Doug Ford lied. Last month he tabled a piece of legislation — Bill 23 — to eviscerate our pristine Greenbelt, breaking his promise to leave it alone. [1] This bill is an attack on the environment and democracy — all under the guise of expanding housing. [2] Bill 23 would allow Ford to take 7,400 acres of farmland and natural areas and strip environmental protections that protect wildlife, keep our drinking water safe, guard wetlands, and ensure flood protection. [3] To pave over our Greenbelt, Ford is undermining the planning power of municipalities, forgoing requirements for public meetings and overriding the ability of communities to appeal decisions. [4] And housing experts and advocates have been clear: with a focus on making money, the bill will actually limit the ability to build new affordable rental housing and jeopardize the affordable housing that exists. [5,6] All the while, corporate land developers are set to profit big from this plan. [7] Public outrage is growing — and there’s still time to stop this Bill from going through. Will you sign this petition to help show mass public support and demand Bill 23 is stopped? Sources: [1] https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/11/04/ontario-backtracks-on-greenbelt-pledge-with-plan-to-allow-housing-on-7400-acres.html [2] https://ontarionature.org/bill-23-what-you-need-to-know-blog/ [3] https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/11/10/opinion/sacrificing-ontario-scarce-green-space-sprawl-giant-mistake [4] see 2 [5] https://acorncanada.org/take_action/doug-fords-bill-23-destroys-existing-affordable-housing-builds-more-luxury-condos-scrap-it-now/ [6] https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/q-and-experts-more-homes-built-faster-act-or-bill-23 [7] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/gta-developers-own-greenbelt-land-swap-1.6648273

The locations for these "developments" have been chosen solely based on the, suddenly reduced, assessed price of the land and no other considerations. Deals are being made without due diligence behind closed doors. All efforts to question these decisions are met with silence from the government and developers. Thousands of Nova Scotians are protesting these maneuvers, yet no explanation of the method behind this madness has been offered.

Books, are resources. A local school trustee, and prospective politician amongst six people made it their mission to remove three books from the South Central Regional Libraries (WinklerLibraries) https://www.facebook.com/100063668588322/posts/pfbid0dzTMwbQReZ6zfppKbknM3C3VVE4MDsh8LTkCmySWhN1E5gpSKUdmzkoUPDPaKz61l/. They claim the books are pornographic and are against the law, when however the books are there for families and children to read together, and cover a wide range of sexual education and health information. Parents might use these resources to know how to talk to their children about sex, sex organs, identities, and sex terminology. Learning these things in part help keep children safe, knowing how to properly label their sex organs, parents might want to teach their children these things because it helps teach them what their privates are, and that they aren't bad words and that if someone is violating them they can properly identify the parts, as cute names for sexual parts can be misinterpreted, a vagina is a vagina and a penis is a penis, and can't be confused with a cookie or any other terminology that makes adults feel more comfortable. Two of these three books that are titled It's perfectly normal by Robie H. Harris and Sex is a funny word by Corey Silverberg. These books are more informative but sex is a funny word has a blend of a story infused in it, book exerpts can be found on these links provided: https://sexedrescue.com/its-perfectly-normal/ And https://youtu.be/h_si_7xB_3k The third book being called to be banned is called All boys aren't blue by George M. Johnson, It is written by a queer black author, he says his book is not pornographic in nature, age appropriate and helps children to identify sexual abuse and see themselves represented within literature as the novel is about growing up queer. More can be read at this link regarding this teenage novel: https://time.com/6120915/george-m-johnson-all-boys-arent-blue-book-bans/ These books are optional, they're offered as reading for both education and enjoyment. Not everyone has the same view points, and that's but speaking for diverse families, speaking for diverse readers is a problem, especially when these politicians claim to say less government involvement, and more freedom to make choices for yourself and your family or when they come from a veiwpoint that isn't based in current information and claim otherwise. They're making a choice on behalf of many without providing information as to why many of the reasons they have provided caters to the feelings they have about the particular books in question. These books deserve a proper fight, to be protected, because it's not the books that are being let down, it's children, families and people. Please sign this to keep these books an option for many and offer a wake up call to school trustees and politicians alike.

National Public Inquiries or Royal Commissions have an essential role in examining complex social or political issues, providing detailed, research-based information on Inquiry topics and typically giving the government a menu of policy means to address any serious social concerns the Inquiry discovers in carrying out its mandate. The Federal Government established a Royal Commission on the Concentration of Ownership in the Newspaper Industry. It's time to examine closely what is going on with Canada's newspaper and broadcast journalism to see if it is reflective of what has happened elsewhere and what steps can be taken so that their reporting meets Canadians' expectations.

It takes a lot of people to counter the prevailing pressures that have gotten us to this place. Thankfully, so many people in this region are joining the call to prioritise affordable and non-profit housing. If we stay silent and fail to act urgently and boldly now, we will continue to see a loss of families and diversity in our communities. We will continue to see increasing hardship in our streets and parks. We are a wealthy province and country. Working together with purpose and courage, we can build communities that provide homes for all.

Our children's life is in danger!! The Taliban is the most misogynist regime on the planet today, committing large-scale human rights violations, establishing a system of total gender apartheid, and specifically targeting those they see as promoting “western” values. As Canadians, we must now hold our government accountable for the harmful consequences of their actions internationally and call on PM Trudeau, Minister Fraser, and IRCC to fulfill a moral obligation to save as many lives as possible.

We look to the next Premier to lead us to climate solutions so we can inspire others, and create resilient communities across BC. As members of the BC NDP, we call on all candidates to sign this pledge, to commit to real climate action and to stand by this commitment as Premier of B.C. How this works: Leadership candidates who sign this pledge commit to enact these commitments once sworn in as Premier. NDP Members commit to only vote for a leadership candidate who signs this pledge before November 30th, 2022. If you’re not a member yet, sign up before September 4th, 2022 so that you can have a voice in this election and help choose the next Premier: http://bcndp.ca/join Email us at [email protected] with the heading “climate pledge” to sign up for the climate first voting bloc and stay informed. Note: Ashley Zarbatany is the chair of the BC NDP's Standing Committee on the Environment and Economy (SCOEE). The action items were prioritized and revised democratically as a committee with input from broader membership as well.

If you live in Ontario, this may be one of the most important petitions you sign this year... Only massive urgent transformational change can solve the climate emergency we are in. This will not happen on its own. It will take every one of us working together to push for critical change … but it can be done! The steep price of oil and gas has driven up the cost of transportation, food and other essentials, making life unaffordable. These same fossil fuels also worsen the climate emergency causing tornadoes, floods, extreme heat, droughts and wildfires. And they produce deadly air pollution which already kills 6600 Ontarians prematurely every year [1]. The clear and cheapest solution is green renewable energy. Unbelievably, the Ontario government instead is planning a massive increase in gas-fired electricity, burning even more fossil fuels [2] - an unacceptable move that will threaten all our futures. While Ontarians are struggling to put food on the table and find affordable housing, this government has been in lock-step with mega land-developers making multi-million dollar profits while they consume our dwindling precious farmland, green spaces and wetlands, ignoring protective regulations in some areas, to promote harmful unnecessary highways [3,4] and urban sprawl [5]. The result: fewer, oversized, expensive, and more isolated car-dependent homes consuming more fossil fuels and land for the few who can afford, while further deepening the climate crisis, fatal air pollution, housing shortages and food insecurity. It doesn’t have to be this way! The solutions for the healthy thriving future we all deserve already exist. If our government chooses to ignore solutions, it’s up to every Ontarian to pay attention, to stand up for ourselves and our loved ones urgently, and demand the Government of Ontario take urgent climate action while we still have time to secure a livable future: 1) Sign this petition to demand government accountability for an urgent climate action plan 2) Sign on to the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign (OCEC) at: https://www.ontarioclimateemergency.ca/individual-pledge and share widely — join over 250 diverse groups and individuals representing over 850,000 Ontarians to increase your impact in calling for positive urgent change to protect your future 3) Use your vote - every single election! And get others to vote for pro-environmental candidates in every future election. With the lowest voter turnout in history for the June 2022 Ontario provincial election, the current majority government actually represents only 18% of all eligible voters [6]. Local level decisions have a huge impact. Voting at every level of government matters to our everyday lives like never before - add your voice because your future is truly at stake and your vote can make the difference! Connect with the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign on social media! https://twitter.com/ocecampaign https://www.instagram.com/onclimateemergencycampaign/ https://www.facebook.com/ONClimateEmergencyCampaign Sources: [1] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/2021-health-effects-indoor-air-pollution.html [2] https://www.theenergymix.com/2022/01/10/ontario-grid-faces-375-emissions-increase-as-ford-government-embraces-new-gas-plants/ [3] https://cal.streetsblog.org/2015/11/18/caltrans-admits-building-roads-induces-congestion-but-admitting-a-problem-is-just-the-first-step/ [4] https://www.thestar.com/life/2021/12/06/highway-disease-doctors-prescribe-saying-no-to-highway-413-development.html?rf [5] https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/chief-public-health-officer-reports-state-public-health-canada/2017-designing-healthy-living.html [6] https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2022/06/03/18-of-ontario-voters-handed-doug-ford-a-majority-government-whether-thats-a-bad-thing-depends-who-you-ask.html

As Canadians, we can be proud of the reputation Canada has earned for providing safety to persecuted people from across the globe. We can't now tarnish that reputation by turning our backs on Afghans who are at risk precisely because they worked with us to advance values which we as Canadians share -- those of democracy, human rights, and gender equality. The Taliban is the most misogynist regime on the planet today, committing large scale human rights violations, establishing a system of total gender aparthied and specifically targeting those they see as promoting “western” values. As Canadians, we must now hold our government accountable for the harmful consequences of their actions internationally, and call on PM Trudeau, Minister Fraser and IRCC to fulfill a moral obligation to save as many lives as possible.

Our hearts have been heavy these last few days since the overturning of Roe V Wade. A whole generation of people in a first-world country are now second-class citizens. They have lost autonomy over their bodies. When we look at our daughters, and around at all people in our lives we wonder- how safe are all of us from the same fate in Canada? The answer to that question is unfortunately not very. The lack of legislation pertaining to abortions in Canada is a scary double-edged sword. No legislation means no precedent to build on but it also means there is an empty slate for precedent to be introduced. This is why it is so important to name and understand how dangerous these Bills, being introduced and voted in favour of by conservatives really are. Now is not the time to be complacent, it's not the time to say it couldn't happen here. It is time to say we refuse to let it happen here. We want to add that this isn’t a partisan issue. While the conservatives are the only real threat to abortion rights at the moment we would hold any party or MP to the same account.

• The proposed LRT expressway would run through Eglinton Flats; some of the most valuable green space in the city of Toronto. This parkland is a designated greenbelt zone that includes one of the city’s largest regional networks of sports facilities and offers an idyllic setting to enjoy nature. • Clear cutting large swaths of mature urban forest to accommodate this elevated proposal would destroy ecologically sensitive areas, wildlife habitat and a critical wildlife corridor that connects to the Humber River System to the Eglinton Flats, Fergy Brown Park, Pearen Park, Topham Pond and Gladhurst Park. Species at risk, both Threatened and Endangered, that are protected in Canada under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), have been identified in the project area. • In May 2021, the Federal government allocated billions of dollars to the ECWE. A fully tunnelled LRT line will provide fast speeds, less service disruptions and best cost benefit in the long term. Keeping the LRT underground is both financially viable and technically feasible. [1] [2] • The current plan to elevate the LRT through Mount Dennis is not socially equitable or ecologically responsible. It’s comparable to running a Gardiner Expressway for LRT trains through local parks and alongside condominium residences. West of the Flats, the LRT will run underground through an affluent stretch of Etobicoke and this should continue through Mount Dennis. [3] • With increased residential developments planned for the area and the ongoing impacts of climate crisis, it’s essential that Metrolinx stop any plans to destroy mature naturalized parkland and keep the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension underground. • Metrolinx needs to conduct meaningful consultation and demonstrate a genuine willingness to act on concerns of communities. This isn’t only about building better transit . . . it’s the fight against climate change and prioritizing livable cities. Sign the petition to Keep the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension (ECWE) underground and save our parks! [1] https://www.canada.ca/en/office-infrastructure/news/2021/05/largest-public-transit-investment-in-gta-history-will-create-jobs-and-kickstart-the-economy.html [2] https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/billy-bishop-pedestrian-tunnel-wins-award [3] https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2022/mm/bgrd/backgroundfile-225808.pdf

Online Continuing Education courses are better for the following reasons: - access is improved and more equitable for instructors and students from across the city - time, distance and cost of travel to in-person sites can be a major deterrent. This is especially true with the current high cost of gas. - access is made possible / more convenient for people with disabilities - attendance will be improved by elimination of problems travelling in inclement weather - potential participants (e.g., seniors, immunocompromised) will not be deterred by ongoing risks related to COVID-19 - the TDSB will save expenses associated with maintenance of existing buildings for in-person courses. Please help support online Continuing Education courses. Let's give Toronto residents the option of taking them. Supporters of online Continuing Education courses (Learn4Life) at the TDSB