Dear Neighbour,

I was back in Ottawa last week as Parliament resumed for the Winter/Spring sitting. As you have seen in the news, it was a highly unusual return as a protest turned into an occupation outside of the Parliament buildings. It has been a very difficult time for the residents of Ottawa as they have had their lives and work disrupted by the convoy’s noise and aggressive behaviour by its members. Even the Rideau Centre mall has been closed for over a week, with all its employees out of work due to the disruptions. Our federal government has responded to requests by the city’s police for RCMP assistance, and we have organized meetings with the city to find a resolution.

I have talked with many community members about the frustrations that we feel because of the continued restrictions we face after almost two years of the pandemic. It has been a lot. And while it has been easier on some people than others, everyone is very eager to move to a post-pandemic world.

Vaccines have proven to be a very effective tool. Many people who recently tested positive but are vaccinated have shared with me the mild impact they have experienced from Omicron. There are vaccine clinics running across our community for people seeking their first, second or third dose. I have been advocating for our country to increase our commitment to vaccinations for less wealthy countries around the world so that we can play a greater role in reaching the end of this pandemic.

In this newsletter you will find updates on:

• My work on climate change and the environment
• Community Conversations: my new series highlighting amazing and interesting people and work in our neighbourhood
• Supporting artist and live performance
• Toronto-Danforth Youth Council

Work on Climate Change and the Environment

We will be seeing more electric charging stations in public locations across the GTA in multi-unit residences, workplaces, city and commercial retail locations. I recently helped announce a federally funded program managed through The Atmospheric Fund. The goal is to install more charging stations in locations that are accessible to people who do not have their own driveway or garage.

I participated in an announcement with the Canadian Space Agency supporting Canadian companies that are using satellites to fight climate change. One of them, SIKU, enables northern Indigenous communities to measure and track ice cover, combining traditional knowledge and language with satellite technology.

This week our government tabled legislation that will recognize a Right to a Healthy Environment, and improve the management of toxins and measure their impacts on vulnerable people. I had hosted a townhall on the need for this modernization several years ago and have continued to work with our community and organizations towards this new legislation.

Community Conversations: A chance to learn more about our community

As the MP for Toronto-Danforth, I often get to meet and learn about people who are doing so many interesting things in our community. I wanted to share with you some of the conversations that I have had with people and their projects in our neighbourhood. I launched my first in a series of Community Conversations online last week. In my first conversation, I spoke to Amanda Wong and Jeff Chui about their short film “A Hundred Joys” which highlights East Chinatown, its past and future. This week’s Community Conversation is with Oya Black Arts Coalition, a Black, women-led not-for profit that supports Black filmmakers. You can find all Community Conversations on my website and Facebook.

Supporting Live Performance

Live music and theatre is so important to our community, both for work and entertainment. I raised in Parliament the need for support, the funding that has been provided to date, and the new program that will provide emergency supports to independent and self-employed workers in the live performance sector. You can see my speech here.

Toronto-Danforth Constituency Youth Council

Toronto-Danforth’s 2022 Constituency Youth Council (CYC) will be starting in the next few weeks! This is a volunteer group for students aged 15–18 to learn more about the political process. There will be bi-weekly discussions (that qualify for volunteer hours) leading to a final project of drafting a “Member’s Statement” that will be presented by me in the House of Commons. It is not too late to join, please email [email protected] if you would like to find out more and to take part.

As always, I appreciate your thoughts, questions, and feedback.

Julie