Repair the Science Centre!

Kate Dupuis nominated to be the Ontario NDP Candidate in Beaches-East York

TORONTO – New Democrats in Beaches – East York came together to nominate Kate Dupuis, long time BEY resident, health care professional, and champion for seniors, to be the Ontario NDP candidate in Beaches – East York for the next election.

“I am excited and ready to join Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP to fight for what matters most to the community of Beaches – East York: good schools, affordable homes, reliable health care, and a more affordable life,” said Dupuis. “We have seen a complete lack of respect for older Ontarians and their primary care partners, and we know that healthcare has never been more inaccessible for our communities than ever before. Decades of Liberal and Conservative governments have completely neglected the real needs of Ontarians. It’s time for a government who will put Ontarians first, and that government is the NDP, with Marit Stiles as our next premier!”

“Kate has been an incredible advocate for seniors, families, and health care in her community,” said Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Leader. “We need Kate’s voice at Queen’s Park, standing up for Beaches–East York as part of our team. Together, we can turn the page on the Ford era and deliver a brighter future for Ontario.”

QUICK FACTS

• Kate is a registered Clinical Neuropsychologist and a professor in the Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies at Sheridan College.
• She earned a Ph.D in Psychology from the University of Toronto
• Kate is a long-time advocate for improving the lives of older Ontarians and those who care for them. She is also a strong advocate for public healthcare and education.
• She earned a Ph.D in Psychology from the University of TorontoKate is a long-time advocate for improving the lives of older Ontarians and those who care for them. She is also a strong advocate for public healthcare and education.

Stiles files integrity complaint against the Ford government for Ontario Place - Therme deal

Stiles files integrity complaint against the Ford government for Ontario Place - Therme deal

Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP have submitted a complaint to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner calling for an investigation into the Therme deal. The complaint includes evidence suggesting that Therme received preferential treatment from the Ford government and seeks an investigation into the Minister of Infrastructure’s involvement.

“Over the past two years, we have collected evidence suggesting a deeply troubling pattern of behaviour surrounding the Ford government’s deal with Therme. We have reason to believe that Therme received preferential treatment from this government when they were awarded the 95-year-long lease to build a luxury spa at Ontario Place.

“Was the procurement process fair? Why is the government using taxpayer money to build Therme a parking lot after telling other bidders it would not consider proposals with publicly funded facilities? Billions of dollars and a cherished public asset are at stake. We are bringing our case to the Integrity Commissioner so we can finally get some answers on this shady scheme.”

NDP will make repairs and open the Science Centre

“Everyone sees through this”:

Ontario NDP on Science Centre closure update

TORONTO – MPP Jill Andrew (Toronto – St. Paul’s), NDP critic for Culture and Heritage, released the following statement after Ford gave an update on the abrupt Ontario Science Centre (OSC) closure:

“You only need to look at the letters written to save the Science Centre, with nearly 80,000 sent and climbing, to know that Ontarians care deeply about this important cultural institution.

With every new update, it seems like Ford is cherry-picking numbers to suit his own scheme to build a private mega spa. What about the kids who had summer camps or special semesters cancelled? What about the families of Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park, who rely on the centre for day trips and summer learning? Who’s looking out for them?

Everyone sees through this. The abrupt closure of the Science Centre could have been avoided –especially if Doug Ford and his politicians had just invested in it all along. An NDP government would make the necessary repairs to revive the Science Centre and keep it where it is”.

Background

• An analysis of Ford’s own initial report suggests that Ford’ numbers are being cherry-picked to suit his own purposes
• The PCs have been claiming both $478 million and $369 million as the cost to repair OSC
  • Some costs in these figures appear to have been double-counted
  • These numbers also include cosmetic ‘nice to have’ renovations, far beyond critical repairs needed to keep the building open.
• Actual cost could be as low as $24 million, for priority repairs
• It seems the PCs have maximized the theoretical costs of repair for the current OSC and minimized the cost the build a new one. Their own report didn’t even recommend closure.