Category: Social Well-being

Drug User Liberation Front saves lives by distributing clean meth, cocaine and heroin

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

This is the first feature in a three-part series diving into aspects of the opioid pandemic, the overdose crisis, whatever you wish to call it. It is a public health crisis which became exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Canada’s Public Health database, there was a 95 percent increase in apparent opioid toxicity deaths from April 2020 to March 2021,  with a total of 7,224 deaths, compared to 3,711 deaths from April 2019 to March 2020. Since then, deaths have remained high.

These statistics were published in March 2022 and only went as far as September 2021, but by that point, 5,368 apparent opioid toxicity deaths had occurred. This is approximately 20 deaths per day. For a similar timeframe in the years before the pandemic, there were between 7 in 2016 and 12 in 2018 deaths per day.

Debate digs into criminal justice system, senior care, Pride funding, strategic voting

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

On May 26, over 50 organizations collaborated to host a provincial debate on issues facing the 2SLGBTQI+ community and other marginalized groups of Ontarians. Four parties thought the event was worthy of acknowledgement and participation. The Ontario Party, the New Blue Party and the Progressive Conservative Party chose not to participate in a discussion of the needs of equity-seeking communities.

This is the second of two articles covering the debate. The election is on June 2, and Woodstein Media intends to help people make informed choices at the polls.

Vote.

Debate digs into mental health, education and hate affecting marginalized Ontarians

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

On May 26, over 30 organizations collaborated as Queer Vote Ontario to host a provincial debate on issues facing the 2SLGBTQI+ community and other marginalized groups of Ontarians. The None of the Above Party, NDP, Green Party and Liberals thought the event was worthy of acknowledgement and participation.
The Ontario Party, the New Blue Party and the Progressive Conservative Party chose not to participate in a discussion of the needs of equity-seeking communities.

This is the first of two articles covering the debate. The election is on June 2. Woodstein Media intends to help people make informed choices at the polls.

Queer Vote Ontario debate promotes discussion of issues facing marginalized communities

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

Issues facing the Queer, equity-deserving and marginalized communities in the Ontario election will be the focus of a debate being hosted on May 26.

Updated the list of participants as of May 24 at 5:30 pm.

The following candidates are participating: Green Party of Ontario candidate for Nippising, Sean McClocklin, Ontario Liberal Party candidate for Willowdale, Paul Saguil, NDP candidate for Toronto Centre, Kristyn Wong-Tam, and None of the Above Party candidate for Mississauga-Streetsville Greg Vezina.

It Takes a Village officially helps folks living precariously cast a vote in Ontario election

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

It Takes a Village has been approved to be the location in North Perth to support community members living rough or without a fixed address to vote.

This means that The Village can assist people in filling out a “Certificate of Identity and Residence” form, verifying their current housing situation.

If the Village staff are familiar with the people, they can be endorsed and provided with a letter they take to the polls, and that becomes their ID, and they don’t have to provide anything else.

North Perth proud reluctantly includes Pride flag

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

Clerk Lindsay Cline brought forward a report to council on May 16 that proposed making changes to the municipality’s policy on raising flags and recommended flying a Pride flag provided by Stratford-Perth Pride at the municipal office from June 1 to June 30.

Deputy Mayor Doug Kellum, Coun. Terry Seiler, and Coun. Dave Johnston voted against flying the Pride flag, but the motion passed 7-3.