Program, with applications open now until June 15, 2023.


Each year, grade 7 & 8 students are selected to take part in the coveted program, acting as aides to MPPs in the chambers, while also getting to see and learn of Ontario's parliamentary process, meet members from both sides of the aisle, and make friends from all across Ontario, Having seen many students of St. Paul's take on the important role over the years, and hear the joy and lifelong memories they & their families made, I highly encourage your child's application.

Learn more of the program and how to apply here. If you have any questions, reach out via email at [email protected] or by phone at (416) 325-7457.

Each year across Ontario, thousands of lives are lost to overdoses. We need every level of government to prioritize implementing harm reduction strategies to combat these senseless deaths, and you can help.

As many of you know, Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and these kits are FREE with training at participating pharmacies across the city. Together, we can prevent unnecessary deaths and work toward a more compassionate society that is safe safe for everyone.

Find a pharmacy with Naloxone kits near you, and make sure you can recognize the signs of an overdose.

Toronto Cares Initiative will be hosting their Spring Into Summer Social Fundraiser on June 14th - you don't want to miss this!

In Solidarity, 

Jill Andrew
Toronto-St. Paul's

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