Dialogue with Dawn – September 29, 2022
The end of another month has quickly approached. September saw our students back in class on-time with the full school experience.
It was also a time of mourning for her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Following the June 2 general election, I swore an Oath of Allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, This Oath is required by and set out in Section 128 of the Constitution Act, 1867. On September 14, I attended the legislature Chamber to renew my Oath of Allegiance to our successor Monarch, King Charles III. I thought it may be of interest to know that a new oath was administered to Members of Provincial Parliament following the deaths of Queen Victoria (1901) and King Edward VII (1910). In both instances, the Monarch died when the Assembly stood prorogued. In 1952, King George VI died on February 6. A general election having previously taken place, the House convened on February 21 to begin the 1st Session of the 24th Parliament and all MPPs were sworn in the Chamber taking oath to Queen Elizabeth II. I mention this history as this 43rd Parliament of Ontario is the first parliament to have sworn in under one Monarch and only 10 weeks later, take the Oath to the successor.
On September 21, I had the honour to attend and speak at the CArE (Centre of Arthritis Excellence) opening ceremony. Many of you may be aware of the previous TAP (The Arthritis Program) that was managed by Southlake Regional Health Centre which came to an end early 2021. Our government recognized the immense value in continuing the arthritis clinical program. The question became how to best provide this type of program in a community-based setting. This is when the brilliance of Dr. Carter Thorne and his highly competent team collaborated on an interdisciplinary approach that saw the rise of CArE. The centre provides arthritis relief for our residents grappling with ailments like Osteoarthritis, Inflammatory Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, and more. I am proud that our government supported this program with over $2.4 million dollars in funding. It is a prime example of how we are collectively, government and non profit, working to provide innovative solutions for our health care system. It is the interprofessional health team approach that will help achieve the patient centric model of care to which we are striving to implement.
As of September 26, all adults aged 18 and over are eligible to receive the bivalent booster dose, which may offer more targeted protection against the Omicron variants. The bivalent COVID-19 booster is a safe and effective way for people to better protect themselves against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variants in Ontario. COVID-19 vaccines, along with continued access to testing and antivirals and updated public health guidance, give Ontarians the tools they need to make the best decisions for themselves on how to stay safe, healthy, and out of hospitals as the province continues its efforts to support the recovery and rebuilding of the health system.
September 30th is Orange Shirt Day and National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, a day to honour and remember residential school survivors and their families, as well as children who did not survive the residential school system. Ontario is marking the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day by encouraging students and the public to learn about the legacy of the Indian residential school system and support greater understanding of the importance of working to advance meaningful reconciliation. Understanding the tragic and painful legacy of residential schools and how it continues to impact the lives of Indigenous Peoples across the country is a vital first step toward advancing meaningful reconciliation.
I would like to invite all the constituents of Newmarket—Aurora to come to my first annual
FAMILY BBQ & CORN ROAST being held on Sunday, October 16 (2 PM – 4 PM) at the Riverwalk Commons in Newmarket. There will be food, face painting for the children, a photobooth for family fun pics, and music. Please come by and say hello. I look forward to meeting you there. Should you have any questions about this update or other provincial matters, my constituency office is available and can be reached at 905-853-9889.
Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP for Newmarket-Aurora