Hi there,
 
Spring is in the air and I hope you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy the weather!
 
Celebrating the Francophonie
As we near the end of March, there have been more occasions to celebrate Francophone culture and the French language. To recognize International Francophonie Day and Francophonie Week, I spoke in the House to continue to urge the government to do more for our communities. You can watch my Member’s Statement here.
 
A Win for the Environment
On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the federal government’s carbon pricing regime is legal. After a long and costly court battle by the provincial government, this ruling was especially important because it recognizes that climate change is so great a threat that it demands a coordinated national approach. Without every province working towards reducing emissions, we cannot tackle this issue properly.
 
While it is immensely frustrating to think of how many taxpayer dollars the Ontario government wasted on this court battle, the decision is a massive win for the environment. This government has demonstrated, repeatedly, that fighting climate change is not a priority. For the protection of our planet and our future generations, concrete actions will be necessary.
 
Budget 2021
With the release of this year’s Budget, the Ontario government had an opportunity to present a clear recovery plan to support communities as we look to a future beyond the pandemic. I can recognize where it offers positive support, notably the third support payment for parents, the tax credit for training, increased support for small and medium-sized businesses, and an increase in the tax credit for childcare. However, significant gaps remain. Underfunding in education, health and long-term care will, in my opinion, have significant impacts on our ability as a province to have a real economic recovery, not to mention the absence of a green recovery plan that could have opened up opportunities for the province. Overall, I believe the government is pursuing misplaced priorities and is disappointing Ontarians who need critical support in the year ahead. You can read the 2021 Budget here.
 
Vaccine Update
While scheduling vaccine appointments may continue to pose some challenges, our local health departments are working as hard as possible to make our communities safer. Thank you for your patience throughout this process as we continue to push the province to provide more resources to improve accessibility.
 
Currently, residents 75 years of age and older (born 1946 or earlier) and adults receiving chronic home healthcare who live in high-risk communities can call 613-691-5505 to make an appointment at a pop-up clinic near their neighborhood. Residents can verify their eligibility using Ottawa Public Health’s online eligibility tool.
 
All Ottawa residents aged 75 and over (born 1946 or earlier), regardless of where they live in the city, can make an appointment through the provincial portal or by calling 1-833-943-3900. The hours of operation of the call center are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday. These appointments will be scheduled at one of the four community vaccination clinics, and more clinics will be added as eligibility increases. Currently, these clinics are located at the Nepean Sportsplex, the Ruddy Family YMCA-YWCA in Orléans, the Eva James Memorial Community Centre in Kanata, and at Ottawa City Hall.
 
Things change very quickly, so we strongly recommend that residents of all ages who are not yet eligible for the vaccine follow the announcements on the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health websites, on social media channels, as well as in the local media to find out when they can receive their vaccine.
 
Take care,
Lucille