Issues
Kindergarten: Big changes on the way for Ontario’s children!
Starting this September, kindergarten programs in 600 schools will expand from ½ day to a full day and provide the option of fee-based before-and-after child care for families who need it.
This big change for four- and five-year-olds and, of course, their parents and caregivers is the first phase of a plan that is slated for completion by 2016, when all schools will be delivering the full-day Early Learning Program.
The initiative began last year with release of a report by Dr. Charles Pascal “With Our Best Future in Mind: Implementing Early Learning in Ontario,” in which learning is seen as a continuum. The report contains recommendations for a comprehensive and integrated system for children from birth to age 12, and even beyond, into young adulthood.
The province has stated that the full-day early learning program is meant to free up child care spaces for younger children and provide a high-quality, public program in our schools: importantly, it has said there will be no net loss in child care spaces – rather, at the end of the reform, there should be more spaces available.
What will happen to existing community child care centres?
It is expected that existing centres will serve children from 0 – 4 years and from 6- 12 Although the province has identified the need for transitional and capital funding for child care programs, agencies and organizations that operate not-for-profit child care centres warn that is it not enough. They will need to specialize, renovate and ensure staff training where necessary.
Because Ontario’s current child care programs will be so greatly affected in this first year transition to the 600 schools, the funding issue and its resolution are critical.
To learn more about the government of Ontario’s Full-day Early Learning Program, CLICK HERE
To read Dr. Charles Pascal’s full report “With Our Best Future in Mind: Implementing Early Learning in Ontario,” CLICK HERE
To read more about some of the issues and concerns associated with the planning and implementation, CLICK HERE
Municipal election day October 25
Get ready to vote! It’s a fundamental right in our democracy. On Monday, October 25, you’ll have an opportunity to elect Toronto’s Mayor, your City Councillor and School Board Trustee. It’s an important responsibility.
The people you elect will be making decisions on your behalf so you will want to ensure they represent your ideas and views on the issues and services that are important to you.
During the election period, the candidates will try to let people know what they think is important by distributing flyers, visiting door to door, speaking at community meetings, and getting stories in the newspaper or on the radio.
Who can vote? You can vote in the municipal election for the City of Toronto if you meet all of the following criteria:
- a Canadian citizen
- at least 18 years old
- a resident of the City of Toronto
- a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the City of Toronto or their spouse
- not prohibited from voting under any law.
The first important step in voting is to make sure you are on the Voters’ List.
You should have received a Voter’s Information Card or letter confirming that your name is on the Voters’ List by June 1, 2010. The Voter Information Card will tell you where and when to vote, and also speeds up the time spent at the voting location.
If you did not receive a card or just want to ensure your name is on the Voters’ List, call the elections office at 416-338-1111 after September 1, 2010. They will mail you a form. You can also go to the City Clerk's Office, in person, during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to pick up a form.
Even if you do not do any of the above, if you are eligible to vote, you still can. All you have to do is to take identification with you to your local polling station on election day. Make sure you check the ACCEPTABLE IDENTIFICATION LIST to see what identification to take with you.
Electors may vote prior to Election Day for any reason. This is good news, especially for those who are planning to be away on Oct. 25, 2010. The Advance Vote allows eligible electors from any ward to vote. To find out when and where to go for Advance Voting, CLICK HERE
If you want to find out who the candidates are in your ward and for the Mayor, CLICK HERE
If you want to find out which ward you live in, CLICK HERE or call 3-1-1.
Voting day: Oct. 25th! All voting places are accessible to electors with disabilities. If you still have questions, CLICK HERE for more information.
Commonly used terms for all elections, whether they are federal, provincial or municipal:
Ballot - A piece of paper containing the names of the candidates and the office they are running for.
Elector (Eligible Elector) - A person who is eligible to vote in the municipal election.
Scrutineer - A person representing a candidate at the voting location to observe the voting process.
Voter - An "elector" becomes a "voter" when he or she accepts a ballot at a voting location.
Voting location - A building or part of a building or other facility at which voting is conducted.
Voter information card - A card sent to every elector whose name appears on the voters' list. It tells electors when and where they can cast their ballots on Election Day and at the weekend advance vote.
Voters' list - The list of names and addresses of eligible electors used at the voting location.
Ward - A geographical area represented by a member of Council. There are 44 wards in the City of Toronto.
