Dear Neighbour,
I am so excited that Sarah Jama was elected yesterday as the new MPP for Hamilton Centre. She kept Hamilton bright orange with over 55% of the vote. Sarah will be joining me at Queen’s Park where I cannot wait to support her leadership on issues from affordability to winning more for people living with disabilities.
Protecting Ontario’s People and Economy from Airborne Pandemics
I was back at Queen’s Park today for a press conference to announce a new Private Member’s Bill that I will be tabling next week. The Advisory Committee to Protect Ontario’s People and Economy from Airborne Pandemic Act, if passed, will ensure that we remember and act upon the lessons COVID taught us. COVID is airborne. We do not tolerate people getting sick from contaminated water, and we should not tolerate people contracting preventable airborne diseases.
I was joined by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers who have made core safer indoor air recommendations that are gathering international attention. Dr. Samantha Green also spoke about the medical impacts that ignoring COVID’s airborne spread is having in our city. Also in attendance was, Franz Hochholdinger, who owns Apricot Tree Cafe — a popular restaurant in Mississauga that has invested in air safety and prevented workplace outbreaks as a result.
Putting the Queens in Queen’s Park
Rising anti-2LSGBTQI+ violence is not only an American trend — it is also happening here in our province Marit Stiles and I met drag royalty — Scarlett BoBo from Canada’s Drag Race Season One — to review what this government can do to protect drag artists in Ontario. We had a wonderful brainstorming session and I will be sharing more updates about this upcoming work in the newsletters in the weeks ahead.
And Put Up a Parking Lot?
There was frustrating news related to the Foundry heritage site over the last week. As you may have heard, the land adjacent to the remaining buildings is being made into a parking lot.
Let me be clear, our community was promised affordable housing and not a parking lot on these lands. Ford used a Ministerial Zoning Order to t knock down the Dominion Wheel and Foundry heritage buildings during both the dead of winter in 2021. While Ford claimed he had to take these extraordinary steps to quickly build affordable housing, the developer he secretly sold the land to (Aspen Ridge Homes, a company owned by the De Gasperis family), is clearly not in a hurry. It’s look like there will no one moving into the new affordable homes at the Foundry for at least 5 years and more.
More Coverage About Ontario's Tribunals in Crisis
An informative article about Tribunal delays was released by the CBC this week. It echoes the stories we have been hearing about the absolutely unacceptable wait times everyday Ontarians are seeing at Tribunals, from the Landlord and Tenant Board to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. You can read the story here.
In Case You Missed It: Jagmeet Singh Grilling Galen Weston at House of Commons Hearings
Galen Weston was grilled by Jagmeet Singh at the House of Commons hearing on sky-rocketing grocery prices. You can see parts of that hearing by clicking the video above.
More evidence that Ford is manufacturing the crisis in our health care system
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario is calling out the Ford Conservatives for deliberately starving hospital capacity and healthcare by $21 billion. You and your loved ones are suffering because Ford is heartless.
More and more evidence is accumulating that Ford’s moves to introduce more private health care are in response to a crisis of his own making. Read about it here.
Get to know Marit Stiles
This is a fun interview Ontario’s NDP Leader Marit Stiles did with Streets of Toronto. It is a great read and break from our regularly scheduled political content. Read it here.
Reminder to Save the Date — Toronto Centre NDP AGM
You can meet Marit Stiles, and enjoy local culinary treats at our AGM later this month. There will be many surprise guests and special door prizes. Looking forward to seeing you there!
RSVP Toronto Centre NDP AGM
March 26, 2023 – 12:30pm - 2:30pm
Ballroom, 2nd floor, 519 Community Centre
519 Church Street
Thank you, it is an honour to represent you,
Kristyn Wong-Tam
MPP, Toronto Centre