Natural health products (NHPs) play an essential role in the wellbeing of Canadians. They are an important piece of empowering citizens to care for themselves at home, and as a way to prevent illness.  Natural health products include items such as supplements (Zinc, Magnesium, Omega 3, etc.), natural body care products, homeopathic medicines, and traditional medicines (herbal medicines, traditional chinese medicines, etc.). Many Canadians turn to these products to be proactive with their health.  Canadians know our health system is strained. Why would we want to impose more barriers for people to access proactive health?  1/5 NHP companies said they are considering leaving Canada altogether. Over 70% of companies said they would have to limit their product line to prioritize what was most profitable. These new regulations will crush small NHP businesses, and drive up costs for the products that remain in the market. These new regulations will make natural health products difficult to access. 

1.  Allowing dividends is exactly parallel to allowing gamblers to collect winnings without cashing in chips.  Nobody in the world can collect his winnings without cashing in his chips.  Why allow shareholders to collect winnings without selling shares?  How are shareholders different from any other gambler? 2.  Allowing a company to own shares in another company means that a company is betting against itself.  It is a blatant conflict of interest when a company must make decisions which favour itself over the owned company.

Right now schools in downtown Toronto are way over capacity, there are is some schools 37 kids in the class, some of schools are driving school children 3-4 km away.

The Federal Government needs to act now by declaring a State of Emergency and transferring adequate funding to Indigenous communities and Indigenous housing and service providers to address the housing crisis.

“There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation” ... Quote by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. No politician or government official should have the right to interfere in the private sexual lives of consenting adults who choose to participate in and partake in sex work.

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 are a group of community members in Toronto’s west end who are feeling the effects of high inflation and soaring cost of living. High prices are making it difficult for working people to pay for housing, food and fuel. We are worried about the impact this is having on people throughout our community, and we are organizing to do something about it! We want to see action from all levels of government – municipal, provincial and federal– to roll back and control prices for basic necessities. These include rent and mortgage payments, gasoline and heating fuel, groceries and transit fares. Governments in Canada have used price controls on several occasions, to help maintain an affordable cost of living for working people. They need to do it again now! We are committed to fighting for our community through petition campaigns, meetings with local politicians, networking with like-minded community groups, public events and more. We are prepared to do whatever it takes to win lower prices! If you’re interested in fighting for an affordable cost of living, please connect with People for Lower Prices at [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/peopleforlowerprices/

Canada cannot continue to produce more oil as the world moves toward net zero. Unfortunately, the oil industry is actively lobbying for more production. This will lead to a collapse of the oil industry, leaving the taxpayers to clean the pollution they created. Please sign the petition at: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4225

Over 80% of the GHGs driving dangerous climate change are caused by the burning of fossil fuels. We need to replace fossil fuels with clean energy. Electrification is the best option to replace fossil energy. We need to expand our grid capacity and remove barriers to clean renewable generation. Without expanded interprovincial electricity transmission, provinces like Saskatchewan will not develop its world class solar and wind resources. The federal government can remove the barriers to clean energy by strengthening interprovincial transmissions by building the Clean Energy Corridor from coast to coast. This is a national project akin to building the railroad: Electric Federalism provides the path to a Net-Zero future!

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.

This issue was brought to my attention when learning that my Uncle Ken, who is living off of ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) due to his chronic disability of Multiple Sclerosis, cannot access affordable internet. Unfortunately, there is a significant lack of affordable internet options for those on ODSP or other similar provincial support programs across Canada.  For those who are already at a disadvantage, not being able to afford the internet leaves them more isolated and exacerbates their vulnerability. To access virtual programs and services in the community, internet service is required. The people who need these services the most are the ones who cannot afford to participate. The safety and well-being of recipients and their families rests on their ability to access information, connect with loved ones, attend support programs virtually, as well as attend medical and other necessary appointments. There are peer support, social programs and counseling services currently offered virtually and these are a lifeline to those who live alone and suffer a disability. As the pandemic has shown us, access to the internet is essential and a human right. At a time when MAID is free but the cost of living is so high, equitable access to services is essential if we are to value the lives of our most vulnerable.