Australia is the canary, we must act now By Jessica Bell Australia is my original home, and it is experiencing a climate catastrophe. Armageddon fires are still burning up the country. Half a billion animals are dead. Towns have been destroyed. Billions are needed for rebuilding. The fires in Australia are the latest dark sign […]

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Ford forgets “affordable” in his housing plans By Jessica Bell Leonard is 72, lives at 103 Avenue Rd., and is the latest victim of Toronto’s affordable housing crisis. Here’s Leonard’s problem: he lives on $1,600 a month from his pension, and $1,500 of that is spent on rent. He has $100 a month to spend […]

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MPP Bell hosts community appreciation celebration By Nicole Stoffman A ninety-seven-year-old named Betty Robinson and a thirteen-year-old named Zoe Keary-Matzner have more in common than you might think. Both are residents of the University-Rosedale riding, both are a little headstrong, and both have been recognized for the impact they are defiantly trying to make. An […]

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Back at Queen’s Park, Ford resumes his agenda By Jessica Bell After ordering the longest break in almost 25 years, Doug Ford finally let Queen’s Park get back to business last month. While the government signalled they would take a more tempered approach, the legislation the government has introduced shows the premier is continuing his […]

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With his popularity in free fall, the premier tries reverse gear By Jessica Bell Over the past year, Doug Ford has hacked away at our schools, hospitals, and communities. He’s made devastating cuts to OSAP, ambulance services, and cancer-screening programs. Under his term, class sizes have ballooned, wait times at emergency rooms have increased, and […]

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Dump truck strikes woman exiting streetcar Jessica Bell, MPP University-Rosedale On the morning of September 17, a young woman exited the streetcar at Bathurst and Ulster and was hit by a driver of a dump truck who failed to stop behind the streetcar, as is the law. The woman went to hospital and is expected […]

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Education, health care, social services, legal aid, all on chopping block By Jessica Bell, MPP (University—Rosedale)  On April 11, the Ford government presented their first budget called “Ontario’s Plan to Protect What Matters Most”. It’s an ironic title, considering how many cuts to key services are included.  Below is a brief round-up of some of the biggest […]

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MPP decries slashing of school budgets province-wide By Jessica Bell, MPP (University—Rosedale)  Every child in Ontario deserves a quality public school education.  Great public schools have reasonable class sizes so teachers can help every student. Great schools are properly maintained so they are safe and healthy places to work, learn, and play. Great schools have a […]

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MPP Bell sees glass half-full in year ahead By Jessica Bell A new year is an opportunity to renew and recommit to making a difference. Here are three resolutions to help spur positive social change in 2019. Embrace Hope. The year 2018 was a hard one.The rise of right wing populist Doug Ford has damaged […]

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Vote progressive on election day By Jessica Bell Doug Ford has hurt Toronto. Ford slashed Toronto’s wards from 47 to 25 in the middle of an election, and threatened to suspend our Charter rights and freedoms by invoking the notwithstanding clause for the first time in Ontario’s history. Why did Ford trample on Toronto? Because […]

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Our elected officials matter now more than ever By Jessica Bell Doug Ford has been Ontario’s premier for just six weeks, and he’s dragging Ontario backwards fast. First, Doug Ford is harming our schools. The Conservatives cut $100 million from the school maintenance budget at a time when our public schools are in chronic disrepair. […]

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NDP scores more votes than all rivals combined By Geremy Bordonaro Jessica Bell of the New Democratic Party (NDP) is the first ever Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the newly formed riding of University-Rosedale. The riding, which encompasses the northern half of what was once Trinity-Spadina, includes all of the Annex. The 2018 Ontario provincial […]

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