Dear Community, 

Our kids and the caring adults who support them deserve a safe and supportive learning environment. Students, teachers and education workers in Ontario deserve to be safe at school — they must be.

However, this isn't the reality for too many students, teachers, and education workers across our province who returned to school last week. The growing problem of violence in our schools is disrupting learning, and students and staff alike are getting used to witnessing violent behaviours regularly. In fact, a survey conducted by the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario found that 77% of their members had experienced or witnessed violence while on the job. This is not okay. The consequences are physical, mental, and in many cases life-altering.

Our children, teachers, education workers, and support staff deserve better. 

We're calling for urgent action from the government to implement an Emergency Safe Schools Plan to address the growing rates of violence in our schools. This plan will provide:

• The immediate hiring of more staff, including mental health workers, educational assistants, and child and youth workers
• Funding for training
• A permanent working group on education sector violence
• A province-wide reporting system for incidents of violence
• An education sector regulation in the Occupational Health and Safety Act

Ford's funding cuts to public education have taken supports away from our kids and created additional stress on teachers and school staff who have to show up and do their best daily in an underfunded education system. As it stands, they simply do not have the resources to support our students. An unsupported student is a frustrated student.

We're bringing our plan to Queen's Park when the legislature reconvenes next month to demand that this government adopt these changes. 

Click here to add your name and tell Doug Ford that his government needs to take action to address violence in our schools. 

In today's newsletter:

Recognizing that it's impossible to capture a full week of news in a single newsletter, please see the highlights below: 

• Ontario Food Bank Usage Reaches All-Time High
• Nova Scotia Declares IPV an Epidemic
• Central Eglinton Community Centre AGM
• Women in Film and Television Reception
• ACTRA Toronto Sandi Ross Awards
• Community events and more!

Ontario Food Bank Usage Reaches All-Time High

Earlier this week reports painted a grim picture of food bank usage in Ontario. Between April 2023 and March 2024, Feed Ontario reported that 1,001,150 people visited food banks in the province - a 25% increase from the previous year! That marks a total of 7.6 million visits annually. This is an unprecendented rise as Ontarians struggle to stay afloat. 

We know that food banks are a band aid solution to address the wider systemic failures of a province that fails to invest in its people. Here in St. Paul's we know our food banks are at capacity. We have to address poverty at its root to build a province where nobody has to rely on foodbanks to get by. Life should be easier for you and your family - every individual in this province deserves access to healthy food on their table. This should be the minimum. 

Nova Scotia Declares Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic

Today, the Nova Scotia NDP made history by passing a bill to declare Intimate Partner Violence an epidemic in the province. Their bill passed in a single day—only one day—with unanimous support from ALL political parties. This is excellent news for Nova Scotians and an important first step in taking the issue seriously and protecting community members from harm. 

It's time for this government to do the same and pass Bill 73—a bill I was proud to co-sponsor—and declare Intimate Partner Violence an epidemic in Ontario. The wait has been long enough. The political games Ford is playing must end, survivors' lives depend on it. It's time for this government to stop wasting time and join Nova Scotia and declare Intimate Partner Violence an epidemic NOW.

Click here to read more. 

JILL IN COMMUNITY

Central Eglinton Community Centre AGM

Yonge and Eglinton is the fastest growing neighbourhood in Toronto! On Tuesday, I joined the Central Eglinton Community Centre (CECC) for their Annual General Meeting to discuss to discuss their goals and priorities for the year ahead. The CECC provides essential programming for newcomers, aging adults, children and families and more. They are a gathering space for our midtown neighbours and their programs are more popular (and essential) than ever! As our neighbourhood grows, our community spaces must grow too. It's a must. 

Anyone who's met John and his team knows just how incredible they are. Thank you to the board of directors for your continued efforts and congratulations to everyone who joined the team this year. I was honoured to be invited to share a few words and join you all!

40th Annual Women in Film & Television Reception

I had the pleasure of attending the Women in Film & Television's (WIFT) 40th annual reception at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this week! The event was a bustling thrill, and meeting with the many skilled workers who drive the industry forward was an amazing opportunity. 

I want to extend my appreciation to the talents who make our film, TV and digital screen-based media industry what it is! And I also want to celebrate the forty years of educating, engaging and empowering women in the screen-based media industry that WIFT has achieved. 

Supporting cultural industries means supporting the many people who passionately work in them and inspire us through their craft. Such contributions are invaluable! If you didn't know, WIFT has its office right here in St. Paul's at Yonge and Eglinton!

Sandi Ross Awards

On Monday, ACTRA Toronto and the ACTRA Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted the 8th annual Sandi Ross Awards to celebrate an individual and company that incorporates diversity and inclusion into their work. This year ACTRA Toronto honoured THEE Anthony Q. Farrell and the trailblazing Reelworld Film Festival and Screen Institute. Needless to say, I was pretty honoured and grateful to be in the room seeing old friends, making new ones AND celebrating with ACTRA. 

It’s been a tough couple of years for ACTRA union performers - commercial workers - who have been unlawfully and inhumanely locked out of work by the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA). I’ve appreciated the opportunity to work in solidarity with many of you at Queen’s Park and in our local communities and I understand how deeply this lockout has affected you both personally and professionally. So to see your community come together, helping and celebrating your colleagues during this difficult time was pretty incredible.

A special shout out to RCAP for your tenacity AND to Gordon and our local Kingston 12 Patty Shop that brought the taste of our Little Jamaica community here in St. Paul's to the Sandi Ross Awards with your delicious patties that were a HUGE HIT!

Both Anthony and Reelworld spoke passionately about the power of rising and bringing others up with you ‘up the elevator’ as a way to ensure one’s success opens the doors and windows for others' success too! These two award recipients exemplify this! Mentorship, allyship in the industry, advocacy are key. It was a wonderful evening to witness.

These awards were originally conceived by the ACTRA Toronto Diversity Committee under the co-leadership of co-chairs Sedina Fiati and Farah Merani. Thank you all for your continued hard work from the very beginning!

Sandi Ross was the FIRST woman and person of colour to be President of ACTRA Toronto and was the founder of ACTRA Toronto’s first diverse talent director, Into the Mainstream. The directory lives on at Diversity.ACTRAonline.ca and is a useful tool for casting directors and producers to cast inclusively.

COMMUNITY BULLETIN 📌

Tawich in the City

Check out Tawich in the City on September 25th co-hosted by the Wildlands League! This event is a celebration of nature conservation and Indigenous culture. Tickets include a Cree lesson led by Angela Sheeshish, a performance by Adrian Sutherland (a CNN-featured Cree musician from Attawapiskat), access to a custom-built Indigenous Art Garden, presentations from Omushkego Elders, and free bannock and bear paws. 

Anyone interested in this holistic celebration should consider tickets and follow Wildlands League on Instagram.

Model Parliament Program

Be a Part of the Model Parliament Program at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario!

This engaging, educational program at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario offers civic-minded students an opportunity to experience democracy at work. This 3-day program takes place at the Legislative Building in Toronto.

Who Can Apply?
Ontario students in grades 10 to 12 with an interest in current affairs, provincial issues and government.

Why Apply?
Meet the Speaker, Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and other like-minded students from across Ontario! Learn how the provincial legislature works firsthand and debate “as an MPP” in the Legislative Chamber.

Online applications will be accepted until October 6^th, 2024 – apply now!

Community March Against Gun Violence

Join us as we march against gun violence in honour of the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Homicide and in support of victims and families of gun violence. This includes Louis March (pictured below) the founder of the Zero Gun Violence Movement. 

See you there! 

When: Saturday, September 28th, 2024
Time: Gather at 2:00 PM 
Where: Nathan Phillips Square 
Destination: Queen's Park

Harm Reduction Town Hall

Join Unison Health and Community Services to discuss the importance of harm reduction services and supports, the role of outreach teams, overdose response and fatal-overdose prevention, and how we, as a community, can come together. 

When: Tuesday, September 17, 2024 
Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 
Where: Oakwood Village Library, 341 Oakwood Avenue

Toronto Public Library Scholarship Application

River Run 2024: Walk with Grassy Narrows for Mercury Justice!

Date: September 18th, 2024

Time: 12pm

Location: Downtown Toronto, details TBD

Sign up: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

Walk with Grassy Narrows youth and community members to show that we are with them on their path to achieve mercury justice and freedom!

This is a family-friendly event. Rain or shine!

Check out FreeGrassy.net for more details as the event approaches.

Grassy Narrows people are powerful leaders in the movement for Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice. They have shown that together we can fight for justice against all odds and make real gains. 

Grassy Narrows secured a historic no logging on their territory for the next 10 years and important promises to clean their river and build a Mercury Care Home. They have the longest-running blockade in Canadian history, which has helped foster Indigenous resistance across Turtle Island and saved 15 million trees from being cut. 

But so much is still needed to right the wrong of mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows.

In September 2024, community members and leaders will travel 1,700km from Grassy Narrows to Toronto to demand that Ontario and Canada:

1.    Compensate everyone in Grassy Narrows fairly for the mercury crisis

2.    Respect the Grassy Narrows Indigenous Protected Area (end mining and logging plans in Grassy Narrows territory)

3.    Support Grassy Narrows in restoring their community and way of life from the damage that mercury has done.

RSVP https://freegrassy.net/grassy-narrows-river-run-2024 to say that you will show up in solidarity and walk with them in their fight for justice.

Book Launch: Getting Us to Grandma's

Come celebrate beloved author, Nadia L. Hohn's new book — and the 10th of her career! 

Her new book Getting us to Grandma's, illustrated by TeMika Grooms and published by Groundworm Books, is one for the 80s babies and will take readers on a fantastic voyage from Toronto to the Bronx. Don't miss out on this exciting launch and celebration of Nadia's career. 

Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 1:30-3:30 PM
Where: Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre, 341 Oakwood Avenue, just north of St. Clair Avenue

Click here to RSVP. 

Book Launch: Anne of the Library-on-the-Hill

Join our community in celebrating beloved author Catherine Little for an upcoming reading of her new book Anne of the Library-on-the-Hill at the Wychwood Library. The picture book is a celebration of Anne of Green Gables and the contributions of author Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Date: Thursday September 26th, 2024 
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Where: Wychwood Library, 1431 Bathurst Street Toronto ON, M5R 3J2

Resilience and Queer Naratives at the THM

Join the Toronto Holocaust Museum and LGBTQ+ at the J for an opportunity to reflect on and engage with the Toronto Holocaust Museum.

Wednesday, Sep 18, 7-9 pm.

Explore stories of resilience and queer experiences during the Holocaust. The evening will include an opportunity to process your thoughts, encouraging a personal connection to the stories encountered. Using highlighted narratives and artifacts as a foundation for self-reflection, materials will be provided to facilitate your creative expression, whether through writing, drawing, or other artistic mediums.

Click here for tickets.

Endo Expo Wellness Market

SAVE THE DATE! 

Appletree Markets & Events, the Happy Pelvis, and Endometriosis Events are bringing an Endo Expo Wellness Market to our Davisville Village community. September 17th from 3 to 7 pm, you can shop health and wellness products and support those affected by endometriosis and pelvic health issues. 

Date: Wednesday, September 17th 
Time: 3:00 to 7 pm
Location: June Rowlands Park 

Free Trees

Saturday, September 21st, the Oakwood Vaughan Community Organization will be distributing free tree saplings, in large pots between 10 AM to 7 PM. 

Location: Pick-up is done locally

Pre-registration is required. Please include your name, contact information, and what type of tree(s) you would like. These trees are for private properties only, that a person has permission to plant on, and are provided by a City of Toronto Forestry Grant. 

For more information, contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

Mount Pleasant Village BIA - Movie Night in the Park

Bring the entire family and enjoy our FREE movies in the park! Mount Pleasant Village BIA presents a different film favourite each Tuesday night starting July 30th, 2023. All shows start at dusk. Bring a chair and a blanket. The BIA will also be collecting donations for the Daily Bread Food Bank each Tuesday night. 

July 30th will start at 8:45 PM. 

Location: Manor Community Green - 196 Manor Rd East

Forest Hill BIA Music in Suydam Park

Forest Hill Village BIA's much-loved acoustic concert series, Music in Suydam Park is back for another season!

Concerts take place every Saturday afternoon from 1-3 pm throughout July, August and September. Weather permitting.

Click here for their full concert schedule!

Sprint Senior Care

I would like to share this appeal for volunteers from Sprint Senior Care. Volunteers are needed to:

• Deliver healthy and affordable meals to seniors
• Provide security checks
• Reduce Isolation

You will need to have a car and a valid driver's license to help, but gas reimbursements are available. To volunteer call 416-481-0669 ext. 8723 or e-mail [email protected]

Local Farmers' Markets

Wychwood Barns Farmers' Market

• Every Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM at the Wychwood Barns

Davisville Farmers' Market

• Every Tuesday from 3 PM to 7 PM in June Rowlands Park

The Eglinton Way Farmers' Market

• Every Sunday from 8 AM to 1 PM at 125 Burnaby Blvd. 

Afro-Caribbean Farmers' Market

• From 11 AM to 3 PM on July 7th, 21st and 28th and August 11th and 25th, and September 8th, 22nd and 29th at Reggae Lane (1531 Eglinton Ave W - Green P Parking Lot)

The BFBG Awards

The Black Fashion & Beauty Gala is making its return September 29th, 2024. This year's theme is The Awakening of Black Fashion: A Journey of Resilience and Creativity. 

Click here to learn more about this year's event. 

Learn4Life Registration

Learn4Life Registration Opens August 14th
 
Looking for something fun to do this fall? The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) offers a wide range of Adult General Interest and Seniors Daytime classes through the Learn4Life program. These classes provide an excellent opportunity to learn new skills, stay active, and connect with others in your community. Led by expert instructors, Learn4Life offers courses in Arts, Business, Computers, Cooking, Crafts, Dance, Finance, Fitness, Languages, Music, Sports, Sewing, and much more! Registration opens on August 14th.

Click here to learn more about. 

Learn to Prevent an Overdose

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, PhD

MPP, Toronto-St. Paul's