Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Provincial Government have recently given a list of directives to the Toronto District School Board. You can see the full list here: http://goo.gl/EPD7gL. School Board Trustees have been given until February 13th to act on these directives or risk the Government taking over. The Government has asked the Board to provide a list of over a hundred of our community schools that the government has deemed to be “under-utilized”, and a three-year plan to deal with them. You can see the full list of schools here: http://goo.gl/psV3tH Unfortunately, the Government’s list of “under-utilized” schools does not take into account the value that community schools bring to a neighbourhood. By not considering the use of schools for other community programs like children’s programming or Adult ESL when measuring utility, the Provincial Government is not looking at the full picture. Schools should be community hubs in our neighbourhoods. In practice, many of our neighbourhood schools are ‘hubs’– schools with daycares, swim lessons, programs for children with special needs and afterschool programming for children and adults. Schools are important public spaces, and valuable beyond just the use of teaching classrooms. The decision to sell schools cannot be made lightly because when we sell schools, we never get that public space back. The Premier herself has mandated that the Ministry of Education look at schools as ‘community hubs’, but is now talking about closing schools that epitomize that model. The School Board has a ten-year plan to study school utilization and consider changes to boundaries, partnerships with community partners and other school boards, before deciding to close a school. The Province wants to speed up that plan, closing the schools within 3 years. Together, we need to make sure that Premier Wynne and her government are looking at the full picture: recognizing the immediate and future needs of growing Toronto communities, and the necessity to use schools as vital community hubs to provide childcare and programs for youth, families and senior citizens. Make your voice heard! Sign the petition calling on Premier Wynne to consider the many uses of public schools, and save our community schools!

Un nombre grandissant de citoyennes, de citoyens et de commerçants locaux sont préoccupés par les conséquences sociales et environnementales de leurs choix de consommation. S’approvisionner en produits certifiés équitables est un moyen simple et efficace de faire des achats responsables. ++ A growing number of citizens, organisations and local businesses are concerned about the social and environmental impact of their consumption choices. A simple and effective way to implement responsible purchasing is to source fair trade certified products.

Metro Vancouver has some of the worst traffic congestion and gridlock in North America. The average commuter spends 93 hours a year stuck in traffic. For every hour we spend on the road, about 41 minutes are wasted in traffic delays! Gridlock is also choking our regional economy to the tune of $750 million a year and making travel more expensive for us all. Crowded busses, bumper to bumper traffic, goods and services wasting idle time on the roads -- this is bad for our environment, and our communities overall. We’re heading into a crucial referendum that could either end this awful gridlock through new mass transportation options, or leave us stuck in this traffic mess for generations. We know that political forces with their own agendas will try to clamp down on anything that challenges the status quo, but we must get a YES vote in this referendum. To succeed we need as many people as possible to push back against the pro-gridlock lobby. Sign The Petition To End The Traffic Gridlock Across Metro Vancouver NOW >>

There are nearly 3 million Canadians who live abroad, proudly representing Canada and its values. The Canadian Diaspora are informal ambassadors for our great country and are often called on both formally and informally to represent Canada within their communities. In recent years however, Canadians abroad have had our rights as Canadians eroded and more recently our right to vote taken away by the current government. In early 2014 the courts restored those rights on the basis that Section Three of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms assures that All Canadians, regardless of where they live, have the right to vote. This petition will be forwarded to the Prime Minister and Minister of Immigration and Citizenship once we have achieved 1,000 Signatures.

Psych-eds cost $1,500 on average, and in some cases as much as $3,000. While students can access the Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities to reimburse up to 75% of assessment costs, this funding is only provided after the fact, only if the psych-ed is positive, and only to a maximum of $1,200. Many students and their families cannot afford the total cost or up-front expense, even if they are reimbursed. Many may also be reluctant to seek an assessment in the event that they do not receive a positive result and therefore must pay the full cost for a service that does not do them any good. Low-income students and families are the most affected. Students with learning disabilities require psych-eds to register for disability supports, including funding and academic accommodations. Psych-eds provide extensive information about the learning strengths and weaknesses of students with learning disabilities, which help disability services to address each student's individual needs. Disability services and supports have been created not to provide privileges to certain students, but in an effort to uphold the rights to inclusion of students with disabilities. Unaffordable psych-ed assessments are obstructing these students' enjoyment of their full rights. To learn more about the challenges facing students with disabilities in Nova Scotia's post-secondary education system, check out: http://www.studentsns.ca/disable-the-label/ ‎

After a two-year investigation, on October 31, 2014, the Ontario Court of Justice found former Conservative MP for Peterborough, Dean Del Mastro, guilty of violating the Canada Elections Act in 2008. He overspent his election limit and then falsified documentation to cover up his fraud.[1] But it doesn’t end there. In order to pay his legal fees, the Peterborough Conservative riding association hosted a $600/plate event on May 2, 2013, which raised close to $40,000. The 53 donors who gave money then walked away with almost $24,000 in tax credits.[2,3] That’s right -- Canadians subsidized Del Mastro’s legal defense. And even though he has officially stepped down in disgrace as MP for Peterborough, he still stands to collect his full parliamentary pension benefits. Once again, propped up by taxpayer dollars.[4] Del Mastro walks away with a salary for life. The least the party can do is repay taxpayers for his legal defence. Time and again, this Conservative government has tried to convince Canadians that Del Mastro is just one bad apple with poor judgement. But the bad apple never falls far from the rotting tree. From the in-and-out electoral fraud scandal to the still-unanswered questions about "Pierre Poutine" and the robocall election fraud scandal, we've seen a pattern of shady behaviour from Conservative operatives. No Canadian wants their elected officials to abuse the system and use their hard-earned tax dollars for personal gain. We want accountability and transparency. Please sign this petition calling on John Walsh, the President of the Conservative Party of Canada, to commit to paying back the $24,000 in taxpayer money the Conservatives used to fundraise for Dean Del Mastro’s legal defence. [1] Dean Del Mastro found guilty in election spending case (CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/dean-del-mastro-found-guilty-in-election-spending-case-1.2818920 [2] Dean Del Mastro legal fees subsidized by taxpayers (CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/dean-del-mastro-legal-fees-subsidized-by-taxpayers-1.2835381 [3] Tax deductions for supporting Del Mastro’s legal defence (The Peterborough Examiner) http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2014/11/18/tax-deductions-for-supporting-mps-legal-defence [4] Do the crime, keep your pension. Sweet deal there, DDM (National Post) http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/11/07/matt-gurney-do-the-crime-keep-your-pension-sweet-deal-there-ddm/

Vancouver is drowning in an ocean of copy-and-paste corporate chain bars. The Brickhouse is a great independent bar, but now it could be demolished to make way for a new condo development in Chinatown. The Creekside Student Residence and Jimi Hendrix shrine could be taken out with it. Please sign now to call for Vancouver's mayor and council to stop the demolition of the Brickhouse and start a real consultation a real consultation with the Chinatown community to ensure that new developments don't threaten to strip the character of the community and drive more people out of the market. Sources: 1. The heritage battle for Chinatown http://www.vancouversun.com/touch/story.html?id=10384991 2. The Brickhouse might be demolished http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/story.html?id=10384999 Photo by Edward L.

Since 1981, annual marches have been hosted across Canada to bring awareness to violence against women and engage communities in being part of prevention efforts. Take Back the Night in Calgary and other major cities continues to be an important fiber in the fabric of violence prevention efforts. While the purpose of the march is to enhance the visibility of violence as a social problem and also demonstrate the roles of women and men as partners to end violence, a critical aspect of this event is a collective presence in areas of the city where the prevention message can reach a greater number of Calgarians. Take Back the Night has its origins as an event that would include a walk down populated areas, which would entail hubs of nightlife activity where the message of awareness and preventative action can be best disseminated. It has come to our attention, and has been evident in the last couple of years of this event that the presence of women and men supporters on 17th Ave SW with a violence prevention message may not be welcomed. This apparent shift in support from our municipal leaders is of great concern to us, as we know that you also value efforts to reduce violence in our communities.

The construction of a private residence at Grace Islet in Ganges Harbour off Salt Spring Island is resulting in the desecration of a First Nations burial ground; archaeological evidence confirms the presence of rock cairns and human remains at the site, consistent with the oral testimony of elders of the W̱SÁNEĆ and Hul'qumi'num Nations, and; the Government of British Columbia through its Minister has the authority under the Heritage Conservation Act, Section 20 (1) (a) to acquire property to protect First Nations heritage sites;

**Update*** Wow! Thanks to your pressure, we just learned that the AER was going to reject CNRL's application, so CNRL withdrew it. But the battle isn't over yet: CNRL filed another application as close as 500 metres away from one spill site for high-pressure injection. The AER is currently considering this application but pressure from us could stop this project for good. ---------- Did you know that for nearly a year, and potentially longer, there have been four unstoppable underground oil leaks at tar sands operation near Cold Lake, Alberta? The only reason the public knows that nearly 2 million litres of oil have spilled -- one of the biggest spills in Alberta’s history -- is because a government scientist risked their job to speak out and raise the alarm.[1] Now Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL), the massive company that owns the project, is quietly applying to the Alberta Energy Regulator for permission to start highly pressurizing the ground for more tar sands again even though the spills haven’t even stopped – they are still spilling![2] We need your help to stop CNRL. The Alberta Energy Regulator is extremely sensitive to public opinion right now because of how it is handling this spill. 80% of Alberta’s oil can only be mined using in situ methods -- this means that to keep expanding the tar sands, they need to prove to the public that in situ is safe and clean. In reality, the process is like fracking: the ground is blasted for weeks or months with super-high pressure steam, and the whole process is powered by burning massive amounts of natural gas and drains water from the whole region. A massive public outcry could stop this project in its tracks and stop industry’s plans to massively expand this type of oil extraction. Period. Together, we can ensure that this oil remains underground for good, and stop millions of tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. Sources: 1. 'Nobody Understands' Spills at Alberta Oilsands Operation. Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/07/19/nobody_understands_ongoing_spills_at_alberta_oilsands_operation.bb.html 2. Integrated Application Registry, Alberta Energy Regulator. https://www3.eub.gov.ab.ca/eub/dds/iar_query/ApplicationAttachments.aspx?AppNumber=1787672 Further Reading: 1. Why An Accidental Leak Should Send Shivers Up Big Oil's Spine. The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/why-an-accidental-leak-should-send-shivers-up-big-oils-spine/article16929877/

Les conservateurs de Harper essaient de forcer leur loi électorale de 242 pages au Parlement en minimisant les débats et sans témoignage d’experts, malgré des failles majeures qui auraient des conséquences de longue haleine sur notre démocracie. [1] Ça se ramène à ceci : au lieu de donner aux gens qui enquêtent la fraude électorale les pouvoirs de contraindre au témoignange - la capacité clef dont Élection Canada a besoin pour mener le scandale d’appels automatisés - cette nouvelle loi électorale rendrait le vote plus difficile pour les jeunes, les gens des premières nations et les gens à faible revenu. [2] Incroyablement, la malnommée « Loi sur l’intégrité des élections » rendrait même illégale la promotion du vote par Élections Canada. [3] La loi contient de bonnes mesures pour pallier à des appels automatisés frauduleux. Pourtant, elle impose de nouvelles lois d’identification de l’électeur qui rendraient illégal le vote en utilisant une carte d’identification d’électeur ou en demandant à un autre électeur de répondre de leur identité. [4] Des rapports indépendants ont confirmé que la fraude par des électeurs individuels est si rare qu’elle n’arrive pratiquement jamais. Pourtant, 120 000 canadiens ont voté par serment durant la dernière élection, et ce changement affecterait surtout les jeunes électeurs, les électeurs des premières nations et les électeurs à faible revenu. [5] Nous avons vu de stratégies semblables utilisés par les républicains aux États-Unis afin de priver les électeurs de voter qui sont les moins susceptibles de voter pour eux. 37 états ont mis en place des lois d’identification d’électeurs qui briment principalement les pauvres, les gens de couleur, ainsi que les femmes. [6] Veuillez signer cette pétition urgente pour empêcher les tactiques de suppression d’électeurs « à l’américaine » de devenir la loi du pays, et demander à ce que nos défenseurs électoraux aient les pouvoirs de contraindre les agents politiques à témoigner. Plus de 45 000 gens ont déjà signé nos pétitions (anglais+français) et nous organisons bientôt une remise majeure à la réunion du comité. Si les signatures atteint 50 000 nous organiserons une remise encore plus créative ciblant Pierre Poilièvre, le ministre conservateur responsable de ce projet de loi. --- Sources --- Lien direct au Projet de loi : http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Mode=1&DocId=6404810&Language=F Intégrité, vous dites? http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/opinions/editoriaux/pierre-bergeron/201402/06/01-4736491-integrite-vous-dites.php [1]Refonte de la loi électorale: Du pire et du meilleur http://www.lactualite.com/actualites/politique/refonte-de-la-loi-electorale-du-pire-et-du-meilleur/ [2]Des pouvoirs réduits pour le DGE du Canada http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Politique/2014/02/04/004-gouvernement-harper-depot-projet-loi-reforme-electorale.shtml [3] Partialité électorale http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/canada/399416/partialite-electorale [4] La réforme de la loi électorale inclut un registre des appels automatisés http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-canadienne/201402/04/01-4735576-la-reforme-de-la-loi-electorale-inclut-un-registre-des-appels-automatises.php [5] Examen de la conformité: Rapport final et recommendations - Examen de la conformité aux procédures d’inscription et de vote le jour du scrutin http://www.elections.ca/res/cons/comp/crfr/pdf/crfr_f.pdf [6] (Disponible en anglais seulement) Voter IDs Are Not the Problem: A Survey of Three State, American University Center for Democracy and Election Management http://www.american.edu/spa/cdem/upload/csae080109.pdf

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) is the largest and loudest pro tar sands lobby group in Canada, and Canadian Geographic is giving them a free pass into classrooms from coast to coast. The Energy IQ project, funded by CAPP, presents a tar sands industry-spun vision of Canada's energy future without critical information on the environmental, human rights and climate change risks and impacts of planned tar sands expansion in Canada. CAPP has lobbied to reduce and restrict Canadian environmental review processes and regulation. Recently they were shown to be working against climate action by the government of Alberta. Our schools are no place for Big Oil, and Canadian Geographic is abandoning its responsibility as an educator and publisher by giving CAPP access.