rudy cuzzetto
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Announcing the new Accelerated Build Pilot Projecton July 21, 2020, with the Premier, Minister of Long-Term Care, President of Trillium Health PartnersMichelle DiEmanuele, and Mayor Bonnie Crombie
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Supporting & Protecting our Community
New, Modern Long-TermCare for our CommunityThe impact of COVID-19 has exposed serious,longstanding issues in our long-term care system.
To help address them, the Province is buildingtwo new long-term care homes, with 640 newbeds, a health services building, and – in part-nership with Heart House Hospice – the firstresidential hospice in Mississauga, here at Trillium Health Partners’ site in the SheridanPark Corporate Centre.
These facilities will feature senior-friendly designs, modern infection control standards,private (or semi-private) rooms, and air conditioning.
While a project of this scale would previouslytake three years (or longer) to build, constructionwill now proceed on an accelerated schedule,for completion next year, in 2021. This will helpbring much-needed relief to seniors and theirfamilies in southern Mississauga.
Download the COVIDAlert app to help stopthe spreadThe Province, together with the federal government,has launched a free, voluntary app, COVIDAlert, to help health officials notify people who may have been exposed to COVID-19.
It uses Bluetooth technology to exchange a“digital handshake” with other people whocome within two metres of you for at least 15minutes. It will then alert you if you have been in contact with someone who tested positivewithin the last two weeks.
More than four million Canadians have alreadydownloaded this important public health app;and the more people who do, the safer we willall be.
COVID Alert was developed in direct consulta-tion with Ontario’s Information and PrivacyCommissioner – and it will never collect, access, or store your personal data, location, or health information.
If you haven’t already, pleasedownload COVID Alert now atyour smartphone’s app store.This is one of the easiest waysyou can protect your lovedones, and your community.
If you have any questions,please contact my office, or visit: COVID-19.ontario.ca/covidalert
Announcing a generous contribution to Trillium HealthPartners from our local Muslim community, togetherwith the Premier and Mayor Hazel McCallion.
Ontario’s EconomicResponse toCOVID-19The Government of Ontario has invested $30 billion to de-liver a wide range of initiatives to help families, businesses,and frontline workers get through the COVID-19 crisis.Some of these include:
Support for IndividualsPandemic Pay Program
An investment of over $1.5 billion provided a temporarypay increase of $4/hour for more than 375,000 eligiblefrontline workers across Ontario.
Frozen Residential RentRent is frozen for the vast majority of residential tenantsthroughout 2021.
Support for FamiliesWe provided $200 per child up to 12 years old, to coverextra costs during COVID-19.
COVID-19 Recovery RateTo help consumers struggling to pay their energy bills, thecost of electricity was temporarily fixed at the COVID-19Recovery Rate of 12.8 cents/kWh.
Virtual Action CentreOntario is providing virtual job training resources to unemployed workers in the hospitality sector, including access to a wide range of services.
Support for BusinessesCanada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance
A joint federal-provincial investment of over $900 millionis providing urgent rent relief to small businesses andtheir landlords across Ontario.
Pausing Commercial EvictionsThe Province temporarily paused evictions of commercialtenants, protecting them from being locked out, or havingtheir assets seized, during the COVID-19 crisis.
Energy Assistance ProgramThe Province has provided $340 million in relief for industrial and commercial energy consumers.
Digital Main Street ProgramTo help up to 22,900 small businesses reach more con-sumers online, the Province is providing grants of up to$2,500 per business.
Interest and Penalty Relief PeriodThe Province provided a six-month interest and penalty-free period for Ontario businesses to file their returns,and remit most provincial taxes.
For more information on these initiatives, please visitCOVID-19.ontario.ca
Construction in Mississauga-LakeshoreLocally, construction work on several strategicinfrastructure projects – worth several billiondollars – is either underway or scheduled tobegin within the next year.
This includes:• Two new, modern long-term care centres in
Sheridan Park, including 640 beds;
• The Hurontario Light Rail Transit (LRT) corridor, including improvements at the Port Credit GO station;
• Two new affordable housing developments in Lakeview, including 219 units;
• The QEW/Credit River improvement project,including the construction of a new “twin”bridge, and the rehabilitation of the existingheritage bridge; and,
• The QEW/Dixie Road interchange reconfigu-ration, including safety improvements.
To make travel easier across the GTA, theProvince is also proceeding with a new 400-series highway and transit corridor across Peel,York, and Halton regions. The proposed newGTA West corridor will complete an inte-grated regional transportation network, withconnections to Highways 400, 401, 407, 410,and 427.
Private sector construction activity in Missis-sauga-Lakeshore also remains strong, with twolandmark waterfront developments in progress,including the Lakeview Village and Brightwater.
Together, these new developments will revitalize our waterfront, adding exciting newmixed-use communities on the sites of the former coal power plant, and the former Texaco refinery.
Amendments to the Province’s Growth Plan forthe Greater Golden Horseshoe will help bringmore homes, jobs, and business investment tothe region, while also protecting the Greenbeltfor future generations.
Visiting theBrightwaterlakefront developmentsite with theMinister ofMunicipal Affairs andHousing.
Hearing how stakeholders are dealing with theimpacts of COVID-19 on various sectors of oureconomy at a virtual meeting of the StandingCommittee on Finance and Economic Affairs.
Delivering food to the Muslim Welfare Centrein Scarborough with the Minister for Seniorsand Accessibility.
Proud to join in the Drive-Thru Iftar at ISNACanada, together with the Premier and myMississauga MPP colleagues.
Preparing meals for our frontline health careheroes with the Attorney General of Ontario.
Joined the Associate Minister of Transportationto deliver bread to Haven on the Queensway.
I hope that you and your family are staying safe in these challenging
times. While the COVID-19 pandemic has beendifficult for all Ontarians, our frontline healthcare workers and first responders have displayed truly remarkable courage and resilience throughout this crisis.
Many local businesses answered the call forhelp, with donations of over a hundred thousandpounds of food, millions of dollars, and tens ofthousands of pieces of personal protective equipment.
Volunteers prepared over ten thousand mealsat the Oasis Convention Centre, and deliveredthem to seniors and people with disabilities,and to our frontline health care heroes in Mississauga, Toronto, Brampton, Oakville,Burlington, and Barrie.
Businesses across Ontario donated usedtablets through my site, RudyConnects.ca, to help seniors in our long-term care facilitiesstay socially connected with their loved onesthrough the worst months of the crisis.
This generosity and compassion reflects thetrue character and spirit of our community, and our province – the Ontario Spirit. I’m trulyhonoured to represent a community so richlyblessed with so many people dedicated to help-ing their neighbours when they needed it most.
There is still a long road to recovery ahead.Please Buy Local whenever you can, and support our small businesses. Try local restaurants that you haven’t visited before.
We know there will be more significant challengesto overcome. We all must continue to do ourpart, and stay apart: keep your physical distance from anyone outside your social circle,wear masks whenever that’s a challenge, andwash your hands regularly.
Above all, if you’re feeling unwell, or if you thinkyou may have been exposed to COVID-19,please get tested, stay home, and self-isolate.For the most recent public health information,please visit COVID-19.ontario.ca.
My staff and I are here to help; if you need anyother information, or if there’s ever anythingelse we can do to assist you, please do nothesitate to contact us.
Together, I know that we will win this battleagainst the most serious health and economiccrisis of our lifetimes, and emerge stronger, and more united, than ever.
Take care,
Rudy Cuzzetto, MPPMississauga-Lakeshore
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Contact InformationCommunity OfficeUnits 1 & 2, 120 Lakeshore Rd. W.Mississauga, ON L5H 1E8Phone: 905-274-8228Fax: 905-274-8552Email: [email protected]
Queen’s Park OfficeRm. 5340, 99 Wellesley St. W., Toronto, ON M7A 1W3Phone: 416-326-7239 Fax: 416-326-7233Email: [email protected]
E-NewslettersIf you would like to receive my e-newslet-ter, please visit Cuzzetto.com, or emailme at [email protected].
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Support for Local ServicesThe Province is providing up to $4 billion, in partnership withthe federal government, in emergency assistance to munici-pal governments struggling with the impact of COVID-19.
The first round of funding includes:
• $46 million for the City of Mississauga (including $31 million for transit)
• $28 million for the Region of Peel
to ensure critical services like transit and housing are therefor the people who need them most at this difficult time.
Funding for transit can be used for enhanced cleaningmeasures, and for personal protective equipment for frontline staff.
The Province has extended the expirydate on many products, including:• Health Cards• Driver’s Licences• Licence Plate Stickers• Ontario Photo Cards• Commercial Vehicle Operator Registration Certificates Until further notice, you do not need to renew these products, even if they have recently expired.
While some ServiceOntario locations are closed and othersare operating with reduced hours, I urge you not to visit ServiceOntario unless it is absolutely necessary.
Forty of the most commonly used ServiceOntario transactions are now available online, 24/7.
Read more: ServiceOntario.ca/Services
Honoured to join Fr. Walid El Khoury and the parishionersat Our Lady of Lebanon Parish in Toronto for a memorialservice for the victims of the devastating Beirut explosion.My colleagues and I joined our local Lebanese commu-nity in praying for everyone affected by this tragedy.
Joined the Ministerof Municipal Affairs and Housingand Peel RegionChair Nando Ianniccato announce a $24million investment tobuild two new afford-able housing devel-opments in Lakeview,with 219 units. TheIndwell location willinclude 68 units forOntarians with disabilities, and willalso become the new home of theCompass Food Bank.
Rudy CuzzettoMPP, Mississauga-Lakeshore
I delivered Adult Incontinence Briefs, Protection Plus Under-wear, and Bladder Padsto the Compass FoodBank in Port Credit,thanks to a generouscontribution by MedlineCanada.
I joined the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to help deliver pasta and vegetables to theteam at Pasta It For-ward, to be deliveredto the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island.
My team prepared and delivered thousandsof meals to our frontline health care he-roes at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto,thanks to the Oasis Convention Centre, Sai Dham Food Bank, and our volunteers(including the ultimate hockey dad, Karl Subban).
Like many local businesses, Gate Street International has shiftedtheir focus to personal protective equipment for our frontlineworkers. I joined President Richard Clarke to help deliver hun-dreds of masks, gowns, face shields, and other vital protectiveequipment to the staff at the Camilla Care Community.
Honoured to help my friends at the Canada India Founda-tion deliver Tamarind Modern Indian Bistro meals to thefrontline heroes at Brampton Civic Hospital’s EmergencyDepartment. It was great to see Apoorva Srivastava, Consul General of India in Toronto, and my Port Credit SSclassmate Ken Mayhew, who is now CEO of the WilliamOsler Health System Foundation.
Proud to help my friends atthe Lakeshore ConventionCentre prepare and deliver250 meals to our frontlinehealth care heroes at TrilliumHealth Partners’ QueenswayHealth Centre in Etobicoke.
I joined the Minister of Transportationto help the Canada India Foundationdeliver over 1,400 meals to our frontlinehealthcare heroes at the MississaugaHospital, and Credit Valley Hospital.
Supporting our frontline health careheroes with my friends, St. TimothySeparate School Principal Maria Ma-succi, Dufferin-Peel Catholic DistrictSchool Board trustee Bruno Iannicca,and Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko.
Joined the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health at theMississauga Hospital to help announce that the Provinceis investing $175 million this year in critical upgrades, repairs, and maintenance in 129 hospitals across Ontario,including $3.4 million for Trillium Health Partners, to:• replace HVAC systems to improve indoor air quality• install newer and more reliable nurse call systems• repair roofs and elevators to maintain the facilities
Dropped by a Mobile COVID-19 Assessment Centreat the Meadowvale Community Centre to thankour frontline health care professionals, and givethem a few Tim Hortons gift cards.
Delivered face shieldsto Director of CareSusan Ash and herteam at the SheridanVilla Long-Term CareCentre, thanks to myfriend James Nguyenand our local Vietnamese community.Ru
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020 Ontario’s Health
Response toCOVID-19The Province has invested over $7.7 billion fornew measures to strengthen our health caresystem in response to COVID-19, including over$685 million for critical personal protectiveequipment to support our frontline staff.
We have acquired over 173 million gloves, 123million masks, 21 million gowns, 4 million faceshields, and 10,000 ventilators.
Ontario’s $2.8 billion fall preparedness plan in-cludes six key objectives to ensure our healthcare system is ready for the challenges of thesecond wave of COVID-19, and the annual flu season:
Expanding Testing Capacity and ContactTracing & Isolation
An investment of $1.4 billion to add more test-ing locations, offer more convenient and lessinvasive testing options, and increase capacity,including testing in pharmacies.
Preparing the Health System for FutureWaves of COVID-19
The Province is investing $458 million to en-sure that we are prepared for any future wavesor surges in COVID-19, including enhancedhome and community care (an additional484,000 nursing visits and 1.4 million morePSW hours), expanded digital and virtual healthservices, and improved access to mental healthand addictions services.
Clearing the Backlog in Priority Surgeriesand Diagnostic Tests
Investing $284 million to provide additional pri-ority surgeries, including cancer, cardiac,cataract, and orthopedic procedures; and to ex-tend diagnostic imaging hours to increase ac-cess to MRIs and CT scans. In total, this willadd 1,349 additional hospital beds, and 139critical care beds.
The Largest Flu Immunization Campaignin Ontario’s History
The Province is investing $70 million to pur-chase 5.1 million flu vaccine doses (700,000more than last year), including 1.3 million high-dose vaccines for seniors, especially thosewith pre-existing health conditions (available atpharmacies for the first time ever).
Recruiting or Retaining 3,700 FrontlineHealth Care Workers
An investment of $53 million to recruit 3,700health care workers – including 2,000 PSWsand 800 nurses – will ensure our health caresystem can meet any surge in demand, whilecontinuing to provide safe and high-quality care.
Rapid Identification and Containment ofCOVID-19 Outbreaks
Investing $30 million in outbreak preventionand containment measures in several key sectors, including health care, long-term care,education, child care, and agriculture.
COVID-19 TestingOntario has completed over four million COVID-19 tests since the beginning of the pandemic –more tests than all other provinces combined.
The Province is now building on the largestprovincial testing initiative in Canada with an in-vestment of over $1 billion to provide:
More Testing Locations
Working with Ontario Health, local public healthunits and hospitals, Ontario is expanding test-ing to pharmacies, primary care offices, and at-home for certain patients.
More Testing Options
Ontario is expanding to more convenient andless invasive collection methods, such asthroat, nasal swabbing, and saliva collection, inaddition to nasopharyngeal swabs, to test forCOVID-19.
More Testing Capacity
The Province has built a provincial laboratorynetwork with testing capacity for more than40,000 daily tests, leading Canada in percapita testing. The hiring of additional lab staffand digitization of the process should increasecapacity to 68,000 daily tests by mid-Novem-ber.
More Case and Contact Managers
Ontario is continuing to add case and contactmanagement staff to prevent the spread ofCOVID-19. There are currently more than 3,750case and contact management staff workingacross all public health units to keep us safe,up from 1,500 in the spring.
The Province has established over 150 COVID-19 assessment centres, including:
Mississauga Hospital, Clinical AdministrativeBuilding, 15 Bronte College Court
Credit Valley Hospital Drive-Thru, Main ParkingGarage, 2200 Erin Mills Parkway
Local pharmacies are offering free testing toindividuals with no symptoms of COVID-19:
Shoppers Drug Mart, 579 Lakeshore RoadEast, (905) 278-5506
Shoppers Drug Mart, 2470 Hurontario Street,(905) 896-2500
All testing is now by appointment only. Contactthe assessment centre or pharmacy to book aCOVID-19 test. Visit ontario.ca/covidtest ortrilliumhealthpartners.ca/assessment formore information.
Looking After Your Wellbeing
ReopeningSchoolsSafelyThis school year will be unlike any before, but by working together, we can help ensure ourstudents can continue to learn during these extraordinary times.
The Province is investing more in educationthan any government in Ontario’s history, at$12,525 per student (an increase of $250 over2019-20), and $25.5 billion in total (an increaseof $736 million).
Ontario’s $1.3 billion school reopening plan isthe most cautious, safe, and comprehensive inCanada. The Peel District School Board received$65 million, and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board received $33 million, toensure that schools are safe for students,teachers, and staff.
The plan includes:
New Staff$100 million for additional teachers to reduceclass sizes, $79 million to hire 1,300 additionaldedicated custodians, and $63 million to hire625 public health nurses, to facilitate screen-ing, testing, and contact tracing.
Protective Equipment$90 million for more than 37 million pieces ofprotective equipment for both students andstaff, including 20 million masks, 16 milliongloves, 317,000 face shields, 320,000 bottlesof hand sanitizer, and 218,000 containers ofdisinfectant, among other critical supplies.
New Technology$15 million in approximately 30,000 technolog-ical devices for students, to facilitate onlinelearning from home. Families may choose fullyremote virtual learning, which is teacher-led,timetabled, live, synchronous, and on a regulardaily schedule.
STEM EducationOur plan includes targeted funding for STEM education, with a modern math curriculum, anew focus on financial and computer literacy,and coding beginning as early as Grade 1. Theworld is changing, and this will help ensure our students are prepared.
Inclusive EducationThe Province is also taking bold action to address systemic discrimination and anti-Blackand anti-Indigenous racism in our schools.
The Minister of Education is eliminating long-standing discriminatory practices, like stream-ing in Grade 9, which disproportionately impactBlack and Indigenous youth.
We have appointed a new Supervisor,Bruce Rodrigues, at the Peel DistrictSchool Board, to help ensure thatour classrooms are welcoming,inclusive, and respectful for allstudents and staff.
Youth CouncilI am starting a non-partisan Youth Advisory Council thatwill allow young people in our community to have a voiceon provincial issues.
The Mississauga-Lakeshore Youth Advisory Council willgive youth between the ages of 14 and 25 the opportu-nity to have direct and open dialogue with me, and tomeet (virtually) with other young leaders in Mississauga-Lakeshore, and contribute ideas and suggestions with regard to the policies being considered at Queen's Park,as well as other issues in the community that are mostimportant to them.
This is a non-partisan opportunity, and all youth are encouraged to apply. I look forward to meeting with our future leaders and community advocates!
Learn more at Cuzzetto.com/Youth
Speaking to local multi-cultural media aboutour school reopeningplan with the Minister of Education.
We could not celebrate together due to COVID-19, but local 10-year-old singerRoberta Battaglia, winner ofthe Golden Buzzer on Amer-ica's Got Talent, deservedspecial recognition. I co-hosted a Drive-By Paradein Port Credit to honourher, together with theMississauga Italian Cana-dian Benevolent Associa-tion. The AssociateMinister of Mental Healthand Addictions andMayor Bonnie Crombie attended, and the PeelRegional Police led the parade.
Thrilled to meet Lorne Park SSstudent Arya Peruma, founderof the Coding for Young MindsCommunity Organization, andthank her for her efforts tomake STEM education more accessible for all students, including free webinars and tutorials in computer coding.
Delivered a generous donation ofeducational STEM kits for thechildren at Interim Place, thanksto Arya Peruma and the Codingfor Young Minds CommunityOrganization.
I hosted a virtual round table onplanning for a return to school inthe fall with local parents andteachers, and the ParliamentaryAssistant to the Minister of Education.
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COVID-19 and self-isolationcan be stressful, and can im-pact our mental health andwellbeing. However, there aresupport services available ifyou (or someone you know)needs help. To improve access, the Province has in-vested $12 million to expandonline and virtual mentalhealth supports.
ConnexOntario provides freeand confidential health serv-ices information for peopleexperiencing problems withmental health and addiction.
connexontario.ca1-866-531-2600
BounceBack is a free, guidedself-help program for peopleaged 15 and over who are ex-periencing mild-to-moderateanxiety or depression.
bouncebackontario.ca1-866-345-0224
The Community and SocialServices Helpline is a freeservice that can connect you to community and socialservices 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in over 150 languages.
211ontario.ca2-1-1
Kids Help Phone is a free,confidential, and 24/7 servicefor children and youth whoneed to talk to someoneabout challenges they’re facing.
kidshelpphone.ca1-800-668-6868
Good2Talk is a phone andtexting service that providesconfidential support servicesto post-secondary studentsin Ontario.
good2talk.ca1-866-925-5454
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Ontario SpiritThis year has been unlike any other, as theCOVID-19 pandemic touched everyone in theprovince, creating personal and financial hard-ships and resulting in losses far greater thananyone could have imagined.
However, the people of Mississauga-Lakeshorehave come together in the face of adversity,and worked together to defeat the threats wefaced. We have had each other's backs, andstepped up in thousands of ways to combatthis threat, support our frontline health careworkers, protect our most vulnerable, and doour part to stay home and stop the spread ofCOVID-19.
Hundreds of Ontario businesses retooled theiroperations, turning Ontario's manufacturingmight to make the critical personal protectiveequipment and medical supplies we need tofight this deadly virus.
Frontline workers have worked tirelessly to protect us and our families, keep food on ourtables, and get us through tough times. Theircompassion, generosity, grit, and determinationin the face of a global pandemic should makeus all proud to be Canadian.
In the months ahead, the Ontario spirit will continue to inspire us as we protect each otherthrough the second wave of COVID-19, and aswe rebuild, and ensure that our province comesback stronger, and more prosperous than ever before.
Thrilled to join the Premier and MPPEffie Triantafilopoulos in recognizing theincredible Ontario Spirit of Zohaib Malhiand his team at AMYA Canada and Humanity First Canada throughout theworst months of the COVID-19 crisis.
Thanked frontline BellCanada techniciansJason and Mohammedfor working throughCOVID19 to keep us allconnected — and for theBell Let's Talk initiative,which contributed $1million to the CanadianMental Health Associa-tion, to expand theBounceBack program nationwide.
Thanked Ewan and the Bert’sSports team for raising $2,200for the Compass Food Bank.
Presented a card to the Premier, in appreciation for his leadership throughsome of the most difficult months in Ontario’s history, signed by the peopleof Mississauga-Lakeshore who have doneso much to help us all get through theCOVID-19 crisis.
Thanked my friends at ISNA Canadafor their innovative Drive-Thru Iftars,Food Banks, and Eid Al-Adha events,which have helped to keep the com-munity connected at this difficult time.
Thanked Jonah Dupont for his efforts to spreadjoy around the community at a difficult time,and for selling wristbands to raise funds for thefrontline heroes at Trillium Health Partners.
Thanked RE/MAX Canada brokerMaggie Stoch for assisting with ourfood deliveries to seniors, and forher contributions to the CompassFood Bank.
The Girimonte family and their team atMeaty Meats made many generous contri-butions to the Haven on the Queensway,Sai Dham Food Bank, the Camilla CareCommunity, and many more.
Joined Mexican Ambassador PorfirioThierry Muñoz Ledo in recognizing thecourage of our frontline health careheroes at a celebration of Mexico’sIndependence Day at Queen’s Park.Gave out 200 Tim Hortons gift cards to frontline members
of the Peel Regional Police, Peel Regional Paramedics,and Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services as a smalltoken of appreciation for everything they do to keep ussafe, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
Joined my friend Danesh Irani atthe Oasis Convention Centre forthe Malayali Muslim Association ofCanada’s 1st Drive-In Eid Al-Adha.
Thanked Nisreen Askar (of NisreenArt Studio) for her donations of custom hand-painted, double-layeredsoft fabric masks to help stop thespread of COVID-19.
Danesh Irani and his Oasis Convention Cen-tre team prepared tens of thousands ofmeals for our health care heroes, and for themost vulnerable in our community. Proud tothank them for their incredible Ontario Spirit.
Joined Abdul Hameed, Pakistan’s ConsulGeneral in Toronto, and my friend SenatorSalma Ataullahjan, in recognizing thecourage of our frontline health care heroesat a friendly match between the MississaugaDolphins and the Toronto Police Cricket Club.
Proud to deliver physically distantthanks to my friend Anthony Petrucci,on the 35th anniversary of Palma Pasta.
The team at Park Royal Fish & Chips inClarkson donated over 1,000 meals to theCompass Food Bank.
Thrilled to congratulate Don Bean and the4th Clarkson Scout Canada Group for theirrecent virtual fundraiser, which raised over$6,000 for the Compass Food Bank.
Thanked Vince Angheloni and his team atSolstice Restaurant and Wine Bar in Clark-son for their “Buy One Give One” LasagnaNights, which provided hundreds of mealseach night to the Compass Food Bank.
Hameed Mohammed, CEO of VIG Computers inCambridge, donated tablets through RudyCon-nects.ca to help keep our seniors socially connected, especially in long-term care homes.
Thanked Pastor Matthew Douglasand the volunteers at the West EdgeCommunity Church in Port Credit forserving meals to some of the mostvulnerable in our community.
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Supporting our SeniorsOntario has provided $75 million in urgent sup-port for 194,000 low-income seniors by dou-bling GAINS payments for six months, to $166per month ($332 per month for couples).
The Province invested $11 million to help funddeliveries of meals, medicine, and other neces-sities to seniors and people with disabilities;and we renewed our partnership with SparkOn-tario to match seniors with volunteers who candeliver food or medicine.
Seniors Active Living Centres like the Missis-sauga Seniors Centre and the Clarkson Com-munity Centre received over $52,000 each tohelp offer programs like weekly Coffee Talks re-motely, to help reduce social isolation.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation has also pro-vided a grant of $447,800 to MonstrARTity, forart-based workshops and other programs forseniors living with dementia in Peel.
The Seniors Safety Line provides free, 24/7support for seniors experiencing abuse, inover 150 languages.
eapon.ca1-866-299-1011
Celebrating the end of the COVID-19 outbreak withthe frontline staff at the Villa Forum Long Term CareResidence.
Delivered eight used tablets from VIG Computers in Cambridge to theCamilla Care Community, to help our long-term care residents stay sociallyconnected with their families. Thanks to CEO Hameed Mohammed (and allwho participated) for their donations through RudyConnects.ca.
Protecting Long-TermCare ResidentsThe Province is taking historic steps, both toexpand the capacity of our long-term care system, and to modernize Ontario’s existinglong-term care homes, and protect residents,caregivers, and staff from future waves ofCOVID-19.
Ontario’s COVID-19 fall preparedness plan in-cludes $540 million for repairs and renovationsto improve infection prevention, control, andcontainment in our long-term care homes. Thismay include upgrades to allow physical distanc-ing, water supply cleaning, HVAC upgrades, andfurniture replacements to allow for more thorough cleaning.
An independent commission is now investigatingthe spread of COVID-19 in our long-term carehomes during the first wave, to provide guidance on how to better protect long-termcare residents and staff.
Accessibility and COVID-19The Province of Ontario has a long, proud his-tory as a leader in accessibility, working to sup-port people with disabilities so they can fullyparticipate in everyday life. Now, the COVID-19crisis has created many new challenges forpeople with disabilities.
To take just one example, hearing loss is thefastest growing chronic condition today, withover a million Canadians affected. But thosewho are deaf or hard of hearing cannot lipreadthrough most face masks.
This adversity has also revealed extraordinaryresilience, ingenuity, and generosity. Max Cucchiella and Sarah Veinot of the Como Foun-dation – here in Mississauga-Lakeshore – designed an innovative solution: “Access Masks”with clear vinyl inserts, to allow lipreading.
When their local construction firm shut down,they transitioned to the production of this new,accessible protective equipment, both to protect our frontline workers, and to make life easier for people who are deaf or hard ofhearing, and rely on lip-reading.
McRae Imaging, another local medium-sizedbusiness hurt by lost revenue as a result ofCOVID-19, is now producing these masks at a commercial volume in Mississauga.
The Como Foundation is donating them to thefacilities that need them most across Ontario– and around the world. It's been my honour tohelp with a few of their deliveries.
Helping Max Cucchiellafrom the Como Founda-tion deliver accessiblemasks to Silent VoiceCanada.
Joined MPP LorneCoe to help theComo Foundationdeliver accessiblemasks to the Abilities Centre inWhitby.
Always great to join the Mississauga Seniors Centre’sweekly Coffee Talks with local seniors. Virtual meetingsare a great way to stay socially connected.
Helping to deliver personal protective equipment to thefrontline heroes at the Wawel Villa Seniors Residence.
The Como Foundation’s Access Masks include a clear window,to allow lipreading for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
My friend MPP Aris Babikian dropped off face shields forthe frontline staff at the Camilla Care Community. In turn,my team prepared and delivered meals for the frontlinehealth care workers at the Scarborough Health Network’sBirchmount Hospital in his community.
My team and I delivered over 300 kits, including disinfect-ing wipes, spray, and medical grade masks, for the resi-dents and staff at the Camilla Care Community, thanks toa very generous contribution from Lysol Canada.
The Premier and I joined Trillium Health Partners President Michelle DiEmanuele tothank the Como Foundation for their historic $5 million contribution to the THPFoundation, which will help get us a meaningful step closer to a new, modern hospitalfor Mississauga.
Joined the Premierand my Missis-sauga MPP col-leagues to helpcut the ribbon atthe grand openingof the Como Foundation’s new90,000 squarefoot facility in Mississauga.
Joined Ward 1 CouncillorStephen Dasko, MayorBonnie Crombie, and MPSven Spengemann at theproject launch for a newaffordable housing devel-opment in Lakeview, including 68 units for On-tarians with disabilities.
At a productive Zoomdiscussion with myfriends at the InterfaithCouncil of Peel, abouthow we can work together, and help each other through the COVID-19 crisis.
The Minister for Seniorsand Accessibility and Ico-hosted a virtual partyfor seniors, with JUNOnominee singer-songwriterCarlo Coppola, whohelped bring some joy toseniors who weren’t ableto leave their homes.
I was honoured tojoin Nathan Whalenand the RainbowSauga Alliance atMississauga Celebra-tion Square to kickoff MississaugaPride 2020, andraise the Rainbowflag.
Though it was virtual and drive-in at ISNACanada this year, I’m always honoured tojoin my friends at MuslimFest.
My MPP colleaguesand I appreciated theopportunity to learnmore about HealthyAirport initiatives likedisinfectant fogging,and other efforts tokeep passengers andstaff safe at TorontoPearson InternationalAirport.
Joined the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourismand Culture Industries inPort Credit Memorial Parkto congratulate Patti Jannetta, our newest inductee to the MississaugaMusic Walk of Fame, during this year’s virtualSouthside Shuffle.
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Support for ourMost VulnerableRecognizing that charities, food banks, shel-ters, and non-profits have been on the front-lines of our response to the COVID-19 crisis,the Province has provided a $510 million SocialServices Relief Fund, including almost $6 mil-lion for the Region of Peel, to support these im-portant efforts.
Other important local investments include:
• $104,400 for Victim Services of Peel, to support victims of domestic violence andother violent crimes.
• $73,300 for Armagh House in Clarkson, forart-based activities for children who have survived abuse.
• Approximately $72,000 to various agenciesand non-profits across the Region of Peelthrough the Gender Based Violence ReliefFund.
• $60,393 for the Sai Dham Food Bank’s fooddelivery service for seniors and Ontarianswith disabilities in the Region of Peel.
The Assaulted Women’s Helpline provides24/7 free crisis counselling, emotional support, information and referrals to women in up to 154 languages.
awhl.org1-866-863-0511
Proud to join my friend JakePedler, Chair of the Port CreditBIA, and local business owners, to present a donation of $20,000to the Compass Food Bank.
Congratulating ArmaghHouse Executive Director Lynn Ward ona $73,300 grant fromthe Ontario TrilliumFoundation, to supportafter-school activitiesfor children.
My friends Laura and Pina at Sobeys Canada con-tributed five skids of food and supplies to the Missis-sauga Food Bank (along with $5,000 in gift cards),and another two skids to the Compass Food Bank.
Proud to support theBert’s Sports team’s“Food for Thought” T-shirt campaign,which raised $2,200in support of the Compass Food Bankin Port Credit.
Delivered 100 faceshields to theCooksville Care Centrewith my friend ZohaibMalhi and his teamfrom the AhmadiyyaMuslim Youth Associa-tion of Canada andHumanity FirstCanada.
Honoured to help the Attorney General prepareand deliver meals to thefrontline health care he-roes at the Royal VictoriaRegional Health Centrein Barrie, thanks to ourfriends at Tikka Fusionand the Global SuperMarket.
Delivered masks, faceshields, gowns, goggles,soap, hand sanitizer anddisinfectant to SchlegelVillages’ Erin Mills Lodgethanks to Gate Street International Ltd., whichused its existing supplychains to import personalprotective equipment forour frontline heroes.
Helping my friends at ISNA Canada prepareCOVID-19 relief packages of food and supplies todistribute to some of our most vulnerable familiesin Mississauga-Lakeshore, and across the GTA.
Chef Antonio and his teamat Il Porcellino ItalianRestaurant raised $1,800for the Mississauga FoodBank at their Parking LotPizza Parties.
Helped MPP Andrea Khanjin deliver a significant contributionto the Innisfil Food Bank and theseniors at IOOF Seniors HomesInc., thanks to my friends atAMYA Canada, Humanity FirstCanada, and the Sai Dham FoodBank. In turn, Horodynsky Farmsprovided onions, and BurnbraeFarms provided fresh eggs, forour most vulnerable throughoutthe Region of Peel.
Thrilled to help the ComoFoundation drop off a gener-ous donation of Access Masksto the Learning Disabilities Association of Peel Region, tohelp Executive Director MariaReolin ensure her programsfor children and adults withlearning disabilities can remainaccessible to all Ontarians.
Inspired by the Chocolate forHealthcare Heroes campaign,my team delivered chocolatebars to frontline staff at theWawel Villa Seniors Resi-dence, the Mississauga Long-Term Care Facility, ChartwellWenleigh, and Chartwell Regency, thanks to VishalKhanna and the Sai DhamFood Bank team.
Joined my friend DaneshIrani and his team atthe Oasis ConventionCentre to help preparemeals for our frontlinehealth care heroes atMount Sinai Hospital inToronto.
My friend Vince, Presi-dent of Molinaro FineItalian Foods, con-tributed over 1,500pizzas to help theCompass Food Bankand Sai Dham FoodBank support our mostvulnerable.
Delivered fresh bread for the seniors at theWawel Villa Seniors Residence and Turtle CreekManor, thanks to Zohaib Malhi and his team atAMYA Canada and Humanity First Canada.
Joined the Associate Minister of Children and Women Issues andthe Solicitor General at the Peel Children’s Aid Society to thankthem for their work throughout the pandemic, and to announceenhancements to their Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence program, to remove barriers for children in care.
Joined the Associate Minister of Mental Healthand Addictions to deliver organic broccoli, shred-ded cabbage, and cucumbers to our friends atPasta it Forward, to be delivered to the Wiik-wemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island.
Helped my friend MPPChristine Hogarth deliver agenerous donation of 100Access Masks from theComo Foundation to thenew Haven Learning Cen-tre in Etobicoke, to helpwith their reopening.
My friend MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos and Iwere thrilled to help AMYACanada and Humanity FirstCanada deliver fresh breadto the Salvation Army inBurlington, to be distrib-uted to those who need itmost across the GTA.
Joined Max and Sarah fromthe Como Foundation tohelp drop off a donation ofAccess Masks for Servicesand Housing In the Province(SHIP), which providesmental health, housing,and other support servicesto those who need them most.
Thanked Quang Nguyen,President of Toronto Micro-Electronics, for a very gen-erous donation of faceshields for our frontlinehealth care heroes – andfor offering his designs forfree to anyone else whowants to produce them. Hewas inspired to help by hisdaughter, who is a doctor.
Delivered fresh bread forthe survivors of gender-based violence at ArmaghHouse, thanks to ZohaibMalhi and his team atAMYA Canada and Humanity First Canada.
Proud to deliver backpacks,masks, personal hygienicsupplies, and flowers to thefamilies at Armagh House,thanks to generous donationsfrom the Muslim Welfare Centre of Toronto, andmy friend Stephanie at Mexican Flower Trading, onbehalf of BloomsToGo.ca.
Delivered over 10,000 disinfecting wipes to myfriends at the Compass Food Bank in Port Credit,thanks to a very generous donation from LysolCanada. This will help protect our most vulnerableresidents during the second wave of COVID-19.
Picking up vegetablesfrom the Ontario FoodTerminal in Etobicokefor our local foodbanks in Mississauga-Lakeshore, and acrossthe Region of Peel.
Joined MPP SherefSabawy at the Centre for Education and Trainingto help pack meals frommy friend, Chef JaggerGordon, for distributionto families who needthem most across the region of Peel.
Proud to help deliver contributions from COBSBread at Applewood Plazato our local food banks,including the Sai DhamFood Bank, thanks to myfriend Tony Iantorno.
My team and I delivered over 77,000pounds – or 35 metric tons – ofchicken to Feed Ontario and the Sai Dham Food Bank (worth over$300,000), thanks to a very generouscontribution from David Forgan andSure Good Foods in Mississauga-Lakeshore.
Our Team Rudy volun-teers helped to prepareand deliver hundreds ofmeals to seniors andthe disabled acrossMississauga-Lakeshore.
A virtual meeting with Re-gion of Peel Medical Officerof Health Dr. Lawrence Lohand interim Chief Adminis-trative Officer NancyPolsinelli on our responseto the COVID-19 crisis inMississauga.
Discussing avariety of localcommunity con-cerns with PeelRegional PoliceChief Nish Du-raiappah andDeputy Chiefs Marc Andrewsand NicholasMilinovich.
Thanking our Peel Paramedics for their hardwork, dedication, and professionalism during theCOVID-19 crisis, during Paramedic Services Week.
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