Catherine Fife

Andrea Horwath in conversation with the NDP Black Caucus

Instead of fighting for our main street small businesses, Doug Ford is begging 7-Eleven execs to open more stores in Ontario...that may be able to sell beer & wine. Talk about misplaced priorities...

Looking forward to tuning in tonight to hear from my brilliant colleagues! I hope you'll join us!

Doug Ford says "everything is on the table," but when it comes to common sense policies like #PaidSickDays, Ford has said no. It's month 11 of COVID-19. How has he not learned that no one should be forced to go to work sick? #onpoli

I'm heading back to Queen's Park on Tuesday. We're ready to get to work. Here's what's on our agenda for week 1: 1. Give people paid sick days 2. Bring in a real evictions ban 3. Give seniors in long-term care four hours of hands-on care per day... 4. Give essential caregivers the right to help their loved ones in care homes 5. Create a Seniors’ Advocate 6. Give PSWs all a raise 7. Save small businesses 8. Make schools safe for children, teachers and education workers 9. Guarantee an equity strategy, from pandemic response to vaccines Let's get it done.

Day 1 of lockdown in Peel & Toronto & the Ford government is putting the interests of big box stores ahead of small businesses. This is totally unacceptable.

Bill 218 is up for its final, third reading debate today at 1:00 pm, before the Ford government uses its majority to pass it. Bill 218 limits liability for civil lawsuits against long-term care operators and takes away the right of municipalities to hold an election with ranked ballots. A bill like this should never be passed, especially during the second wave of COVID-19. Tune in to the debate this afternoon: ola.org.

On Trans Day Of Remembrance, I am reaffirming my commitment to a world where trans & non-binary people can live without violence. In our community, Spectrum Community Space is doing good work with the launch of the TransNAV Directory that will be integral to connecting folks with services. To build this directory, Spectrum needs to hear from the trans & non-binary community locally - please check out this video & fill out their survey to help this project get moving: https://www.videoask.com/fb8ui5jrg

Investing in our collective safety is actually good for the economy & our recovery.

Honoured to attend the Remembrance ceremony at the Waterloo Cenotaph this morning. We remember the brave sacrifice made by those who served our country. My gratitude to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 530 & the KW poppy fund for organizing a safe ceremony this year. ... #LestWeForget

"Fife and her Opposition New Democrats would like to see the for-profit operators in long-term care phased out over time. 'If you’re doing long-term care well, there should be no money left over' for shareholders."

This Remembrance Day is very different. Today, I will miss gathering to honour our veterans in-person at the great legions & associations in Kitchener-Waterloo, but let's not forget: "The living owe it to those who can no longer speak to tell their story for them." #LestWeForget

Doug Ford is using the cover of the pandemic to do favours for far-right poltical allies like Charles McVety, who is a well-documented racist, homophobic, transphobic & Islamophobic person. McVety has a record of hate speech & promoting intolerance. The last thing we should be doing in the province of Ontario is providing his theological college with the right to call themselves a university & the authority to grant Bachelor's degrees.

True to 2020 form, Remembrance Day looks different this year. I encourage everyone to observe the national ceremony online starting at 10:45 am tomorrow, or head outside to watch the Waterloo Warbirds fly over our local cenotaphs. https://www.legion.ca//remembrance-d/the-national-ceremony. #LestWeForget

Today is ECE Appreciation Day in Ontario! I'm so grateful for the hardworking & caring Early Childhood Educators in Waterloo. Sadly, the fight for quality childcare continues. Doug Ford is pushing through cuts that would mean worse ECE-child ratios. Our kids & frontline caregivers deserve better.

935 Canadian children are diagnosed with cancer each year. They often need blood, plasma, platelet transfusions. Abigayle Lobsinger's Journey is one of them. Sending love & positive energy to #WaterloosToughestCookie. Please donate if you can: https://www.blood.ca/en Tri-City Blood Donators

Housing is a human right, & governments have neglected the problem for too long. We have a plan to fix the growing housing insecurity Ontarians are facing. Make renting more affordable Support people in buying homes Build affordable housing to end homelessness... https://www.ontariondp.ca/homes-you-can-afford

This week is #SmallBusinessWeek in Ontario. One of my favourite parts of being an MPP is connecting with entrepreneurs. They are resilient, creative, and most importantly - they are dreamers . Let's show them our support & #ShopLocal!

Our Main Streets are struggling & businesses who have had to recently close due to COVID-19 restrictions continue to wait for a piece of the promised $300 million in support from the Ford government. I asked the Minister when they could expect support.

I wrote to the Premier on Friday, seeking clarity for dance studio owners, dancers and parents. The least we should expect from the government is clarity, but businesses should be able to count of governments for support. Thanks to Carousel Dance Centre, Bojangles Dance Arts, Dimensions in Dance, Royal Academy of Dance - Canada, Contemporary School of Dance, Moree School of Dance, & Star Performance Academy for your advocacy!

LIVE Andrea Horwath joins with NDP MPPs Laura Mae Lindo & Catherine Fife to discuss the NDP plan to overhaul long-term care & home care

I've written to the Premier about this issue. Hopefully the government can provide some much needed clarity on how these decisions are made. Also of note, a majority of these dance studios are owned/operated by female entrepreneurs. #sherecovery

I'm hearing concerns from parents & kids enrolled in dance classes in Waterloo regarding confusion about whether dance classes would be shut down under a modified Stage 2 plan. Waterloo is not in Stage 2, but the mixed messaging from the Ford government has people worried & needs to be clarified. I'll be writing to the Premier as soon as possible to seek clarity for parents & kids enrolled in classes. ... Hearing from Contemporary School of Dance, Carousel Dance Centre, Bojangles Dance Arts, & others.

We're listening. We know we need a new, public and non-profit seniors care system where every dollar goes directly to care not to corporate profits. We must do better for seniors in Ontario. Here's our plan: https://ontariondp.ca/longtermcare

Please join us Friday for an important announcement with Andrea Horwath. Click "Get Reminder" here.

Throughout COVID-19, I've heard from hundreds of families in Waterloo Region about the crisis in seniors care. This morning, Andrea Horwath is announcing our plan to overhaul long-term care in Ontario. Tune in live at 11am on my facebook page.

At the start of the second wave, the Ford government is beginning to claw back small business tax deferrals. Meanwhile, small businesses across the province are just trying to survive.