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8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
1/28 1 Heartsand M inds
Issue 3 July-August 2009
New organizational approaches snagNova Scotia win
Knowing that the party had a
strong likelihood o becoming govern-
ment, candidate search was regarded
as critical. Te Party did not want to
ace questions such as Darrell is a
good guy, but look at his team! Teincoming premier would need to have
a strong pool o MLAs rom which to
choose cabinet ministers. As Leader,
Darrell Dexter and his team were very
hands-on with the search. Ridings
were encouraged to target individuals
who were experienced in business, ag-
riculture, the shery, civic government
and law enorcement as prospective
In the 2009 Nova Scotia election
the NSNDP initiated new and updated
organizational practices that were cru-
cial to winning the necessary seats ora majority.
Tose practices included: a very ac-
tive role by the Leader, Darrell Dex-
ter, in candidate recruitment; a pre-
election capacity-building exercise;
a tough love approach to the sae
incumbents; a target team approach to
the new seats that were needed, and a
resh approach to the endgame.
Jill Marzetti
candidates. Te Leader was prepared to
meet with these persons to bring them
on board as candidates. In some cases
ridings were told to go back and do
more work on candidate search rather
than go with the same candidate theyhad had in previous elections. Most o
the ridings had candidates in place be-
ore the writs were dropped. Just hal a
dozen did not; in 2006, about a dozen
candidates were only nominated aer
the writs were dropped.
Once candidates were nominated
a capacity-building exercise was done
with incumbents and (Contd on p.5)
Jill Marzetti
Courtesy o Ian Austen
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
2/28
Heartsand M inds 2
Air Canada: Fly it Right
Book Reviews
A Tale o Two Transit Consultations
Urban agriculture: The wave othe uture?
Psychiatric survivors need jobs
2009 Liberal Budget and the Har-monized Sales Tax (HST) in Ontario
Venezuela: Steady progress
Getting eHealth back on track
An Ontario pension plan: An ideawhose time has come?
Greenest City is growing the uture
Sudbury New Democrat MP intro-duces law to cap credit card interestrates at prime plus 5 percent
Co-operatives: Back to the Future?
Clean energy jobs being createdin Michigan, Colorado, Ohio,Manitoba and Quebec
Credit unions and economicdemocracy
Peggy Nash, ormer MP (ParkdaleHigh Park)
Gelek Badheytsang, Communications Director,Greenest City
John Richmond
J.A. MacNeil
Gord Perks, oronto City Councillor, Ward 14
Peter Kormos, MPP (Welland)Paul Miller, MPP (Hamilton EastStoney Creek)
France Glinas, MPP (Nickel Belt)
Cheri DiNovo, MPP (ParkdaleHigh Park)
David Reville, ormer NDP MPP (Riverdale)
Art Chamberlain, Media relations manager,Central 1 Credit Union
Glenn Tibeault, MP (Sudbury)Peter abuns, MPP (oronto-Danorth)
Darwin OConnor and Grace Scheel
J.A. MacNeil
Strategic challenges in the NovaScotia electionJill Marzetti
Honduras: Reormists out,
troglodytes in
Middle East in the Obama era:Dare we hope?J.A. MacNeil
See Hearts & Minds online at: http://www.phpndp.ca
The articles contained within represent the views o each author, not necessarily those o
either the riding association executive or any other NDP body. All authors are members o
the Parkdale-High Park Riding Association unless otherwise identied.
In this issue
34
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10
11
12
13
14
15
16
18
20
21
24
26
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8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
3/28 3 Heartsand M inds
Dry cleaning
Electrical servicesElectricity
Energy Star appliances
Financial advisory services
Funeral services
Furnace repairs
Gas at the pumps
Vitamins
Grass-cutting
Gym ees
Additionally, the corporate income tax
rate will drop to 10 per cent by 2013
(down rom 14 per cent today). In
making these changes, the provincia
budget has shied the tax burden rom
the wealthiest corporations to working
people, many o whom are now unem-
ployed.
In transerring the tax burden on to
working people, the McGuinty Liber-
als have joined the ederal Conserva-
tives in implementing a regressive, s-
cally conservative agenda that will do
nothing to put people back to work.Andrea Horwath and Ontarios
New Democrats have launched a cam-
paign to stop the implementation o
McGuintys tax grab. o take action
go to http://www.andreahorwath.com/
unairtaxgrab/home.html and sign our
petition. ogether we can let Dalton
McGuinty know that Ontarians say
NO to this unair tax grab.
sive, proactive response that would
provide real economic solutions. In-
stead, the Liberals introduced a regres-
sive tax that will orce Ontarians to pay
more or basic essentials and everyday
purchases, including many which pre-
viously were not subject to any provin-
cial sales tax.
Harmonizing the provincial sales
tax with the ederal GS means that
McGuinty is adding 8 percent to the
cost o basic goods. Tese goods in-
clude gas, heating oil, and electricity.
Tese are not the only items thatwill cost individuals more as items
rom cradle to grave will be hit by
McGuintys harmonized tax system.
Under the proposed scheme, daycare
will cost an additional 8 per cent. Fu-
nerals will also be subjected to the in-
creased tax. I you purchase a morning
coee, take your pet to the veterinar-
ian, go to the theatre, play a round
o gol or pay or the internet in yourhome you will be paying an additional
8 per cent in sales tax.
As part o the Liberals tax reorm
package, businesses will get $4.5 billion
in tax cuts over the next three years.
On March 26, 2009, the provincial
Liberal government announced in
their budget that it would implementa harmonized 13 percent sales tax.
Harmonization would combine the
ederal Goods and Services ax (GS)
with the Provincial Sales ax (PS).
In order to blend these taxes, the pro-
vincial Liberals worked closely with
Conservative ederal Finance Minister
Jim Flaherty. As part o their agenda,
the Liberal-Conservative sales tax will
take eect on July 1, 2010.Te 2009 provincial budget was
a unique opportunity or the gov-
ernment to address the devastating
jobs crisis aecting Ontario workers.
Working people expected a progres-
2009 Liberal Budget and the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)
in Ontario
Cheri DiNovo, MPP
Accounting services
Adult ootwear under $30Air-conditioning repairs
Arena ice rentals
Audio books or the blind
Bicycle saety gear
Boat docking ees
Campground ees
Car washes
Carpentry services
Conerences and seminars
These goods and services will cost you 8 percent more under the HST
Haircuts and styling
Home heating oilHome renovations
Internet access ees
Landscaping
Legal services
Magazines
Manicures
Massages
Moving vans
Newspapers
Plumbing services
Postal stampsPrepared oods under $4,
including coee, muns,
ast ood meals, etc.
Real estate commissions
Rentals o commercial
property
Ski lit tickets
Snow-plowing
Sports feld rentals
Cheri DiNovo was rst elected MPP orParkdaleHigh Park in a 2006 by-electionand re-elected in 2007. She is the NDPscritic or Employment standards, Womensissues, Housing, Citizenship and Immigration.
Theatre admissions
TobaccoBicycles
Veterinary care
Domestic air travel
Train ares
Taxi ares
Bus ares
Sale o armland
Courier ees
Real Christmas trees
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
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Heartsand M inds 4
create 2200 jobs per year through a 10 percent manuac-
turing and processing investment tax credit,
kick-start new home construction with a one-year pro-
gram to rebate 50 percent o the HS,
boost the Equity ax credit to promote investment in
communities,increase renewable energy to 25 percent o the overall
supply by 2015,
implement a 10-year arm strategy to improve competi-
tiveness and protability,
establish a Community Land trust which will identiy
and purchase signicant lands, purchase the develop-
ment rights to that land or purchase easements to en-
sure public access. Te land could then be used or con-
servation, wildlie and sh habitats, orestry, outdoor
recreation including hunting, shing, and armlandpreservation,
challenge Ottawa to ensure its shery policies reect the
needs o independent shermen,
re-direct sta rom government communications to di-
rect marketing o primary industries,
create a prior learning assessment pilot program.
Te NDPs promises were careully costed out and the g-
ures made public.
By contrast, the Conservatives hauled out old budget an-
nouncements with some additional promises and the Lib-
erals produced a wide-ranging platorm with no costing.
In Darrell Dexter, the NSNDP had a leader who resonat-
ed with Nova Scotians. Experienced as a journalist, law-
yer, municipal councillor, and a member o the Canadian
Navy, Dexter also scored high with voters on the charac-
ter attributes o being caring, smart, likeable, trustworthy,
and practical. His leadership was characterized as genuine
leadership or todays amilies.
In contrast, the PC Premier, Rodney MacDonald, was held
in low esteem across the province. While Conservative
party support in some areas was still strong, support or
the Conservative leader was weak and ell throughout the
campaign. Te Liberal leader, Stephen McNeil, also did not
are well. Despite the barrage o advertising ocussed on
him as leader and potential premier, McNeil never seemed
to connect with the voters. Te Liberal party, having hit an
Every election poses a unique political environment. Tere
are circumstances a party may have created; others may
be challenges to be surmounted. And some o the political
environment may present opportunities.
All o these actors were at work in the June victory o the
Nova Scotia NDP.
Aer the 1999 campaign, the Nova Scotia NDP undertook
to build itsel as a positive practical party ocussed primar-
ily on pocket-book issues rather than merely being critics
o the government o the day. Tis allowed the Party to
deal with the negative image that the NDP has with nan-
cial management. Te emphasis was on practical aord-able plans, the new deal which in the 2009 campaign be-
came a balanced, practical plan to make lie better or you
and your amily. Te reerence point was the Manitoba
and Saskatchewan NDP.
Te 2009 NSNDP platorm was criticized by the Conser-
vatives as a our-page leaet. It was ocussed on the issues
that were top o mind or voters: health care overwhelm-
ingly, and then job creation and the economy. It was also
targeted to the needs o the communities in seats, particu-
larly rural ones, that needed to be won. Only seven com-
mitments were made:
create needed secure jobs,
keep emergency rooms open and reduce health care
wait-times,
take the HS o home energy,
x rural roads and keep communities strong,
provide seniors the services needed or them to stay in
their homes and communities longer,
ensure that more young people stay and build a lie in
NS, and
ensure that that province lives within its means (bal-
anced budget).
Te NDPs proposals or creating secure jobs and strength-
ening the economy are to do the ollowing:
maximize ederal unds to build the inrastructure that
communities need,
Strategic challenges in the Nova Scotia electionJill Marzetti
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
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8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
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Heartsand M inds 6
Out o Tis World Ca and Parkdale
Green Tumb Enterprises. And, show-
ing that survivor business isnt just a
big city phenomenon,Abel Enterprises
in Simcoe produces custom wood-
working and commercial urniture.Te businesses mentioned provide ull
or part-time work or several hundred
psychiatric survivors. I there were
more businesses, many more psychi-
atric survivors could be employed.
Whats needed is a
greater investment by
government.
Te second is to
support and expandaugmented educa-
tion. Augmented
Education is a new
training and employ-
ment support model
developed by George
Brown College and the
Centre or Addiction
and Mental Health
(CAMH). Te Assis-
tant Cook Extended
raining program is
one o two Augmented
Education programs
currently oered at
George Brown College.
Te other program is
called the Construction Cra Worker
Extended raining Program.
Te goal o these programs is to help
people recovering rom addiction and
mental health problems take the rst
steps toward jobs in orontos ood
service and construction industries.
Tis program is ree or participants
with costs covered by the Ontario gov-
ernment.
Tese programs are enormously
successul. Tere are three problems,
however. Tere is a choice o just
What should we do? Te rst thing
we need to do is rid ourselves o the no-
tion that having a mental illness means
you cant work. Most o the 70 people
who work at A-Way Express Couriers
were told they couldnt work. Hah! A-Way is celebrating its 22nd birthday on
June 11 (Editors note: Approximately
30 percent o the people working at A-
Way Express live in Parkdale.).
Te second thing we need to do is
to pressure our governments to put
more emphasis on employment sup-
ports or people with mental illness.
Here are some things that we could be
doing more o:
Te rst is to support and expand
survivor-run businesses. Ive already
mentioned A-Way Express Couriers.
In oronto, there are our other busi-
nesses: Fresh Start Cleaning and Main-
tenance and the three businesses that
the Ontario Council o Alternative
Businesses runs: Te Raging Spoon,
I went to the doctor to nd out how
high my cholesterol was. In the wait-
ing room was a poster that read em-
ployment determines health; I knew,right then, what Id write about or this
newsletter.
Let me locate mysel. In the 1960s, I
spent almost two years as a patient in
mental hospitals in Ontario. I got inter-
ested in the mental pa-
tients liberation move-
ment in the early 70s;
that activism eventually
led me into politicsoronto City Council
(80-85), the Ontario
Legislature (85-90),
and in the Premiers
Ofce (90-94). In 1996,
I started David Reville
& Associates, which
does social research
and community devel-
opment. Since 2004, I
have been teaching A
History o Madness and
Mad Peoples History at
Ryerson University.
Seventy to ninety
percent o people with
serious mental illness
are unemployed. When I hear people
complaining that their job is driving
them crazy, I wonder i they know that
not having a job drives and/or keeps
people crazy. Well, its true. In his a-
mous bookRecovery rom Schizophre-
nia Richard Warner shows that the
biggest single actor in recovery rom
schizophrenia is whether or not the
person works. Alas, as the statistics
show, we are doing a very bad job o
helping people with schizophrenia
(and other mental illnesses) get work.
Psychiatric survivors need jobsDavid Reville, ormer NDP MPP
l to r: A-Way Express Executive Director Laurie Hall, David Reville, and activist
Pat Capponi at A-Ways 20th Anniversary party
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
7/28 7 Heartsand M inds
hired a number o peer support work-
ers in its schizophrenia program Te
mental health sector employs tens o
thousands o people; many more o
them could be people with lived expe-
rience.
For urther inormation on A-Ways
services, call 416 424-2266, or see http://
www.awaycourier.ca
two programs, they are oered only
at George Brown College and stable
unding remains elusive. Augmented
education could help any marginal-
ized group gain entry into the labour
orce and augmented education pro-
grams could be oered at community
colleges right across the province. Te
provincial government has provided
unding through a variety o unding
mechanisms. I think its time or the
government to und an augmented
education program.
Te third thing we could do is en-
courage the mental health system to
put more emphasis on the value o
lived experience and hire more psychi-
atric survivors. Te Centre or Addic-
tion and Mental Health has recently
David Reville is a psychiatric survivor, andwas a popular oronto City Councillor(1980-85) and MPP or Riverdale or twoterms (1985-90), beore retiring rom thelegislature. He received an award rom theCouncil o Canadians with Disabilities in
2001. He now runs David Reville & Asso-ciates consulting rm, and is an instructorat Ryerson Universitys School o DisabilityStudies.
An interesting article
about survivor-run busi-
nesses: Learning to walk
between worlds: informallearning in psychiatric
survivor-run businesses: a
retrospective re-reading of
research process and results
from 1993-1999, Kathryn
Church (2001)
http://www.oise.utoronto.
ca/depts/sese/csew/nall/
res/20learningtowalk.pd
Working Like Crazy, an
NFB documentary about
survivor-run businesses.
A teaching guide may be
ound at http://www.on-
nb.gc.ca/sg/98109.pd
For more about aug-
mented education, see
the George Brown Collegewebsite. There are a num-
ber o articles about aug-
mented education on the
CAMH website; see, or ex-
ample: www.camh.net/.../
Strategic_Planning_An-
nual_Reports/Annual_Re-
ports/2005/training_em-
ployment_ar2005.htmlFor inormation about
jobs requiring lived expe-
rience o mental illness
e.g. peer support workers,
see: http://www.vch.ca/
mentalhealth/peersup-
port_aq.htm
Psychiatric survivors need jobsOther sources o inorma-
tion on this issue
Other businesses run by psychiatric survivorsFresh Start Cleaning and Maintenance Busi-
ness
761 Queen St. West, Suite 207
Toronto, Ontario
M6J 1G1
Phone: 416-504-4262Fax: 416-504-3429
http://www.reshstartclean.com/
This business provides general oce clean-
ing, special event cleaning, construction
cleaning, seasonal lawn clean up, prepara-
tion and ertilization. They provide over 1000
hours a week o work to dozens o psychiatric
survivors.
Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises
1499 Queen St. W., Suite 203
Toronto, ON M6R 1A3
Tel: 416 - 537 - 9551
Fax: 416 - 537 - 1810
[email protected]://www.pgte.org/index.html
This business provides specialty cosmetic
landscaping both indoors and outdoors
to local businesses and organizations. It
currently provides employment or up to
35 people. For a portolio o their work, see
their website.
Out o this World Ca
1001 Queen St. W. (inside CAMH)Tel: 416-535-8501 x. 3006
Fax: 416 - 583 - 1247
General Inquiry: [email protected]
http://www.otwcae.com/index.html
This business provides top-notch catering
services too (see their menu and on-line
order orm at http://www.otwcae.com/
catering.htm)
The Raging Spoon
761 Queen St. W. (Queen and Euclid)(416) - 504 6128
http://www.ragingspoon.com/home.htm
Raging Spoon provides excellent catering
services (see their menu at http://www.
ragingspoon.com/ragingspoonmenu.pd ). It
also has a ca, currently under reconstruc-
tion but reopening soon. It has employed
about 150 psychiatric survivors
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
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Heartsand M inds 8
Getting eHealth back on trackFrance Glinas, MPP
Te continuing expense
scandal at eHealth On-
tario and the McGuinty
governments seeminglylaissez-air supervision
o the agency has cast
doubt on not only the
competency o the gov-
ernment, but also on
the status o Ontarios
electronic health records
system.
It should be said at the outset that no government agency
should be given carte blanche in their operations, regard-
less o the importance o the nal product. Te gross mis-
management and waste o precious health care dollars,
the backhanded deals between riends, and the continued
bungling o the launching o a provincial electronic health
records system is unacceptable.
But where do we go rom here and how do we get the de-
velopment o an electronic health records system back on
track?
For starters, there is no question that eHealth Ontario must
shed itsel o the corporate culture o entitlement that has
le Ontarians appalled. Tese are the same Ontarians who
have patiently waited a very long time or an electronic
health records system to roll out across the province.
In the healthcare sector itsel, you would be hard pressed
to nd anyone who would deny the importance o elec-
tronic health records. Tus, it is essential that this scandal
does not leave Ontario even urther behind in achieving a
system o electronic health records.
Certainly, heads must roll as a result o the current scan-dalincluding the one o the Minister in charge. But its
also prudent to take a moment and think about where we
ought to be headed.
Electronic health record systems have the potential to save
our healthcare system millions o dollars each year. Tey
can also reduce healthcare errors, ensure greater coordina-
tion, and provide or better care and health outcomes or
Ontario patients.
Yet, in spite o these benets, Ontario is sadly lagging be-
hind other jurisdictions.
We are standing on the sidelines while a place like Den-
markwith about hal o Ontarios populationdemon-
strates an advanced and comprehensive electronic health
records system. Te level o integration and the close to
100 per cent compliance that has been achieved in Den-
mark is a goal we should set our sights on.
But beore we think that the only leading example o this
kind o system is located in a ar-o country, lets take a
look at an Ontario-grown model.
Te Group Health Centre, located in Sault Ste. Marie, has
been described by Roy Romanow as the jewel in the crown
o Medicare. Te centre is a model o inter-disciplinary,
comprehensive careall supported by an electronic health
e-Health: Follow the money . . .
Amount paid to two top e-Health executives per year, own in rom Alberta $1,500,000
E-Health CEO Sarah Kramer annual salary 380,000
Sarah Kramers bonus in March 2009 ater our months on the job 114,000
Sarah Kramers severance pay 316,670
Amount Sarah Kramer billed govt to reurbish her ofce 51.500
Consultant Penny Ballems pay or 78 hours o work 30,000
Michael Guerrieres consulting ee per day 3,000
Fee per day o each o two executive own in rom Alberta 2,700
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
9/28 9 Heartsand M inds
electronic records but are rarely able to share these records
with external partners such as hospitals. Tis greatly un-
dermines the eectiveness o any electronic health records
system.
Ontarians need and deserve a system that works. With a
total investment that is now ast approaching $1-billion
we should have it. But sadly we dont. Te eHealth Ontario
scandal is a serious setback, but it shouldnt derail the ob-
jective o delivering a sound, ully-unctioning electronic
health records systemsooner, rather than later.
records system that has been successully unctioning
or more than a decade. Tis system allows the centres
healthcare team, as well as hospitals and pharmacies in the
broader community, to have instantaneous access to pa-
tient records and manage chronic conditions in ways that
the rest o Ontarios healthcare providers can only dream
o. Tis system was not the product o high-priced consul-
tants. Rather, it was developed internally, growing out o
an already-established model o coordinated and patient-
centred care.
Given what we know and what weve seen, the Ontario
government would be wise to take a moment to reconsider
eHealth Ontarios present path. Te agencys penchant or
the glamour o high-priced consulting is not only unnec-
essary, but also ill-advised. Bringing the development o
an electronic health records system back into the public
sector, alongside proper accountability
mechanisms, should lead to ar better re-
sults than we have seen over the past seven
yearsduring which hundreds o mil-
lions o taxpayer dollars have been largely
squandered.
Tere is no question that building an elec-
tronic health records system will require
signicant investment. But New Demo-crats want it to be investment that is based
on the needs o patients and the ultimate
goal o building a coordinated, inter-disci-
plinary healthcare system.
What is at stake here is not just the comple-
tion o a complex inormation technology
puzzle, but also the provision o world-
class healthcare to all Ontarians.
Even beore this scandal, New Democrats
had expressed concern that eHealth On-
tario was not ocused on implementing a
system that gives highest priority to co-
ordination. Healthcare proessionals have
raised red ags about the absence o proper
plans to have existing systems communi-
cate seamlessly with each other. For exam-
ple, doctors ofces may have some level o
Getting eHealth back on track
France Glinas is the MPP or Nickel Beltthe riding constitut-ed by the doughnut o communities around the city o SudburyShe serves as the NDPs Health and Long-erm Care Critic andworked as a physiotherapist and healthcare administrator priorto her election to Queens Park in 2007. She is also a bush pilot, acompetitive rower and an avid snow boarder.
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
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Heartsand M inds 10
I the downward trend in cover-
age is allowed to continue, more and
more Ontario workers will be without
workplace pensionsmaking a public
pension system their only option. Tis
points to the crucial need or a broad-based, public discussion on how best
to ensure that all working Ontarians
will have nancial security in retire-
ment. Tere are many questions about
how an Ontario pension plan should
be designed, such as:
Should the plan cover only those
that presently lack an occupational
plan or should it also be accessible
as a top-up option or those that dohave a plan?
Should the plan be mandatory or
all employers and employees or
should there be opt-out options or
particular groups in particular cir-
cumstances?
What should the minimum contri-
bution level be?
New Democrats want to hear the
views o Ontarians. Tis summer, our
Pensions Critic, Paul Miller (MPP or
Hamilton EastStoney Creek), will
criss-cross the province posing these
and other questions as we rene our
proposal or a Pensions Ontario Plan.
West end orontonians can attend the
August 6 meeting on Weston Road
(See ad, page 9).
NOE: A French version o this articleis available at our website. See: http://
www.phpndp.ca
Peter Kormos is the MPP or Welland andthe NDP critic or justice and labour.
Paul Miller is the MPP or Hamilton EastStoney Creek and the NDP critic or Pen-sions, Seniors Issues, Government Servicesand ourism, Recreation and Sport.
pensions o tens o thousands o retir-
ees at risk. Te legislation is, in act,
a complete repudiation o decades o
past practice whereby the province has
always provided the Fund with a long-
term, repayable loan whenever claimson the und exceed the money avail-
able or payout.
It should be noted that Ontario al-
ready has the blueprint or dealing
with many o the current problems
acing the pension system: the Arthurs
Report. While the NDP doesnt sup-
port all o the reports recommenda-
tions, we ound it particularly astute
on the matter o the Pension Benets
Guarantee Fund.Te NDPs approach to pension re-
orm is based on the ollowing consid-
erations:
- First, we recognize that the Can-
ada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age
Security plan (OAS) orm a crucial
oundation or decent retirement or
Ontario workers. However, the in-
come level they oer does not provide
or a retirement with dignity. For many
workers, this means the CPP benet
will provide an income ar less than
one-quarter o the average industrial
wage. For women and others acing
discrimination and structural disad-
vantages in the labour market, plan
benet levels are inadequate.
- Second, there has been a gradual
slide in the number o workers covered
by a workplace pension plan. Much
o this due to the dramatic growth onon-standard or precarious work, in-
cluding part-time, casual, contract
and sel-employment. Tese areas o
work have grown while the raction o
the workorce now having permanent
ull-time employment has allen to
less than two-thirds. O those not hav-
ing permanent ull-time employment,
only 15 per cent enjoy workplace pen-
sion coverage.
Te issue o pensions has been gar-
nering a great deal o attention. And
with the baby boomer generation
reaching or soon to reach retire-
ment age, pensions promise to become
an even bigger issue o concern to all
Canadians.
New Democrats at Queens Park
believe that all workers should be able
to look orward to an economically
secure and dignied retirement. Te
NDP believes the Ontario government
has the primary responsibility to deal
with the present pension crisis. Te
provincial government has sole re-
sponsibility or protecting 85 per cent
o Ontarios pensions. It holds the keysto resolving many o the issues sur-
rounding pensions.
Tats why New Democrats were
concerned by legislation, buried in the
ne print o the provincial budget bill,
that explicitly states that the province
has no legal obligation to support the
Pension Benets Guarantee Fund
the back-up or Ontario pensions.
Tis legislation is wrong and places the
An Ontario pension plan: An idea whose time has come?
Peter Kormos, MPP
Paul Miller, MPP
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
11/28 11 Heartsand M inds
Sudbury New Democrat MP introduces law to cap credit
card interest rates at prime plus 5 percent
Glenn Tibeault, MP
While the weather has improved,
and the sunshine has brightened our
days, there has been no improvementor the millions o Canadians strug-
gling with huge credit card debt and
cripplingly high interest rates.
In April o this year, I introduced
a motion as the New Democrat con-
sumer protection critic to adopt the
Obama Administrations approach to
credit cards, through the implementa-
tion o the Credit Card Accountabil-
ity and Responsibility Act. Te planincluded measures to accomplish the
ollowing: end unair ees and charges,
eliminate arbitrary interest rate hikes,
protect consumers who pay their bills
on time and shield the vulnerable rom
aggressive credit card solicitation.
When the motion received support
rom the majority o Parliament, the
Conservative government nally took
notice o the issue. However, like most
announcements made by the Harper
government, all that was oered was
window dressingliterally a bold box
on customers credit card statements.
No help with high interest rates.
No halt to any time, any reason
interest rate increases.
No help and no hope or Canadi-
ans.
No hope until now.
However, now there is a real solu-
tion on the table. A solution that willtake real action and yield results or
Canadians who are ed up with the
unair and predatory practices o
credit card companies. Finally, there
is a plan to put a hard cap on interest
rates.
It is important or all New Demo-
crats to stand with Canadian consum-
ers who have been gouged by high
credit card interest rates. Tats why Iintroduced a private members bill on
June 18 that would cap all credit card
interest rates at ve per cent above
prime (the overnight Bank o Canada
lending rate). Tat would mean the
rate on June 25, or example, would
be 5.25 percent. Most Canadians are
currently paying between 11 and 18
percent on their credit cards, i not
more.
Te bill would amend sections o
the Bank Act and three other laws to
ensure that all credit cards are subject
to the regulation and all consumersbenet rom reasonable interest rates.
Banks are giving out ewer loans
and lines o credit, orcing amilies to
turn to their credit cards, which have
much higher interest rates. Canadians
are already eeling the eects o the
recession; over 1.6 million are unem-
ployed, and hundreds o thousands o
them cant get access to EI. At the very
least, they shouldnt be eeced by thebig banks and credit card companies.
Contact me at (705) 673-7107 or
more ino, or to tell me your story o
misbehaving credit card companies
For the ull text o Bill C-426An
Act to amend the Bank Act and oth-
er Acts (cost o borrowing or credit
cards), see: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/
HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4007045&Language=e&Mod
=1&File=24
Glenn Tibeault was elected to represent theriding o Sudbury in the House o Commonsin 2008, the rst New Democrat to representthe riding ederally since 1967. He currentlyserves as the NDPs critic or consumer pro-tection and sports. Prior to his election as
MP he worked as a reporter, a worker withthe developmental handicapped and execu-tive director o the Sudbury United Way.
Write to your ederal MP, o whatever political stripe, urging him/her to vote in avour o a
frm cap on interest rates by supporting Bill C-426.
TAKE ACTION!
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
12/28
Heartsand M inds 12
especially challenging.
Competing companies like West Jet
and Porter predictably react by adding
more airline capacity to the market,
even when travel is declining, in the
hope o urther damaging Air Canada,so that they can then gain a larger share
o the market. Tis illogical behaviour
is encouraged under our current any-
thing goes air travel regime.
Unions have once again done the
responsible thing by holding the line
(even aer six years without a pay in-
crease) and by trying to keep the com-
pany out o bankruptcy. Retirees have
joined in the eort. But ultimately, we
need some sanity and some regulation
restored to our air travel. Tis doesnt
mean returning to the old ways. A
modern regulatory system would pre-
vent the dramatic swings in the airline
sector by imposing responsible limits
on the overall capacity growth o car-
riers. It would stop the destructive
attacks o one company on another
through excessive carrying capacity.
It would also mean our FederalGovernment taking an equity stake
in Air Canadanot buying the whole
company or running the day-to-day
operations, but helping ensure long-
term nancial stability. I the alterna-
tive is a complete oreign takeover such
as happened with our railway system,
keeping our government involved in
our national air carrier is denitely
preerable.
Te travelling public in Canada,
and the workorce who serve it, have
endured enough. Lets not let another
travel business needlessly go under. Its
time to put some sanity back into our
national airline.
For urther inormation about the
Air Canada situation, see: http://www.
caw.ca/en/7423.htm
As chie negotiator or the CAW in
the recent round o talks with our na-
tional air carrier, I have observed rst
hand the shortcomings o privatizing
and deregulating key sectors o our
economy.
Air Canada is once again teetering
on the brink o bankruptcy (CCAA*),
aer just emerging rom CCAA six
years ago. At that time the courts ap-
proved a plan that saw Air Canada En-
terprises (ACE) take on the role o ma-
jor shareholder o Air Canada. ACE
spun o key protable segments o Air
Canada, such as the Aeroplan rewards
program, the maintenance section, andits regional carrier. Tese were sold or
huge prots that beneted the inves-
tors, especially US hedge unds, and
the key executives. ACE CEO Robert
Milton alone pocketed more than $60
million. Tis is the kind o irrespon-
sible corporate behavior that is driving
Americans crazy but doesnt seem to
attract much notice here in Canada.
Air Canada sta bore the brunt othe restructuring. Under bankruptcy
they had made sacrices that provided
over $2 billion in cost savings to Air
Canada, only to see this money travel
right into the pockets o the investors.
oday those employees work harder
and longer or less pay and benets.
Since the end o 2000, Air Canada
has reduced its total ull-time equiva-
lent sta by 47 percent, resulting in a
loss o over 20,000 jobs (rom almost
45,000 jobs to 23,600 today). Tey are
so short-staed that when bad weather
hit last December during the holidayperiod, Canadian air travel ground to
a halt and there were not enough sta
to deal with the crisis. Te traveling
public took out their rustrations on
the same sta that were trying to hold
the operation together. It was very
rustrating indeed.
Opposition to so-called Big Gov-
ernment and the Nanny State os-
tered the climate that led to Air Cana-
das current precarious state. In Canada
and around the world governments o
all stripes ell into the trap o the pri-
vate sector does it better. Certainly
this approach made some people very
rich, but it also le some governments
nearly bankrupt, eroded key services
like health care and transportation,
and promoted a philosophy o greed
that works against the public interest.
Ask anyone aected by the nancialmeltdown inicted on the world by
Wall Street how eective the unregu-
lated private sector can be.
Airline deregulation has led to the
bankruptcy and disappearance o doz-
ens o companies with all the usual
pain and heartache or the sta and
travelling public. Since Air Canada
was privatized, it has been an overall
disaster or investors losing a grand to-
tal o almost $6 billion.
Te latest downturn in the econ-
omy has created a crisis or many o
the worlds airlines, but or companies
like Air Canada, which was already in
a precarious state, the loss o revenue,
the poor hedging o uel prices, cur-
rency uctuations, and the poor state
o pension plan investments have been
Air Canada: Fly it Right
Peggy Nash, ormer MP
* CCAA: Companies Creditors Arrange-ments Act
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
13/28 13 Heartsand M inds
came up with new station congura-
tion ideas that dramatically improved
the proposal.
Contrast this with the processes or
the Air Rail link and GO transit im-
provements. Only one option is pro-posed. Static poster boards take the
place o community conversation, and
crucial inormation about costs and
phasing that might yield other options
(such as using electric instead o diese
trains) has been withheld because o
commercial considerations. In short
the communitys wisdom has not been
part o the design process.
Elected ofcials who are account-able to the public run the C. In
contrast, Premier McGuinty recently
removed all elected ofcials rom the
Board o Metrolinx.
We will only achieve sustainability
i we get both the big picture and the
thousands o smaller local pictures
right at the same time.
Gord Perks: 416-392-7919councillor [email protected]
http://www.gordperks.ca
work rom both points o view.
oronto s ransit City started out
as a bird-eye view project. o get the
street sense the City went to the com-
munity. o date, there have been about
25 ormal public consultation meet-ings. Te chair o the C, Council-
lor Adam Giambrone, has personally
hosted an addition 30 independent
stakeholder meetings. Countless inor-
mal small group meetings have been
held. We are planning about 30 more
public consultation meetings or pre-
liminary planning and there will be at
least eight more meetings as part o the
Environmental Assessment require-ments. Once we are into pre-construc-
tion there will be ongoing community
liaison meetings.
Tis intensive conversation has
yielded tremendous results. For ex-
ample, public consultations on the
Waterront West line led to a decision
to develop a new routing option: one
that would see light rail serve expand-
ed beaches and parkland down by theSunnyside Beach.
Te consultations on the Sheppard
line also led to big changes. Te local
councillor met with residents, transit
users and City sta right onsite in the
Don Mills Subway station. Dierent
modes o transit, and station design
were evaluated. Members o the pub-
lic were provided with costs and time-
lines associated with the various op-
tions. With that in mind, members o
the public reworked the proposal and
Most everyone agrees that we need
to take bold steps to achieve a more
sustainable city. Te trouble comes
when we overlook the ne details o
how to make that change. Compar-ing the community consultations or
ransit City and Metrolinx shows how
things can go right or wrong.
Mayor Miller is ond o saying that
oronto has an excellent transit sys-
tem - or 1975. Hes right. Most o the
transportation choices made in oron-
to and the surrounding municipalities
avoured cars over walking, cycling
and public transit. Now, we must catchup on nearly a generation o under-
spending and questionable land use
decisions.
O course rebuilding the trans-
portation system is no easy eat. Its
one thing to draw a bunch o lines on
a map and designate them as transit
routes. Its another to gure out how
that transit works when it rubs up
against neighbourhoods. Its the di-
erence between a birds eye-view and
street-sense. A good project needs to
A Tale of Two Transit Consultations
Gord Perks, Councillor
Gord Perks has been City Councillor orWard 14 since 2006. Prior to that he hadbeen senior campaigner at the oronto En-
vironmental Alliance (1997-2006) with aocus on waste reduction and public transit,executive director o the Better ranspor-tation Coalition (199496), the Pulp andPaper campaigner atGreenpeace Canada
(1989 93), and worked with PollutionProbe (1987-89) where he was the princi-
pal author o the Green Consumer Guide.
Watermain and sewer work will begin on Roncesvalles the week o July 20th. Construction will run rom 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Monday to
Friday, and rom 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, as well as occasional work at night until the project is completed. During construction
only northbound trac will be maintained and parking will be prohibited along most o the street. Access to driveways and sidestreets
will be maintained. For urther inormation, see: http://www.gordperks.ca/park_post/
Roncesvalles reconstruction - water main and sewer project:
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
14/28
Heartsand M inds 14
Clean energy jobs being created in Michigan, Colorado,
Ohio, Manitoba and Quebec
Peter abuns, MPP
In Ontario we are surrounded by
jurisdictions that have increasingly
gured out what the uture is goingto look like, that are racing ahead o
us, and we are playing catch-up. In
the United States, the new adminis-
tration understandsperhaps very
imperectlythat the uture is going
to be in clean energy. Te ederal gov-
ernment is putting in place unds to
develop renewable energy to address
climate change, energy independence
and building 21st century industry.
I you look at Michigan, our neigh-
bour, they have been battered heavily
in the last decade or two by the decay
o the auto industry. Teir leader, the
state governor, is ocusing heavily on
renewable energy and development
o clean cars, o electric cars, as the
uture or industry in that state. In
April, Governor Jennier Granholm o
Michigan made this announcement:
Michigans aggressive eort to grow
the advanced-battery industry and the
jobs it will create has resulted in our
companies announcing plans to in-
vest more than $1.7 billion to launch
advanced-battery manuacturing a-
cilities in Michigan. Te projects that
will create almost 7,000 new jobs in
Michigan were awarded state reund-
able tax credits that will help the com-
panies in their quest or some o the $2
billion in ederal grants or advanced-
battery research and development.
So, the reality is that in our neigh-bouring jurisdiction o Michigan, they
have a vision o where the uture is, and
they are moving towards it, because
they want their people to be employed
and they want industry in Michigan to
support the uture o Michigans econ-
omy.
A ew months ago, in Denver, Colo-
rado, the American Wind Energy As-
sociation held its annual conerence.Five years ago, 5,000 people would go
to that conerence; a ew months ago,
it was 22,000. Five American gover-
nors were there on panels hustling or
business. Michigan had a huge room
in which they were presenting them-
selves as a partner or any industry that
wanted to set up green manuacturing
in Michigan. Ontario had three people
in a little booth.
Whos more serious about getting
that green business?
In Colorado, they have a unit in the
governors ofce whose sole unction is
to look at the supply chain or renew-
able energy companies, identiy areas
where businesses in Colorado can
provide components, and go to those
companies and try and insert Colo-
rado businesses into that supply chain.
Or, they will look at deunct industrial
properties in that state and say, We
have acilities that could manuacture
what you need to get your product out
the door. Come work with us. Tey
are consistently and aggressively going
aer that business.
In oledo, Ohio, in May, the oledo
Free Press reported that the alterna-
tive energy industry has become a
bright spot in oledos otherwise dis-
mal economy. Tere are 6,000 people
in the oledo area employed at rms
contributing to solar cell developmentand manuacturing, according to Re-
gional Growth Partnership, a non-
prot economic development group.
Tat number pales in comparison to
the overall manuacturing loss in that
region, but at 6,000 people, it actually
is the core o what can become a grow-
ing industry in that area.
In the United States, jurisdictions
that have aced many o the sameproblems we are acing here are ag-
gressively going out and getting the
manuacturing jobs and putting them
in place. Teyre understanding, as I
said, at the ederal level in the United
States that the world is changing very
substantially. On April 22 the head-
line in the New York imes was, En-
ergy Regulatory Chie Says New Coal,
Nuclear Plants May Be Unnecessary.
Tis is not a minor researcher in a
large ederal department. Tis is the
person who oversees the direction o
energy investment and energy regula-
tion throughout the United States. He
sees that the way that energy, electric-
ity in particular, is generated and dis-
tributed in the United States is going
to shi dramatically. Tat is a debate
that is not over in the United States,
but at least at the very highest levels
theyre understanding that there is that
opportunity. Its there today, its alive, it
has to be taken, and it can have a huge
positive impact on the economy.
In Manitoba, where the NDP is gov-
erning, we have a government that has
become a leader in geothermal energy,
that provides unding or household-
ers to put in heat exchangers so they
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
15/28 15 Heartsand M inds
applications to set up new gardens
Te city has a mandate to increase the
number o community gardens, and
is aiming to have at least one in every
ward. Tere is a ormal process or ap-
proval, involving a community meet-ing and trouble-shooting by city sta
prior to the issuing o a permit. Te
City o oronto itsel tills the plots al-
located and sets up a shed on each plot
beore turning it over to the successu
applicant.
Hussey laments that some oronto
city policies inhibit urban agriculture
oronto still has a rule that ood grown
on public land cannot be sold, onlyused by the growers themselves or do-
nated. Although the initial intent o
the measure may have been to preven
private proteering on public land
this rule limits the economic viability
o urban agriculture projects, because
it means the wages o the growers have
to be covered by grants or donations
rather than by the sales o the ood
they themselves produce.
comments in his website: http://www.
spinarming.org
Satzewich and Vandersteen get
three crops per growing season on the
plots they rent or barter or through-
out the city. For urther inormationabout SPIN arming, see: http://www.
spinarming.com/aq/
How ar can urban agriculture go
to meeting orontonians ood needs?
According to Graeme Hussey (direc-
tor o development or Greenest City),
reliable urban agriculture experts
such as his mentor, York University
proessor Rod MacRae, estimate that
oronto might be able to grow withinits boundaries about 20 percent o the
vegetables its inhabitants need. Other
less densely occupied cities might are
even better, but unlike Detroit, oron-
to doesnt have a lot o empty lots in
the downtown area.
Tere is increasing interest on the
part o orontonians in setting up new
gardens. According to Hussey, there
are more than 50 existing urban gar-
dens in City parks, and another 150
Contrary to what one might think,
city gardening oers distinct ad-
vantages over rural arming. Wally
Satzewich and Gail Vandersteen, theounders o SPIN-arming (Small Plot
Intensive) have been growing ood in
and outside o Saskatoon or 20 years.
However, they ound the problems
with bugs, deer and wind on their ru-
ral arm overwhelming, and aer six
years, decided there was more money
to be made growing crops intensively
in the city o Saskatoon.
According to Satzewich, city grow-ing provides a more controlled envi-
ronment, with ewer pests, better wind
protection and a longer growing sea-
son. We are producing 10-15 dierent
crops and sell thousands o bunches o
radishes and green onions and thou-
sands o bags o salad greens and car-
rots each season. Our volumes are
low compared to conventional arm-
ing, but we sell high-quality organic
products at very high-end prices, he
Urban agriculture: The wave of the future?J.A. MacNeil
Quebec content or wind turbines,
theyre talking heavily about content
rom Gasp. Companies are having
to move into the Gasp Peninsula to
make wind turbines, to make blades,
to make the whole range o equipment
to actually put those wind turbines inplace. So an area that or generations
has seen nothing but depopulation is
seeing young people come back into
the Gasp because there are now some
new jobs that pay decently there.
Quebec is using their green energy
sector as an economic development
toolrankly, like Minnesota, which
has a similar strategy in the north end
o their stateand seeing the positive
results that you can see i youre willing
to invest substantially and understand
where the uture is going.
People ask what green jobs are and
I can tell you, they are nancial, cleri-
cal, retail, I, design, manuacturingmaintenance, construction and trans-
port. In act almost every job we do
now can advance a sustainable agenda
Tats i we are willing to act.
Clean energy jobs being created in Michigan, Colorado, Ohio, Manitoba and Quebec
can take cold or heat out o the earth.
Tat isnt electricity generation. Tats
taking advantage o heat and cooling
storage in the ground, something we
should be doingan area where Man-
itoba is leading the way.
In Quebec, they have investment inwind turbines that are changing the
ace o the Gasp Peninsula. When we
talk about investment in wind turbines
in Quebec, you have to understand that
theyre very ocused on the Gaspsie,
on an area that has been chronically
underdeveloped, that has been losing
employment and losing population.
When Quebec talks about 60 percent
Peter abuns, MPP or oronto-Danorthsince 2006, is the NDP critic on Environ-ment and Energy.. He was previously Executive Director o Greenpeace Canada andoronto City Councillor or Riverdale.
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
16/28
Heartsand M inds 16
Greenest City is growing the futureGelek Badheytsang
Community gardens are springing
up aster than dandelions in the GA
these days. Why are they taking such
strong roots here in Parkdale?Becoming a locavore and the eco-
virtues o reducing the long-distance
transport and chemicals associated
with conventional agriculture is a hot
topic lately. Community gardens em-
brace some o these virtues but also
do more than just growing local ood.
Tese gardens grow an urban commu-
nitys ood security by keep-
ing the skill and knowledgeo growing ood alive and
allowing urban residents to
reconnect with ood beyond
the supermarket. Te gar-
dens also combat two orms
o alienation that plague
modern urban lie by bring-
ing urban gardeners closer in
touch with the source o their
ood and the environment,
and by breaking down social
isolation by creating a hub
within the community that encour-
ages the residents to move outside o
their homes and interact with others.
It was with these values in heart
that Greenest City joined orces with
local residents to cultivate Parkdales
rst community ood garden. Being
a neighbourhood where 90 percent o
residents live in multi-unit apartments
with little to no access to growing
space, Greenest City identied a need
or a place where some o its residents
can tend to a garden plot and grow
healthy and organic ood or their
amilies and community.
Owing to its large immigrant and
diverse population, the garden serves
not only as a place or people to re-
kindle their love and skill o growing
ood; it is also an open and public out-
door community centre or Parkdales
diverse community.
Tere is a reason community mem-
bers in Parkdale named this rst gar-den HOPE (Healthy Organic Parkdale
Edibles). HOPE garden grows not only
ood, it helps grow community pride,
connections and opportunities, and
the strength and beauty o Parkdale.
Tis garden makes a big dierence
or me. It gets me out o my apart-
ment and has a positive impact on my
mental health, said om, a gardener
at Greenest Citys HOPE Community
Garden.
Understanding the need to get
youth engaged in the vision o a sus-
tainable ood system is also an integral
aspect o Greenest Citys work. Te
organization created an environmen-
tal leadership program specically or
youth called the Youth Green Squad
(YGS).
One o orontos most interesting
gardens belongs to the YGS. Each sum-
mer, Greenest City employs a number
o Parkdale youththe YGSas ull-
time urban gardeners. Tey plant and
harvest their own organic garden, and
in the process have revitalized a local
parkette previously associated with
drug-use and neglect. Te youth do-
nate their entire yield to local com-
munity kitchens where they also work
as cooks, providing a healthy organic
meal or some o the most marginal-ized members o their community.
I didnt think twice beore about
what I ate or where it came rom, says
Brindini, a 16-year-old YGS member.
Now I see that I can make a real di-
erence just by knowing how to grow
ood and sharing it with other people
in Parkdale. It makes me eel happy
and proud.
Te recently completedoronto Diabetes Atlas sug-
gests that community inra-
structure can help mitigate
the diabetes epidemic by pro-
viding opportunities to make
healthy choices. Garden-
based programs like Greenest
Citys create new inrastruc-
ture in our community: new
public spaces, new jobs, new
access to sustainable ood,
new ways to be involved in
the community, new opportunities to
be active, and a place to belong.
Greenest City plans to improve
and expand our work in the commu-
nity. You can help us by sponsoring a
YGS members salary. Or you can be
included by subscribing to our weekly
e-newsletter, which covers all the latest
details o events, programs and ways
to get involved.
Please contact us, by email: admin@
greenestcity.ca or by phone: 647-438-
0038 or more inormation on how
you can be a part o this growing
movement.
Gelek Badheytsang is the CommunicationsDirector o Greenest City
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
17/28 17 Heartsand M inds
ending a plot requires about 4 or 5
hours o work a week. Someone needs
to come by every two days to water
and weed or up to an hour. Tis is a
signicant, but not a huge, investmen
o time.Greenest City Director o Develop-
ment Graeme Hussey points out that
greenhouses can be a big part o urban
agriculture. He notes that a greenhouse
o about 8 x 8 (3 metres by 2 metres)
can grow enough seedlings or a com-
munity garden o about 4-5,000 square
eet (400 square metres). Te seedlings
are not only used within Greenest City
garden; they are popular items withthe public.
Te oronto District School Board
has many underused greenhouses
Parkdale Collegiate has a new green-
house and Greenest City is working
with them to make it more unctional
Greenest City itsel is about to receive
a small greenhouse their rst rom
Home Depot.
Greenest City is a remarkably suc-
cessul home-grown work-in-progress
and one model or urban agriculture.
things up. He enjoyed himsel, made
healthy riends, then got o drugs, and
now has a stable home aer 35 years o
driing around oronto.
Greenest Citys other urban garden,
the Youth Garden, located in the DunnStreet Parkette, is employing 11 at-risk
high school youths, some o whom
are aboriginal. Te ood grown in the
Youth Garden is donated to communi-
ty kitchens in the area where the youth
help cook and serve the ood.
Greenest City has seven paid sta,
o whom ve and hal started in the
last six months. Greenest City sta
acilitate cooperation among the di-erent gardeners in a particular gar-
den, provide technical advice and help
obtain the seedlings. Tey also give
workshops on growing, harvesting,
processing, ood politics and cook-
ing. Greenest City has attracted over
500 volunteers, who have collectively
contributed over 12,000 hours o time
in 2008. It has ocused on Neighbour-
hood 85, a very vulnerable neighbour-
hood in Parkdale. Currently, no spaces
in the HOPE Garden are available and
there is a waiting list.
About Greenest CityJ.A. MacNeil
Greenest City is an award-winning
charitable organization that grows lo-
cal organic ood, youth leaders and
healthy, sustainable communities witha ocus on orontos Parkdale-High
Park neighbourhood. Its animated,
community-driven initiatives are
grounded in urban agriculture. Green-
est City has two urban gardensthe
HOPE Garden and the Youth Garden.
Tere are 30 plots in Greenest Citys
HOPE Garden, located on Cowan Av-
enue south o Queen Street; most are
owned by agencies rather than by indi-viduals. For example, the ESL class or
ibetans has a plot, and participants
learn English in the context o garden-
ing. Te Hope Garden produced about
3000 pounds (1300 kilos) o ood last
year and is governed by a steering
committee composed o the gardeners.
Te gardeners themselves decide what
to grow. Te HOPE Garden has had
other unexpected positive spin-os.
For example, Dave, a Parkdale resident
with drug problems, got involved in
the HOPE Garden, digging and xing
Further readingFor Hunger-Proo CitiesSustainable Urban Food Systems.
Edited by Mustaa Koc, Rod MacRae, Luc J.A. Mougeot, and Jennier Welsh.
Published by International Development Research Centre (IDRC), 1999.
For Hunger-proo Cities is the
rst book to ully examine ood
security rom an urban perspec-
tive. It examines existing local
ood systems and ways to improve
the availability and accessibility
o ood or city dwellers. It looks
at methods to improve commu-
nity-supported agriculture and
cooperation between urban and rural
populations. It explores what existing
marketing and distribution structures
can do to improve accessibility and
what the emerging orms o ood-
distribution systems are, and how they
can contribute to alleviating hunger in
the cities. Finally, the book discusses
the underlying structures that create
poverty and inequality and exam-
ines the role o emergency ood
systems, such as ood banks. For
Hunger-proo Cities includes con-
tributions rom armers and pro-
essors, young activists and expe-
rienced business leaders, students
and policymakers, and commu-
nity organizers and practitioners.
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
18/28
Heartsand M inds 18
Co-operatives: Back to the Future?John Richmond
Sunday night dinner with my
grandmother on my mothers side was
a regular event when I was growing up.
Other relatives sometimes joined usbut Grandma was always there. We al-
most never missed Sunday night din-
ners unless we were away on vacation.
While I was used to my ather, who
at that time worked at the Bank o
Montreal, telling me that socialism
is a nice idea but it will never work,
my grandmother would spend Sunday
evenings denouncing the evils o the
Social Creditour right-wing gov-ernment at the time in BCand tell-
ing me that the Great Depression had
taught her that capitalism was a system
doomed to ail, and that only World
War II had saved the system rom total
collapse.
I still remember sitting by the re
in our living room and asking my
grandmother what socialism would
look like. I was curious and I want-
ed answersI elt my grandmother
was right about our economic system
but also thought my ather was right
about the problems with socialism;
government-run business is usually
less efcient and eective than the
private sector, or example. But as my
Grandmother pointed out to me and
rest o the amily in our lively political
discussions, government ownership o
business was not the denition o so-
cialism.
My grandmother was not well read
in philosophy, economics or political
economy but she knew implicitly that
the Soviet model o socialism was
just an excuse or a naked power-grab.
Te USSR, China and other so called
socialist countries had nothing to do
with real socialism. Real socialism or
my Grandmother was ommy Doug-
las and the CCF/NDP.
We orget (and our education sys-
tem does nothing to remind us) that
the CCFthe Cooperative Com-
monwealth Federationhad a visiono socialism which was all about the
democratic, small and medium-scale
ownership o the means o the pro-
duction and distribution o goods and
services by workers, armers and con-
sumers organized into cooperatives
and credit unions (nancial coopera-
tives) o all shapes and sizes.
For my grandmother, this was the
ideal we should all be working toachieve. Te government should pro-
vide certain important services. In her
opinion these were (1) Health care,
(2) Education, (3) Ferries (in BC you
cant get anywhere without the erry
system), (4) Insurance (o all kinds
insurance or prot was a sin against
the Bible, according to Grandma), and
a ew other things. But everything else
could be cooperatives.
Tis idea appealed to me greatly,
and I threw mysel into joining, study-
ing and participating in co-ops rom
an early age. Years later, now living
in Parkdale-High Park, I have been
working with a group o amazing lo-
cal residents to design and create a
ood co-operative. Since co-ops are no
longer on the political (or any other)
radar, i you want a co-op you have to
do it yoursel , which in many ways is
the essence o the spirit o co-ops.
But starting a co-op, as I now know
rom experience, is no easy aair. Es-
pecially since co-ops are, by denition,
democratic businesses. Tey must be
built slowlywith great care, attention
and love. And ultimately the groups
involved must be able to access capi-
tallarge amounts o capital.
Our group began with the idea o
starting a Farmers Market since Farm-
ers Markets are easier and quicker to
organize and they achieve one o our
most important goals bringing pro-
ducers/workers (the armers) directlytogether with consumers (no middle
men, no corporations, etc.).
Our Sorauren Farmers Market
began last summer and is now in its
second year o operation. In the mean-
time we have been working hard to get
our ood co-op grocery store o the
ground. Our core group o ounders
met every two weeks or many months
working out the model, at the sametime as word spread and people began
calling and emailing us to ask when
are you going to open? and How can
I get involved? Te response was both
exciting and motivating.
Tanks to one o our core organiz-
ersSally Miller, a recognized expert
in ood issues and cooperativeswe
are now incorporated, we have a busi-
ness plan, nancials, an organizational
model, and we are planning to start
selling memberships and raising at
least part o the capital. Te rest o the
capital will come in the orm o loans
rom investors and a mortgage rom a
credit union.
Since democracy and participa-
tion are the core o any successul co-
op, we have been taking the time to
consult and involve as many people
as possible. We have enlisted a num-
ber o people rom York University to
help with a process called mapping,
whereby groups o people are brought
together to draw dierent versions o
their community based on social top-
ics. For us this process involves look-
ing at where, how and why people get
their ood and what is most important
to them in terms o ood issues.
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
19/28 19 Heartsand M inds
would be against that?
Sally Miller has just published a new
bookEdible Activism. It is available
at Another Story bookstore on Ronc-
esvalles.
Te Sorauren Farmers Market is
open every Monday rom 3-7.
Our website is: http://www.west-
endood.coop
in some important ways my grand-
mother was right. Not surprisingly my
ather also switched rom voting rom
Liberal to NDP, and now belongs to
the party!
Perhaps it is time or the NDP to re-
examine its roots in the co-operative
movement. We all know that the NDP
seems to have lost its way when it comes
to economics. Aside rom promising
to balance the books (which om-
my Douglas was very much in avour
o), we seem to be oering little else.
Co-ops oer a way out o the current
economic crisisa win-win strategy:
more and better economic and politi-
cal democracy and participation in a
way that gives ordinary people more
control over their daily lives. Who
We are working on a model that will
share the ownership and operations o
the co-op among workers, consumers,
as well as armers. Tis is an innovative
model which tries to balance the pri-
orities, concerns and interests o our
key stakeholders. In addition we have
been looking at issues o ood security
and how we can involve low-income
consumers in the operation o the co-
op and in gaining access to healthy, lo-
cal ood at aordable pricesno easy
challenge when the government is not
there to help.
wenty-ve years ago my ather
switched rom working in the cor-
porate banking sector to working in
credit unions and community-owned
housing. My ather had decided that
Co-operatives: Back to the Future?
John Richmond is a ormer Vice-Presidento the ParkdaleHigh Park NDP riding as-sociation. He was reasurer o the KarmaFood Coop ounded in 1972 and still goingstrong at 739 Palmerston Avenue here inoronto, rom 1998 to 2002, and directoro Human Resources o the East End Food
Co-op in Vancouver rom 1990-92. He is asocial worker in the mental health eld.
Te evidence so ar in the cur-rent recession is that there has
been an increase in the numbers
o cooperatives being ormed, and
they tend to last longer than other
types o business. In Germany,
the cooperative business model is
seen to provide stability and se-
curity in tough times, and is ex-
panding into new elds within the
Small and Medium Enterprise sec-tor. Tere are 8,000 cooperatives
with around 20 million members;
250 cooperatives were created in
2008, double the numbers started
in 2007.
Also, cooperatives last lon-
ger; while in 2005 1 percent o
businesses were declared insol-
Resilience o the Cooperative Business Model in Times o Crisis (excerpt)
International Labour
Organisation
vent, the gure or cooperatives was
less than 0.1 percent.(1) On the other
hand, in Spain, where there are over
18,000 worker cooperatives employing300,000 people, there was a slight all
in the number o new cooperatives in
2008 o 1.7 percent. However, the all
in start-ups or conventional compa-
nies was 7 percent.(2)
A major study by the Qubec gov-
ernment showed that cooperative
businesses tend to last longer than
other businesses in the private sector.
More than 6 out o 10 cooperativessurvive more than ve years, as com-
pared to almost 4 businesses out o 10
or the private sector in Qubec and in
Canada in general. More than 4 out o
10 cooperatives survive more than 10
years, compared to 2 businesses out
o 10 or the private sector. (3) One o
the reasons or this longevity could be
that cooperatives are not purely
motivated by achieving the maxi-
mum rate o prot. Rather coop-
eratives also have goals o servingtheir community and meeting the
needs o their members.
For the ull text o this ILO
study, see: http://www.ica.coop/
activities/un/2009-coop-resil-
ience.pd
(1) Marquardt, S and Sinico, S (2009)More German rms turn to coopera-
tives in tough economic times, ound atwww.dw-world.de(2) Worker cooperatives ace the eco-nomic crisis, ound at www.cicopa.coop(3) A study conducted by the Ministryo Industry and Commerce, Govern-ment o Qubec, 2008 Contributors:Lise Bond, Michel Clment, MichelCournoyer, Gatan Dupont
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
20/28
Heartsand M inds 20
housing, assist students and reduce or
waive service charges or community
groups.
Canadian credit unions are also
part o an international system and
are actively involved with the WorldCouncil o Credit Unions. Each year
they send sta and volunteers to help
credit unions grow and prosper, as well
as welcoming international visitors to
study Canadian organizations.
o learn more about Canadian
credit unions, check out the website
http://www.cucentral.ca
vation. Teir sizesmaller than the
huge banksmakes it easier to push
new ideas and makes them quicker to
implements changes.
Among the many innovations rom
credit unions are: mobile banking, anAM network, Internet banking, debit
card service and loans to women in
their own names.
Te rst Canadian caisse populaire
was started in December, 1900 in Le-
vis, Que. by Alphonse Desjardins. He
later worked in Ottawa and in 1908
helped start the rst credit union, now
known as Alterna Savings. Desjardins
later helped ound the rst American
credit union in New Hampshire.
Credit unions and other co-oper-
atives are based on the values o sel-
help, sel-responsibility, democracy,
equality, equity and solidarity. In the
tradition o their ounders, co-oper-
ative members believe in the ethical
values o honesty, openness, social re-
sponsibility and caring or others.
Credit unions and co-operatives ad-
here to seven principles that put those
values into practice.
Voluntary and Open Membership1.
Democratic Member Control2.
Member Economic Participation3.
Autonomy and Independence4.
Education, raining and Inorma-5.
tion
Co-operation among Co-opera-6.
tivesConcern or Community7.
Each year credit unions provide
millions in assistance or community
groups and projects. In 2007, they
contributed more than $36 million
to community eorts to support lo-
cal services, community initiatives
and sports teams, nance aordable
Te credit union movement in
Canada is thriving, despite the current
economic turmoil. In act, the prob-
lems have underlined the nanciallogic and value o the co-operative ap-
proach.
Credit unions exist to serve their
members and the communities in
which they are located, not to generate
huge prots or shareholders, or pay
large salaries to their CEOs.
Tis dierence in ocus helped
credit unions avoid the massive losses
that have hit the banks and ensured
that they have remained strong, stable
and able to serve their members.
More than one-third o Canadians
belong to a credit union, or caisses
populaires, making the system one o
the strongest in the world.
Te co-operative banking system is
split in two systems the Desjardins
Group that is a dominant player in
Quebec and has operations in other
provinces and an English-language
system represented by Credit Union
Central o Canada, the national trade
association and nancial acility, with
provincial centrals that provide servic-
es and about 440 independent credit
unions across the country.
Credit unions serve members, not
customers. Te cost o a membership
varies, but it is usually about $25 to
$50. Tis gives a member the right toattend annual meetings and to be ully
involved in the decision-making pro-
cess.
Te strong ocus on serving mem-
bers is demonstrated in surveys that
regularly place credit unions ahead o
banks in customer service rankings.
Another advantage o credit unions
is that they are more open to inno-
Credit unions and economic democracyArt Chamberlain
Credit unions ollowethical route
Credit unions take a dierenteconomic approach than thebig banks. Their ocus is onpeople, not profts.
They ollow co-operativeprinciples that guide theirapproach to service and in-vestments.
In the mid-1980s they ound-ed the Ethical Funds Compa-ny to provide members witha socially responsible way oinvesting. The company hasbeen at the oreront o theethical investment move-ment in North America andnow oers a wide range oinvestment products.
Now, it is part o Northwest &Ethical Investments LimitedPartnership, a national in-vestment frm with approxi-mately $5.5 billion in assetsunder management. North-west & Ethical InvestmentsL.P. is owned 50 percent bythe provincial credit unioncentrals and 50 percent bythe Desjardins Group.
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
21/28 21 Heartsand M inds
Zelaya as the only legitimate president
and called or Zelayas return. Barack
Obama, however, did not initially use
the word coup, prompting specula-
tion that the US administration does
not want to be obliged to cut o all aidto Honduras, as it is required to do un-
der American law when a democrat-
ically-elected president is overthrown
by the military.
On July 5th, Zelayas attempted re-
turn to Honduras rom Costa Rica
was thwarted by the military, which
blocked the airport runway in the
capital. Meanwhile, a crowd o some
100,000 Zelaya supporters gatheredoutside the airport to welcome him
back, but were attacked by soldiers and
riot police, who launched tear gas and
red upon the crowd, killing two peo-
ple, one o them a minor, and wound-
ing thirty.
Whos behind the coup, and why?
Te Honduran Supreme Court ap-
parently ordered the military to arrest
Zelaya. Like most progressive Latin
American presidents, Zelaya inherited
a Supreme Court closely allied with
still in operation.
Te military also cut electricity
throughout the country, making it im-
possible or most Hondurans to get
news rom oreign media outlets. Tey
cut telephone lines and Internet access,and imposed a dusk-to-dawn curew.
Since the coup, despite violent re-
pression by the military, crowds o pro-
testers have gathered on the streets o
the capital, egucigalpa. According to
the Honduran Committee o the Rela-
tives o the Detained and Disappeared,
as o July 20, a total o 1046 people have
been detained, 3 killed, 59 injured and
16 threatened with murder.
International reaction
Western countries, with the excep-
tion o Canada, were swi and vocier-
ous in their condemnation o the coup.
For example, Chilean President Mi-
chelle Batchelet, Brazils Ignacio Lula
Da Silva, Venezuelas Hugo Chvez,
Cubas Ral Castro, American Presi-
dent Barack Obama, and even right-
wing Colombian President Alvaro
Uribe all condemned the militarys
actions, reiterated their recognition o
In the wee hours o Sunday, June
28th, Hondurass reorm-minded
democratically elected president,
Manuel Zelaya, was taken prisonerby the military, who threatened to kill
him, then ew him to Costa Rica. Tey
then installed the head o the Hondu-
ran Congress, Roberto Micheletti, also
a Honduran Liberal Party member, as
interim president. Te pretext or the
coup was that Zelaya had organized a
non-binding reerendum to ascertain
the degree o public support or con-
stitutional reorms that would have,among other changes, made it possible
or a president to run or re-election,
something which the current Hondu-
ran constitution does not allow. Ac-
cording to the coup organizers, the
reerendum itsel, to be held Sunday,
would have been illegal.
Minister o Foreign Aairs Patricia
Rodas was also arrested and taken to
Mexico, and the military issued war-
rants or the arrest o the other cabinet
ministers.
Clampdown on media and protesters
Shortly aer the military seized
power, they stormed a popular ra-
dio station, and shut down the CNN
Spanish network as well as elesur, a
Venezuelan-based continental televi-
sion network sponsored by progressive
Latin American governments to coun-
ter the right-wing bias o the majority
o the television networks operating
in the region. On the Monday ollow-
ing the coup, the ew media outlets
still operating in Honduras conned
themselves to playing music and air-
ing soap operas and cooking shows.
Apparently, only pro-coup media are
Honduras: Reformists out, troglodytes inJ. A. MacNeil
8/14/2019 Hearts & Minds #3
22/28
Heartsand M inds 22
security policies pushed by the U.S.
under Bush.
Te Zelaya government imple-
mented a number o programs that
y in the ace o market-oriented
policies, or example providing school
lunches or approximately 1 million
school children, abolishing primary
school tuition, expanding vaccination
programs, bringing electricity to poor
peoples homes
and imple-
menting an
a gr i cu l t ura l
strategy that
i n c r e a s e d
p r o d u c t i o n
o basic ood
grains.
On June
30th, CBC
radio inter-
viewed th
ormer head
o the Hondu-
ran Chamber
o Commerce,Jacqueline Fo-
glia, who according to her own web-
page is a West Point graduate and was
an Army ofcer rom 1984 to 1995,
and recently has energetically dedi-
cated hersel to promoting ree trade
agreements. She declared hersel elat-
ed by the militarys actions. Accord-
ing to the Committee o the Families
o the Detained and Disappeared, Fo-glia was head o the analysis section
o the Armys Battalion 316, a death
squad; her section was in charge o
collecting data on civilians considered
military targets, many o whom later
disappeared or were murdered. (Tis
was not mentioned by CBC, although
it certainly would have shed some light
on the credibility o her comments.)
about 500 soldiers in Soto Cano60
miles rom egucigalpaand it is di-
cult to imagine that Hondurass mili-
tary did not inorm the local US base
commanders o their intentions, al-
though anything is possible. Whether
the American base commanders com-
municated all inormation they may
have had about those intentions to the
Obama administration ought to be
investigated by the US Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.
Zelaya, a businessman, was elected
in 2005 as the relatively moderate can-
didate o the Hondurass traditionally
powerul Liberal Party. As John Nich-
ols June 29th article in Te Nation
notes, he was not viewed as a particu-
larly radical player when he took o-ce. But Zelayas le-leaning economic
and social policies earned praise rom
labor unions and civil society groups,
and he had orged regional alliances
with the Bolivarian Alternative or the
Americas, which Venezuelan Presi-
dent Hugo Chavez and other elected
leaders in Latin America established as
a counter to the neoliberal trade and
the countrys elite, and a military ac-
customed to violating human rights.
Te coup was led by General Romeo
Vsquez, who attended the inamous
US School o the Americas (SOA) in
1976 and 1984.