Democracy – Page 4

@FairVoteWRC hosts a CETA Panel Discussion — Thursday, 1 May 2014

Fair Vote Canada Waterloo Region Chapter

The Fair Vote Canada Waterloo Region Chapter is hosting a panel discussion on CETA, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement proposed between Canada and the European Union.

What: CETA Panel Discussion
When: Thursday, 1 May 2014 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm [iCal]
Where: Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work, 120 Duke St., Kitchener [map]

Invited Panelists:

Stuart Trew, Council of Canadians trade campaigner (confirmed)
Stephen Woodworth, CPC Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre
Jacqueline Romanow, the GPC‘s trade critic
Don Davies, NDP trade critic
Chrystia Freelander, the LPC trade critic

Tell Council “I support Light Rail”

Eleanor Grant writes:

Friends and Neighbours in Waterloo Region –

The winning bid to build the LRT in Kitchener-Waterloo was announced Friday, and it comes in under budget.

It will be voted on by Regional Councillors on March 4 in committee, and ratified on March 19. There should be shovels in the ground this spring.

The official announcement: Staff recommend GrandLinq as the preferred team for ION Stage 1 LRT

The winning consortium is GrandLinq. It is not the one with ties to SNC Lavalin, we can be relieved to hear! I’ve put links to all the media coverage on it at the end of this message.

Must see video

The TriTAG group (stands for Tri-cities Transport Action Group) has produced an excellent little video explaining the ION project in 90 seconds:

YouTube video: Where will ION light rail take you?

Please view it and pass it on to your friends 🙂

As you know, our Councillors have been bombarded with negative messages, most of them based on pretty inaccurate information, from those who want to stop the project or tie it up in endless delays.

But I suspect that the silent majority of us see the benefits of LRT (that doesn’t mean it’s perfect), and we want to see it get started.

Councillors need to hear from us at this time.

On TriTAG‘s site please click on the link to “E-mail your Councillors”. Tell them briefly in your own words, why you think the light rail project should go ahead.

You can also register as a delegation at the meetings on 4 March 2014 at 3:00pm and 19 March 2014 at 6:00pm.

I have registered for 4 March. One thing I’ll be talking about is the confidence-building we need to do with our neighbours in Cambridge, so they can feel more reassured during the gap years between Stage 1 in KW and Stage 2 being built to Cambridge in the future.

I’ve learned some exciting facts about the project recently, that aren’t all on the web sites:

The next new iXpress (203) route is being introduced the end of April. It will travel from Sportsworld along Maple Grove (Loblaws warehouse and Toyota plant), into the core of Hespeler, then down Franklin Blvd and over to Cambridge Centre mall. A new terminal area for a dozen bus links is being built on Hespeler Rd near the front of the mall.
Starting in Sept this new iXpress will also go from Sportsworld to Conestoga College at peak hours.
Also starting in Sept, the original iXpress, the 200, will be stopping at Sportsworld (I wish they’d do this sooner).
The adapted bus rapid transit for Cambridge – aBRT – is now expected to start in early 2015. Tenders for this work should go out soon. It will assume the 200 route from Fairview on. Stops will be: Fairview; Sportsworld; Eagle/Pinebush; Cambridge Centre mall new terminal; Can-Amera (YMCA); the Delta (Babcock & Wilcox); and Ainslie St terminal. Ainslie terminal is also going to be spruced up.
Serious talks are underway to improve GO train service to Kitchener, and maybe even reopen the Milton rail corridor to Cambridge. It all takes time – no promises yet! But for the Province to invest in these improvements, they need to see a higher order rapid transit built here, such as LRT.

Three things must dovetail together: a good bus grid, a rapid transit “spine”, and inter-city links. That’s why it’s time for LRT now. Waterloo Region is getting out in front of the population growth mandated for our area. Failure to get ahead of the curve only leads to the wasteful gridlock we now see in the GTA.

Please go to TriTAG now and click on the link to “E-mail your Councillors”. Right now is when our Councillors need to know we’re with them, and that we appreciate their efforts to bring us this far.

Thanks All,

Eleanor

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Media coverage on LRT bid:

Kitchener Post: LRT: $593 million to build, $900 million to run

CTV (2 segments):
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=299012
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=299314

CBC News: LRT construction bid pegged at $532M

The Record: Top LRT bid comes in under budget

570 News: GrandLinq recommended group for LRT project

The Region has also released a nice brochure (26 pages long) explaining the Why and How of Rapid Transit: The story of rapid transit in Waterloo Region (6.0 MBytes, .PDF file)

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Eleanor Grant writes a semi-regular e-mail newsletter on social justice issues. You can contact Eleanor at eleanor7000@gmail.com

@FairVoteWRC, @TransitionKW and @LeadnowCA present Connect — 8 March 2014, 1:30pm

Fair Vote Canada Waterloo Region Chapter

Leadnow.ca

TransitionKW

The Fair Vote Canada Waterloo Region Chapter, TransitionKW and Leadnow.ca are teaming up to present Connect:

What: FairVoteWRC, TransitionKW and Leadnow.ca — Connect
When: Saturday, 8 March 2014 2014 1:30pm to 3:30pm [iCal]
Where: Queen Street Commons Cafe, 43 Queen St. S., Kitchener [map]
Register: Leadnow Connect registration page or on the Connect — Leadnow event on Facebook

Here is the message from Leadnow:

It may not feel like it yet, but the 2015 federal election is just around the corner. If we start working together now, we can help hold this government accountable at the ballot box, and elect people with a strong mandate for action on democracy, climate, and inequality. More than that — we can help build a movement strong enough to push for real changes after the election.

Between February 27th and March 9th, people are going to gather in communities across the country to talk about a plan to organize for and beyond the 2015 election. Join TransitionKW on Facebook and Fair Vote Waterloo for Connect!

You can register and learn more at the Leadnow Connect registration page or on the Connect — Leadnow event on Facebook

Please join us there, we need to work together to ensure positive change for Canada in 2015!

Hosted By:

Sylvie Spraakman

Refreshments:

This event is a potluck. You are invited to bring food to share with other guests.

Note:

Food and drinks will be available for purchase from the Commons Cafe. Food is very reasonably priced, and you’re not required to make a purchase.

Fair Vote Waterloo Region Chapter: Walk, Rally, Talk and Pub Night – Monday, 16 September 2013

Fair Vote Canada

Sunday is International Day of Democracy, but on Monday, 16 September 2013 the Waterloo Region Chapter of Fair Vote Canada is celebrating by holding a Walk, Rally, Talk and Pub Night.

Meet at Kitchener City Hall at 6:00pm to walk to Waterloo Square. Banners, placards, whistles, pots & pans are all welcome to make a lot of noise for electoral reform!

At 6:45 Craig Scott, MP for Toronto Danforth and NDP electoral reform critic and Anita Nickerson, FVC’s Executive Director will address a short rally at Waterloo Square. At 7:00pm Craig will speak at First United Church, 16 William North about the the NDP’s policy on electoral reform and listen to our concerns about electoral reform.

This is a great opportunity to share with the NDP the need to make electoral reform a major election issue in 2015 & highlight the need for electoral reform to our community.

Following the Walk, Rally, and Talk the Waterloo Region Fair Voters, Friends, and Relations will retire to The Duke of Wellington Pub to continue the conversation.

Petitions for a Better Canada

In her latest newsletter, Eleanor Grant writes of several local events, followed by a number of petitions on federal issues as Canada Day approaches ….

ACTION: Are you sick of scandals and secret deals in Ottawa? Democracy Watch has launched 2 campaigns for better ethics rules:

Government Ethics Campaign | Democracy Watch

and Stop Fraud Politician Spending | Democracy Watch

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ACTION: Tell Harper to support the G8 plan on closing Tax Havens: Canada Must Support the G8 Tax Haven Action Plan | Canadians for Tax Fairness

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ACTION: “Fix the Bill” on banning Cluster Bombs. Canada has ratified a Convention to ban cluster bombs, but the bill to implement it, Bill S-10, is full of loopholes: Petition at Mines Action Canada. There is also a write to your MP tool on Mines Action Canada’s website tailored to the Bill S-10 issues. From the group that brought the ban on Landmines.

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ACTION: NO to Genetically Modified Alfalfa: GM Alfalfa has now been Registered for use in Canada. CBAN says, “Our government is siding with multinational companies against the best interests of farmers and our food system. I do not accept this. Do you?” Email your MP instantly from Stop GM Contamination: Stop GM Alfalfa / Take Action – Canadian Biotechnology Action Network – CBAN

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And don’t forget the MultiCultural festival next weekend June 22-23, and the Nonviolence festival Sat July 13 – both in Victoria Park.

Eleanor Grant writes a semi-regular e-mail newsletter on social justice issues. You can contact Eleanor at eleanor7000@gmail.com

FairVoteWRC Film Screening: Whipped – Monday, 24 June 2013

@FairvoteWRC presents Whipped: The secret world of party discipline, Mon 24 June 2013, 7pm at WLU

Sharon Sommerville, Co-chair for the Fair Vote Canada Waterloo Region Chapter writes:

Hello Everyone,

“WHIPPED“, Sean Holman’s new documentary on the topical and controversial issue of party discipline is coming to Waterloo Region along with the filmmaker! To whom do MP’s owe their greatest allegiance: their party, their constituents or their conscience?

On Monday, June 24 at 7pm at Laurier’s Bricker Academic Building, Room 210, FVC-WR and co-sponsors KWNDP, KWGP, KWFLA and YCYC/VCVC are pleased to screen, “WHIPPED” and host a post screening panel with the filmmaker Sean Holman, Larry Aberle, President of the KWNDP and Karen Redman, former Liberal MP and party whip.

This is going to be a great evening of political education for all. We will be taking donations at the door to help cover expenses for this event. Suggested donation is $10 or what you can spare!

Hope to see you on June 24 for an exciting evening of political discussion.

Kind regards,

Sharon Sommerville, Co-Chair
FVC-WR

Who: Fair Vote Canada Waterloo Region Chapter
What: Film Screening of “WHIPPED: The secret world of party discipline”
When: Monday, 24 June 2013, 7:00pm
Where: Room 210, Bricker Academic Building, Wilfrid Laurier University, Bricker St., Waterloo, Ontario map
Donation: Suggested $10 donation at the door
More information: Sharon Sommerville at shareonsommerville@gmail or Anita Nickerson at anita.nickerson@fairvote.ca

Two Actions: Protect CBC, Ontario Budget

Petition to Protect the CBC

Sign the petition to protect the CBC from political interference.

To Prime Minister Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty: Keep your hands off the CBC. Remove the CBC amendment from the budget bill.

(from Sum Of Us in partership with LeadNow.ca)

Have your say in the Ontario Budget

Should Andrea Horwath press for more changes to the Ontario budget? Such as improvement in minimum wage and welfare rates? Fill in the survey at Your Say Ontario or send an e-mail to Andrea Horwath at ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca

Have Your Say on Casinos

Waterloo:

Web comment form: Take Survey: Casino Feedback
Phone: +1-519-957-9727
E-mail: casinofeedback@waterloo.ca

The deadline to submit feedback is April 30, 2013

Notice: City of Waterloo seeks input on casino

Kitchener:

CasiNO – Kitchener Public Consultations –
When: Tuesday, 23 and 30 April 2013 starting at 6:00pm with a presentation from OLG; public consultations for those who have registered to speak will follow. A second session will be held April 30. Pre-registration for the 30 April session is not mandatory but is strongly recommended and can be done on the City of Kitchener’s Casino web page or by calling Linda Korabo at +1-519-741-2200;ext=7591

Location: Kitchener City Hall Council Chambers, 200 King St. W., Kitchener, Ontario (map)

Notice: Public Consultation on a Casino in Kitchener

News release: Council votes in favour of public consultation on casino

An online survey will be available from April 15 – May 1, 2013.

Support the Region of Waterloo’s Official Plan for Smart Growth

Citizens are organizing to support the Region of Waterloo’s Official Plan for Smart Growth, in face of the OMB ruling against it in January, which favoured developers and urban sprawl.

See Smart Growth Waterloo Region’s What Can I Do.

A great deal is at stake here:

Waterloo’s precious remaining farmland, that can never be replaced.
Democracy – the right to make local decisions, and not have them struck down by an unelected commission.
The precedent it sets for all of Ontario.

Your are urged to visit Smart Growth Waterloo Region, where there’s more info as well as actions you can take.

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