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What a great month it’s been, Etobicoke-Lakeshore!
After one of the snowiest periods on record, we can soon look forward to the first signs of Spring, and with it a hopeful season for the people of this Riding.
Your government has made a bold start to 2023 in strengthening our economy and quality of life, both here at home and across the province. But while we’ve come a long way, we still have a good distance to go.
Let’s all work together on the journey ahead! |
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| Have your say on the 2023 Ontario Budget Consultations |
As we progress through 2023, our government remains committed to smart choices and fiscal responsibility when it comes to building on our progress in health and seniors’ care, transit, infrastructure, community safety, support for small businesses and strengthening our quality of life in these challenging times.
But maintaining this progress means listening to – and acting on – your advice and experiences. So I urge you to take part in our online survey, which will feed into this spring’s 2023 Ontario Budget. You can add your thoughts and ideas to this important process by clicking the link below, before February 10. It takes just 15 minutes!
Complete Ontario’s 2023 Pre-Budget Survey
Together, we can make the kinds of informed and necessary decisions needed to boost Etobicoke-Lakeshore, and all of Ontario, into a new era of hope and opportunity. |
| Learn more |
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| Ontario Creating Conditions for Attracting Good Jobs and Investments |
| In 2022, Ontario secured more than 150 new investment deals from a wide range of sectors including automotive, technology, manufacturing and life sciences. These investments will create thousands of new good-paying jobs for people across the province. Ontario is truly a leading destination for job creators of all sizes from savvy start-ups to large multi-nationals. |
| Learn more |
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| Pharmacies across Ontario are now offering quick and easy access to treatment and prescriptions for thirteen of the most common medical ailments |
| Since January 1, 2023, Ontarians will be able to stop in at pharmacies across the province to receive prescriptions for thirteen common ailments, including rashes, pink eye, insect bites and urinary tract infections with just their health card, Hogarth explained. This service makes it more convenient to access care by eliminating the need for a doctor’s office visit and will come at no extra cost to Ontarians. |
| Learn more |
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| Calling All Etobicoke-Lakeshore Seniors Organizations |
| Applications are now being accepted for this year’s Seniors Community Grant Program. Seniors Community Grants support local, not-for-profit community organizations, Indigenous groups, and municipalities that deliver programs and services to Ontarians 55-plus. |
| Learn more |
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| Ontario Reducing Wait Times for Surgeries and Procedures |
| The Ontario government is making it easier and faster for people to access the publicly-funded surgeries and procedures they need by further leveraging community surgical and diagnostic centres to eliminate surgical backlogs and reduce wait times. As the government significantly expands the number of surgeries being done through community surgical and diagnostic centres, it will do so with measures in place to protect the stability of health human resources at public hospitals. |
| Learn more |
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| New “As of Right” Rules a First in Canada to Attract More Health Care Workers to Ontario |
| The government will introduce legislative changes in February 2023 that, if passed, will allow Canadian health care workers that are already registered or licensed in another Canadian jurisdiction to practice in Ontario immediately, without having to first register with one of Ontario’s health regulatory colleges. These changes will help health-care workers overcome bureaucratic delays that have made it difficult to practice in Ontario. |
| Learn more |
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| Ontario Expanding Learn and Stay Grant to Train More Health Care Workers |
| The Ontario government is connecting over a dozen underserved and growing communities with more health care workers by expanding the Learn and Stay grant. The grant, which was announced in March 2022 for students who enroll in nursing programs, will also include paramedic and medical laboratory technologist programs in priority communities. Eligible students will receive full, upfront funding for tuition, books and other direct educational costs in return for working and caring for people in the region where they studied for a term of service after they graduate. |
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| Building All of Ontario |
| The Ontario government is working with its rural municipal partners to build housing, encourage economic growth and development, reduce red tape, strengthen the agri-food sector and promote rural municipalities as great places to live, work and do business. The government is providing more than $936 million in much-needed funds to municipal service managers and Indigenous program administrators in 2023-24 and 2024-25 through initiatives under the National Housing Strategy to maintain and create more community housing. |
| Learn more |
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| Expanding Mental Health Services for Children and Youth |
| The Ontario government is investing $4.75 million to expand the “One Stop Talk” virtual “walk-in” counselling program to connect children, youth and their families with more convenient and timely ways to access mental health counselling no matter where they live. These hubs help fill the gap in youth addictions services and also provide children and youth aged 12 to 25 a range of other services, such as vocational support, education services, housing and recreation and wellness. |
| Learn more |
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| Ontario Connecting Long-Term Care Home Residents to More Diagnostic Services |
| The Ontario government is connecting long-term care residents to faster and convenient access to diagnostic services such as x-rays and ultrasounds. Improved access to care will help improve residents’ quality of life and reduce avoidable emergency department visits or hospital stays. |
| Learn more |
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| Ontario Providing Better Service- ServiceOntario Improvements Saving People Time and Money |
| The Ontario government is making it faster, easier and more convenient for people and businesses to access driver’s licences, health cards, birth certificates and other services. ServiceOntario is also enhancing the customer experience through a number of pilot programs including virtual services. Eligible Ontarians who may find it difficult to visit a ServiceOntario centre in person can book virtual appointments to have their health cards renewed through live video calls. |
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| To Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care |
| The Ontario government today released Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care. The plan focuses on providing people with a better health care experience by connecting them to more convenient options closer to home while shortening wait times for key services across the province and growing the health care workforce for years to come. |
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| –Christine In The Community– |
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| I met Mimico’s first elected Pet Mayor! Thank you Max for bringing joy and smiles to the Mimico community and for making history with your paw print. |
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| On January 11th, our government announced how Ontario is making it more convenient for people to connect to care closer to home! Pharmacies across Ontario are now offering quick and easy access to treatment and prescriptions for thirteen of the most common medical ailments. |
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| On January 12th, I had the pleasure to meet with LAMP Community Health Centre and many non-for-profit organizations to encourage affordable housing. It was great discussing various strategies including the Province of Ontario’s plan to eliminate development charges for non-profits and for affordable, attainable and rental housing to incentivize more development. |
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| Welcoming Beertown Public House (1020 Islington Ave) to the Etobicoke-Lakeshore community! Congratulations to the entire team and best wishes for continued success in the years to come! |
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| January 14th is the 1926 National Skate Day for Alzheimer’s. Every year, Steve McNeil skates for 19 hours and 26 minutes to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer Society as a tribute to his mother, who died of the disease. I was happy to participate with the community and serve hot chocolate to families. |
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| On January 17th, I was honoured to join Safe Centre of Peel and Peel Regional Police for the launch of the new Safe Centre Response Team. This pilot offers help to improve police response to intimate partner disputes through early intervention with the assistance of police officers and social service workers. |
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| Important discussion during Standing Committee on Justice Policy meeting on the reform of Canada’s bail system as it relates to the provincial administration of justice and public safety with regard to persons accused of violent offences or offences associated with firearms or other weapons. |
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| Bell Lets Talk Day was on January 25th. On average 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental illness. Let’s continue to take action and create positive change by raising awareness and offering support to those who need it. |
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| As always, if I can be of assistance with provincial issues you are dealing with, my team and I are always here to help. |
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