July 2000

Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre 184 Camelot Street, Thunder Bay, On P7A 4A9

Confidential Cabinet documents indicate that the Ontario Government is about to introduce social housing reforms legislation this summer.

Under the new law, those receiving loans from Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) will be ineligible for subsidized housing. Tenants currently receiving rent subsidies and loans for OSAP will probably experience a rent increase before September. The provincial government, with its usual “wisdom” considers the practice of obtaining student loans and using subsidized housing as “double-dipping”. Many women leaving abusive relationships wind up in subsidized housing. Many try to rebuild their lives and economic autonomy by returning to school. This new legislation will ensure that low income, sole support mothers will not be able afford to go to school, and will be forced to remain dependent, either on the state or ex husbands.

The legislation lays out the ground rules for downloading the administration of provincial social housing to the municipalities. This move will allow municipalities to end rent subsidies for welfare recipients. The provincial government has coined a new term for using subsidized housing and welfare at the same time: “benefit stacking”. A grandfather clause in the legislation will allow people currently on welfare benefits and living in subsidized housing to be exempted from the new regulations.

Advocates of second stage housing for women from abusive relationships also fear that downloading of these services to municipalities will result in cuts to eligibility, services and available units.

(Webmaven's note: another related article appears in the November/December 2000 Newsletter.)

Last year, the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre, an anti-choice organization received $128,901 from Human Resources Development Canada. This Centre is an organization that is dedicated to preventing women from getting abortions. Advertising for the centre would lead women to believe that they will receive professional counselling about all the options open to pregnant women. However, women who visit the centre are not given accurate information about abortion or contraception. Because this agency is opposed to all forms of contraception, as well as abortion, the staff does not provide non-judgemental options, counselling or referrals to women seeking abortions. Unfortunately, the women who do go to the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre believing they will receive what is advertised, are delayed in seeking medical services.

Women have the right to reliable and accessible counselling services. We also have the right to information about our options and to not be judged upon the decisions we make about our bodies. Money given to the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre is money that could be used to help fund agencies that support a woman’s right to choose. The federal Government should not support agencies that inhibit a woman’s right to accurate medical information. If this issue concerns you: please contact the Honorable Minister Responsible for Human Resources.

Unless our voices are heard, no charges will ever be made. It is important to remember all of the fights that have been won in the struggle for equality. The following article was written by Judy Rebick who is a Canadian pro-choice activist and journalist:

I will remember the morning of January 28, 1988 as long as I live. It was freezing and I was standing in front of the Morgentaler Clinic, then on Harbord Street, with my sisters in the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics. We were waiting for the Supreme court decision on abortion rights. It had been almost eight years since the OCAC had formed to support the opening and continuing operation of an illegal abortion clinic in Toronto. Eight years of organizing, meeting, demonstration, raising money, lobbying, speaking, protecting patients-first from the police and then from anti-choice groups- and debating political and legal strategies. Like in Quebec three decades before, a jury had acquitted Dr. Morgentaler and the Court of Appeals had overturned. Now we were waiting for the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision. Leaders of OCAC were in Ottawa with Dr. Morgentaler but I was waiting outside the clinic for their phone call.

continued
Printer Friendly Version