A police union in a major Ontario city made a push this fall for better mental health supports for its front-line officers. Hamilton Police Association (HPA) president Jaimi Bannon faced the city’s police board in October and called for an end to a stigma […]
Tag: Ontario
Growing number of homeless people turning to ERs for shelter and warmth in Ontario, study says – CBC News [2023-11-28]
When Dr. Carolyn Snider arrives for her early morning emergency room shifts, she regularly sees between five and 10 people in the waiting area who don’t need medical attention— just a safe place to stay warm. “[They’re] truly there to just stay out of […]
Doctor points to gaps in London area child and youth mental health care – CBC News [2023-11-27]
A doctor in Alymer, Ont., is speaking out after facing barriers to get outpatient mental health care for a 12-year-old patient identified as being at high risk for self-harm. Dr. Michael Fernando is a general practitioner who took over as the family doctor for […]
Autism Ontario troubled by Veltman defence team’s use of autism in criminal case – CTV News [2023-11-20]
Autism Ontario is deeply troubled by the fact that the defense for Nathaniel Veltman tried to cite autism as a mitigating factor in the June 6, 2021 attack on the Afzaal family(opens in a new tab). The advocating body for people on the spectrum […]
Crisis worker with London Children’s Aid urges province to step in as agency places kids in hotels – CBC News [2023-11-15]
A crisis intervention specialist with the London, Ont. branch of the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) says there are currently no beds available for some of the city’s most vulnerable youth. Pre-existing gaps in services have only grown wider in the city and across the […]
SafeSpace London’s landlord has message for property owners considering homeless shelters as tenants – CTV News [2023-11-01]
“Do it. This will help us find a longterm solution [to homelessness],” urged Rashad Ayyash when asked what he would tell other property owners considering homeless shelters or frontline agencies as tenants. Ayyash and his business partners are proud to be landlords for SafeSpace […]
Ontario inmates saw higher risk of overdose death as COVID-19 emerged: study – CTV News [2023-10-28]
Former Ontario inmates saw their risk of dying from a toxic-drug overdose jump as much as 50 per cent at the start of the pandemic compared to the years before COVID-19, says a study. The study in the medical journal PLOS One compared pandemic […]
One-of-a-kind Pride Library at Western welcomes students and the public back – CBC News [2023-10-25]
The main library at Western University isn’t known for its purple sofas and funky art work. But they’re there, at the back on the main floor, inside a unique library space that’s reopened after a four-year hiatus. The Pride Library, which houses thousands of […]
New apartments opening for homeless people with ‘complex health needs’ – CBC News [2023-10-11]
People who have nowhere to live and are dealing with complex health needs will now have 25 supportive housing units where they stay so they don’t end up on the street. The London Health Sciences Centre and London Cares have partnered to offer the […]
‘It will cost people their jobs’: Thunder Bay top cop says racism won’t be tolerated – Global News [2023-10-11]
Thunder Bay police Chief Darcy Fleury knows firsthand what it’s like to experience racism — and that has helped guide his first few months on the job as he looks to overhaul the embattled police force and repair relations with the Indigenous community. The […]
Heritage advocates hope to save Indigenous wall murals in former Guelph Correctional Centre – CBC News [2023-09-30]
Freddy Taylor says serving time at the now-former Guelph Correctional Centre started out as a very dark period in his life, but ended with a renewed passion for life and art. Taylor, 78, was taken from his home in Curve Lake as a child […]
To soothe anxiety around scattering the ashes of loved ones, London created a space for it – CBC News [2023-09-21]
The City of London has created a dedicated space for mourners to scatter ashes of their late friends and family at the Riverside boat launch along the Thames River. In a news released published Wednesday, city officials said the space, located in the Wonderland […]
Ontarians on social supports ‘worse off’ than before pandemic, study suggests – Global News [2023-09-20]
Some Ontario researchers say residents in the province who were already among the poorest and most vulnerable prior to COVID-19 are now worse off than they were before. A new report McMaster University’s political science and labour studies department is highlighting how things are […]
Protests over school polices on gender identity met with counter-demonstrations in London, Ont. – Global News [2023-09-20]
More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) in London, Ont., on Wednesday over school policies on gender identity. The “1MillionMarch4Children” saw demonstrations held across the country on Sept. 20th, as organizer Our Duty Canada claimed they’re “advocating for […]
Anti-trans rallies met with counter-protests across Ontario – Global News [2023-09-20]
Anti-trans rallies across Canada were met by crowds affirming their support for transgender youth facing a climate of increasing hate, as rhetoric and debate over sex education curriculums grows louder. Across Ontario, participants in rallies organized by the group “1MillionMarch4Children” — which claims participants […]
Oxford County commits to eliminating homelessness – CTV News [2023-09-18]
While communities across the province deal with homelessness, Oxford County has formally committed to making sure all of its population has a roof over their heads. County council has approved a new three-year strategic plan which includes a goal of 100 per cent housed, […]
Forest City Film Festival announces lineup with spotlight on mental health and homelessness – CBC News [2023-09-14]
The lineup has been announced for this year’s Forest City Film Festival (FCFF) in London, Ont., with several films focusing on social issues that hit close to home. The local film festival runs from Oct. 14 to 22, showcasing about 70 films, including features, […]
Prison overdose prevention program expands to Ontario – Global News [2023-09-14]
While Canada battles an opioid epidemic, Correctional Service Canada is looking at how to address the same issue in its prisons. Starting in the fall, it will launch an overdose prevention site at Collins Bay Correctional Facility in Kingston. Originally started in 2019 at […]
Agencies urge city for continued security at outreach spaces facing escalating violence – CBC News [2023-09-14]
A number of agencies offering services to those experiencing homelessness in London, Ont., are urging city council to continue funding security at two key downtown outreach and resting spaces. In July, council approved $200,000 out of a request for $374,000 to go toward security […]
Some Ontario church leaders say Christians discriminating against people who are LGBTQ get the Bible wrong – CBC News [2023-09-14]
It was a summer day in June when Father Jarek Pachocki was at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, watching a Pride flag raised into the sky. The city’s Catholic school board trustees voted to start flying the flag in 2022 in support […]
If Trudeau wants to fix housing, London is a good place to start – CBC News [2023-09-14]
If you wanted to solve Canada’s housing problem, the city of London, Ont. — where Liberal MPs are meeting this week ahead of Parliament’s fall sitting — would be a good place to start. “The challenges facing London are indicative of some of the […]
‘I almost died in there’: Former inmates of London, Ont. detention centre speak out – CTV News [2023-09-13]
A court review of a $33 million class action settlement for former inmates of the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) and their families was held in London, Ont. on Wednesday. During his address to the court, Michael Peerless described the EMDC as overcrowded, unsanitary, and […]
Trudeau announces $74M to help London, Ont., build 2,000 new homes – CBC News [2023-09-13]
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that London, Ont., is the first city in Canada to reach a deal with his government under the Housing Accelerator Fund. He says the deal will create 2,000 new homes in the city over three years. “This landmark agreement […]
Staggering mental health, addiction stats push northern First Nations to call for emergency declaration – CBC News [2023-09-13]
Chiefs of First Nations in northern Ontario are calling for a public emergency and social crisis to be declared, emphasizing the disproportionate mental health and addictions issues facing their communities compared to the rest of the province. The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority’s […]
An overdose prevention site for inmates is coming to this Ontario prison – CBC News [2023-09-12]
Work is underway to set up a site where inmates can use drugs under medical supervision at a prison in Kingston, Ont. The overdose prevention service (OPS) at the Collins Bay Institution will be the third of its kind in Canada and the first […]