Jessica Bell MPP, University–Rosedale

Dear neighbour,

In the face of fierce resistance from workers, environmentalists and First Nations, the Conservatives rammed through Bill 5 on Wednesday. Bill 5 creates special economic zones that are exempt from municipal and provincial laws all in the name of speeding up mining and infrastructure projects.

While the bill has passed, the fight will continue - in the streets, in the legislature, in the courts, and on the land, as First Nations have vowed to take action to defend their traditional territory from unwanted industrial projects.

The legislative session is now over. We’re left with a litany of bad laws - from a budget that is underfunding healthcare, housing, and education to a doomed and short-sighted attempt to clamp down on encampments by threatening homeless people with massive fines and jail time. 

I know this Summer will be a time to enjoy the weather and appreciate everything our city has to offer.  And it will also be a time for us to organize together for the city and province we deserve. 

See you in the streets,

Jessica Bell
MPP, University-Rosedale

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• Bill 27 raises questions about wildfire readiness and risky carbon storage plans

On Wednesday, the Legislature debated Bill 27, the Resource Management and Safety Act, 2025. A sweeping bill that introduces wildfire management reforms and lays the legal groundwork for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry in Ontario.

This bill grants new enforcement powers to wildfire officials and updates fire season regulations in line with Ontario’s changing climate. But it doesn’t include the new funding or staffing needed to make these rules effective on the ground.

The bill also opens the door to CCS, a process that involves capturing carbon emissions from polluting industries and injecting them deep underground. I have serious concerns about this approach. CCS is extremely expensive, costing up to $200 per tonne of carbon. It’s also energy-intensive, slow to implement, and largely unproven at scale.

We already have better options. Solar and wind energy, electrification, and investments in public transit are cheaper, faster, and more effective at cutting pollution. I’m also concerned that the bill doesn’t spell out key safety standards for CCS or ensure independent monitoring. 

What’s especially troubling is that this bill follows a growing pattern we’ve seen with legislation like Bill 5: eroding the Crown’s duty to consult with Indigenous communities. By enabling private developers to take on key responsibilities, the government appears to be sidestepping its constitutional obligations. The duty to consult is not optional. If you have thoughts on Bill 27, I want to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected].

• Bill 33 proposes far-reaching changes to education and child welfare systems

On Thursday, the government began debating Bill 33, The Supporting Children and Students Act. This omnibus bill amends multiple statutes across different sectors including child welfare, K–12 education, post-secondary education, and professional regulation.

Bill 33 gives the Education Minister new powers to take over school boards, require police officers in schools, and control school naming decisions. As part of these changes, it also grants the government broad new powers to sell off public school properties and other board-owned land, and choose the buyer. It doesn’t address the issues we hear about most, like smaller class sizes, more support for kids with special needs, or safer schools built around care.

For colleges and universities, the bill reintroduces elements of the government’s earlier Student Choice Initiative—which aimed to make many student union and campus service fees optional, undermining student advocacy, campus media, and essential support programs—raises concerns around equity in admissions, and increases oversight without providing new funding at a time when Ontario’s postsecondary sector is already under pressure from cuts.

The bill also gives the Education Minister new authority over children’s aid society budgets before the results of the province’s own review are made public. That’s raised questions from child welfare advocates.

From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t believe these changes will deliver the support students and children actually need. If you have thoughts on Bill 33, I want to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected]. This bill will not be passed into law until we return to the legislature in October. 

• Renters deserve stability and affordability

On Thursday, I held a press conference to re-introduce our bill The Rent Stabilization Act, 2025 co-sponsored by MPPs Catherine McKenney (Ottawa Centre), Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West—Nepean), and Alexa Gilmour (Parkdale—High Park).

Renters across Ontario are struggling. I hear from constituents every week who are paying too much, living in overcrowded or poorly maintained homes, or facing eviction because they simply can’t keep up with rising rents. Renters deserve stability and security.

This bill would bring in strong rent control on all homes, including homes built after 2018, which the Ford government exempted from rent control. The bill would put a cap on how much the rent can be raised between tenancies, which will curb the rise in illegal eviction activity as landlords will no longer be able to kick out long-term tenants and increase the rent to whatever they can get.  

If we want to make housing affordable for Ontario’s 1.7 million rent householders, then we need to bring in stronger rent control. 

I urge the government to take the housing crisis seriously, consider this bill, and pass it. Sign the petition here.

• I stand with WSIB workers

On Thursday I joined WSIB workers and their supporters at a rally at Queen’s Park. These frontline staff with OCEU CUPE 1750 support injured workers across Ontario and they are on strike for the first time in WSIB’s history. 

Their demands are clear: manageable workloads, fair wages, and safe and respectful working conditions. I am calling on the Board of Directors of WSIB to return to the table and bargain in good faith. 

You can support the workers by signing their petition here.

• Fair Rent Ontario delivers renter mandate letter at Queen’s Park

On Tuesday, I joined MPP Catherine McKenney in supporting Fair Rent Ontario’s action at Queen’s Park, where tenant advocates delivered a strong Renter Mandate Letter to the Ford government.

Fair Rent Ontario is a coalition that includes groups like ACORN, the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, Disability Justice Network of Ontario, York-South Weston Tenant Union, and North York Harvest Food Bank. 

They have five urgent demands to protect renters: bring back full rent control, strengthen tenant rights, expand public housing, increase income support, and support dignified housing for all. See more about their demand letter here. 

• Raising the Pride flag at Queen’s Park

On Tuesday, I joined community members at Queen’s Park to raise the Pride flag and mark the beginning of Pride Month. 

It was a joyful moment but also a reminder that many in the 2SLGBTQI+ community, especially trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse people, are facing rising threats, violence, and discrimination. 

Pride is both a celebration and a call to action to defend hard-won rights, protect the progress we’ve made, and ensure everyone can live freely and openly.

• Join our online panel on social media and how it is impacting our children 

With the release of the Netflix film Adolescence, decision-makers are ramping up their work to curb the harmful impacts of social media use on our children.  

Some U.S. states have banned social media use among children. The TDSB has brought in a cell phone ban. Is it working? What else can we do? 

We think it is important to have a focused conversation on what we can do in the provincial legislature to limit the harmful effects of social media on our children. 

Join MPP Jessica Bell, MPP Catherine Fife, and Dr. Alison Yeung to get an update from experts, share your experiences, ask questions, and give us feedback on what we are proposing to introduce in the provincial legislature.  

Tuesday, June 17 at 7:10 pm on zoom RSVP Here and Sign the petition.

• Know your rights: N12 eviction workshop

Have you received a notice that your landlord or their family member wants to move into your unit? Join Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services for a free online workshop to learn your rights under Ontario’s rental laws.

Wednesday, June 18 at 1:30 PM on zoom

This workshop will walk tenants through N12 termination notices, “landlord’s own use” evictions, and what to do if you’re facing one.

Register here to receive your Zoom link.

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