Pam Damoff
2525 Old Bronte Road, Suite 590 L6M4J2 Oakville, ON, Canada

This week’s update continues to provide you with the latest numbers on Canada’s vaccine procurement efforts, highlights investments in the biomanufacturing sector and wishes you all a Happy Victoria Day long-weekend!

Today I’m joined by Brandon Yip, a bright young man who I had originally met though my very first Youth Council, is now a student at Western University conducting research on epilepsy and has continued to keep in touch over the years. In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, we will be discussing his Family Journey of coming to Canada from China which dated back to 1909. Brandon's great-grandfather arrived in Canada at only 16 years of age. Now more than a century later, we reflect on the sacrifices that were made, adapting to a new culture/language, the importance of caring for our seniors and more.

At the start of this week I had a conversation with Conservation Halton to highlight natural assets and infrastructure. We spoke about the watershed climate action plan and newly released strategic plan ‘Momentum.’ Barb and Chitra also shared details about the watershed scale, nature based solution approaches, benefits to Canadians and more. It was a pleasure to hear firsthand all of the amazing work continuously being done. Looking forward to our next conversation and updates from your team!

Team Halton (Karina Gould, Anita Anand, Adam Van Koeverden and myself) as well as community members started the day bright and early with an important virtual conversation to highlight living with disabilities. We spoke about a plan to build a more accessible and inclusive community in the Halton region and across the nation. Some key topics on ways to be more inclusive consisted of:... Education Components Accessible Housing Universal Design Accessible Software Inclusive Childcare Changing Attitudes Employment Opportunities (interview process, job application formats, etc.) Etc. Thank you to all those who participated in this discussion.

Family doctors play a central role in Canada’s health care system and are integral to the health of our communities in so many ways. They teach future generations of practitioners; contribute to family medicine research; provide high-quality patient care in clinics, hospitals and long-term care (LTC). Thank you to all family doctors, especially those in the Oakville North-Burlington riding for your ongoing tremendous work, comprehensive care to the community and for not only fulfilling your regular duties but also for adapting to community needs on the frontlines. #WorldFamilyDoctorDay

Earlier today I spoke with the Public Health Youth Association of Canada (PHYAC) about health issues for Indigenous Peoples. PHYAC is a group of undergraduate and graduate students from universities across Canada who advocate for better public health education at the high school and post-secondary levels.

Congratulations to the new Fire Chief for Burlington, Karen Roche! Her leadership and expertise have been invaluable to the city of Burlington and as one of the handful of women as Fire Chiefs in Canada this is a huge step forward for women in the fire safety service. (Photo May 2019)

The number of indigenous women incarcerated in Nova Scotia has doubled. An excellent op-ed from one of Canada’s brightest Savannah Wolfe and her colleagues about an issue I continue to work on. The over-incarceration of Indigenous women in our province’s justice system is the product of systemic discrimination and decades of government neglect. For far too long, federal and provincial politicians have used jurisdiction to justify inaction on criminal justice reform. Although we recognize the federal government’s role in this arena, the over-incarceration of Indigenous women is a collective societal issue that permeates jurisdictional red tape.

I started my day off today with a great meeting with the Oakville Professional Fire Fighters Association. Thank you to Interim- President Phil Cartwright and Secretary, Tom Parker for raising concerns about the Pandemic and for advocating for the safety of our community. I look forward to continuing this conversation in the future.

Our government has introduced Bill C-8 to amend the Oath of Citizenship to affirm and recognize Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. This Bill will fulfill Call to Action #94. Listen to my speech to learn why this is a good first step, and why we need to update the citizenship study guide to provide new immigrants to Canada with the education needed to know what it means to affirm and recognize Aboriginal and Treaty rights. This is an issue I have been advocating on for years and I want to thank Mariam Manaa and Stephen Paquette for their work on this important topic.

Today marks Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas. Known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is celebrated by millions of people around the world. The holiday symbolizes the spiritual victory of light and good over darkness and evil, and is celebrated by lighting candles and lanterns in homes, temples and workspaces. To everyone in Oakville North-Burlington celebrating, I wish you a Diwali that brings happiness prosperity and joy to you and your family. Subh Diwali.

Five years ago today I was sworn in as the MP for Oakville North-Burlington. I am so fortunate to represent our riding in Ottawa. It has been an incredible five years and I continue to be grateful for family and friends for their love and support, my amazing staff who work tirelessly for our riding and the wonderful people I’ve met along the way.

The application portal for the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy is now open. Click on the link below to learn more and how to apply.

November is Indigenous Disability Awareness Month. The prevalence of disability among Indigenous peoples is twice that of the non-indigenous population. The challenges faced by Indigenous communities further compound the challenges faced by Indigenous peoples living with a disability. Watch my statement below on the need to listen, include, and uplift their voices in order to create a truly inclusive society.

Well done Broadleaf Theatre production of The Chemical Valley Project. Thanks Oakville Centre for bringing it to my screen at home. Kevin Wong is a brilliant storyteller You can watch again tomorrow at 2 pm and online til November 27th Located in Sarnia, Ontario, the Aamjiwnaang First Nations reserve and its 900 residents are smothered by one of Canada’s largest petrochemical corridors: the Chemical Valley. Siblings Vanessa Gray and Beze Gray have dedicated their lives to f...ighting the pollution that threatens their community’s health, safety, and future. https://firstontariopac.ca/Online/default.asp

This week’s update focuses on the commemoration of Remembrance Day, celebrates Diwali, highlights my roundtable with the Muslim community in Halton on how to address online hate and islamophobia and more.

Today is Halton Women's Place Wear Purple Day, and the month of November is Women Abuse Prevention Month. I wear purple today to raise awareness about ending violence against women and to honour survivors of gender based violence here in Halton and across the country. Thank you to Halton Women's Place for providing a safe haven for those seeking shelter and support and for raising awareness about how we can all work together to end gender based violence.