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Dear neighbour, You may missed our last few newsletters due to a technical error that has been resolved. You can find previous newsletters by clicking the links below, or by visiting my website at jessicabellmpp.ca/updates. Apologies for any inconvenience. Now on to this week. Last week in the Ontario Legislature, my attention was on the United States. On Tuesday, my cautious hope and anxiety dissolved into disbelief, then despair as I checked and refreshed the NYTimes vote count on my phone, while putting my kids to bed. Their future was on the ballot. By Wednesday, Donald Trump was the 47th president of the United States. The majority of Americans voted for this convicted felon, this destabilizing, chaotic, and vindictive strong man. Republicans hold the majority in the Senate, and are on track to hold the House of Representatives as well. This was the most consequential election in my lifetime. And we lost. I fear for our democracy, the threat of more war, the health of our planet, the rights of workers, women, immigrants, and 2SLBGBTQIA+ people. Life will become more chaotic, cruel, and grim for millions of people. I reflected on Trump's legacy of his first term. Separating children from their parents at the Southern border. Weaponizing the Supreme Court with Conservative appointees. Trump's first term was when we as a family stopped listening to CBC news in the morning because our kids kept asking questions. My husband and I agreed to keep out the dark, and protect their childhood for a little longer. Ruminating in fear is counterproductive. On Thursday, I moved from doom scrolling to truth seeking and reflection. I took to reading Conservative thinkers to better understand why so many people are voting for far right politicians. What’s motivating them? The screeds on social media talk of immigration, taxes, the doctrine of white supremacy. I am more drawn to articles like David Brooks’ “Voters to Elites: Do You See Me Now?” who writes of working people feeling left behind by progressives and not being treated with respect. We are not going to persuade people by dismissing them as sexist. A provincial and federal election is fast approaching. Right wing ideas are ascendant here too. I want to know how we, as individuals, as a political party, and as a social movement, can protect what we have and motivate people to see us a path to a better life and better future. Is it messaging? Is it candidate selection? Is it new policies? Is it a different organizing approach? What do we keep? What do we change? These are the questions I’m grappling with as I prepare to organize in this new world order. I want to end with the words of Senator Elizabeth Warren in her recent video on social media. It's worth a watch. “Hold your loved ones close.” “I will do everything I can in my position to fight back.” We don’t get to rewrite history, but every morning we get to decide how we respond. Sincerely,
Jessica Bell |
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Do you go to high school in University—Rosedale? Participate in my member's statement writing competitionI am inviting all local high school students to participate in the University—Rosedale Member’s Statement Writing Competition. Participants can submit a written statement on a topic they feel passionate about, modelled off of the statements MPPs present in the legislature at Queen’s Park. The winner and their family will be invited to Queen's Park to watch me read the winning submission in the legislature. Eligibility
Submission and Deadline Your statement must be 60 seconds when read aloud (approximately 140 words). Participants must email a PDF copy of their statement and a completed participation form to [email protected] with the subject line: Member’s Statement Writing Competition. DEADLINE: December 1 DOWNLOAD PARTICIPATION FORM HERE The winning submission will be read in the legislature on December 12, 2024. |
Conservatives are ramming Bills 212 and 214 through the legislature—now's your chance to speak upOn Wednesday, November 5, the Ford Conservatives passed a motion to cut debate and limit committee hearings on Bill 212, the Reducing Gridlock and Saving You Time Act and Bill 214, the Affordable Energy Act. Sign up for committee now to ensure your voice is heard. You can submit written comments or request to appear before committee on either Bill 212 or 214 by following this link: https://www.ola.org/en/apply-committees. Bill 212: Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 Introduced on October 20, Bill 212 seeks to restrict where bike lanes can be built. The bill also enables the Ford Conservatives to bypass environmental assessment processes to fast-track building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. If built, Highway 413 would run through Ontario’s Greenbelt, prime farmland, wetlands, woodlands and waterways, connecting suburbs north and west of Toronto. Key Dates for Bill 212:
Bill 214: Affordable Energy Act, 2024 This bill, introduced on October 23, would give the government expanded control over Ontario’s energy planning, removing power from the independent Ontario Energy Board The bill paves the way for potentially billions of dollars in energy spending, including spending on gas and new nuclear energy. The bill doesn't require the government conduct a cost-benefit analysis on different ways to generate electricity, nor how much these investments will cost, and what impact it will have on electricity prices. Public input is not required. Conservation and energy efficiency are no longer a top priority. Key Dates for Bill 214:
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When will the Conservatives take responsibility for Ontario’s housing crisis?On November 4, I asked Premier Doug Ford where he expects people to go when encampments are cleared? Since Ford became Premier, homelessness in Ontario has surged, shelters are full, and more than 1,400 encampments have been set up across the province. On October 29, Premier Ford challenged Ontario’s Big City Mayors to back his plan to use the notwithstanding clause to clear homeless encampments. This would override a 2023 Ontario Superior court ruling that banned municipalities from clearing encampments if the number of homeless people exceeded available shelter space in the area. To solve homelessness, people need homes. Instead of attacking the poor, this government needs to make meaningful investments in housing, shelter, and health, addiction and mental health services. |
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NDP's Homes Ontario is the bold solution to the housing crisis we needOn Monday, November 4, the Ontario NDP introduced a motion to create a new public agency called Homes Ontario The agency would be tasked with overseeing and financing the construction of 250,000 affordable homes over 10 years. The homes will be for a mix of low, moderate and middle-income households who have been priced out of the housing market. Homes Ontario will provide grants, low-cost financing, public land and other resources to help public, private, and non-profit housing providers buy, build and operate affordable housing. Unsurprisingly, the Conservatives voted against our plan. You can watch my speech in the legislature here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2320240445139414. |
Volunteer with usSign up to join our issue-based canvassing team and hear directly from community members about the issues that matter most. Connect with your neighbours, help drive real change, and make a difference in University-Rosedale. No experience necessary – everyone is welcome. Interested in volunteering in other ways? Reach out, and we’ll find the right opportunity for you. We’ll follow up with you shortly after you sign up here. |
Join the Ontario Health Coalition webinar on private clinics and illegal user fees November 13Join the Ontario Health Coalition’s (OHC) upcoming webinar on November 13 that will delve into how private clinics are embedding illegal user fees into our health care by discussing what is covered and what isn’t under OHIP and the Canada Health Act, what fees are illegal, and defining upselling. All are welcome to join! Please register and fill in the information here (you will receive the Zoom link by email after you register): https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYldOmqrjgtE9KjliI90-_sMWIYorb_JcsT#/registration
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Ward 10 Forum: Supporting Student Learning and Literacy | PIAC & FSLCAC Election November 13TDSB Trustee Deborah Trustee Williams is holding a forum on November 21 to discuss the ways we can support student literacy. TDSB staff will make elementary school and secondary school presentations. We will also have updates from the Trustee and Superintendents. Everyone is welcome. Election of Parent Involvement Advisory Committee PIAC Ward 10 Co-Representative and election of French as a Second Language Community Advisory Committee FSLCAC Ward 10 Alternate Representative will be held. Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024 Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Location: Jarvis Collegiate Institute, 495 Jarvis Street, Toronto, M4Y 2G8 (Jarvis St and Wellesley St E area) REGISTER HERE to:
Light refreshments and onsite childcare will be available. If you have any interpretation or accessibility needs, please indicate them on the RSVP form or contact us directly at [email protected] or 416-395-8787. |