Council Watch - September 4 2008

Send a Local Apple to City Hall in Support of Local and Sustainable Food for Toronto!, Help Put a Face on Community Right to Know

Send a Local Apple to City Hall in Support of Local and Sustainable Food for Toronto!

 

For every signature collected we will send an Ontario apple to City Council!   

 

We want to send a clear message of support for local and sustainable food.

What better way than with bushels of fresh and delicious Ontario apples?

Right now the City of Toronto spends $11 million per year on food for its daycares, shelters, and seniors’ homes. We want to make sure that they buy local and sustainable food first! 

To make this happen we need to get a local and sustainable food purchasing policy passed first at the City’s Government Management Committee and then at a full City Council meeting.

Help us convince Councillors to adopt a local and sustainable food procurement policy!

Our campaign postcards are being distributed at Toronto farmer’s markets and local food restaurants.

Help Put a Face on Community Right to Know

In October, the Community Right to Know Bylaw will be voted on at City Council. We need to do all we can to encourage Councillors to vote YES for this precedent setting toxics disclosure policy.

The need for this bylaw was made especially clear on August 10th after the Sunrise Propane explosion. Had a Community Right to Know (CRTK) bylaw been in place, firefighters, police, paramedics and residents would have known whether neighbouring businesses had toxic chemicals on site and therefore how to respond effectively.

In this final push towards a bylaw, we plan to collect, print and distribute a booklet of personal stories – stories of how individuals have been affected by toxic chemicals, smog and pollution.

We need you to share your story

Are you...
  • An individual struggling with chemical sensitivities?
  • A parent concerned with asthma and the level of smog in this City?
  • Someone who experiences unhealthy side effects from working in a toxic environment?
  • Worried about what a business is doing in your neighbourhood?

Then, we want to hear from you. Send us a short, “first person” testimonial (200 words maximum). Your name can be kept anonymous if requested.

This booklet of personal experiences will be distributed to City Councillors in October.

We are weeks away from the vote – let’s put real faces and real people to this issue to ensure our Councillors make the right choice for our health and the environment.

Please share with us.