Dear Minister Lecce and Premier Ford, we demand the immediate vaccination of all Ontario educators against the Coronavirus to safely continue their frontline work in schools, particularly in the province's hotspot regions. Over 160 thousand public teachers in Ontario need to be recognized as "essential, frontline workers," who face the daily risk of exposure to a life-threatening virus in their workplace. UNESCO, the United Nations agency for education, called on governments to give teachers priority access to COVID-19 vaccines. Currently, there are over 13,000 Covid-19 cases reported in Ontario schools. That's over 25 % of schools, not including asymptomatic students uncounted for because of insufficient testing. The political narrative that continues to claim that "children are incapable of spreading the virus," is now old science. In fact, it is probable that the majority of Covid cases in schools are potentially spreading between asymptomatic student carriers to their homes. Studies from Canada and around the world have shown that schools are significant vectors for the transmission of COVID-19, particularly with the more contagious and deadly variants that are now the predominant infections. A study conducted by Dr. Simona Bignami of the Université de Montréal and Dr. John F. Sandberg of George Washington University, found that it was Montreal children who infected their parents last fall, not the other way around, transforming Canada’s second largest city into a COVID-19 epicentre. Educators are well-aware that safety measures such as "cohorting," mask enforcement and social distancing look good on paper, but despite educators best efforts, these essential measures are impossible to systematically apply and enforce consistently with children. They are all the more ineffective in schools that are overcrowded and poorly ventilated. According to government data, more than 30,000 Ontario students and school staff have been infected with COVID-19. The frightening truth is this: asymptomatic outbreaks are probable throughout schools, particularly those in hotspot regions. Without adequate asymptomatic testing, the government can continue the narrative that schools are safe, that children's mental health is more important than their physical safety - and ultimately justify the political agenda to keep the economy open. Indeed, our economy is important, but how can the economic agenda take precedence over protecting lives? Teachers and students are expected to return to school during the current provinces lazy-lockdown, to bravely "step up," and face the increasing risk of contracting the new and more deadly Covid variants. The government has repeatedly defended the safety of our schools remaining open, using rhetoric that downplays increasing virus case-counts inside schools as simply a reflection of the increased numbers in the community. Wouldn't that indicate schools are also unsafe? There's this rationalized myth that schools are magically exempt from the spread and dangers of this virus, because "children can't spread the virus," that, hand sanitizer and safety screening will make up for overcrowded and poorly ventilated classrooms, that the exponential spread of more contagious and deadly variants, and our overwhelmed hospital ICU's that are at a breaking point, are factors scary enough to lockdown the entire province for another month - but schools are somehow safe? The fact is, schools are not safe! I ask you Minister Lecce and Premier Ford, how can you honestly and ethically justify sending teachers and students back into a clearly unsafe environment without the existing protection of vaccines? Is it not your responsibility to ensure the safety of your citizens, their families and ultimately our children? Our healthcare heroes, our vulnerable seniors, and those who are medically at risk, clearly take vaccination precedence - but our teachers also need to be prioritized in the line-up for vaccinations. They actually need you to "step up, Premier Ford," and do your part - either vaccinate educators - or move all schools to virtual learning! Sincerely, Lisa Porter and the included signatories

The plans for rail expansion in Toronto’s Lakeshore East corridor by Metrolinx will relieve congestion and improve public transportation, but can and should be done without the wholesale destruction of a community’s green spaces including the environmentally sensitive ecosystem of Smalls Creek Ravine and Williamson Park Ravine. There remains an opportunity for Metrolinx to create a model for sustainable city building by working with the affected communities in finding ways to restore and revitalize these greenspaces as part of their construction work. Help us send a message to Metrolinx that they cannot ignore the communities in which they operate. Update - Feb 2022 Metrolinx has clear-cut and destroyed over 200 trees, the majority of which created a canopy that took over 100 years to establish. This will be replaced with a permanent concrete wall up to 10 ft tall and over 400 ft long in addition to a replacement concrete that is now 6 meters wide and above ground. As well, the path connecting the west and east sides UPDATE January 7, 2021 - Since the launch of this petition Metrolinx has publicly responded, saying they have indeed conducted and continue to conduct community consultation. This is true. But it changes nothing about the content of this petition. To date, Metrolinx has only publicly released the same documents SmallsCreek.ca had to first obtain through a Freedom of Information request. Their Dec 24th blog post reiterated much of what they have said already, and while mentioned it is interested in further community consultation, takes the tone that this project - still slated to begin as early as the end of January 2021 - is a done deal. SmallsCreek.ca will continue our community outreach until Metrolinx recognizes the petition's requests and engages in a meaningful dialogue that takes our positions into active consideration. We want more trains & two way service. We want a 4th track, but ask our provincial transportation stakeholders to install the transit, without sacrificing an important community ecosystem. Learn More at www.smallscreek.ca

We certainly are nowhere near rich if we're on PWD. A sudden deduction is felt by us in a powerful way. This drop in assistance is disorienting and problematic for people, especially who go just a modest amount over the limit and who do so at the end of the year, when the seasonality of things can also increase expenses and decrease work income. It can be really bad timing! Covid-19 just makes this all harder to deal with, too. Costs and expenses typically do not go down, but suddenly a PWD client can be without that extra money earned through their hard work, through their disability. In fact, the actual work might be continuing the same, but suddenly there is a loss in access to otherwise available resources. It's not a smooth transition for us. Things someone might buy with this extra income if it weren't clawed back: It could go toward a doctor recommended supplement which is not covered, toward a psych or physio therapy session which is not covered but does wonders for overall management of stress and health issues, toward a meaningful gift to a loved one at Christmas, or toward something otherwise out of reach but which afforded increases one's quality of life and health. Like mentioned, on PWD we are not rich, so these small amounts mean a lot to us.

This is an INJUSTICE that affects the poorest of Canadians. While large corporations, including privately funded nursing homes where vulnerable Canadians have died, are being bailed out by your government the lowest income Canadians are being penalized and put in financial jeopardy - at no fault of their own. Please DO THE RIGHT THING, and correct this injustice. Ensure that the eligibility criteria for CERB is immediately clarified/corrected (for Revenue Canada and Service Canada) to be $5,000 income PERIOD -which means gross - just like advertised!

As a self-employed business owner, I was out of work due to the lockdown for Covid-19 and I followed the rules for applying for CERB in order to not only survive, but to keep my business afloat because my landlord didn’t bother with the rent subsidy. I realize that there were many who may have accidentally applied, but we self-employed had no other option and now are being told we were not eligible all because the word “net” was inferred and not actually stated on the website or the automated recordings when filing by phone. This is going to further destroy many small businesses and their owners more than this pandemic already has. To reduce us below eligibility for net profits after our deductions is beyond unfair and seems as though the rules are being changed to benefit CRA and the economy.

Global Pandemic

Millions of Canadians support incoming President Biden’s rejection of Keystone XL. Please let Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson know that you are among them. Joe Biden wants to see immediate and strong action on the climate emergency. He has promised to bring the US back into the Paris Agreement and, as a decisive first step, cancel the Keystone XL pipeline project. That pipeline would enable a huge expansion of Canada’s fossil fuel industry, carrying 300 million barrels of tar sands oil annually. We read that the Canadian government is preparing to lobby the president-elect to break this promise. This, despite a throne speech commitment to take immediate action on the “extreme risk” posed by climate change and the warnings of climate scientists. As the IPCC has made clear, there are less than ten years to cut global emissions in half if we are to avoid climate catastrophe. It is time for Canada to be a leader in addressing the climate emergency and to encourage the world’s biggest oil producer and second biggest producer of greenhouse gases to do the same. It is time for climate leadership in both countries. Des millions de Canadien·ne·s appuient le rejet de Keystone XL tel que le propose M. Joseph Biden. Par cette pétition, nous souhaitons informer le premier ministre, M. Justin Trudeau et le ministre de l’Environnement, M. Jonathan Wilkinson que ces Canadien·ne·s ne veulent pas de ce pipeline et exigent que leur gouvernement laisse enfin tomber Keystone XL. M. Biden dit espérer des actions immédiates et fortes en faveur de l’urgence climatique. Il a promis de ramener les États-Unis dans l’Accord de Paris et, comme première étape décisive en ce sens, il a promis d’annuler le projet de pipeline Keystone XL. Ce pipeline, s’il est construit, permettrait une expansion considérable de l’industrie canadienne des combustibles fossiles, transportant chaque année quelque 300 millions de barils de pétrole extrait des sables bitumineux. Or, nous apprenions récemment que le gouvernement canadien s’apprête à faire pression sur le président élu états-unien pour qu’il rompe cette promesse, et ce, malgré les engagements du discours du trône en faveur de mesures immédiates contre le « risque extrême » posé par la crise climatique et malgré les avertissements des climatologues. Comme le GIEC l’a clairement indiqué, nous avons moins de dix ans pour réduire de moitié les émissions mondiales si nous espérons éviter une catastrophe climatique. Il est plus que temps pour le Canada d’être un chef de file dans la lutte contre les crises climatiques et d’encourager les plus grands producteurs de pétrole et de gaz à effet de serre à faire de même. Il est plus que temps de faire preuve de leadership en matière de climat dans les deux pays.

The services of dieticians and diabetic educators are and essential health service to the patients they serve. Their expertise help individuals control their own blood sugar. Uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to organ failure and amputation. Delaying care is dangerous and unacceptable. A lot of these service can be delivered via the phone.

The purpose of the inquiry we request is to determine the extent of harms put upon injured, ill and/or disabled Canadians in provincial and territorial jurisdictions nationally. We raise these concerns to ensure as well our own full and fair redress in the form of workers compensation benefits as we are entitled to receive and rightly, legitimately deserve. We believe that only with a National investigation of provincial law, policy and regulations that govern provincial/territorial occupational health and safety can troubling issues be properly rectified. Those agencies and agents so empowered by law, policy and regulations have not responded to our direct engagement to address these issues with integrity. As these issues are of long-standing national concern, we assert that the concerns receive the attention that these matters require as it is in the National interests of all Canadians to do so.

After participating in a Narwhal (non-profit investigative journalism) online presentation, like hundreds of others, regarding Site C Dam, I have never heard of such engineering and economic illiteracy in my entire career. The predatory practices of SNC-Lavalin alone raises a red flag. In spite of the economic damage caused by the pandemic, decisions like Site C Dam will exacerbate the economy of Province of British Columbia for generations. The very first requirement for competing on the Global Stage is low-cost energy and associated infrastructure. Otherwise, there is no long-term job creation. Site C Dam is short-term construction jobs and long-term economic debt obligations, in a dying economy. Off-shore or out-of-province project workers don't even offer training for BC tradesman, let alone opportunities for First Nations' people. I won't even get into the environmental damage and the wide spectrum of remediation costs associated with such a callous and uninformed decision.

As a group of Canadians who care about the protection of human rights defenders, we are calling on the Government to put pressure on Egypt to end the escalating crackdown on human rights defenders and immediately release Mr. Razek, Mr. Basheer, and Mr. Ennarah. Canada’s commitment to international human rights carries with it an obligation to protect the human rights defenders who work with Canadian counterparts toward that goal. Canada must be accountable for its participation in the November 3 meeting with EIPR and must take action to work for the release of those detained as a result. Canada must join in sending the message that human rights work is not a crime.

The pandemic has laid bare exactly who the truly essential workers are. While many well-paid workers work from their homes, it is the bravery and determination of front-line workers that are keeping our nation moving through the pandemic. That includes grocery store workers, many of whom make barely above minimum wage. At the start of the pandemic, Loblaws guaranteed those workers a $2/hr increase in "hero pay" - a modest increase for people who are literally putting their lives on the line so that we can eat. But Loblaw's cancelled the hero pay when cases declined over the summer of 2021. Now, we face an overwhelming wave of a dangerous new variant, and cases are reaching new heights never before seen in Canada - but not only has Loblaw's refused to reinstate the hero pay, they've instead chosen to increase the amount of money going to their wealthiest shareholders through dividends, and reward their CEOs with bonuses. It couldn't be clearer: Loblaws executives call the work essential but treat the workers as expendable. Call out their greed and demand better. Sign your name to demand Loblaw's reinstate hero pay immediately for the essential heroes keeping food on our tables.