Every week during the election, we’ll post select info and articles featuring our work and the work of our clinic colleagues and community allies to help inform you about the issues at stake in the 2022 Provincial Election.
Monday, May 16: The second Ontario leaders debate took place on May 16. The debate was held by a consortium of news broadcasters and covered a variety of topics including education, healthcare, affordability, and climate change.
Watch the debate on CBC News’ youtube channel here:
You can also click here to read CTV News’ live blog of the debate.
Also on Monday, a group of community experts connected to MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital released a powerful open letter: Ontario social assistance recipients need a basic living standard. Read the whole letter here.
Tuesday, May 17: All candidates forums continue to take place across the province as the election enters its third week. Kensington Bellwoods LIP hosted a multi-lingual, virtual Town Hall on Decent Work and Income Security. Guests including ISAC’s Senior Policy Analyst spoke about increasing minimum wage, better supports for injured workers, and the need for increased social assistance rates. We’ve made a series of one page guides about those issues and more, including issue guides on increasing digital access and improving protections and rights for precarious and migrant workers.
Wednesday, May 18: The Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH) released their top 10 systemic issues that need to be addressed to prevent gender-based violence and femicide in Ontario. Issues and associated stats are listed on their election one-pager here (link opens to a PDF). Reducing poverty through decent work, living wages, affordable childcare, and improving food insecurity and income supports is key to ending gender-based violence.
Thursday, May 19: Advanced voting period begins. Advance voting locations are open at varying times, and at various locations which may be different from your regular polling location. Advanced voting is taking place until May 28th at the latest. To find your advanced polling location, find out which riding you live in using Elections Ontario’s website here – once you locate your riding through Elections Ontario’s website, the advanced voting locations are listed under the “Other Days and Ways to Vote” link on the right side of the page (example image using ISAC’s address below).
Friday, May 20: Housing access and affordability is one of the most important issues facing Ontarians: It’s an “everything crisis”. Check out these articles from earlier in the week about how this issue is impacting people in south-eastern Ontario and in Toronto.
The vote4housing campaign includes facts, info, and a call to action for all parties to act immediately to build, protect, and support deeply affordable housing. The campaign is organized by the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and the Co-op Housing Federation of Canada and endorsed by many housing organizations across the province.
Earlier in the week, SALCO tweeted new infographics: What are the parties saying about housing?
Anything can happen during an election, but here are notable events coming up next week:
Thursday May 26: A Scarborough-focused Scarborough Community and Candidates Forum will be held on Zoom from 2-3:30 pm. Register here: https://aclco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIudu-ppzIoHd0gEbNCKUcxjB89TvbT6ADA
Saturday, May 28: Two in-person Town Hall events are taking place in North Toronto, hosted by Willowdale Community Legal Services. The events will be held on Saturday May 28, from 11-12 pm at Advent Lutheran Church, and from 2-3 pm at the Bathurst Finch Hub. Posters with additional info below:
Check back next Friday for our next weekly round-up!