The Raptors took the world by storm last night. Against all odds and every doubt, your team of underestimated players turned breakout stars defeated the Golden State Warriors. Canadians cheered you on every step of the way - and it is a journey that has united a broad spectrum of diverse communities in a deafening, excited, unapologetic roar of pride. But now your team faces the traditional invitation to a meet and greet that the winning team always has with the President of the United States in the White House. The only problem is that the current president is Donald Trump - and he represents everything that the Raptors aren’t: divisive, alienating, and selfish. If the Raptors refuse to meet for a splashy photo-op with Trump, you will send a clear message to the world that your team, and Canadians at large, do not condone President Trump’s blatant disregard for the well-being of Americans. Dear Raptors, please don't visit Trump. Sincerely, We The North --- MORE INFO --- President Trump has enacted laws to separate children from parents and placed them in cages [1]. He has called Neo-Nazis “very fine people” [2] and placed a travel ban on Muslims [3], all while tweeting a steady stream of offhand racist remarks [4]. On the other hand - your captain Kyle Lowry called Trump’s travel ban on Muslims “bullshit” [5], your team President Masai Ujiri paid a visit to a First Nations community to encourage youth to be proud of their identity [6], and your whole team represents (and has unified) the most diverse city in the world. The Raptors represent equality and diversity, and a visit with Trump threatens to tarnish those beliefs. If the Raptors refuse to attend the White House, you can vilify Trump’s actions and stand in unity with the broad coalition of Torontonians and Canadians who are cheering you on. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44518942 [2] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/04/trump-defends-claim-that-there-were-very-fine-people-on-both-sides-of-white-supremacist-rally/ [3] https://www.aljazeera.com/topics/spotlight/trump-muslims-ban.html [4] https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/atrocities-1-to-112 [5] https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/nba/kyle-lowry-donald-trump-travel-ban-1.3958633 [6] https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2017/01/12/with-help-from-raptors-giant-masai-ujiri-teens-from-la-loche-learn-to-dream-big-arthur.html

Quite simply, the issues faced that are at a crisis point have been overlooked and ignored by the mainstream, corporate juggernaut; need the people without cynicism and broken,disillusioned hope that what we say is what we'll do...they are ready; look around the world, Quebec, Friday protests, use of social media...it needs to happen now

"The water crisis was created by Canada and has been maintained by Canada for decades, with devastating but predictable outcomes. This form of racism has real-life consequences for First Nations. It’s time to make all those land acknowledgements mean something. It’s time to start living by the spirit of the treaties: mutual respect, mutual protection and mutual benefit. It’s time to show a real sign of good faith and end the water crisis on reserves now. It’s a matter of life and death for First Nations." Source: https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/february-2019/first-nations-water-problems-crisis-canadas-making/ (Note: this petition was created by Yvonne Aburrow, quoting Pamela Palmater, Mi'kmaq lawyer, professor, activist and politician from Mi'kma'ki, New Brunswick, Canada.) Photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lake-huron-ipperwash-beach.jpg#/media/File:Lake-huron-ipperwash-beach.jpg

It's important!

Ontario Power Generation plans to bury and abandon radioactive nuclear waste approximately 400 metres below the bottom level of Lake Huron. The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater source in the world providing fresh drinking water for 40 million people. There are 3 deep geological repositories on the entire planet and all have leaked - a 100% failure rate. Would you bury poison beside your well?

A child requiring hospice palliative care is a tragedy; a child requiring hospice palliative care and having no access is a catastrophe. 3000 children die each year in Ontario, many more children for years with conditions that will inevitably shorten their lives. For these most horrific of occasions, we must ensure that every Ontarian child in need and their family has access to high-quality care. For children with serious health conditions, a palliative approach to care can increase quality of life (joy, fun, activity, socialization) and decrease the pain and suffering associated with their condition. For the families of these children, hospice palliative care systems help support the emotional, psychological, spiritual, social, financial, and logistic burden that comes along with caring for a child with a serious health condition. Paediatric hospice palliative care aims to support families where they feel most comfortable - which is, more often than not, at home - including at the end of their child's life. However, there are times when home is not feasible or when families simply need a break from 24/7 caregiving, pediatric hospices offer a home-like environment with 24/7 access to care and a community of love and support. Paediatric hospice palliative care supports families (parents, siblings, grandparents, others) at diagnosis, through the illness course, at end of life, and beyond the child's death with the immense grief that comes with loving a child with a short life. And yet, a report from 2012 found that 81% of Canadian children who had died and could have benefitted from hospice palliative care had no access. All children and families in Ontario should have access to these supports in an equitable fashion. Bill 114, the Nancy Rose Act, sets the strategy to get us there. The Bill: https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-114 Sandy introducing the Bill: https://tinyurl.com/yyhc79qy News coverage: https://globalnews.ca/news/5331029/hamilton-mpp-sandy-shaw-pediatric-hospice-ontario/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/nancy-rose-1.5154598 https://www.thespec.com/living-story/9397436-mpp-sandy-shaw-to-pitch-a-provincewide-pediatric-palliative-care-strategy/ https://omny.fm/shows/scott-radley-show/how-will-the-nancy-rose-act-affect-children-across

So we can have life on planet earth

Why is this important? The Project Promotes The Following Benefits to Our Society: + Green Technology. + Jobs. + Clean Environment and ecologically clean world. + Fair Economy. + Strong Democracy.

My name is Jobandeep Singh Sandhu. I came to Canada as an international student to study Mechanical engineering technician course on 26th August 2015. Like any International student, any migrant I had dreams when I came here. I dreamt of working as a Mechanical engineer, the dream didn’t seem impossible at first. But as I continued my studies and I wasn’t able to pay my fees and support my education. I had a choice either to stop studying or work harder to support my education and my dreams. I chose the latter. It was only two weeks before I was supposed to graduate. I was happy that I was going to achieve my dreams. On 13th December 2017, when I was driving back from Montreal to Toronto on a commercial truck, I was arrested for working more than 20 hours. And now I am being deported for working hard. What is happening to me is happening to a lot of people. International students don’t get the same labour rights that everyone else gets. There is a broader structural issue in our laws that limit these rights to only a few. In my last attempt to stay in this country and work hard for myself and the society, I have applied for a Temporary Resident Permit. But it has been on hold. I have to leave this country by June 15th (update: the removal date has now been pushed to June 15 from May 31). Help me so I can stay in this country. Help me in calling on Canada so International students don’t get deported for working hard, so they get the equal labour rights and permanent status on arrival! Background * International student arrested, facing deportation for working too many hours: https://globalnews.ca/news/5269138/international-student-arrested-facing-deportation-work-permit/ ------------------ If you are an international student facing any problems, contact Migrant Workers Alliance for support at [email protected]

The plans now underway to cut services at the Grace, threaten patient safety. Serious illnesses need urgent care. The Grace is the only hospital in Scarborough north of the 401. Taking away key services will force vulnerable people to travel long distances to get care, in some cases seriously threatening their lives. Over 200 Doctors have petitioned the hospital because they know these changes are unsafe. Surgeons have said they will not operate if these changes are made. These changes will eventually lead to the shut down of the emergency room, and then the whole hospital. We need the province to step in and end this risky plan.

The Government of Ontario has cut funding for Legal Aid Ontario by almost 1/3, including a complete cut of ALL funding for the immigration and refugee law program at Legal Aid Ontario. Access to Legal Aid is essential for low-income Ontarians who are facing legal proceedings, not just immigration but also criminal, family, mental health, poverty law and child protection cases. Without legal aid, vulnerable people will be left to represent themselves in a complex and already overburdened legal system, facing jail or deportation if they lose their case. It's unjust and unfair to expect people to navigate the complex legal system without support, and these cuts will only add further to delays and chaos throughout the justice system.

On April 11, with the release of the Budget, the Government of Ontario made a significant cut of approximately one third of all legal aid funding, which will jeopardize the rights of those who need legal representation the most. Many refugee claimants arrive in Canada with almost nothing. Many are dealing with the aftermath of extreme personal trauma and struggle with PTSD, depression or other mental health issues as a result of the events that caused them to leave their homes and countries of origin. Often with little to no English, and even less legal knowledge, they are required to file legal forms, collect evidence, and appear in a hearing to test their claim. They are not equipped to represent themselves in Canada’s refugee determination system, a highly specialized legal field. This is why Legal Aid funding is so essential to protect the rights of such a vulnerable population and to ensure that their full story is heard by a refugee decision-maker through providing access to legal representation. Access to Legal Aid is also essential to low-income Ontarians who are facing legal proceedings such as in criminal, family, mental health, poverty law and child protection cases. These Ontarians will struggle to navigate these legally complex, high-stakes proceedings without legal assistance or resources. The impact of these cuts is huge. Vulnerable populations like refugees are left to represent themselves in a complex and already overburdened legal system, where a negative decision leads to deportation to countries where lives may be at risk. The cuts will lead to backlogs and delays throughout the justice system, causing chaos in the courts and costing taxpayers more, not less. URGENT! Sign your name to the petition now – let the Government of Ontario know that you care about funding to Legal Aid and are concerned about how it will impact the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our society, including refugees and immigrants in Ontario.