Aging in Place Webinar
I invite you to join our Aging in Place Webinar on Tuesday, May 23 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. We will discuss remaining in a home environment well after retirement with subject matter experts. Feedback received at the session will be provided to the Minister of Health and the National Seniors Council. This session is open to all but will be of particular interest to older adults, caregivers, those who have experience or expertise in working with older adults, and individuals representing the diverse voices in our communities. To sign up for the zoom link, please visit: Aging in Place Webinar.
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) Update
I’m very happy to share that we recently submitted to the United Nations Canada’s 2023 National Inventory Report (NIR), which includes our GHG data for 2021. The NIR is a scientific report which informs and supports decision-making to reduce Canada’s emissions and combat climate change. Here are some highlights:
- Between 2019 and 2021, Canada’s GHG emissions have gone down by 53 megatonnes. That’s like taking 11 million cars off our roads, or more than half of all Quebec’s emissions
- Canada performed best in GHG reduction of all G7 countries, in 2020 and 2021;
- Many Environmental groups have come out indicating that they see irrefutable evidence of progress in this data:
“After decades of missed climate targets and deteriorating credibility on the world stage, last month’s National Inventory Report brought a long-awaited piece of good news: Canada’s climate policies are finally starting to bend the curve on greenhouse gas emissions.” Climate Action Network
- Economists call this a “decoupling” of emissions from the country’s GDP, with emissions intensity from the entire economy down by 42% since 1990
- Since 2015, we’ve committed over $200 billion and introduced more than 100 measures to support climate action;
- Canada is bending the emissions curve downward, even as our economy continues to grow, creating good-paying jobs.
We thought there would be an increase in emissions in 2021 due to 2020’s sudden COVID-19 economic slowdown that caused emissions to drop sharply, but emissions have stayed significantly below pre-pandemic levels. In fact, Canada’s 2021 emissions profile was 53 megatonnes smaller than it was in 2019, before the pandemic, and 62 megatonnes below 2005 levels. This means we are almost a quarter of the way to our 2030 emissions reduction goal.
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New Electric Buses
On April 24, Infrastructure Canada announced $700 million to fund the electrification of the TTC’s bus fleet. This will help the TTC purchase 340 zero emission buses and 248 bus chargers. This is great news and a huge step towards ensuring we all have greater access to cleaner transit options and for helping us reach net-zero emissions by 2050. For further information, please visit: Zero Emission Public Infrastructure in Toronto.
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Recent Conferences and Meetings
Passive House Canada Conference. Did you know that Hamilton is home to the largest Passive House retrofit in the world? I spoke at Passive House Canada’s conference which brought together industry leaders to learn more about this energy efficient design. I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak about how the government is developing a Green Buildings Strategy. You can learn more about passive houses here.
Rethink Sustainability Meeting. I also recently had the pleasure of participating in a webinar about the future of food, hosted by Rethink Sustainability. This meeting provided insight into food security, the impact of climate change on food systems, local food infrastructure and how we can support the most vulnerable people in our communities.
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ParticipACTION Community Challenge Begins June 1
From June 1 until June 30, ParticipACTION is looking for Canada’s Most Active Community. This is a national physical activity initiative working to get communities across Canada moving. It’s open to everyone, and by tracking physical activity on ParticipACTION’s app or website, we can gather our community score and work to be crowned Canada’s Most Active Community. For more information, please visit: ParticipACTION Community Challenge.
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Celebrating 100 Years of RH McGregor Elementary School
This year, RH McGregor Elementary School is celebrating its 100th anniversary! To commemorate this impressive milestone, RH McGregor is holding an event on May 27 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the school (555 Mortimer Avenue). Open to all community members, there will be school performances, historical displays, refreshments and the opportunity for alumni, students and staff to share memories of the school. For more information and to RSVP visit RHMcGregor100.
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Don Valley Community Legal Services
Don Valley Community Legal Services is a legal clinic which serves communities including Toronto—Danforth. The legal clinic provides free legal information and advice, particularly in the following areas of law: Housing, Income Maintenance, Employment, and Immigration and Refugee.
They also provide Document Services, including assistance with affidavits and notarial true copies on Tuesdays from 1:30pm to 4:30pm in our neighbourhood at Ralph Thornton Community Centre (765 Queen Street E). To make an appointment, you can contact their Intake Line at (416) 441-1764 ext.1. There are many helpful resources available on their website, including Public Legal Education sessions and workshops. For more information, please visit Don Valley Community Legal Services.
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