Thank you for reaching out and asking these very important and critical questions. There are so many needs right now in our community and I hear the cries for help.

Aislinn has done a superb job of articulating the policies of the Green Party of Ontario already, so I only want to make a personal statement to augment the Green Party of Ontario approach.

The reason I joined the Green Party of Ontario is because the Greens are focused on long term goals and strategies. The building up then tearing down that we see from election cycles and political parties trying to undo each other has been seriously detrimental to our lives as Ontarians. Greens ask, “Where do we want to be in 20, 30, 50 years? And how best can we get there?”

Greens want to see all community services supported in a way that is sustainable long term. Yesterday, Mike Schreiner, the Leader of the GPO, joined me here in Cambridge where we visited the new women’s shelter the YWCA is building in Grace Church then we spent time with the staff at Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services. We saw up close all the good work happening, but how poorly funded and poorly supported so many of these vital services are. The staff at Porchlight kept using the word “patchwork” when talking about their funding. 

Healthcare the same. We need it to be properly supported with a long-term vision across the whole system, not just slogans tossed out to get votes. I have many conversations with doctors and nurses and staff at all levels and everyone in the system is begging to see things run more efficiently and more in service of the community. As a Trustee and retired educator, I say the same for our education system.

On a personal note, our family has been heavily involved with Habitat for Humanity for several years. We see close up the overwhelming need for housing and also all the possibilities that exist, if only the elected officials had the will or the heart. 

I am running to change the way we do politics.

Power with the People, Not the Top Few: Ontario Greens believe democracy begins within the party. No top-down, chain of command. The Leader follows the people, not the other way around.

Protecting the People: I am a strong advocate for all. I care deeply about issues facing our most vulnerable members of our community; including housing, healthcare, education, 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, everyone. We all deserve to live in a city and province where we belong.

The climate crisis is not on you! My gas-powered SUV is not to blame for climate change. Neither is your vehicle. We need legislative action to clean up the messes of large corporate offenders and embrace the hope of the new climate economy.

The Greens see a future where people can simply live better. Where systems can run smoother and be supported in a more solid way. No one seems to argue about roads. We need good, maintained roads to travel and protect our vehicles. So, we need the exact same energy and attention paid to housing, healthcare, education, public transit and all our community services. We need them all running well and maintained to serve all, to be properly supported with a long-term vision across the whole system, not just slogans tossed out to get votes. This is all absolutely doable, but we have to plan long term, not just in 4 years election cycles. 

People over profits.

1. Food
   • We agree that food insecurity is a growing problem in the region. First, we need to understand the problem in more detail. Greens will annually report disaggregated data on the proportion of the population that experiences chronic food insecurity to better learn where and when help is needed most.
   • We will also reverse the Ford government’s moves to pave over the Greenbelt. This is some of the best farming land in the world and we need to protect it. We will immediately cancel the 413 and Brantford bypass projects and will prohibit any further 400 series highways being built on Greenbelt land.
   • We will expand the Greenbelt to include a Bluebelt to protect our waterways.
   • With respect to school nutrition programs the Greens will immediately double the number of students that can access the Student Nutrition Programs and expand it to be province-wide by 2030.
2. Affordable housing
   • Our Housing NOW platform has many facets aimed at making housing affordable for all Ontarians and addressing the homelessness crisis immediately. Here are just a few highlights (you can get more in-depth information on our approach to housing from our platform which will be available on gpo.ca in the coming week).
   • Build 2 million homes in a variety of innovative forms within urban boundaries over the next 10 years.
   • Identify and plan for a mix of unit sizes (e.g. one-bedroom, two-bedroom) and types (e.g. multi-unit houses, multi-tenant units, low-rise, mid-rise, high-rise) needed and in what quantity, based on demographic and immigration projections.
   • Increase housing supply and help new homeowners pay down their mortgage by offering zero-interest loans of $25K for homeowners to add affordable rental units onto their primary residence.
   • Immediately support people living in encampments with their housing and support needs until permanent housing solutions are built and resume the homelessness census cancelled by the Ford government to ensure we create sustainable, long-term solutions
   • Work with nonprofits to build 250,000 new affordable non profit and co-op homes and 60,000 permanent supportive homes with guaranteed funding for mental health, addictions and other supports
   • Utilise a Housing First model to ensure that stable, permanent housing solutions are the first priority when helping those in need.
3. Public transportation
   • The Greens support building public transit infrastructure to ensure that long commutes in a car are not the sole option available to Ontarians. This involves our housing plan as well, as we plan to build affordable housing along transit corridors.
   • We also plan to upload costs to the Province that have been unfairly downloaded onto municipalities, including public transit funding.
   • As Waterloo Region grows, it will be vital to support these transit options including expansion of the ION, and all day two-way GO services, including on weekends. Greens have long been supportive of these initiatives.
4. Missing middle housing
   • As mentioned above, our Housing NOW plan is comprehensive and provides for multiple dwelling types including mid and high-rise, multiunit 4 and 6-plexes, with a focus on affordability and infill of urban areas to stop expansion into farmland.
5. Environmental protections
   • Greens will expand the Greenbelt to add a Bluebelt, protecting our waterways right across the province. Expanding the Greenbelt into Waterloo Region fits within our other platform points, particularly with respect to building multiple housing types within already existing urban areas – we must protect our farmland and wetlands, and we can do that while still addressing the housing crises.
6. Encampments
   • First and foremost, we will engage people who have lived experience with homelessness in any program development.
   • We aim to immediately support people living in encampments with their housing and support needs until permanent housing solutions are built and resume the homelessness census cancelled by the Ford government to ensure we create sustainable, long-term solutions.
   • We will work with nonprofits to build 250,000 new affordable non-profit and co-op homes and 60,000 permanent supportive homes with guaranteed funding for mental health, addictions and other supports.
7. Hate crimes and discrimination
   • Greens will strengthen the Anti-Racism Directorate to more ambitiously address systemic racism in education, child welfare, health and justice sectors through increased funding, more objective goals, and improved reporting on data outcomes.
   • Create an oversight body to advise the province to prevent systemic racism in new policy and programs.
   • Ontario Greens commit to the elimination of racism and discrimination within the Ontario Public Service ensuring this includes conducting random external audits, data collection and reporting, and establishing a safe harassment and discrimination reporting system for staff.
   • Greens will pass the Our London Family Act to change the way we address Islamophobia in Ontario.
8. Accessibility
   • First, Greens commit to fulfilling all commitments in the Accessible Ontario Pledge by the AODA Alliance.
   • Greens will phase in a Basic Income, with the first step being to at least double Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Works (OW) rates and get rid of aggressive and unfair clawbacks.
   • We will eliminate any unnecessary red tape, reporting requirements, and other barriers typically faced by those needing financial support and we will remove ODSP from the purview of Employment Ontario.
   • We will improve the Assistive Devices Program to better meet the needs of those requiring assistive tools, including more up-to-date devices, training, and fewer barriers to access as well as ensuring appropriate standards for repair of devices.
9. Community centres & hubs
   • Greens will increase funding for local libraries, community centres and neighbourhood coalitions, as we acknowledge that the play a vital role in encouraging community connections.
   • We will provide free and low-cost community hubs in schools, including but not limited to covering costs for free evening, weekend, March break, and summer permits for non profit community organizations.
   • Support municipalities to create infill greenspaces in all neighbourhoods
   • Finally, we will cancel the Ontario Place Spa redevelopment and parking lot and build a public park and waterfront project.
10. Arts funding
    • Greens support a strong arts community in Waterloo Region. We will absolutely fight for fair per-capita funding for the Region.
    • In addition, we will ensure the Arts are regularly included in school curricula.
11. Newcomers
    • Greens will make is easier for newcomers to have their qualifications accredited particularly in the healthcare sector.
    • In other sectors, like so-called ‘gig’ and ‘temp’ work, newcomers are disproportionately exploited, facing unsafe and unfair working conditions.
    • Greens will protect gig workers by expanding the Employment Standards Act to include all workers, close loopholes and end exemptions to the law. This means ensuring at least minimum wage for all hours of work from app sign-in until sign-out.
    • We will classify gig workers as employees with full employment rights and full and equal access to benefits programs like EI, CPP, and WSIB.
    • We will also make gig work count towards Permanent Residency applications and mandate that temp agency workers earn the same and have the same workplace protections as directly hired workers when they do the same work, and that temp workers must become full hired employees after three months.

1. Food
   • It is completely unacceptable that over 1 million Ontarians have sought assistance from food banks in the last year. It is no wonder that food banks across the province are struggling to meet demand.
     
     According to Feed Ontario, 60 per cent of food bank clients are social assistance recipients. Marit Stiles and an NDP government will double the rates, so that people on ODSP or OW are not living in legislated poverty. Our plan includes a Monthly Grocery Rebate to help families offset the growing cost of groceries. The rebate will be calculated based on the price of a basket of essential goods and grows based on the size of a family. We’ll stop price gouging at the supermarket by forcing big retailers to post whenever the cost of staple items rises above 2 per cent, and we’ll establish a consumer watchdog to help keep prices fair.
     
     We have also committed to a school nutrition program to save families money on their groceries and to ensure that every child has nutritious food to fuel their learning. An Ontario NDP government would support local food production. We will remove the cap from the Risk Management Program to ensure that the government has the tools it needs to protect Ontario farmers and the jobs they support. We will also support Indigenous communities to expand land-based learning opportunities and invest in the greenhouse growing industry.
2. Affordable housing
   • The Ontario NDP believes housing is a human right, and we recognize that not everyone can afford what the private market can profitably deliver. That’s why an NDP government will establish a new public agency, Homes Ontario, to provide grants, low-cost financing, public land and other supports to facilitate the construction or acquisition of at least 300,000 new permanently affordable homes within ten years, to be operated by public, non-profit and co-op housing providers.
     
     The Ontario NDP will also protect renters and improve rental affordability. We will stabilize rent by reinstating rent control on all units and introducing rent control between tenancies. This will strictly limit rental inflation and remove the incentive for unethical landlords to use bad faith evictions and renovictions to squeeze out existing tenants in order to charge a higher rent to the next tenant. We will also work with the federal government to expand the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit, so more people can afford to pay their rent.
3. Public transportation
   • An NDP government will restore 50% provincial funding for municipal transit net operational costs, which will allow Grand River Transit to deliver immediate service improvements to make transit more reliable, frequent, convenient and affordable. We will also fund the Stage 2 ION LRT to Cambridge and deliver the long-promised and long-delayed frequent, two-way all-day GO rail service between Kitchener and Toronto.
4. Missing middle housing
   • An Ontario NDP government will update unfair and outdated planning rules and processes to make it cheaper and easier to build more types of homes, more quickly, and in more neighbourhoods. This includes legalizing more affordable “missing middle” housing options such as semis, townhouses and fourplexes in all neighbourhoods, and allowing mid-rises as-of-right along transit corridors. To keep infrastructure costs down and protect farmland, we will focus growth sustainably and cost-effectively within the pre-2022 urban boundaries.
5. Environmental protections
   • We will end the Ford government’s relentless attacks on farmland, wetlands and natural heritage, including stopping the abuse of Minister’s Zoning Orders. We will end the culture of shady backroom deals that have destroy farmland and which threaten the integrity of agricultural systems. We will restore the powers of conservation authorities to defend watershed systems and protect people and property from floods and other natural hazards.
     
     We support increasing protections for the Paris Galt Moraine and Waterloo Moraine, which could include adding them within a strengthened Greenbelt Plan, following consultations with impacted Indigenous communities and other stakeholders.
6. Encampments
   • The NDP has made a commitment to end chronic homelessness by 2030. And since the only real solution to homelessness is a home, our Homes Ontario plan includes building at least 300,000 permanently affordable homes, including at least 60,000 new supportive housing units, with access to mental health care and addiction treatment. Our plan will ensure that people living in encampments or the shelter system can transition to a safe, suitable, and permanent home. Our plan is rights-based and modelled on the Housing First principle that has been applied successfully in jurisdictions like Finland.
     
     And to ensure that shelter and homelessness prevention programs have adequate and stable funding, we will upload the costs of housing, shelter and homelessness programs from municipalities back to the province where these costs belong.
7. Hate crimes and discrimination
   • We will fight racism and hate in Ontario. We will re-establish the Anti-Racism Secretariat to help communities stamp out hate. We will create Anti-Racism Councils to advocate on behalf of racialized communities and provide information, advice and recommendations to the government, through the minister, on matters including anti-racism, education, human rights, immigration, settlement and cultural and linguistic diversity and heritage.
     
     The Ontario NDP has also always been a strong ally to the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and we will enact policies which ensure that 2SLGBTQ+ people are safe, healthy, and celebrated.
8. Accessibility
   • Marit stiles and the Ontario NDP will prioritize the implementation of the AODA implementation on the fastest possible timeline. We have consistently raised our concerns about the lack of progress in implementing the AODA by both the Liberal and Conservative governments.
     
     An Ontario NDP government would establish an all-of-government coordinated approach to accessibility issues in the province. We would commit to a comprehensive plan to achieve the AODAs aims to strengthen accessibility standards across services and areas impacting Ontarians living with disabilities.
9. Community centres & hubs
   • In the first 100 days, we will expedite proposals for expanded community health centres and new family health teams. We are committed to ensuring everyone in Ontario has access to an integrated primary care team. We will follow the example of community health centres, nurse practitioner led clinics, and Indigenous Primary Care Organizations that already work in collaborative teams and serve marginalized populations.
     
     We are committed to creating 53,000 new, public or not-for-profit affordable childcare spaces. This goal can only be achieved by working with providers like community centres and hubs. We know that this programing needs to be diverse, recognizing language, and identity and we are committed to ensuring our expansion is done quickly, but thoughtfully.
     
     We will also increase the number of caring adults in schools to run after-school and recreational programming. This is central to our commitment to improve student success and community safety.
10. Arts funding
    • Under the Ford government, overall Ontario Arts Council funding was cut by $5 million in 2019 and has remained flat ever since. Funding for many festivals and other local cultural events has also been cut. The Ontario NDP has advocated for increased funding to the Ontario Arts Council, the Community Museum Operating Grant, and Experience Ontario, including with a Private Member’s Motion in December 2024. Unfortunately, this motion was voted down by the Conservatives.
11. Newcomers
    • Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP are committed to make it easier for foreign-trained professionals to work in their fields and be able to set down roots in communities across the province. We’ll work with the federal government to restore services and remove barriers for foreign-trained professionals, including reversing the federal and provincial cuts to newcomer language services.
      

1. Food
   • I have been hearing this a lot at the doors specifically around cost of living. Right now, we get our groceries from 2 major chains in Ontario. Loblaws and Sobeys. They have the monopoly and dictate what we pay for our food. I would like to see more stimulus to encourage smaller chains to expand into other markets to help compete with the 2 major players. It’s about supply and demand. If there is more variety there will be lower costs. Second, I would like to see governments take a more Farm to Table approach. 
   • For School nutrition programs, Encourage staff to model healthy eating, Incorporate nutrition education into school meal programs, Ensure that food served at classroom parties and school functions, including fundraisers, meets competitive food standards, Limit marketing of unhealthy foods, School garden programs including nutrition and gardening education and hands-on gardening experiences
   • When I was growing up, my family needed to use the food bank. My dad was hurt at work and couldn’t go back, they had 3 kids at home. My mom worked minimum wages jobs where she could, but we couldn’t always make ends meet.  We needed the assistance of food banks.  I would like to see food banks go “Out of business” because they aren’t needed. To help that I would like to see more education for people to show/ help them grow their own vegetables. We should work with municipalities to allow backyard chickens for eggs. I believe education is key to helping with a lot of these issues. From Nutrition at school, to learning how to grow your own foods. 
2. Affordable housing
   • We need to look at the types of homes that are currently being built. As a mortgage agent I have seen the new build sites and plans. I can assure you first-time home buyers and most of the average population cannot afford them. The base price for most of the new homes from the sites I have been to starts at 950,000. I have 2 young adult girls at home that are going to be finishing school soon. They will not be able to purchase a home. Renting isn’t any better or sometimes worse. I want to see policy changes for developers to build the RIGHT type of homes. The more “affordable” style homes. Homes that can be purchased at a reasonable price.
   • Making renting more affordable by introducing fair, phased-in rent control similar to Manitoba, resolving Landlord-Tenant Board disputes within two months, and establishing the Rental Emergency Support for Tenants (REST) Fund to help vulnerable renters avoid eviction during financial emergencies.
3. Public transportation
   • I 100% support increased transportation across the Region and beyond. An easy answer to this whole question is YES,YES,YES.
4. Missing middle housing
   • I touched on this in the house answer, we need to build the right types of homes within our neighborhoods as well as is newer neighborhoods. I will work with municipal governments to come up with a plan on how we can make this work. I know rural areas are losing their kids to the cities because there is nowhere for them to live. I would support having different types of housing built across Ontario.
5. Environmental protections
   • I would support expanding the greenbelt into the WR. I would also support the notion of creating a BLUE belt to protect our water and wetland supplies as well. 
6. Encampments
   • We need to create more space for those that need it. No one should be living on the streets. I know there are some that prefer it over the conventional way of life, but for those that want our help we should be there to create safe spaces for them. 
   • more affordable and supportive housing is needed, especially for people with addictions and mental health issues.
7. Hate crimes and discrimination
   • Education, education, education. We need to start at the bottom. We need more learning within the classrooms to combat this crisis. We need to invest in antiracism organizations to also help combat this. For me I’d like to see what other jurisdictions are doing and take what they have learned and implement strategies here.
8. Accessibility
   • As Bonnie Crombie has been saying from the start of the campaign, we need to get the basics right. This was a great initiative that has lost its focus. I feel that penalizing people for not participating will only get you so far. We need proper incentives to encourage more people to get on board with this. 
9. Community centres & hubs
   • This week I was on a tour of Langs Medical Centre with Bonnie Crombie. Her words to us were, we need to get this accomplished across Ontario. We talk with the people that started and continue to run and expand the programs there and the Province helps to build these types of Hubs within communities across Ontario. Langs is a perfect example of Governments and Community businesses and volunteers coming together.
10. Arts funding
    • I will advocate for a review of the funding model. With my financial background I believe that a funding model should be equal in all jurisdictions.
11. Newcomers
    • We should have a process in place through our post-secondary institutions to fast-track foreign workers into their trained professions. Allowing them to be able to access funding like OSAP to be able to upgrade their skills. If you are a foreign trained Dr or Nurse, as an example,  you shouldn’t be starting from the bottom. I’d like to see us also expand ESL programs for those coming into our province so that they can become integrated more quickly into the workforce.

1. Food
   • Sprawl is affecting our farmland. I’m fighting to stop the land grab in Wilmot because our future depends on the availability of prime agricultural land. If we cannot feed our own population, we are in trouble. Jenn Pfenning of Pfenning Organics recently said, “Food sovereignty is sovereignty.” I can’t think of a time when this was so important. These 770 acres are just some of the farmland we’re losing. The Ontario Federation of Agricultural has stated that Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland every day.
   • The Region of Waterloo did have a very progressive Regional Plan that balanced industry and agriculture. That has been betrayed. Instead of industry fighting farmland, or home developments fighting farmland, we need to make every effort to use land within urban boundaries for the use it’s been designated for. Agri-business brings good jobs, helps us procure locally, and cannot be put at risk. The ONDP plans to invest in agriculture, including food processing, because it is a key economic strength. By supporting this sector with targeted investments, we can tariff-proof the region, create good jobs, and build a sustainable, future-ready economy. We must subsidise farmers where necessary to assist in their work, and assist and promote the work of community gardens to ensure we are all fed.
   • The rise in need for the Food Banks is staggering. 1 in 8 families is now using the KW Food Bank. Food Banks were meant to be a temporary solution. The ONDP will provide a recurring Monthly Grocery Rebate based on the current cost of essential groceries like milk, bread and vegetables. The per household rebate is tied to income and the number of people in a household. Sad
   • Finally, the ONDP will create a universal School Food Program to ensure students receive the nutrition they need, in support of the great work already done by Nutrition for Learning and Food4Kids Waterloo Region.
2. Affordable housing
   • How are young people supposed to enter the housing market? My son, a young adult, has moved home to try and save money for housing. And those on fixed incomes are having trouble downsizing because bungalows are more expensive than two-story houses or rent is unaffordable. The Ontario NDP want to make it easier for seniors to age at home safely.
   • I work at the University of Waterloo and see students struggling to find adequate, affordable, safe housing. There was recently a campus-wide competition to help encourage more food donations to the student food bank that I participated in. The Ontario NDP will advocate for real rent control and hold landlords accountable who use tactics like renovictions or demovictions to increase rents.
3. Public transportation
   • Increased public transportation will help everyone get where they need to go across Waterloo Region – school, work, recreation and so I support this. Marit Stiles has committed to funding Phase 2 of the Waterloo ION LRT. Along with other candidates in the Region, I will advocate for enactment of the Ontario NDP policy which calls for the restoration of the 50% operating subsidy for municipal transit to assist in this endeavour. Ford has downloaded too much onto municipalities without funding. I would like to see the use cases in the public transportation offered in the townships to see if we need to invest more there.
   • I will also continue to advocate for all-day, two-way GO Train service to Kitchener. This will help so many of our commuters and keep more cars off of the 401. This is a more environmental and cost-effective solution than a tunnel.
4. Missing middle housing
   • The Homes Ontario plan gets the government back in the business of housing through grants and low-cost financing. This way, more non-market housing providers can build homes and again stop the download of provincial responsibility of building housing to become the sole responsibility of local municipalities.
   • We will also increase how quickly existing privately-owned rental units are purchased to convert them into permanently affordable public, non-profit or co-op housing. In addition, by legalizing fourplexes and increasing density around the aforementioned transit, we’ll create stronger, accessible, affordable and connected communities.
5. Environmental protections
   •  We didn’t think we needed to expand the Greenbelt to Waterloo Region because of the progressive Regional Plan. With the recent land grab attempt in Wilmot, I will fight to expand the Greenbelt to Waterloo Region. If we continue swallowing up our natural areas we’re not only killing off species, we’re putting our water sources at risk. We should not be building over any groundwater aquifers and risk contaminating our water supply. We keep expanding this Region without thinking of our water supplies – that needs to be readdressed.
6. Encampments
   • Ford says that municipalities need to get rid of encampments without providing a plan or funding. The ONDP will create 60,000 new supportive housing units province-wide. We want to help them move from the encampments or shelters into safe, permanent housing while connecting them to all the ongoing support they need, such as mental health care and addiction treatment.
7. Hate crimes and discrimination
   • When I watch the local news, I sometimes feel like I don’t recognize my community. My first co-op work term was with the K-W Multicultural Centre and it opened my eyes 30 years ago. I keep thinking that as a society we’ll get better, yet Waterloo Region topped the country in 2023 for police-reported hate crimes. And so many go unreported.
   • I don’t believe in hate. The fact that the ONDP party works hard to ensure diversity in its candidates means so much to me. It stands up against hate and works to end systemic injustice. We need to continue to educate our population, work collaboratively with organizations and support multicultural festivals and 2SLGBTQ+ events. In the townships, we don’t see as much diversity and we need to work together to help people feel more welcome so that they stay and thrive in the community. 
8. Accessibility
   • I work with partners at the University of Waterloo on accessibility. And we need to do it because it’s the right thing. I will continue to advocate for the recommendations in the Ontario Accessibility Action Plan.
   • The Ontario NDP wants the government to enact the promised education, health care and transit accessibility standards, developed under the terms of the AODA, that were recommended by experts almost three years ago.
9. Community centres & hubs
   • Places to gather and build community are so important to groups. This is important for people to meet in a space that they feel is safe. Especially as hate crimes have risen. I always find that equity-deserving groups never keep these spaces to themselves, instead, they open them up to all to learn and understand. An extra burden on them. For too long, the government has expected people to work within the systems colonialism built, but we have different health issues, recreation and childcare needs. I will work to understand more and support culturally-appropriate services.
   • The Ontario NDP is committed to:
   • Expanding access to primary care by connecting every Ontarian to a family doctor or nurse practitioner by recruiting more healthcare professionals into community-based primary care teams. We also need to bring more health care professionals to the Region who understand 2SLGBTQ+ needs.
   • Increasing funding to community mental health service providers, including to equity-deserving groups and Indigenous communities, that provide crucial services to help people with addictions.
   • I also believe that we need to commit to more institutions like the YMCA Three Rivers.
10. Arts funding
    • I was a student in the first class of the Arts program at Eastwood Collegiate. I’ve been involved in the arts my entire life. Music helps students learn; it can also help with mental health. Drama can help kids who have trouble expressing themselves and want a little escape. The same goes for visual arts and dance. I was incredibly saddened by the loss of the KW Symphony. I will always be a strong advocate of funding for the arts in the Waterloo Region. The more we can get young people involved in the arts, the more they will support it as they get older. And you’re never too old to be introduced to it.
11. Newcomers
    • The Ontario NDP is committed to ensuring that essential public services be made more accessible to newcomers settling in Ontario through decentralization, strategic geographical distribution within each city, and translation services. We need to ensure that organizations like the K-W Multicultural Centre have the support to offer services to newcomers.
    • We are also committed to cutting the red tape that places the barriers on foreign-trained professionals to work in their field of expertise, especially in health care.

1. Food
   • According to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland every day due to sprawl. The availability of prime agricultural land is fundamental to Ontario’s future, and our ability to feed our own population is an important pillar of a well-functioning and sustainable society. As such, we must make every effort to utilize land that has already been developed for future residential, commercial, and industrial endeavours, rather than precious farmland. We must subsidise farmers where necessary to assist in their work, and assist and promote the work of community gardens to ensure we are all fed.
   • The ONDP will provide a recurring Monthly Grocery Rebate based on the current cost of essential groceries like milk, bread and vegetables. The per household rebate is tied to income and the number of people in a household. Sadly, food banks, which were to be but a temporary solution to solve food insecurity, are becoming more important than ever to the most vulnerable. The Cambridge Food Bank is now searching for a new and larger location in order to meet demand, and I support their search efforts..
   • Finally, the ONDP will create a universal School Food Program to ensure students receive the nutrition they need, in support of the great work already done by Nutrition for Learning and Food4Kids Waterloo Region.
2. Affordable housing
   • The Ontario NDP will advocate for real rent control and work toward ensuring landlords do not use tactics such as renovictions or demovictions to increase rents. We also need to work in partnership with Conestoga College, as it is located in my riding, in ensuring students have adequate housing and food security. Finally, we will make it easier for seniors to age at home safely.
3. Public transportation
   • I support these initiatives. The Ontario NDP is committed to funding Phase 2 of the Waterloo ION LRT. I will also advocate for enactment of the Ontario NDP policy which calls for the restoration of the 50% operating subsidy for municipal transit to assist in this endeavour. I will also continue to advocate for all day, two-way GO Train service to Kitchener.
4. Missing middle housing
   • The Ontario NDP will become more directly involved in the housing market. The Homes Ontario plan will provide grants and low-cost financing to enable more non-market housing providers to build and to ensure that the building of housing is not the sole responsibility of local municipalities. We will also speed up the purchase of existing privately-owned rental units, to be converted to permanently affordable public, non-profit or co-op housing. We will also legalize fourplexes and increase density around transit to create stronger, accessible, affordable, and connected communities.
5. Environmental protections
   •  I am in support of expanding the Greenbelt to Waterloo Region for the sustainability of our province and our planet. I have spoken against the proposed housing development in southwest Kitchener that will be built over groundwater aquifers, as there is a risk that it will contaminate our water supply, necessitating a pipeline to be built to Lake Erie to ensure the region has enough water for our population.
6. Encampments
   • The ONDP will create 60,000 new supportive housing units province-wide, allowing people living in encampments or the shelter system to move into a safe, permanent home, while connecting them to mental health care, addiction treatment and other ongoing support.
7. Hate crimes and discrimination
   • Waterloo Region had the highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in the country in 2023. There is no room for hate in our society. I am proud that the ONDP has a firm stance in standing up against hate in all its forms and will work to end systemic injustice. This involves educating our population against such acts and supporting such organizations, such as Spectrum Waterloo Region and the Coalition of Muslim Women, in their efforts.
8. Accessibility
   • I will advocate for the strong implementation of the recommendations in the Ontario Accessibility Action Plan as a lack of action is putting people with disabilities at risk.
   • The Ontario NDP wants the government to enact the promised education, health care and transit accessibility standards, developed under the terms of the AODA, that were recommended by experts almost three years ago.
9. Community centres & hubs
   • The Ontario NDP is committed to expanding access to primary care by connecting every Ontarian to a family doctor or nurse practitioner by recruiting more healthcare professionals into community-based primary care teams. We will also increase funding to community mental health service providers, including to equity-deserving groups and Indigenous communities, that provide crucial services to help people with addictions. And we must commit to assisting the City of Kitchener with funding for their new southwest community centre, which will also provide various wrap-around services, and to better adequately invest in child care spaces for the Region of Waterloo, and other institutions such as YMCA Three Rivers.
10. Arts funding
    • As a public school music teacher, I know the importance of the arts with reference to community building and self-expression. If elected as an MPP, I will be a strong advocate of fair per-capita funding from the Ontario Arts Council to Waterloo Region to support our various institutions, such as the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony and the Homer Watson Art Gallery, as well as individual artists.
11. Newcomers
    • The Ontario NDP is committed to ensuring that essential public services be made more accessible to newcomers settling in Ontario, through decentralization, strategic geographical distribution within each city, and translation services. It is paramount that we do more to assist everyone in this line of work and to ensure newcomers feel welcomed and respected. And with reference to health care, the Ontario NDP has stated that we will increase residency seats and licensing opportunities for internationally educated doctors and healthcare workers.

Thank you for collecting these very important questions and the opportunity to respond. While the questions seem to be from different categories, there is one unifying theme: wellbeing. I absolutely agree and advocate that the province needs to support all aspects of our wellbeing, by supporting municipalities and non-profits that are already doing this work on the ground. This means:

1. Allowing for zoning within neighbourhoods for growing food in community gardens & front yards to promote a sense of autonomy for food nutrition and community building. Set better policies to relieve grocery prices, invest funding and awareness for community-supported agriculture, and ensure that farmlands are protected to ensure our local food supply is secure.

2 & 4. Add rent controls and prevent renovictions so that people can have a sense of security for their living situation. Ensure that people who are struggling with the cost of living can express what the root causes are of their situation (is it the high rent, cost of maintenance, energy bills, or cost of groceries?) and figure out solutions in tandem with the service (e.g., non-profit) to ensure people can get the help they need that is most suitable to their situation. Invest funding to build affordable buildings and ensure housing of all types through zoning that allows for fourplexes and mid-storey builds with retail & green spaces. These need to be built within urban boundaries and around transit areas so that people have access to mobility options that do not rely on cars. As a side to this: it is so important that we build with resilience in mind, so ensuring low-carbon materials, energy efficiency, and local energy generation. The question, though, is how do we ensure these units are affordable enough to shelter the unsheltered? By making sure that these builds are financed through provincial mechanisms rather than relying on market-based rates, and by providing the funding to nonprofits to work with builders to ensure that the people who need these units have access to them.

3. Support all levels of public transit, from ION phase 2 to all-day, two-way and all-week GO. I rely heavily on public transit and I see the hard work that goes into making the system work. The systems can be even better with better funding and including people who use these services to help with decision-making. This would be a criteria to provide the funding, so that we don’t have to rely on enforcement as a first resort. We absolutely need better access by providing free passes to students up to high school rather than just children under 12. We need to promote a culture for public transit over car culture.

5. Our freshwater sources are so critical and currently at risk. Yes, I would absolutely want to expand the protected Greenbelt to Waterloo Region to protect the groundwater recharge areas and the aquifers that we rely on so heavily. There is a risk right now of development and the unfortunate reality is that people can’t understand the value of what is hidden – our freshwater underground, despite the many signs around Waterloo Region that highlight the areas of groundwater recharge and the messaging to not use salt as the first measure in the winter. The best way to ensure our groundwater is protected is to protect a larger portion of the recharge area under the Greenbelt or Moraine conservation.

6 – 9. These questions all refer to community and relationship building. Whether its encampments, rising levels of hate crime, addressing inaccessibility, and ensuring equity within communities, the key solution here is building trust and listening to the needs. My plan here would be to work with organizations that have already done a lot of work in these areas and have already come up with solutions to address these concerns. The major barrier is funding, which is really needed to build community and break down barriers. This is where there is an opportunity to look at how resources can be shared and connected across social boundaries. I would work closely with organizations to figure out the best plans of action that can address the priority concerns for each of these and create an inclusive society.

10. Yes, I would support more funding to the Ontario Arts Council to Waterloo Region because arts are food for the soul – they are the spirit of our community.

11. Work with organizations that are working with newcomers – this includes cultural communities that have people that speak the language and share similar values to provide a level of familiarity and reduce barriers. Like the plan for responses 6-9, I would work closely with multiple communities and connect them with each other so that resources can be shared, barriers can be overcome, and we can build a larger sense of community.

Thank you so much for letting me provide these responses. As you read, I will rely heavily on the people who already do this work, so I look forward to hearing from you about the solutions and actions that you would recommend. Feel free to reach me at shefazaesmail@gpo.ca.