Willowdale Monthly Letter- November 2024

Dear Willowdale Friends,

Many thanks to the hundreds of residents who participated in our riding’s virtual town hall meeting last week.

In case you missed it, I fielded a variety of questions about supports for small businesses, investments in transit and schools, public safety, the state of the province’s finances, and more.

For those who participated, I hope you found it informative. I was very encouraged by the level of engagement. In fact, the town hall was such a success, that I would like to host another in the new year. So, stay tuned!  

As we round out 2024, I want to share some of the new and innovative ways our government has been helping to connect more people to the health care they need, keep our streets safe, keep people moving, and more.

Below is just a small sample of some of the recent measures our government has introduced that I think you, Willowdale residents, will be interested in.

Take a look!

Growing Ontario’s Nurse Workforce

We’re investing more than $500 million to educate new nurses and increasing opportunities for current nurses to access specialized training to upskill while on the job. Our government is also working with the College of Nurses of Ontario to reduce barriers for internationally educated nurses, allowing them to register to work in Ontario faster and start caring for Ontarians sooner.

Hear more about our investment here.

Expanding the Role of NPs and RNs

Our government is bringing in regulation changes that will expand the scope of practice for nurse practitioners and registered nurses to order more tests and provide additional services in a variety of settings including hospitals, inter-professional primary care teams, and long-term care homes.

Learn about the changes here.

Continuing to Build a More Connected and Convenient Health Care System

Recently, we introduced the More Convenient Care Act, 2024, which will, if passed, take the next step in the province’s plan to provide more people with the right publicly funded care in the right place by strengthening governance and transparency, enhancing patient care, and improving service delivery. 

Read more here.

Building Safer and Stronger Communities

Last month, we introduced the Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act. Once passed, the legislation will help keep streets and communities safe and hold criminals accountable.

The Act bans the operation of safe consumption sites within 200m of a school or child care centre, cracks down on auto theft and careless driving, enhances the tools police can use to manage sex offenders, tackles illegal cannabis sales and supports access to justice.

Find out more about how we’re fighting crime here.

Working for Workers (Again!)

We recently introduced the Working for Workers Six Act, 2024, which builds on the previous five Working for Workers acts with a suite of proposed measures to protect the health and wellbeing of workers, bring more people into the skilled trades and keep costs down for Ontario workers.

Explore the changes here.

Excavation Begins on Ontario Line Tunnels

Our government officially started excavating the launch shaft for the Ontario Line subway tunnels at Exhibition Station, marking another milestone in the province’s plan to slash commute times across the GTA and bring nearly 230,000 people within walking distance of public transit.

Read up on how our government is keeping people moving here.

Thanks for reading!

I hope you all enjoy the festive season and are able to spend considerable time with friends and family over the coming weeks. 

From mine to yours, Happy Holidays!

Sincerely, 

Stan Cho
MPP, Willowdale