Council of Canadians — Guelph Chapter 2012 AGM

May 18th, 2012

Our 2012 AGM will take place on June 21st at 6:30PM at the Unitarian Hall.
All are welcome.
The meeting (to follow the board election) will focus on our main concerns for the next year. CETA is a continuing focus.  FairVote and Canadians Cooperate for Canada will have about 15 min each to cover the concept.
Join us that evening to find out more about your local chapter of the Council of Canadians.

Posted in CETA, Latest News | Comments (0)

Great Lakes Tour! Great Lakes Need Great Friends

April 30th, 2012

Hey, Folks– “Like” the facebook page for the Great Lakes Tour! Great Lakes need Great Friends :)  https://www.facebook.com/GLCommons

8 CITY TOUR – MAY 2012

Join Maude Barlow and other guests to celebrate the Great Lakes – a common heritage that belongs to the Earth, other species and future generations as well as our own. Hear how we can collectively protect them from private interests and government complacency and restore more democratic control over them.

Posted in Campaigns, Events, Latest News, Water | Comments (0)

Earth Day…with Oily-pus!

April 23rd, 2012

Earth Day Activities in Guelph Attract Many

by Rob Flanagan ( Guelph Mercury April 22/12)

[O]n Sunday, a small group gathered for Mother Earth Day at 10 Carden on Carden Street, organized by the Guelph chapter of Council of Canadians. Musician and activist James Gordon was on hand with his guitar and vocals.

James Gordon encourages us to kick our addiction to oil.

Norah Chaloner said one focus of the event was to raise awareness of recent developments related to the Line 9 oil pipeline that runs from Sarnia to Montreal.

Enbridge wants to reverse the flow of the pipeline and use it to transport a more corrosive type of oil originating from the oilsands of northern Alberta. Chaloner said repurposing Line 9 would increase pressure in the pipeline, thereby increasing the risk of oil spills and environmental contamination across Ontario.

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/710207–earth-day-activities-in-guelph-attract-many

After the families with children left, The Enbridge Oily-pus showed that he could be mean and nasty!

Posted in Events, Latest News | Comments (0)

2011 AGM Resolutions

April 21st, 2012

The Council’s Board of Directors is pleased to provide the following update to Chapters on the disposition of resolutions passed by the membership at the 2011 Annual General Meeting.

  1. 1. Call for Renaissance of the Bank of Canada

Submitted by Windsor-Essex Chapter, ON; London Chapter, ON; Vancouver/Burnaby Chapter, BC

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore, be it resolved that the Council of Canadians endorse the “Call for Renaissance of the Bank of Canada”, which is posted on the website of the Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform, www.comer.org , and which is summarized as follows: “Therefore, we Canadian civil society organizations, who work for public welfare, call on our federal government to revive the powers of the Bank of Canada to provide funding to all levels of government in Canada, largely with interest-free loans, as was done between 1935 and 1975 with very low inflation, enabling our nation to break out of the Great Depression, to fulfil extraordinary responsibilities during World War II, and to prosper while building our infrastructure and highly valued social programs during some thirty post-war years.  We Canadians now urgently need a renaissance of these powers of our Bank of Canada.” and

Be it further resolved that the Council of Canadians promote awareness of the dynamics of our money system, and call on other organizations also to endorse this “Call for Renaissance of the Bank of Canada”.

  • In the discussion of this resolution at the 2011 Annual General Meeting, a number of comments were made about evaluating the original purpose of the Bank of Canada, examining the role of the Bank of Canada domestically and internationally, and its role in the IMF and the World Bank.  Meeting Chairperson, Morna Ballantyne said there is nothing in this motion that precludes the Council from speaking on other components of this issue.  She suggested that the Board of Directors considers incorporating these issues, i.e. the democratization of the Bank of Canada, into their discussions and decide if we have a workshop on this topic at the next AGM.
  • At the meeting in February 2012, the Board of Directors agreed to encourage Chapters to work on this issue and to consider holding workshops on this topic.
  1. 2. Fundraising Strategies

Submitted by Vancouver/Burnaby Chapter, BC

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore be it resolved that the Council review its outreach strategy with a view to supporting chapters’ efforts to recruit as many new paying members as possible by, for example:

  1. developing a training program to help chapter members engage the public effectively and recruit new members when tabling;
  2. creating a concise and catchy slogan that captures the essence of the work we do and using it in all its online and printed materials;
  3. preparing a series of bullet point notes for members doing outreach work, regarding who we are, what we do, and the issues we work on, in order to provide more effective and consistent messaging;
  4. drawing on chapter email lists and other networks to try to convert ‘friends’ of the Council to active, paying members;
  5. developing strategies to attract more younger members; and

Be it further resolved that the Council review its national fundraising strategy in order to develop new sources of funding for the Council’s work, utilizing best fundraising practices for the NGO sector.

  • During the discussion at the 2011 Annual General Meeting, Executive Director Garry Neil said there appears to be an implication in this resolution that we are not currently doing this work.  He wished to assure members that there is a constant review of fundraising practices and that the Council is generally ahead of the curve.  He gave the example of phone calls that are made to monthly donors to pass mailed packages and information along to family and friends.   He also said that steps have been taken to establish a U.S. based charity as a means of fundraising more aggressively in the U.S. for the Blue Planet Project and Great Lakes work.
  1. 3. Against Storage of Nuclear Waste

Submitted by Quill Plains Chapter, SK; Moose Jaw Chapter, SK;  Prince Albert Chapter, SK;  Regina Chapter, SK

Moved by Rick Sawa/Seconded by Fred Wilson/CARRIED

Therefore be it resolved that the Council of Canadians reject the proposition being pursued by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization to secure a centralized site for high level nuclear waste disposal anywhere in Canada; and

Be it further resolved that the Council of Canadians pressure all provincial governments and the federal government to implement an immediate prohibition on the transportation or importation of high level radioactive nuclear waste anywhere in Canada, and to store nuclear waste where it is used.

  • This resolution was referred to the Board. 
  • At the February 2012 meeting, the Board of Directors approved the amended resolution, see above.
  • Council staff subsequently sent letters along with the resolution to federal, provincial and territorial governments.
  • On 13 December 2011 the Council posted this blog on our website: The Council of Canadians rejects nuclear power because it poses an unacceptable risk to people and the environment. It is neither clean, safe, peaceful, nor economic. Staff and chapters are currently campaigning against the proposed shipments of nuclear waste from the Bruce Power nuclear plant on the Great Lakes, the disposal of nuclear waste in Saskatchewan, the building of two new nuclear reactors on the north shore of Lake Ontario east of Toronto, and has expressed opposition to the relicensing of the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station in New Brunswick.

  1. 4. Against Fracking

Submitted by Quill Plains Chapter, SK; Moose Jaw Chapter, SK;  Prince Albert Chapter, SK;  Regina Chapter, SK

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore be it resolved that, given the growing number of documented cases of water and air contamination, as well as negative impacts on health and the environment, the Council of Canadians will pressure the provincial and federal governments to implement an immediate moratorium on hydraulic and other forms of fracturing in Canada.

  • The Council of Canadians is calling for a country-wide stop to fracking operations. We campaign to oppose fracking because of its high water use, its high carbon emissions, its impacts on human health, the disruption it causes to wildlife, and the danger it poses to groundwater and local drinking water.  Our fracking campaign is outlined here, http://canadians.org/water/issues/fracking/index.html
  1. 5. News Network Resolution

Submitted by Edmonton Chapter, AB

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore be it resolved that the Council of Canadians explore a conference with progressive think tanks, public interest research groups, unions, environmental, social justice, alternative media, peace, and others to explore the feasibility of developing a non-partisan, preferably non-commercial, 24-hour news network similar in structure to other cable news networks such as CBC News Network.  It would report political, economic, environmental, healthcare, education, labour, energy, and trade news along with general national and international news in hourly updates from a progressive frame of reference similar to Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now and provide lively but penetrating features, panel discussions, interviews, documentaries, arts and culture, and general interest programming, etc. from a similar perspective.  It would be broadcast on cable television and/or the Internet, podcasts, network radio and satellite radio, paid for by donation, fund drives, or subscription and heavily promoted by the groups involved.  This could also form the nucleus of a non-partisan Canadian progressive coalition.  At a minimum a one-hour news program updated daily on the Internet could provide the basic service of an alternative to corporate news.

  • At the 2011 Annual General Meeting, Executive Director Garry Neil spoke in favour of the amended resolution.  He reminded members that we are working with rabble.ca which is a progressive alternative to mainstream media.  He said the Council also partners with an outlet called Open Media and is aware of CACTUS, an organization made up of community-based television groups.  CACTUS has been trying to get the CRTC to use funds from cable companies to finance local community-based organizations to create an alternative to corporate media.  He said this resolution presents an opportunity to collaborate with these organizations.
  • Following the AGM, our Political Director brought this idea forward to rabble.ca.
  1. 6. Board Participation in Council Chapters Resolution

Submitted by Edmonton Chapter, AB

Moved by Marion Moore/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore be it resolved that the Board of Directors encourage each Director to attend a Regional or a Chapter meeting once a year during each year of a Director’s term.

  • This resolution was referred to the Board.
  • At its February 2012 meeting, the Board approved the amended resolution, see above.
  • This statement has been included in the Council’s Governance Document.

7.         Eradication of poverty and income inequality

Submitted by Moncton Chapter, NB and Peterborough Chapter, ON

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore be it resolved that the Council of Canadians focus on the implications of poverty and income inequality in all its campaigns and programs; and,

Be it further resolved that the Council of Canadians strongly urge the federal government to combat the structural causes of poverty in Canada. We want:

  • A federal plan for poverty elimination that complements provincial and territorial plans.
  • A federal anti-poverty Act that ensures enduring federal commitment and accountability for results.
  • Sufficient federal investment in social security for all Canadians.
  • The resolution was passed at the 2011 Annual General Meeting with the caveat that we improve the language by referring to the website of Dignity for All.  The language has been changed accordingly.
  • The Council has endorsed Bill C-545, the Poverty Elimination Bill and posted a petition on our website, see http://canadians.org/blog/?p=4401.

8.         Cost-effectiveness of health care

Submitted by Moncton Chapter, NB

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore be it resolved that the Council of Canadians campaign to redress the unbalanced influence of pharmaceutical corporations in the Canadian medical establishment; for the introduction of a national pharmacare program in the Canada Health Act, and for assessments based on the public good rather than profit to be used as the basis for deciding which treatments are worthy of support.

  1. 9. Fluoride

Submitted by Toronto Chapter, ON

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore, be it resolved that the Council of Canadians provide national leadership towards a policy of drinking water quality regulation that disallows water fluoridation, based on Canadian Water Quality Guideline for fluoride in the environmental commons.

  • The Council of Canadians is opposed to the fluoridation of drinking water. We are concerned by the health and environmental impacts associated with it.
  • Following the 2011 Annual General Meeting, we launched a web-page , UnFluoridate It! http://canadians.org/water/issues/fluoride/index.html

  1. 10. Waste Water

Submitted by Toronto Chapter, ON

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore be is resolved that The Council of Canadians inform themselves as soon as possible of the serious public and environmental health issue related to overflow of untreated sanitary sewage in combined sewers in many older parts of Canadian cities; and further inform themselves of management options and, as soon as practicable, take a position that would protect the health of citizens and aquatic ecosystems now and in the future.

  • The Council of Canadians has been calling for full public consultation and a process to involve Indigenous communities and local governments in developing a strategy to address wastewater treatment needs throughout the country.
  • In May 2010, our national water campaigner submitted our comments to the federal government on these regulations during a brief 60-day comment period.
  • This blog outlines our position on waste water regulations, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=12091
  1. 11. Support of the Canadian Boat to Gaza

Submitted by London Chapter, ON

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/CARRIED

Therefore be it resolved that The Council of Canadians supports the Canadian Boat to Gaza to end the illegal blockade of Gaza; and

Be it further resolved that The Council of Canadians calls on the Government of Canada, the United Nations and the international community to do everything in their power to ensure the safe passage of the Canadian Boat to Gaza and the safety of all those on board; and

Be it further resolved that The Council of Canadians calls for an end to the blockade of Gaza, in accordance with international law.

  • October 2009, we highlighted an Amnesty International report that stated that Palestinians are denied the human right to water, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=1936;
  • March 2010, we noted the opposition expressed by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the New Democratic Party, Amnesty International, Avaaz.org and Greenpeace to the Israeli attack on the Boats to Gaza, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=3250;
  • June 2010, we highlighted that Amnesty International Canada says, “It is imperative that Israel lifts the blockade of Gaza without delay, as it is a form of collective punishment in contravention of international law and primarily affects the most vulnerable among the population”, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=3304;
  • February 2011, we noted that the Delta Optimist had reported, “The Delta/Richmond chapter of the Council of Canadians is hosting a social evening (on February 25) to help raise funds to support the Canadian Boat to Gaza. This boat will join the Freedom Flotilla II sailing the end of March to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza”, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=5652 and http://canadians.org/blog/?p=5524;
  • September 2011, we reported that Catarina de Albuquerque, the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, stated, “This reality (of 90-95 per cent of Gaza’s water polluted and unfit for human consumption) is a grave threat to the health and dignity of the people living in Gaza and immediate measures are required to ensure full enjoyment of the rights to water and sanitation. Israel must facilitate the entry of necessary materials to rebuild the water and sanitation systems in Gaza, as a matter of priority, otherwise this public health catastrophe will continue unabated”, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=10455.

12.       Vision for Canada

Inverness County Chapter, NS

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/REFERRED TO THE BOARD

Therefore be it resolved that the Council of Canadians, in consultation with chapter activists, develop a clear vision of the Canada we are proposing to work toward.  The product of this consultation should be an accessible, engaging, inspiring, meaningful and powerful document to engage Canadians and challenge the dominant, destructive worldview spouted by elites.

  • This resolution was referred to the Board.
  • The Board of Directors noted at the February 2012 meeting that we adopted such a Vision Statement in June 2011 and it is posted on our website http://canadians.org/about/vision.html
  • Our challenge to the dominant worldview of the elite is expressed in our opposition to the Davos agenda and in all our campaign work, see http://canadians.org/blog/?p=13332

  1. 13. Return to peace keeping role

Submitted by the Kamloops Chapter, BC

Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Pina Belperio/REFERRED TO THE BOARD

 
Therefore be it resolved that the Council of Canadians engage in a campaign urging the Canadian government to restore Canada’s peacekeeping capacity and to commit a greater number of Canadian Forces to traditional peacekeeping roles within the United Nations.


    

  • This resolution was referred to the Board. 
    • 

  • At the February 2012 meeting, the Board of Directors noted the Council is a member of the Canadian Peace Alliance with representation on its Board of Directors.  
    • 

  • The Council has a strong position on supporting Canada’s peacekeeping role and this is incorporated into all our work.
    • 

  • Our past statements on peacekeeping can be found at http://www.canadians.org/peace/issues/peacekeeping.html
    • 



 




    

  1. 14. Climate Change 
    2. 



Submitted by the Kamloops Chapter, BC


Moved by Bill Moore-Kilgannon/Seconded by Bob Ages/CARRIED 


Therefore be it resolved that the Council of Canadians urge the Harper government to:


    

  1. Reinstate full funding to Environment Canada and
    2. 

  2. Cancel the layoffs of the climate research scientists and meteorologists.
    3. 



    

  • This resolution was referred to the Board.
    • 

  • At the February 2012 meeting, the Board of Directors affirmed our support of this resolution and referred to the work we have done on this issue which includes numerous press releases and letters written by Maude Barlow to scientists.
    • 

  • The Council has called for the cancellation of the layoffs of Environment Canada staff, see http://canadians.org/blog/?p=10267
    • 



    

  1. 15. U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act 
    2. 



Submitted by the Windsor Essex Chapter, ON


Moved by Anne Levesque/Seconded by Steven Shrybman/DEFEATED


 


Therefore be it resolved that the Council of Canadians send a strong message to the Canadian government opposing the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act as an infringement of Canadian sovereignty.


    

  • This resolution was referred to the Board.
    • 

  • At the February 2012 meeting, the Board of Directors defeated this resolution on the grounds that we support the payment of taxes by rich people.
    • 










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Health Care and the Ontario Budget





April 21st, 2012




	




Ontario budget: Tiny increase in health spending fails the sick and the elderly 


March 28, 2012          Bob Hepburn


“Despite all the rosy talk in this week’s Ontario budget about beefing up home care and community care, the reality is that it’s too little — and it may be too late.”


RICHARD LAUTENS/TORONTO STAR

If you live on Manitoulin Island, pray you don’t suffer a stroke and need to see a health professional after you’ve been released from hospital to help you learn to swallow food again.  Or if you live near Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, hope that you don’t smash your head in a car crash and still have severe trouble speaking even after the hospital patches you up and sends you home. That’s because both home care and community care services, from northern Ontario to suburban Toronto, are a mess — underfunded, unequal, disorganized and arbitrary.


Despite all the rosy talk in this week’s Ontario budget about beefing up home care and community care, the reality is that it’s too little — and it may be too late.  Regrettably, Premier Dalton McGuinty fumbled a critical test with the “tough-times budget” of his commitment made during last fall’s provincial election to improve home and community care.


On the surface, the budget appears to give more priority to these chronically underfunded services by raising spending 4 per cent a year for the next three years, or about $526 million annually.  But over the last decade, the proportion of health-care spending on home care and community care has actually shrunk. At the rate of increase unveiled in this budget, it will take years just to get back to where we once were.


At the same time, Ontario’s 150 hospitals are facing a freeze in operating budgets and nursing homes are confronting $70 million in cuts. That will mean fewer hospital beds, longer wait lists for long-term care, shorter hospital stays and far more demands on home and community care than even the modest increase in the budget can handle.  And that doesn’t even start to address the backlog of more than 10,000 people already waiting for home-care services and up to 30,000 waiting for long-term care facilities.


Across Ontario, the cutbacks in home care and rehab services in recent years have been stunning. They affect such services as nursing, speech-language pathology, physiotherapy and personal support.  These are the professionals — some barely paid the minimum wage — who help you speak again after a stroke or head injury, help you walk again after hip surgery and change diapers on your elderly parents.


On Manitoulin Island, adult patients living at home or in nursing homes are allowed only six hours of speech-language therapy every three months. In Mississauga, Credit Valley Hospital cut its outpatient communication and swallowing services last year, forcing patients either to pay privately for such services or join long lists of people waiting for a government-funded therapist.


The budget increases won’t come anywhere close to meeting the increased needs caused by aging baby boomers, said Mary Cook, executive director of the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. Her members, many of whom have master’s degrees or more, constantly complain they are limited in the amount of therapy services they can provide in both hospital and community settings.


“There has to be a clear policy directive from the government as to how, where and by whom our health-care dollars will be spent,” Cook said. “That’s because they are woefully inadequate to address the growing need in our health-care system.”


Natalie Mehra, director of the Ontario Health Coalition, agrees with Cook. “While increases in home care are needed and will help those who are eligible and appropriate for such services, they are not a total ‘trade-off’ with the hospital cuts,” she said. “To pretend otherwise is simplistic and manipulative, and ignores the real health needs of thousands of Ontarians.”


Still, any help is welcome, said Sue VanderBelt, executive director of the Ontario Home Care Association, whose members represent about 25,000 workers. VanderBelt believes the government has been “very bold and strong” in providing more home care funding despite tight economic times. But like others, VanderBelt said even more work is required to meet the growing needs of an aging society.


It’s work McGuinty must take more seriously if patients on Manitoulin Island, in Mississauga and elsewhere are to start receiving the level of care they deserve — and that McGuinty promised them.


 Bob Hepburn’s column appears Thursday.bhepburn@thestar.ca


Health care faces extreme measures


 


Growth to budgets cut even more than Drummond report recommended; home-care gets 4% increase


By Pauline Tam, Ottawa CitizenMarch 28, 2012


Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan delivers the provincial budget at Queens Park Tuesday. The Liberals fulfilled their vow to shift funding from expensive hospitals and nursing homes to cheaper community care as part of their $48.7-billion budget.


The Ontario budget surprised many by delivering an even harsher dose of medicine to health care than what was prescribed by the province’s austerity czar.

Where economist Don Drummond called for the $47-billion health budget to rise by no more than 2.5 per cent, Tuesday’s budget capped growth at 2.1 per cent. That translates to $48.7 billion in total spending for 2012-13.

“Even Drummond was more generous than this,” said NDP health critic France Gélinas.

The shock therapy will hit everyone from high-income seniors, to nursing-home residents, doctors and hospital workers.

However, the governing Liberals made good on their pledge to shift funding from expensive hospitals and nursing homes to cheaper community care. So while the province’s 150 hospitals are bracing for a freeze to their base operating budgets and nursing homes are facing $70 million in cuts, home-care programs are getting a four-per-cent increase, up from the current three per cent, in a bid to keep more people out of hospital.

“It’s going to be a challenging year,” said Mark Rochon, interim chief executive of the Ontario Hospital Association. “But we have to look at these investments quite differently than in the past. We have to ensure there are appropriate community supports and primary-care supports so that patients don’t find their way to the hospital in the first place.”

However, Tory health critic Elizabeth Witmer is not convinced the extra community-care funding will make a dent in the high number of seniors languishing in hospitals. “Is this going to address the issue? I don’t know.”

The funding freeze on hospitals, combined with a new funding formula that pits the largest facilities against the fastest-growing ones, is likely to lead to more bed closures and staff layoffs, critics say.

Some hospitals could simply stop providing procedures with high overhead costs and low demand, resulting in more of that work being transferred to specialized clinics – an idea endorsed by the Liberals and the opposition Tories.

“It’s very likely that all hospitals will lose some services, and many will have to pick and choose what services they offer, and that’s very worrying,” said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, a pro-medicare group.

The budget also indicated there was no money to increase the salaries of the province’s 25,000 doctors, even though the Ontario Medical Association is still in contract talks with the government.

And as suggested in Drummond’s austerity plan released last month, changes are coming to the $4.1-billion Ontario Drug Benefit program, which currently covers the cost of medications for the 1.9 million Ontarians over age 65.

Starting in 2014, the province’s wealthier seniors will pick up more of the bill for prescription drugs, saving the government $30 million a year. Under the plan, about 75,000 seniors with annual incomes of more than $100,000 will pay an average of $665 a year more for the drugs covered by the program.

The changes will not affect seniors earning less than $100,000, those living in nursing homes, or those receiving publicly funded home care.

Some critics fear such income testing could expand to other government programs for seniors. Others say the program may have unintentional consequences.

“Medications play a vital role in keeping people independent,” said Bernard Bouchard, executive director of the Council on Aging of Ottawa. “If seniors can’t get their medication because they can’t afford them, it might lead to more falls that put them in hospital. You may save on the medication costs, but it might increase the hospital costs.”









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Health Care Rally at Queen’s Park





April 21st, 2012




	




On March 28th, local members of Guelph Wellington Health Coalition and Council of Canadians Guelph Chapter took part in a mass lobbying of Queen’s Park on the problems of health care in Ontario. It was organized by Natalie Mehra, the director of the Ontario Health Coalition. She has been on many TV stations recently. This leads into a W5 show on long-term care (called Seniors Moments) which has been on TV and can still be viewed at www.ctv.ca/w5/




The OHC helped provide research and information for another recent program.

CBC Marketplace did an excellent (and very disturbing) show on hospital-aqcuired infections and related issues. You can watch it on your computer online at http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/









Posted in Campaigns, Health Care, Latest News | Comments (0)







  
Love Your Mother! No Pipelines needed!





April 20th, 2012




	




Love Your Mother!   No Pipelines needed…

Leave the oil in the soil and protect watersheds..


April 22nd Earth Day. 3pm at 10 Carden St.


“Love Your Mother! No Pipelines Needed!”


*Family event. Music by James Gordon.*


Meet the Oilypus.


Come and send your message to politicians.

Supplies provided to create your postcard.

We join groups across Canada to urge environmental action by our elected officials.


Supported by Council of Canadians, Sierra Club of Ontario, Transition Guelph and Guelph Wellington Coalition for Social Justice.

(www.coc-guelph.ca)

http://coc-guelph.ca/?page_id=7



Do you know the Line 9 proposed by Enbridge will go through our watershed? 

For a map of the pipeline and how it crosses the watershed…. see:

http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rthnb/pplctnsbfrthnb/nbrdgln9phs1/nbrdgln9phs1-eng.html 


Enbridge has had an average of a spill a week over the last year or two..


http://action.environmentaldefence.ca/stopline9?utm_source=Environmental+Defence+Campaign+Email+List&utm_campaign=b6a8a69d6b-Line_9_Petition_for_hearings4_10_2012&utm_medium=email









Posted in Campaigns, Events, Latest News, Water | Comments (0)







  
Rally for Democracy – 03/11/12





March 12th, 2012




	




Over 180 concerned Canadians turned out to rally for democracy in downtown Guelph.


http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/685298–guelph-residents-demand-a-public-inquiry-into-robocall-scandal









Posted in Campaigns, Events, Latest News | Comments (0)







  
CETA Letter to City and Response





March 9th, 2012




	




Letter


Sent: February 27, 2012 2:59 PM

To: Mayor’s Office; Karl Wettstein; Ian Findlay; Maggie Laidlaw; June Hofland; Bob Bell; Gloria Kovach; Lise Burcher; Leanne Piper; Jim Furfaro; Andy VanHellemond; Cam Guthrie; Todd Dennis

Subject: CETA and the city?


Hello Mayor Farbridge and Councillors.


Do you have any feedback yet on CETA and municipalities? Several groups and individuals presented to City Council on December 19th 2011 on the threats to municipalities from this secretive trade deal. Guelph Wellington Coalition for Social Justice, Guelph Labour Council, The Central Students Association, Guelph Wellington Health Coalition, Guelph Civic League, Council of Canadians and several private citizens. We were asking for our city to join other municipalities to be excluded from this trade agreement until we can see the details of it.


Our group members are asking for an update. We need to know that you are handling this with expediency since PM Harper is finalizing his details to push it through with no public input, including input from elected local officials. CETA contains no teeth to protect our water and energy utilities from corporate control for their profits. Its services, investment and procurement chapters would give European corporations new tools to challenge our public policy and remove provincial and local initiatives that prioritize good, green jobs and the transition to more sustainable and local economies. Municipal services, including water and energy utilities would be restricted in the same way while European consortiums (public private partnerships) would get new guarantees in municipal tendering to the possible detriment of local public services. We have heard that the EU is seeking an Annex ll reservation for water services. Are we?  What is happening?


Procurement, or the money our municipalities, school boards, health and hospital boards, transit and energy services spend for public contracts… all will be affected. The goal of CETA is to take public contracts out of public control. We want you to demand full transparency and the opportunity to change the deal before it is signed!


“Services and investment commitments leaked to the public in January include promises to liberalize (i.e. encourage more privatization of) drinking water or sanitation services, public transit, waste management and other essential services. Relatively weak protections in NAFTA for public health care and education will also be further diluted. While these were initial offers sent to EU negotiators in October 2011, there is a chance the provinces and territories could make them even worse before the CETA is signed.”


Extreme investment protections in the CETA for brand name pharmaceutical companies could block the introduction of cheaper generic drugs on the Canadian market, pushing up costs to public and private drug plans by almost $3 billion dollars. The deal could also undermine protections for Canadian culture, shift the balance of power away from farmers and toward big grain and agricultural producers like Monsanto, and remove foreign ownership limits on strategic or ecologically sensitive sectors like fisheries and natural resources. European firms will have access to a strong investor-state dispute resolution process like the one in NAFTA which lets firms threaten provincial and territorial governments with lawsuits if they introduce new policies in these and other areas.”  – Council of Canadians.



I am being asked “what is happening?” by local members of these groups. They deserve a reply and need to know that Guelph is moving ahead with the protection that we need. A growing number of municipalities, school boards and municipal associations have raised concerns. They want to see the municipal sector excluded entirely from the deal. The AMO and FCM position on CETA is considered too weak to protect them.


What can we tell our members regarding the city response to our concerns? Please let me know.


Thanks kindly.


Norah Chaloner for Council of Canadians — Guelph Chapter.


Response


February 2012 Update on CETA and City of Guelph.  (Canada – EU Comprehensive, Economic and Trade Agreement) received from Mayor Farbridge in response to our inquiries. 


This is the resolution passed by Council with their status:


THAT the report dated December 5, 2011 regarding the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement which has been prepared by Economic Development and Tourism Services be received;


 Completed


AND THAT the City of Guelph request a briefing from the  Ontario Government and from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) on the scope and content of trade negotiations with the European Union, including the details of its procurement, services and investment offers to the EU;


 Requests made.  Response received from FCM and we are currently arranging for a presentation (details to be determined).


 AND THAT the resolutions regarding the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement be sent to AMO, FCM, the Federal Government, the Provincial Government, the local MPP and MP, the Minister of International Trade and the opposition critics, for consideration and circulation;


 Completed


 AND THAT Guelph City Council does not support the ratification of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement by the Government of Canada at this time without the Government of Canada providing further opportunity for public and municipal government assessment of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the opportunity for further input into the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement;


 Position has been communicated (see previous clause)


 AND THAT the correspondence submitted to Guelph City Council with respect to the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement be forwarded with the resolutions;


  Completed


 AND THAT the federal government’s negotiations ensure that the FCM guiding principles will be fully reflected in any trade agreement reached between Canada and the European Union.


 Position has been communicated (see earlier clause)









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Quebeckers Linked to Election Scam





March 8th, 2012




	




“In total, according to Elections Canada, 97 Conservative candidates across Canada, including 18 in Quebec, sent cheques to RMG or to other firms making telephone calls for the party.”


http://www.letoiledulac.com/Article-de-blogue/b/21598/Quebeckers-share-in-election-scam









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