Expert panellists from various sectors will gather virtually on Friday, Jan. 28 to explore the actions that need to be taken for York Region to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic that has disproportionately impacted marginalized and vulnerable people.
The Social Planning Network of Ontario event, Reimagining a Just Recovery, brings together residents, organizations, businesses and elected officials to will discuss issues that include child care, housing and income security.
Hosted by Social Planning Council of York Region chair Yvonne Kelly and York Region Food Network executive director Kate Greavette, the online event will highlight gaps in current social policies and systems, and provide recommendations on what needs to change for candidates and elected officials ahead of the provincial election this June.
"Nearly two years into COVID-19, we all are near a breaking point and people’s ability to continue being resilient is quickly fading. As a result of COVID-19, many people have exhausted their savings, resources and social networks, and every day we are seeing people lose their homes, people not being able to put food on their tables, and people struggling to make ends meet," said Greavette in an email.
"The situation in our communities is grim, people are struggling, and if we don’t act now, the situation is going to get worse. These issues/topics are always important but they hold more weight in a year of multiple elections," she said.
Panellists include: housing expert Alyssa Brierly, executive director and general counsel, Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation; child care expert Carolyn Ferns, public policy and government relations coordinator, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, and income security experts Devorah Kobluk, chair of Defend Disability and senior policy analyst at the Income Security Advocacy Centre, and Gilleen Pierce, coordinator, Better Way Alliance.
Each panellist will have four minutes to provide a brief context to their subject action, highlight gaps in public policy and advocate for actions that the provincial government needs to take.
A number of MPPS will attend, including: Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo (Vaughan-Woodbridge); Logan Kanapathi (Markham-Thornhill), Daisy Wai (Richmond Hill) and representatives from Caroline Mulroney's office (York-Simcoe).
MPs Tony Van Bynen (Newmarket-Aurora), Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill), Mary Ng (Markham-Thornhill, minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development) are also expected to attend.
NewmarketToday editor Debora Kelly will moderate the discussion.
Following a question and answer session, MPPs will speak to how they plan to proceed with the information they have heard.
"This event is important because it sheds light on the lived experiences of so many people in our York Region communities and it consciously demonstrates the intersections that people are dealing with every day. Income insecurity and access to decent work doesn’t just impact how much money is in a person’s pocket. It impacts one’s ability to be physically, mentally and socially healthy; one’s ability to gain and retain housing; and one’s ability to purchase groceries, access child care or transportation," said Greavette.
"As we look ahead to a provincial election this spring and a municipal election in the fall, as community members we need to tell our candidates what’s important to us and what we want to see in our communities. We expect that through this discussion, key public policy recommendations will emerge and that we’ll be in a stronger place to hold our elected officials accountable moving forward. We are in a position to involve more York Region residents in these discussions who will hopefully vote, maybe for the first time, based on informed decisions and what is important to them and their communities," she said.
In June 2020, a discussion hosted by Kelly and Greavette brought together more than 70 leaders from across the region, including not-for-profit organizations, to discuss critical topics that should shape the way a just recovery is imagined in the context of COVID-19.
Since that first meeting, Reimagining a Just Recovery in York Region joined nonprofits and community leaders together five more times to discuss issues like income security, food security, housing, decent work and the not-for-profit sector, as well as how to face further COVID-19 waves and prepare for future pandemics.
The virtual event begins at 10 a.m. and runs for one hour.
To register for the event and receive a Zoom link, visit Eventbrite.
To support the Reimagining a Just Recovery in York Region effort, join by emailing [email protected]
Editor's Note: This article has been altered to correct an error in the list of MPPs who are attending the event.
