January 19, 2024 Newsletter
|
On Monday, Marit Stiles and I joined business leaders in the historic St. Lawrence Market for a press conference to call on the Federal government to fix the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program. Understanding that many small businesses, including those in Toronto Centre, are still struggling to get past significant COVID-related financial setbacks, I have personally written to and called on the Prime Minister to extend the deadline for the forgivable portion of the CEBA loan until the end of December this year.
During the height of the pandemic, CEBA was a lifeline for small businesses. CEBA allowed small businesses to stay solvent, pay rent, and keep their staff employed. I watched with deep disappointment yesterday as CEBA’s repayment deadline passed, and the Prime Minister confirmed that he would not extend it. The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses' survey warns that this could worsen the crisis on main streets across the country. Their data reports that one-third, or approximately 100,000 businesses, will be forced to take out a bank loan at today’s high interest rates to make their loan payment, and a further 100,000 businesses (one-third of all surveyed) have no means to secure a loan at all. Maintaining a deadline that two-thirds of small businesses cannot meet is not an acceptable government policy when our country verges on a recession. Before becoming an elected official, I was a small business owner. I owned a coffee shop on Church Street and an art gallery in the Queen West neighbourhood. I know how tough it is to run a successful business at the best of times – and I never had to contend with a global health pandemic. It is beyond comprehension that the federal and provincial governments let this deadline pass, knowing that thousands of small business owners are now out in the cold and will have to lay off employees. Instead of supporting small businesses, Ford’s Conservatives are rewarding big retailers and their already wealthy CEOs at Shoppers, Staples, and Walmart. It’s shameful that Ford did not use his immense political voice to firmly and vocally call on the Prime Minister to demonstrably support small businesses with a repayment extension. He showed us once again that Conservatives are only interested in supporting their political donors and corporate friends with big bank accounts. An Ontario dominated by big box stores and empty main streets is not an Ontario that I want to live in. I will never stop fighting for the small businesses that make our communities unique and vibrant. Yours in community service, Kristyn
Kristyn Wong-Tam MPP, Toronto Centre
Every year around this time, the Ontario government hosts pre-budget consultations across the province. Government officials and MPPs travel to communities to hear from local governments, businesses, community organizations, and residents about their priorities and what they want to see in the budget. This practice is admirable and keeps our democracy strong. However, this year, the Conservative government decided not to hold any pre-budget consultations in Toronto. ZERO in our province’s largest city. This is unacceptable and a clear message that this government is afraid to face the consequences of their backroom deals that have so profoundly affected Torontonians.
Yesterday, the Ontario NDP Caucus hosted our own pre-budget consultation for Toronto. We heard from housing, community, and environmental organizations about what they need from their government. It was an honour to listen to these groups’ stories and understand their needs. I am excited to bring their requests to this government in the upcoming Legislative session.
Ford is falling behind on his housing goals and failing to meet the targets that his own government set for themselves in 2023. This week, Global News revealed that the province is now even further behind in its goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031. The Conservatives only continue to worsen the housing crisis by prioritizing backroom deals they are later forced to backtrack on when their corruption is revealed. If they were genuinely committed to building housing, they would be hitting their targets and focusing on building affordable housing in the places that people want to live.
This week, the West Don Lands Committee wrapped up their 26 years of devoted service to our developing waterfront communities. The committee has fostered and supported many vibrant neighbourhood associations in the waterfront communities that were created over the committee's lifetime, and they feel confident in passing on their work to these capable associations. I can’t wait to see how the committee's work lives on in this new iteration. I particularly want to thank co-chairs John Wilson and Cindy Wilkey, who guided the committee for so many years. Thank you for your leadership, friendship, advocacy, and love for our communities. The committee accomplished so much in its 26 years. Still, two personal highlights for me are their advocacy for the preservation and recognition of the First Parliament site and their work alongside the St Lawrence and Corktown communities to save the Foundry.
I recently submitted notice to the Clerk at Queen’s Park that I will call up the Gender Affirming Health Care Act for my first ballot date at Queen’s Park. This will be the Gender Affirming Health Care Act’s second reading. I will have more details for you soon — if you are interested in helping lobby the government and advocate for this bill, you can sign up here.
The Toronto Centre NDP is organizing a canvass to call on the Federal government to give Toronto a fair deal. On Sunday January 21, 2024, you can join Toronto Centre volunteers as we gather petitions for a day of action to talk to our neighbours about how we're calling on the federal government to support the City of Toronto. No prior canvassing experience is required, and training will be provided for first time canvassers. Be sure to dress warm and wear comfortable footwear!
The position of Associate Chair of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) is vacant for the fifth time in five years. This role is effectively the chair of the tribunal and reports directly to the Chair of Tribunals Ontario. They are responsible for the recruitment and training of new members, management of the case load, development of procedural rules, as well as adjudicative and policy leadership. This is a critical job that requires expertise in human rights law, as well as management experience. This type of experience isn't just suggested, it is legislatively mandated in the Human Rights Code. However, appointments to the HRTO by the Ford government have rarely followed these requirements. This lack of experience in leadership positions has been compounded by the refusal of the government to reappoint many experienced human rights adjudicators (seemingly only because they had been appointed by the previous government). This lack of experience and high turnover has resulted in huge delays and many fewer hearings than was previously normal. In the past couple of years, the number of final merit decisions released by the HRTO has fallen by more than 50%. At the same time, the tribunal is dismissing an unprecedented number of applications at the early stages and an alarming increase in abandoned applications. Often applicants wait more than a year to move forward before abandoning their cases. I am joining Tribunal Watch Ontario in calling on the government and Tribunals Ontario to commit to a full and transparent recruitment and appointment process to fill the very important position of Associate Chair of the Human Rights Tribunal and to ensure that the process complies with the applicable legislation.
The St James Town Community Corner is seeking community ambassadors! Eligibility:
What is involved?
The last date for submissions is Wednesday, 24th January Contact [email protected] or visit us @ The Corner, 200 Wellesley St. E
Where: Central YMCA, 20 Grosvenor Street, Toronto, or virtually by Zoom When: Saturday January 20, 10 am – 4:30 pm & Sunday January 21, 9 am – 12:30 pm Note: this is a paid conference - tickets can be purchased here. The Ford government is trying to close and diminish our local public hospital services. They are privatizing and deregulating the health care workforce. They are privatizing our core hospital services, long-term care, home care, primary care, and public health. They are also building the infrastructure for private for-profit hospitals. Now, more than ever, we need fearless, strong, ambitious action to stop privatization and force the rebuilding of our public health care. Each year, the Ontario Health Coalition invites everyone who believes in Public Medicare and wants to defend and improve it to join together in a major strategy session. Join them for an important and fun weekend of briefings, speakers, report-ins, and strategizing on January 20 & 21.
The Victim Services Awards of Distinction deadline has been extended to January 29, 2024, at 11:59 pm! Click here to nominate a local leader! This awards program recognizes the leadership, expertise, and commitment of local volunteers, professionals, and organizations who dedicate their time to ensuring those who have experienced victimization can access critical support and services. It also honours those that have been personally impacted by crime and are now working to bring awareness to victims’ issues in Ontario.
The City of Toronto, in collaboration with United Way Greater Toronto, is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the Toronto Community Champion Award 2024 program. In March 2023, the City recognized 25 organizations from across Toronto at the inaugural award ceremony. Due to the resounding success of this program, Toronto City Council agreed to continue this exciting program as an annual initiative. The Toronto Community Champion Award recognizes and acknowledges the extraordinary contributions that community organizations make to support the health and solidarity of the residents of the City of Toronto, particularly those from Black, Indigenous, and other equity-deserving communities. We encourage you to share the Toronto Community Champion Award nomination form with your constituents and community partners. The website is now open for Toronto residents to nominate organizations known for their “community collaboration.” The deadline to nominate is Sunday, February 4, 2024 at 11:55 p.m. Recipients will be announced in May 2024 and honoured at an award ceremony. For more information on the Toronto Community Champion Award, including criteria and eligibility, and to access the nomination form, please visit the program’s webpage. If you have any questions, please let us know. In the meantime, we are grateful for your support in getting the word out to encourage nominations in your riding.
Are you beginning to pave your career path? Do you have an interest in civics and current affairs? Are you actively involved in your community? Do you have aspirations to seek public office or want to know what it's like to be a political representative? The Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s Women’s Forum will bring together 124 young women and gender-diverse individuals from across Ontario for a full-day program in Toronto to promote active citizenship and public engagement through education and empowerment. One individual between the ages of 18-30 will be selected from each provincial riding to represent their community and experience parliament in action, meet prominent Ontario women and key parliamentary figures, and gain a behind-the-scenes perspective of Ontario’s Parliament. Applications are being accepted until TOMORROW, January 21, 2024.
The SLNA Waste Reduction Group is holding its 9th REmarket, a two-day event to collect unwanted items. A totally free market (FreeMarket) will also be held. Guests can donate and take items for free (not for commercial resale). Bring your own bag. Repair Café Toronto will be fixing clothing, jewelry, computers, home electronics, small appliances, housewares, and toys, while CultureLink Bike Hub will be doing minor bike repairs and safety checks. Full event details and guidelines can be found here. Please email [email protected] with any questions.
Bring your questions for New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh, who returns to the Democracy Forum at TMU to discuss how his party applies pressure to the Liberal government through its supply and confidence agreement in a minority Parliament. From domestic to foreign issues, Singh’s left-leaning NDP has been at the centre of a political balancing act. Sponsored by the Dais, this free event is open to all students and the general public, with advance registration required. When: Friday, Feb 2, 1 PM - 2 PM |
|||||||||||||||
