Community News Update - October 20, 2023

Dear Community,

While the Premier's gravy train is driving Phil Verster and Metrolinx executives straight to the bank, public transit is getting Ontarians NOWHERE but deeper into the hole to the tune of billions and billions of their dollars.

Few across Ontario know this better than our own St. Paul's community. Residents and business owners have been forced to live through the worst of the Eglinton Crosstown disaster for 13 years without an end in sight. Meanwhile, the Ford government refuses to learn any lessons, continuing with the same costly and inefficient P3 model for the Ontario Line to make sure that other Toronto communities feel our same harm.

Yesterday, I stood in the House to demand answers from the PC government as to when this nightmare will finally end, and when they will finally start putting Ontarians FIRST.

Watch the full clip here.

I was also honoured to be joined yesterday by endowarriors as I presented their petition in the Legislature. An ode to their incredible organizing, I signed my name to the thousands of signatures they've gathered, each of which acting to call on this government to deliver a comprehensive, public strategy for those living with endometriosis in our province.

One in TEN people who menstruate are living with this debilitating condition, and likely even more when considering it can take between 5 and 11 years to receive a diagnosis. One is too many. One in ten is a crisis, and a needless one at that.

Thank you to each person who joined me yesterday, and the many more who signed, organized, and advocated around this critical petition. Their work is ongoing and I invite each of you to learn more or get involved by clicking here.

This morning, I met with the incredible folks of the Global Equality Caucus alongside my colleague, MPP Wong-Tam of Toronto-Centre. With over 500 members from legislatures across the world, they are doing the HEARTwork to deliver real global change for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, at a time when folks need to see it most. Thank you, Doug, Patrick, Alan, and Andrew for having us take part in this discussion today and the full Global Equality Caucus for your efforts year round.

Explore more of their incredible work HERE.

Toronto-St. Paul’s has another representative in the chambers!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Philippe, a young leader in our community participating in the Page Program at Queen’s Park. This program is an incredibly growth opportunity for young people in our community and across Ontario.

Philippe’s academic excellence and involvement in our community is nothing short of extraordinary. It was a pleasure speaking to him about my role as MPP, the inner-workings of the House, and learning about his BIG goals for the future.

Philippe, your future is bright!

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 yesterday and encourage you to join me!

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

The AMAZING folks at Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard are running a VERY exciting virtual apple-tasting session. See below for event details from their team:

Mark your calendars! Our highly anticipated *4th Annual Virtual Apple Tasting Fundraiser* is just around the corner and this year, we're taking it to a whole new level!

🌟 This year we've curated a selection of apples, each with a distinct flavor profile, to help you hone your ability to taste and identify unique apple flavors.

📅 Event Date & Details:

Apple Collection: Saturday, November 4, 2023, between 9am and 11am at Wychwood Barns Market.
Live Zoom Apple Tasting: Wednesday, November 8, 2023, from 7pm to 8.30pm.

🌟 If you want to participate you'll need to book your ticket now as we have a limited number of tickets available and this event sells out every year.

For just $20 (plus a small Eventbrite fee), you'll experience:

A unique chance to taste yet-to-be-released apple selections, courtesy of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. These apples are not available anywhere else!
Learn from Dr. Amy Bowen, the director of the Consumer, Sensory & Market Insights group at Vineland, as she guides us on how to expertly evaluate apples.
Gain insights from Rachael LeBlanc, apple breeder and research scientist at Vineland, on the intriguing process of developing new apple varieties.
The discussion will be moderated by Susan Poizner of OrchardPeople.com, and the coordinator of The Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard.

🍏 Get Your Apples & Access:
With your ticket, you'll receive:

A bag with six exclusive apples. Remember to pick them up at the specified date and time!
An invitation to our live Zoom apple tasting session.

Reserve your spot today and dive into a world of apple flavors like never before:

🍎 CLICK TO RESERVE YOUR TICKETS HERE 🍎

Calling all talented musicians of Toronto-St. Paul’s! Hillcrest Village Players are now seeking virtual band auditions for their upcoming production of Footloose.

Click here for more information about Hillcrest Community Players!

Click here to submit your audition!

James Rottman Fine Arts invites you to check out their upcoming exhibition, “They Were Never Robots”. The lines between human and robot are blurred in this latest exhibition from artist James Kirkpatrick.

The exhibition will run from October 28 to December 23 at the James Rottman Fine Art Gallery.

Click here for more information!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Drag Queen Gila Munster is hosting her 5th annual fundraiser and variety show: The 8 Gays of Channukah.

The event is raising funds for Machane Lev, a 2SLGBTQ+ Jewish summer camp and is an opportunity to showcase queer Jewish JOY at a time when both are challenged.

The event is taking place Sunday, December 17 from 7-9 PM.

Click here for tickets!

Over a span of four days in our city, there were seven preventable overdose deaths. Please let this be the sign you need to carry a Naloxone kit.

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,

Dr. Jill Andrew