Sophie Kiwala, MPP
Transcription
Sophie Kiwala, MPP
Sophie Kiwala, MPP Hosting a public event? Add it to my Community Calendar: sophiekiwala.onmpp.ca/CommunityCalendar Reducing Stigma, Raising Awareness Sophie Kiwala, MPP Saturday, April 11, 2015 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM A Strong Voice for cordially invites you to a public town hall on Mental Health: Memorial Hall, City Hall 216 Ontario St, Kingston, K7L 2Z3 Free Admission For more pictures and stories visit my Facebook page! Photo credit: M.Manor/KGH Sod Turning marks the start of An insightful tour of KGH’s main Meeting constituents in the an accessibility project at Edith laboratory and Gastrointestinal traditional receiving line at the Rankin Memorial Church. annual New Year’s Levée. Diseases Research Unit. Spring/Summer 2015 sophiekiwala.onmpp.ca/Event With local PTSD expert and documentary filmmaker at “Soldier’s Children” - a powerful movie about children in military families living with PTSD. Our military are often called upon to face great danger in defence of the freedoms we hold dear. Their families share the same courageous commitment. At Kingston’s Black History Month launch with special guest CBC’s Adrian Harewood. On October 23, 2014, my Private Member’s Motion to support the call for a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls received unanimous support. I have written to members in all other legislatures urging them to pass a similar motion. Until justice is done, I will continue to raise awareness. I was recently honoured with a recital of the ‘Strong Woman Song’ by the Kingston Aboriginal grandmothers in recognition of my commitment to these issues. Dear Friends, Presenting a plaque after my remarks on a motion to mark Sir John A’s Bicentennial. Bundled up with the hardy on the Wolfe Island ferry, on my way to meet with Islanders. I was happy to hear from business and union leaders at a public consultation in Kingston on Ontario’s Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) held by Associate Minister of Finance Mitzie Hunter. While I support a CPP enhancement, federal inaction has forced us to look at options for the two-thirds of Ontario workers who do not currently have access to a workplace pension plan. Read my blog post on the ORPP. Submit your feedback to [email protected] and/or by contacting my office. Special Recognition If you would like to request a certificate to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, special occasion or achievement, please visit sophiekiwala.onmpp.ca/RecognitionScroll or call my constituency office. At the citizenship ceremony, welcoming new Canadians to our city and our province. Enjoying a tour of the vibrant Kingston Seniors Association Centre. Honoured to speak at the grand Vigil for the murdered opening of the Tett Centre for children’s families and for all the Creativity and Learning. people of Peshawar, Pakistan. In January, the DN CLass Ice Yachting World Championships was Great questions at Archbishop based at Kingston Yacht Club (KYC). Over 100 participants from O’Sullivan School. I would be more than 15 countries competed. Special thanks are due to KYC thrilled to visit your school! and KEDCO for helping make this unique event a great success. Please contact my office to make the arrangements. Constituency Office 2-303 Bagot Street [email protected] LaSalle Mews www.sophiekiwala.onmpp.ca Kingston, ON K7K 5W7 fb.me/SKiwala Tel 613-547-2385 | Fax 613-547-5001 @SophieKiwala My staff and I are here to assist you. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, comments or concerns. Presenting greeting to the IndiaCanada Association of Kingston. Kingston & the Islands To help minimize our environmental footprint, sign up for electronic updates at eepurl.com/8zRgv or by contacting my office. Since my last newsletter, my colleagues and I have completed a very productive fall session in the Legislature, passing nine bills and introducing another ten. In the broad sense, our priority has been to strengthen the economy. I have enjoyed working on the Estimates and General Government Committees and in particular the lively interchange between stakeholders and all three parties on the various bills. I am pleased to inform you about some of the government programs we’ve been working on, and to include a few photographs from some of my local community engagements. Une édition française sera bientôt disponible sur mon site web. Since the Legislature rose in December, I have had the opportunity to visit many of our excellent health care, social, academic and artistic service providers. I have been so incredibly impressed by the knowledge and enthusiasm of our community leaders and the dedication and hard work of their staff. No wonder Kingston consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Canada! Merci, Meegwetch, Thank you. Sophie Kiwala, MPP Kingston and Islands COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER Photo credit: M.Manor/KGH Creating Jobs Kingston is a vibrant hub of research excellence and innovation. Ontario’s Jobs and Prosperity Fund provides $2.5 billion over 10 years to foster a more dynamic business climate, strengthen strategic sectors and grow exports. Through the saveONenergy RETROFIT PROGRAM, KGH projects annual savings of $800,000 in energy costs, putting money where it matters most - towards patient care. Clean and Reliable Electricity Our Conservation First strategy helps to better manage energy costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions and avoid building costly new power generation. Take advantage of energy-saving measures and rebates at saveonenergy.ca. Ontario has eliminated coal-fired electricity generation in North America’s single largest climate change initiative equivalent to taking 7 million cars off our roads, saving $4 billion in health and environmental costs and preventing 668 premature deaths per year. Since its creation in 2008, the Eastern Ontario Development Fund has provided nearly $7 million to expand economic activity in Kingston and the Islands, creating and sustaining 1,129 local jobs. The Youth Jobs Strategy connects youth with the tools, experience and entrepreneurial support they need to find employment or start their own business. Since its launch in 2013, the program has already helped over 26,000 youth find or retain employment in Ontario. Through the Aboriginal Economic Development Fund, Ontario is providing new employment, training and business opportunities for Aboriginal people. Get More Money Back The April 30, 2015 deadline for filing your 2014 personal income tax return is fast approaching. Find out about the many Ontario tax credits, benefits, and grants available to help you keep more of your hard-earned money at www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/taxcredits. Free Tax Clinics in Kingston To determine your eligibility and book an appointment, contact: Salvation Army at 613-507-4151 Immigrant Services Kingston and Area at 613-544-4661 Street Health at 613-549-1440 In the next phase of the Action Plan for Health Care, Ontario is committed to providing faster access to care; improving community care coordination and integration; and making quality-based decisions to sustain the system for generations. The most comprehensive newborn screening program in Canada, from 2 diseases 10 years ago to 29 today. There are 22 publicly-funded vaccines, up from 8 in 2003. 70,000 more young Ontarians became eligible for dental care through Healthy Smiles Ontario. Investing $75 million this year to provide more in-home nursing visits within the five-day wait target, more carehours for people with complex needs, and more training for PSWs to care for people with conditions like dementia. Since 2005, reduced wait times for general surgery at KGH by 190 days (50%) thanks to Ontario’s Wait Time Strategy. 2015 PanAm/ParapanAm Games 7,600 athletes. 41 countries. 51 sports. The TO2015 Games is the largest international multi-sport event ever hosted in Canada, taking place July 10 to 26 and August 7 to 15. Our clean energy commitment has attracted $24 billion in private investment and created 42,000 jobs. Ontario now boasts 2,700 clean-tech firms, employing 76,000 people. We are removing the Debt Retirement Charge from residential electricity bills after December 31, 2015, two years earlier than planned. Putting Patients First Honouring the Bangladeshi martyrs and celebrating International Mother Language Day with Kingston’s wonderful Bangladeshi-Canadian community. Protecting Our Environment If passed, the strengthened Great Lakes Protection Act would help fight climate change, reduce harmful algal blooms, and protect wetlands and coastal areas. Celebration Zone: free live performances, celebrity and athlete appearances, culinary tastings, Franco-Ontarian and Latino-Hispanic/Caribbean showcases and much more! PrideHouseTO aims to make this Games the most LGBTQinclusive multi-sport games in history. Tickets start as low as $20 at toronto2015.org/tickets. Implementing stronger protection for marine mammals. Working with industry to move away from the ubiquitous use of ‘neonics’ pesticides and protect pollinator health. The Invasive Species Act addresses the serious threat of species such as zebra mussels and garlic mustard. Learn more at sophiekiwala.onmpp.ca/News/10248. Join the discussion! Share your feedback on the Climate Change Discussion paper, which sets responsible climate change goals, while fostering economic growth. Read more on my website at sophiekiwala.onmpp.ca