Provincial

Premier Doug Ford and John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, issued the following statement on the flooding situation in Ontario: “Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen first-hand the devastating effect of flooding on our communities. The people of Ontario can’t go through this every year. Something needs to change. Our government is committed to protecting ...

NDP MPP France Gélinas held a press conference at Queen’s Park on Thursday to help enact a law that will save lives by ensuring that all Ontarians have access to 911 emergency services.    Gélinas’ bill, 9-1-1 Everywhere in Ontario, is up for debate in the Ontario legislature on Thursday afternoon. Bill 75 has three parts. The first will do away with 1-800 numbers in case ...

Peter Tabuns, Ontario NDP Energy and Climate Change critic, held a press conference today to re-introduce a private member’s bill proposing to ban fracking in Ontario.   The bill, which Tabuns first tabled in 2015, has only taken on increasing urgency as new evidence has emerged showing that fracking is even more problematic than anyone realized four years ago. Recent ...

Doug Ford’s decision to cancel the 50 million trees program is hurting northern businesses and tree growers, and wasting millions of tree seedlings that could have grown Ontario’s forests, said NDP MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell (Thunder Bay – Atikokan) during question period Thursday.   “The Ford government is hurting businesses in northern Ontario that depended on the 50 million trees program ...

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa  released the following statement to express their deepest condolences after a tragic fire in Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation claimed multiple lives:   “Today we join with the people of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation who are grieving the tragic deaths of community members and loved ones in an early morning house fire.   Our thoughts and our hearts are ...

Despite the recent Ontario government announcement to cut the 50 Million Tree program, Forests Ontario expects to find a way, with existing and new partners, to plant trees, educate Ontarians and speak for the forest and all forest users, the tree planting and forest advocacy group said today. Forests Ontario, Canada’s largest tree planting charity, remains optimistic that now that ...

France Gélinas, Ontario NDP Health critic, urged the Ford Conservatives to stop cuts to public health funding that will jeopardize school nutrition programs.   The Conservatives are cutting $1 billion in funding at Toronto Public Health alone, and cutting 25 of the 35 public health units in Ontario. The cut to public health has thrown the future of a school ...

Today, the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman has assumed all the investigative functions of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth. The Ontario government explains that this “is a crucial step towards building a better child protection system. These changes, set out in the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 introduced last fall, will bring greater oversight and provide ...

Tom Rakocevic, MPP for Humber River-Black Creek, slammed the Ford Conservatives for voting yesterday to let auto insurance companies keep gouging Ontario drivers. The Conservatives voted down Rakocevic’s private member’s bill, Lower Automobile Insurance Rates Act, on second reading. The bill proposed to bring Ontario drivers relief from sky-high auto insurance rates by capping excessive profit margins of auto insurance ...

NDP Official Opposition MPP Catherine Fife released the following statement on news that Doug Ford is planning to redesign Ontario licence plates to force on his “open for business” campaign slogan onto Ontario vehicles:   “Doug Ford’s ridiculous scheme to turn vehicles into political billboards is a new low in self-serving electioneering. Redesigning our licence plates to be Ford ads ...

Each year, officers in the North East Region investigate more than 700 calls relating to Fraud. Unfortunately, in many of these cases, people have fallen victim to the scam, losing money in the process. The CAFC estimates that they only receive information about 5% of fraud that occurs in Canada. They identify four of the top scams in 2018 in Canada as: ...

To mark World Water Day, Ontario’s government is working for the people to protect the water quality and ecosystems of the Great Lakes as part of its commitment in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan. On April 23, Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, will convene the Great Lakes Guardians’ Council, in memory of Josephine Mandamin, to discuss emerging issues ...

Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, the NDP’s Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation critic said that today, on World Water Day, the Ford government must act so that Indigenous people can have the same access to safe drinking water as all Ontarians.     “Today is World Water Day.   The United Nations theme this year, is ‘Leaving no one behind.’   When ...

The launch of Ontario’s maple syrup season is right on schedule for 2019, and producers across the province are looking forward to showcasing a new crop of sweet liquid gold during the 5th annual MapleWeekend, April 6 and 7, 2019. Hosted by the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association (OMSPA), Maple Weekend is a fun, free, two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates ...

Doug Ford’s deep cuts to students and classrooms, announced Friday, will mean thousands fewer teachers, bigger class sizes, and less help for every student. NDP Education critic Marit Stiles said the Official Opposition will oppose the callous cuts to children and learning.   The Ford Conservatives’ new scheme for children includes raising caps on class sizes starting in Grade 4, ...