Community News Update - April 26, 2024
Community News Update - May 7, 2021
BREAKING: Some pharmacies are now offering Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to anyone over the age of 18. You can find your nearest participating pharmacies here.
Dear Community,
As we begin our weekend, today Ontario has reported an additional 3166 cases of COVID and 23 deaths. On top of that, we have 858 patients in ICUs across our province. I want to encourage everyone to make sure that you’re following all the best public health guidance, including wearing a mask, maintaining your distance, and ensuring that you’re only leaving your home for an essential purpose.
On top of that, I would encourage everyone to get a vaccine when they are able to. It’s certainly been frustrating, with few pop-up vaccination sites servicing our residents, but my team and I continue to work hard to bring those services to our community and have even written to the Premier and Health Minister to request that this be expedited. While we keep pushing, more vaccination sites around the city are opening up their requirements, and now there are a number of sites that will vaccinate you if you are 18+ and live or work in a hot spot area code.
Here are some of the pop-up vaccine clinics open this weekend.
To see full eligibility criteria for other vaccination sites, click here.
And of course, you can register for a vaccine through the provincial booking portal here.
Earlier this week was Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), a day where we honour and remember lost and stolen Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. The day was originally inspired by Jamie Black’s REDress Project, as red dresses symbolize traditional regalia. They are sacred items of healing for families and communities.
Sadly, we continue to experience an epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and we still are not seeing the action that we need from governments across Canada to implement the 231 Calls for Justice that came from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls – even over a year and a half after they were issued.
I remain committed to this fight, and I know our community stands with me.
You can read my full statement with MPP Morrison here.
Throughout COVID-19, we have seen the Ford government continue its attacks on tenants. Recently, they introduced Bill 276 – which includes a provision that could see people fined up to $25,000 for recording their own Landlord and Tenant Board Tribunal hearings. Frankly, it’s important to have evidence of what’s happening in LTB hearings, as we often see rulings that do not match with the law.
In response, I am happy to be organizing a town hall with MPP Jessica Bell to discuss how we can make the LTB fairer for tenants, and how we can organize against Bill 276. I am pleased to share that representatives from ACORN will also be in attendance, along with housing lawyer Nina Hall.
If you are interested in attending, please RSVP here for the Zoom!
Last but certainly not least, I want to send a Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! Moms, stepmoms, and chosen moms, you are incredible, and you do so much more than I could ever put into words for your families. Thank you.
In Solidarity,
Jill Andrew
Toronto—St. Paul's
