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EVENT: 2022 Health Action Assembly & Annual Conference
Posted: July 29, 2022
(September 28, 2022)
Ontario Health Coalition
Health Action Assembly & Annual Conference
In person: Central YMCA, 20 Grosvenor Street, Toronto,
or by Zoom for those who want to participate virtually (from home by computer)
Saturday October 1st & Sunday October 2nd
10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Featuring Key Speakers
Natalie Mehra has been the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition for over 21 years. She has built the Health Coalition into the largest and broadest public interest group on health care in the province, representing almost a million Ontarians in its network of more than 400 member organizations and more than 50 local chapters. Natalie is a recognized expert on health policy, privatization, social movement organizing.
Ross Sutherland is a retired RN who has worked in emergency, home care and addictions. He is author of False Positive: Private profit in Canada’s Medical Laboratories. He currently chairs the executive board of the OHC and is a South Frontenac Township Councillor.
Peter Tabuns has been a Member of the Provincial Parliament since 2006 and is the interim leader of the Official Opposition, the Ontario New Democratic Party. Peter was the Executive Director of Greenpeace Canada. He also pioneered energy efficiency in Toronto in the 1990s, as a City Councillor. At Toronto City Hall, he helped keep valuable services public. He’s also worked in health care, organizing government relations for the Ontario Nurses Association.
Dr. Adil Shamji has been a Member of Provincial Parliament since 2022 and is the Liberal Health Critic. Prior to that, he spent years providing healthcare on Indigenous reserves across Canada and most recently served as an Emergency Physician and the Medical Director for 11 homeless shelters in the City of Toronto. He is a trusted expert in matters of public health and medicine. In addition to his role as a physician, Dr. Shamji worked as a faculty member in the school of medicine at the University of Toronto. He has fought on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis.
Mike Schreiner is the leader of the Green Party of Ontario since 2009 and has been a Member of Provincial Parliament since 2018. Mike is an outspoken advocate for the environment, local food and water, affordable housing, small businesses, and mental health.
Andrew Longhurst, BA (Hons), MA, is a research associate with the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA–BC), a researcher and policy analyst with the Health Sciences Association of BC and served as senior advisor to the BC Ministry of Health’s Primary and Community Care Research Initiative. He is also a PhD student in the Department of Geography at Simon Fraser University, researching health care reform in Canada and internationally. He is the author of “The Concerning Rise of Corporate Medicine” which tracked public contracts with corporate clinics and found unlawful extra-billing.
The fact that Doug Ford has won another majority government in Ontario presents daunting challenges for the defenders of Public Medicare. However, along with our challenges, we also have opportunities. Significant funding has flowed to health care, the federal government is considering increasing funding — possibly with strings attached — which would be positive, and health care is very much in the public eye. Nevertheless, from hospitals to long-term care to home care we are in crisis.
Now, more than ever, we need fearless, strong, ambitious action and strategy to stop privatization, force Ford to address the health care staffing crisis and make good on his promises to improve long-term care. Each year, we invite everyone who believes in Public Medicare and wants to work to defend and improve it to join together in a major strategy session. This year’s assembly is critically important. Join us for briefings, speakers, report-ins and strategizing.
Agenda
Saturday October 1, 2022
10:30 a.m. OPENING PLENARY with Natalie Mehra and Ross Sutherland
11 a.m. Presentation by Peter Tabuns
11:30 a.m. Report-ins from local health coalitions & member organizations on activities and events this year
12:30 p.m. Lunch
2 p.m. Lessons from the frontlines of the fightback against for-profit privatization of hospitals in BC with Andrew Longhurst
2:30 p.m. Presentation, discussion and debate on action plan with Natalie Mehra and Ross Sutherland *Will be continued on Sunday
4 p.m. CLOSING PLENARY and giving the Ontario Health Coalition awards this year for exceptional contribution and commitment to the struggle
4:30 p.m. ADJOURNMENT
Sunday October 2, 2022
9 a.m. OPENING PLENARY High-level briefing on the key health care issues, the Ford government’s messaging and strategy
9:30 a.m. Discussion and Q&A on the key health care issues
10 a.m. Presentation by Mike Schreiner
10:10 a.m. Discussion with Mike Schreiner and Q&A
10:30 a.m. Presentation by MPP Adil Shamji
10:40 a.m. Discussion with Adil Shamji and Q&A
11 a.m. Coffee Break
11:15 a.m. Discussion and debate on action plan
1 p.m. CLOSING PLENARY
1:30 p.m. ADJOURNMENT
The fact that Doug Ford has won another majority government in Ontario presents daunting challenges for the defenders of Public Medicare. However, along with our challenges we also have opportunities. Significant funding has flowed to health care, the federal government is considering increasing funding — possibly with strings attached — which would be positive, and health care is very much in the public eye. Nevertheless, from hospitals to long-term care to home care we are in crisis.
Now, more than ever, we need fearless, strong, ambitious action and strategy to stop privatization, force Ford to address the health care staffing crisis and make good on his promises to improve long-term care. Each year, we invite everyone from our networks and further who believes in Public Medicare and wants to work to defend and improve it to join together in a major strategy session. This year’s assembly is critically important. Join us for briefings, speakers, report-ins and strategizing.
Hotel Rooms: We have reserved a block of hotel rooms at a reduced rate at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Toronto at 475 Yonge Street. The rate is at $259 per night plus tax. To book your room, please click the link to book online at the discounted rate or call 1 (800) 847-5075 and cite Ontario Health Coalition as the group name to receive the reduced rate. Please book as soon as possible, as space is limited and the deadline to book your hotel room at the discounted rate is Friday September 2.
Local Coalitions: are asked to please seek local funding first to subsidize your travel costs. If you need a subsidy from the Ontario Health Coalition, we will fund up to two representatives from each active local health coalition including hotel and travel costs. All subsidies must be pre-approved by Natalie Mehra, executive director. Each local coalition seeking to have representatives subsidized by the Ontario Health Coalition must fill out a subsidy request form and submit it to Natalie Mehra at ohc@sympatico.ca for approval. Note: we will subsidize amounts up to the block rate for a hotel room and gas (not mileage) or train/plane.
Registration Form
Number of people attending:
Name of key contact:
Additional names of attendees:
Organization if applicable:
Address:
City/Town:
Postal code:
Email:
Tel (day):
(night):
(cell):
Virtual Registration
If you are attending virtually, please register by Zoom at: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMuf-CsrDwtG9RY8SZdH3r2vGOfOA4L32gH After registering you will be emailed a zoom meeting link. This link will be used for both days of the Assembly/Conference. If you do not receive it, please check your junk or other folders. It will be sent by Zoom.
Fees: (sliding scale)
Fees are a sliding scale, so please pay what you can. If you are a part of an organization that is able to do so, or if it js affordable for you, please try to pay the full amount. In order for us to have an assembly and organize, we have to bring in members and local coalitions from all across Ontario- from Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Windsor and places in between. We need to cover flights, trains and hotel rooms. The fees are structured so that we are able to subsidize those who need it so that we can all get together to strategize, share analysis and information and organize. Thank you for understanding and helping to make this possible.
Saturday: $0-100 per person (sliding scale)
Amount paid: x number of people = subtotal $
Sunday: $0-50 per person (sliding scale)
Amount paid: x number of people = subtotal $
Total: $
Please mark an X to select your payment method:
Enclosed by cheque _____________
OR
Paid online at http://store.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/collections/all ____________
Mail or email to: Ontario Health Coalition 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 201, Toronto Ontario MC3 1Y8 tel: 416-441-2502
email: ohc@sympatico.ca If emailing, please use subject line: Assembly registration.
Note: you can register online at: http://store.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/collections/all
