"Time to name lanes after women and BIPOC Torontonians because their names are not on our streets," Paula Fletcher. This was in response to a constituents query regarding laneway names. I think it's time to elevate Black Women's names, their legacy, to the streets we live, work and play on everyday. An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 freedom-seekers — born free or enslaved — reached Canada through the Underground Railroad. In 1850, over 35,000 Black persons lived in Canada West. To promote emigration to Canada, Mary Ann Shadd publicized the successes of Black persons living in freedom in Canada through The Provincial Freeman, a weekly newspaper first printed on 24 March 1853. “Self-Reliance Is the True Road to Independence” was the paper’s motto. From Adrienne Shadd. A descendant of Abraham Doras Shadd, a prominent abolitionist in the 19th century, and Mary Ann Shadd Cary. "Being at the helm of a weekly paper had been a difficult introduction to the newspaper business. She had suffered insults and criticisms as the outspoken editress but, undaunted, she intended to keep it going by any means necessary. She unflinchingly called on more Black women to take their seat in the editor’s chair of the nation’s newspapers and periodicals. And by so doing herself, she had forever made her mark on history as the first Black woman to publish and edit a newspaper in North America." Dundas Street was named after Henry Dundas who delayed the abolition of slavery for fifteen years and supported slavery as a means to ensure the economic benefit of the UK. Black and Indigenous history is all but white washed in Toronto. This could be the start of recapturing space that has been lost to ignorance. It would be fitting for a Black woman who advocated for the abolition of slavery and for women’s suffrage for the better part of her life, would be elevated to replace a racist white man.

Research proves masks significantly reduce infections and save lives. All the other provinces and most countries require their use. There is no excuse for BC not doing the same. COVID infections are increasing exponentially in BC. As of Nov 3rd there are over 3000 active cases and more than another 6000 people who have been exposed but not counted in that number. More deaths are likely to follow in the 28 BC long term care facilities which have outbreaks. Meanwhile school children are packed into schools and that bars and restaurants remain open. At the same time people are ordered to keep family members and friends out of their homes. Our provincial government is failing to adopt measures to protect the health of seniors, vulnerable citizens, teachers, medical and other front line workers. This does nothing for the well-being of people who hear the message they are expendable.

As head of the RCMP in Canada Commissioner Brenda Lucki is responsible for the RCMP's failure to act while commercial fishers terrorized Mi'kmaw lobster fishers in Nova Scotia last week. Commissioner Lucki does not grasp the magnitude of the problems with the enforcement of law and protection of the Mi’kmaq and earlier this year denied the existence of racism and discrimination in the RCMP. We need a new Commissioner and a meaningful process for implementing the Mi’kmaq Treaty rights now. The RCMP in Canada is a racist hangover from the European conquest of these lands, literally designed to oppress Indigenous populations. It does not belong in a country that says it is committed not just to Truth and Reconciliation, but addressing racial bias in policing. Dismissing Commissioner Lucki is just a first step, but a necessary one. Sources: https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/brenda-lucki-must-go/ https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/afn-calling-for-trudeau-to-remove-rcmp-commissioner-lucki-1.5158148?fbclid=IwAR3V-FD6QFQz_-0YWLoCbZ4UoUtMoN8tNPG6eNLGtahhkeWmKjJ6kVEH88o

Jason Kenney and Minister Shandro made big promises to protect healthcare and they’re trying to cover their tracks by saying that this won’t affect frontline nurses and doctors providing healthcare to Albertans. But we know that there are real world effects of these cuts. These cuts would result in thousands of low-income support staff out of a job, reduced compensation for nurses, increased costs for seniors needing continuing care and less support for rural communities. Part of the UCP's election platform was a promise to maintain or increase healthcare spending — not slash budgets to smithereens. Now they're going back on their word. If we can blow up their broken promises and shine a light on the real world consequences of their cuts we could convince them to reverse their decision. Add your name now.

The B.C. government must stop throwing good money after bad into the unneeded Site C dam. In July, BC Hydro belatedly admitted that serious geotechnical issues had materialized at Site C and that the fix was unclear. Before any more work continues, and any more of our billions are potentially wasted, the Premier must call for an independent expert review with full public transparency. BC taxpayers and Hydro ratepayers deserve to know what they are paying for. If the independent expert panel finds that this project can't be fixed or that attempted fixes will cost billions more, cancellation of the project must be on the table. These billions can be put to much better use helping families, businesses and all British Columbians to weather the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information on the Site C dam, see https://stopsitec.today/site-c-faq/

Forced sterilization of migrants. Separating refugee children from their families. Actively refusing to protect detainees from COVID. ICE is committing human rights atrocities. Full stop. The catastrophically evil record of ICE is not news. These atrocities are well documented - there is literally an ICE atrocities database. [1] Ongoing human rights atrocities were explicitly cited by Union Pacific, the latest corporation to cut ties with Trump's enforcement thugs. [2] And yet Vancouver-based Hootsuite, a certified B Company that is chartered explicitly "meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance", just signed a three-year contract with ICE. This is complicity with Trump's neofascist human rights abuses - for profit. People in Canada are mortified by the Trump regime. We may not be able to vote in their election, but we certainly will not sit idly by and allow a Canadian corporation to profit from atrocity. We are demanding that Hootsuite join the many corporations who have cut ties with ICE, and cancel the new contract immediately. Sources: [1] https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses [2] https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/union-pacific-railroad-police-cuts-ties-ice

Annita McPhee is a progressive Indigenous woman wanting to become the BC NDP candidate for Stikine riding. Annita announced her intention to seek the nomination once it was announced that Doug Donaldson would not seek re-election. However, the Party is trying to make exceptions to the policy to parachute in a Party-picked candidate. She needs your support to ensure the BC NDP doesn’t break its rules. She needs your help to support opportunities for progressive Indigenous women to run for the BC NDP.

In a survey gathering data from 2017 to 2020, the Centre for Rural Health Research reports that the average total out-of-pocket costs for 381 BC patients accessing health care outside their home community was $2234 per patient and 78% of survey respondents reported difficulty in paying these costs. The full report is available at the following link: https://crhr.med.ubc.ca/resources/reports/ Too many rural British Columbians have suffered for far too long as a result of this situation. The severity of the problem is now clearly evident and the BC Rural Health Network calls on all BC residents to sign this petition calling on local and provincial policy makers to take action immediately to correct it.

Canada has been implicated in perpetrating war by the UN, due to Canada selling LAVs to Saudi Arabia which are being used in the war in Yemen. Canada has a trade agreement with Saudi Arabia which includes selling war implements to access to Saudi Arabia’s market, specifically oil. Canada needs to produce more green energy and get off oil dependency.

Having faced devastating pandemics in the past, First Nations are all-too aware of the threat posed by COVID-19. Families live in multi-generational homes due to housing shortages, hospitals are hundreds - if not thousands - of kilometers away, and communities face a chronic shortage of essential health workers and supplies: in many communities the equipment itself is outdated, or in extremely short supply.  The stakes for First Nations could not be higher. First Nations are among the most vulnerable populations in B.C., with the most to lose. The loss of an Elder represents a loss of language, culture and history. Reduced access to healthcare, food insecurity, and lack of government services are just a few of the problems that could turn a bad outbreak into a devastating crisis. The virus has exposed the inequities faced by First Nations in providing for the health and well-being of their communities. First Nations need your help to get the Ministry of Health to release the life-saving information they require so they can make informed decisions and respond effectively to the pandemic. Together we are forcing B.C. government to answer hard questions in the media and to justify why they are keeping First Nations in the dark about COVID-19 cases in and near their communities. Now, we need to ramp up the pressure on the Ministry of Health and Health Authorities, so they honour First Nation’s right to life-saving information. Sign the petition and support Indigenous government's right to life-saving health information to #keepsafe from COVID-19.

Our prisons are filled with traumatized, neglected, and abused persons. Many are youth trapped by, and in, the socially disconnecting correctional construct that engages in traumatic, anti-social practices that reinforce dysfunctional behaviours, cause more damage to prisoners, especially developing Youth, thus increasing their risks of substance use, violence, and crime. State Violence begets violence. This is why prison populations have gradually increased, despite a decades long decrease in criminal offending. Prison's are self-fulfilling prophecies of human suffering and misery, that perpetuate social discord for all residents, in all of our communities.

The sports world is taking bold action in solidarity with Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man who was shot and paralyzed by a white Wisconsin police officer a few days ago. The NBA, WNBA, MLB and MLS have all postponed games in the wake of players and team's speaking out against the shooting and boycotting games. Notably absent from this list is the NHL. The NHL has issued a statement, taken a "moment of reflection" before Wednesday nights game, but continued with games as usual. Sign your name calling on the NHL to postpone playoff games, along with other major sports leagues in America, who are taking a stand in support of Jacob Blake, and the Black Lives Matter movement.