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Dear neighbour, Today at 12pm I invite you to come down and join me in walking with Grassy Narrows youth and community members to show that we are with them on their path to achieve mercury justice and freedom! The River Run rally will begin at Grange Park, which is located behind OCAD and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Grassy Narrows’ struggle for justice is one of the most powerful and inspiring social movements in Canada today. The people of Grassy Narrows First Nation in northwest Ontario have been hard-hit by mercury poisoning after the government allowed a pulp mill to dump waste into a river in the 1960s. The damaging effects are still seen today. In all this time, the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation have never received the help they need to deal with the devastating, and still ongoing, consequences of the poisoning of their river system. I look forward to seeing you there. Sincerely,
Jessica Bell |
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Join me for a Back-to-School Ice-Cream Social on September 24Welcome back to school parents, teachers, and students. Earlier this month, I visited all the schools in our riding to connect with the school community, and outline how we can work with you during the school year. I would like to invite you to Vermont Square Park (819 Palmerston Ave) on Tuesday, September 24 from 6-8 PM to join me and fellow parents, teachers, and students in a back-to-school Ice Cream Social. Whether you're getting into the back-to-school routine or want to chat about important issues like education, healthcare, or other provincial matters, I’d love to hear from you. See you there! |
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Kensington Market rallies to save its local overdose prevention site“KMOPS is my extended family. Without them, I’d be using alone in laneways and alleyways. I don’t know if I’d be alive,” said a client of the Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site at the “Save Our Sites” rally. On Friday, September 13, I joined the Kensington Market community in calling on the Ford government to reverse its decision to shut down several Consumption and Treatment Sites (CTS), including the Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site (KMOPS). In August, the Ford government announced plans to close multiple CTS locations, further restrict harm reduction services, and ban municipalities from requesting new harm reduction programs. Like other CTS locations, KMOPS has saved countless lives since it opened in 2019. It provides critical harm reduction services such as overdose response, clean supplies, and access to healthcare and counseling. The rally was organized in collaboration with The Neighbourhood Group, St. Stephen-in-the-Fields, Friends of Kensington Market, and our office. Around two hundred people attended, including harm reduction workers, local business owners, residents, and parents. You can support KMOPS by signing this petition: https://www.jessicabellmpp.ca/sos. We have saved the site from closure before, and we are ready to do it again. |
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Reminder: Join our Yorkville Town Hall on September 26As your provincial elected official, it’s my job to represent you at Queen’s Park. The provincial legislature makes regulations and laws that affect our lives, including housing, condo rules, development, funding for cities, transit, schools, universities, and health care. We’re hosting a Yorkville Town Hall on Thursday September 26 from 7pm - 8:30pm at the Stone Church, 45 Davenport Rd. Come to get an update on what’s happening at Queen’s Park, and in our community, share your concerns, meet your neighbours, and have your questions answered. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP here. |
Pay changes could help with the family doctor shortageOntario family doctors will get a 10 percent pay rise in the first year of a new four-year deal with the Ontario government as part of a recent arbitration announcement. Doctors are asking for a pay increase to help deal with Ontario’s doctor shortage, to make it easier to recruit and retain doctors, and make it easier to pay for office overhead. In Ontario, 2.3 million people do not have a family doctor. Bumping doctors' salaries is a start, and we support it, but there is still much to be done. We must also address access to care, particularly in northern and rural Ontario, and ensure that specialist consults, surgeries, and diagnostic tests are provided to patients in a timely manner so that people receive the best outcome possible. |
Cataract surgery access is skewed to the ability to pay, not needOn August 26, Queen’s University published a study showing wealthier Ontarians are more likely to receive publicly-funded cataract surgeries in private clinics than poorer Ontarians. During the pandemic emergency, when the province faced a growing surgical waitlist in public hospitals, the Ford government announced it would send cataract patients to private clinics to reduce the backlog. The research team at Queen’s reviewed data from these surgeries and found that care for wealthier Ontarians shot up by 25 percent, but poorer Ontarians' care fell by 8.5 percent. The researchers say this disparity is likely caused by private clinics charging patients extra fees for non-OHIP insured procedures and keeping a separate wait list for people willing to pay extra versus those who aren’t. If you received or are waiting to receive an OHIP-insured cataract surgery and have been asked to pay extra fees or have been put on an extra long waitlist, please contact our office at [email protected]/ 416-535-7206. |
We call for an inquiry into four-year old Neveah’s death“It’s unacceptable that nobody knew this child was missing,” said Hamilton Mountain NDP MPP Monique Taylor. My colleague, the NDP critic for child welfare, is calling for an inquest into the death of Neveah, whose remains were found in a Rosedale dumpster. We are also urging that the death of any child who has been involved in care should automatically prompt public scrutiny through an inquest. As reported by the Toronto Star, 4-year-old Neveah was taken into protective custody at birth and spent the majority of her life in Children’s Aid Society care, first in York Region, then in Toronto. In March 2021, a CAS request and subsequent court order placed her back with her birth mother. By the end of that year, police said Neveah was already dead. Her remains were found the following spring. Given the tragic outcome, the decision to end the supervision order and close the CAS Toronto file on Neveah and her mother must be reviewed now. |
Ontario’s updated 2024 Provincial Planning Statement comes into effect on October 20On October 20, 2024, Ontario’s new Provincial Planning Statement (PPS) will come into effect, replacing the previous 2020 Provincial Policy Statement and Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. This update combines both documents into a single policy, which the Ford government says will provide more flexibility to municipalities while helping the province meet its goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031. The 2024 PPS introduces changes that impact land use planning, focusing on housing, employment, and agriculture. It calls on municipalities to set targets for housing affordability, intensification, and redevelopment. You can read the new PPS here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/provincial-planning-statement-2024. The new PPS is very worrying. This document guides planning for the province. The PPS wipes out settlement area boundaries and municipal comprehensive review processes, so new development on nearby farmland can be approved at any time. Developers can appeal any municipal refusal to the Ontario Lands Tribunal to amend a municipal boundary and approve development on nearby farmland. There's no appeal, however, of any municipal decision to permit development on nearby farmland. In other words, if a municipality approves sprawl you can't appeal. If the municipality denies sprawl, you can appeal. If you have thoughts or concerns about the PPS, please share them with me at [email protected]. |
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Remembering DelroyI was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Delroy Curling, a beloved member of the University-Rosedale community. My team and I first connected with Delroy in 2019 when he was renovicted from his home at 11 Walmer Road. Despite making clear his intention to exercise his legal right to move back into his unit once renovations were complete, Delroy was given the runaround for years. Yet, through his unwavering determination, and with the support of our office, community legal clinics, and the broader community, Delroy finally returned to his newly renovated home on February 1st, 2024. Helping Delroy move back into his home is a memory that stands out for me and my staff—a moment of triumph and joy. Over the years, Delroy became a beloved presence at our tenant events, community gatherings, and year-end celebrations. He was tenacious, kind, and always radiated positivity. His loss will be felt deeply, and he will be greatly missed. Delroy Curling March 30, 1937 - August 13, 2024 |
Ontario is moving ahead with strengthening consumer protections for condo residents. They need to hear from you.The government is currently seeking input on proposed new regulations that could impact condo owners. They are looking at putting into effect sections of the Condo Act that were passed in 2015 but haven't been enforced yet. These changes are designed to offer more protection for condo owners and buyers by improving transparency and clarity. The potential changes include:
They are also considering updates related to:
The Ministry wants feedback from the condo community to help shape these changes and ensure they protect condo owners while remaining clear and transparent. Link to survey here. Feedback due October 27. We have been advocating for these changes for some time, and we’re pleased we are making progress on implementing them. While these changes are welcome, we are calling for broader reform to better protect condo residents and ensure condo buildings are well-managed and well-maintained places to live. You can see some of our work here: https://www.jessicabellmpp.ca/catmotion |
Have your say on Toronto’s renovictions bylawThere is a growing trend of renovictions in Toronto, where a landlord illegitimately evicts a tenant by alleging that tenants need to leave the unit for the landlord to undertake renovations or repairs. The City of Toronto is developing a new bylaw to prevent bad-faith evictions and help maintain affordable homes for Toronto’s residents. The City is looking to hear from tenants, landlords, the organizations that support them, and the public before finalizing the renovictions bylaw. This will help the City better protect tenants and make sure landlords understand how to follow the new rules. The City will report back with a proposed bylaw by October 30. Complete the online survey by September 30. Your responses will be anonymous and will inform the development of the bylaw. |
Attend the Young Politicians of Canada’s Civic and Political Forum on September 21The Youth Civic and Political Forum is scheduled to take place at Toronto City Hall and will serve as a platform for young people to discuss and produce solutions to pressing political and civil issues in Toronto, connect with influential leaders, and explore more ways of civil participation and activism. Through panel discussions, debates, and interactive activities, participants will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of key issues, build connections with like-minded peers, contribute to the improvement of the City, and develop the skills and resources necessary to become active participants in the political process. More info here: https://www.youngpoliticians.org/structure/chapters/ontario/youth-civic-and-political-forum |
Learn how to apply for a Canadian citizenship on October 2Please join Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services and Staff Lawyer Lee Tenenhouse for an online public education session on how to apply for Canadian citizenship on Wednesday, October 2 at 2 2:00 pm. Learn about:
Please Register to Receive the Zoom Link: Click Here to Register. |