|
December
30, 2004
Take Action!
Tsunami
victims, how to help
Let's
make the New Year a celebration of global community, partnership
and charity.
December
14, 2004
Take Action!
In the aftermath
of the devastating Supreme Court of Canada decision in the
"Auton" case on November 19, 2004, the focus has
shifted to the political area to help get children with autism
the medical care they require. T o
this end a national autism petition campaign has been started
and we would appreciate your support.
Please visit
www.canadaautism.com
and tell your colleagues within the autism community about the
petition campaign. The website allows you to download the petition
in either official language. Just get a minimum of 25 signatures
and send it to your MP! It's that easy! Thank you for your attention
to this matter.
December
13, 2004
addition to the site
Joanne
Bury's Speech to CAW workers at Port Elgin
The following
is a speech I gave to CAW workers at their Paid Education Leave
programme at Port Elgin. While a lot of my story is not news to
you, it is news to most ordinary voters. I believe if most regular
people knew how horribly we are treated, just because we became
sick or lost our job or whatever caused us to need social assistance,
they would be appalled. Although, this is very hard to do, I am
quite comfortable public speaking - I have been doing it all my
life. So, I am going to keep speaking, to anyone who has a group
who will listen to me, and then go out and make the change needed
to allow me to live in the dignity I deserve.
I would like to collect more stories of "everyday" treatment
at the hands of this horrible system, especially from people on
OW. Also, if any service group, union local, community group or
otherwise, in your area, would like me to come and speak, I will
do so but I need my expenses covered and I get to say what they
are. I am determined to keep speaking until those in Canada who
need social assistance are helped not punished.
Read Speech
December
10, 2004
addition to the site
Charter
Challenge of the National Child Benefit
Supplement
Dec. 10, 2004: Today the Income Security Advocacy Centre
(ISAC), the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA)
and the Charter Committee on Poverty Issues (CCPI), have formally
launched a legal challenge to the clawback of the National Child
Benefit Supplement from families on social assistance.
Pinpoint
URL to download the press release as a Word doc.
http://www.opicco.org/docs/Press-release-Charter-Filing.doc
Pinpoint URL
to to download the backgrounder as a Word doc.
http://www.opicco.org/docs/NCBS-Press-Kit-%20Backgrounder.doc
November
25, 2004
Announcement
Lucy
Lu receives pardon
‘It's
great. I was so relieved,' Lucy Lu says of parole board pardon
Lucy Lu has been pardoned by the National Parole Board. Lu, the
Chinese immigrant who took sanctuary in Calvary Bible Church in
2000 when the government tried to deport her over a manslaughter
conviction of which she maintains she’s innocent, was told
Monday that the federal government had granted her a pardon of
her conviction. The pardon allows Lu to seek permanent residency
in Canada and clears the way for her lawyers to argue that the
immigration department’s case to have her deported should
be dropped. The immigration case is the only outstanding legal
process remaining against the Kingston shoe store clerk, whose
plight garnered tremendous support in the city and from around
the world. “It’s great,” Lu said yesterday at her
workplace. “I was so relieved when I heard that the pardon
had been granted. This is a big step for me and I’m thankful
for all the support I’ve received from Kingston and around
the world.” Read More
October
12, 2004
additions
to the site
Ontario
Liberal Government Introduces
New Disability Accessibility Bill
Major Stride Forward In Our Decade-Long Campaign
Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee, North Bay Chapter
press release Oct-12-2004
October
7 , 2004
additions
to the site
Homelessness
is a Human Rights Violation - It's Time for Action!
Support NAPO's Housing Action
September 24, 2004
additions
to the site
Child
Advocacy Project - a joint project of Justice for Children and
Youth, Pro Bono Law Ontario and the Advocates' Society
September
14, 2004
additions
to the site
More
money for health care isn't a panacea
by Phil Upshall, Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental
Health
As
Canadians wait with some disillusionment to see if our first ministers
can find a health-care "fix for a generation," we're
going to put a fresh idea on the table: more money isn't always
the way to solve our health-care problems. That's not to say that
our health-care system isn't chronically underfunded, or that
it's capable of sustaining the increasing pressures placed on
it by an aging population and the costs of new treatments and
technologies.But believe it or not, many health issues can be
improved, if not resolved through the consensus of premiers and
the prime minister to establish common approaches to common health
issues right across the country. Read
More
Prisons
are inadequate responses to poverty, homelessness & mental
illness
by
Kim Pate, Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS)
The news is
full of stories these days about human rights violations by Canadian
authorities: the apparent Canadian complicity in the detention,
deportation and torture of Maher Arar and others since 9/11; deadly
police mistreatment of Aboriginal people in Saskatoon; the terrorization
and deaths of young people in state care, like David Meffe. For
me, these abuses provide a stark reminder of why the Elizabeth
Fry Societies three years ago asked the Canadian Human Rights
Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of human rights violations
experienced by women prisoners in Canada. Read
More
September
12, 2004
Research
Posting added to site
Women
Living With Fluctuating Chronic Health Conditions: Research Study
On (In)visible Disabilities
seeking participants ...
- Living
with the shifting visible and invisible effects of a chronic
condition such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic
fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis,
Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or environmental illness
for at least one year or more
- Between
20-45 years of age
- Living
within the greater Toronto area
- Interested
in sharing their experiences through creating and working with
photographs
September
11, 2004
additions
to the site
Tanis
Doe Online Memorial Chat - Wed., October 6, 2004
Tanis
Doe, Ph.D. (and her pseudonym/alter Vicky D'aoust), who
died on August 4, 2004, left behind many friends, colleagues,
students, mentees, and admirers. She will be remembered for
her innovative research (in which she used participatory action
research to amplify the voices of people most directly affected
by programs and policies); for her advocacy (speaking internationally
about topics such as parenting with a disability, bioethics,
disability and Deafness, and the value of diversity); for
her inspired teaching (at the University of Victoria, Ryerson
University, the University of Washington, and Royal Roads
College, among others) -- but also for her brazen sense of
humor, her creativity, her dancing, and her fondness for bumper
stickers, sci-fi television, sunflowers and Snapple. People
will have a chance to remember and share their experiences,
thoughts and feelings about Tanis (a.k.a. Vicky) in one of
her favorite environments -- cyberspace.
An
online Tanis Doe memorial chat will be held on Wednesday,
October 6, 2004, from 2:00 p.m.
to 7:00 p.m. PST (that's 3:00 to 8:00 MST; 4:00 to 9:00 CST;
and 5:00 to 10:00 EST). The chat will take place
in an Internet chat room using AOL Instant Messenger (AIM).
To join the chat, send an instant message (IM), anytime during
that time period, to TanisDoeMemChat,
and ask to be invited in. Then you will get a message inviting
you into the chat room to share stories and memories. You
can
come and go at any time during the session. This will be an
experiment in virtual community, of which Tanis would approve
heartily! Bring your own Snapple. ;-)
If you
don't have AIM, you can download it for free and get a screen
name at http://www.aim.com
Other software also supports AIM; you know it if you use it.
:-)
If you
have questions, email Laura@cripcommentary.com
September
2, 2004
In the news ...
Single
moms win 9-year legal battle - Province drops welfare appeal -
'Spouse in house' rule demeaning Tracey Tyler,
Toronto Star
A
bitter nine-year legal battle between the Ontario government and
single mothers living in poverty may have come to an end, with
the province's attorney-general dropping efforts to resurrect
the "spouse in the house" rule. The rule, introduced
by the former Conservative government as part of an attack on
welfare abuse, resulted in some 10,000 recipients losing some
or all of their benefits after moving in with someone. The rationale
was that their co-habiting partners were supporting them. Read
More
August
21, 2004
Additions
to the site:
Falun
Gong marks third year of protest - Practitioners, claiming persecution
in China, are a fixture outside the consulate
by Chris Johnson, Vancouver Sun, dated August 20, 2004
August
9, 2004
Additions
to the site:
In
Memoriam - Tanis Doe, PhD
 It
is with deep sadness that I report the passing of Dr. Tanis
Doe, advocate and educator. Tanis passed away in her home
in Victoria, British Columbia late Wednesday, August 4, 2004 due
to a pulmonary embolism. Doe is survived by her daughter, Ann
Marie, and a loving community of friends, colleagues, mentees,
lovers, dance partners and family in every sense of the world.
Read More: | Obituary
| Pictures
| About Tanis
|
August
4, 2004
Additions
to the site:
Ontario
Needs a Raise: Vigil and Rally
In Memory
of Kimberly Rogers
When:
Wednesday
August 11th from 12 Noon to 1 pm
Where:
address change! 900 Bay St. M1-57
Macdonald Block
Join
with others on August 11th to remember those who have suffered
under inadequate conditions, and to demand an immediate raise
to social assistance rates.
In
1995, the Tories slashed already low welfare rates by 21.6%. With
increases in the cost of living, today the cut is approximately
34.4%. One in Six people in Ontario live in poverty. The Inquest
into Kimberly Rogers’ death found that Ontario social assistance
rates do not reflect an adequate standard of living. In the Jury’s
recommendations they included that social assistance rates be
reviewed to ensure they reflect the actual costs of housing, food
and other basic needs. Now,
a year a half after the Inquest, and 10 months into the new Liberal
government, those same conditions and policies that set the stage
for the tragedy of Kimberly Rogers’ death are still in place.
We need to demand that Ontario's new Liberal Government take a
stand against poverty; a 3% raise to social assistance is not
enough!
Sponsored
by: Ontario Needs a Raise Campaign
For
more Information contact:
call: 416-516-1422, ext. 222. or email: ocsj@ocsj.ca
August 3,
2004
Additions
to the site:
The Left Must Stand With the Haitian People
by Yves Engler
Four
and a half months ago the Liberal government sent troops to a
foreign country without the legally elected host government's
permission. Since February 29, Haiti has been occupied by foreign
troops and a pro-U.S. government has been installed. The Canadian
media, and the rest of us, have been nearly silent. At the end
of February, Haiti was front-page news. The Globe and Mail's Paul
Knox was there and CanWest's 11 daily papers ran stories from
the Montreal Gazette’s once-progressive Sue Montgomery. Both
reported on President Jean-Bernard Aristide's authoritarianism,
drug connections and “thuggish” supporters, known as
the chimères. Neither gave much credence to other side
of the story and now that Aristide is in exile in South Africa,
the Canadian media have lost all interest. So, what's going on?
Read More
July 25,
2004
Additions
to the site:
New
Funding to Restore Community Use of Schools
The McGuinty government has announced $20 million of annual funding
to ensure Ontario schools will once again be accessible for community
use at nominal fees. This new funding will address a problem created
by the education funding formula introduced by the former government,
which excluded the cost of community use and forced many School
Boards to dramatically increase user fees. Read
More
New
Housing Study Documents Growing Need
The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association and the Co-operative
Housing Federation of Canada – Ontario Region recently released
a comprehensive study of housing conditions and unmet needs in
Ontario. Where’s Home 2004 provides a detailed housing profile
of 21 separate Ontario communities. Read More
Child
Care Announcement Signals Policy Shift
Ontario
recently announced funding to support the creation of 4,000 new
subsidized child care spaces. The $58 million investment comes
from federal transfers, and will be flowed to municipalities for
local child care initiatives aimed at children under five years
of age. Read More
Additional
Resources for Community Support Services
In
early July, the province announced just over $100 million in new
funding for community support services, home care and supportive
housing. These new investments are designed to increase the capacity
of Ontario’s health care system to provide care and service
at the community level and allow more people to get care in their
own homes, thus reducing the strain on hospitals and freeing them
up to focus on acute care. Read More
New
Children’s Vaccine Program Launched
The McGuinty government recently released details
on how it will implement the $156 million Childhood Immunization
Program first announced in the spring Budget.
Read
More
Seniors
Housing Affordability
Statistics Canada recently released a report looking at housing
costs experienced by elderly families. It found that two-thirds
of seniors are homeowners, 90% of whom have paid off their mortgages.
Read More
Recent
Newcomers Earn Less
Immigrants who came to Canada in the 1980s and 1990s earn approximately
one-third less than immigrants who arrived in the 1960s, according
to data released by Statistics Canada. Read
More
July 20,
2004
Additions
to the site:
World
Health Organization Supports Domestic Violence Prevention
Interpersonal violence devastates lives and families, and it also
imposes major economic costs on societies around the world. Some
nations spend more than four percent of their Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) on violence-related injuries, and low-income nations may
be hardest hit. Those are among the conclusion of The Economic
Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence, which was released in June
by the World Health Organization (WHO). Read
more
July 17,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Genocide
in Canada
BC United Church source confirms program to systematically
destroy documents related to crimes against First Nations including
rape, torture, murder, sexual sterilization, organ removal, and
an organized pedophile and sex slavery network. Read
More
July 16,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Call
for Solidarity - Maher Arar
 The
public inquiry into what happened to Maher
Arar is underway, and the Maher Arar Support Committee
has asked the Solidarity
Network, and its members, to pass on an important call
for solidarity.
Maher has
launched a website at www.maherarar.ca
which provides summaries of transcripts from the inquiry,
news releases from the Maher Arar Support Committee, and information
on how to support his struggle for the truth.
The site also
includes a section called "Have
your say" which encourages the public to submit their
thoughts on what is happening.
July 15,
2004
Additions
to the site:
In
defence of freedom of speech: disability activist
by Barbara
Anello
The
Canadian Radio - Television and Telecommunications Commission
(CRTC) decided yesterday to pull the license of Quebec City's
most popular radio station, CHOI FM because morning hosts, Jeff
Fillion and André Arthur, repeatedly
offended "Canadian values". This
is the first time the CRTC has revoked a license for the conduct
of radio hosts. ... At the end of the day, it's my view that the
CRTC, an unelected body, is not the appropriate body to determine
what constitutes "acceptable Canadian values" -- that's
a job for Canadians and our elected representatives.
July 7,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Lesbians
and Breast Cancer Project - Final Report released
Research
Report: The Lesbians and Breast Cancer Project, June 2004
Download
the Final Report as a PDF file (PDF,
112 pages, size 585 kb) 
Download
the Final Report as
a WORD doc (MS Word doc, 112 pages, size 459 kb)
Welfare
incomes far below poverty line across Canada
(Globe & Mail)
Welfare incomes have so deteriorated through cuts, freezes
and inflation that they are well below the poverty line across
the country, a report said Wednesday.
$20M
to fix welfare pay delay
(Toronto Star)
Glitch in welfare computer program has Liberals,
Tories playing blame game
670,000 people in Ontario must wait for 3 per cent increase
It could cost another $20 million to fix the Queen's Park computer
problem that has Liberals and Tories pointing the finger of blame
at each other.
July 6,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Louise
Arbour Takes Up Mandate of High Commissioner
Mrs. Arbour was, until June 2004, a member of the Supreme Court
of Canada. She served as chief prosecutor for the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda from 1996
to 2000, during which time she indicted former Yugoslav and Serbian
President Slobodan Milosevic, among others, for war crimes and
crimes against humanity for his part in atrocities committed in
Kosovo.
Study
On Domestic Violence - Family Violence Punished Less - Stats Canada
A new study finds spouses are less likely than strangers to go
to prison for committing almost any type of violent crime. Statistics
Canada says convictions in violent cases involving spouses resulted
in prison terms in 19 per cent of cases. Read
More = >
July 4,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Amnesty
International to Investigate Disappearances of Aboriginal Women
in Canada
by
Marlene Westfall
Our
aboriginal sisters have experienced what I am going to term a
genocide in our own country. The word 'Genocide' was termed by
Raphael Lemkin after WWII as he and others were horrified at witnessing
Nazi terror although they were considered "rumours"
at the time. 'Genotype' denotes a biological type determined by
the genetic characteristics common to a group. 'Cide' is a suffix
signifying killer; destroyer; or a killing. Lemkin was almost
single handedly responsible for getting the United Nations to
adopt genocide as a criminal atrocity in the political evolution
of a nation. Read
More >
During the
Federal Election, we will be focused on election-related issues...
please refer to http://dawn.thot.net/election2004/
June 9
-11, 2004
Additions
to the site:
Here
Marks your Grave
Sudbury
Women’’s Centre des Femmes - Press Release - June 9,
2004
Sudbury
- June 09th, 2004 - "Here Marks your Grave"...There
were many inquires today at the Sudbury Women’’s Centre.
Some callers asked as to "why there was not a protest"
and other calls and e-mails whose comments were filled with horror,
disgust and disappointment when the first pictures of the "tombstone"
were released. Read More =>
Rexdale
Women's Centre Letter to Sudbury Mayor David
Courtemanche
dated June
9, 2004
Monument
to victims of domestic violence unveiled
By
Laura Stradiotto, The Sudbury Star
Wednesday,
June 9, 2004
June
8, 2004
Additions
to the site:
Beijing
+ 10 Review: A Feminist Strategy for 2004-05, A Working Paper
for NGOS on How to Move Forward
This paper emerged from the Center for Women's Global Leadership's
(CWGL) various activities and meetings to contribute to efforts
towards making women's participation more decisive in the UN review
of the Beijing Platform for Action BPFA and the Millennium Declaration
and Development Goals (MDG).
May 28,
2004
Additions to the site:
Surviving
on Hope is Not Enough: Women's Health, Poverty, Justice &
Income Support in Manitoba
Respect,
better benefits, information and advocacy will reduce stress and
enhance independence. Women’s health is harmed by stress
created by the welfare system, according to a study sponsored
by the Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence. The report
will be launched on May 28. According to principal investigator
Rhonda Wiebe, “In our study the women described the stress
of being dependent on a system that shames and scrutinizes them,
withholds significant information from them, is inaccessible at
critical times in their lives, and blatantly expresses no interest
in understanding the day-to-day factors in their lives.”
May 25,
2004 (updated June 25, 2004)
Additions to the site:
Take
the Equality Rights Survey #5
View
Results from first 100 respondents
(PDF)
View
Results from most recent Survey
(PDF)
Canadian
elections: we all have a short memory
by Jonathan Nzouankeu dd May 25, 2004
Christie
Blatchford, Globe & Mail and CFRB commentator is venting this
morning: how can the Liberals dare to think that they are the
only party to know what Canadians really need. I usually don't
get too involved into Canadian internal politics. After 4 years,
I still consider myself "new" in this country and I
like to actually "know" what I'm talking about. I just
felt like sending a quick note from
someone observing with amusement the political makeup and wondering
what all this commotion is about. The mailing list is short and
so will be my point: Christie is worried about how much money
the Liberal government is planning on taking out of our pockets
for Health care, hinting that the Conservatives would do a better
job. Read More
May 19,
2004
Additions to the site:
Ontario
Budget: May 2004
Media
coverage of the Morning After Pill issue
Earle's
Story - A Call for Endorsements
Earle Rheaume has an interesting and compelling
story to tell. While it deals with an ugly experience
he had with the Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services,
the issue is a systemic one in that it extends to many others
across the province on any given day.
Read
More
May 18,
2004
Additions to the site:
judge
Ramsay case: Prince George perpetrator of violence against young
First Nations women
Call to Action to write emails/letters of concern
and support on this issue. These attacks are part of the on-going
extreme levels of systemic violence experienced by First Nations
women.
Health
Canada proposes non-prescription status for 'morning after' pill
Canadian
Women's Health Network applauds move, but says it is not enough
--
'Over the counter' access to emergency contraception essential
Simply
People: Celebrating Our Lives and Our Identities
Post-Secondary
Students with Disabilities Organize a Celebratory March For People
With Disabilities June 20, 2004
May 12,
2004
Additions to the site:
 Canadians
for Equal Marriage (CEM) This
federal election will determine if equal marriage legislation
is passed & whether a number of very anti-gay candidates are
elected to Parliament. Please visit www.equal-marriage.ca,
and see how easy it is to make a difference in this crucial human
rights battle.
Poetry
by Robin Jones, Survivor
Women’s
monument deserves proper home
Editorial:
Northern Life dated May 12, 2004
Canadian
labour believes pay equity is mandated by Charter of Rights and
Freedoms
The
Canadian Labour Congress will be in the Supreme Court of Canada
tomorrow, Wednesday, May 12, 2004, to argue that the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms also apply to governments when
they prepare their budgets. The
case is a long-standing pay equity dispute between the Newfoundland
government and its employees. At issue is whether a law that repeals
pay equity payments that are owed to women workers, to redress
wage discrimination, violates equality rights under the Charter.
In resolving this issue, the Court will be asked to examine the
government’s duty to consider Charter equality obligations
in their budgeting process. en
francais
May 11,
2004
Additions to the site:
Women's
Equality Rights Are Not For Sale!
Women's
Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) to Argue at the Supreme
Court of Canada for Women's Right to Equal Pay for Work of Equal
Value
On
Wed, May 12th the
Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) will
appear before the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of NAPE
(Newfoundland Association of Public Employees) v. Newfoundland.
At issue
in this case is whether the Newfoundland government's reneging
on an agreement to compensate its female employees for discriminatory
wages violates the equality rights guaranteed to women under the
Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms. The question is, can
Newfoundland pay women less than men for work of equal value?
This
case affects 5,300 female employees of the Newfoundland government,
and has the potential to set a precedent for female employees
across Canada. Read
More =>
May 6,
2004
Additions to the site:
Editorial in the Sudbury Star, May 6, 2004
INVITES your Feedback -
Please provide it!
May 5,
2004
Additions to the site:
CAEFS
Fact Sheets
National Elizabeth Fry Week - May 3 - 9 2004
2nd
National Disability Rights Conference
The Canadian Labour Congress is proud to announce
that our Second National Disability Rights Conference, “Doing
MORE – Moving FORWARD” will be held November 11 to November
14, 2004 (registration desk opens at 4 p.m. on the 11th) at
the Fairmont
Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montréal, Québec. The
Conference will do MORE to build the voice of activists
with disabilities and our allies. We will do MORE to build
our political agenda. We will do MORE to build our understanding
of issues impacting on the lives of disabled activists. We will
do MORE to build on the work done since the first conference.
Read More
May 3,
2004
Additions to the site:
TAKE
ACTION to STOP a Women's Monument from being erected in a Sudbury
Graveyard
On April
29th, Sudbury City Council passed a motion to approve the erection
of a women's monument in a local graveyard. DAWN stands in solidarity
with our sisters at the Sudbury Women's Centre des Femmes
who oppose the highly inappropriate placement of a women's monument
in a cemetery.
Take Action
Read
Responses
Read Media Coverage
April 30,
2004
Additions to the site:
Consultation
Launched on Rental Housing
Legislation
to Curb Sixty-Hour Work Week
New
Provincial Rent Bank and Energy Emergency Fund
Legislation
to Allow Family Medical Leave
Report
Finds Domestic Homicides Predictable and Preventable
Additional
Funding for Autism
Minimum
Wage Workers and Low-paid Worker Mobility
Source:
United Ways of Ontario's Government Relations Bulletin
- Issue dd
April 30, 2004
April 22,
2004
Additions to the site:
Tenant
Action Group (Belleville) Puts Grocery Stores on notice
TAG Press Release dd April 22, 2004: If the provincial
government forces welfare and Ontario Disability recipients to
scrape out an existence on starvation level benefits then we are
left with little choice but to steal food for our children to
survive. When it comes to providing the basic necessities for
your household honesty in Belleville is a privilege. Read
More =>
Ontario
Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Works (OW)
Quarterly Statistical Reports - Caseloads and Beneficiaries
(CSRL)
- 5 years
of statistics on ODSP and OW caseloads (i.e., number of households)
& beneficiaries (i.e., number of individual recipients)
- includes
stat breakdowns by family type (singles / couples / sole support
parents)
Ontario
Disability Support Program Quarterly Statistical Report
Ontario
Works Quarterly Statistical Report
NOTE
from Gilles Seguin, publisher of CSRL:
Kudos to the Ontario Government for finally making ODSP statistics
publicly available for the first time since the mid-1990s! [the
policy of the former government was to make OW statistics available
on the website, but if someone wanted to know the number of
people on ODSP, they had to submit a request, by regular mail
or e-mail and wait for a beneficient bureaucrat of the Ontario
Government to reply...]
Note to explain the previous note: Why is it important
for ODSP stats to be as readily available as OW on the government's
site? Because any comparison of Ontario's welfare stats with
those of other Canadian provinces and territories must include
both the "expected-to-work" and the "not-expected-to-work"
components of the welfare caseload.
April
19, 2004
Additions to the site:
March
for Dignity - Rally for a Raise
On Thursday,
April 29th, a courageous group of seniors, people with disabilities
and people on social assistance will arrive in Toronto after walking
150 MILES from Sarnia, through Woodstock, London, Kitchener and
Hamilton to Toronto on a March for Dignity
to protest provincial government policies that force them to
live thousands of dollars below the poverty line. Read
More =>
April
13, 2004
Additions to the site:
Homeless
Women Crisis - Homeless women 10 times more likely to die:
AIDS, drugs, suicide common causes, researchers
find
Homeless women
in Toronto are dying at 10 times the rate of other women between
18 and 44, according to a new
study released today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal...
HIV-AIDS and drug overdoses are the most common causes of death
among younger homeless women. Read
More
April
10, 2004
Upcoming Conferences in April 2004
April 28
- 30, 2004 | Edmonton, AB
The
3 R's of Sex: Relationships, Reproductive Health and Recreation
Conference
The Alberta Society for the Promotion of Sexual Health
is holding a sexual health conference on April 28-30, 2004 entitled
"The 3 R's of Sex: Relationships, Reproductive Health and
Recreation". For
more information, please contact: Alberta Society for the Promotion
of Sexual Health. Tel: (780)424-6312 ext.2226 Fax: (780)425-1782
Email: aspsh@ppae.ab.ca
or visit their website at http://www.aspsh.ca
April
30-May 1, 2004 | Toronto, Ontario
Transitions
Conference: Sharing & Shaping - Building skills for living
in the adult world
The conference will focus on five areas: supportive living,
independent and assisted living options, family life, support
systems and information for families and caregivers; leisure and
lifestyle, choices for active and healthy living; post-secondary
opportunities, education, volunteering, employment; medical, taking
charge of your health; and Youth Day.
Follow this
LINK for conference announcements
in May 2004
April
8, 2004
Additions
to the site:
March
for Dignity from Sarnia to Queen's Park!
Thursday April 29th at 11:00 am - Rally at Queen's
Park, Toronto
Ontario voted for REAL change, not SPARE change and
we need YOUR voice to make sure it happen. Show that you support
dignity for all people in Ontario. The March starts in Sarnia
on April 24th enroute to Queen's Park. Read
More =>
Poverty
in Canada: Media Coverage: Stats Can Report - Low income in census
metropolitan area
April
7, 2004
of interest ...
Stats
Can releases Report
"Low income in census metropolitan areas"
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/040407/d040407a.htm
Facts
from StatsCan report on income levels in 27 major Canadian cities,
- Median annual income of families in 2000 was $62,300, a 1% increase
from 1990. That contrasts with the 1980s, when median incomes
rose 5%.
- Recent
immigrants, aboriginals & single-parent families are at
the highest risk for low income.
- The percentage
of recent immigrants with low income was 35% in 2000, compared
with 17.7% in the general population. In 1980, 23% of immigrants
had a low income.
- Among
aboriginals in cities, 41.6% were living in low income in 2000,
more than double the national average.
- For single-parent
families, the rate of those with low incomes dropped across
the country to 46.6% in 2000 from 54.2% two decades earlier.
- Among
individuals with low incomes in 2000, 51.1% of their income
came from government assistance, compared with 42.7% in 1980.
City's
minority women face tough struggle
A hidden story in the poverty report
by Royson
James, Toronto Star, April 7, 2004
Multiple
marginalization. Erasure. Counted out. Democratic and social fissure.
Social isolation near epidemic proportions.
These are a few of the words and phrases found in the first seven
paragraphs of a 110-page report from 2003 that told us exactly
what this week's United Way report on poverty says — only
in more direct and compelling language. The release of the United
Way's "Poverty by Postal Code" sent me scurrying
back to last year's study — a call for validation and recognition
that received hardly a mention. "If Low-income Women of Colour
Counted in Toronto," prepared by Punam Khosla, is at once
riveting and revolting. In powerful language, it adds flesh and
gives voice to the women who bear the brunt of oppressive poverty
in the city's neighbourhoods. Read More http://tinyurl.com/2945t
April
6, 2004
Additions to the site:
Walking
on Eggshells: Abused Women's Experiences of Ontario's Welfare
System
April
5, 2004
Additions to the site:
New
United Way Report 'Poverty by Postal Code'
Documents Changing Toronto Neighbourhoods
United
Way of Greater Toronto Press Release
Key Findings
Links to Report online
Links to Media coverage
April 3, 2004
Additions to the site:
Together,
We Build a Better Toronto
2nd Forum in a series hosted by the Truth-Compassion-Forbearance
Advocacy Society (TCFAS) Tues.
April 13, 2004 from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Council
Chamber, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West
April
2, 2004
Additions to the site:
Coming
Out - About Lesbians and Cancer
The Lesbians and Breast Cancer Project Summary Report
The Lesbians and Breast Cancer Project was a community-based
participatory study conducted in Ontario, Canada in 2003. Read
More =>
PDF
version (535 kb)
March
31, 2004
Additions
to the site:
Fast
Food Calorie Disclosure Bill (C-398) Advances; Legislation
would also require Better Ingredient Lists on Food Labels &
Nutrition Info for Fresh Meat
The
House of Commons sent to the Health Committee, private member’s
legislation requiring fast food chains to disclose calorie information
on menus. The bill would also require large full-service chain
restaurants to disclose additional nutrition information on menus,
food manufacturers to improve ingredient lists on processed food
labels, and meat packers to put nutrition information on all fresh-meat
labels. The Committee is required to report back to the House
by September 30, 2004. Read
More =>
Killing
The Messenger: Op/Ed by tOM Trottier
The
new legislation to protect whistle-blowers wouldn't have protected
Gary Lovett. He got fired for telling the media that Canada's
base in Afghanistan didn't have adequate fire-fighting gear. Though
his pay came from the Canadian government, it flowed through a
contractor, SNC Lavelin, so the generals could get him fired by
snapping their fingers. Read
More =>
March
24, 2004
Additions
to the site:
Responses
to Budget 2004:
March
23, 2004
Featured sites - disAbility issues
Chem-Tox.com
"Research on health disorders resulting from petroleum-based
chemicals used in consumer products and job environments are available
from the links below. Petroleum based chemicals are being found
to cause significant attritional effects to the nervous system
and immune system after prolonged exposure. Illnesses identified
in the medical research include adult and child cancers, numerous
neurological disorders, immune system weakening, autoimmune disorders,
asthma, allergies, infertility, miscarriage, and child behavior
disorders including learning disabilities, mental retardation,
hyperactivity and ADD (attention deficit disorders). . . . The
majority of information at CHEM-TOX has been attained from research
from the University of Florida and University of South Florida
Medical Libraries. Every attempt has been made to provide information
clearly and accurately - The medical/scientific journal name and
date, along with the university and scientists involved in the
research are listed with each article."
Pollution
- "Pollutants in the air are caused by natural events (like
bushfires and windstorms) or human activities (including industrial
processes or driving motor vehicles). Examples of pollutants include
gases, chemicals and airborne particles (such as dust and pollen).
High levels of pollution can be a health risk, and may cause asthma
and other health complaints."
The
ABCs of ADHD
"Dr. Clive Schwartz is an assistant professor and consultant
at the Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto. He has
a number of research interests, including the comorbidity between
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities
such as dyslexia."
Children
With Disabilities
"The Children
With Disabilities Web site offers families, service providers,
and other interested individuals information about advocacy, education,
employment, health, housing, recreation, technical assistance,
and transportation covering a broad array of developmental, physical,
and emotional disabilities."
Violence
And Abuse Against People With Disabilities: Experiences, Barriers
And Prevention Strategies
(Word doc)
by Laurie E. Powers, Ph.D. & Mary Oschwald, Ph.D.
Center on Self-Determination; Oregon Institute on Disability and
Development; Oregon Health & Science University
March
22, 2004
Additions to the site:
Stop
Violence Against Aboriginal Women
Join
the Native Women's Association of Canada's (NWAC)'s Sisters
in Spirit Campaign,
a pan-Canadian
initiative supported by a broad coalition of organizations, intended
to draw public and political attention to the disappearances and
murders of more than 500 Aboriginal women across Canada. Launched
March 22, 2004
Falun Gong
persecution spreads to Canada
Ottawa does little to counter campaign by Chinese envoys
by John Turley-Ewart - National Post
March
19, 2004
Additions to the site:
Campaign
to Stop Violence Against Women
Amnesty International - An Open Letter To The Women’s
Movement
...
This campaign is designed to sound the alarm about violence against
women as a human rights crisis, educate the broader public about
the issues, mobilize both women and men to work to counter violence
and to use the power and persuasion of the human rights framework
in the efforts to stop violence against women.
March
18, 2004
Additions to the site:
Social
Factors Drive Health Outcomes
Hospital
Funding to Come With Accountability
Report
Calls for New Investment in Non-Profit Agencies
Province
Beefs up Family Responsibility Office
New
Public Policy Resource for Non-profits and Charities
New
Money for Children’s Aid
Municipalities
Empowered to Hike Property Taxes on Businesses
Courts
Upholds Charitable Property Tax Exemption
Source:
United Ways of Ontario's Government Relations Bulletin
- Issue dd
March 16, 2004
March
13, 2004
Announcement
Featured
Sites
FOUND - Nelly Botelho!
The Botelho Family would like to thank all of you for the love,
help and support you have shown them through the horrible ordeal
of Nelly's disappearance. Nelly has been found and is being re-united
with her family. Thank you. ~ Beth
Jordan for the Botelho/Medieros Family
March 12, 2004
Additions
to the site:
Women
Reps Arrested at the Legislature Today
BC Coalition of Women Centres press release March 12, 2004
Five representatives from the BC
Coalition of Women's Centres refused to leave an office
at the BC Legislature this morning after a meeting with Ida Chong,
Minister of State for Women's and Senior's Services. All of the
representatives were arrested this morning and were later released.
They will be holding a press conference at 1 pm today. Read
More =>
March 11,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Action
Alert: Stop Racist Backlash in Canada
The
Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) needs your help. The Canadian
government is reviewing a new bill in the house of commons called
Bill
C-2, An act to amend the Radiocommunications Act. Bill
C-2 will make it illegal
for anyone to watch Al Jazeera, ART Global, ART movies, Dubai
Satellite Channel, ESC-1, Future TV, LBC, MBC, Nile Dram even
if you pay for a subscription by a non-Canadian provider. Read
More / Take Action =>
March 10,
2004
Additions
to the site:
  (FOUND:
Nello Botelho
- Update)
URGENT:
Missing Woman - Have you seen Nelly Botelho?
24
year old Nelly was last seen Saturday, March 6, 2004 in
the Dufferin /Rogers area
of Toronto. Follow this link for more
information. Call 12 Division
at 416-808-1200 with any information.
Nowhere
to Turn? Two new reports on violence against women
A
major new study by the Canadian Council on Social Development/Conseil
canadien de développement social (CCSD) highlights the need
for comprehensive, coordinated and culturally appropriate strategies
to reach immigrant and visible minority women who are victims
of partner violence. The study was launched on International Women's
Day in Toronto and received extensive national media attention.
The full reports, by Dr. Ekuwa Smith, are available on the CCSD
website.
Use
your power - Vote for a Change.ca
Vote for a Change is a nation-wide voter education campaign
It seeks to inspire those turned off by politics and politicians
- working people, youth, new Canadians, and those marginalized
by poverty, race and/or disability - to vote for a change.
March 8,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Ontario
Women's Health Council salutes International Women's Day
The Ontario Women's Health Council (OWHC) salutes International
Women's Day 2004 by declaring women's health the new frontier
in women's equality, said Jane Pepino, OWHC chair. Read
press release in English
March 7,
2004
Additions
to the site:
St.
Christopher House Work on Social Policy
Highlighting the work of Richard Shillington
& John Stapleton
"St. Christopher
House's Community Undertaking Social Policy (CUSP) program brings
policy experts into our organization for several months in order
to have a dialogue with community members most affected by social
policy (ie. low-income and otherwise disadvantaged people) and
with frontline agency staff and volunteers. In this way, St. Chris
is trying to bridge the gap between the worlds of policy-makers
and the lived experiences of diverse community members. To
date, Richard Shillington and our most recent CUSP policy expert,
John Stapleton, have produced a number of reports that are available
to the public. Both policy experts have focussed on income security
policies and programs. See also our current work on Income Security
Strategies for Working-Age Adults." Read
More =>
From the March
7/04 issue of the Canadian
Social Research Newsletter published by Gilles
Seguin in Ottawa.
March 6,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Aboriginal
Women Continue to Face Major Challenges, as International Women's
Day Approaches
Canadian
Aboriginal AIDS Network - Media Release dd March 5, 2004
March 4,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Call
for Papers - Benefitting Women? Women's Labour Rights
Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme
(cws/cf) Spring 2004 (Vol. 23, No. 3)
Despite
the economic gains made by women in Canada over the last 50 years,
the economic inequality they continue to experience remains significant.
CWS/cf's Spring 2004 issue is thus committed to an exploration
of women's paid and unpaid labour in the context of globalization
and economic restructuring. The focus of this issue will be a
critical exploration of the changing nature of the Canadian labour
market which has undermined the position of many women in full-time
work and resulted in a significant rise in the number of women
working in part-time, temporary work, short-term, contract work,
home-based work, self-employment. Read
More =>
March 3,
2004
Additions
to the site:
Ontario
Human Rights Commission sends 121 complaints to public hearing
"At its
meeting on January 28, 2004, the Commission decided to refer an
unprecedented 121 autism-related complaints to the Human Rights
Tribunal of Ontario. The complaints against various Government
of Ontario ministries allege discrimination on the basis of disability
in accessing services. The Commission has referred the complaints
based on the restrictive eligibility criteria for funding support
and long waiting lists for a government program."
'This
Precious Cause:' Medical Marijuana and Disability Rights
by Cal Montgomery (Ragged Edge)
"Medical marijuana, as it is framed by the sources I found,
is not a disability rights issue; but all that means is that the
people framing the issue for me aren't motivated by disability
rights. I began to think that I should have been asking not 'Is
medical marijuana a disability rights issue?' but 'Can medical
marijuana be framed as a disability rights issue?' And then, 'What
would a disability rights argument for medical marijuana look
like?'"
Improving
Access for Students with Disabilities - Ontarians with Disabilities
Act, 2001 (ODA) - WEBCAST
Dr.
Kuldip Kular, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration, Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, will be hosting
a webcast with a focus on accessibility for students with disabilities
in post-secondary education and those making the transition from
secondary school to post-secondary education. Read
More =>
February
20, 2004
Additions to the site:
Transexual
Rights are Human Rights!
Canadian Transexuals Fight For Rights - CTFFR - 'Transexual Pride'
Transexual Day Of Rememberance
- March 20th http://www.ctffr.org/id15.html
February 18, 2004
Additions to the site:
Chinese
Deputy Consul General Found Guilty in Canadian Court for Libel
against Falun Gong Practitioner
The
Ontario Superior Court of Justice has awarded Falun Gong practitioner
Mr. Joel Chipkar damages for libel against a Chinese consular
official who stated that the practitioner was a member of a "sinister
cult." (Feb.
4, 2004)
February
16, 2004
Additions to the site:
54
Jailed in China Over Internet Use
Country attempts to control online communication
Amnesty International has called for the release of 54 people
imprisoned in China for expressing opinions on the Internet. In
a report released today, the human rights organization says it
has documented cases of 54 people jailed for using the Internet,
but said the figure was likely to be "a fraction" of
the real number.
Canadian
Communications Company Initiates National Pro-Choice Action
clarification.ca - Ask Me About My Abortion
In
response to a recent national initiative to eliminate reproductive
choice in Canada, Lefty
Lucy Communications has launched a national web-based
project called Clarification.ca.
The goal of the project is to collect stories from women across
the country that have exercised their right to choose, and have
no regrets about having done so. Read
More =>
Bitter
or Better
- Book
feature
"Adversities are inevitable
in life, but misery is a choice"
by Paul Haigazian
February
13, 2004
Additions to the site
POVERTY-
Globe & Mail ignores mention of broader determinants of health
The Toronto
Globe and Mail -- Canada's "Newspaper of Record"
has been notorious for ignoring any mention of broader determinants
of health. On Wed. Feb 11, they had one of their almost daily
reports on obesity -- this time a report from the Heart and Stroke
Foundation that -- obesity was now the #1 Public Health Issue
in Canada. Read responses: Michael
Polanyi's letter & Dennis
Raphael's letter
February
12, 2004
Additions to the site
125
organizations call for end to welfare time limits in BC
More
than 125 organizations are calling on B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell
to completely rescind a two-year time limit on the payment welfare
benefits. The
groups say they are not satisfied with changes that will merely
reduce the number of people affected by the limits. Instead, they
want them removed from the statute books entirely. The
groups are also calling on Prime Minister Paul Martin to withhold
federal transfer payments to any provinces that impose such time
limits.
Press
Release dd Feb 12/04
||
Letter
dd Feb 12/04
||
Letter
dd Feb 5/04
Politics
As Usual
Op/Ed by Andrew D. Tutty
February
11, 2004
Take Action:
The
Ontario government wants input? Let's give it to them!
Ontario
– Becoming Accessible For All
Submit
"ideas and insights" by: March
31,2004
February
10, 2004
Additions to the site
FAFIA's
Progress report on CEDAW follow-up
Rapport d’étape
de l'AFAI concernant CEDEF
On the
occasion of the one year anniversary of the UN CEDAW's review
of Canada's 5th report on its adherence to the Convention to Eliminate
All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), FAFIA
has issued a progress report on the Canadian government's
activities to achieve full compliance with this international
treaty obligation. This
progress report finds that despite the efforts of Status of
Women Canada to increase awareness about CEDAW and foster
dialogue across departments, unfortunately, little progress has
been made on implementation of a substantive response to the Committee’s
recommendations. Read More: English
|| en français
Ottawa
Citizen: Invest pensions ethically! NDP motion
Coalition
to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT)
has created a web petition to oppose CPP war investments.
If you haven't yet signed, please do so, and encourage others
to do likewise: http://coat.openconcept.ca
February
9, 2004
Additions to the site
Women
need safe, stable, affordable housing, new study finds
Researchers call on government to address Women's specific
housing needs
Press
Release: Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence & the
Women's Health Clinic
Women with low incomes have acute housing needs and are at greater
risk of living in unsafe and unhealthy environments,
says a new study conducted by the Prairie Women's Health Centre
of Excellence (PWHCE) and the Women's Health Clinic (WHC).
More women than men live in poverty and experience difficulty
finding and affording suitable housing. In order to better meet
women's needs, the study authors, Molly McCracken and Gail Watson
recommend that federal, provincial and city governments need to
adopt gender-based analysis for all new housing policies and programs.
Read More =>
February
8, 2004
Additions to the site
Report
finds information lacking for disabled First Nations
"A
Saskatchewan policy organization says disabled Aboriginal people
aren't getting the services they require, and it blames bureaucracy
for the confusing the problem. The Saskatchewan Institute for
Public Policy (SIPP) is calling it the ping-pong effect when
describing what happens to First Nations people who have disabilities.
It says that they are bounced from agency to agency without getting
the help they need." Read More
=>
Help
Ontario clean up its disability act - Minister seeking input from
public
by Helen Henderson, Toronto Star dd Feb. 7,
2004
The Gosselin case and
the future of anti-poverty litigation in Canada
"Gwen
Brodsky, one
of the lawyers intervening in the Gosselin case, has written a
paper on the implications of the decision for future anti-poverty
litigation in Canada." Gosselin vs Quebec (Attorney General):
Autonomy With a Vengeance What are the implications of the Supreme
Court of Canada in decision in Gosselin, for future anti-poverty
litigation?
February
6, 2004
Additions to the site
Young
Women Vote 2004 - The 20,000 Project
There's
been lots of talk in the media, among politicians, academics and
thinkers about "how young people aren't getting out to vote"
and that "the youth of today don't care". There is a
lot of truth to these impressions. We are going to change this.
W e
are starting a campaign, "The 20,000 Project",
because as young women, we want to show Canadians that we do care.
Read More
Council
of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) Chairperson's Update
by Marie White January 2004
February
5, 2004
Additions to the site
What
Has Happened to Government's Strategy on Child Poverty
Campaign 2000 Press Release dd February 4, 2004
London
& District Labour Council presentation at Pre-Budget Consultations
Standing Committee On Finance And Economic Affairs
28 January 2004
Excerpted
from Hansard of Jan. 28 Budget Hearings, pages 18
- 20
LIFE*SPIN's
presentation at the
Pre-Budget Consultations
Standing Committee On Finance And Economic Affairs
28 January 2004
Excerpted from Hansard
of Jan. 28 Budget Hearings, pages 15 - 18
February
4, 2004
Call for Support
Attention
ODSP Recipients in Ottawa
Have you been denied Medical Transportation
Allowance to attend appointments and activities that are necessary
for your health? Does your doctor recommend that you attend these
appointments or activities? If
so, then CMHA Ottawa recommends that you appeal the denial of
the allowance.
Download, view
or print the Poster:
as a Word doc (40 kb,
1 pg)
as a PDF file (45 kb,
1 pg)
Help
LEAF get to the Supreme Court to be Heard in These Cases
Social Assistance and the "Spouse in the House"
Rule - Falkiner v. Ontario
Access to treatment
for autistic children - Auton v. B.C.
Pay Equity
- Newfoundland Labrador Association of
Public Employees v. Newfoundland (NAPE)
February 1, 2004
Take Action:
Call
For Action: Maternity & Parental Leave Threatened
The following Appeal
was drafted by a small group of feminist activists -- Bev Bain,
Maryann Bird, Barbara Cameron, Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Shelagh
Day, Martha Friendly, Martha Jackman, Kerry McCuaig and Leah Vosko
-- who see an urgent need for a collective response to protect
maternity and parental leave benefits offered through Employment
Insurance. We ask you to read our Appeal, act on it and circulate
it through your networks. Read
More =>
January
29, 2004
Announcements
What
Canadians with Disabilities Need!
Election Challenge 2004 Consumer Handbook
(draft)
Source: CCD - Council of Canadians with Disabilities
The 2nd National Radio Homelessness Marathon
Is Housing A Human Right? - Un Toit Est Un Droit?
Tune-in
for Canada's 2nd Homelessness Marathon, broadcasting a 14-hour
nation-wide reflection, featuring live radio all night long to
be aired on community radio stations across the country.
Read More =>
Public
Consultations on the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA)
The Minister of Citizenship has announced public consultations
on how to make the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) stronger
and more effective. There will be seven sessions held across the
province beginning in Windsor on February 4th. For dates and locations
of the consultations: follow
this link
January
28, 2004
Additions to the site
Human
Rights Violations of Women Prisoners by Cdn Gov't
Canadian
Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies' (CAEFS) Response to the
Special Report of the Canadian Human Rights Commission regarding
the Systemic Review of the Human Rights for Federally Sentenced
Women
Equality
Seeking Groups Who Made Submissions re: the Systemic Review
by the Canadian Human Rights Commission of Human Rights Violations
of Women Prisoners by the Government of Canada
A
Profile of Women Prisoners In Canada
Why
Programming In Canada's Prisons Fails Women
Q
& A: How Are Women With Disabilities Discriminated Against?
Why
Does CAEFS Say the Prison System is Racist?
Why
Did CAEFS Launch This Complaint?
January
27, 2004
Featured organization
ACPD
- Action Committee of People with Disabilities
A
cross-disability society located in Victoria, British Columbia,
ACPD
serves all people, regardless of disability type: physical, psychiatric,
developmental, sensory and/or emotional. ACPD is operated by and
for people with disabilities. Whenever possible, ACPD programs
& services are offered by consumers.
January
22, 2004
New Report available online
Provincial
Auditor to Review Funding Recipients
Amendments
to the Audit Act introduced in December 2003 will, if passed,
empower the Provincial Auditor to conduct special audits of any
organization, excluding municipalities, receiving a provincial
grant or transfer payment. The amendments cover organizations
receiving grants or payments directly from a provincial ministry
or indirectly from agency of the Crown or a Crown controlled corporation.
Read
More =>
Ontario Drops Lifetime Welfare
Ban
Just prior to Christmas the McGuinty government made regulatory
changes repealing the lifetime ban for people convicted of defrauding
the Ontario Works system. The ban was the centrepiece of the former
Conservative government's controversial "zero tolerance"
policy implemented in 2001. The changes made also repeal the 3
and 6 month suspensions for people convicted prior to April 2000.
Read More =>
Minimum Wages Going Up
Fulfilling a promise made during the recent
provincial election, the McGiunty government has announced a series
of increases to Ontario's minimum wage. Starting on February 1,
2004, the general rate will rise from $6.85 to $7.15, an increase
of 4.4%. After that the rate will increase each year on February
1st until by 2007 it reaches $8.00. Read
More =>
Non-Profit Sector Facing
Human Resource Challenges
The Canadian Policy
Research Network recently released the last two reports in
a five-part series of reports examining employment related trends
and issues in the non-profit sector. Coping with Change:
HR in the Non-Profit Sector, released in December 2003,
found that non-profit organization creatively implemented effective
human resource strategies in response to turbulent times. The
report notes that non-profits are facing increased responsibilities
while coping with reduced and less stable funding, resulting in
lower pay, greater reliance on temporary employment arrangements
and diminished job security. Read
More =>
Province Set To Scrap 60-Hour Work Week
The McGuinty government has confirmed that
it will introduce legislation in the spring session to eliminate
the 60-hour work week, brought in by the previous government.
In announcing the proposed legislation, Labour Minister Chris
Bentley indicated he wanted to "ensure employees cannot be
forced to work more than 48 hours a week" Read
More =>
Bed Bugs Make Big Comeback
A recent
report from the Centre
for Urban and Community Studies at the University of Toronto
chronicles the return of bed bugs, particularly in shelters &
hostels. The report notes that there has been a global resurgence
of bed bugs in recent years, after they had been all but eradicated
following the introduction of synthetic insecticides & spraying
systems during the last century. Read
More =>
Source:
United Ways of Ontario's Government Relations Bulletin
- Issue dd
January 21, 2004
Advocacy,
A Presentation from the Voluntary Sector Forum
Shauna Sylvester, Gordon Floyd
What is
Advocacy?
“…the act of speaking or of disseminating information
intended to influence individual behaviour or opinion, corporate
conduct or public policy and law” ~ Working Together A
Government of Canada/Voluntary Sector Joint Initiative 1999
English
version:
(PDF, 218 kb) || version
française:
In November
2003, the Forum made a presentation about advocacy to the Joint
Steering Committee of the Voluntary Sector Initiative. The purpose
was to inform our government colleagues about sector concerns
and proposals for change in this area. We have posted a copy of
the presentation of the Forum's website for your information and
use in your efforts to discuss the issue of advocacy.
http://www.voluntary-sector.ca/eng/key_issues/advocacy/jsc_brief_advocacy.pdf
En novembre
2003, le Forum a fait une présentation sur l'action sociale
aux membres du Comité directeur conjoint de l'Initiative
sur le secteur bénévole et communautaire. Le but
de cette présentation était d'informer nos collègues
du gouvernement des inquiétudes du secteur et des propositions
pour effectuer des changements dans ce secteur. Cette présentation
est disponible sur le site web du FSBC pour votre information
et pour utilisation lors de vos discussions portant sur le sujet
de l'action sociale.
http://www.secteur-benevole-et-communautaire.ca/fr/key_issues/advocacy/jsc_brief_advocacy.pdf
January
16 - 21, 2004
Featured websites
Ontario
Tenants - Social Justice for Renters
Site has great info for all renters and some very interesting
items on discrimination against women as well as information on
how tenant law is an impediment to women experiencing domestic
violence from getting away from their abusers. Read
More =>
Drive
Wise
An OPP-delivered driver refresher seminar called Drive Wise
www.drivewise.ca
CARP has teamed up with the Ontario Provincial Police and Road
Watch Canada to bring Drive Wise, a driver refresher seminar
for seniors, to groups and communities across Ontario. With CARP's
sponsorship, this informative and enlightening 45-minute presentation
– which is delivered by an OPP officer – will improve
the safety of senior drivers and help preserve their right to
drive. There is no cost to arrange a Drive Wise seminar for your
area! Read
More =>
January
14, 2004
Research Posting
Research
participants wanted: Nova Scotia Women with disAbilites
We
are seeking women with disAbilities in the Halifax area who are
caregivers for someone else in their family or in their home (caregiving
beyond regular childcare). This could be providing care to a spouse
or partner, a sibling, an aging parent, a child with disabilities,
another relative, or any combination of these. Read
More =>
In
Memoriam: Joan Meister -
October 12, 1950 - January 10, 2004
Courageous.
Outspoken. Visionary. Spiritual. Joan
Meister embodied all of these qualities and more. Encountering
Joan was, for many of us who knew her in real time or virtually,
a life-altering experience. A dialogue with Joan was never dull,
ordinary, or mundane. She
was never hesitant about voicing her views regarding any issue
that she felt was important and wasn't properly addressed. Once
you encountered her—you never forgot her. She simply glowed
from within. On
Saturday, January 10, 2004, Joan lost her courageous battle with
cancer. Though she is gone, her rich and vibrant legacy lives
on in all of us who were privileged to be touched by her. Read
More =>
December
22, 2003
DisAbility News of Interest:
Ottawa
gets serious on mental health - Canada the only G8 country without
a national policy
Ottawa
is finally paying close attention to mental health issues, according
to experts in mental health policy who spoke at a recent meeting
of the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA). Much of the discussion
centered on the work of the Standing Senate Committee on Social
Affairs, Science and Technology. Its chairman, Senator Michael
Kirby, outlined the committee's specific focus on mental health
and mental illness. Source: Medical
Post, November 18, 2003, Volume 39 Issue 42
The
True Story Project: Where Theater and the True Nature of Disability
Meet
by Ross M. Wolfarth (Half the Planet) ---
"In artistic programs for people with disabilities, there
is a dangerous tendency to let the disability take precedence
over the art. The True Story Project is an acting company that
overcomes that tendency. Rather than treating the productions
of its troupe of disabled adult actors as therapy, The True Story
Project holds its performers to a standard comparable to that
of any other professional company. And by doing so, The True Story
Project uses its genuine art to demonstrate the unique and yet
fundamentally human experience of Americans with disabilities."
Music
for Deaf Persons
by Bruno Cruz Petit --- "The
title of this article could be ironic or a joke for some, including
deaf persons. That is what happened to a friend, a music teacher,
at arriving at a school for the deaf and being told that he was
hired to teach music. Music for deaf people? How are we to explain
the evolution of music from Bach to the Beatles to someone who
cannot hear their works?" Source: Reprinted from Esperanza
on Disability
World
December
21, 2003
Additions
to the site include:
Examination
of Disability in the Context of Sustainable Human & Social
Development
from Chapter 33 in the Universal
Design Handbook
Written by
CJ Walsh, this
Paper examines "disability" and "contextual factors"
from the broad perspective of Sustainable Human and Social Development.
It remains, then, for the reader to decide whether or not the
concepts of "Universal Design/Design-for-All" are sufficiently
elastic to remain on the European Disability Agenda for the short
term - up to the year 2010.
December
20, 2003
Additions
to the site include:
Send
the Hon. Coell/Cruel in BC a Clear Message
Stop hurting people in need!
Rescind the two year limit on welfare!
Coell/Cruel billboard located on Pat Bay Highway
from Dec-15-03 to Jan-15-04
Sponsored by End Legislated Poverty - caricature is by Dirk Van
Stralen
List of
organizations involved in Income Support work in Ontario
http://dawn.thot.net/coalition-work.html
Letter
to Premier McGuinty from the Association of Community Legal Clinics
of Ontario (ACLCO) calling for an Increase to Social Assistance
Rates
http://dawn.thot.net/aclco.html
Organizing
Information & Resources for Ontario Social Justice Activists
http://dawn.thot.net/organizing-ontario.html
December
15 - 19, 2003
Additions to our Kimberly Rogers site include:
- Scant
solace for the poor
by Sarah Blackstock & Jacquie Chic, Op/Ed Toronto Star,
Dec. 19, 2003
- Call
for ACTION - To Implement ALL the Recommendations from the Rogers
Inquest Jury Dec. 18, 2003
- Hansard
- Legislative Assembly - Oral Questions - Social Assistance
exchange between MPP Shelley Martel, NDP Nickel Belt, and Minister
of Community and Social Services, Sandra Pupatello - Dec. 17,
2003
- Kimberly
Rogers Inquest: a year later
press conference - Queen's
Park - Dec. 17,
2003
- Pupatello
vows to act on welfare by Kate Harries, Toronto Star
Dec. 17, 2003
- Welfare
activists baffled by Grits' inaction by
Bob Vaillancourt, Sudbury Star, Dec.
15, 2003
December
10, 2003
Additions to the site include:
Disability
in Canada: A 2001 Profile
Report released by Human Resources Development Canada highlights
selected findings from Statistics Canada's 2001 Participation
and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS).
The
report is available on HRDC's website in HTML, text, and PDF formats.
HTML: http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/hrib/sdd-dds/odi/documents/PALS/PALS000.shtml
Text: http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/hrib/sdd-dds/odi/documents/PALS/PALS.txt
PDF: http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/hrib/sdd-dds/odi/documents/pdfs/PALS.pdf
[size: 4.3 mb]
December
7, 2003
Additions to the site include:
New
from the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD)
* Strategies
to Ensure Economic Security for All Canadians
* Urban Poverty Project
December
6, 2003
Additions to the site include:
Honouring
our beloved daughters, sisters and friends - NUPGE - Dec.
6, 2003 - Montreal tragedy happened 14 years ago today
Canadians
called to remember and take action against violence against women
-
Status of Women Canada News Release dd Dec. 6, 2003
December 5, 2003
Additions to the site include:
"The
Failed Experiment - Gun Control and Public Safety in Canada, Australia,
England and Wales" - New
Gun Control Study released by Fraser Institute - Nov. 2003
Op/Ed
by tOM Trottier
December
3, 2003 - International Day for Persons
with Disabilities
Additions to the site include:
Celebrate
the 2004 Youth Exchange on the International Day of Disabled Persons
The Active
Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability (ALACD) is
pleased to celebrate the International Day of Disabled Persons
by inviting 50 young people from across Canada to Ottawa for the
experience of a lifetime. In partnership with premiere sponsor,
Pfizer Canada Inc., the fourth annual Youth Exchange will
be held in Ottawa at Carleton University from June 29 to July
4, 2004. This event is supported by the YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada
program which is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Read More =>
VIA Rail to Appeal Ruling
Previously Enablelinker reported news that the disability
community had proved victorious in a Canadian Transportation
Agency ruling against VIA Rail. The ruling obliges the company
to make all of its rail cars accessible. However, the Council
of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), which lodged the
original complaint, has just received notice that VIA Rail is
launching an appeal of the decision. In a recent press release,
CCD declared:
“Now
Canadians with disabilities face another lengthy and costly
legal battle to ensure we can use the trains. At the end, when
we win, VIA - who is now retrofitting these same cars to meet
Canadian safety standards - will have to rip those cars apart
again to make them accessible. Canadian taxpayers will pay again
and again for VIA’s mismanagement in purchasing unsafe
and inaccessible passenger rail cars.”
For more information
or to find out how to contact your MP about this issue, contact
CCD at 204-947-0303 or visit their website at http://www.ccdonline.ca
Watch
Your Back!
The Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) has developed
a list of recommendations for safe snow shoveling through the
winter months. It reports that many Canadians experience muscle
fatigue, low back and/or shoulder pain, vertebral disc damage
and even spinal fractures during the winter season. For a list
of back- friendly tips for safe snow shoveling, visit the CPA
website at http://www.physiotherapy.ca/release2003_9.htm
Follow
this link for additions to the site in 2003
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