The Government of Ontario has cut funding for Legal Aid Ontario by almost 1/3, including a complete cut of ALL funding for the immigration and refugee law program at Legal Aid Ontario. Access to Legal Aid is essential for low-income Ontarians who are facing legal proceedings, not just immigration but also criminal, family, mental health, poverty law and child protection cases. Without legal aid, vulnerable people will be left to represent themselves in a complex and already overburdened legal system, facing jail or deportation if they lose their case. It's unjust and unfair to expect people to navigate the complex legal system without support, and these cuts will only add further to delays and chaos throughout the justice system.

On April 11, with the release of the Budget, the Government of Ontario made a significant cut of approximately one third of all legal aid funding, which will jeopardize the rights of those who need legal representation the most. Many refugee claimants arrive in Canada with almost nothing. Many are dealing with the aftermath of extreme personal trauma and struggle with PTSD, depression or other mental health issues as a result of the events that caused them to leave their homes and countries of origin. Often with little to no English, and even less legal knowledge, they are required to file legal forms, collect evidence, and appear in a hearing to test their claim. They are not equipped to represent themselves in Canada’s refugee determination system, a highly specialized legal field. This is why Legal Aid funding is so essential to protect the rights of such a vulnerable population and to ensure that their full story is heard by a refugee decision-maker through providing access to legal representation. Access to Legal Aid is also essential to low-income Ontarians who are facing legal proceedings such as in criminal, family, mental health, poverty law and child protection cases. These Ontarians will struggle to navigate these legally complex, high-stakes proceedings without legal assistance or resources. The impact of these cuts is huge. Vulnerable populations like refugees are left to represent themselves in a complex and already overburdened legal system, where a negative decision leads to deportation to countries where lives may be at risk. The cuts will lead to backlogs and delays throughout the justice system, causing chaos in the courts and costing taxpayers more, not less. URGENT! Sign your name to the petition now – let the Government of Ontario know that you care about funding to Legal Aid and are concerned about how it will impact the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our society, including refugees and immigrants in Ontario.

Climate change has been a crisis for decades. From the minute that oil companies discovered the impact their industry was having on the climate - and chose to bury the evidence and hide the results - the planet has been facing a major threat. Now, after decades of lies, pollution, and despair, we know that the clock is ticking and the point of no return is looming large. Recent reports from the UN tell us that we have just twelve years to make massive changes to our entire economy or we face critical climate chaos. What we are facing is not in the distant future. Climate change is here - and it is an urgent emergency. It's time we treat it as such. Cities across Canada have declared a climate emergency, factoring climate change into city planning at every level and in some cases unlocking funding for climate mitigation efforts. In just the last week, Ottawa and London joined cities like Vancouver, Kingston, and Halifax that had already declared. It's time that Canada's largest city, the cornerstone of our economy, join those efforts. Toronto is home to millions of people and almost a fifth of Canada's entire economy. If Toronto declares a climate emergency, it mobilizes an incredible base of support for climate action in Canada and takes its in global climate leadership. The clock is ticking. Tell the Mayor and Toronto City Council to declare a climate emergency today.

Doug Ford just announced plans to cut $1 billion from public healthcare -- cuts that risk devastating child nutrition programs and increasing child hunger. If the cuts go through, 600 school breakfast programs will be on the chopping block -- which means that thousands of low income children who rely on these programs for food will go hungry. Recent studies have found that these breakfast programs really help kids: - 82% of students surveyed said the program kept them from feeling hungry - 74% said it improved their well being - Many kids saw improved grade averages Canada ranks one of the worst countries for ending hunger. Instead of increasing funding for more programs to combat child hunger, Ford’s government is slashing away at them with deep, drastic cuts that could devastate progress and put kids at risk. But we still have time to stop this. And if enough people sign the petition -- we could. If you think every kid deserves a nutritious breakfast, and that it’s just plain cruel to cut funding that goes towards curbing child hunger sign now and tell Ford: reverse the cuts. Sources https://pressprogress.ca/doug-fords-cuts-threaten-600-school-breakfast-programs-that-unicef-says-low-income-children-need/

North Vancouver became the first municipality to mandate that all gas pumps must display stickers to warn consumers that burning fossil fuels causes climate change. Now that Premier Ford is mandating anti-carbon tax stickers across Ontario without including information about the costly effects of climate change, municipalities must step up to ensure consumers are aware of the negative environment effects and economic consequences of climate change. For more on North Vancouver's campaign, see: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/north-vancouver-climate-change-stickers-gas-pumps-1.3323621?fbclid=IwAR2MS_mGrfz2SYtB60OLZZrkKXSOqZ-CxF0FpHiXbBndMWufyO0z_4y4yOk

The newly proposed anti-carbon tax stickers that Premier Ford is requiring all gas stations to display at the pump is a waste of tax payers' money. Ford campaigned on a clear mandate to save Ontarians money and this demonstrates he is not keeping his promises. Furthermore, the stickers are clearly being used as a marketing ploy for conservatives as they fail to mention the Federal government's rebate, which is expected to exceed the amount that a majority of households will spend on the carbon tax. It also fails to mention the environmental and economic consequences of climate change. In forcing businesses to display partisan information, this is a clear overreach of government power.

The proposal to limit availability of OHIP covered psychotherapy to 24 sessions per year will profoundly harm the most vulnerable among us. Psychotherapy is the most effective treatment for many disorders [see reference below] and the withdrawal of this service will endanger those who suffer from such debilitating mental health problems as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Major Depression, crippling Anxiety Disorders, Borderline Personality difficulties, Eating disorders and those who suffer Addiction. Those who battle suicide will be especially affected and all of these afflictions can affect children and senior citizens. To turn our backs on the suffering of our fellow citizens, neighbours and family members is beyond unconscionable. The science is clear, psychotherapy is a first line treatment. Drugs certainly don't solve everyone's problems. This proposal is cruel, wrong headed and must be stopped in it's tracks! https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-in-ontario-a-battle-for-the-soul-of-psychiatry/

In the 1960s an upstream paper mill dumped 9 tonnes of mercury into the Wabigoon River, poisoning the fish and the people of Grassy Narrows. Three generations later the people continue to suffer from intense health impacts and a loss of their way of life and economy. Shockingly, the government of PM Trudeau has done almost nothing to improve the lives of Grassy Narrows people. In November of 2017, then Minister Philpott committed to build a home and treatment center for mercury survivors in Grassy Narrows so that sick loved ones can be cared for with dignity. Almost 500 days later, not one brick has been laid and only 1% of the cost has been provided. The Federal government is clearly stalling. With the federal elections on the horizon, this could become yet another broken promise on reconciliation. The people of Grassy Narrows are an inspiration throughout the world for their perseverance, their resilience, and their strength. The survivors of this ongoing disaster deserve Canada’s respect and the best possible care. See FreeGrassy.net for more ways to support the community.

The government of Ontario oversees many social justice agencies in Ontario including the Human Rights Tribunal and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. If the government seeks to distance and shield itself from legal liability where it's actions are concerned, what recourse will residents of Ontario have in response to damages caused by the government? How might changes to the Act influence the efficacy of other social justice agencies operated by the province?

Parce qu'à l'instar de plusieurs métropoles et villes de taille moyenne du monde, il est plus que temps pour une ville aussi "active" que Montréal d'emboîter le pas en ramenant une partie de la ville à l'échelle humaine. Il est grand temps de redonner le Vieux-Montréal aux résident·e·s et visiteur·euse·s en y privilégiant le transport actif.

Although we understand that the previous model of OSAP may have been unsustainable in terms of funding, we ask that you consider some changes to the new model released, specifically Under the calculator currently on your website, low income students are receiving almost half of what they would have received in the previous model. These are families who need this funding in order to make post-secondary education a reality for them. Making even the smallest increases to these values can make their lives easier. Education is a fundamental human right, and individuals should not be denied it based on their income. For new graduates, any grace period means the opportunity to break into the workforce and gain experience without loans looming over their heads. In today's society, work experience is essential, and any grace period would make those opportunities feasible.

News just broke that Ford’s planning on changing Ontario license plate. (Right now it’s "Ontario: Yours to Discover”). But he isn’t just planning on changing it -- he’s planning on changing it to his own personal political advertisement: “Ontario: Open for Business”. This was Ford’s slogan during the 2018 election campaign, and it’s the one his government still uses. Ford's trying to turn our cars and trucks into his own personal ad campaign. This kind of tin-pot dictator move to inflate his ego is ridiculous, costly, and unethical. Ford’s presenting his plan to cabinet sometime this week. If enough of us sign the petition we might be able to convince him to leave the licence plate unchanged, or look like a colossal fool. Sources: Global News, https://globalnews.ca/news/5112402/ontario-licence-plate-redesign/