Message from Stephanie
As those who are celebrating Christmas prepare, and 2023 draws to a close, I would like to take a moment to thank all of you who reached out on issues important to you. Whether that is saving the Ontario Science Centre and Ontario Place, expressing your concern about the government’s $8.3B Greenbelt scandal, local development issues, or concerns about healthcare, education or the environment, your voice matters and I appreciate hearing from you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you, and for the chance to connect with you at celebrations of important milestones, such as graduations, club anniversaries, and community events. It is these opportunities to connect and hear with constituents that I enjoy the most.
I hope everyone gets a chance to spend time with family and friends over the holiday and I look forward to connecting with you all again in the new year. Our New Year’s Levee is on January 13th, and I look forward to seeing many of you there.
Warm regards,
Stephanie
New Year’s Levee Invitation
Join me and the Honorable Rob Oliphant, Member of Parliament, for a New Year’s Levee
Saturday, January 13, 2024
1 PM to 3 PM
at the Toronto Botanical Garden,
777 Lawrence Ave E.
Please RSVP by emailing us at sbowman.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
2024 Calendar Request
We are excited to offer you a free, 2024 calendar to keep you organized all year long. It also features beautiful art from Don Valley West artists.
Contact our office or drop by to pick up your copy and plan your year ahead with ease!
Highlights: Legislative Updates
Government Failing to Meet Housing Targets
During Question Period on December 5, I asked about the government’s inability to achieve housing targets.
The legislative session lasted only three days in December, during which time the government used a procedure called “time allocation” to curtail debate and rush through several new pieces of legislation, before ending the session more than a week earlier than planned.
Despite these challenges, our caucus remains committed to holding this government to account. We took a stand against Bill 154, the New Deal for Toronto Act, which is mostly about Ontario Place, and includes only a commitment to “discuss” new funding. While we welcome the long-overdue funding it could provide for transportation in Toronto, we could not support this legislation due to its intended purpose of expanding government control over the future of Ontario Place without accountability, protecting the government from recourse over any potential malfeasances, and eliminating the need for an environmental assessment.
In contrast, we were proud to support the passage of Bill 150, which reverses the government’s unilateral changes to the official plans of 12 municipalities. This bill is a testament to the power of communities to hold elected officials to account when they have made major mistakes. Similarly, our vote for Bill 136 was a vote for protecting the Greenbelt (created under Premier McGuinty). This bill reverses the Greenbelt changes made by this government, without proper consultation or justification. Their conduct related to removing land from the Greenbelt, which would have given $8.3B in profits to a few developers, is now under RCMP criminal investigation.
The release of the Auditor General’s Annual Report offered new insights into the government’s proposal to move and downsize the Ontario Science Centre. The audit confirms that the business case released at the end of November was a lopsided exercise to justify their decision to build a half billion dollar parking lot with taxpayer money to support their 95-year lease of Ontario Place to Therme to build a half billion dollar parking lot with taxpayer money.
At Queen’s Park, I met with National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), where we discussed the rise in Islamophobic incidents. I also attended a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies’ Tour For Humanity bus. It was a moment to reflect on our commitment to education and remembering history.
In a meeting with Ontario exporters, I had the opportunity to discuss our productivity growth challenges, and new approaches to growing Ontario’s economy. I also met with the Ontario Provincial Fire Fighters Association and learned about the need to expand coverage for job-related cancer.
As part of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs’ pre-budget consultations in Oshawa, Markham, and Mississauga, I had the opportunity to hear from people like Rachel Chernos-Lin, our local Toronto District School Board trustee, who highlighted the enduring fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our public school systems; and Vincent Caron, representing the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, who spoke to the need for incentives to compete with green manufacturing subsidies available in the United States. The committee also heard from library representatives who reiterated their request from last year’s consultations for $15 million to support the establishment of an Ontario Digital Library, which would provide Ontarians access to modern library services across the province.
Pre Budget Consultation
About the consultations
To participate and share your ideas for the 2024 Budget.
How to participate
You can share your ideas in the following ways:
- Take the survey
The online survey will close on January 31, 2024. You can find the survey HERE.
- Send a written submission
Submit your written ideas via the submission portal by January 31, 2024 HERE.
Mail your submission to:
The Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy
Minister of Finance
c/o Budget Secretariat
Frost Building North, 3rd Floor
95 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1Z1
Attend an in-person consultation
Email MOFconsultations@ontario.ca for more information.
Questions?
Email MOFconsultations@ontario.ca
Highlights: Connecting with Don Valley West
December began on a high note as I joined the High Tea Fundraiser by 53 Division of Toronto Police Service in support of their Community Police Liaison Committee Student Leadership Bursary Award. The week continued with a menorah lighting at Chabad Lubavitch on the East Side, where I joined the ceremony along with Councillor Josh Matlow and MP Carolyn Bennett. I attended Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute’s cookbook launch; the cookbook will bring together recipes from our diverse community to create a student-driven cookbook to support student nutrition. It was great to attend a Tree and Natural Heritage walk in support of keeping the Ontario Science Centre in Don Mills, with my colleague Dr. Adil Shamji, who has also been an outspoken advocate to keep the OSC in its current location.
Recently, I had the honour of engaging with various community groups and leaders. I hosted a group of bright students from Glendon College at Queen’s Park, giving them a firsthand look at the workings of the Liberal caucus. At the Leaside Business Park Association’s Annual General Meeting, I enjoyed collaborating with community and business-focused members, and look forward to working with their new president, Annissa Rodriguez. I also attended a ceremony for new Order of Ontario inductees, congratulating Beverley Orser, a renowned anesthetist and researcher from Don Valley West. Additionally, the visit from Sunnybrook School students to Queen’s Park was inspiring, highlighting the value of youth engagement in government.
Happy Holidays!
