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Day to day happenings at the Prayer Vigil
March 26, 2009
The final day of the Vigil began with members of the Toronto, Hamilton/Niagara, and Kitchener/Waterloo Conferences of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and various other individuals praying for the poor and the MPPs on the day's prayer list. During our morning sessions, Dr. Oz Cole-Arnal, Kitchener-Waterloo Conference of the Eastern Synod, Rev Sonja Free, Toronto Conference of the Eastern Synod, and Rev Fred Schmidt, Hamilton-Niagara Conference of the Eastern Synod led participants in reflections, readings, and song. Prayers from the Buddhist and Muslim communities were also part of the morning sessions.
At noon, The Rev Michael Pryse, Bishop, The Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, led participants. The poor were remembered, our MPPs were asked to do justice, and songs were sung. Bishop Pryse reminded us of the call to deal justly in our relationships with our fellow humans beings regardless of the race, creed, or economic circumstances. Charitable acts to the poor are not sufficient. God demands that each of us our treated with dignity so that they can live to their full potential. The noon session was ended in prayer by Imam Habeeb Alli.
During our noon prayers we were joined by Khalil Ramal, MPP for London-Fanshawe and Kuldip Kular, MPP for Bramalea-Gore-Malton. They thanked participants for their presence and ISARC for its month-long vigil.
During the afternoon, Toronto Mayor David Miller, on his way into the Legislative Building, stopped by the vigil tent and offered his support for our efforts. After the budget was released, Cheri DiNovo, MPP for Parkdale-High Park, and Charles Sousa, MPP for Mississauga South, dropped by the Vigil tent to thanks us for doing the vigil and give their comments on the budget.
The Vigil closing ceremonies at the end of the day were led by Rev. Susan Eagle, ISARC Chair.
It began with Brice Balmer, ISARC Secretary, giving his analysis of the provincial budget after returning from the budget lock-up. Brice reported that the budget did address affordable housing and Ontario Child Benefits in ways that will help the poor. However, the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) will not be $42 for every child; social assistance recipients will receive different amounts of the OCB depending on their Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) status. Some will receive as low as $2 per child per month. At the end of this year, child care subsidies will decrease because of the lack of federal funding; no provincial funding is available in the budget. A two percent social assistance hike falls far short of what is needed and the call for the Healthy Food Supplement of $100 a month to help adults on welfare was ignored. Finally, the budget only went halfway on its commitment to hiring new employment standards officers to ensure more workers will have their wages and basic rights protected through this downturn.
Affordable housing advocates and developers were glad that the province recognized both non-profit housing in need of repairs as well as the development of new housing units. Secure, safe, and affordable housing can provide the foundation for individuals and families to break the cycle of poverty.
ISARC along with other coalitions called for a substantial down payment on Ontario's Child Poverty Reduction Strategy. Though coalition members deeply appreciate the work of Hon. Deb Matthews, other ministers and MPPs, this budget did not deliver this down payment. The government has promised a provincial social assistance review and an affordable housing strategy to begin this Spring. Those two measures could go far to break the cycle of poverty for Ontarians with low incomes. Child care is also critical for future workers as well as people in re-training.
He added that the increase in the Ontario Child Benefit moves toward the goal of reducing child and family poverty and matching federal infrastructure dollars to build more affordable housing and repair existing social housing units will be a benefit. But a two percent social assistance hike falls far short of what is needed and the call for the Healthy Food Supplement of $100 a month to help adults on welfare was ignored. As well, there was no new funding for early learning and child care.
Finally, the budget only went halfway on its commitment to hiring new employment standards officers to ensure more workers will have their wages and basic rights protected through this downturn.
Prayers for justice for the poor were then offered by: Rev. David Giuliano, Moderator for the United Church of Canada; Rabbi Aaron Levy; Rev. Andrea Budgey, Anglican Chaplain at Trinity College; Unitarian-Universalist Rev. Jeffrey Brown; Murat Ortanca for the Muslim community; The Venerable Bhante Saranapala, Deputy Abbot, West End Buddhist Centre; and, Lee McKenna duCharme.
The closing included the lighting a candle for the 107 MPPs which will eventually be sent to them to remind them of their responsibility to the poor in Ontario and ISARC's prayer vigil and presence. Candles were also lit and given to participants to take back to their community as a symbol for the need to continue the call and work for justice for the poor.
The many organizations, communities, and individuals that attended the Vigil during the month of March were warmly thanked for their participation.
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