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A Year of Change – Looking back on 2015 Year End Review

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BY ALYSSA MAHADEO 

With every New Year comes the reflection of change. As the year draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting and wondering where did that whole year go? What have I done? What do I still need to accomplish and what challenges will I face in the coming year? Change isn’t something that we can plan for, but it is something that we are getting better at accepting and through that acceptance we are taking great strides to the future of our world.

For many, the beginning of a New Year is the chance at a fresh start, following positive resolutions to implement in the year to come. Throughout the world there were many news stories that made headlines, filled with both positive and negative events giving everyone something to talk about. It was a big year for Canada, electing a new Prime Minister to run the country, hosting the Pan Am Games this past summer and cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays in this year’s historic season. It was a year of ups and downs, as well as one of learning and implementing change in our views of society.

Looking back on 2015 in general, it’s true that you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’d claim that it’s been a good year for the human race. The bad news has been relentless: war in Syria, a refugee crisis in Turkey and Europe, earthquakes in Nepal, terrorist attacks in Paris, mass shootings in the US, floods in India. The media’s hand in the news reported has created a significant impact on all the citizens around the globe. With the news and top trending topics so easily accessible via the Internet, people have found themselves in a constant stream of bad news, opinions and arguments and debates as to what we should believe and who is right or wrong.

The year was off to a roaring start when Vietnam took a huge stride in leading the world to abolish bans on same-sex marriage. Many other countries in the world followed suit introducing and accepting LBGTQ couples everywhere, including the U.S., legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, including territories. Married same-sex couples can now enjoy the same legal rights and benefits as married heterosexual couples nationwide and will be recognized on official documents such as birth and death certificates.

It is very clear in many events that happened throughout the year, that racism still has an active presence in our society. It is unfortunate to think that after so many years of making progress, it can be undone by a single group of radicals. From campaigns stemmed from brutal and unfortunate killings to women being abused and treated unfairly, there was a lot that went into eradicating and changing the perspective of those affected. The world stood together, fighting for their rights resisting the negativity being flung their way and women had their voices heard above the rest implementing the biggest changes that society has ever seen.  Caitlyn Jenner, made her debut as a woman and Viola Davis became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. This year women took strides and spoke out against women’s rights, gender equality and social stigmas that women still face today. Although we have come a long way, women still face many challenges, especially women of different races and ethnicities. The women have banded together, sending out inspiring messages for not only their female counterparts, but anyone who has ever felt different and faced difficulties being accepted by society. It’s about all of us accepting one another and the only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity, so it is our job to create more in the future.

In Toronto, there was a prominent change in leadership when the country elected Justin Trudeau as the new Prime Minister of Canada. As the son of Canada’s former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, there were many who voted in favor of a younger PM, however there was much speculation on whether or not he was ready to rise to the occasion. With only two months in office under his belt, Trudeau is determined to prove himself to the citizens of his country. Since coming into office, he has been tackling the refugee situation, pledging to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by next year. He has been looking into ways to balance Canada’s budget, invest in the skills and talents of our young people to build a bigger and better country. The Canadian dollar had a rough year, hitting an eleven year low at 74.9 cents U.S., thereby garnering the attention and woe of deal searching cross-border shoppers across our nation.

It has been an interesting venture into the world of politics with Donald Trump running for the Presidency this year. There have been many controversial actions and words exchanged that have called into question the future of the country. When Americans head to the polls in 2016 it is still unclear who will come out on top. Donald Trump is currently the front-runner in the presidential campaign and it will be an interesting turn of events if he is trumped.

This year terrorism was a very prominent threat faced by the world, linked to the situations and uprisings in the East with ISIS and the war happening in Syria. The world was subjected to a wave of terrorism, facing threats from Isis to shootings and bombings in Paris. Since last year they have been wreaking havoc and growing in numbers, even adding some Trinidadian’s to their ranks. There have been multiple attacks linked to terrorism, however the world has been relentless in their fight against it. When Paris was attacked the entire world came together to show their support ‘Nous somme solidarite avec la France’, lighting up some of the worlds most famous landmarks with the colors of France’s flag standing behind them, praying for peace and unity in the world. It was remarkable to see how the world came together on November 13th, when earthquakes shook the grounds beneath the citizens of Japan and Mexico, bombings were reported in Baghdad and Beirut, and shootings came to light in Paris plunging the city into darkness. In only twenty four hours it was estimated that the world lost 115,200 heartbeats and everyone came together to #prayfortheuniverse.

Toronto was fortunate to host the Pan-American Games this summer, welcoming people and athletes representing their countries from all over the world to the city. It was a huge production for the city and our diverse and multicultural city was more than happy to accommodate. Stadiums and HOV lanes were established across the GTA, offering easy modes of transportation to and from events, without hindering the city’s regular traffic flows.

For all those fans of the 6ix, they had something else to celebrate when baseball season rolled around this year and the Toronto Blue Jays were on fire! For the first time in years they played some spectacular, nail biting, anxiety driven games that kept fans sitting on the edge of their seats. People who had never watched baseball were tuning in to cheer on the boys. This season inspired fans, demonstrating first-hand how anything could happen. They will forever hold in their hearts the infamous bat flip by their hero Jose Bautista, that had Jays fans losing their minds in that highly anticipated triumph of Game five.

2015 was the year that we got a lot closer to global, universal education. In April of this year, Unesco released a report on the status of global education, showing that in the last fifteen years the number of children around the world without access to education has nearly halved, from 100 million to 57 million. This is thanks to an increased appreciation of the benefits of education to the individual and society, increased government provision and increases to mandatory minimum years of schooling. It’s an incredible achievement: it means that we are in a world where nine out of ten children are learning to read and write. The World Bank now says we’re only one generation away from a world where every single person is literate.

People have always demonstrated the innovation of technology today, coming up with cool new gadgets like hoverboards, cars that drive themselves, nano-architecture and other clever ways to make life easier. Not all great breakthroughs are created equal. Some arrive more or less as usable things; others mainly set the stage for innovations that emerge later and we have to estimate when that will be. 2015 was the year that Marty McFly came to when he traveled to the future with the help of Doc. October 21st, 2015 looked nothing like it did in Back to the Future, but we did manage to implement a few cool new devices like self-tying shoes, a unique and a somewhat terrifying version of a hoverboard. Scientists have discovered systematic breakthroughs with liquid water found on Mars, new ways to predict and capture natures beauty and enhance the products that we have, always coming up with new ideas to apply in the world of technology.

Canadians discovered a new way of getting around the city with Uber, a ride sharing transportation service where independent drivers could be hailed to offer a pre-paid taxi service anywhere you need to go in the GTA. This caused much controversy amongst Taxi drivers who were outraged that Uber could be allowed to operate in the city without being regulated under any laws. Uber hasn’t let that stop them, expanding on their service and looking to implement even more ways to help people get around, offering quality customer service and standing their ground.

There was a change in leadership in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Guyana where David A. Granger was elected as the new President in May of this year and Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley was elected Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, coming into office in September. After the elections in Guyana the Progressive Party unseated the Alliance for Change Party led by the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic Minister Moses Nagamootoo merging them into one. The Caribbean was hit with another bout of the Chikungunya virus and the Swine Flu resurfaced in Trinidad, putting neighboring countries on alert.

In the world of Caribbean entertainment Bunji Garland went mainstream gracing the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine taking Soca music international. Countries in the Caribbean have been working on building up their tourism industries, looking for new ways to bring money into the country and develop their infrastructure.

Finally the legalization of Marijuana has finally reached the top of the list of things to further discuss heading into 2016. It has been almost three years since some of Canada’s neighbors in the south have been able to legally buy and possess Marijuana. Our new Prime Minister has made the legalization of cannabis a part of his campaign promise, hoping to legalize, regulate and restrict access to it. They are hoping to implement this change to make it easier for people who use it for medicinal purposes. The current process of prohibiting marijuana doesn’t work as it does not prevent young people from using it and too many are ending up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug. They are hoping to create and implement new and stronger laws that will be more effective and alleviate some of the expenses from our criminal justice system.

We have come a long way in 2015 and looking towards 2016 the sky’s the limit. Our hopes for the future is that we can continue to come together as a community and stand together supporting each other. A year seems to zip right by and it seems that only yesterday the year began. We wouldn’t have been able to dream up some of the stuff that has happened over the course of a year, so much has changed.

2015 was an eventful year, full of many challenges that will carry over into the year to come. Looking towards 2016 we hope to continue to stand together with our community and the world, creating, enforcing and being the change we wish to see in the world.

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Before we allow more people into the country, shouldn’t we prioritize the well-being of our citizens first?

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Stock Photo/FreePik

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Greetings esteemed citizens of Canada. I am deeply troubled by a pressing issue that demands our attention. It pertains to our immigration policies and the welfare of our citizens.

I am bewildered by the continued influx of immigrants into our country while we struggle to adequately care for our own citizens. Take, for instance, a drive through Toronto, or a drive through Hamilton—it’s a stark reminder of the dire situation many Canadians face daily. We witness homelessness, lack of access to basic healthcare, and economic hardships plaguing our communities.

Homelessness continues to be an issue in Toronto, with thousands of people experiencing homelessness on any given night. The impacts of it are complex, long lasting, and devastating for many. Homelessness affects some of our community’s most vulnerable residents and contributes to ongoing health inequities.

Toronto is also experiencing a heightened number of non-fatal and fatal opioid overdoses within the overall community, as well as within the shelter system. This is primarily due to the increasing toxicity and unpredictability of the unregulated drug supply. According to the City of Toronto, in 2023, there were 169 calls to Toronto Paramedics from Toronto shelters and respites sites in Q4 of 2023 to respond to non-fatal overdoses. Over 2023, there were a total of 796 non-fatal suspected overdoses at Toronto shelter and respite sites, representing an 11% decrease from 2022.

Higher rates of illness and premature death among the homeless population have been widely recognized, and since January 2024, there have been 28 deaths in homeless shelters. The City says that they are committed to identifying and responding in a timely manner to new and emerging issues in the shelter system.

According to Homeless Statistics in Canada, the estimated number of homeless people ranges from 150,000 to 300,000, with 25,000 to 35,000 individuals homeless on any given night. Let’s take a look at this on a national scale:

Homelessness Statistics for Canadians

  • Between 25,000 and 35,000 people are homeless on any given night in Canada.
  • Toronto has the most homeless people in Canada.
  • 62% of homeless people in Canada are males.
  • 30% of Canadian homeless come from Indigenous communities.
  • 90% of homeless shelters in Canada are in: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta, and 44% of them are in Ontario alone.
  • 22% of shelters are aimed at young homeless in Canada, while 20% of people experiencing homelessness are 13-24 years old.
  • The annual cost to society is over $7 billion.
  • The Canadian Government is investing $2.2 billion over ten years to expand funding for the homeless.

Yet, for some reason, the Canadian government strongly believes that it is in the best interest of our country to continue to push for higher immigration. Yes, I overstand that immigration is a complex issue with multifaceted implications. Canada has long prided itself on its tradition of welcoming immigrants, which enriches our cultural fabric and contributes to our economic growth. The only caveat is we as Canadians need to truly understand how this is affecting us as a whole.

According to Statista, annual immigration in Canada amounts to almost 500,000 new immigrants – one of the highest rates per population of any country in the world. As of 2023, there were more than eight million immigrants with permanent residence living in Canada – roughly 20% of the total Canadian population. In a press release titled “Canada welcomes historic number of newcomers in 2022,” it is proudly written that Canada has experienced one of the fastest recoveries from the pandemic, thanks in large part to our approach to immigration.

In the press release, they state that they plan to welcome a historic number of newcomers, and IRCC has: added resources, embraced new technology, streamlined processing, and brought more processes online. They claim that these changes are all important improvements to Canada’s immigration system, which will position them well for the future. They also state that their focus is on addressing the acute labour market shortages we are facing today and building a strong economy into the future, and one thing remains certain: “Immigration is a key part of the solution.”

“Today marks an important milestone for Canada, setting a new record for newcomers welcomed in a single year. It is a testament to the strength and resilience of our country and its people. Newcomers play an essential role in filling labour shortages, bringing new perspectives and talents to our communities, and enriching our society as a whole. I am excited to see what the future holds and look forward to another historic year in 2023 as we continue to welcome newcomers,” shared Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

I received an email from Maxime Bernier (PPC Leader), and in this email, he shared with me his thoughts. “I started talking about the perils of mass immigration years ago. The whole political and media establishment denounced me, smeared me, said I was a racist, a xenophobe, anti-Canadian. I kept telling the truth, because I care more about the future of our nation than about what these corrupt elites think of me.”

“More and more people now realize that I was right. Simone Jennifer, we need to make mass immigration the ballot box question at the coming election. When the Liberals took power in 2015, Canada’s population was only 35 million. How can we possibly integrate into our society, our economy, our housing market, our culture, the equivalent of Nova Scotia’s, or Saskatchewan’s population every few months? It’s a planned invasion. It’s a total disaster in the making.”

I understand the importance of immigration, especially because my parents are also immigrants, but before we allow more people into the country, shouldn’t we prioritize the well-being of our citizens first? How can we justify bringing more people into the country when we’re struggling to provide essential services and support to those already here?

I urge the government to reevaluate its immigration policies and ensure that they align with the needs of our citizens. We must prioritize the well-being of Canadians and work towards building a more inclusive and prosperous society for all.

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Ontario launches One Fare Program to increase accessibility and affordability of public transportation

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BY PAUL JUNOR

“We’re working with the provincial and local transit partners towards integrating transit fares across systems, making transit more affordable, and convenient as we take action to build the region’s network for the future.” (Metrolink)

Transit riders across the GTA will save $1,600 as they utilize multiple transit agencies at no extra charge. The program started on February 26th, 2024, and it allows transit riders transfer for free to commute between the TTC and other Transit agencies in the GTA, including GO Transit. All commuters need is to tap their PRESTO: card, credit, or debit in Google wallet to save money with the Ontario One Fare Program.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford states, “Our government is on a mission to keep costs down for the hardworking people of Ontario. One Fare will eliminate double fees and put $1,600 back in the pockets of transit riders. Alongside the hundreds of dollars, we’re saving for drivers by cutting the gas tax, scrapping road tolls, and eliminating the license plate sticker fee, we’re providing commuters with real tangible relief.”

The Ontario government has invested $70.5 billion in public transit that is intended to significantly improve the overall services. It is anticipated that there will be more than eight million new riders as they traverse different public transit systems. Commuters will be able to travel between: GO Transit, TTC, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay, and York Region Transit.

Vijay Thanigasalam (Associate Minister of Transportation) states, “At a time when many families feel like they’re struggling to get ahead, our government is making public transit simpler, more convenient, and more affordable. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we will continue to make historic investments in public transit and put money back in commuters’ pockets, where it belongs.”

It was in 2022 when it was announced that plans were underway between GO Transit and several transit agencies in the Golden Horseshoe Area. “The government will continue to work with municipal partners to identify opportunities to make transit more seamless for riders by harmonizing discounted fares and other measures.”

Overall, there will be an investment of $70.5 billion by the Ontario government in public transit that will go a long way in increasing affordability and accessibility of different transit systems in the GTA and Golden Horseshoe areas. The project will also involve: the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension, which is the largest development of any subway system in all of Canada. When completed, there will be a two-way, all-day GO train service every 15 minutes that will connect key areas in the Golden Horseshoe. It is projected to be completed by 2031.

Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto is totally supportive and pleased with the unveiling of the One Fare Program. She states, “Public transit should be a convenient and affordable option for getting to work, school, or running errands. Ontario’s One Fare will make it easier and cheaper to transfer between the: TTC, GO Transit, and other transit agencies. When governments continue to work together, we can make life more affordable and invest in public services families rely on, like high quality public transit that costs you less.”

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Your silence on crimes against humanity automatically makes you an accomplice

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Photo Credit: Roman-Odintsov

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

“Many people wonder: who is responsible for the process of self-destruction of human society? Today, to some extent, the responsibility falls on everyone. On some more than others, but on everyone. Why? Because people are silently accepting the current changes, which are literally crimes against humanity.”

The above is a quote from Elijah plus the Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate Methodius OSBMr + Timothy OSBMr and the Secretary Bishops. Now let us examine why this quote was made using present-day society as the barometer.

A good example of this nonsense here in Canada is children having the right to choose their gender while parents are being threatened with jail time if they intervene. It’s these so-called hate speech laws, and so-called laws to keep independent thinkers from accessing worldwide news and posting it on their social media platforms.

“Parliament gets presented with an unintelligible text, which is impossible to decode. Besides, the MPs usually pass multiple laws at the same time; hence they have no possibility and time to find out what they are supposed to pass altogether,” said the Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate.

Here are some of the crimes (that these so-called laws that are drafted and eventually passed) are designed to hide.

Feminization, the breakdown of family, gender ideology, and stealing children from their mothers are promoted under the term “domestic violence protection.” Make sure there are no fathers in the homes, or even if there are, he is muted, or scared of having his authority labelled as toxic masculinity.

In Norway, 70-100 stolen children commit suicide every year and the information about it is marked as confidential. In some cases, foster family is a business where children are being passed around until they are mentally bankrupt, oppressed, and eventually killed. Based on the financial status of the so-called foster parents, these cases never make the news.

We are seeing anti-discriminatory laws included in the legislation allowing mass discrimination of the majority. Systematic demoralization of children from the time they attend kindergarten is covered by the term sexual education.

“Children are robbed of their own identity by pounding in their minds that they are neither a girl, nor a boy. Consequently, they undergo hormonal therapy with a catastrophic prospect of gender-altering surgery. The society is silent about it and therefore has a shared accountability for all these crimes,” shared the Byzantine Bishops.

Some of these schools have hundreds of students. My questions are, why don’t these parents join hands and say enough is enough, instead of just one or two? Canadians, have we become a society of parents who are continually failing our children? When are we going to wake up?

Here are some of the trials our babies face daily. “Even before the child is born, mothers are forced to have it killed. Almost every mother is intimidated by having a child with so-called Down Syndrome. In reality, this is a mental terror based on lies,” said Byzantine Bishops. “As soon as the children are born, they are administered vaccines, which cause: autism, loss of immunity, loss of fertility, autoimmune diseases, cancer, etc.”

Again, where are the collective voices of our men and women saying hell no to all this? There is an enormous amount of the money that pediatricians make from the vaccines they force on these innocent children. These child doctors know full well the side effects of such vaccines, but instead, they are focused on their next: Porsche, cottage, and furnishing their high-society wives and husbands with all the luxury items, while they poison our children, and what do we do? NOTHING.

The average North American child doctor has 1,500 patients; if he or she gets most of them to take all the child vaccines, he or she is rewarded with at least $360.000. That’s way more than their annual salary. This should explain the push to vaccinate your babies at all costs. This information can be found in the BlueCross/BlueShield Doctor Incentive Booklet. Every child that gets the 24 vaccines is worth a $400 payout to that doctor.

The abuse of medicine has now become the new normal. This happens under the cover of The World Health Organization (WHO); projects are being imposed on states to reduce human population.  “We can expect the declaration of the next pseudo-pandemic followed by experimental vaccination. This not only poses a mortal danger to human life but also carries the threat of concealed chipping,” said Byzantine Bishops.

From Smartphone addiction (aka making our children braindead), the digitization of everything (aka spying on us), intervention in our food supply (aka poisoning us with GMOs), to the falsification of science for satanic agendas (aka the safe and effective COVID brew), there is no hiding place from this war that is unleashed on world citizens by corporations and so-called governments.

The big question is, are we going to give up or fight? Canadians, choose as if your life depended on it, because it does.

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