We are extremely troubled by the recent news that new cases for immigrant and refugee legal aid are being suspended due to lack of funding [1]. Canadians made it clear in the last federal election that they welcome immigrants and refugees into our society. Indeed during the Syrian refugee crisis many Canadians opened their homes, and volunteered to help our new neighbours get settled and feel welcomed, and continue to work to do so. We therefore need to have the supports in place to make sure New Comers have the services they need to thrive, including legal representation. Many of the cases seen by Legal Services Society are immigrant and refugee women who can be trapped in abusive relationships due to immigration status. As Canada has committed to ending violence against women, not supporting these women is unacceptable. Being born in Canada does not give a person anymore right to safety than another human being, and this includes legal aid. For refugees, having legal counsel is critical, as they only have one chance to present their case [2]. Further, as climate change worsens social conditions and conflicts, and rising sea levels spur mass migration, Canada will only see more immigrants and asylum seekers [3]; therefore, we need more funding to help our fellow global citizens. 1]http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-legal-aid-suspends-immigration-and-refugee-services-due-to-lack-of-funding-1.4181352 2]http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/legal-aid-pressures-asylum-seekers-1.4009839 3]https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2014/11/ccpa-bc_ClimateMigration_web.pdf

Any animal on the planet should be given help and care and we as a society we should be helping any animal that needs our help. Its the right thing to do. Not capture any new ones, but be there to help, learn and train vets, etc and provide a safe home if needed. If the animal can be rehabilitated it should be released...that is a given, but on a case by case basis with oversight from all parties, can we not do what is best for these magnificent intelligent animals and provide compassion?

This petition is designed to bring awareness to housing constraints within the Jane and Finch area, specifically The Grassways. We are not disputing the upsetting occurrences of relocation brought upon other communities who are facing - or have already been through - this experience; rather, we are trying to bring awareness to the situation on a micro level with hopes of later expanding into a larger platform. Most Ontarian's are aware of the rapid increase in the housing market however very little attention is brought to the areas that are being forced give up their homes to pave the way for new development. The new developments are problematic because they generally are very expensive and drive up the cost of living, making affordable housing accommodations inaccessible to residents. With this petition, we invite community members that are affected by the relocation to join our newly established "Grow Our Grassways" tenant board. Currently, there are no promises of return being established with residents of the Grassways because there is no development opportunity. However, we realize that once the units are emptied, that will change. Therefore, we demand that the City of Toronto and Toronto Community Housing consult our board and include us in consultations regarding the new development. We need to guarantee that the Grassways are memorialized by the city by honoring the long and rich history of the community. For example: the ‘Towards a Higher Journey Mural’ needs to be preserved, community arts (e.g. photograph series, youths arts and crafts, farewell BBQ) must be held to assist members in saying good-bye to their community, their family, and their friends. We have questions for the city that must be answered such as; what will happen to the recreational center and it’s after school programs? How will the new developments help the youth and families in the Jane and Finch area? Will we be displaced and disposed? A similar situation happened to the Regent Park community and we want to prevent it from happening to ours. Please sign our petition to help bring awareness to our crisis in order to prevent our families from losing their homes and hopefully to prevent other communities from being forced out of their neighborhoods as well. We want our government to live up to their promise of helping low-income families and neighborhoods. We want the government to keep their initial promise of reviving our neighborhood and not demolishing it. We need to GROW our Grassways not diminish it. Demands: -Establishment of a Grow Our Grassways tenant board to be consulted for the new development -Despite there being no current development opportunity, a Promise of Return must be established for current residents Community arts (ex. Photograph series, arts and crafts, farewell BBQ) must be held to give space for community members to say goodbye to their neighborhood, the Grassways -Towards A Higher Journey Mural (currently located on 7 Blue Grassway) must be preserved and have a space in any new development plan -The Grassways needs to be memorialized by the City, there is a long and rich history of community mobilization that must be archived and made accessible to the public

My house is rotting from the inside, it’s full of maggots and the stench of smoke is unbearable. I’ve been forced to live in shelter and rely on the goodness of friends and charity. It’s been 11 months and my bank is going to to foreclose on the house. Nobody should have to go through what I’ve been through. It’s been a nightmare. And I’m not the only one this has happened to. There are lots cases of this happening to women and families throughout Ontario. Property damage is a common part of abusive relationships. It is often used to threaten, control, and dehumanize. I'm lucky to be alive, but I'm worried about what will happen when my husband gets out of jail in a few months. Allstate Insurance is making my life even more unbearable. It shouldn't be like this. Insurance is there to protect you, and the government is supposed to make sure that laws and policies are in place to hold these companies accountable to that. B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec all put laws in place compelling companies to pay out claims to survivors of arson. Ontario should do the same -- it’s reasonable, doable, and just. For many, their lives depend on it. I don’t want what's happening to me to happen anyone else. Can you help me and other victims by adding your name to my petition?

Many families are suffering in silence with their adult autistic children. The lack of immediate resources for autistic adults in crisis, or consistent triaged therapeutic/medical care with follow up creates an insurmountable stress on families and paints a bleak future for their children. Why funnel money into early intervention and then not offer the same level of care once these kids grow up and become adults? Doesn't make any sense. Statistically 1 in 68 children are born with autism and the incidence of autism has increased 100% over the past 10 years. Autism is the fastest growing neurological disorder and that is a fact. Everybody knows somebody who knows somebody with Autism and that means that autism affects us all. So I am begging you to get from under the bureaucracy of red tape and indecision and really do something about it. Start by providing adequate longterm care facilities with medical professionals, behavioural specialists and different levels of staff that can continue to optimize the adult autistic person's unique potential and make the future a brighter place for all of us. What is currently in place is not enough and obviously not working. Josh is a 19 year old boy with autism who has been in what can only be described ascycles of rage, including self-injurious and schizophrenic type behaviours. In this state he has no quality of life, nor does his family who spend many sleepless nights feeling helpless. His parents have been searching for appropriate resources and services for several years. They have spent many nights at emergency and gone to doctors only to be sent home with another referral that doesn't pan out, medication that renders him a zombie or even more agitated. More often than not they are simply told "that's autism" and left to go home and fend for themselves. His parents have had to resort to essentially dropping him off and leaving him in the hospital to force them to admit him so that he can get the care he deserves and bring attention to this dire situation. Imagine how desperate you must be to have to walk away from the child you love. They had no other options and they are not alone. There are many more people like Josh and they need your help now.

The Problem Vancouver is facing a housing affordability crisis. Yet Vancouver City Council is considering a new zoning plan for Chinatown (the Chinatown Economic Revitalization Action Plan update, or CRAP) that lets developers build expensive condos in Chinatown, but doesn’t add any social housing. More expensive condos will only make gentrification worse, while doing nothing to meet overwhelming need for permanently affordable, quality housing in Chinatown. In Chinatown today, there are two condos for every social housing unit. In 2016 alone, 398 new market-rate housing units opened up in Chinatown, but only 11 new units at welfare-pension rates were added. Meanwhile, Chinatown’s residents and businesses are facing rent increases, evictions, and displacement. Even City staff admit that the CRAP will do nothing to make housing more affordable in Chinatown. They claimed hearing during their public consultation that public benefits like social housing “aren’t worth it”, even though for years residents have said that new social housing is absolutely necessary for the continued survival of the Chinatown community. The Solution Instead, the Mayor and City Council should implement a zoning plan that keeps Chinatown affordable for the existing community and the generations to come. By pausing new market developments until social housing units match market-rate units, and requiring a 1:1 rate of development based on floor area thereafter, working-class residents will be shielded from a tidal wave of rent increases due to new development. But stopping gentrification isn’t enough. This is why Chinatown residents and organizations have created the People’s Vision for Chinatown to ensure that the neighbourhood remains permanently affordable and welcoming to seniors, workers, and low-income people of all backgrounds. The People’s Vision calls for truly affordable housing, culturally appropriate retail, accessible community spaces, democratic decision-making, neighbourhood safety, and better health and social services for seniors and low-income people. For more details, visit http://www.chinatownaction.org. Take Action For too long, Chinatown has been a place where people have experienced discrimination, displacement, neglect, and political exclusion. This must end today. Sign this petition, tell the City that it must put the urgent needs of people before corporate profit, and join us in support of the People’s Vision for Chinatown. 癥結所在 溫哥華正面臨房屋可負擔性危機。然而溫哥華市議會正考慮推行振興華埠經濟行動計劃，容讓發展商於華埠區內大肆發展私人房地產，而忽略公眾對可負擔房屋的需求。 高價的私人房地產只會令仕紳化的問題加劇，同時亦無法解決華埠社區正需要大量可負擔房屋的問題。今日的華埠，私人住宅和可負擔房屋的比例是二比一。單單在2016年，華埠增添了398個私人住宅單位，而新建的可負擔房屋的數量只有11間。同時，華埠社區的居民和商販正面臨租金上漲，逼遷和客源流失等問題。 市政府官員曾坦承振興華埠經濟行動計劃不會改善華埠社區的可負擔性。他們辯稱從公眾諮詢會中收集到的意見是可負擔房屋沒有價值。而事實上，區內居民多年來都強調可負擔房屋是華埠能否持續生存的重要關鍵。 解決方法 反之，市長及市議員應考慮以華埠房屋的持續可負擔性為前題而進行土地劃分。通過制衡私人住宅和可負擔房屋的發展數量，並按單位面積量度兩者的發展速度，才能有效地預防勞工階層面對由於地產發展導致租金急劇上漲的問題。 單單阻止社區仕紳化是不足夠的。所以華埠居民和組織推出了華埠人民願景，以確保華埠住宅的持續可負擔性，維護耆英、勞工階層和低收入人士的需要為前題。人民願景推崇絕對可負擔房屋、符合區內文化內涵的商店、便利的社區空間、民主的決策過程、社區安全和提供良好的保健和社會服務給耆英和低收入人士。查閱該願景的詳情可瀏覽網頁 www.chinatownaction.org 付諸行動 一直以來，華埠的居民經歷著各種歧視、逼遷、忽略和被剝奪政治權利。我們今天要結束這個局面。請您在請願書上簽名，告訴市政府他們必須重視人民的訴求多於商業利益。請支持我們的華埠人民願景。 This petition is co-created by Chinatown Action Group and Chinatown Concern Group. (Graphic image by Maria Wallstam)

Kinder Morgan is short on cash, and desperately needs investors to back their Trans Mountain project — a dirty tarsands pipeline that would threaten BC’s coast with oil spills and facilitate a massive increase in climate pollution from the tarsands. [1-2] They’ve hired TD Bank to broker talks with pension funds and banks, searching for backers to bail out their struggling pipeline plan. [3] TD invests millions in branding themselves as a friendly and socially responsible bank, and they don’t want their brand associated with environmental destruction. A massive petition could show TD that supporting the Kinder Morgan pipeline could damage their brand and cost them customers. The company won’t do anything that they think will hurt their bottom line, so if we can make this campaign huge, it could work. We'll be delivering this petition at TD's shareholder meeting on Thursday. Will you add your name right now? [1] Exclusive: Kinder Morgan starts talks with investors for $5.2 billion Canada pipeline project: Sources (Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/us-kinder-morgan-de-canada-financing-exc-idUSKBN15W20W [2] The Kinder Morgan Pipeline (Greenpeace). http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/Energy/tarsands/Kinder-Morgan-pipeline/ [3] Kinder Morgan Pipeline: tarsands oil to and from our coast (Raincoast). https://www.raincoast.org/trans-mountain-pipeline/

Kinder Morgan and their backers donated more than $771,000 to the BC Liberals, before Christy Clark approved their TransMountain pipeline. With an election just weeks away, the BC Liberals want the political donation scandal to end. If enough of us sign the open letter, we can force them to choose: Return Kinder Morgan's money, or watch this scandal continue to grow.

Howe Sound is magical. Visitors and locals alike are drawn here by its wild natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and the vibrant communities we call home. However, Howe Sound is under threat from Woodfibre LNG, which proposes to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility on the previous Woodfibre Pulp and Paper Mill site located approximately 7 km west-southwest of Squamish. Why is Woodfibre LNG a problem? The project is owned by Sukanto Tanoto, an Indonesian billionaire that has been found guilty of tax evasion and human rights violations. LNG tanker traffic puts Howe Sound residents, Vancouver residents, and Victoria residents at risk, and the potential conflict between recreational sailors and LNG tankers has not been adequately addressed. Increased local air pollution will affect human health, particularly the elderly and kids with asthma. Underwater noise and light pollution will affect salmon migration routes, herring, and marine mammals. Locally, Woodfibre LNG will create nearly double the greenhouse gas emissions of all of Squamish. Woodfibre LNG's local and upstream greenhouse gas emissions are equivalent to adding 170,000 cars to the road. If Woodfibre LNG goes ahead, it will result in 24 new fracking wells per year in northeast B.C. My Sea to Sky is aiming to double the number of signatures we have on the Howe Sound Declaration by March 31st, so we can make Woodfibre LNG a provincial election issue. Please sign the Howe Sound Declaration now and ask your friends and family to sign too.

It is important not only to our people but to all Canadians who live under the poverty line giving those who need the financial security the motivation to make and do more allowing people the safety net allows for low income families to put better food on the table, takes the stress off some mentally and allows all canadians equal playing fields. Lets not forget that it will greatly reduce the strain on our financial assistance programs freeing up money that could be better allocated into health,education and other aspects of the government mandates. This program was attempted in the 70s and recieved great reviews and proved for some time the benefits of having guranteed income . PEI and Ontario both stated they would be rolling out pilot programs to aid in research of it and to see if it benefits in the long run . Ontario seems to be the only Province of the two taking it seriously and PEI being one of the poorest provinces in the country stated they would and now its time they do because i believe seeing impact in PEI is crucial to a national roll out of the program.

The Senate committee is tasked with listening to Indigenous people about their experiences with Canadian colonialism, and recommending ways to foster new relationships between Canada and First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals. Senator Beyak’s comments that Canada should focus on the “good deeds” done by residential school system - which stole children from their homes in an effort to forcibly assimilate Indigenous peoples - are totally unacceptable. They fly in the face of the spirit and goals of the committee, and show that Beyak is unfit to serve on it. Beyak's continued presence on the committee will also do more harm than good. Indigenous peoples must feel that they can trust the committee in order to engage with it, and it in turn needs their participation to do its important work. Residential school survivors, church groups, MPs, and even the committee Chair are speaking out. The committee has been getting an unprecedented number of emails and phone calls from people calling for Senator Beyak’s removal - but according to the rules, only Senator Beyak can step down herself. Sign this to tell Senator Beyak that she should step down from the Senate Committee. Source Calls mount for Senator Beyak to step aside from Aboriginal committee after residential schools remarks, http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/beyak-aboriginal-peoples-committee-1.4027716

Last week, hundreds of TD bank employees blew the whistle on a toxic, predatory, and unethical sales culture within the bank. In a shocking CBC report, TD employees admitted to breaking the law by signing customers up for products they didn’t want, without their consent. Multiple sources within TD agree the problem starts at the top, with upper management pressuring bank employees to meet impossibly high targets, forcing TD employees to choose between breaking the law, or losing their job. [5] One employee described her manager standing behind her three times a day, pressuring her to sell more. Another employee said "I'm in survival mode now because it's a choice between keeping my job and feeding my family … or doing what's right for the customer." It’s time for government to step in and investigate TD. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) regulates national banks, but they only launch investigations in response to complaints. If thousands of us sign a petition calling FCAC to investigate TD, we can file the biggest complaint they’ve ever seen -- and trigger a massive investigation into TD’s shady practices. Sign the petition calling on our banking regulators to investigate TD now!