Resources for Consumer / Survivors / People who use substances / Service and Substance Users / Fun Folks in TORONTO AREA
Bulletin #9 – 606 October 1, 2018
1. Big changes with Money and Rights
Ford says: Minimum wage is not going up to $15
ODSP and OW will rise 1.5% (not 3%)
Toronto Election will have 25 wards that match the provincial ridings.
Marijuana will be legal October 17 but there is no certainty about locations, prices and cities yet.
Navigate Below:
In Brief
Moments in C/S Bulletin History
Rights and News
Resources – where to vote
Jobs
Key Free Events
Dignity and food and recovery – Quick Food BOOKLET
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We will be updating the website in the next week to increase the flow of information. Let us know about your events and important issues please at bulletin@soundtimes.com
“LHINs will give providers the ability to work together to care for patients within established geographic boundaries.” The networks are a key element of the government’s plan to create an integrated health care system that is patient-centred and responsive to local health care needs.
LHIN and Health System In 2018:
The Provincial Government is reassessing the mental and overall health system and Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) may be transforming again. Did you know that the Bulletin is funded by the Toronto Central LHIN e City works with five different LHINs (Toronto Central LHIN, Central LHIN, Central East LHIN, Central West LHIN and Mississauga-Halton LHIN)? Did you know that there are legal requirements and accountability for engagement and consultation with “patients” and system users?
Do you think that consumer survivors benefit more from a smaller health integration networks or a central ministry of health?
Do you find that you can access services across agencies and hospitals and services when you want? Ie is there actual “integration” helping you?
And does integration that combines organizations and potentially reduces the diverse offerings make sense to you?
…what ever your answers to these questions, we still need to act to make sure that the future plans of LHINs or the Ministry of Health includes service users and survivors.
We need to bring our expertise and focus to solutions that work. When they do work, then the government can save money (which is a big priority for this government).
We can also advocate for more money because of the lack of resources for health food and housing. There will be lots of effort and money spent to make sure that the doctors, service providers and NIMBY organizations get what they want
… Survivor history continues…
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Do you participate in engagement activities with the LHIN, agencies, researchers? We woujld love to hear about these experiences. We want to know what’s happening and how you felt about the experience.
3. Rights, Advocacy
Elections, Rights to Freedom Expression breached, Government threatens to go ahead anyways…
Should we be concerned about our rights, if the Government threatens to use the “notwithstanding clause” to pass laws that break our Rights and Freedoms? Does the change from 47 to 25 wards in the City of Toronto matter to survivors? Most of us are used to being ignored so the number of people doing it does not matter.
Section 33. (1) Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provisionthereof shall operate notwithstanding a provision included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15.
What would stop the government from taking away equality rights of people with disabilities if they are willing to take away free speech rights?
If the government could save money by not providing services or if it could win popular support by demonizing a minority, will judges be able to stop them?
When governments say they have no money …
When governments claim they don’t have enough money they can justify big cuts to programs like ODSP and OW. Keep this in mind when you read the news. And when you are advocating for yourself and community, you may want to emphasize that mental health, substance, housing, transportation, and food programs and resources actually reduce government spending because they make us healthier, safer and hopeful.
No wage increase for many survivors, according to Premier Doug Ford. This matters to survivors because so many of us work in minimum wage jobs during recovery and long term.
Know Your Vote
A project of Toronto Public Library—
To find out who’s running to be your City Councillor, enter your address in the box below, or use the map to find and click on your part of the city. On a mobile device? Tap within the ward’s boundaries twice.
You can also learn about what the city is responsible for: housing, transport, libraries, and more…
It is hard to keep track of the many candidates and ideas happening in Toronto’s election. The Toronto Star has a promise tracker.
Check out the Prosperity Platform and the Affordable Housing Pledge
You can sign on as an individual voter so that your candidate knows that you voted for housing, transit, child care etc.. All before September 30th: //action.prosperityplatform.ca/
Find Who has pledged: //tohousingpledge.ca/who-has-pledged/
//soundtimes.com/affordable-housing-pledge/
Marijuana legalization is October 17
Marijuana and Cannabis will be legal in Canada and Ontario on October 17, 2018. There will be restrictions. Will this affect your use or not using? The rules are changing fast. Keep up at //ocscannabisupdates.com/ More to come…
2018 is the year to vote. Let us know if you have any accessibility problems. KEY: myvotetoronto.ca
Voting Days:
Election Day: Monday, October 22 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. vote in the ward you live in.
Advance Voting:Wednesday, October 10 to Sunday October 14 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Electors can vote at one of two locations in their ward or at City Hall. A Voter Assist Terminal will be located at each voting place.
Where
View the 2018 Voting Places. Including building name, address, room, entrance and accessibility notes. //myvote.toronto.ca/home
Ward Maps:
Individual maps with voting places can be accessed from the 2018 Ward Maps page.
Know Your Vote
A project of Toronto Public Library—
To find out who’s running to be your City Councillor, enter your address in the box below, or use the map to find and click on your part of the city. On a mobile device? Tap within the ward’s boundaries twice.
You can also learn about what the city is responsible for: housing, transport, libraries, and more…
www.knowyourvoteto.ca/
PARKDALE OVERDOSE PREVENTION SITE NEW LOCATION
245 Dunn Avenue—Between Queen and King
Support/Info: parkdaleOPS@gmail.com
TTC – Fair Pass Discount Program
The Fare Pass Presto card saves money: $2.00 per ride, 115.50 month. If you receive a transport allowance from OW or ODSP check with a worker before you apply for the pass so that you don’t have that subsidy cut from your cheque.
We know there are lots of folks collecting events for Survivors so we don’t want to duplicate their efforts. If you do have a consumer survivor event, please submit it. If we don’t receive your event we probably won’t include it. Sources of events:
Toronto Public Library
Now Magazine, Torontoist (torontoist.com) BlogTo (BlogTO.com)
Big events with huge authors and speakers at the Reference Library (789 Yonge Street //www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programs-and-classes/appel-salon/
The Library has a great Accessibility program. Learn More
Highlights of events
Read something: For your consideration a work by a survivor: “Ten Years – A mid-life memoir about living with schizophrenia for ten years”
This showcases what can be achieved while living with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. In this short story, George Matthews recalls his life after diagnosis and takes the reader on a trip across the world where he experiences life studying for his M.A. in Germany, then life in Thailand during a time of considerable political turmoil, a time he also had finished weaning himself of his medication. Here is the link to the book amzn.to/2xQbPzG
MIAW 2018 will be October 1-7 2018
Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. The week was established in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatric Association, and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in cooperation with all its member organizations and many other supporters across Canada. //www.camimh.ca/mental-illness-awareness-week/about-miaw/
IRSS Legacy Celebration, October 9-11, 2018 Toronto
“We call upon provincial and territorial governments, in collaboration with Survivors and their organizations, and other parties to the Settlement Agreement, to commission and install a publicly accessible, highly visible, Residential Schools Monument in each capital city to honour Survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities.”
The Indian Residential School Survivors (IRSS) Legacy project responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Call to Action 82.
City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen St W.) Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre
439 Dundas St. E, Phone: (416) 360-435
Harm Reduction Kitchen (October 17)
Street Health, 40 Oak and RPCHC host Harm Reduction Kitchen the third Wednesday of the month. 4-7 at Regent Park Community Health Centre
465 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M5A 2B2
Homeless Connect Toronto
SundayOctober 28 , 11AM to 4PM
Location: Mattamy Athletic Centre at Ryerson
· Addiction Support, Clothing Bank, Debt/Financial Counselling, Eye Care, Foot Care, ID Clinic, hair cuts, legal, housing, mental health
· Get good stuff, ask tough questions to agencies!
Street Soccer Toronto
We will be playing at Earlscourt Park St. Clair and Landsdowne Avenue behind the Joe Picinnini Community Centre by the running track on Saturdays.
ALL welcome you can come as an individual or a team. No expertise or fancy shoes required! Totally free. Find more information about the league on Facebook. You can also find highlights from the Homeless World Cup.
Lots more newsletters
· Ontario Peer Development Initiative OPDI “News to go” //www.opdi.org/news-events/news
· Empowerment Council //www.empowermentcouncil.ca/
· Citizens With Disability Ontario (CWDO) //www.cwdo.org/
· Housing Action Now—Great resource on housing advocacy in Toronto //housingactionnowto.wordpress.com/
· The Advocate – A Government Affairs Advisory Newsletter, Ontario March of Dimes //www.marchofdimes.ca
Looking for Resources in the Regent Park and Moss Park area?
Check out the resource booklet prepared by Regent Park Community Health Centre. The booklet is meant to be printed and shared. Consider printing out a copy or two and sharing with friends. Could your area use one of these?
7. BOOKLET Special Bulletin Part 1! Food Access, Advocacy, Fun
We are building up resources for the food and mental health booklet. We want to include your project and ideas in future versions.
Here is the link the the Booklet which has quick references and resources. You can print and share it!
SO: Please email us at bulletin@SoundTimes.com
You can contribute to the planning through thisFOOD Survey.
Where we post even more information and resources.The Bulletin is free to receive.
All previous issues are available on our website: www.soundtimes.com/bulletin
The Bulletin is published on the 1st of every month
by Sound Times Support Services. Funding for this Consumer/Survivor initiative has been provided by the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).
Disclaimer:
The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the
Toronto Central LHIN, the Government of Ontario,
Sound Times Support Services Staff or Board Members.
Thanks: to survey participants, callers and emailers and the C/S Info Bulletin Team helping with the handoff. Go green; get The Bulletin by email! Bulletin@soundtimes.com
Is more awareness needed…Mental Illness Awareness Week
And that is all!
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Regent Park Community Health Centre. The booklet is meant to be printed and shared. Consider printing out a copy or two and sharing with friends. Could your area use one of these?
