The April newsletter of the Income Security Advocacy Centre is online! Highlights include information on the special diet litigation, the Ending Poverty project, their revised case criteria and the impending social assistance review.

LetsMakeWaves.ca was set up by some community leaders across the city who are concerned that the Toronto District School Board plans to close 39 of its 79 pools in June of 2009.

Challenges and Opportunities for Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Sector During Tough Economic Times
From the Ontario Trillium Foundation

Download the full report here (PDF format).

Executive Summary

Ontario’s not-for-profit (NFP) sector faces the current recession, and the challenging times ahead, with a mixture of fear and trepidation, tempered with a sense of opportunity.

The Standing Committee on Social Affairs has announced that there will be 2 days of hearings in Toronto on Bill 152, the Poverty Reduction Act 2009 - April 20 and 21.

There will be a conference call on Thursday, April 16 from 10 to 11 am, to help those who are planning to make a submission to the hearings prepare. We will discuss proposed amendments to Bill 152 that have been drawn up by the Legislation Action Table of the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction. And there will be time to share other suggestions about the Bill and the hearings.

“Permanently Temporary” - A Submission to the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly Bill-139, an Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 by the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto

March 25, 2009

The Community Social Planning Council of Toronto (CSPC-T) is a non-profit agency engaged in research, policy analysis, community development and capacity building work. As an organization committed to social and economic justice and the improvement in the quality of life for all people living in Toronto, and a member of the Good Jobs for All Coalition, we are encouraged to see the Ontario government taking action on protecting the rights of temporary agency workers. This Bill is both critical for temp agency workers and a vital step in the province’s movement on poverty reduction. Being that a disproportionate number of temporary workers are new immigrants, women, and people from racialized backgrounds, we believe this act will work in providing greater protection for Toronto’s working communities. For these reasons, we fully support the implementation of Bill 139 and endorse the amendments proposed by our allies at the Workers’ Action Centre.

Thursday, April 30, 2009
9:30 am to 12:00 noon
NEW LOCATION
School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Toronto
14 Queen’s Park Cres. West, Main Floor
The building is located on the west side of Queen's Park, opposite the legislature.

The context
Ontario is at a crossroads. Our population, our economy and our very environment are being transformed.

Events in the Rotunda

Monday, March 30 - Friday, April 3, 2009
Refugee Rights Art Exhibition
A diverse collection of art that speaks to issues of refugee rights or to other aspects of the refugee experience.
Curator: Michelle Clarke

Community Fair
Displays and information from community organizations working with refugees.

Are your clients affected by the 3-month wait for OHIP policy?
Are you interested in learning how Quebec 3-month policy has some exemptions for:
• Pregnant women
• Women victims of violence
• Long term follow-up of infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and TB?

David McKeown will be speaking at the event, Foodshare will be serving soup, and everyone is encouraged to come and stand in solidarity with people who are most likely to be left out of the stimulus spending being promised by our governments.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009
12:00 p.m.
Front Lawn, Queen’s Park
For more information: (416) 392-1494 www.25in5.ca

Music, Food, Video Screenings, Open Mic. Art. and Launch of www.freedomyouth.ca

Saturday, March 21, 2009
1.00 - 4.00 pm
Anitafrika! Dub Theatre62 Fraser Ave. (South west of King and Dufferin)

For more information contact:
Urban Alliance on Race Relations (416) 703-6607 ext. 3 or email: [email protected]