As Squamish grows, noise levels experienced by citizens of all ages increase.

Oakville Council has delayed climate action for too long. Although they declared a climate emergency in 2019 council has yet to implement any true actions to help reduce emissions for our Town and its citizens. Our Town has a responsibility to put in place programs to help support its residents to reduce emissions and adapt to our changing climate. This summer’s wildfires were a wake-up call to all residents that we must act now. Please use our letter-writing tool to demand climate action from Mayor Rob Burton and our Oakville Council in the 2024 Oakville Budget.

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.

The Sask Party has eroded public education for years and now they are attacking the rights of some of our most vulnerable students. Collectively, as members of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, we need to stand together in solidarity to protect the fundamental rights and protections of the 2SLGBTQ+ community

Upholding Moral and Ethical Standards: Engaging in or supporting entities that blatantly use sports to overshadow systemic human rights violations is an indirect endorsement of those malpractices. It's essential to uphold ethical standards, ensuring that international engagements, collaborations, and platforms are not used to legitimize or sanitize the reputations of oppressive regimes. Solidarity with the Oppressed: By taking a stance, we express our solidarity with activists, journalists, and citizens who are oppressed, marginalized, or persecuted. Our collective voice may serve as a beacon of hope and support for those suffering under unjust conditions, showing them that the international community has not turned a blind eye to their plight. Preserving the Integrity of Sports: Sports have traditionally been a source of joy, unity, and shared humanity. It’s vital to protect this global institution from being manipulated as a tool for political gain or a cover for reprehensible actions. Athletes, fans, and organizations should prioritize the ethical integrity of sports, ensuring that they are not utilized as vehicles to propel propaganda or shield misconduct. Asserting the Primacy of Human Rights: The safeguarding of human rights should always supersede any economic, political, or entertainment interests. Demonstrating that gross violations of human rights will not be overlooked or forgotten, even amidst glittering sporting events or investments, sends a strong message to all nations and entities regarding international priorities and values. Building a Just and Accountable Global Community: It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the global community does not prioritize financial gains, strategic alliances, or entertaining diversions over the fundamental rights and wellbeing of individuals. Building a world where nations and leaders are held accountable for their actions, and where the wellbeing of citizens is prioritized, is pivotal for crafting a future that is just, equitable, and humane. Why Join This Campaign: Empowering Collective Action: Your signature, voice, and engagement can empower collective efforts, making the campaign more influential and capable of instigating change. Promoting Universal Values: Joining the campaign aligns you with universal values of justice, humanity, and ethical governance, contributing toward the establishment of a global standard that respects and honors human dignity. Creating a Ripple Effect: Your involvement could inspire others to participate, creating a ripple effect that amplifies the call for justice, human rights, and transparency on a global scale. Preserving Human Dignity: By actively resisting sportswashing, you contribute to the efforts to preserve the dignity of oppressed individuals, ensuring that their suffering is not masked by international spectacles. Shaping Future Narratives: Your participation aids in shaping the narratives of future international engagements, encouraging entities worldwide to prioritize ethical, humane, and just practices. Let us unify our voices, acting as stewards for justice, human rights, and ethical global engagement, ensuring that sports remain a pure, unadulterated celebration of human potential, devoid of manipulative political undertones.

This is a critical time. India’s autocratic government seemingly murdered a Canadian Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada [1]. This same Hindu nationalist government is violently attacking Muslims, Sikhs, caste-oppressed people, Indigenous people, Christians, and occupied Kashmiris on a daily basis [2]. Hindu nationalists also have an extensive network in Canada [3]. One of the ways these right-wing Hindu nationalist (Hindutva) forces stifle any criticism of the Indian government and Hindu supremacist ideology is to label such criticism as “Hinduphobic.” They have launched a seemingly virtuous petition to ask the House of Common to specifically recognize “Hinduphobia'' as a form of discrimination. But, “Hinduphobia” is a devious political tool designed to hoodwink people of goodwill and make them complicit in advancing a Hindu nationalist and supremacist agenda in Canada. Anti-racism and anti-discrimination measures should hold systems of power to account. But the “Hinduphobia” petition does no such thing [4]. It weakens accountability for Hindu nationalists, a clear and present danger for all in Canada. Any parliamentary recognition of “Hinduphobia” will have a chilling effect on the rights of religious minorities and caste-oppressed South Asian Canadians, as well as all academics, artists, and human rights defenders in Canada [5]. Sign this petition now and resist the reproduction of Hindu supremacist politics in 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.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

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

“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.

June 23, 2023, Environment and Climate Minister Kevin Klein released the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission Report on the Sio Silica Corp proposed extraction project. The Commission did not recommend licensing of the project - far more research is required. Sio Silica’s Environment Act Proposal is severely deficient of critical data, studies and reports - Sio Silica has not done its due diligence. Sio Silica’s Proposal should never have passed the initial Department of Environment and Climate screening - too many fundamentally important questions were not addressed. Our community’s groundwater and environment are far too precious to proceed with a project with associated risks that are not fully understood and cannot be appropriately mitigated to protect our health and quality of life. Please write to the Honourable Kevin Klein urging the minister to be consistent with his commitment to take the Commission’s report “very seriously” and categorically reject Sio Silica Corp’s licensing proposal application on the grounds that they have failed to demonstrate the potential environmental effects of the project are fully understood or will be sufficiently addressed and mitigated. Given the importance of our groundwater and environment and the significance of the potential risks, this project must be rejected. For more information, please see: http://www.cecmanitoba.ca/hearings/silica-sand-extraction-project/index.html https://mbeconetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Letter-to-Minister-Klein_CEC_follow-up_July-19-2023.pdf https://ourlineinthesandmanitoba.ca/ and https://www.facebook.com/ourlineinthesandmanitoba/ The Narwhal https://thenarwhal.ca/manitoba-sio-silica-sand-environment-commission/ Winnipeg Free Press July 10, 2023 Editorial - Economics versus environment – Winnipeg Free Press

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.

CONSIDÉRANT l'importance du droit à l'information régionale ; CONSIDÉRANT que la désinformation gagne partout du terrain ; CONSIDÉRANT l’annonce de l’abolition d’un poste de journaliste permanent à temps complet dans la salle de nouvelles de TVA au Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean le 17 février dernier ; CONSIDÉRANT qu’un journaliste en moins dans une équipe de cinq personnes dans la salle de nouvelles se traduit par 20 % de moins de contenu, de sujets originaux et régionaux dans les productions quotidiennes de la salle d’information ; CONSIDÉRANT qu’il faut assurer une information juste, vérifiée et diversifiée, et une présence régulière et quotidienne de la grande région du Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean sur le réseau TVA et à LCN, tout en tenant compte de l’ampleur du territoire à couvrir et de la diversité des enjeux régionaux à couvrir médiatiquement ; CONSIDÉRANT que les citoyens de la région doivent pouvoir compter sur une diversité de contenu régional et de bénéficier d’un temps d’antenne dédié aux gens de chez eux, à leurs histoires, à leurs enjeux et à leur réalité ; CONSIDÉRANT les particularités propres aux réalités locales et régionales et les appuis reçus de plusieurs acteurs politiques régionaux en ce sens ; CONSIDÉRANT que la population du Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean est un téléspectateur assidu de TVA et qu’elle s’attend, en retour, à obtenir une couverture médiatique en conséquence. C'est pourquoi nous demandons à Quebecor (groupe TVA) de revoir sa décision de réduire la taille de l’équipe de la salle des nouvelles de TVA Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean et de redonner à la région la couverture qu’elle est en droit de recevoir.