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 world19News #168
June 14/15, 2005
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In this issue:
1. world19 Garden Party
2. City of Toronto Act - Public Consultations
3. Community Health Centres:
4. Mayor to speak on new deal
5. Valumart/Southport

 

1. WORLD19 GARDEN PARTY

We've been busy trying to schedule the week's rain to all occur before the weekend to ensure our usual good weather for our subscribers' Garden Party this Saturday. (But it will still go on rain or shine)
 
We hope a lot of you can make it. If you think you can attend, and haven't yet let us know, we'd appreciate an RSVP note so we can plan for refreshments.
 
And if you somehow missed the details (emailed on June 7), we can send the invitation again.
 
 
2. CITY OF TORONTO ACT
We have written previously on the current City/Provincial negotiations regarding the new City of Toronto Act (and have written frequently on urban issues over the years).
 
Few people could be unaware of the struggles Toronto (and many other large Canadian cities) face. Toronto in particular has never recovered from the twin blows of amalgamation and downloading (so we now must pay for much of the cost of social services out of a property tax base).
 
There are many serious financial issues that cannot be resolved by a few cents of gas tax money. Cities need significantly more governance power so they do not have to run to the province for approval for trivial issues. However, there is a lot of concern that the province may attempt to impose a new governance structure (didn't we learn anything from the imposed Megacity?).
 
We don't have the time or space here to go into any depth on the issue; we assume most readers are aware of the challenges. With the province committed to opening up and re-writing the City of Toronto Act, this is truly an opportunity to build a stronger & healthier Toronto  -- and therefore a better City to live in.
 
Until now, discussions on the Act have been held privately between the City and Province, with little publicity, or opportunity for public education and input.  Next week, the City and Province are organizing public consultations to be held on Wed. June 22. This is your opportunity to participate in the future direction -- and quite possibly the viability -- of the City of Toronto.
 
From a City notice:
 
"This is a rare opportunity to determine Toronto's fate, and your voice should be heard. Bring your ideas, questions, and input to a major public consultation on the new Act. Be informed, engaged, and vocal.

Join Mayor Miller and John Gerretsen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, at the Strong Toronto, Strong Ontario public consultation on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at one of the locations set out below. (The five sites will be linked through video conferencing)."
 
(We're only listing the 2 locations closest to this area. See the City link below for all locations)

St. Lawrence Market - North
Front St. & Jarvis St. (northwest corner)

Etobicoke Collegiate
86 Montgomery Rd. (north of Bloor St.)

Please register for the consultation by calling Access Toronto at 416-338-0338. TTY Line 416-338-0889. Registration phone lines are open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
 
 
Here are a few links providing some good information on some of these issues.
 
a) City of Toronto
Notice of consultations, and several relevant links
 
 
b) Toronto Act Now Coalition - A group of many city organizations.
"The City of Toronto Act has to give Toronto what it needs to build a City that works. This means that the new Act must ensure that Toronto has three things: the power to build the City Torontonians want, the resources to do the job, and a fair and accountable government structure that works for all of us"
 
Both of the following links open PDF documents:
"A City of Toronto Act that works for the people of Toronto" (1 page)
 
Background document (3 pages) discussing issues of accountable government, providing fiscal resources, and governance structure
 
 
c) Direct City Action
An initiative started by former Mayor John Sewell
The group's latest bulletin provides some background and ideas relevant to the public discussions:
 
 
d) world19: a page on our website that is a bit dated, but has several useful links:
 
 
 
3. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRES
We received a note today from a long-time subscriber from the Four Villages Community Health Centre. She pointed out an editorial page article in Monday's Globe & Mail written by Dr. Michael Rachlis in response to the controversy engendered by last week's Supreme Court decision regarding private medical insurance.
 
The article  was entitled "Community health centres are medicare's best kept secret".
 
A couple of excerpts:
"Most medicare debates... focus on timely access to surgical procedures for which there are long waiting lists. But were we to strengthen care at an earlier stage in the medical continuum, it would go a long way to resolving that issue. Besides, our existing system is more flexible than its critics charge; it already accommodates stand-alone clinics for primary care or specialized services....
 
Mr. Copeman's [the Vancouver business man who recently announced plans to open Canada's first private health care centre] publicity implies that his clinic would be the first in Canada to provide comprehensive, interdisciplinary primary health care. Not so: Public-sector models have operated below our media radar for decades. Canada's first community health centre, Mount Carmel clinic, opened nearly 80 years ago in Winnipeg. There are more than 250 such clinics now, most operated by local citizen boards. Increasingly, regional health authorities are establishing their own community health centres (CHCs), especially in high-needs areas.
 
Thirty years ago, evaluations of Ontario and Saskatchewan CHCs showed that they had lower per patient costs. CHCs typically spend more on their ambulatory care, but achieve lower institutional costs resulting in overall cost savings."
 
 
The full article is on the Globe website, but is only available to paid website subscribers.  http://makeashorterlink.com/?U6E61534B.  Our reader points out that, "The Four Villages Community Health Centre is exactly the type of clinic Dr. Rachlis is talking about, and the centre is right here in the west end of Toronto. We offer 24/7 care, work in an interdisciplinary team that improves coordination and comprehensiveness of care, are cost effective, prevent hospitalizations and excel in not only chronic disease management, but also in prevention of illnesses."
 
The Canadian Alliance of Health Community Health Centre Associations yesterday also issued a Press Release in reaction to the Supreme Court decision, and other recent developments. It pointed out alternatives to the creation of two-tiered health care as a solution to problems the Canadian health system, and echoed Rachlis's comments.
 
Excerpted from that press release:
 
CACHCA Chairperson, Jack McCarthy ... pointed out that it is more critical now than ever for the legitimate frustrations of Canadians to be heard. He described this as an opportunity and, he stated, "I would also like to think that this surge of interest in alternative solutions to common frustrations signals an opportunity. Policy makers across the country face a very sobering reality and it is incumbent upon them to engage partners at federal, provincial, and local levels to explore strategies that will enhance the public system. It is a wake up call."...
 
"Community health centres across the country have proven themselves an important lever in increasing the cost-effectiveness and smooth functioning of the overall health system. This is precisely the sort of solution that governments must focus in on. The solution is there, it just needs to be taken up."

Governed by the communities in which they are situated, McCarthy noted that the core strength of the CHC model is that comprehensive, non-profit, primary health care, including health promotion and illness prevention programs, is delivered by multi-disciplinary teams of health care professionals. These teams, including physicians, nurse practitioners,
nurses, chiropodists, dieticians, social workers and other professionals, ensure a full continuum of care where clients receive the right care, by the right provider, at the right time. Patients are kept healthy, communities are enriched, and the time and expertise of distinct health care providers are most effectively and efficiently utilized.

"The public solutions are there. In the area of primary health care we know them as CHCs. Other critical public solutions exist in the area of acute care. Whether they will be seized upon is one question. Whether policy makers wish to be remembered as those who sat by while Medicare languished, or as those who rose to embrace and implement these solutions that are already there before their very eyes, is another."
 

4. MAYOR TO SPEAK ON NEW DEAL - Jun. 20
In our newsletter last night which talked about the new City of Toronto Act, and the importance or public participation, we neglected to remind readers that the Bloor West Village Residents Association will be holding a public meeting on Monday featuring Mayor David Miller speaking on "The New Deal for Toronto".

Runnymede United Church
Mon. Jun 20, 7pm

See www.bwvra.ca for more details.

See also the June 15 Toronto Star column by Royson James on the New Deal, the new Act, and the need for public (and politicians') involvement: http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2715444B



5. VALUMART / SOUTHPORT
When the developer of the new condo development to be built on the Southport Plaza site  (Georgian Homes) began the process, they indicated that the major existing retail facilities -- in particular the only grocery store in
the area (ValuMart) -- would remain open unti new retail space was built.

However, word has come that not only will the ValuMart close at the end of this month, upsetting the many neighbouring residents who depend on it, but it seems it was the developer that bought out the ValuMart lease. According to one reader who has been investigating this, the developer wasn't obliged to keep the retail operating, but was required to allow retail to continue. Odd way to do that...

[Addendum: In fact, the OMB decision approving the development included the condition that the new retail facilities must be built before the residential, in order to preserve the retail services]
 

For world19,
John Leeson

world19:
Supporting citizen involvement in our community and its future.
Phone: 416 766-8605
email: world19@world19.com
web:   www.world19.com