The Liberal government’s decision to run diesel trains on this line has drawn widespread criticism both for the negative health impacts it will have on our community and on our air quality… and because it will fail to ease gridlock and move people effectively in our city.

For years, our west end community has called for immediate electrification on the line.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, the Asthma Society of Canada and the Medical Officer of Health for Toronto have all expressed concerns about the diesel plan and support immediate electrification.

Toronto City Council has passed a motion in favour of electrification so as to allow additional stops on the route and provide an affordable downtown relief line in the west end of Toronto.

The Auditor General has questioned the government’s business model for the proposed diesel line, calling Metrolinx’s ridership projections “overly optimistic” as higher than usual fares will discourage ridership.

Transit expert Joell Ann Vanderwagen called the Liberal’s Diesel plan “The worst current example of wasted resources and opportunity” and advocates for electric train service as a “common sense,” effective alternative “to create a GTA-wide rapid transit network now — not 30 years down the road.”

And just today world renowned scientist David Suzuki added his voice to the growing list of people concerned about this government’s plan.

So today I asked Premier Wynne and the Liberal Government of Ontario, to listen to these good people and commit to do it once, to do it right the first time and to electrify the Union Pearson Air Rail Link from day one.

After years of tax cuts and lack of investment, Ontario clearly faces a public infrastructure and public transit deficit and drivers, transit riders, and cyclists are all paying the price for years of neglect. It’s clearly urgent to get Toronto moving again, and so I’m happy to see that Metrolinx has recommended bold transit expansion for our region.

The Ontario Government has said that they will review the recommendations of Metrolinx to determine what new “revenue tools” will be used to pay for the Big Move.  I welcome this badly needed debate about revenue. Many people have said that it’s time for an “adult conversation” about taxes and I agree.

I want to make it very clear that our team at Queen’s Park supports investments in public transit. Obviously, we will need taxes to pay for necessary transit expansion.

But not all “revenue tools” are made equal.

I believe that the best revenue tools are fair and progressive taxes, not flat taxes or user fees. I believe that those who have benefited the most in our society can and should give back and make a bigger financial contribution than those who are struggling just to pay their bills each month.

Our adult conversation must move beyond the obvious fact that we need taxes to pay for public services to debate what kinds of taxes we think are most fair.

I know that we can have good public services and we can pay for them in fair ways.

There are many different ways to raise revenue including raising corporate taxes, taxing banks, closing tax loop holes, and more progressive income taxes.  Since 2008, the current Ontario Government has cut corporate taxes from 14% to11.5% which is far below the rates of other competitive jurisdictions. The current government still has not agreed to close the $1.3 billion corporate tax loophole New Democrats highlighted during budget negotiations. The high income tax we introduced last year, which raises taxes just 2%  on incomes over $500,000, brings in over half a billion dollars each year, but the current government wants to eliminate it after 2018. These are just some of the options that could raise the revenue we need without hurting low and moderate income families.

The conversation about transit is not over. In the coming months, the government plans to consult with Ontarians. New Democrats have been and will continue to listen too.

I’d like to hear from you. Is asking for corporations, banks, and high income earners to pay a little bit more for transit investment unreasonable? What do you think? Please let me know your thoughts about this, and let the government know too as they consider the various options to raise revenue.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to do so, please sign here. (link)

This loophole in tenant protection is also inflating rents across our city and so it also has an impact right across Toronto and across the Province. Toronto is already an incredibly expensive city to live in and skyrocketing rental costs are creating a city where too many people are living on the edge, are being pushed out of our city, or are falling into poverty.

At Toronto City Hall, Councillor Anthony Perruzza had a motion before the Executive Committee last Tuesday, May 28^th asking the province to close this loophole.  You can read the motion here.  I wrote a letter to the Mayor’s Executive Committee asking the Councillors to support this motion.  You can read this letter here.  (link) The motion was referred to City staff, and I encourage you to contact your City Councillor to make sure they know how you feel about this issue.

Dundas West BIA

Visit Dundas Street West, between Lansdowne and Ossington/Roxton on June 8, 2013 between 11am and 10pm for a full day of arts, music, kids’ activities, food, drink and shopping!

The Dundas West Fest aims to unite businesses, residents and the many communities that together make up our local neighbourhood.

Oakwood Village Arts Festival

The third annual Oakwood Village Arts Festival is on Saturday, June 8, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This year’s theme is ’Art Building Community.’ OVAF 2013 features a fabulous range of performances, workshops, demonstrations, and opportunities for people of all ages to interact through the arts, in our vibrant mid-town Toronto neighbourhood!

The festival will unfold at various venues along Oakwood Ave, from Vaughan Road to Holland Park Ave.  Admission to all events is FREE!

More information is available at http://www.oakwoodvillageartsfestival.com/Oakwood_Village_Arts_Festival/OVAF_2013.html

Portugal Day Parade

Join me at the 2013 Portugal Day Parade! I’ll be marching this year along with our MP Andrew Cash, MPP Andrea Horwath, MP Olivia Chow and MPP Rosario Marchese.  The Portugal Day Parade is a great community event, and is open to everyone.  We had a great time last year and would love for you to join us this year!  If you’d like to come this year, please meet at 10:30am at Dundas and Lansdowne.  Feel free to give my office a call at 416 535 3158 or send me an email.

Fairbank Village Multicultural Summerfest

On June 22^th and 23^rd, Fairbank Village BIA is hosting its annual Multicultural Summerfest. Join me there for a cultural celebration of music, food, arts and entertainment and a sidewalk sale!  If you’d like to get more involved in the Fairbank Village Multicultural Summerfest, they are currently looking for volunteers to help out over the weekend. Please send me an email if you’d be interested in volunteering, and I would be happy to connect you with the organizers.

Nominations for the BIG on Bloor awards now open!

The BIG on Bloor festival is coming up this July 20^th!  Every year, I have the opportunity to recognize ten outstanding community members with BIG on Bloor awards, and nominations are now open! Do you know someone who works hard to make our community a great place? Do you know a creative, caring and dedicated volunteer, advocate, business owner or neighbour? Let me know who you think deserves to have their efforts recognized and why. Send me an email or call my office to nominate a friend or neighbour!

Since our community discovered that this facility was operating in our neighbourhoods, our primary concern has been the safety of those living in close proximity to the plant.

Local residents want to know that their homes and neighbourhood are safe from the serious health effects of uranium exposure. They are concerned that emissions from the plant via air and water have accumulated in the vicinity over the 50 years that the plant has been in operation. One specific concern is that the food they grow in private and community gardens is unsafe to eat.

We understand that G.E. Hitachi has hired a third party to conduct soil testing. Although G.E. Hitachi and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission have stated that there is no risk in the soil collected, the lack of transparency and public consultation by GE. Hitachi prior to this discovery has not inspired confidence in our community.

Here is a copy of our letter.

The Ministry is still in the process of deciding whether to conduct soil testing in the neighbourhood. If you are in support of the soil testing – make sure your voice is heard!  Please sign the below petition to send a message to the Provincial Minister of the Environment, Jim Bradley.  If this issue is important to you, please share with your friends and neighbours!

If you rent an apartment building that was built after November 1991, or an apartment that was not a residential property before 1991, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise.  If you are in this situation, the current laws in Ontario allow your landlord to arbitrarily raise your rent by any amount.

This issue was brought to my attention by residents in our community.  They are among the hundreds of tenants in Davenport and thousands across the province who live in newer buildings and factory conversions that are not protected by rent control laws.

Some of these residents are seeing their rents arbitrarily increased, and in some cases by arbitrarily large sums – far beyond what is allowed for other tenants. Some landlords could use this as a way to force out tenants who request simple maintenance repairs.

Obviously this has very serious consequences for tenants when their rent increases drastically from one month to the next. But this loophole in tenant protection is also inflating rents across our city and so it also has an impact right across Toronto and across the Province. Toronto is already an incredibly expensive city to live in and skyrocketing rental costs are creating a city where too many people are living on the edge, are being pushed out of our city, or are falling into poverty.

Fixing this simple loophole in the law will help protect tenants and help make housing more affordable and secure for thousands of Ontarians.

The Liberal Government of Ontario should take immediate action to close this unfair loophole and protect tenants in Ontario.

Sign the petition below if you agree this unfair loophole has to close to help protect tenants in Ontario.

Please read on to find out more about bed bugs, how to avoid them, what to do if you’re currently dealing with bed bugs, and how you can help ensure that we get rid of bed bugs for good.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are small wingless insects that are most active at night and feed on the blood of people and animals. They are about the size and shape of an apple seed (3-6mm) and range in color from clear to reddish-brown.

Their bites form small, itchy bumps, which usually occur in a circle, or line,  and in groups of three. Bed bugs don’t spread disease, but their bites can cause discomfort and some people are allergic to them.

Where do they hide?

Bed bugs like places that are dry, dark, and warm. Make sure to check these spots for rust colored stains, blood marks, shell casings, eggs and, of course, live bed bugs.

How Do I Avoid Them?

There are a number of things you can do to reduce your chances of getting bed bugs.

• Keep places where bedbugs can hide tidy and uncluttered.
• Seal any crevices or cracks in walls and baseboards.
• Keep furniture away from your walls.
• Never bring home discarded things.

Leave It At The Curb!

You could get bed bugs if you bring home items left outside, especially since many people improperly dispose of infested furniture.  If you’re disposing of an item with bed bugs, be sure to rip the upholstery and mark it with “Bed Bugs” to make it less likely to get picked up!

Get Help

• Call Toronto City Staff at 311.
  • They can take a report and provide you with resources.
• Call your landlord.
  • Landlords are responsible for contacting and paying for pest control.
• Talk to your neighbours.
  • Organize together to make sure all units with bed bugs are treated.
• Don’t try to fight them on your own.
  • Home remedies and generic bug sprays can make the problem worse.
• Use a qualified pest control company.
  • Make sure that the company is reputable, licensed, has experience with bed bugs, and uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategy.
• Prep your home and follow all pre-spraying directions.
  • Ensure your home is ready for your appointment with pest control.
• Enclose your mattress and box spring in a mattress cover.
  • Make sure to place duct tape along the seams and any other openings.
• Keep your home tidy and uncluttered.
  • This will make it easier to find and get rid of them.

In the past year, we have seen some really encouraging movement on the Clean Trains issue, including the beginnings of an Environmental Assessment for Electrification and the decision to make this issue one the “Next Wave” projects in Metrolinx’s Big Move.  If you’d like some more information on the issue, please read my website at http://www.jonahscheinmpp.ca/clean-trains-now/.

As many of you may remember, I first introduced a Private Member’s Bill prohibiting diesel trains from running along the UP Express Air Rail Link last May.  It was due to come up for second reading in October, and just days before it was set to be debated, former Premier Dalton McGuinty decided to shut down Queen’s Park and all legislation was cleared away.

Although the Legislature was shut down, we kept working on this issue.  Running dirty diesel trains through hundreds of thousands of West Toronto backyards is a terrible idea, and we’re not going to stop fighting for clean, electric, transit.  I will be reintroducing my Private Member’s Bill next week and I invite you to join me at Queen’s Park.  If you’d like to come and watch the proceedings that day, please send me an email at jschein-co@ndp.on.ca or call at 416 535 3158.

We need to keep pressuring the government to make the right decision, and to choose clean, electric trains now.  If you support the electrification of the UP Express Air Rail Link, please sign my petition at http://www.jonahscheinmpp.ca/clean-trains-now/cleantrain/

These are residents who are living in buildings that were not residential prior to 1991, and as such, they’re not covered by the rent increase guidelines in the Residential Tenancies Act. This means that they and hundreds of other residents in Davenport who are living in newer buildings and factory conversions are not protected by rent control laws. Residents are seeing their rents raised arbitrarily, and in some cases by arbitrarily large sums. Some landlords seem to be using this as a way to force out tenants who request simple maintenance repairs.

If you’ve been affected by this loophole, or you worry that you could be, please join me on May 6th in my office at 1674 St. Clair Ave. West, at 6:30pm. I want to hear your experiences with this issue. Please call my office at 416 535 3158 or email jschein-co@ndp.on.ca if you have any questions or would like more information.

You can also watch a video of me raising this issue at Queen’s Park.