We need to defeat the Harper Conservatives, and the battle for Finance Minister Joe Oliver’s riding in Toronto will be one of the most important in the country. But why would we welcome Eve Adams? Let’s remember that Ms. Adams fought tooth and nail to run for the Conservatives in 2015 - and she’s only leaving the party after the Conservative leadership told her she wouldn't be allowed to run under their colours in the coming election. How does that qualify her to hold the Liberal banner or represent the people of Eglinton-Lawrence? Our riding deserves better. Let’s say no to Eve Adams. Yes, to a local, progressive Liberal for Eglinton-Lawrence.

Money creation affects almost every aspect of our lives and is directly connected to almost all public policy, including public and private debt levels, house prices, and rising inequality, but it’s very poorly understood. Currently 97% of our money supply is created by Private Banks through debt. This raises questions of parliament abdicating it's constitutional responsibilities. The government, through the Bank of Canada can request low interest loans for human capital and public infrastructure in order to monetize deficits, we instead borrow from private banks, increasing our national debt and further allowing private industry to hold influence over public policy. This was the very reason, we created, then nationalized our Bank of Canada. It is no longer enough to control the money supply through interest rates alone. It does not begin to address the corruption that comes from allowing private financial institutions the power to create the majority of a countries money supply. “Once a nation parts with the control of its currency and credit, it matters not who makes that nation's laws. Usury, once in control, will wreck any nation. Until the control of the issue of currency and credit is restored to government and recognized as its most conspicuous and sacred responsibility, all talk of the sovereignty of Parliament and of democracy is idle and futile.” William Lyon Mackenzie King - 10th Prime Minister of Canada When we allow private bank to create money out of nothing as interest bearing debt, then let them decide how this money is spent, we end up with a society that reflects the priorities of the banks. We ask that money creation, debt and society be put back on the agenda in the house of commons, and be given a real debate.

The Globe and Mail editorial board, which endorsed Stephen Harper and the Conservatives in the last election, has now accused Harper of using his new spying law to create a “secret police force” in Canada.[1] The new law would give reckless and unnecessary powers to spy agencies and the RCMP, including the ability to detain people who haven’t committed any crime[2], with minimal oversight or democratic accountability. Yet, few politicians have been brave enough to reject Harper’s fear-mongering. There’s little doubt that many MPs, including many Conservatives, are concerned about the outrageous laws and lack of oversight - but before they stand up to Harper, they need to know that people across Canada will speak out too. So we’ve got to ask ourselves: are we the kind of people who give up our freedoms to fear-mongers, or are we the kind of people who will defend our democracy? Let’s reject fear. Sign the petition to stop the “secret police” bill and demand MPs start over with real oversight and proper safeguards. FAQ: What will the laws mean? -- The laws amount to a significant overreach into the lives of everyday Canadians. The laws will extend police force power to detain people on suspicion - including citizens who have committed no crime[2]. In taking measures to reduce a threat, the bill only instructs CSIS can’t kill or harm anyone, or “violate the sexual integrity of an individual.” [3]. Is everything else fair game? -- Last year it was found that the Committee tasked with overseeing CSIS’ work, the Security Intelligence Review Committee, has not only been encountering delays in receiving information -- they also suggested that the agency had “seriously mislead” the committee, and “failed to proactively disclose highly relevant information”. [4] Canada is the only Western democracy without a high-level legislative oversight body[5]. Our oversight model isn't working, and with these laws, it will only get worse. -- These laws risks criminalising speech, by making it illegal for anyone to advocate or “promote” terrorism. But here’s the unanswered question: how will this be interpreted in the real world?[6] Will this law be used to detain a small child, as happened recently in France?[7] What about a group of mum-and-dad protesters, who MPs might label “eco-terrorists”? Who gets to decide, and can we trust these people to make these decisions without proper oversight? Last year a public backlash forced the Conservatives to take out some of the worst parts of the “Fair Election Act.” We can do it again. Let’s stand up and tell our MPs to reject fear, stop this “secret police” bill, and start over. Will you join us? Sources: [1] Parliament must reject Harper’s secret policeman bill. Globe and Mail, February 1 2015. [2] Anti-terrorism powers: What's in the legislation? CBC News, January 30 2015. [3] Bill C-51 bars CSIS from committing 'bodily harm,' sexual violation, CBC, February 4 23015. [4] Tories' Anti-Terror Bill C-44 Extends CSIS Source Protection, Judicial Warrant Powers, Huffington Post, 27th October 2014. [5] Learn from CIA torture scandal, and let Parliament oversee Canada’s security services: Editorial, The Star, December 10 2014. [6] How Ottawa’s new terrorism act could chill free speech. The Globe and Mail, February 5, 2015. [7] 8-year-old detained by police for saying he supported Charlie Hebdo attackers. The Star, January 29 2015. ----- Lien à la pétition en français : http://you.leadnow.ca/fr/petitions/rejetons-la-police-secrete-de-harper-pour-defendre-nos-libertes-civiles

Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Provincial Government have recently given a list of directives to the Toronto District School Board. You can see the full list here: http://goo.gl/EPD7gL. School Board Trustees have been given until February 13th to act on these directives or risk the Government taking over. The Government has asked the Board to provide a list of over a hundred of our community schools that the government has deemed to be “under-utilized”, and a three-year plan to deal with them. You can see the full list of schools here: http://goo.gl/psV3tH Unfortunately, the Government’s list of “under-utilized” schools does not take into account the value that community schools bring to a neighbourhood. By not considering the use of schools for other community programs like children’s programming or Adult ESL when measuring utility, the Provincial Government is not looking at the full picture. Schools should be community hubs in our neighbourhoods. In practice, many of our neighbourhood schools are ‘hubs’– schools with daycares, swim lessons, programs for children with special needs and afterschool programming for children and adults. Schools are important public spaces, and valuable beyond just the use of teaching classrooms. The decision to sell schools cannot be made lightly because when we sell schools, we never get that public space back. The Premier herself has mandated that the Ministry of Education look at schools as ‘community hubs’, but is now talking about closing schools that epitomize that model. The School Board has a ten-year plan to study school utilization and consider changes to boundaries, partnerships with community partners and other school boards, before deciding to close a school. The Province wants to speed up that plan, closing the schools within 3 years. Together, we need to make sure that Premier Wynne and her government are looking at the full picture: recognizing the immediate and future needs of growing Toronto communities, and the necessity to use schools as vital community hubs to provide childcare and programs for youth, families and senior citizens. Make your voice heard! Sign the petition calling on Premier Wynne to consider the many uses of public schools, and save our community schools!

Un nombre grandissant de citoyennes, de citoyens et de commerçants locaux sont préoccupés par les conséquences sociales et environnementales de leurs choix de consommation. S’approvisionner en produits certifiés équitables est un moyen simple et efficace de faire des achats responsables. ++ A growing number of citizens, organisations and local businesses are concerned about the social and environmental impact of their consumption choices. A simple and effective way to implement responsible purchasing is to source fair trade certified products.

Metro Vancouver has some of the worst traffic congestion and gridlock in North America. The average commuter spends 93 hours a year stuck in traffic. For every hour we spend on the road, about 41 minutes are wasted in traffic delays! Gridlock is also choking our regional economy to the tune of $750 million a year and making travel more expensive for us all. Crowded busses, bumper to bumper traffic, goods and services wasting idle time on the roads -- this is bad for our environment, and our communities overall. We’re heading into a crucial referendum that could either end this awful gridlock through new mass transportation options, or leave us stuck in this traffic mess for generations. We know that political forces with their own agendas will try to clamp down on anything that challenges the status quo, but we must get a YES vote in this referendum. To succeed we need as many people as possible to push back against the pro-gridlock lobby. Sign The Petition To End The Traffic Gridlock Across Metro Vancouver NOW >>

There are nearly 3 million Canadians who live abroad, proudly representing Canada and its values. The Canadian Diaspora are informal ambassadors for our great country and are often called on both formally and informally to represent Canada within their communities. In recent years however, Canadians abroad have had our rights as Canadians eroded and more recently our right to vote taken away by the current government. In early 2014 the courts restored those rights on the basis that Section Three of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms assures that All Canadians, regardless of where they live, have the right to vote. This petition will be forwarded to the Prime Minister and Minister of Immigration and Citizenship once we have achieved 1,000 Signatures.

Psych-eds cost $1,500 on average, and in some cases as much as $3,000. While students can access the Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities to reimburse up to 75% of assessment costs, this funding is only provided after the fact, only if the psych-ed is positive, and only to a maximum of $1,200. Many students and their families cannot afford the total cost or up-front expense, even if they are reimbursed. Many may also be reluctant to seek an assessment in the event that they do not receive a positive result and therefore must pay the full cost for a service that does not do them any good. Low-income students and families are the most affected. Students with learning disabilities require psych-eds to register for disability supports, including funding and academic accommodations. Psych-eds provide extensive information about the learning strengths and weaknesses of students with learning disabilities, which help disability services to address each student's individual needs. Disability services and supports have been created not to provide privileges to certain students, but in an effort to uphold the rights to inclusion of students with disabilities. Unaffordable psych-ed assessments are obstructing these students' enjoyment of their full rights. To learn more about the challenges facing students with disabilities in Nova Scotia's post-secondary education system, check out: http://www.studentsns.ca/disable-the-label/ ‎

After a two-year investigation, on October 31, 2014, the Ontario Court of Justice found former Conservative MP for Peterborough, Dean Del Mastro, guilty of violating the Canada Elections Act in 2008. He overspent his election limit and then falsified documentation to cover up his fraud.[1] But it doesn’t end there. In order to pay his legal fees, the Peterborough Conservative riding association hosted a $600/plate event on May 2, 2013, which raised close to $40,000. The 53 donors who gave money then walked away with almost $24,000 in tax credits.[2,3] That’s right -- Canadians subsidized Del Mastro’s legal defense. And even though he has officially stepped down in disgrace as MP for Peterborough, he still stands to collect his full parliamentary pension benefits. Once again, propped up by taxpayer dollars.[4] Del Mastro walks away with a salary for life. The least the party can do is repay taxpayers for his legal defence. Time and again, this Conservative government has tried to convince Canadians that Del Mastro is just one bad apple with poor judgement. But the bad apple never falls far from the rotting tree. From the in-and-out electoral fraud scandal to the still-unanswered questions about "Pierre Poutine" and the robocall election fraud scandal, we've seen a pattern of shady behaviour from Conservative operatives. No Canadian wants their elected officials to abuse the system and use their hard-earned tax dollars for personal gain. We want accountability and transparency. Please sign this petition calling on John Walsh, the President of the Conservative Party of Canada, to commit to paying back the $24,000 in taxpayer money the Conservatives used to fundraise for Dean Del Mastro’s legal defence. [1] Dean Del Mastro found guilty in election spending case (CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/dean-del-mastro-found-guilty-in-election-spending-case-1.2818920 [2] Dean Del Mastro legal fees subsidized by taxpayers (CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/dean-del-mastro-legal-fees-subsidized-by-taxpayers-1.2835381 [3] Tax deductions for supporting Del Mastro’s legal defence (The Peterborough Examiner) http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2014/11/18/tax-deductions-for-supporting-mps-legal-defence [4] Do the crime, keep your pension. Sweet deal there, DDM (National Post) http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/11/07/matt-gurney-do-the-crime-keep-your-pension-sweet-deal-there-ddm/

Vancouver is drowning in an ocean of copy-and-paste corporate chain bars. The Brickhouse is a great independent bar, but now it could be demolished to make way for a new condo development in Chinatown. The Creekside Student Residence and Jimi Hendrix shrine could be taken out with it. Please sign now to call for Vancouver's mayor and council to stop the demolition of the Brickhouse and start a real consultation a real consultation with the Chinatown community to ensure that new developments don't threaten to strip the character of the community and drive more people out of the market. Sources: 1. The heritage battle for Chinatown http://www.vancouversun.com/touch/story.html?id=10384991 2. The Brickhouse might be demolished http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/story.html?id=10384999 Photo by Edward L.

Since 1981, annual marches have been hosted across Canada to bring awareness to violence against women and engage communities in being part of prevention efforts. Take Back the Night in Calgary and other major cities continues to be an important fiber in the fabric of violence prevention efforts. While the purpose of the march is to enhance the visibility of violence as a social problem and also demonstrate the roles of women and men as partners to end violence, a critical aspect of this event is a collective presence in areas of the city where the prevention message can reach a greater number of Calgarians. Take Back the Night has its origins as an event that would include a walk down populated areas, which would entail hubs of nightlife activity where the message of awareness and preventative action can be best disseminated. It has come to our attention, and has been evident in the last couple of years of this event that the presence of women and men supporters on 17th Ave SW with a violence prevention message may not be welcomed. This apparent shift in support from our municipal leaders is of great concern to us, as we know that you also value efforts to reduce violence in our communities.

The construction of a private residence at Grace Islet in Ganges Harbour off Salt Spring Island is resulting in the desecration of a First Nations burial ground; archaeological evidence confirms the presence of rock cairns and human remains at the site, consistent with the oral testimony of elders of the W̱SÁNEĆ and Hul'qumi'num Nations, and; the Government of British Columbia through its Minister has the authority under the Heritage Conservation Act, Section 20 (1) (a) to acquire property to protect First Nations heritage sites;