Kathleen Wynne – Candidate Questions

Candidate Questions: Don Valley West – Provincial Election – June 7th 2018

Kathleen Wynne, Ontario Liberal Candidate for Don Valley West (Incumbent)

Education:

1. Many of the aging schools within the Leaside area are currently facing over-crowded classrooms and given the pending intensification because of development along Eglinton, the problem will only increase. Do you intend to allow the TDSB to collect Education Development Charges?

Ontario has one of the best education systems in North America. Under our leadership, our high-school graduation rate has reached an  all-time high in 2015-16 of 86.5 per cent (and 91% in the Catholic system) up more than 18 percentage points compared  to the 2004 rate of 68 per cent.

We’ve made historic investments in funding, adding $3.5 billion since 2013 alone – that’s a 17% increase.

We’ve also boosted funding for building new schools and repairing aging schools. Since 2003, we have invested more than $18 billion to build more than 860 new schools and more than 840 additions.

We have committed $16 billion over the next ten years to continue renewing and enhancing Ontario’s schools, while maintaining our historic annual investment of $1.4 billion in school renewal that meets the Auditor General of Ontario’s recommendation.

Don Valley West Investments

Here is Don Valley West, since 2013 we’ve increased funding for school boards by $615 million – an increase of 16 per cent. Per-pupil funding has increased by $1,004 per student or an increase of 9% since 2013.

Investments since 2003 include more than $34 million to build 5 additions in the riding of Don Valley West.

Capital Project	Project Type	Opening Year	Ministry Funding
Hodgson Senior Public Elementary School	Addition	2012-13	1,200,352
Maurice Cody Junior Public Elementary School	Addition	2012-13	799,985
St. Bonaventure Catholic Elementary School	Addition	2013-14	5,718,312
Fraser Mustard Early Learning Public Elementary School	Addition	2014-15	20,460,270
Hodgson Senior Public Elementary School	Addition	2018-19	5,839,703

Enrollment pressure

We understand the need to support school boards in urban areas facing rapid intensification in planning for student accommodation. That is why we will be beginning a comprehensive engagement with intensifying urban areas in Fall 2018 on the planning and design challenges faced by school boards and municipalities. In addition, we will engage school boards and stakeholders in a discussion on financial supports, including education development charges.

In the interim, we also understand that property purchases in intensifying urban areas can carry significant costs. To address this, we will be increasing the amount of funding available to school boards from $60M to $100M in 2018-19 to purchase new land where the sites are not eligible to be purchased with education development charges.

2. What are your plans to maintain or improve class sizes and the quality of education?

After inheriting an education system that was severely underfunded and in complete disrepair, successive Liberal governments made historic investments that are contributing to the high school graduation rate. Today, Ontario’s students consistently rank amongst the highest in national and international student achievement results in reading, math and science.

But we also know that there is more to do. While other parties have made promises about education, their platform budgets do not allocate a single new dollar to fulfill them, and would even roll back much of the $625 million invested through the 2018 Ontario Budget. The Ontario PCs would make dramatic cuts to the education system, leading to thousands of fewer teachers and education workers and to green school repairs funded through the province’s carbon market. Under our plan, new funding will go to support 2,000 additional teachers and education workers, including:

• -An additional 450 guidance teachers in Grade 7 and 8 will help students make a successful academic transition to high school, and engage in career pathway planning. This will ensure students have the same access to a guidance counsellor from Grade 7 right to Grade 12.
• -An additional 600 staff forming multidisciplinary teams of social workers, psychologists, behavioural specialists and speech-language pathologists and resources to eliminate the waitlists for special education assessments, while an additional 500 Education Assistants will mean more support for our highest needs students.
• -An additional 400 mental health workers will ensure support exists in every high school across the province. It will be focused on expanded mental health awareness and education, earlier identification and assessment, and improved timely referrals to community mental health services.

Environment:

1. How does your party plan to protect the environment, limit the effects of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario?

Ontario is leading the transformation to low carbon prosperity by supporting opportunities for clean technology companies, creating good clean local jobs, reducing our dependency on imported fossil fuels, and cleaning the air of nasty contaminants, all while confronting the challenge of climate change.  We believe the best way to combat climate change is by placing a price on pollution and investing in projects that make life better for Ontario residents.

We have worked with partners to implement a cap and trade system that caps the greenhouse gas pollution businesses can emit. This system provides businesses with the flexibility to choose how they will meet the cap, whether it be through upgrading to cleaner technology or purchasing carbon credits, also known as allowances. Our plan guarantees reductions every year as the cap on pollution decreases.  Third party economic experts agree our plan is the best because it guarantees emission reductions at the cheapest price possible for people and the economy.

Our plan gives businesses an incentive to reduce their carbon footprint. It promotes innovation and provides certainty on the path forward. Ontario is now part of the largest carbon market in North America – linked with California and Quebec – which Ontario’s independent Environment Commissioner called a “best-in-class” system.

Thus far, our carbon market has raised $2.4 B in proceeds in just over the last year. By law, every penny of those proceeds must be re-invested into programs, through Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan, to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and help Ontario residents and businesses fight climate change and save money.

The Ontario Liberal Party will continue to invest to improve our homes, schools, municipal buildings, colleges, social housing, universities and hospitals. In the past year, our carbon market has allowed us to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in green projects – like public transit, and energy-efficiency upgrades in communities across Ontario. We will continue to make electric vehicles a more affordable and convenient choice for you. We will continue to work towards making cycling a safer and more accessible option.

Thanks to five successful auctions, in just over the last year alone, we’ve already announced investments over $1.5 billion, including:

• -$100 M in home upgrades to help reduce energy bills and cut emissions
• -$200 M in new windows, lights and furnaces in public schools to improve save schools money and reduce pollution
• -$100 M in businesses of all sizes to encourage new clean technology and reduce greenhouse gas pollution
• -$50 M in improved cycling infrastructure
• -$82 M for energy efficient repairs and improvements for social housing units, with another $575 M to come
• -$64 million for hospitals upgrades to cut energy bills and reinvest in patient care
• -$214 million for upgrades to college and university campuses
• -$20 M to build fast-charging electric vehicle stations across the province.
• -And $100 Million to support municipalities in their local projects

We will continue to help businesses transform their operations and create good jobs in the clean tech sector. Ontario currently has the fastest growing cleantech sector in Canada. The Ontario Liberal Party believes fighting climate change is a major economic opportunity. Ontario can deliver the next generation of clean technology solutions, making it well positioned to export low carbon goods and services to global markets. This will build a competitive advantage for Ontario, and ensure that we do not get left behind during this accelerated period of global change. Since launching their carbon markets, both California and Ontario have led their respective countries in economic growth. Meanwhile, Quebec’s unemployment recently reached a 41-year low.

The Ontario Liberal Party also understands that climate change is a challenge for Indigenous communities, most of whom depend on lakes for food supplies and medicine, and remote communities, which may be adversely impacted by fewer days for winter road access as the weather becomes more severe. We are supporting First Nations with capacity funding to help identify opportunities to benefit from energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation and other programs.

We believe in setting ambitious yet achievable, greenhouse gas pollution targets.  Ontario has already met its 2014 greenhouse gas emission target of 6% reduction. One of the ways we achieved this reduction was through the closing of Ontario’s coal fired plants. It was one of the single largest greenhouse gas reduction actions in North America and it helped virtually eliminate smog days in Ontario. We are on track to meet a 15% greenhouse gas reduction in 2020; our goals are 37% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 and 84% reduction by 2050. We took an extra step by enshrining these important goals into groundbreaking legislation. We have designed our cap decline under our cap and trade system to meet these reduction goals. We will ensure all residents can participate in the low carbon economy by continuing to make investments in programs that tackle climate change and make life more affordable.

Our party is about putting a price on carbon, and reducing greenhouse gas pollution. It’s also about investing in Ontario’s future and creating a more fair society where we all benefit from cleaner air, reduced energy costs, and clean, sustainable, well-paying jobs.

Our plan encourages innovation, and drives investments to help Ontario continue to be a leader in the low-carbon economy.

The Conservative Party stands in contrast on climate change- they will undo all the good work on climate change and destroy our carbon market. We know that Ontario is already feeling the impacts of climate change through increased floods and changes in weather. It is already costing all of us money.

Cancelling cap and trade will result in a significant financial hit to the provincial budget of over $2 billion dollars. It will eliminate investments in home improvements, business innovation or transit projects. It means no support to any of the schools, universities and social housing programs.

It will increase business uncertainty. Businesses have certainty now on Ontario’s path through our carbon market and climate action plan. We have lived through five auctions already. We know where we are going, and we know that our programs will align with federal climate requirements. Changing direction at this stage will be a big upheaval and create business uncertainty as we have made commitments to our partners. It will be expensive to undo.

It will also be a step backwards on our fight to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. We would go from climate leaders to climate laggers. Only by putting a price on pollution will we make progress on climate change. This is what has shown to work and what the expert voices are saying.

2. Will you help protect the Greenbelt?

Back in 2003, our urban communities were sprawling at a dangerous rate. Every year tens of thousands of acres of farmland, wild land and wetlands including ravines and rivers were being encroached by new development.

Ontarians were rightfully concerned – for economic and environmental reasons. The great majority of people agree that to keep our communities livable we cannot pave over every square inch of farmland and wetlands in Ontario. We promised them we would take action. We did, creating the largest permanent greenbelt anywhere in the world that protects nearly 2 million acres of valuable land and water. This is an area larger than Prince Edward Island.

We moved to protect it forever so our kids and grandkids never have to worry about having access to nature. It’s essential this area stay protected to ensure that we protect our natural water sources, so Ontarians have clean water for future generations. And it’s worked.

Last year, we expanded the Greenbelt. We protected an additional 10,000 hectares – that’s the equivalent of almost 20,000 new football fields that has been protected. Our new expansion includes 21 new urban river valleys and wetlands that connect to Lake Ontario.

We have also extended Greenbelt-like protections for natural heritage, water and agriculture to the entire Greater Golden Horseshoe area. This further ensures that sensitive lands are protected for generations to come, without constraining development.

We also recently appointed former Toronto Mayor David Crombie to chair our strengthened Greenbelt Council. Their job is to ensure growth in this region is sustainable while keeping our shared goals of environmental protection and economic growth a top priority.

Doug Ford told backroom supporters he will open up a “big chunk” of the Greenbelt to developers. His party defended his stance, but then 24 hours later after public outcry, he said he wouldn’t open up the Greenbelt. The conservatives can’t be trusted to protect our environment.

Development & Traffic:

1. What will you do to maintain the quality of life in Don Valley West as the riding faces intensive development along Eglinton, thanks to the Crosstown LRT?

The Eglinton Crosstown, when finished in 2021, will run almost 19 km and will include 25 stations and stops, linking to 54 bus routes, 3 subway stations and various GO Transit lines. This is the largest transit expansion in Toronto’s history. This investment will help maintain the quality of life by providing residents a fast and easy-to-use transit option to more easily live, work and play in Leaside and surrounding neighbourhoods.

The province and municipalities work together to help communities manage growth. We heard from a number of municipalities that reform was needed. We passed the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act to replace the Ontario Municipal Board with the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

We overhauled the province’s land use planning appeals system, giving communities a stronger voice and ensuring people have access to faster, fairer and more affordable hearings.

The City of Toronto was also granted the authority to establish a local appeal body that now hears approximately two thirds or cases that would previously be heard by the OMB.

By empowering municipalities, we gave communities a stronger voice in local land use planning decisions. Under this new model, the tribunal will be required to give greater weight to the decisions of local communities, while ensuring that development occurs in a way that is good for Ontario and its future.

This change also builds on our 2015 Smart Growth for Our Communities Act to help municipalities raise revenue, increase community participation, protect green spaces, improve dispute resolution processes, increase planning predictability, and improve the development charge process.

The last time the Conservatives were in power, they downloaded billions of dollars in costs onto municipalities and local ratepayers. MPP Hardeman, the PC’s choice for Municipal Affairs critic, personally voted for those downloads.

Since 2003, our government has reversed billions in costs downloaded to municipalities. Right now, we provide municipalities with over $4 B in support so they can keep property taxes low and provide the services Ontario’s communities rely on.

We will continue to work with the City of Toronto to ensure communities like Leaside develop sustainably.

2. Traffic congestion is a priority issue for most Leasiders. How can you help?
3. With Metrolinx already influencing transit decisions in Toronto with the Crosstown LRT, are you considering a greater provincial role in Toronto transit? Are you willing to fund more of Toronto’s transit needs, as you are with SmartTrack?

By investing in public transit and biking infrastructure, we are helping to alleviate traffic congestion in Toronto and the Leaside neighbourhood.

No government in the history of Ontario has invested more in transit and transportation than we have.

The Eglinton Crosstown, when finished in 2021, will run almost 19 km and will include 25 stations and stops, linking to 54 bus routes, 3 subway stations and various GO Transit lines.

This is the largest transit expansion in Toronto’s history.

Don Valley West is also serviced by the Oriole GO Station on the Richmond Hill Line. The Richmond Hill Line will see increases in service as we implement our GO Regional Express Rail plan over the next few years. By 2024/25, commuters in Don Valley West will see Peak-period, peak-direction service on weekdays every 15-30 minutes on the Richmond Hill line.

We have also committed $3.7 billion to enable GO Regional Express Rail in Toronto – the foundation for SmartTrack. We have also committed up to $150 million for Metrolinx to work with the City of Toronto to continue planning and design work on the Downtown Relief Line and $55 million investment to support the same work on the Yonge North Subway Extension.

As committed in Budget 2018, we will work with our municipal partners to prioritize and deliver projects, including the Yonge North Subway Extension, Relief Line and Waterfront Transit.

Through our $94 million Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling Program we are providing $25,639,264 for Toronto to build more bike lanes and other cycling infrastructure, or enhance existing infrastructure.

The Conservatives killed and filled the partially-dug Eglinton subway and kept infrastructure spending to a bare minimum– less than 10% of what our Liberal government is investing this year alone. No infrastructure project is safe from cancellation if Doug Ford became Premier. Additionally, Ford has told municipalities that they will have to follow his lead and make cuts to their services if they expect any money from his government at all. This is unacceptable.

The NDP’s approach to infrastructure would result in major projects costing more and taking longer to build. When they say they will scrap our internationally respected procurement model, what they mean is they want to return to an era of 154% cost overruns and have the people of Ontario foot the bill.

Healthcare:

The healthcare system is being stretched often beyond its capabilities. Given that healthcare is the largest budgetary expenditure in Ontario, and with the challenging fiscal situation the province is in, how does your party plan to provide Ontarians with the level of care they require and how do you plan to improve relations with the members of the healthcare system?

All Ontarians deserve access to high-quality health care. Patients come first and every decision we make is centered around helping people in their everyday lives by providing high-quality, convenient care.

Since 2003, we’ve increased our investments in health care each and every year, allowing us to treat more patients, provide better care and reduce wait times to some of the shortest in the country.

Don Valley West is a part of the Central Local Health Integration Network where we have increased the number of nurses working by close to 2,000 since 2010. From 2003 to 2015 the number of physicians in the Central LHIN increased by 47.8% (from 2,194 to 3,243).

We recognize an increasing demand on our health care system as a result of both a growing and aging population.

With the 2018 Budget, we are making an additional investment of $5 billion in the health care system over the next three years –to reduce wait times, provide access to care and to enhance the patient experience including over $822 million in funding – over half-a-billion dollars – in Ontario hospitals.

We have committed to creating more than 30,000 long-term care beds in the next decade, including 5,000 by 2022. We are also investing an additional $650 million in home care over the next three years, including $180 million in new funding that will provide an additional 2.8 million more personal support worker hours and 284,000 more nursing visits. This will enable more Ontarians to be cared for at home, where they want to be.

We know that one in five Ontarians will experience a mental health illness in their lifetime. And we recognize the need to support Ontarians from childhood to old age dealing with mental health and addictions issues.

That is why, in our 2018 Budget, we are making an additional investment of $2.1 billion over four years to improve access to mental health care and addictions services for more people, bringing the total funding to $17 billion over four years;

Housing:

Real estate prices in Toronto and in the DVW riding have recently cooled, but many continue to struggle to find affordable housing. What are your party’s plans for better serving under-housed people? How do these plans impact Leaside specifically?

Since 2003 our government has invested a historic $5 billion for affordable housing across the province, but our spending has been increasing significantly in Toronto. Over the next 5 years, we will be investing $1 billion for homelessness and housing support. Ontario’s five-year investment of carbon market proceeds to social housing repairs and retrofits in the City of Toronto includes contributions of $43 million in 2016-17, almost $120 million in 2017-18, and up to $180 million between 2018-19 and 2020-21.

Our government recognizes the challenges that Ontarians face in purchasing a home particularly in the GTHA and Toronto areas. That’s why we introduced our Fair Housing Plan in 2017. Our plan includes the non-resident speculation tax (NRST), expanding rent control to all private rental units and empowering municipalities to introduce a tax on vacant homes.

These measures have helped cool the red-hot housing market and support families, but we know more needs to be done to support affordable housing in Toronto.

That is why in April 2018, we provided municipalities the authority to decide the number of affordable units that must be included in new developments. The new inclusionary zoning tool can force developers to create lower-cost units.

One-quarter to one-half of all homeless people live with a mental health condition. Research shows that having a stable, supportive place to live is essential for maintaining mental health and can improve involvement within the community. That is why in the Budget 2018, Ontario will invest $425 million to provide 2,475 additional supportive housing units over four years to reduce homelessness and prevent recidivism for people in frequent contact with the justice system.

Doug Ford said renters to fend for themselves saying he believes “the market” is better than laws designed to protect tenants from higher rents and unfair rent increases. Then he said he is for rent control. Will he change his mind again. He can’t be trusted.

When it comes to housing and poverty reduction, Andrea Horwath’s platform falls short – they promise 65,000 new homes, but their math isn’t there – they say the money will come from the National Housing Strategy, but that funding is only enough to build 20,000 homes.

Women’s Issues:

What are your plans to ensure women in Ontario are fairly represented, fairly paid and are made to feel safe and equal in all aspects of their lives?

We believe that our province is strongest when all women in Ontario are able to meet their full potential.

Through our Gender Wage Gap Strategy, we have created more opportunities for women by eliminating the barriers they face in the workforce – this is part of our Women’s Economic Empowerment strategy.

And we’ve set a mandatory target for women to make up at least 40% of all appointments to every provincial board and agency by 2019.

We���re expanding the role of women’s centres, so that vulnerable women can get the help they need to transition into the workforce.

Women still earn about 70 cents for every dollar a man earns. And the gap increases for racialized and indigenous women, and women living with disabilities.

When women are held back, we all lose.  According to a report by McKinsey & Co, improving women’s equality in the economy could add $60 billion to Ontario’s economy by 2026.

Our work across government is also supporting women. Free childcare for preschoolers will empower women to make their own choices about returning to the workforce. Raising the minimum wage will help women because 58 per cent of minimum wage earners are women. Through our new OSAP program, we’ve helped 13,000 single mothers enroll in post-secondary education.

We are also investing in the safety and health of everyone in the province, regardless of their gender or gender identity. Our Gender Based Violence Strategy is an up to $242 million investment in much needed supports. It means 1,000 more beds for women and their children fleeing violence. It means transitional housing for 600 more women.

Investing $23 million to add more than 5,000 Personal Support Workers, many of who are women. Person support workers are critical to our health care system. That’s why we’re investing in their training and continuing education.

We passed the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act to help build a province where everyone is free from the threat of sexual violence and harassment, and to strengthen support for survivors. The Act aims to make workplaces, campuses and communities safer and more responsive to the needs of survivors and to complaints about sexual violence and harassment. The legislation is one of the 13 commitments within It’s Never Okay, the government’s $41 million ground-breaking action plan to stop sexual violence and harassment.

Economy:

1. Small and medium size businesses are the economic lifeblood of the Ontario economy. Governments bordering Ontario are reducing tax and regulatory burdens on SMB’s. What are your plans to ensure businesses in Ontario and more particularly Don Valley West can compete?

We want to create the strongest possible economic climate so that small and large businesses alike can grow and thrive.

We want everyone to benefit from Ontario’s growing economy, but we know that many workers in Ontario are finding it hard to support their families on a minimum wage that just doesn’t go far enough.

Businesses are hiring, we’re leading the G7 in growth, and unemployment is the lowest it’s been in almost 20 years.

We know that this growth hasn’t been felt by everyone, and that’s why we are phasing in a $15 minimum wage over 18 months ensures more workers are benefiting from this growth.

We also know that some businesses have struggled with the transition to a higher minimum wage. That’s why we brought in $500 million in new initiatives over the next three years to support small businesses in Ontario – including lowering the small business Corporate Income Tax rate, from 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent and Eliminated the Capital Tax.

We have saved businesses millions by cutting red tape through our Burden Reduction Bill.

We’ve cut electricity costs by 25% for 500,000 small businesses and farms across the province through our Fair Hydro Plan.

And we are investing more than $190 billion over 13 years in infrastructure, making it easier for businesses to grow and succeed.

It’s thanks to these supports that Ontario leads the country in Foreign Direct Investment and has created nearly 820,000 new jobs since the recession – the lowest unemployment in 17 years.

While Doug Ford promises to cut corporate income tax rates – which are already the lowest in the country among all provinces – he’s ignoring small businesses, and only focused helping his rich friends get richer.  He’s also against “corporate welfare” – meaning he’s against significant investments in our automotive, agri-food and tech sectors.

The NDP have no plan at all for small business, but what they do have is a plan to make it more costly to do business in Ontario – with an increase of the CIT to 13%

2. What are your plans to manage Ontario’s debt?

This election, we’ve made a deliberate choice to invest in care – health care, child care and seniors care.

As a result we will have a small deficit – less than one percent of GDP. We did the hard work to bring the province back to balance – but right now we need to invest in care. We’ve chosen to invest in the infrastructure, healthcare, education and other important services that people rely on.

We’re making prescription drugs free for children and youth, and for seniors. We’ve invested in free tuition, and we’ve invested in childcare. Ontario Liberals have always stood up to protect vital government services.

We’ve made the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province’s history – more than $190 billion over 13 years. This includes investments in roads, bridges, highways, hospitals and schools.

Ontario’s economy has grown and unemployment remains low – but we know that not everyone has benefited from this growth.

We understand that it’s felt harder to get ahead and harder to hang on: that’s why we’re investing in things like free tuition, free prescription drugs and free preschool child care.

We have created nearly 820,000 new jobs since the recession, and nearly 400,000 jobs under this Premier

Our unemployment rate has dropped to 5.5% and has been below the national average for 34 months.  Ontario’s unemployment rate is at its lowest level in 17 years.

For the past three years Ontario led all G7 nations when it came to economic growth. Private-sector economists are forecasting that Ontario’s growth will outpace the rest of the country over the next two years. And Ontario continues to lead the country in Foreign Direct Investment.

Premier as MPP:

1. Currently in Ontario, the Premier must share her time between duties as Premier and as MPP. Is this helpful or hurtful to our riding? What will you do to give residents of DVW a strong voice at Queen’s Park?

Don Valley West has benefitted from the Liberal government’s record of action and positive results. We have delivered the riding:

• -Over $209 million for Sunnybrook Hospital to expand local hospital services and emergency care and build the new Temetry Breast Cancer Clinic at Sunnybrook,
• -A new concussion research centre at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
• -Opened the Fraser Mustard Academy in Thornecliffe, the only full-time kindergarten class school in Ontario
• -A Health Access Hub and newcomer settlement program at Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office
• -New Seniors Community grants
• -$3 million to the CNIB for a digital hub
• -New Eglington Crosstown LRT to improve transit with 6 stops in DVW
• -DVW Early Years Centre
• -And we worked with the community to develop a new Thorncliffe Community Health Hub and bring a new rink to Leaside Memorial gardens

A liberal government would continue to invest in our communities and Don Valley West.

Diverse Leaside:

1. Don Valley West is a large riding that is both culturally and economically diverse. It includes the affluent neighbourhood of Leaside and the densely populated, lower-income communities of Flemingdon and Thorncliffe Park. As MPP, how will you bring these communities together?

Diversity is our strength. The role of the MPP is to bring people from diverse backgrounds together around shared values and work together to help build the kind of communities we want.

In Don Valley West, we host a yearly bazar to encourage small business entrepreneurs from across the riding to come together to interact with DVW residents. We also host a yearly Canada Day picnic to bring our diverse communities together to celebrate our diversity. This year, we enjoyed song and dance performances from around the world.

The riding is also home to new immigrant communities and we support them to begin their new life in Ontario. For instance in Thorncliffe, we help fund the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office to provide social services to newcomers, language services, employment and housing support and a new health clinic with a family doctor, registered nurse, dietician and social worker.

We know more work is required and a Liberal government would continue our work to ensure new immigrants feel welcomed and a part of the local community.