Julie Dabrusin
Julie Dabrusin
Member of Parliament for Toronto—Danforth
June 15, 2021 Community Email Update
June 15, 2021

Dear Neighbour,

We as a country are making excellent progress with our vaccination campaign. As of today, 74.9% of Canadians 12+ have had at least one dose and over 17.8% are fully vaccinated. Just this week, the Province reduced the wait time for people who had a first shot of AstraZeneca from 12 weeks to 8. You can now book your second dose appointment with Michael Garron Hospital. There are also several pop-up second dose clinics this weekend.

In this newsletter you will find updates on 

  • Vaccine Hunter Canada and Covid-19 Resources Canada Facebook Live recap and Francophone Vaccine Q&A Sessions 
  • Canada Day flags and pins 
  • Green home retrofits 
  • Reclaiming traditional Indigenous names on official documents 
  • Appointment of Indigenous Languages Commissioner 
  • Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund 
Vaccine Hunter Canada and COVID-19 Resources Canada Facebook Live recap and upcoming Francophone sessions 
Thank you to both organizations for the great session we had last week. If you missed it, please watch it hereHere is a brief recap of the Questions and Answer but do watch the video for more fulsome answers. 

Q: When do you think we will need to get a COVID booster shot?  

A: We don't know at the moment, it depends if COVID becomes endemic in certain areas. 

Q: Will COVID become annual like the flu? 

A: There is no evidence to support this, but it will depend on how thing develop over the next few months. 

Q: Should I quarantine after getting my second shot? 

A: Not necessary, simply continue to follow public health guidelines. 

Q: Can you mix Pfizer and Moderna? 

A: Right now the best option is to stick with the same brand, but it is not necessary. 

Q: Who is most at risk for an adverse reaction to the AstraZeneca vaccine?. 

A: We don't really know, however symptoms develop 4 to 28 days after vaccination and only impact 1 in every 100,000 people for their first dose, and 1 in every 600,000 for their second dose. 

Q: Can people who got COVID-19 get vaccinated? 

A: Yes, you are encouraged to get vaccinated as we do not know how long natural immunity lasts, and new variants may still pose a risk. 

Q: Do people who previously had COVID-19 need to get two shots? 

A: At the moment there is no guidelines from Health Canada on if those who had COVID-19need two shots, however it is possible that you may need only one shot. It is best to ask your healthcare provider about the best course of action for you specifically. 

Q: Does mixing AstraZeneca with mRNA vaccines provide better protection? 

A: There is no direct answer to this question as there is not enough data.  

Q: Is it best to get the first second dose available regardless of brand? 

A: Everyone needs to make their own informed decision on this topic. mRNA vaccines do not have the same possible side effects as AstraZeneca, but the risk of getting COVID is still higher then experiencing the blood clots associated with AZ . 

If you have further questions, Covid-19 Resources Canada has Q&A sessions 3 times a week. Please sign up on their website for these free sessions. 

They are also holding two Q&A sessions in French as well (one is tonight). Please see the posters for details and the sign up links are here: 
 
June 17 - https://oicr-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UTJWyNexQxuHuIRxJkeJYw 
June 22 - https://oicr-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_L6xlY3ARTYGDGl5WrNaXTA 

Canada Day Flags and Pins 

This year’s Canada Day will be our second one affected by COVID-19 without the usual parade in East York and festivities in Riverdale Park East.  

Personally, it has felt hard to celebrate in the long shadow of the discovery of the bodies of 215 children at the Kelowna Residential School, and the knowledge that this is not isolated.  I believe Canada Day can be a day for us to reflect on what we love about this country, what we need to do better, and how we can come together to make our country that better place. For many families like mine, Canada was chosen as a country of new opportunities and a place that would celebrate and protect diversity. 

I also would like to highlight that we recently passed legislation that created a National Day of Truth and Reconciliation as a federal holiday, like Remembrance Day, every September 30th which will provide a day for mourning and reflection.   

For those who wish, I am offering to mail you flags and pins. Please order here by June 28th for delivery by July 1st. Or come visit me at the East York Farmers Market on June 29th where I’ll be handing these items out. 

For those looking for virtual ways to commemorate Canada Day, please check out 

  • East York Canada Day Festival for many activities, including entering talent contest, submitting to a cookbook, decorating your home for prizes or doing a scavenger hunt 
  • Neighbours Together on Canada Day. Watch their video to be released on Canada Day and enter in the lucky draw to win prizes to shop at local stores and restaurants. 
Green Home Retrofits 

Buildings, including our homes, account for 18% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. We are providing grants to help make homes more comfortable and affordable to maintain while also supporting our environmental objectives. The Canada Greener Homes Grant will help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient, create new jobs for energy advisors and fight climate change. 

Homeowners will be able to receive grants of up to $5,000 to make energy efficient retrofits to their primary residences, and up to $600 to help with the cost of home energy evaluations. Eligible home improvements and upgrades include replacing windows and doors, adding insulation, sealing air leaks, improving heating and cooling systems – such as with heat pumps – and purchasing renewable energy systems like solar panels. 

This grant is retroactive December 1, 2020. 

In addition, for home renovators and architects, the National Research Council of Canada is offering free electronic access to the National Model Codes including National Building Code of Canada (NBC), the National Fire Code of Canada (NFC), the National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC), and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB). These codes are important for protecting the health and safety of Canadians when their homes, their places of work and other buildings are built or renovated. 

Reclaiming traditional Indigenous names on official documents (Call to Action 17) 

A person’s name is fundamental to who they are, and Indigenous names are endowed with deep cultural meaning and speak to their presence on these lands since time immemorial. Yet the impact of colonialism means that many Indigenous Peoples’ names have not been recognized. Indigenous Peoples have long fought to reclaim their names and all that they signify. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 17 directed all levels of government to enable residential school survivors and their families to reclaim and use their Indigenous names on all government documents. 

 In response to this Call to Action, our government announced that First Nations, Inuit and Métis people can now reclaim their traditional names on passports and other immigration documents.  

Appointment of Indigenous Languages Commissioner (Calls to Action 14 & 15) 

This week, Minister Steven Guilbeault announced the first appointees to the new Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages. These are in response to Calls to Action 14 and 15. The OCIL will support Indigenous peoples in ensuring that languages grow and prosper so they can be shared and spoken for years to come. 

I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Calls to Action. You can follow the progress here 

Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund 

A few weeks ago, the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund opened. This is a $291.3M investment to support the success of Black entrepreneurs and business owners.  

The Loan Fund will give Black entrepreneurs and business owners access to financing to start-up and grow across Canada—helping address systemic barriers. Please find out more here

Please keep well and email or call (416.405.8914) with any questions.

Yours,

 

Julie

 
 
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