Oakville North-Burlington Newsletter February 16, 2024

Today marks the end of Non-Profit Sector Appreciation Week. In the past days, I was fortunate enough to visit various non-profit organizations in our community. I was deeply moved by the dedication and passion of their teams. It’s been an honour to express our government’s gratitude to these unsung heroes, representing over one million Ontarians committed to making a difference. This week, and always, we celebrate their tireless work and unwavering dedication to our communities.” – MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos

I had a great visit with Habitat For Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin! As part of Non-Profit Appreciation Week, I had the honour of recognizing their dedicated staff and volunteers who are the driving force behind their impactful mission.
Habitat for Humanity empowers working lower-income families to build strength, stability, and independence through affordable housing solutions. Their commitment to providing opportunities for financial equity and lasting change is truly commendable.
We also discussed their successful Tiny Home Youth Build Program, which allows students to gain practical skills while contributing to emergency shelter solutions. Once completed, these homes are received by First Nations in Ontario. I was so pleased to recently to see first-hand a tiny home built by students at Notre Dame Catholic School in our community.
Thank you to all the incredible individuals who make Habitat for Humanity’s mission possible. Your hard work and dedication are changing lives and communities for the better. Together, we’re building a brighter future for all.

I had the privilege of visiting the Oakville Community Foundation to express my heartfelt gratitude for their selfless dedication to our community. Not-for-profits are truly the lifeblood that holds our communities together, and the Foundation exemplifies this in every way.
As a local charitable solutions provider, the Oakville Community Foundation delivers the tools necessary to turn charitable passions into impactful actions. They serve as a philanthropic medium, strategically investing donations to generate new resources for our community’s vital initiatives.
It was an honour to recognize OCF Board Chair Mike Miller and CEO Wendy Rinella for their leadership and commitment to our community. Your efforts make our world a better place for everyone.

I had the honour of visiting Shifra Homes to present certificates of appreciation to the staff and volunteers, thanking them for the remarkable work they engage in. Functioning as both a maternity residence and shelter for at-risk young women, Shifra Homes plays a crucial role in safeguarding and assisting them as they navigate uncertain parenthood, escaping violence or rebuilding their lives. The compassion and commitment displayed by CEO Nancy and her dedicated team is truly inspiring.

Celebrating Lunar New Year with St. Luke’s Palmero
I was honoured to celebrate Lunar New Year with Reverend Wu and the congregation at St. Luke’s Palermo. Welcoming the Year of the Dragon was truly special, filled with laughter, blessings, and strong community bonds. Here’s to a year of health and prosperity.

Community Connections with Minister Neil Lumsden

This week, we held the inaugural ‘Community Connections’ gathering in Oakville North-Burlington, featuring the Honourable Neil Lumsden as our distinguished guest speaker.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all friends and neighbours who participated in engaging conversations about our collective efforts to foster stronger communities, striving together for a safer and more promising future for all Ontarians

Ontario Protecting People from the High Costs of a Provincial Carbon Tax

The Ontario government is keeping costs down for people by introducing legislation that, if passed, would give Ontario voters a direct say over a new provincial carbon tax, cap-and-trade system or other carbon pricing program. This proposed legislation would protect people and businesses from the high cost of a provincial carbon tax by requiring the government to first obtain the consent of Ontario voters through a referendum before implementing a new provincial carbon pricing program.
This measure is part of upcoming legislation that will kick off the spring sitting of the legislature on February 20, 2024. The Get It Done Act will include a host of measures that, if passed, would build on the government’s commitments to date to streamline approvals for major infrastructure projects and housing, keep costs down for people and businesses and support economic growth for long-term prosperity.
Learn more: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004187/ontario-protecting-people-from-the-high-costs-of-a-provincial-carbon-tax

Ontario Banning Road Tolls, Freezing Driver’s Licence Fees to Keep Costs Down

The Ontario government is keeping costs down for drivers by introducing legislation that would, if passed, ban tolls on provincial highways. This ban would apply to the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway once uploaded to the province, as well as the province’s 400-series highways.
To further keep costs down for people, the province is also proposing to make the current freeze on driver’s licence and Ontario Photo Card fees permanent through legislation, saving drivers an estimated $66 million over the next five years. By legislating the current freeze, which was originally put in place through regulation and which has saved applicants $22 million since 2019, the government is ensuring that any future increases can only be made through legislation.
The province is also proposing to save drivers time by automating the licence plate renewal process starting this summer, saving vehicle owners more than 900,000 hours each year. This follows recent action by the government to eliminate the cost of renewing your vehicle permit. Until the automatic renewal process begins, drivers are still required to renew their licence plates at no cost, which can be done online or in person at ServiceOntario. The automatic renewal process will only be available to drivers in good standing who do not have outstanding fines or tickets.
Learn More: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004192/ontario-banning-road-tolls-freezing-drivers-licence-fees-to-keep-costs-down

Ontario Reaches Tentative Agreement with AEFO

Ontario Empowering More Black Youth and Young Professionals

The Ontario government is investing an additional $16.5 million in the Black Youth Action Plan (BYAP) to continue supporting more than 20 community-based and culturally focused organizations with a proven track record of empowering Black children and families. The funding, through the BYAP’s Economic Empowerment stream, will help Black youth and young professionals develop skills to help launch their careers in high-demand sectors such as the skilled trades, information technology, automotive, health, film and the arts.
Building on the more than 5,000 Black youth and young professionals helped through the Economic Empowerment stream since 2020, this investment will enhance support for community and black-led organizations across Ontario that are delivering impactful programs empowering the next generation of Black leaders.
Ontario continues to work towards eliminating systemic, race-based disparities through the BYAP. This investment will provide community organizations and Black-led businesses with the resources needed to continue providing services to children, youth, and families throughout variouscradle to careerlife stages, and will increase social and economic opportunities for Black children, youth and families across the province.
Learn More: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004180/ontario-empowering-more-black-youth-and-young-professionals

Ontario Fighting Back Against Rise in Hate Crime

The Ontario government is investing more than $1.7 million to help stop hate-motivated crimes across the province. The funding will be delivered over two years through the Safer and Vital Communities (SVC) Grant program as part of the province’s plan to promote safe and inclusive communities.
The SVC Grant is open to community-based, not-for-profit organizations and First Nation Band Councils. The theme of this year’s grant is Preventing Hate-Motivated Crime Through Community Collaboration with a focus on cultural, ethnic and faith-based hate in communities that have experienced an increase in hate-motivated crime. Applicants are required to partner with their local police service and are encouraged to partner with at least one other organization from a different sector to ensure a broad range of community engagement.
Successful applicants for the SVC Grant will receive up to $85,000 for each of the two years to combat hate crime. Applications for the SVC Grant will be available in late January through Transfer Payment Ontario.
The deadline for applications is February 26, 2024.

Free Family Fishing weekend is around the corner!

From February 17 – 19, Canadians in Ontario can fish for free during Free Family Day Fishing weekend.
Gather your family or friends, and cast your line. 🎣
Make sure you check ice conditions before heading out.
Learn more: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004191/fish-for-free-this-family-day-weekend-in-ontario

Driving Innovation in Food Production

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $25 million, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), to expand production capacity and boost energy efficiency in the agriculture and food sector.
Through the Agri-Tech Innovation Initiative, funding will be provided to eligible farm and food processing businesses to help them invest in innovative technology, equipment or processes that will expand production capacity or enhance efficiency.
Projects will be supported under the Initiative by allocating funds for businesses to obtain innovative equipment and technology to increase productivity and efficiency. Among a variety of targeted outcomes for this funding will be projects that also enhance cyber security in the agriculture and food sector.
Innovative technology and equipment projects, up to $100,000, will be eligible for up to a 50 per cent cost-share. Larger projects will be eligible for a 35 per cent cost-share, up to $100,000 in funding.
Applications for the Initiative will be accepted starting on February 15, 2024.
Learn More: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003847/governments-driving-innovation-in-food-production

Oakville North-Burlington Spirit Awards

It’s truly an honour to shine a light on the dedicated volunteers who have contributed to making our community better. Thank you for your community spirit. If you would like to nominate a member of our community who has gone above and beyond to contribute to our community, please contact my office and let me know at Effie.triantafilopoulos@pc.ola.org