February Newsletter email from Don McLeod

London Chapter Council of Canadians - February 2012 Newsletter

http://londoncouncilofcanadians.ca/Newsletter.pdf

Hello Folks,

Lots on the go with our London Chapter!

Thank you to our Chapter Chairs, Committees and member support for bringing us lots of activity and information for our Chapter!

Back a year ago our Chapter had a memebrship meeting where we outlined our need for our members to keep informed of important issues. This month we say thank you to our Council of Canadians Staff and supporting volunteers that keep us informed. Thank you! Well done!

Don

Council of Canadians

Information Resources

http://londoncouncilofcanadians.ca/InformationResources.pdf

We are truly blessed as members of the Council of Canadians to have access to daily up to the minute news on important issues that confront all Canadians. I have outlined some of our information resources below.

First, let me take you back to 1985. Our Council of Canadians has many noted Canadians that were the founding Charter members of our organization. Many have written articles for the Council over the past years How many do you recognize?

Some of the members of the C.O.C. are:

Doris Anderson, Margaret Atwood, Maude

Barlow, Pierre Berton, Gerry Caplan,

Stephen Clarkson, Sheila Copps M.P.,

Mayor Marion Dewar, Hon. T.C. Douglas,

Graeme Gibson, Hon. Walter Gordon,

Hon. Herb Gray, Grace Hartman, Mel

Hurtig, Pauline Jewett M.P., Hon. Eric

Kierans, Margaret Laurence, Gordon

Laxer, James Lorimer, Paul Martin Jr.,

Farley Mowat, Peter C. Newman, Anne

Claire Poirier, Heather Robertson,

Lloyd Shaw, David Suzuki, Mel Watkins,

and Robert White.

Taken from our Council of Canadians – Canadian Perspectives Winter 2005

http://www.canadians.org/publications/CP/2005/winter/wincp05.pdf

For you to be a member of the Council of Canadians puts you in the wonderful company of many distinguished and proud fellow Canadians!

Now, I would like to introduce you to a few people that provide us with a valued support information network for our London Chapter, and Chapters across Canada:

Regionally we are represented by staff Mark Calzavara, Regional Organizer – Ontario-Quebec-Nunavut who is in the Toronto office with Maryam Adrangi, our Regional Organizing Assistant. Mark & Maryam are our Chapter’s first point of contact with the Council of Canadians.

Roy Brady from the Peterborough Chapter is our Regional Chapter Representative. Roy provides guidance to Chapter’s as our volunteer Rep.

There are a number of campaigners that have Blogs that you can access to have up to date information on Council of Canadians core issues:

Maude Barlow, National Chair: http://canadians.org/blog/?author=16

Brent Patterson, Political Director: http://canadians.org/blog/?author=2

Adrienne Silnicki, Health Care Campaigner: http://canadians.org/blog/?p=13573

Andrea Harden-Donahue, Energy and Climate Justice Campaigner:

http://canadians.org/blog/?author=8

Meera Karunananthan, Water Campaigner: http://canadians.org/blog/?author=5

Emma Lui, Water Campaigner: http://canadians.org/blog/?author=4

Stuart Trew, Trade Campaigner: http://canadians.org/blog/?author=3

Anil Naidoo, Project Organizer – Blue Planet Project:

http://canadians.org/blog/?author=19

ACTIVlist

Sign up for daily Council of Canadians news:

http://lists.canadians.org/mailman/subscribe/activlist

Facebook, Twitter, YouTUBE, Daily emails & Blogs at

Follow Council of Canadians with social media:

http://canadians.org/stayinformed.html

Thank you to all the above Council of Canadians staff and volunteers who keep us informed! We appreciate the vital role and service that you provide our London Chapter and Chapters across Canada!

Lets all work together to become the best-informed Canadians!

Onward!

Yours from the Council

Don McLeod

London Chapter Facilitator

Council of Canadians

Email: Don McLeod <LondonChapter2012COC@yahoo.ca>

(519) 667-4016

London Chapter Web: www.londoncouncilofcanadians.ca

London Chapter Email: info@londoncouncilofcanadians.ca

Chapter Facebook: www.facebook.com/londoncoc

National Web: www.canadians.org

Stop CETA: www.stopCETA.ca

OCCUPY UWO: A Symposium (details)

Speakers, Song, Art, Ideas

Live stream: click here.

OCCUPY UWO: Our Communities Are Not For Sale 2

Local Impacts. Local Outreach. Local Solutions.
Featuring: Mary Lou Smoke, MP Irene Mathyssen, Gina Barber, Dr. Linda Wayne, Occupy London, London Labour Movement,
Justice Folk music by Jill Smith, Erynne Gilpin, Margo Does
Art Intervention by Jeremy Jeresky

Where: Room 105, Labatt Hall, King's College, UWO
When: Thursday, March 1st
Time: 7 pm event followed by reception
Cost: Free

A free & fabulous reception to follow

Sponsored by The Social Justice Peace Club & stopCETA -- a committee of The Council of Canadians -- London Chapter

Occupy UWO is the second in a series of symposiums that aims to open public discussion on CETA – a trade contract that is threatening to put the MUSH sector, Municipalities, Universities, Schools and Hospitals up for contract to European corporations. Following the first symposium featuring internationally acclaimed Canadian Maude Barlow, the second will include First Nations leaders Mary Lou and Dan Smoke, MP Irene Mathyssen, former City Councillor Gina Barber, local independent business activist Dr. Linda Wayne, as well as representatives of regional unions and London’s chapter of the global Occupy movement. Sponsored by King’s College Social Justice & Peace Club, participants will be invited to connect the dots between Canada’s turn toward CETA, loss of full-time jobs and benefits, and the Occupy Movement. These are politics that impact the quality of life of students, faculty and other members of Western.

Kept from the press, Canada is in the final stages of negotiating the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement with the European Union. More potent than NAFTA, for the first time municipal government will be forced to adhere to trade law and respond to corporate lawsuits. Far beyond a trade agreement, CETA is the impetus for long-term restructuring of Canada through the sale of public infrastructure to foreign corporations. Essential service rates are certain to rise including an estimated two billion dollar per year increase for drug costs out of Canadians’ pockets. If signed, CETA will threaten Canada’s municipal economies, public service jobs, buy local movements, and more. This long-term trade contract will set new policy that will limit London’s economic choices. A growing national movement is responding with thirty-five municipalities and school boards already having passed resolutions to protect them from CETA. A similar resolution will be discussed by the legislature of Manitoba for protection of the whole province.

OCCUPY UWO press release

PRESS RELEASE
Occupy UWO: Our Communities Are Not For Sale!
For Immediate Release 2012-02-24
Although many don’t know it yet, Canada is in the final stages of negotiating a trade agreement with the European Union that is much more powerful than NAFTA. Known as CETA, the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, will be putting things on the table that are not normally considered trade items such as drinking water and the entire MUSH sector – Municipal services, Universities, Schools and Healthcare. More than just a trade agreement, CETA is the impetus for long-term restructuring through the sale of Canadian public infrastructure to foreign corporations. Costs of essential services are certain to rise including an estimated two billion dollar increase for drugs per year. If signed, CETA will threaten Canada’s municipal economies, public service jobs, environment, buy local movements, and more. This long-term trade contract will set new policy for Canadian cities including London that will limit our economic options. A growing national movement is responding with thirty-five municipalities and school boards already having passed resolutions to protect them from CETA. A similar resolution will be discussed by the legislature of Manitoba for protection of the whole province. Occupy UWO is the second in a series of London symposiums that aim to open public discussion on CETA. Following the first successful symposium featuring internationally acclaimed Canadian activist Maude Barlow, the second will include First Nations leaders Mary Lou and Dan Smoke, MP Irene Mathyssen, former City Councillor Gina Barber, local business owner Dr. Linda Wayne, as well as representatives of local unions and London’s chapter of the global Occupy movement. Sponsored by the London Chapter of The Council of Canadians and King’s College Social Justice and Peace Club, participants will connect the dots between Canada’s turn toward CETA, loss of jobs, and the Occupy Movement. Politics that will impact all of our day to day lives, you are invited to get informed at this evening of speeches, discussion and the arts. Occupy UWO takes place on Thursday, March 1, 2012, 7 pm, at Labatt Hall, King’s College, The University of Western Ontario. The event is free with a reception following.
#### For more information contact:
Rod Morley
stopCETA committee of The Council of Canadians – London Chapter
519 872-0008 or rmorley1@sympatico.ca

OCCUPY UWO: A Symposium

From Occupy UWO

Hey London! Some Local Concerns about CETA

Hey London!

Thinking about CATERPILLAR? If NAFTA had NOT been created, this corporation would never have been able to drop its workers the way it did. Do we want a continuous stream of CATERPILLAR situations in London in spreading sectors including universities, hospitals, and schools? Say no to a much uglier, more comprehensive version of NAFTA called CETA. If the rights of workers and their families’ futures matter to you, then you will want to speak up about CETA.

Hey London!

Remember EPCOR nearly buying London Hydro? If this had happened post-CETA, it would not have been possible to stop. CETA enables all sorts of corporations, even ones like EPCOR who have shares in ugly activity like the Alberta Tar Sands, to buy our energy and our water utilities. If we allow CETA to pass, we won’t be able to stop the purchase of London Hydro to the highest bidder. It will likely go to a French corporation like Veolia or Suez who has bought up enormous depths of public water around the world. If the sale of water from the Great Lakes matters to you, then speak up about CETA.

Hey London!

Care about the quality of our Canada Post mail service, our garbage collection, our Victoria Hospital, our school boards, Fanshawe college and UWO? All of these and more are at risk from partial to full sale to corporations overseas. When major corporations from Europe or the NAFTA partners, the US and Mexico, buy our services like the London Transit Commission, we won’t have any say over hours of service, types of service or rate of fees. If public service matters to you, then speak up about CETA.

Hey London!

Care about our city jobs? When CETA passes, there will be more downsizing of city jobs. The government will tell us that more jobs are created but has that been your experience of free trade over the past few decades? Expect more part-timing and more cuts to benefits in fields as diverse as the auto industry to health care. If your job and your friends and families’ jobs matter to you, then speak up about CETA.

Hey London!

Care about our local farmer’s markets? If we allow CETA to pass, more local farms will go under. Farming conditions will actually get worse. It will become illegal for farmers to save their seeds and they will be forced to buy them from major corporations like Monsanto. Further, hormones in beef and dairy will proliferate. If the health of farmers and the food system matters to you, then speak up about CETA.

Hey London!

Do you like to buy local? Would you rather spend your money in Wortley Village or one of London’s last-standing downtown businesses? If we allow CETA to pass, local contracts in many areas from goods to construction will be put at risk. The global free trade movement is the opposite of building the local economy. Foreign mega corporations will be allowed to sue our provincial and municipal governments for trying to build London’s local economy if it decreases their profits. One hundred and sixty million has already been given to American corporations under the rules of NAFTA’s corporate protection called Investor State. If you care about buying local, then speak up about CETA.

Hey London!

Do you already feel that there is a disproportionate amount of corporate media messaging in this city? CETA does not protect public broadcasting. If we allow CETA to pass, we can expect that less funding will go to our local stations and less Canadian content will be ensured. Further, the CBC will be at risk of being sold outright never to be returned to Canadian hands again. This is what trade does. It disallows newly elected governments to make new decisions for decades. Trade law is binding. If Canadian media channels from TV to radio to magazines matters to you, then you will want to help protect us and future generations from CETA.

Hey London!

Do you want to protect our natural areas like the Sifton Bog, Meadowlily Woods, and more? If we allow CETA to pass, foreign corporations will have much more influence in zoning laws than they have already had and be able to do with our green spaces as they wish. Our city bylaws will not protect our environmentally sensitive areas from development nor create a situation where we could extend upon what already is protected for future generations. If land, water and species matters to you, then so does CETA. Stop CETA now!

Hey London!

Do you think that all children have a right to corporate-free education? Kids have enough pressure from internet, videos, and tv already. In British Columbia, school boards have passed resolutions to exempt them from CETA. CETA does not protect the MUSH sector – municipal universities, schools and hospitals. If we allow CETA to pass, then our public education is at risk of purchase in part or whole from corporations. In the United States they already have some corporate scripted classes and mandatory commercials in schools because their schools are no longer publically owned. If you do not want London’s children influenced by corporate branding or consumerist views at school, then CETA matters to you. If you believe our government should invest more in the public education of our children, then trade justice matters to you. Contribute to this vision of our traditional Canada by speaking up against CETA.

Our city and our country are not investor states! For more information: www.stopceta.ca

Brought to you by concerned Londoners from STOPCETA–
a committee of The Council of Canadians – London chapter

For the pdf version of this document click here.

Solidarity Rally Saturday January 21, 2012

Our London Chapter will be out in great force on Saturday to support the Electro Motive workers & CAW in solidarity to achieve fair wage and benefits. Please schedule this event on your calendars!

London Chapter Members will be meeting with other Council of Canadians Chapters that will be attending this rally. Hamilton is confirmed with 6-8 members coming. Please give them a warm London Chapter welcome!

Please meet around 10:30am at the William Cafe Pub on Richmond Street at Central. From there we will march as a group to the Victoria band shell nearby at 10:45am for the 11am start of the rally. (grab a coffee/tea before we go!). I will have the COC Occupy banner. If you have yellow jackets/outerwear it will help us stand out as a group.

The rally will assemble for speeches at Victoria Park at 11am then head to the Electro Motive plant on Oxford Street.

There are 70 buses coming in from out of town plus local unions, organizations and supporting citizens numbering possibly around 10,000!

It would be a good idea to review all the materials noted in our January newsletter so that you are familiar with Electro Motive's December 27 Final Offer and the efforts that the CAW has made, starting in 2010, to have the Government complete due diligence on the foreign ownership of the plant and to negotiate fair wages and benefits for the workers.

Other groups meeting:

Green Party - SE Corner Victoria Park - near cenotaph

Occupy London - Reg Cooper Square - north side of City Hall

See you then!

Yours from the Chapter,

Don

Parking Outdoor: Available at street meters and downtown outdoor self serve parking lots - check hourly rate as the one across from the Courthouse (Talbot & Queens) is expensive.
Central Secondarys School lot - might be free if the school is not using it for a fundrasier - then $5 - located on Dufferin Street - east of Wellington Street
Convention Centre - off York Street (south side) - east of Wellington Street
Horton Street & Ridout Street - City lot - self serve - a bit of a walk to Victoria Park - 8 blocks - but it is large - good for buses after drop offs

Indoor parking lots.
Central library underground lot off of King Street (north side) east of Clarence is good for 2 hours free with library card & parking card stamped.
Citi Plaza - enter off of York Street or Clarence Street - west of Wellington Street
Dufferin Street - west of Richmond - two - one on the north side and one of the south side.
Convention Centre - off of York Street (north side) - east of Wellington Street

Use mapquest to locate.

New Years Letter from our Facilitator, Don McLeod

Happy New Year Folks!

New Year’s Resolution

It was easy making my New Year’s resolution for 2012 – much the same as my 2011’s – to work at “saving the world” and “making our community a better place to live”.

I was told that saving the world was a tall order! Through the Council of Canadians we have a plethora of friends to assist with the task! Our 120,000 member strong organization with 70 Chapters across Canada make for wonderful friends in helping to save the world!

Making our London community a better place to live gets easier every day as more friends join our 2000 plus member strong London Chapter!

In 1985 Maude Barlow started Council of Canadians, which gives all Canadians a portal to be heard! Let your voice be heard! If you have an issue that affects Canadians we want to know about it and put into action a call to attention on your issues with an action plan to publicize and work towards sustainable, effective resolutions.

Saving the world – making our community a better place, starts fresh everyday when we get up and look into the mirror – it starts with you and I - one day at a time!

2011 Reflections

Happy Anniversary London Chapter Council of Canadians! It was one year ago on January 12, 2011 that 8 of us met at the Central Library to re-ignite our Chapter. We started on building what is today a fresh, vibrant and engaged Chapter that has offered exiting, educational and productive events for our membership.

Our high praise and thank you to everyone that stepped forward to plan, organize and attend events, complete Chapter admin and make our members feel welcome! There were thousands of emails, telephone calls and hours spent on our Chapter activities in 2011. London Chapter – We Are Driven! THANK YOU!

Thank you to our Council of Canadians staff: Mark Calzavara our Regional Organizer; Maryam Adrangi, Regional Admin; Brent Patterson, Campaigns & Communications Director; Jeannette Muhongayire, Member Services in Ottawa HQ; to all the Campaignors; Roy Brady our Regional Chapter Rep and a huge and loving thank you to Maude Barlow – please visit us often!

Several years ago local CFPL TV News Anchor Jack Burghardt was the MC at a musical event at London’s Centennial Hall. In his introduction to the evening’s performance he stated that live events are unique in that the audience will be the only ones to share and appreciate the intricacies of that particular program and the vitality of those performing that night. Every event is different in how it embaces the audience, the chemistry of everyone developing familiarity with each other and members of the cast and how those attending become part of the historic story that only happens once! The individual experience commences as you come into the hall then works into a mutual bond by sharing the intrigue of the experience. My message – please come out and join us "live" at Chapter events!

In 2011, our Chapter provided several opportunities for our members and the public to attend live events:

• James Loney – September – International Peace Day
• Maude Barlow – October – talk on water & “Breakfast with Maude”
• Glen Pearson – November – Poverty in Canada & London and OCCUPY
• Paul Moist, Linda Wayne & Maude Barlow – December – The CETA Tour

CETA with our Chapter’s “live” CETApus, CETA Diorama in the window of 246 Dundas Street, CETA Open Mics; Occupy London support; Electro Motive Diesel Lock-Out; Bottled Water; Bank of Canada and the Canadian Boat to Gaza have been some of the issues our Chapter addressed in 2011.

Along with a World Water Day film event, Monthly Membership meetings and our Chapter’s Annual Bar-B-Q we had a full slate of events to engage our members!

Our Chapter was represented at Council of Canadians Events in 2011

• Elaine Mahon – Toronto Chapter Water Forum in March
• Don McLeod – COC Regional Conference in Toronto in May
• David Heap – COC AGM in Montreal in October

In summary: Thank you for your support as members and affiliates; thank you to everyone active with organizing and attending events and thank you Council of Canadians for your support!

Onward in 2012

We had our 1^st meeting of 2012 on January 10. Jeff Fitchett, London Chapter Co Chair Energy – Fossil Fuels, presented “Canada’s Ethical Oil Fallacy – The Alberta Oil Sands”. Everyone in attendance was provided with an in depth look at one of the world’s largest environmental disasters. Along with his narration Jeff showed us visual images of what Maude Barlow calls our Canadian Mordor. (JRR Tolkiens universe of Middle earth). Please see our web site for Jeff's presentation.

Each Month we will feature a program with a 1-hour presentation organized by our Chapter’s Committee Chairs. Our Membership Meeting Agendas will have a simple informative format:

Introductions

Secretary’s Report

Treasurer’s Report

Summary of past events

Feature Program Presentation with Q&A 1-hour

Announcements

Adjourn

Additional special programs will be offered and organized by our Chapter’s Committee’s – here are two proposals:

March 22 World Water Day – A special program is being planned.

http://www.unwater.org/

September 21 International Day of Peace

http://internationaldayofpeace.org/about/background.html

http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/

http://www.facebook.com/peaceday

Peace One Day

http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/welcome

http://www.facebook.com/peaceoneday

A special program is being planned.

October Council of Canadians Annual General Meeting –

November 12 London Chapter Annual General Meeting

We are focusing on our London Chapter Membership in 2012 to increase our membership, improve communications, provide educational programs to address your concerns and encourage more members to attend “live” events!’

London Chapter Executive & Committee Chairs – we still have vacancies to fill!

Please contact me to get on the “inside” of our Chapter!

Lead – Follow or Support Council of Canadians with your financial contributions!

REMEMBER To keep informed please check our London Chapter Web site and event Calendar regularly: www.londoncouncilofcanadians.ca

Best wishes to everyone for a healthy, educational and prosperous New Year!

Please come out and join us – live!

Onward!

Yours from the Council

Don McLeod

London Chapter Facilitator & Contact

Council of Canadians

Email: Don McLeod <LondonChapter2012COC@yahoo.ca>

London Chapter Web: www.londoncouncilofcanadians.ca

London Chapter Email: info@londoncouncilofcanadians.ca

Chapter Facebook: www.facebook.com/londoncoc

National Web: www.canadians.org

Stop CETA: www.stopCETA.ca

Monthly Meeting: Tuesday January 10, 2012

Next open meeting of the London Chapter of the CoC

7:00-9:00 p.m.
Tuesday January 10, 2012
Carson Branch, London Public Library
Queens at Dufferin

Special presentation:
Jeff Fitchett
"Canada's Ethical Oil Fallacy -- The Alberta Tar Sands"

Minutes of last open meeting on October 11, 2011: click here.

Minutes of open meeting on September 13, 2011: click here.

White Oaks CETApus action on Dec. 23, 2011

White Oaks CETApus action Dec 23 2011

Photos from Dec. 1 CETA Event

http://cupe.ca/gallery2/v/CETA_London/

CETApus Diorama Comes to London!

CETApus diorama Dec 22 2011