Today, Ontario reported 655 patients in hospital with COVID-19, including 158 in ICUs. These numbers seem to be increasing slightly, which is cause for concern. New cases remain above where they were at the peak of the fourth wave, so it is important that everyone remain cautious.
As badly as we all want this pandemic to be over, it simply isn’t just yet.
This morning, Doug Ford announced that he has finally agreed to provide $10 a day child care for Ontario families with federal help. I'm thankful to parents across Ontario, advocates and my colleagues in the Ontario NDP for pushing Ford to this point!
Make no mistake, The nine months delay in reaching this agreement did not result in a better deal for Ontarians, it only deprived parents of almost a year of lower prices, costing each family about $2,300.
I am calling for the Ford government to rebate parents the money that he cost them with his delays.
It’s also worth noting that this program is now slated to start in September, conveniently after the election. The only way to ensure this gets done is to elect a government that really wants affordable childcare for everyone. In the interim, I will continue to hold Ford accountable for this delay and the 80 million dollars his government previously cut from childcare.
From where I’m sitting, to deliver real change, we need to work together to replace him in June with an Ontario NDP government that will deliver on this promise and make sure it is just the beginning of a move towards a universal and affordable childcare system.
Since everyone seems to be talking about it, I might as well mention the incident last night at the Oscars, when Will Smith attacked Chris Rock. This is what toxic masculinity looks like. It is the consequence of normalizing violence and then celebrating it...standing by it like a passive bystander and validating it.
I respect both actors AND I've got alopecia (CCCA). I know that jokes can hurt but this?! No. You can disagree with me and my 'take' all you want but violence isn't love. And we shouldn't normalize it as such. It can have layers, it always has a root and it can be reaction to trauma but it's never the right choice.
This evening, I’m happy to to share a call for proposals from Jewish Currents magazine.
This one probably caught my eye after one too many nights working late. They are running a Fall 2022 issue themed on rest, and are looking for articles or essays on subjects related to collective and individual needs for rest grounded in the politics and questions of the Jewish left. You can find the call for submissions here. https://twitter.com/JewishCurrents/status/1508463268695883785
Lastly, there’s an interesting recycling initiative that the Green Jar at 1061 St. Clair Ave. W. Each year the average Toronto household throws out 37 pounds of clothing. If you have clean and dry clothing, towels or linens that you no longer need, you can bring them to the Green Jar instead of them ending up in a landfill. They are accepting donations from March 29 to March 31, details can be found here. https://twitter.com/thegreenjarshop/status/1506001591001923590
