As Rosh Hashanah concludes tonight, I want to wish everyone who’s celebrating a very special Shana Tova. As the High Holy Days begin and the Book of Life is opened, may 5785 bring joy and good health to you and your loved ones.
We pray for this new year to be better than the last, which has been so difficult. To my family, friends and the entire Jewish community: You are not alone. I will continue showing up for you and fighting for what’s right. I look forward to bringing in the new year with you. Chag Sameach!
I want to draw your attention to the King Charles III Coronation Medal Nomination program. We are seeking nominations to recognize 20 community leaders in Eglinton-Lawrence who have made significant contributions in the fields of community service, business, education, health care and more. The deadline for nominations is October 11th and you can do so here.
For more information on this award, major funding in our community to improve security, an update on Canada-wide dental care and more, please continue reading. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns related to federal matters by emailing my office at [email protected] or by calling 416-781-5583.
Warm regards,
Hon. Marco Mendicino, P.C.
Member of Parliament for Eglinton-Lawrence
The King Charles III Coronation Medal Program was created to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. It is the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation and I am honoured to be selected as a nominating partner to recognize 20 individuals who have made significant contributions to improving our community, and country at large.
To be eligible for a nomination, the individual must:
Please find more information and nominate and an individual in our community here by October 11th, 2024.
An event will be held to recognize those selected to receive this honour in late November.
Antisemitism in Canada is on the rise. The relentless targeting of the Jewish community is alarming and threatens public safety. We must do more to protect our neighbours. That is why the Government of Canada has allocated nearly $255,000 to improve security for religious and community organizations in Toronto through the Security Infrastructure Program.
Among other organizations in Eglinton-Lawrence, I am proud to see over $75,000 of this funding support Bialik Hebrew Day School to improve the safety and security of students, teachers and staff. No parent should ever have to worry about the safety of their children at school.
I invite organizations that would benefit from enhanced security infrastructure to keep our community safe to apply for funding through the newly launched Canada Community Security Program. More information can be found here and below.
There is no reconciliation without truth. For the National Day for Truth and reconciliation, I joined the ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square to honour the survivors and victims of Ontario’s 18 former residential schools for a moving ceremony unveiling the new Spirit Garden.
The Spirit Garden is a response to Call to Action number 82 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which urges provincial and territorial governments to create a memorial in each capital city to honor both the survivors and the children lost to the residential school system. It provides a space to honour residential school survivors, and all those lost to ensure their legacy lives on and that this dark chapter never repeats itself.
Take a look at the new Spirit Garden here.
This past week, I released an op-ed in the National Post regarding the attacks at Indigo locations directed at CEO Heather Reisman. In my piece, I point to the inundation of disinformation which has divided communities and the irony of a coordinated attack against a business whose mission it is to promote reading, education and tolerance for everyone.
Indigo stores across the country have been subjected to vandalism and bombardment, all because Heather Reisman is Jewish and supports a charitable effort in Israel. To attack a bookstore in this way is wholly un-Canadian and does nothing to promote peace. Please find the entire op-ed here.
Each year I am delighted to support the North Toronto Group of Artists at their Fine Art Tour and Sale. These local artists are truly inspiring and their work brings so much to our community.
October is Women’s History Month and this year’s theme is Women at Work: Economic Growth Past, Present and Future. This theme highlights how women have been challenging systemic barriers throughout history, and celebrates their significant contributions to Canada’s economic growth.
Our government has always maintained that good feminist policy is good economic policy. From $10-a-day childcare, launching the Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy, making contraceptives free, supporting equal opportunities for women in the workplace, taking action against gender-based violence, introducing the Parental Sharing Benefit and more, our government growing the economy through a feminist lens.
This month, we’re celebrating the women who have broken the glass ceiling and who continue to work toward a more equitable Canada for all.
Everyone deserves to be and feel safe in their community. With antisemitism and hate-crimes on the rise, places of worship, schools, and community centres need better support to protect themselves and the people who access their services. In response, our government has replaced the Security Infrastructure Program with the stronger and improved Canada Community Security Program with increased funding, expanded eligibility and more coverage for security infrastructure.
In addition to schools, places of worship, and community centres, funding has been expanded to include:
In addition to security equipment, minor security renovations, security and emergency assessment plans, and security training, it will also now include limited-time security personnel and funding will cover 70% of eligible project expenses.
Applications are now open. Learn more and apply here.
The rise in auto theft across North America has left many in our community feeling unsafe and leaving some personally affected. Through a myriad of new measures, our government is working to make it harder to steal cars, harder to move stolen cars, and harder to get away with it.
In 2024, auto thefts are down 17%. This year, the CBSA has intercepted 1,205 stolen vehicles and recovered nearly 600 before they were illegally exported.
We must work with all levels of government to tackle auto theft. At the federal level, we are:
Read more here.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is collecting feedback to help improve and modernize their service. There is a lot of work to do and much to improve on. The CRA provides essential services for Canadians and your input will help identify key areas for improvement.
Please submit your feedback here. The questionnaire will close on December 2nd, 2024.
Last week, our government announced the boldest mortgage reforms in decades to help more Canadians become homeowners.
Along with this announcement comes technical guidance for lenders and insurers to ensure Canadians can benefit from these mortgage reforms by December 15th, 2024.
These new measures include:
Canadians can start talking to their bank to get their first mortgage application ready for December 15. These reforms are a key part of our government’s plan to make housing more affordable, support first-time home buyers, and build 4 million new homes. Read more here.
Dental care is health care – but for too long, high costs have kept it out of reach for too many. I am proud to share that 750,000 Canadians have accessed care through the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) since its launch last year. Over 7,000 people have already benefited from the program here in Eglinton-Lawrence!
More than 2.4 million Canadians have been approved for the CDCP. Over the past number of months, our government has worked to make the plan more accessible for dental professionals. Currently, close to 21,000 providers are participating in the CDCP, which accounts for 83% of active providers in Canada.
The program is currently open to seniors, adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate, and children under 18. It covers services like cleanings, fillings, dentures, and more. Learn more about your eligibility, or that of a loved one here.
As part of our government's plan to provide 400,000 kids with school lunches and to improve food security for all Canadians, our government has launched two programs: The new School Food Infrastructure Fund and the renewed Local Food Infrastructure Fund.
The School Food Infrastructure Fund will provide not-for-profit organizations with funding to support school food programming across Canada. Organizations are encouraged to apply for funding to improve infrastructure and equipment for school food programming by October 4th, 2024. Program objectives and the application process can be found here.
The renewed Local Food Infrastructure Fund is providing funding for businesses and organizations with projects aimed at increasing food security and access to local and nutritious food through strengthened infrastructure.
Small Scale Projects will begin the application processes on October 1st, 2024. Learn more here.
The National Autism Network has officially launched. This network is intended to bring together the skills and resources of autism organizations and stakeholders, including people with lived experience, to implement the the Framework for Autism in Canada and Canada’s Autism Strategy to advance the health care and well-being of Autistic people in Canada.
The network will work to develop and implement initiatives that support the following priorities:
Eligible organizations will receive funding to establish and lead the National Autism Network. Learn more and apply here.
I want to share a great effort put forward by the City of Toronto to protect the environment and our biodiversity. The city has launched the PollinateTO program with a deadline coming up Monday.
PollinateTO provides support for projects that directly result in the creation of publicly-visible pollinator habitats in Toronto. Grants of up to $5,000 are available to support community-led projects that create a new pollinator garden or rain garden, expand or enhance an existing garden by adding native pollinator-friendly plants or convert a lawn area, boulevard or hard surface to a pollinator garden.
Applications are open until October 21st, 2024 at this link.
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| Mon: | 10AM-4PM |
| Tue: | 10AM-4PM |
| Wed: | 10AM-4PM |
| Thu: | 10AM-4PM |
| Fri: | 10AM-4PM |
| Sat: | Closed |
| Sun: | Closed |
