Happy Family Day, Davenport!

I hope you’re having a great long weekend and were able to find some down time or had a chance to get outside. Here’s a quick update as we head into a new week. 

The Legislature will sit tomorrow for the first time since December 8, and I am looking forward to bringing your concerns forward in this new session. Thanks to everyone who participated in the phone survey I sent out last week. The response was terrific and confirmed for me that our community wants the provincial government to focus on ending this pandemic and helping the people most impacted by it.

With that in mind, my Official Opposition NDP colleagues and I have put forward a package of solutions to help families, vulnerable people in care, working people and small businesses get through this, and we’ll be looking for the support of all MPPs, regardless of political stripe, to urgently get these things done:

Paid Sick Days

Peggy Sattler’s Stay Home if You Are Sick Act will give workers paid sick days during the pandemic, as well as permanent paid sick days.

Evictions Ban

Suze Morrison (Toronto Centre) and Housing and Tenants’ Rights critic Jessica Bell (University—Rosedale) will introduce a co-sponsored bill Tuesday to ban evictions for the duration of the pandemic.

Four Hours of Hands On Care for LTC

Teresa Armstrong’s Time to Care Act will give every nursing home resident 4.1 hours of hands-on daily attention and care.

Essential Caregiver Rights

Lisa Gretzky’s More Than a Visitor bill will guarantee that essential caregivers can’t be separated from the loved ones that need their help in long-term care and other congregate care settings.

Creating a Seniors’ Advocate

A bill by Laura Mae Lindo (Kitchener Centre) will create an independent advocate for all seniors.

A Raise for PSWs

This new bill will create a higher minimum wage for all PSWs, regardless of where they work.

Safe Schools

My motion will cap class sizes at 15, bring in comprehensive in-school COVID testing, and improve air quality in schools.

Save Main Street

A new NDP motion will give small businesses rent subsidies, create an arts sector strategy and implement other supports for small businesses.

An equity strategy

A new motion guarantees culturally-appropriate strategies to support disproportionately-impacted communities, from pandemic response to vaccinations.

Before the House adjourns on Friday, we could pass these bills and motions to save lives, help stop the spread and give folks the help and hope they need. Please help us amplify the call for government action by following me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for developments as the session continues.

Take care and stay safe,


Marit Stiles, MPP
Davenport
MStiles-CO@ndp.on.ca // 416-535-3158
 

COVID-19: The Latest

• Despite the government’s own science and medical advisors warning that removing restrictions while new variants of COVID-19 are circulating, the Ford government is transitioning twenty-seven public health regions out of the shutdown and into a revised version of the colour-coded COVID-19 Response Framework. The four remaining public health regions, Toronto Public Health, Peel Public Health, York Region Public Health and North Bay Parry Sound District, will remain in the shutdown, and the Stay-at-Home order and all existing public health and workplace safety measures will continue to apply to these four public health regions. 

• Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath has called the decision to remove restrictions ‘unconscionable’ given that experts have warned that lifting restrictions now could plunge Ontario into a third wave and another long, deep lockdown.

• Schools are set to reopen to in-person learning in Toronto’s school boards on Tuesday. I continue to call on the government to act now to expand asymptomatic testing, cap class sizes and enhance ventilation.

• Earlier last week I held a press conference to call on the government to keep March Break in place with enhanced protections to make it safe, recognizing the tremendous work our students, education workers and families have put in this year. Despite recommendations from teachers unions, school boards, the Ontario Principals Council and others, the Minister of Education announced Thursday that March Break will be delayed until April 12-16, 2021.

• Following criticism that rapid tests were sitting unused, the provincial government has announced it is deploying test kits to more essential workplaces and sectors in order to quickly identify and help stop the spread of COVID-19. Rapid tests are now being used in long-term care homes, retirement homes, congregate care settings, First Nations communities and many essential workplaces.

• Ontario has announced the next priority groups for vaccine distribution as part of Phase 1 of the three-phase plan. Adults over 80 years of age will now be included as part of Phase 1 as soon as supply levels increase.

• After a month of delays that set back vaccination efforts nationwide, the federal government is reporting that 335,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are expected to arrive this week.

• New restrictions on land-based border crossings came into effect Monday, requiring all travellers from the United States to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test or risk a fine. 

Showing some love for Fairview Nursing Home

This week we put out a call for Valentine cards to help brighten the day of seniors and staff in the Fairview Nursing home in Little Portugal. The home was the site of a major outbreak this fall, and many of the seniors there do not have close family. Thanks so much to community activist and volunteer, Amy Lester, who reached out with the idea. Handmade cards were dropped off at my constituency office, and my family added our own and delivered them to the home’s management on Sunday. Thanks to all who took part in this! The staff and residents were absolutely thrilled.

Davenport Day of Action for Paid Sick Days

On Wednesday, we held a virtual Day of Action for paid sick days, where volunteers called neighbours who then called the Premier, Minister of Labour and Minister of Health to call on them to pass the MPP Peggy Sattler’s “Stay Home if You Are Sick Act” to give all workers paid sick days. 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to do some calling with us, made a call yourself, sent an email or helped to spread the word on social media. 

On Sunday, I also participated in another coordinated action with $15 and Fairness: "Light it Up for Paid Sick Days" saw people across the province were 'shining a light' on this issue. 

Happy Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year celebrations got underway on Thursday. Whether you’re celebrating with your immediate household or virtually, I wish you good fortune, good food and good health as we welcome the Year of the Ox. 

In the news

This week I spoke with NOW Magazine about my bill to give cities a stronger voice in cannabis retail licensing, and a number of outlets including CBC’s the National, to talk about March Break.

We’re here to help

My staff are here to help navigate provincial issues you may have and we can now offer support in Spanish in addition to Portuguese. Please do not hesitate to reach us by phone at 416-535-3158 or email MStiles-CO@ndp.on.ca. 

Stay Safe