Category: Uncategorized

Hosted by The Etobicoke Voice

Real talk on Safety and Well-Being in our Neighbourhoods

With PC Marco Ricciardi, local Crime Prevention Officer from the Toronto Police Service, 22 Division

and Jasminder Sekhon, Director of Community Engagement, Victim Services Toronto

Come with your questions on safety, crime, and victim services

Free Event | Refreshments Served | Door Prizes

Monday, June 16th, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.Plast Huculak Auditorium, 516 The Kingsway (at Kipling)  RSVP: TheEtobicokeVoice@Gmail.com

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Earlier this summer, I attended Pride Toronto, an annual festival celebrating the queer community that attracts three million people to its events. Pride Toronto kicks off a wave of pride festivals across Canada throughout the summer.

While I’m not a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, it feels very important to show support for those who are, especially given sharply increasing rates of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation in our country. But like many Canadians, I didn’t always understand this, or know how to be an ally.

Twenty years ago, I was a student at the University of Toronto when a referendum was held on a proposed increase to annual student fees. The proposal would have collected 69 cents from each of the 40,000 undergraduate students at the university, and allocated that money to a campus group. I saw this as wasteful and unnecessary. I wrote an article urging my fellow students to vote no, arguing that each of the university’s clubs and societies should be funded from the another pool of money already drawn from our student fees.

The advocacy group was called LGBTOUT and it represented lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students on campus. Those supporting the levy argued that the additional money was needed to support and advocate for U of T students who were frequently targeted by hate and homophobia.

The reality of homophobic hate is what I failed to understand at the time.  And so my article asserted that LGBTQ people were not an especially victimized group, that homophobic attacks were rare, and that such attacks could be easily brushed off by their targets.

A BUBBLE OF IGNORANCE

In retrospect, I can see I was blinkered by the progressive bubble in which I had grown up.  I’d attended progressive schools in liberal pockets of midtown Toronto. I had openly gay friends who seemed untouched by homophobia, and I didn’t see the need for the advocacy work that LGBTOUT was doing. But if I’d taken time to ask about their experiences, I would have learned just how close to the surface of Canadian society anti-gay hate lurks.   

I slowly learned more over the years, through personal conversations and my research as an academic interested in access to justice. (Especially Michael Riordon’s Out our Way, a book that communicates very clearly the reality of homophobia, drawing on 300 interviews with gay and lesbian Canadians.)

But the ignorance of my 2004 views only hit me after an embarrassing incident many years later. In 2022 I ran for office for the first time as a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party.  On May 13th I was thrust into the spotlight. The Ontario NDP found my 2004 article, alerted the media, and demanded that the leader of our party drop me as a candidate. For a while, it seemed like that’s exactly what would happen.

It didn’t happen, I continued the campaign, and lost anyway (like almost all the other candidates in my party that year.)

PROGRESS AND PUSHBACK

In 2004, like now, sexuality and gender identity were frequent topics of discussion in Canadian society.  Same-sex marriage was the hot issue at the time.  Courts in a few provinces had struck down the old definition of marriage (involving “one man and one woman”) for violating the equality rights provision in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A resolution pledging Parliament to upholding that “traditional” definition had been very narrowly defeated. In my 2004 article I wholeheartedly supported same-sex marriage, which would eventually be legalized nationwide by the Civil Marriage Act.

To me, the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada remains a breakthrough accomplishment and a reason to be proud of our country —  only the third in the world to accomplish this. Marriage equality not only allows people to form their relationships of choice without legal discrimination on the basis of sexuality, it also has a large and significant effect of reducing  experiences of homophobia and stigma. Our system of government — our independent courts, our Charter, and our Parliamentary democracy — succeeded in 2005.

And yet there is absolutely no reason to be complacent or to stop fighting for progress. The current rise in hate crime is very alarming, and many powerful politicians continue to traffic in transphobia, overt or veiled.  We must all work to make our system succeed again and again if we are to build a better and more just society.

In 2004, I should have better educated myself about the reality of homophobia, and I know that my failure to do so caused harm. That can’t be undone, but I can commit to be a better although still imperfect ally today.

Dear friends, 

Hope you are well and enjoying the lovely weather.   To finish off the campaign strong, the Matlow HQ have asked us to focus on the condo towers at 625, 627, 714, 716 The West Mall.  

Would you have any time before Monday to flyer a few floors in these buildings?  Whether you knock on the doors or not is up to you — at this stage it would be terrific to just get the flyer in front of as many people as possible.

I’ll be working in these buildings starting 530pm tomorrow so feel free to meet me in the guest parking lot behind 714 The West Mall.  I can also offer rides!

Finally, as you know Monday is election day and getting out the vote is crucial.  We will be hosting a home centre for Josh at 110 Prennan.  Here is the signup if you can help : https://www.votematlow.ca/vol_on_eday. 

Dear friends, on Thurs evening I’ll be knocking doors for our candidate of choice in 551 The West Mall, a middle-income condo building just south of Rathburn. I hope you will join me! Let’s meet in the visitor parking lot at the rear of 551 at 545pm. I’ll have plenty of flyers.

Why This Building?

551 is a tower so we can hit lots of doors quickly. Also it will have a polling station in the lobby, which will make it much easier for residents to vote.

Why Canvass?
Josh would be a terrific mayor, but canvassing isn’t only about helping him win. Canvassing is a chance to get people interested in democracy and learn about our fellow human beings from different walks of life. Municipal election turnout was only 29.7% last October which is really troubling.
I count it a win to have a talk that turns a non-voter into a voter, perhaps for life. I treasure the conversations where someone tells me what has them excited or even angry. You learn a lot of interesting things at the door! And so many people are isolated. Hearing them, when they are willing to talk, creates a crucial human connection. All of this to say that, no matter what the polls say and no matter who ends up winning, I find canvassing is always worthwhile!

Dear friends, Would you like to join me on a canvass for Josh Matlow on Thurs evening?

I’m planning on heading to what some call “Eatonville Centre” — East Mall and Bloor.

Your can choose between an older condo (362 The East Mall), new condos / townhouses (Valhalla Inn Road), or if you prefer the single family homes on the streets just east of East Mall.

A few of Josh’s commitments that might resonate in this area:

• This is close to the Eatonville library which will benefit from Josh’s platform commitment to summer Sunday library openings. (I have found this platform piece resonates at the door, at least for me, as I can connect it to my family experience. My daughter Madeleine loves going to this library but hates that it’s closed on the weekends all July and August!)
• Another option is to talk about the Traffic Safety platform vis-a-vis East Mall and Burnhamthorpe which are both busy and somewhat dangerous arterials
• Many folks in this area, especially in the towers, are dependent on the East Mall bus. Josh will restore bus service from recent cuts: https://www.votematlow.ca/ttc-funding

Meeting Place

530pm at Bloorlea School Parking Lot, Northeast corner of Bloor and The East Mall

OR text me any time at 416 899 5203 and we can meet up

IN ADVANCE

we will be using the FieldEdge app to record data.
If you have a phone and are comfortable using it for this purpose please download at

https://nationbuilder.com/fieldedgeapp

You can register by entering votematlow.NationBuilder.com when prompted

HOWEVER if you prefer you can record data on paper or your phone or text it to me.

Looks like a beautiful sunny evening and HQ has asked us to canvass houses on Dundas Street between Islington and Royal York.

I’m especially excited about this one as I’ve done some work on that stretch already, helping to convince the city to install a traffic light at the highly problematic intersection of Dundas and Wimbleton.

For dangerous and high-volume streets like Dundas, Josh has a terrific traffic safety plan that I’m hoping we can tell people about: https://www.votematlow.ca/traffic-safety

MEETING SPOT

Parking lot of Montgomery’s Tavern (southeast corner of Islington and Dundas) at 530pm on Thursday June 1st.

Let me know if you can make it!

Noel

Dear Councillor Grimes and Councillor Holyday,

Thank you very much for your support of traffic studies for the Dundas Street West intersections with (1) Wimbleton/Old Oak , and (2) Earlington Ave or Old Dundas.   I have shared this good news with the members of the Better Dundas Coalition.  We really appreciate your help in bringing these matters before Council.

On behalf of the Coalition, I am writing to seek some further information about the study process for these two intersections.  I understand that the studies will produce recommendations regarding the suitability of these intersections for traffic lights. 

— Will the traffic studies take into account the interests of pedestrians seeking to cross Dundas Street West, for example through the inclusion of pedestrian movement studies?  Many local residents are concerned about the shortage of safe crossing places on Dundas.  Between the traffic lights at Chestnut Hills Crescent and the Kingsway Mills Shopping Centre, there is a 1.3 kilometre stretch with no traffic lights or crosswalks.  There is also a 650 metre stretch without safe crossing places between Prince Edward Drive and Howland Avenue.    Traffic lights at the intersections named above would cut these distances without safe crossing places roughly in half. 

— Will the traffic studies take into account expected future vehicle traffic, or just current vehicle traffic?   There are multiple applications to construct large residential buildings on the south side of Dundas between Prince Edward and the Humber River.  Further residential intensification seems likely on the north side of this stretch as well.  When these buildings are constructed, they will significantly increase traffic in the area, increasing the need for a traffic light at Earlington.  (If future demand absolutely cannot be considered as part of the traffic study process, it might be better to conduct the study after the new buildings are complete).

— Regarding the interests of pedestrians and cyclists, will the traffic studies take into account the interests of the many people who currently avoid Dundas Street West, but would walk or bike on it if if the City makes it more safe and pleasant to do so?   Or will the studies just count the small number of (very brave) people willing to walk or cycle on Dundas today?

— Will the traffic studies take into account the City’s policies regarding Vision Zero,  Complete Streets, and Walking to School?  We believe that installing traffic lights in these locations would be aligned with all of these goals.

— Will the traffic studies include an opportunity for community input? 

— Will the studies evaluate the intersections over multiple days, so as to include (for example) individuals at Wimbleton/Old Oak going to the school and church at the busiest times for those institutions?

— Rebecca Guida kindly provided the service request # for the Old Oak/Wimbleton traffic study request. Your email below indicated that such a request will also be made regarding Earlington/Old Dundas. Could you please provide the service request # for that?

Again, thank you very much for your support. We do hope that the Traffic Study process will take into account the interests of everyone affected by the decisions which the City will make. 

Best wishes,

Noel Semple

hosted by Noel Semple. October 28, 2020 at 7pm.

Yasir Naqvi is Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.

Pro-democracy advocates, Yasir’s family emigrated from Pakistan to Canada in 1988. Inspired by his parents, Yasir served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing a diverse community in Ottawa between 2007 and 2018. In 2016, he was sworn in as the Attorney General of Ontario. Educated at McMaster University, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, and Carleton University, Yasir was called to the Bar in Ontario in 2001 and went on to practise international trade and administrative law with major law firms.

Yasir has marked our idea of citizenship in multiple ways. While Attorney General of Ontario, he implemented the All Families Are Equal Act to ensure that all children are treated equally, regardless of how they are conceived, and recognize the legal status of all parents. He also championed new laws to prevent sexual violence and help survivors, increase respect for the rights and cultures of Indigenous peoples, expand access to restorative justice, and promote multiculturalism.

Wednesday, October 28 2020, 7pm.

Click here to join online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9504051646?pwd=K1VlRDR0c0RtM0RwcUVxSlY3emxqUT09

To join by phone: dial 647 374 4685 (Toronto local)

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcPbQeRVXK

Meeting ID: 950 405 1646

Passcode: 770001

hosted by Noel Semple

Monday October 19, 7pm, via Zoom

Dr. Dianne Saxe is one of Canada’s leading environmental lawyers. In 2015 she was appointed Environmental Commissioner of Ontario by Premier Kathleen Wynne. She served in that position until 2019.

Dr. Saxe has been a leading voice calling attention to the climate emergency, and identifying constructive policy options for responding to it.

Please join us for this online conversation hosted by Noel Semple of the Etobicoke-Lakeshore Provincial Liberal Association.

Topics will include carbon pricing, climate-related litigation, and how to discuss climate change with voters.

Monday, October 19 2020, 7pm.

Click here to join online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9504051646?pwd=K1VlRDR0c0RtM0RwcUVxSlY3emxqUT09

To join by phone: dial 647 374 4685 (Toronto local)

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcPbQeRVXK

Meeting ID: 950 405 1646

Passcode: 770001