Hello Neighbour,
Spring is around the corner and the days are getting longer. I’m looking forward to seeing the first few flower buds of Spring and warmer weather ahead.
I’ve been grilling the Premier and his government over the last couple of weeks on his decision to politicize our judicial process. What was once a gold-standard of appointing judges to Ontario Courts, is now at risk of turning into Trump-style patonage appointments. We are also seeing our universities and colleges at the brink and I’ve been demanding that the Premier and his government make the critical investments needed and to invest in mental health supports so that people can access care when they need it. More on this below.
This week, we also celebrated the International Day of Pink or Pink Shirt Day. I was proud to join my colleagues in supporting this wonderful initiative to stand against bullying and promote kindness.
[photo of caucus]
Check out the many community events and intiiatives happening across Davenport, including fun March Break activities for children and their families.
Have a great weekend,
Marit Stiles
MPP for Davenport
Join me tomorrow at the International Women's Day Rally!
Pink Shirt Day
On Wednesday February 28, we recognized Pink Shirt Day (also known as the International Day of Pink). Pink Shirt Day is an anti-bullying initiative that originated in Nova Scotia in 2007. The movement was inspired by an incident where two high school students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, organized a protest in support of a fellow student who had been bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. In response, Shepherd and Price distributed pink shirts to their classmates to wear the next day as a show of solidarity against bullying.
Since then, Pink Shirt Day has grown into a national campaign. People across the country wear pink shirts to symbolize their stand against bullying, promote kindness, and raise awareness about the impact of bullying on individuals. It encourages individuals and organizations to prevent bullying and promotes a culture of inclusivity, respect, and kindness in schools, workplaces, and communities. I am proud to wear my pink shirt with students, families, and people across the province and stand against bullying.
Learn more at www.pinkshirtday.ca.
Students and Families Pay for Ford’s Crisis in Universities and Colleges
The Premier and his Minister of Colleges and Universities, MPP Jill Dunlop, have allowed bad actors to exploit students and families and have continued to cut funding in our post-secondary institutions, continuing a long history of under investment by Conservative and Liberal governments.
The Minister of Universities and Colleges announced that the government will be providing over $1 billion dollars to aid colleges and universities who are at the financial brink, but this aid is far from the amount that the provincial government’s own committee recommended, of $2.3 billion dollars, and this is before the federal government announced their cap on international students. Critic for Colleges and Universities, MPP Peggy Sattler commented, “Ford has been fully aware of how decades of chronic underfunding by Liberal and Conservative governments, and five years of Ford cuts, have pushed our postsecondary institutions to the brink. Now Ford’s rumoured investment is half what his own panel of experts have recommended
We need a government that will invest in our students and in our post-secondary institutions and address the financial barriers in accessing education. I will continue to raise this issue and demand more for students and families. Listen to my question to the Premier here.
Premier doubles down on patronage appointments to judicial appointments committee
The Premier is not backing down from his decision to appoint “...like-minded people” on the committee that recommends which lawyers should become Ontario judges.
Lawyers, legal experts and associations have expressed their deep concerns that this latest move by the Premier will threaten the independent process of appointing judges to Ontario courts, a process that has been praised as the gold-standard around the world.
My colleague, MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam and Critic for the Attorney General’s Office commented, “Under this government, we have seen our court system spiral into chaos. We have seen serious cases get thrown out because of double-bookings and lack of resources, survivors forced to re-live their trauma because of repeated delays. Instead of fixing the mess in our courts, the Attorney General is focused on using their majority to award partisan patronage appointments and erode people’s faith in our justice system."
The judicial system should be independent from government and any political party. Premier Ford and his government refuse to play by the rules, putting himself and his insider buddies first, and not prioritizing the many Ontarians who are waiting for access to justice. I will continue to push this government to prioritize you and the people of Ontario. Listen to my question to the Premier here.
Minister of Health hosts fundraiser instead of funding Mental Health Supports
Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, MPP Michael Tibollo hosted a meet and greet called, “Mental Health Mixer’, where tickets were $1000 each to attend.
When people are waiting over a year to access treatment for addictions, recovery, and mental health, when the overdose crisis is taking loved ones from families, this government is shameless promoting a cash-for-access culture that benefits only a wealthy few.
Children and families are waiting too long for access to supports and have to make the difficult decisions of paying out of pocket to access private support or driving hours away to access support elsewhere. This government has shown that the health and mental health of people across this province is not their priority.
We need real investments into mental health and addictions support. We need more trained health care and social workers to get into under-service communities. We need solutions now, not a government who prioritizes cash-for-access culture. Listen to my question to the Premier here.
Updates from TDSB Trustee Alexis Dawson
Digital Media Literacy Skills in the Age of AI
Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom
Join Trustee Debbie King, Trustee Alexis Dawson, and Trustee Deborah Williams for a special virtual joint ward forum.
It can be challenging to sort fact from fiction online, and an increase in hate speech, alongside ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools, have made it even harder.
This virtual workshop, led by CIVIX and TDSB staff, is designed to help parents and caregivers learn simple skills for spotting misinformation in the context of social media platforms and AI.
All parents/ guardians/ caregivers, students, staff, and members of school communities in Parkdale-High Park, Davenport, Spadina - Fort York, University - Rosedale and Toronto Centre are welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!
REGISTER HERE to confirm your interest in participating via Zoom.
Canadian Dental Care Plan for Seniors
The next phase of coverage under the Federal Dental Care Plan will soon be available to eligible seniors. Find out when you can apply.
To find out if you are eligible, visit: Canada Dental Care Plan Eligibility.
For more information, visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan.html.
Children 12 and under are already eligible. Find out more here: Canada Dental Care Plan – Children and Families.
Financial Empowerment and Problem Solving Program to End March 31
The Financial Empowerment and Problem Solving (FEPS) program was created to help low-income people file taxes and access existing benefits.
In 2023, West Neighbourhood House on Ossington Avenue and Dundas Street, was able to provide 2,113 low-income people with tax-filing support and financial problem-solving that resulted in $5,076,514 coming to those individuals and their families from various benefits they otherwise would not have received.
The government has announced that funding for this program will be end March 31, leaving thousands of people to find support else where. I will be writing to the Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services to ask that funding for this program continues so that low-income residents in Davenport can continue to access this essential program.
Register your rent and contribute to creating a more transparent rental market
The Ontario Rental Registry is an online database where tenants can anonymously register their rents. The purpose of the registry is to track rising rents across the province. This will lead to better, publicly-available housing data that can help protect and create more affordable housing. You can access the registry by going to rentalregistry.ca.
The rental registry is easy, quick and secure as it was designed to be compliant with SOC2 cybersecurity standards.
The Ontario Rental Registry has over 8,000 rents already registered. To register click here. And check out this map to see how thousands of people across the province have already contributed to creating more transparency across the sector.
To learn more, check out this article in The Toronto Star - Want to know what your neighbours pay in rent? A new Ontario rental registry will tell you.
Metrolinx Updates
Ontario's One Fare Program Active Across the GTHA
Many residents in Davenport have been calling on Metrolinx to implement fare intregration for years and now the Ontario's One Fare Program will allow transit riders to only pay once when connecting to and from the TTC and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit.
How Ontario's One Fare Program works:
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PRESTO automatically calculates a 100 per cent discount and applies it to a PRESTO card, credit or debit card or PRESTO in Google Wallet. Transit riders must tap on and off with the same card.
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Transfers are valid for two hours for trips started on local transit and within three hours of the start of a GO Transit trip.
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The payment method used to tap and pay a fare is a customer’s proof of payment. Riders approached for fare inspection will need to tap the card, phone or watch used on the inspection device.
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For trips connecting between TTC and GO Transit, the TTC component of the trip will become free, regardless of travel direction (cost of TTC trip is discounted from overall trip cost).
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For trips connecting between TTC and local transit systems, the second portion of the trip will become free (first payment will enable a two-hour free transfer across all systems).
For more information or questions you can contact my office at [email protected] or call my office at 46-535-3158
Construction Updates
Around the Community
Toronto Cares is looking to acquire a moving van to help transport food and goods for their weekly food bank/market.
Toronto Cares food bank/market to reopen next at a new location near Dufferin Street and Eglinton Avenue.
Join Lambretta Pizzeria for a kids pizza making party during the March Break.
Celebrate 10 years since The Theatre Centre moved into our forever home at 1115 Queen Street West! The Theatre Centre is launching the 10 for 10 programming (ten unique offerings over ten months) with a huge, building-wide party & fundraiser! On March 21, 2024 — for one night only — the Theatre Centre is opening up the entire building and activating it with music, games, M.A.C. glam station, photo spots, pop-up performances, and more. Get your tickets here before they sell out!
Calling community members in the Regal Road neighbourhood! Help is needed to make the annual Regal Road Spring Fair a success.
Book Club Series for Parents and Caregivers in the Regal Road neighbourhood.
Exhibition Place is inviting the local community for a leisure skate at the Coca-Cola Coliseum from March 8 to 10. For more details, visit explace.on.ca/community-event.
Come and sing a three-part arrangement of Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi. All music lovers are invited to sing with us!
All are welcome to our monthly tour of the church at 11:45 on Sunday. Simply meet at the front of the church and our tour guide will share with you all the wonderful details about St Anne’s.
