Community News Update - November 6, 2023

Dear Community,

Earlier today, Minister of Labour, David Piccinni announced the Conservative government will be starting a consultation process to consider banning the misuse of non-disclosure agreements in Ontario. While a welcome step, this moves too slow to protect victims, women, and all workers experiencing violence and harassment, of which NDAs are shown time and time again to harm.

This is especially true as MPP Wong-Tam's Bill, Stopping the Misuse of Non-Disclosure Agreements Act, 2023 sits on the government's desk, as we speak. Created through its own in-depth consultation process, this Act would deliver on the same goals this government is supposedly looking to achieve.

Read our statement urging this government to skip the talk and shift right into action by passing this bill; a needed step to end gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace and across Ontario!

The government also announced they will be moving ahead with Pay Transparency across Ontario. Of course, their announcement failed to mention that 5 years earlier, they hit the brakes on already passed legislation that would have done the same thing. Now, they're looking for applause as they take long-delayed action on the lowest-hanging fruit towards pay equity.

It was more than 30 years ago that the Pay Equity Act was passed and to this day, women workers have yet to see it be achieved. Pay transparency is an important step but far from the last. I released a statement earlier today, calling on this government to place women workers' voices at the centre and match pay transparency with meaningful enforcement to ensure this long-overdue policy is not too little, too late.

I was overjoyed to welcome students of Toronto—St. Paul's' York School as they visited Queen's Park this afternoon. Before taking a tour of THEIR House, I met them on the building's Grand Staircase where I got to share the insider's scoop of all (well, maybe not ALL) that goes down inside its walls. From my life before politics, to how I ended up in politics, it was a great time spent with this brilliant bunch and a needed reminder of why I do what I do; to make the present and future of Ontario's next generation a little bit brighter!

Thank you students, educators, and parents of The York School for making my day!

A fabulous local business in St. Paul's celebrated an incredible milestone over the weekend! Playful Minds Toys on St Clair W turned TWENTY! Thank you Sam and staff for all the memories and laughs you've brought kids of ALL ages (including us adults too!). Our St. Paul's community is pretty lucky!

I picked up one of my FAVOURITE childhood games: MONOPOLY but not just any Monopoly: the 80s EDITION!

I kid you not *no one* can beat me at this game lol!

In other anniversary news, Saturday night we celebrated the York-Fairbank Centre for Seniors' 40th anniversary!

Thank you, Lisa, Jean, and the ENTIRE York-Fairbank team for supporting and uplifting our elders in St. Paul's and beyond. We wouldn't be here without our seniors. It's SO important that we invest in their wellbeing - ALWAYS!

As always, it was also great to see MP Carolyn Bennett! And a special thank you to my mom for joining me as my plus one!

Last week, I was at North Toronto Collegiate Institute to listen in on a presentation about organ and tissue donation. Thank you to ALL the guest speakers, Trillium Gift of Life Network & Ms. Blackmore for having me in your class!

The gift of life is the most important gift you could ever give. Register to be a donor TODAY at https://beadonor.ca/ or do so in person at your nearest Service Ontario.

The ONDP will continue to advocate for an opt-out organ donation system. Read more about this ongoing fight here.

Community! Check out this incredible opportunity to support young artists. Youth Alliance for Intersectional Justice is hosting an incredible art exhibit November 18 & 19 from 12-3pm at 192 Spadina Ave! See their message below:

Join YAIJ for this unique celebration of visual and performance art by and for neurodiverse youth!

Check out visual artist Andre Lopez, performance artist Nathan Baya, spoken word artist Jadyn Hardie-Bardy, Violinist Jane, and more!

You'll be treated to an art exhibit, live music and dance performances, presentations, and interactive art sessions. You can stop by on Saturday Nov 18th or Sunday Nov 19th or both days (we have different performers and activities on each day).

Learn from young artists, experience the beauty of self-advocacy, and connect with community partners supporting YAIJ youth!

Tickets are on sale HERE.

The Christie Gardens Annual Holiday Gift Sale is back! Saturday, November 18th from 10:30 AM to 2 PM at the Christie Gardens Auditorium (600 Melita Crescent).

Funds raised will support the resident social programs and activities at Christie Gardens.

BAM Collective is recruiting volunteers! See their message below:

Are you passionate about creating positive change and empowering community members in your community? BAM Collective, Ontario's first youth-led collective, is looking for dedicated individuals like you to join our team. We have exciting volunteer opportunities waiting for you! You can find the application via the linktree in our bio. Please share widely and apply by November 24th 2023. 🌈

Do you enjoy working with and inspiring youth? Are you passionate about building equitable STEM futures? The Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS) is recruiting volunteers for their Toronto Chapter to support their STEM programs!

CAGIS is an award-winning not-for-profit organization that supports interest in Science, Technology, Trades, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among girls and gender-diverse youth ages 7-17. CAGIS volunteers are parents, teachers, post-secondary students, STEM professionals, and other interested members of the community. They support their work by helping to plan, organize, and run their programs.

Interested? Click here to sign up!

Exhibit your art at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario!
The Youth Arts Program celebrates the incredible artistic talents of young Ontarians aged 12-18. Each year, youth from across the province are invited to display their works of art throughout the Legislative Building, showcasing their creativity and diverse artistic abilities.

Online applications are accepted from October 10th to November 8th, 2023 – apply now!

As we approach the colder months, this is a good reminder to get up-to-date on your COVID-19 boosters. The XBB 1.5 updated boosters are NOW available. I got mine and I encourage you to join me!

Consult this page for information about where you can get vaccinated.

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.

In solidarity,