Sudbury is facing an overdose crisis: Since 2018 there has been a 346% increase in opioid overdose deaths in Sudbury compared to 60% in Ontario. 112 Sudbury and Manitoulin residents died from an opioid-related overdose in 2022, that’s an average of 9 people a month. The Spot saves lives: In 2023, Minoogawbi, La Place, The Spot had almost 1,000 visits and reversed all 15 overdoses that happened on site, saving lives. Drug checking services for substances like fentanyl were used dozens of times in 2023 alone, preventing the risk of overdose. But the organization is handcuffed, not able to operate a downtown location and having restrictive hours. With funding it could see upwards of 50 people a day and ultimately save more lives. We can’t wait: We have been waiting years and have heard nothing. Unless action is taken now, this essential organization will close its doors December 31st, 2023 or sooner. Sign the petition to save the Spot and save lives… before it’s too late.

Nous sommes à un moment critique. Le gouvernement autocratique de l'Inde a apparemment assassiné un dirigeant sikh canadien, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, au Canada [1]. Ce même gouvernement nationaliste hindou s'en prend violemment et quotidiennement aux musulmans, aux sikhs, aux groupes opprimés dans le système de caste, aux groupes autochtones, aux chrétiens et aux groupes habitants du Cachemire occupé [2]. Les nationalistes hindous disposent également d'un vaste réseau au Canada [3]. L'un des moyens utilisés par ces forces nationalistes hindoues de droite (Hindutva) pour étouffer toute critique du gouvernement indien et de l'idéologie suprématiste hindoue consiste à qualifier ces critiques d'"hindouphobes". Ces groupes ont lancé une pétition, faussement vertueuse sous couvert de droits de la personne, pour demander à la Chambre des Communes de reconnaître spécifiquement l'"hindouphobie" comme une forme de discrimination. Mais l'"hindouphobie" est un outil politique sournois conçu pour tromper les personnes de bonne volonté et les rendre complices de l'avancement d'un programme nationaliste et suprématiste hindou au Canada. Les mesures antiracistes et antidiscriminatoires devraient obliger les systèmes de pouvoir à rendre des comptes. Or, la pétition "Hindouphobie" ne fait rien de tel [4]. Elle sert à affaiblir et camoufler la responsabilité des nationalistes hindous, un danger clair et présent pour tout le monde au Canada. Toute reconnaissance parlementaire de l'"hindouphobie" aura un effet dissuasif sur les droits des minorités religieuses et des Canadiens et Canadiennes d'Asie du Sud opprimé.es par la caste, ainsi que sur tous les universitaires, artistes et militant.es des droits de la personne au Canada [5]. Signez cette pétition maintenant et résistez à la reproduction des politiques suprémacistes hindoues au Canada. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sikh-nijjar-india-canada-trudeau-modi-1.6974607 [2] https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-asia/india/report-india/ [3] https://www.lapresse.ca/debats/opinions/2022-11-09/drapeau-hindou-devant-le-parlement/des-nuances-pour-ce-symbole-politiquement-charge.php# https://www.nccm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/RSS-Report-2023.pdf; https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7z947/how-far-right-hindu-supremacy-went-global [4] https://www.baaznews.org/p/hinduphobia-hindu-nationalist-rhetoric [5] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d41KjHGfrnJlbM0fLLMJlGADOku4sOu_/view?usp=sharing

The stench of corruption surrounds the process by which Premier Ford broke his promise not to open up the Green Belt. The report of Provincial auditor general Bonnie Lysyk, August 9, makes it clear that developers were the drivers of what areas of the Green Belt were to be opened. Lysyk describes how developers at an industry dinner slipped “packages” with their proposals for land that should be removed from the protection of the Greenbelt to the housing minister’s chief of staff, Ryan Amato. Amato was directing the process for choosing which land would be opened up. Of the 15 parcels that were, 14 were proposed by Amato, not non-partisan provincial staff tasked with the work. Of those, 12 were brought to Amato by the developers themselves. “Altogether, those who had access to the chief of staff at the September BILD event ended up with land removals that accounted for 6,784 acres, or 92 per cent of the 7,412.64 acres ultimately removed from the Greenbelt in December 2022,” Lysyk wrote. The main beneficiaries of this rich giveaway include prominent Tory connected developers Silvio De Gasperis and Michael Rice. Lysyk wrote in her report that she “found that how the land sites were selected was not transparent, fair, objective or fully informed.” Lysyk’s report comes at the same time as an ongoing investigation into the Greenbelt deals by Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake, the province’s ethics watchdog. Whether or not the RCMP Rackets squad is called in, the buck stops with our Premier, his broken trust and handover of vitally important protected land to vested private interests.

Hospital CEOs hold a significant amount of sway with the government — and for the most part they don't hear from the public. Right now, most hospital CEOs haven't rejected Ford's privatization plans. In fact, a couple of them have actually spoken out in support of it. But they haven't heard from the community their hospital serves.

Healthcare workers were praised as heroes of the pandemic and it is time to show them exactly how much we mean those words. Everyone can find themselves in a health complication and we all age. Canadians have always been proud of our 'universal' healthcare and the less fortunate cannot afford an even more discriminatory and exclusive system. We need to hold the people truly responsible for this crisis to task and speak fervently in favor of public health for all

Hospitals are the frontline of the privatization fight, and CEOs hold a significant amount of sway with the government — and for the most part, they don't hear from the public. As public members of society, we believe a resilient, well-funded, public healthcare system is crucial to our community. Our CEO needs to hear your voice, NOW. Please sign the petition and show your support for our Public Healthcare system. Say NO to Doug Ford's privatization plans.

We as Canadians, who are fortunate to have public healthcare, will defend this element that makes our country great. The consequences of our healthcare becoming privatized are far reaching and will have a negative impact on not just low-income and marginalized people, but nearly everyone. In March, 2023, Doug Ford proposed Bill 60, on the first day of the current legislative season, after changing the rules of Legislature so that bills could pass by even faster, without the need for democratic discussion in parliament. Under Bill 60, private clinics can be established by any third party/corporation without being subject to the conflict of interest and ethics regulations of public servants and without public notice. Bill 60 essentially hands over the roles of Minister and the Cabinet to any third party/corporation that wishes to open a private clinic, overturning the long history of the Independent Health Facilities Act, which was introduced in 1990 in order to prevent privatized health care in Canada. Tell Arden Krystal, the CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre, to push back against Ford and say a clear "NO" to private health care in Newmarket, Ontario. It is not the way forward, it is not a solution, and it is not an improvement on our current health care system.

155,000 government workers — including CRA workers, cooks and cleaners, Coast Guard search and rescue teams, and passport and immigration staff — are at breaking point, and are now striking in what could be the biggest strike in Canadian history. [1-2] Public service workers are critical to our everyday lives — they provide countless services for people from coast to coast. And like all workers, they deserve to be treated fairly. For years they have been at the bargaining table fighting for better conditions, job security and fair wages that keep up with inflation. [3] The strike is all over the news, and already the government is trying to pit the public against federal workers, blaming those going on strike for asking for too much. We need to show the government we aren’t buying it: that we expect them to come to the table and give workers a fair deal with the wages and working conditions they deserve. A rising tide lifts all boats — the fight for fair wages is everyone’s fight. If you agree, will you add your name to the solidarity statement now. Sources: [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/psac-strike-bargaining-update-april-17-live-1.6812693?cmp=newsletter_CBC%20News%20Morning%20Brief_8816_967874 [2] https://psacunion.ca/strike-deadline-announced-155000-psac-members [3] see 2

We all – the desperate patients, the burned out nurses, the struggling doctors, the other healthcare workers, researchers, and administrators, even the politicians and, certainly, the voters – know that a remedy is urgently needed for the crisis in the health care system. Dangerously overstretched nurses, doctors, and paramedics, closed Emergency Rooms, the chronic shortage of family doctors, the migration of burned out medical professionals – especially nurses – to the private sector or to retirement, the failure to collect and transparently share data that reports resource levels and medical outcomes to allow Canadians to assure themselves that the system is working. These are just some of the issues that need attention and support. Canadians have long believed that healthcare is a right and are baffled that this situation has been allowed to develop. It is more than time that our elected leaders fulfill their responsibilities and solve the health care funding impasse.

We all deserve to lead happy fulfilling lives and none of us should have to worry about our most basic needs. Canada is a very rich country, yet some of our most vulnerable citizens cannot afford some of the most basic necessities of life. A large number of people on ODSP cannot afford to regularly eat and have to make devastating choices each month like whether to pay rent/utilities or to buy groceries. A shocking number of people on ODSP are homeless. We could choose to take care of the most vulnerable now and it should be an easy choice. Recipients of CERB got $2000 a month. Odsp should be at least equal to what CERB was. Let's not sweep this issue under the rug any longer. It's an atrocity that Canadian prisoners are better looked after than those with disabilities. Let's take action today and raise ODSP recipients out of poverty.

Bill 39 is a provincial bill that gives Mayor Tory the ability to pass motions with just 1/3 of the Council - a power of minority rule that is an affront to every instinct of democracy. [1] The bill has united the political spectrum in condemnation - even conservative pundits have called it an affront to democracy. [2] On Wednesday, December 14th, Mayor John Tory told a reporter that "nobody" talks to him about Bill 39. [3] Toronto is facing a numerous issues, from lack of affordable housing to transit overcrowding and more - but upending democracy is no solution. It's time to talk to Mayor Tory about Bill 39. Use this form to send Mayor Tory an email telling him that you care about democracy in Toronto, and that he should defend it - by joining the Mayor of Ottawa in committing to never use Bill 39's autocratic powers. [4] [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ford-government-s-bill-39-is-against-the-basic-democratic-instinct-1.6656706 [2] https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/lilley-ford-governments-bill-39-an-affront-to-democracy [3] https://twitter.com/JoshMatlow/status/1603218063503294464?s=20&t=LLuJCI6crlWRyoXSAUWocg [4] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-strong-mayor-bill-39-passes-1.6678864

On November 24th, Tesla expanded it's beta test of "full self-driving" software to everyone in North America. [1] Just hours later, a six-car pileup on the Bay Bridge was caused by a Tesla suddenly stopping; two people were hospitalized. [2] Tesla's misleadingly named "full self-driving" feature - which is not full self-driving at all, but rather requires human override at all times - is still in beta testing, meaning it is *not* market ready. In fact, the US Department of Justice is investigating Tesla over its misleading claims. [3] And now everyone in Toronto is an unknowing participant in Elon Musk's safety trials. Tesla previously forbid "full self-driving" within Toronto because it would not recognize streetcars picking up or dropping off passengers. When asked by the CBC how this flaw had been fixed, Tesla did not provide an answer. [4] Recent tests in October also showed that Tesla's falsely-named "full self-driving" will not recognize school busses with stop signs extended and will drive around them, even when children are crossing the street. [5] Toronto streets are already too dangerous for pedestrians, transit riders, cyclists, and drivers alike. Elon Musk is free to test out his "full self-driving" software - but he needs to do it on closed courses, or places where people have consciously opted-in to be participants. We did not sign up to be Elon Musk's guinea pigs. It's time to ban Tesla's "full self-driving" until it completes the relevant beta testing and can demonstrate a safety record that actually makes our streets safer. [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tesla-driverless-technology-downtown-toronto-1.6662340 [2] https://www.ktvu.com/news/multi-car-crashes-disrupt-thanksgiving-day-travel-on-bay-bridges [3] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/teslas-full-self-driving-beta-now-available-all-n-america-musk-says-2022-11-24/ [4] See 1 [5] https://dawnproject.com/tests-reveal-that-tesla-fsd-will-drive-around-stopped-school-buses/