Inaugurated less than two weeks ago, actions taken by newly elected US President, Donald Trump, has left many disturbed. People are unsure about their future, their safety and their families.On Friday, January 27th Trump signed an executive order blocking citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. This order also suspends all refugees from seeking asylum in the United States for 120 days and barred Syrian refugees indeterminately, resulting in 100-200 people being detained at American airports -separated from their families and loved ones and being ‘sent home.’Many protests took place around the world and at airports in response to what is known as the #MuslimBan. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other activist groups filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of two detainees being held at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.New York Federal Judge, Ann M. Donnelly, blocked part of the ban over the weekend, stopping the government from deporting those who had already arrived in the United States.On Sunday morning, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement in compliance with court orders and Trump’s executive order leaving many in disarray. Hate only ensues hate and barring innocent people and those seeking safety in the name of terrorism only perpetrates a divide – bringing us back to the Cold War.Is Canada truly the peaceful neighbour?Often Canada is represented as the friendlier neighbour to the North. Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau takes selfies and pictures with pandas, so in comparison to the US, we are depicted as peaceful and welcoming.Contrary to Trump’s election promises, Trudeau promised for more Syrian refugees to be granted asylum in Canada. Trudeau promised to take 25 000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015 during his campaign. However, he constantly pushed back the date of his promise and many refugees still face a backlog in their applications being processed. Thousands of Syrian refugees were privately sponsored. By the end of 2016, the Liberal Government went back on their promise in capping the number of privately sponsored Syrian refugees to 1000 in 2017.Trudeau started a #WelcomeToCanada hashtag in response to Trump’s executive order, with an old picture of himself with a young refugee. Again, Canada is portrayed as the friendlier neighbour, but political leadership needs to go beyond selfies and empty promises.• Syrian Refugees’ basic needs are not being met often ending up with frost-bites and little-to-no supports for settlement• PM Trudeau sold $15-billion of armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia reminding of us of the US’ militant role in the Middle East• PM Trudeau has been inconsistent on the Temporary Foreign Worker program• Pulling on the heartstrings of Canadians, PM Trudeau focuses on Syrian refugees but not African asylum-seekers or others around the worldSadly, Canada is not immune to hate and Islamophobia. A horrific terrorist attack at a Quebec City mosque overnight left 6 people dead and 8 injured last night. People may feel like their hands are tied and they are unsure about what they can do. Here are some ways you can take action:1. Email your local MP to request the Emergency Debate that NDP MPP Jenny Kwan has called for http://www.ndp.ca/news/ndp-calls-emergency-debate-address-trump-immigration-ban2. Share this information:If anyone knows a Syrian, Iranian, Iraqi, Somali, Sudanese, or Yemeni green card holder who is stuck outside the US with tickets to return to IAD (Dulles Airport)--please contact Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg. He is the Director of the Immigrant Advocacy Program at the Legal Aid Center in Washington, DC.simon@justice4all.org703-778-34503. Call, email, visit or reach out to a friend or family member who is affected by Islamophobia to let them know you are here4. Say no to Islamophobia by joining a peaceful protest or a vigil in your neighbourhood https://www.facebook.com/events/407436779648169/5. Sign the Broadbent Institute Petition so that Canada can act now:http://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/travel_ban_petitionCheck out these articles for details:• https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/12/24/ottawas-new-cap-on-refugee-applications-upsets-sponsors.html• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-must-stick-to-its-word-on-saudi-arms-deal-trudeau-says/article29981571/• https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/08/24/trudeau-liberals-tiptoe-into-temporary-foreign-workers-minefield-walkom.html• http://time.com/4031569/migrant-crisis-europe-african-refugees/
Tolls are Not the Way to Build a City
The City’s Mayor recently proposed to put up tolls on the Gardiner and the DVP in order to raise money for transit and roads. Many people support this idea as the environmentally responsible thing to do and just as many more think that out of town drivers need to pay their fair share too.This line of thinking, however, has many problems. For starters, this new levy is going to hurt working people that have no travel options the most. If you work downtown, but have no other mode of transportation and cannot afford to live downtown, this will be very unfair to you. Most people cannot afford to live in the core of the City any more. If that is where you work or study you are not driving there by choice. Nobody drives downtown without a reason during rush hour nowadays, the commute is awful. Let us not forget that the drive in the 401 is awful, because Hwy 407 costs money to use. If we force cars and the people that drive them off our highways for environmental reasons, but Lakeshore Blvd and Avenue Road become rush hour parking lots, will that reduce the carbon foot print of the City? Where is the study that shows that the effects seen in other places will work here? What options are being built for commuters and when will these be available for them?Many of us do not have an easy transit route downtown and a car isn’t an option for many, but is instead the only means of getting to the place where you make a living. Tolls may, in theory, provide some resolution for the transportation needs of suburban commuters, but do not solve their real life transportation problems for the next 10 plus years. The poorer you are as a regular commuter, the worse tolls will make your situation, because tolls are after all a flat tax that hits the working people relatively harder.Tolls are not used normally to pay for major infrastructure projects as it is being proposed in Toronto, but instead for operational maintenance. Tolls are normally used to repave roads and other operational costs and City’s alone do not build major infrastructure project in North America. The City is short of money, because the Province has structured it that way and it lacks the power to make a better choice, but it is still a poor choice. We must remember that the Gardiner and the DVP are Provincial highways, but the government is making the City maintain them. There is no natural disaster we are dealing with, but rather, we are dealing with the downloading that has been happening for decades now.Furthermore, to think that tolls would allow Toronto to build new subways lines, more LRT’s or more highways is not thinking outside the box. It’s defying reality. You would never be able to raise enough money from this type of taxation tool. Tolls will be bad for the health of the City in the long run because they accentuate poverty.Most of us do not like user fees instinctively. Not too long ago in the Advocate, Howard Moscoe wrote an article about hospital parking fees and we had a good response from our readers about that article (http://www.downsviewadvocate.ca/2016/01/enough-with-hospital-parking-fees/). There is no difference between parking fees in a hospital, the fee you pay nowadays for your passport renewal, fees to use libraries or public parks or any number of other fees that are new and that keep on adding to the cost of living for working people.The truth is, neither property taxes nor tolls will build a City. In order to build a City we need the Province and Canada to come to the table with plans and the funds to build and maintain our infrastructure. Hundreds of millions of dollars that were available to the City of Toronto and other cities yearly throughout Ontario in the past are no longer there. They came from Provincial coffers through income tax, a much more progressive taxation method. We must change the existing conditions of Toronto and other cities to truly fix our transit problems. The services we all share and use collectively, like roads, libraries and hospitals need to be funded properly, but tolls will not solve our current problems.
At-risk youth in Jane and Finch face an unhappy Christmas
What started in the 90s as an organization that tackled alcohol and drug abuse expanded to tackle other problems using a community-based approach. However, it soon became obvious that poverty was a major contributing factor to a major problem in the community.Officially, PEACH (Promoting Education and Community Health) developed an anti-poverty mandate and worked to promote community economic development. This was still not enough, as there were existing systemic barriers that promoted poverty in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood. Lack of access to mental and physical health resources were thus identified as symptoms and causes of poverty. In addition, youths who were suspended from school or dropped out were at high risk of engaging in crime, drug and alcohol abuse, and had very little opportunity for economic advancement.A more holistic approach to addressing poverty was needed and PEACH adapted in order to better serve its community. Community problems require a strong community to address them and PEACH implemented programs like Rhyme N Reason, a music studio to help youths and residents express themselves through music; the Digital Innovation Hub, the only place in the Jane and Finch area that offers free programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math to youth; and the Moms Group, a group for mothers to network, share experiences, and attend programs for health and self-sustainability.To help at-risk youth, the School Away From School (SAS) program was created to help youth who either dropped out or were suspended a chance to earn the credits they needed to graduate. Youth are referred through the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board and receive help from PEACH’s teachers and child and youth workers to give them the life skills to aid them into transitioning back into the regular education system. They attend classes at PEACH and receive a healthy nutritious meal cooked at the on-site kitchen by the school’s chef. The classes are not just meant to earn them credits but also to educate them on things like how to manage a monthly budget or how to prepare healthy meals.The SAS program has been funded by sponsors such as the Rogers Youth Fund, the Youth Challenge Fund, and an assortment of family foundations through the Toronto Foundation. However, PEACH received word that funders like Rogers were withdrawing their money, leaving the organization with a significant funding shortfall.PEACH has $70 000 of monthly operating costs and if they are not able to meet it they will be forced to close SAS by December 23rd and other programs in the new year. PEACH staff have been furiously applying for funding and have even started a GoFundMe campaign to raise this money. If they are unsuccessful, at-risk youth in Jane and Finch face a very unhappy Christmas.For more information visit: http://peachyouth.org/
Victory for Tenants of Toronto
On December 14, 2016 the city of Toronto voted for Landlord Licensing after a long battle between tenants and landlords.For twelve years, the Association of Community Organization for Reform Now (ACORN) has been knocking on doors in low to moderate income neighbourhoods asking residents what issues they faced in their community.One problem quickly revealed itself to be an epidemic across the metropolitan: Toronto has a slumlord crisis. Tenants are paying high market rent to live in increasingly worsening conditions. In multi-residential buildings across the city, tenants face ongoing substandard housing issues, include: bursting old pipes (leading to repeated flooding), rising floors, caving ceilings and other water damage as well as mold which is a health hazard, among other things.Chronic infestations of cockroaches, vermin and bedbugs are another huge problem. Many buildings also have continuous elevator issues resulting in frustratingly unreasonable long wait times going up and down in the mornings and evenings. Uneven heating is also an issue during the cold winter months.ACORN, currently boasting 83,000 members, Canada-wide, has been calling for Landlord Licensing since 2008. Landlord Licensing is a cost recovery program that charges the landlord approximately $12 per unit to cover the expansion of a city run Multi Residential Apartment Building (MRAB) inspection program. MRAB was, until now, a reactive inspection program which responds to complaints made by a tenant to the city either by a direct call to the city councillor or by calling 311. Unfortunately, few renters are aware of this option and are left without enough adequate information. Some tenants even mention being afraid of repercussions from landlords if they complain.Landlord Licensing will expand to the MRAB program, in a last minute amendment from Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, Ward 38. Six more inspectors were added to the proposed addition to tackle the large task of annual proactive inspections of every building with a minimum of three stories and no less than ten units.The inspection program will be similar to the Dine Safe program, where buildings would have to maintain a set of standards and if caught in violation of these standards would have to pay a fine if the issue is not brought up to standard in the set time. Landlord Licensing will implement a grading system that will be displayed at the front of each building so prospective renters can see the buildings grade before signing the lease.This is a win/win for landlords and tenants as good landlords can boast a good grade, bringing more prospective renters and reducing vacancies. Until now, there was only a self-certification that buildings awarded themselves and is entirely meaningless, a mere advertising stunt. Certification must come from the city so that tenants can trust it has value.Many landlords have fought Landlord Licensing, claiming that there is no need and there are only a few bad apples. Extensive documented research done by ACORN and confirmed by MRAB reveal that the reality is an epidemic of substandard market housing that urgently needs to be rectified. Landlords have distributed flyers using fear tactics as a way to scare tenants to act against their own interests, leading tenants to believe Landlord Licensing would cost them money, calling it an apartment tax. Josh Matlow, City Councillor, Ward 22 has repeatedly stated that the claim is absolutely false. Matlow has been a leader in the fight to protect tenants.One of the first city councillors to join ACORN’s fight for tenants inside city hall, is Janet Davis, Ward 31, who has been a strong and diligent champion for almost one decade. Listening closely to the needs of the people, Davis has helped lay the foundation and together overcome the years of hurdles that have brought ACORN’s Landlord Licensing to this victory. “I want to applaud tenant organizations across the city who have spoken out and are demanding the city take action" said Davis, who wanted to extend her appreciation.
Local Trustee in “Hot Water” over Alleged Breach in Code of Conduct
Toronto District School Board Trustee, Tiffany Ford, is in “hot water” according to a Toronto Star article.The article published on October 1st disclosed two separate incidents: one, where she allegedly used her title as a school board trustee to sell water from a company she owned called “Smarty Pants Water” and a second one related to a local student award she organized in her role as Trustee.The Star published a copy of the press release in question where the following title is read as a headline “Toronto School Board Trustee Launches Innovative Product to Increase Children’s Water Consumption: Smarty Pants Water.” The article goes on to describe that the use of her title to promote her personal business was allegedly in violation of the code of conduct that guides Trustees on the Board. They also quote a TDSB spokesperson stating that Ford had breached the code of conduct.Tiffany Ford denies that a breach in the code of conduct has occurred and has since demanded and received an apology from TDSB staff. In a statement published on social media on October 3rd, she says that according to the code of conduct “the board of trustees are required to conduct an inquiry and with that make a determination. This process has not occurred and has not been initiated by any Trustee of the board”. She also states that “I hold myself to high ethical standards and principles. With that, I have never used my Trustee office, resources, or taxpayers dollars to promote my personal business ventures.” She goes on further to demand a retraction from The Star and an apology from the TDSB spokesperson.The Advocate reached out to Ford to get a statement for the local community. She referred our inquiries to the same published statement, for which we have included links at the bottom of the article.The Toronto Star published a follow up article titled: “TDSB apologizes to trustee Tiffany Ford after saying she violated the code of conduct.” The article published in late October details that the TDSB spokesperson now states that only its integrity commissioner, not board staff, can determine when its code of conduct has been violated. John Malloy, TDSB director of education, wrote, in a letter to Ford, dated Friday, October 21st “I incorrectly instructed staff to confirm that your actions were in violation of the TDSB Member Code of Conduct.”Trustee Tiffany Ford has accepted John Malloy’s apology and has asked the integrity commissioner to confirm what “she can, and cannot, put her title on.”In their own voices:The Toronto Star article:https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/10/01/toronto-school-trustee-used-her-title-to-promote-her-own-business.htmlTiffany Ford statement: https://www.scribd.com/document/326235763/Statement-by-TDSB-Trustee-Tiffany-FordThe Toronto Star follow up article: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/10/24/tdsb-apologizes-to-trustee-tiffany-ford-after-saying-she-violated-code-of-conduct.html
Humber River Regional Hospital: New Site, Same Problems
Part 1“The union filed a complaint,” the nurse said to her colleague. “They don’t want us porting patients. But I don’t know how to use the new computerized porter booking system, so I just do it myself.” By her own account, she has more than 20 years’ experience in nursing, including at the old Humber River Regional Hospital.During my previous chemotherapy session, she was the “senior” nurse who had angrily and confrontationally increased the drip rate of the drug I was receiving, overruling a younger, more recently educated nurse, whose patient I was. The “senior” felt that I was “wasting their time” by insisting they follow the chemotherapy protocol laid out in my file by my oncologist.When I had an entirely preventable rigors reaction (intense sweating and uncontrollable shaking) to the drug minutes later, the “experienced” nurse shrugged it off, casually saying, “well, that has never happened before.”Except similar events have happened before. Frequently.The “old” Humber River Regional Hospital (at its site on Finch Avenue West) had frequent problems with patient care. The first problem I heard was from my 19-year-old neighbour who went to emergency with unexplained continuous bleeding from his nose. He bled for 36 hours at the hospital while doctors found “nothing wrong with him”. “It felt like the doctors and nurses didn’t take me seriously because there was no obvious bullet wound causing the bleeding,” he told me. He believes that he would have died if his terrified parents hadn’t taken him out of the Humber River and checked him in to Sunnybrook hospital. “The University Health Network (UHN) was completely different”, he recounted. “They actually cared about me and took my condition seriously. They put me on a new drug and it saved my life.”His story and many similar ones were used to justify the massive cost of the new Humber River site, with claims of the latest technology improving patient care. And plenty new technology is being used, like the pneumatic tubes that deliver blood samples to the lab at such high speed that they shatter the blood cells, leading to faulty test results. “They promised us when they installed the system that it wouldn’t harm the blood samples,” another nurse told me. But that didn’t prevent my being admitted to emergency due to a bad test result. “You are standing and talking to me, so this result can’t be correct. You would be dead,” the ER doctor told me looking at my blood test result after I waited 60 minutes to be admitted (imagine if it had been a correct result!). A couple of days later it was, “the system would have beeped to warn me, don’t worry!” said casually by a nurse who almost gave me the wrong type of blood transfusion (which could have killed me).Technology is neither the problem nor the solution in these cases. The underlying cause is a lack of critical thought, patience, and listening to patients by burned out, jaded health care professionals. And the patient experiences that I have heard about at the “new” Humber River while researching this story are exactly like the old ones: Medication screw ups, sending elderly patients to non-OHIP-covered offsite clinics they can’t afford, uncompassionate and confrontational medical professionals, and long wait times, including in emergency cases.Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article in the next edition.
Memorial Fund Raises Money for Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre
I do not want to spend too much time on the sickening details I heard in a downtown courtroom.Melonie Biddersingh was 17 years old when she died. Prior to her death, Melonie endured starvation and horrific abuse at the hands of her father Everton Biddersingh and stepmother Elaine Biddersingh. In September 1994, Melonie’s body was found in a burning suitcase; her autopsy revealed that she had suffered several fractures and weighed only 50 pounds.Two years earlier, Melonie’s 13 year old brother Dwayne, fell to his death from the balcony of the Biddersingh’s apartment. His tragic death continues to be surrounded by suspicion; many wonder why a generally happy boy from Jamaica would jump to his death.Earlier this year both Everton and Elaine Biddersingh were found guilty of murder in Melonie’s death; Everton of first-degree and Elaine second-degree.I am not related to this family but this tragedy affected me. I attended the criminal proceedings against Everton and Elaine and sought out Opal Austin, mother of Melonie and Dwayne, at the trial. I learned that in an effort to give her precious children a better life she entrusted them to their father and stepmother with the hopes that they could fulfill her wish. I saw a light in Opal’s eye when she shared how Melonie loved children and wanted to be a nurse and how Dwayne loved singing and wanted to be a rapper. The light in Opal’s eye has been snuffed out along with the hopes and dreams of Melonie and Dwayne.As I got to know Opal, I suggested honouring Melonie and Dwayne’s life in the hopes that the innocence and purity of these children would prevail over evil. Opal and her daughter Raquel agreed and chose Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) as the beneficiary of these efforts – The Dwayne and Melonie Memorial Fund will support Boost CYAC’s Child Victim Witness Support Program (CVWSP). This program provides court preparation for children and youth who are called to testify. Children learn what their role is as a witness and what they can expect while on the stand. The program helps children and families understand verdicts and helps to explain what specific judgments mean.My prayer is that through this fund, Melonie and Dwayne will be able to support other victims of abuse to fulfill their hopes and dreams. The goal is $5000.00. Any donation is appreciated.To make a donation to The Dwayne & Melonie Memorial Fund: www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=2240&AID=3011&PID=575273To learn more about Boost CYAC:www.boostforkids.orgMEDIA CONTACT:Lindsay Jolie | Director of Communications & Community Relationsjolie@boostforkids.rorg | (416) 560-7568
Modernizing Transit Need Not Create Social Class Divides
You may have noticed posters placed in some TTC stations advising riders that tokens will no longer be accepted at unmanned entrances. These ads represent a new, more aggressive push for adoption of the PRESTO card that has been in deployment for several years across the GTA. While there are useful qualities to tap cards, tokens have three important features that the Province of Ontario and City of Toronto overlooked when pressuring the TTC to phase out this alternative currency that has been used since the 1950s.The primary benefits of PRESTO cards stem from their ease of use in the digital era. You can “top-up” online with a credit card. That’s fine for many TTC riders. It’s not so easy for many others. Public transit is a fundamental social pillar used by some of the most vulnerable people in our society: the poor, elderly, sick, and young. For these riders, added complexity—even small levels of added complexity—are a barrier to access. Tokens are simple, well understood, easy to use, and ubiquitous. For those who cannot readily use the Internet, having to visit “select” TTC stations in person to “top-up” creates unnecessary hardship, not to mention that such money is not immediately available for use on their card. As a result, cash becomes the next simplest, viable alternative. And the cash fare is roughly 12% more, effectively the same as sales tax!Taxing the vulnerable is a practice we detest, but there are deeper issues such as identity. Not all TTC riders can easily establish and maintain a verifiable identity—something that is required to have a PRESTO card. Tokens are anonymous, untraceable, and that’s a good thing. Even assuming the best case of world-class technology and privacy law adherence, recent history repeatedly teaches us that it’s not enough. A support worker at a homeless shelter or food bank can hand a token to a visitor effortlessly—not so with a PRESTO card.It is true that transit users can currently still use the “main entrances” of TTC stations in order to pay with tokens. The overlooked result is a social-class divide, where vulnerable riders are no longer allowed to use the unmanned entrances they had used for decades with tokens & turnstiles. Instead, they must go wait in long lines with the other “people who refuse to modernize”, corralled into a place for that lower class of rider. Tokens do not draw lines across social class like PRESTO cards. Preventing the use of tokens to some entrances will not increase PRESTO card adoption. It simply separates people according to entrances in a manner that were decried in social movements of decades past, with no tangible benefit.I am not advocating against the PRESTO card. It has value. My concern rests with phasing out the token so aggressively. The TTC reassures us that it is a “transition period” and that a “network of vendors will eventually be established” to support single-ride anonymous card purchases. Yet, in the meantime, it is barrelling forward constraining token usage without viable alternatives in place. Why not simply delay token phase out until everything is ready? Modernizing transit need not create social class divides.
Temp Workers, Know Your Rights
Temporary staffing or temp agencies are companies that find and hire workers for other companies. Temporary workers, or ‘temps’, do not work directly for these companies. Instead, they still work for the agency; the client company pays the temp agency, which then takes a cut of the temp worker’s pay and passes on the remainder. Temp workers do not receive any benefits from the client company and do not receive the same pay as permanent employees who do the same work. This uneven power balance means that their position is very precarious and they can be easily fired by either the client or the temp agency.Originally intended to fill in for employees who needed a leave of absence (such as for a vacation or illness), temp work has now become semi-permanent, precarious positions that are under the constant threat of elimination due to fluctuations in a company’s staffing needs. Since the establishment of temp agencies, corporations quickly learned the benefits of having a workforce that was easily hired and fired; in addition, the fragmented and asynchronous nature of a temp worker’s employment means that he or she has very little chance to meet and develop relationships with other workers, temporary or permanent, thus limiting their ability to collectively demand better treatment from their workplace. Seeing the threat of replacement by temp workers, permanent employees have also learned not to demand better treatment at their workplace.A survey by Jane Finch Action Against Poverty (JFAAP), a local community group, found that over 200 temp agencies operated in the area. These companies are poorly regulated and employ tens of thousands in the Jane and Finch area alone, and many more across the city. These agencies are sometimes fined by the Ministry of Labour but the sum of the fines have often been so low that it barely affects the agency.On August 24th, York University’s legal clinic, Community Legal Aid Services Programme (CLASP), JFAAP, and the Jane Finch Community and Family Centre held a legal education workshop to inform temp workers of their rights. Although their position is precarious, temp agency workers are still protected by Ontario’s Employment Standards Act. Among other rights, they are due to no less than the minimum wage of $11.40/hr and this is after the agency has taken their cut. They also have the right to refuse unsafe work, and must have an eight hour rest period in between shifts. These and other important facts were outlined to the attendees during the workshop.Although attendance was small, there will be more workshops held by the partner groups. Food, tokens, and childcare will be provided. Those interested in learning more can contact Nicola from CLASP at 416-736-2100 ext. 30130.Future workshops will also be placed in the Downsview Advocate’s event calendar.
'Water Does Wonders’
“Would you like a drink with that?” -a frequent question when ordering food. You look at your child and they ask for a soft drink or juice. Do they ever ask for water or milk? If not, it’s time for a change!The human body is 60-70% water. Water helps to digest food, regulate body temperature, lubricate organs and joints, transport nutrients, and eliminate waste from the body and much more. Children are less heat tolerant and more susceptible to dehydration, especially when physically active and in hot climates. Encouraging children to drink regularly is vital as they can get so involved in what they are doing that they forget to drink enough.Fruit and vegetable juices contain much more sugar and calories and much less fiber compared to whole fruit. Calories in drinks contribute to our daily energy intake in the same way as food. Drinking too many calories overtime causes weight gain, whereas water is a calorie & sugar-free way to keep hydrated. Children do not need juice of any kind to have a balanced and healthy diet.Encouraging water & discouraging sugary drinks is important because:
- Sugary drinks contribute to the obesity epidemic
- Children who are obese have a higher risk of chronic disease and premature death as adults
- Unhealthy weights can influence self-esteem and mental health in children and youth
- Sugar is linked to poor oral health, leading to tooth decay & damage to tooth enamel; most tap water is fluoridated which means that it helps teeth stay strong and protects against cavities
- Exposes them to the ‘habit’ of drinking water instead of sweet drinks
Patterns of drinking behavior appear to be established early in childhood, so it is important that young children get used to drinking water in order to maintain hydration and establish good habits early on.The Healthy Kids Community Challenge (HKCC), an initiative by the Province of Ontario, unites communities with a common goal: promoting children’s health through physical activity and healthy eating. Humber-Downsview is one of 45 communities across Ontario taking part in the HKCC. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has launched a new theme for HKCC titled ‘Water Does Wonders’. This campaign encourages kids and families to reach for water when thirsty in an initiative to help kids make healthy choices.Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health, states, “I am excited to move forward with the second theme of Ontario’s HKCC, encouraging kids and their families to drink water instead of sugary drinks. Helping kids and their families to make healthy choices in their everyday lives is an important part of our plan to help Ontarians lead happier, healthier lives.” Myriam Castilla, HKCC Manager at Humber-Downsview Region says, “We all know healthy eating is important for growing children. So is healthy hydration.”Tips to promote healthy behaviors early & keep children hydrated:
- When your child asks for a drink, offer water and/or milk first
- Pack a water bottle for children heading off to school/outings/other activities
- If your child is already used to sweet drinks, start to reduce their intake by offering water diluted drinks and then move on to water and/or adding slices of fruits or vegetables (cucumber, lemon, lime, orange, mint) for natural flavor
- Encourage your child to eat fresh fruit and vegetables instead of drinking juice and other sugar drinks
- Be a role model by not keeping sweet drinks in the house or consuming sweet drinks yourself
- Remember: Young children only eat or drink what is given to them!
For more information about partnerships and to invite Water Does Wonders to your next event, contact Myriam Castilla via:Website: http://healthykidstoronto.comEmail: myriam.castilla@bcchc.comOffice: (416) 249-8000 ext. 2256