Dear Colleagues,
The messaging from the Bruce Grey One World Festival included a young 14 year old Ukrainian named Nick who shared his music and his gratitude at the offer of peace and security in Owen Sound. The children at the event wrote messages of “peace” “be brave” and “everyone belongs”. The festival was a wonderful collaboration of diverse people – Indigenous Elders, Newcomers, Pflag and PRIDE members; persons with disabilities, etc. sharing their knowledge and cultures.
- June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
- June 27 is Canadian Multiculturalism Day. This day honours the many cultural communities that help build a strong and vibrant Canadian society.
- Pflag Canada provides information, education, and local support and resources for anyone with questions about gender identity and sexual orientation. This could be a family member, a friend, or the person themself. The Owen Sound group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. Currently they meet virtually on Zoom and are open to all. Contact 1-888-530-6777 ext 570 (toll-free).
Masking Emergency Orders
- Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health, issued a statement on the lifting of remaining provincial masking requirements on June 8th.
- Businesses and organizations may implement their own rules and policies related to
masking within their settings, and with consideration to available and relevant infection prevention and control guidance. However, they must follow any applicable laws (e.g. Human Rights Code, Occupational Health and Safety Act) and should obtain independent legal advice should they consider doing so. - Masks will be required to continue providing an additional layer of protection for the most vulnerable in long-term care and retirement homes. Masking is recommended in higher-risk congregate living settings, such as shelters and group homes.
HOUSING SUPPORT
A special thank you went out from the Town of Hanover to all the organizations and people that responded to the fire and afterwards. Housing solutions are still being worked on for those affected and displaced.
- By Name List (May 2022): In the month of May we saw 3 households move into housing off the By Name List. 47 new people were identified as experiencing homelessness bringing the number of households active on the BNL to 211. Of these 211 households, 163 are experiencing chronic homelessness.
- Sleeping Rough Solutions: It is becoming clear that “rough sleeping encampments,” once thought to be a temporary problem, are at risk of becoming a permanent policy issue. Rough sleeping has begun to reach emergency status in Canada and solutions are not simple.
- Short-term policy options must meet rough sleepers where they are – both physically and mentally – rather than force vulnerable individuals to relocate or seek out services in temporary shelters. Any policy response must recognize the needs of rough sleepers as inherently different from others experiencing homelessness. We can’t simply build our way out of our housing crisis. Policy thinkers at Maytree make the case that every person needs a home, and it is our government’s job to use all of the tools it has to make sure that people can make that happen.
- CATIE Harm Reduction Toolkit: provides foundational information on harm reduction for service providers working with people who use drugs (including support workers, outreach workers, nurses and workers with lived and living experience). The toolkit is free to access and is available to anyone to use or share for personal learning, organizational trainings and/or other capacity-building efforts
INCOME SUPPORT
With inflation being the highest it’s been in 31 years, families are struggling to keep up with the high-cost of living. Various consumer research studies are looking at the impact on middle-class households. The lack of “inflation protection” for people with low income, jobs and/or social assistance with no cost of living adjustment (COLA) means vulnerable people will struggle more.
- Poverty: A Clinical Tool for Primary Care: has been in use in Ontario since 2016. The tool directs providers to use key questions to assess their patients’ living situations and current benefits. Alberta is now undertaking a similar project called Reducing the Impact of Financial Strain.
- Prosper Canada: Benefits Wayfinder is a new tool that will help you find all the supports and benefits available for people living with low income.
- Connecting Ottawa: has updated resources Canada Child Benefit resource sheet (May 2022) and Transition Child Benefit (for people who get money from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program, but do not get the Canada Child Benefit, or get less than the full amount of Canada Child Benefit).
- Child Care: costs are set to come down to $10-per-day by 2025 for parents of young children. And protect child care wages through new minimums and ensure 60% of child care workforce is made up of Registered Early Child Educators by 2026.
FOOD SUPPORT
- Food Security in Grey Bruce: the United Way of Bruce Grey continues to engage with municipalities on food insecurity and solutions. Data collected at Food Bruce Grey estimates 40,000 people in Grey Bruce used community food organizations in 2021, out of a population of about 160,000 for the region.
- Multiple factors are tied to food insecurity: income inequality, poverty, mental illness, access to skills (including financial and nutritional skills) and racism. Michael McCain of Maple Leaf Foods states “food insecurity is not about food. The fundamental drivers of food insecurity [are] not food. Canada has an ample supply of food.” There is a need for people to work for “food secure employers” and earn a living wage.
- Eat Local Grey Bruce: is seeking new pickup points. Contact elgbmeg@gmail.com. In particular, in Collingwood, Grey Highlands, Walkerton, Hanover, Sauble Beach and the Bruce Peninsula. Let them know if you have a business, shed or garage in mind.
TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT
- Guelph Owen Sound Transportation (GOST): is a public transportation service connecting people from Owen Sound to Guelph and stops in between including Chatsworth, Williamsford, Durham, Mount Forest, Arthur, Fergus and Elora.
- Recent changes have been made to the northbound departure times from the Guelph station. The change will allow for more convenient transfers to GOST from GO Transit.
Stay well, Jill