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 […]
Tag: Ontario
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 […]
Disability and the prison system – Briarpatch [2023-09-07]
There’s a saying among prisoners: if you don’t have a disability going into prison, you’re probably leaving with one. Disability justice and prisoner justice advocates often call prisons the new asylums. Canada has long history of institutionalizing disabled people in asylums, institutions for the […]
How more homeless encampments in Ontario signal a housing crisis out of control – Global News [2023-09-09]
Homeless encampments have been multiplying across Ontario since the pandemic, but experts say this visible symptom of the national housing crisis has been a long time coming. With limited shelter space, a lack of social housing, increasing cost of home ownership and ballooning rents, […]
‘Hate’ campaign seemingly targets youngest and most impressionable in our community – CTV News [2023-09-07]
Ian MacLean says his wife was taking a pleasant morning walk with their dog, Charley, when she was confronted with troubling messages in front of Trafalgar Public School on Wednesday morning; the first day of school. “She came across some trans hate messages both […]
Just four organizations bid to operate London’s first homeless hubs – CTV News [2023-09-06]
Council’s options may be limited when they choose locations and lead agencies to operate the first low-barrier service hubs for Londoners experiencing homelessness. According to a publicly available list posted on city hall’s Bids and Tenders website, nine organizations participated in a Request for […]
Bruce County mayor resigns after accusing First Nation in Ontario of being ‘poor and unclean’ in recording – CBC News [2023-08-29]
The mayor of South Bruce Peninsula has resigned after he was caught on tape making racist comments about a nearby First Nation community, the Ontario town announced in a statement Tuesday. Garry Michi was recorded in an audio clip posted Friday by an anonymous […]
‘The minister was aware of what we are doing’: St. Thomas’ affordable housing plans making noise across Ontario – CTV News [2023-08-28]
St. Thomas, Ont. is quickly making a name for itself when it comes to provincial leaders. “That really showed this year at the AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) conference,” said Joe Preston, St. Thomas’ mayor. “Almost every minister we asked for a deputation […]
