February 29, 2024 Newsletter

Dear Neighbour, 

Last night, my Private Member’s Bill, the Gender Affirming Healthcare Act, was called up for second reading and we had the opportunity to debate the Bill. 

The vote on whether the Bill would pass second reading and go to committee will take place this upcoming Monday directly after Question Period. The Ford government has not indicated any support yet so the Bill is not guaranteed to pass. This weekend, we're urging all of our supporters to call and email Doug Ford to pass Bill 42. Let him know that we need his government to deliver equal access to health care for gender-diverse Ontarians. You can call Ford at (416)-325-7635 or email him at [email protected]. 

We had an incredible turnout of supporters for the debate, including Trans trailblazers who have been working towards more equitable care for Trans folks for decades, parents of Trans kids, healthcare providers, labour leaders, and community members from all over Ontario. Thank you to everyone who came out! 

You can watch the full debate below: 

You can also watch our two press conferences here, where incredible leaders shared their stories and reasons for supporting the Bill, including OPSEU President JP Hornick, CUPE Ontario leader Susan Gapka, OECTA Member, Catholic teacher and parent of a Trans child, Abby-Rose Follon:

On Thursday night, I also hosted a Community Assembly on Gender Affirming Care, where I was joined by Cheri Di Novo, Zaiba Baig, Sil Hernando, Jordan Zaitzow, and a room full of community members. The conversation was incredible. We really got to the heart of what gender affirming care is — providing support and tools to patients to live their lives fully as themselves. That looks different for everyone and we need flexible, accessible healthcare options to meet the needs of our diverse community. 

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

Black History Month

Ford Tips the Scale of the Justice System

NDP Delivers Pharmacare for Canadians

Federal NDP Motion on Palestine

KWT in Community

Upcoming Local Community Events

Just yesterday, the Federal NDP tabled legislation, supported by the Liberal Government, that will deliver universal, single-payer pharmacare to Canadians. It will begin by covering prescription contraceptives and diabetes medications and expand from there. This will be life-changing for so many Canadians. I am incredibly proud of this work. 

A national pharmacare program for Canadians was one of the federal NDP’s key demands going into the confidence-and-supply agreement with the federal Liberals. It establishes a process by which Canadians can access essential medication and devices through single payer coverage. But the plan’s success is contingent on whether Ontario signs on.

Canada is the only country in the world with a universal public health care system that does not have universal coverage for prescription drugs outside of hospitals.

People shouldn’t have to choose between essential diabetes medication, contraceptives and food. It's pretty simple: universal healthcare must include pharmacare. That was always the intention, since it was first introduced by Tommy Douglas.

Now, thanks to the NDP, Canadians who are struggling with the cost of prescriptions can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The question is whether the Premier will commit and stand up for Ontarians. I know that the rest of the Ontario NDP team and I will be relentless in our pressure to deliver pharmacare, a core Ontario NDP policy during the last two elections. 

Since October 7, at least 30,228 people have been killed and 71,377 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 attacks stands at 1,139.

A United Nations team found many injured in yesterday’s Israeli attack on Palestinians awaiting food aid in Gaza. The Health Ministry announced the overall death toll at 115, with some 760 wounded. The acting director of al-Awda Hospital says 80 percent of the wounded brought to the hospital had been shot.
Needless to say, the killing must end. The collective punishment of Gaza that led up to this slaughter is deplorable and rests squarely on the shoulders of Isreal’s current government. There will be nothing left if a permanent ceasefire does not come imminently. Since October 11, the NDP has been calling for peace and a ceasefire and we won’t stop now.

I am incredibly proud of the strong and principled stance that the NDP has taken in their motion to combat the humanitarian crisis we are seeing unfold in Gaza and across the region. 

You can read the full text of the motion here, but the highlights are that the motion calls on the government to:

1. Demand an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages;
2. Suspend all trade in military goods and technology with Israel and increase efforts to stop the illegal trade of arms, including to Hamas;
3. Immediately reinstate funding and ensure long-term continued funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and support the independent investigation;
4. Support the prosecution of all crimes and violations of international law committed in the region, and support the work of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court;
5. Demand unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza;
6. Ensure Canadians trapped in Gaza can reach safety in Canada and lift the arbitrary cap of 1000 temporary resident visa applications;
7. Ban extremist settlers from entering Canada, impose sanctions on Israeli officials who incite genocide, and maintain sanctions on Hamas leaders;
8. Advocate for an end to the decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories and work toward a two-state solution;
9. Officially recognize the State of Palestine and maintain Canada’s recognition of Israel’s right to exist and to live in peace with its neighbours.

The motion will be debated, and a vote will be held on March 18. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to reach out to their Federal MPs and request that they support the motion.

Congratulations to the Chinese Workers Network on hosting another wonderfully successful Lunar New Year celebration. Deep gratitude for all the hard work they do to uplift the community all year round!

Congratulations to the Yonge Street Mission Evergreen Centre on the opening of their Health and Dental Clinic! For years, the YSM Evergreen has been a safe space for youth to drop by for medical care, food, employment, and housing assistance as well as supplementary social programs. 

Last Friday, I had a chance to stop by one of my favourite local bakeries, Whiskful Thinking Bakery at 72 Wellesley St. E for some freshly baked scones and other goodies. Thank you to their lovely staff for their warm welcome! 

At the Grand Re-opening of the newly renovated Foy House Mansion on 92 Isabella St., I was honoured to attend their Black History Month exhibit where they featured the photographic art of Max Lamour as part of their mansion tour. From March onwards, this historic mansion will be available to host events for the community - be sure to check out this lovely space! 

Last week, I had a meeting with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto and met with Executive Director, Mary Lynne Stewart, Volunteer Resources Consultant, Elizabeth McCaffrey and Faithworks Campaign Manager, Peter Mentis. It was a pleasure to learn more about Faithworks and their incredible community support programs and services. 

Birth Mark is a wonderful local maternal and family health provider, offering free-of-charge, full-spectrum reproductive doula care and complementary perinatal support services. They also partner with food security programs, shelters, hospitals, and more to help all pregnant people and parents. You can see a full list of their programs by going to their website. 

Unfortunately, Birth Mark has encountered severe funding challenges and has been forced to end some of their programming. As it operates as a charity, Birth Mark relies on donors' generosity to offer its services. Their main donor is redirecting its funds, jeopardizing the future of Birth Mark. Without this funding, thousands of patients have lost or will lose the care they need. If you are able, please donate, volunteer, and share their information with your circles.

Beginning at OISE at 252 Bloor St West, the International Women’s Day Rally & March will be on Saturday, March 2 at 11 AM.

March for a gender-equal world! A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

Yonge Street Mission is hosting a Community Impact Jam for community leaders to discuss how to improve their existing tools to better serve the needs within the Regent Park community. Make a difference by helping to shape the future of YSM’s community development strategy and claim your spot by emailing [email protected]. 

Please RSVP as soon as you can ensure that you can attend on March 6 from 5 PM to 8 PM at YSM’s Martin Centre at 306 Gerrard St. East.

After the Regent Park Cafe launch, they are now open and operational every Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 8 PM. If you are near Daniels Spectrum at 585 Dundas St. East, pop in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

GOOD TO BE GOOD is pleased to announce a fifth cohort for the Change Make-Her program! This FREE interactive virtual program is for women and gender-diverse folks* interested in developing their entrepreneurship and leadership skills through mentorship-based training workshops, community building, peer support, resource-sharing, and other opportunities.

Applications are now OPEN for the Change Make-Her program! The poster is attached to this email—please share and spread the word. To register, email Arezoo Najibzadeh at [email protected] or sign up by using this link: https://forms.gle/LuPLtsiWVDL5618u6. Please note that applications close Sunday, March 17.

On 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.

REGISTER HERE to confirm your interest in participating via Zoom