Blog Posts

lets all gave a huge shout out to Heather for spear heading this great initiative – THANKS Heather

Heather Bouley, a Dietary Assistant at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre says NO to workplace injuries and YES to Health and Safety.

Threads of Life is a Canadian Registered Charity that provides support to families who are living with the aftermath of a workplace fatality, life-altering injury, or occupational disease. This program provides free access to peer support and links to community resources. Currently, Threads of Life are supporting over 2,900 families across Canada. Threads of Life’s mission is to “help families heal through a community of support to promote the elimination of life-altering workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths.”

Threads of Life

Good Morning All

I just wanted to touch base with everyone as we have not been able to have any General Membership
meetings since Covid 19 started. We are still having our eboard meetings with social distancing. No one
is working in the COPE office here in Thunder Bay or in the Toronto area. But our reps are working from
home if we do need to contact them.

Each VP in COPE 96 is still available if there are any problems that need to be dealt with.
Unfortunately this year we will not be able to have our annual Christmas party.
The eboard met last night and have decided that with all we have been through this year we still wanted to do something, so
as you know that at the Christmas party we do a draw for 50 – $25 gift cards. So this year we are still going
to do the draws but we will have 200 – $25 gift cards and all members in good standing will have their
names put in a hat and we will draw the names at our next eboard meeting on November 10 th . We will
either call you or mail your gift card to you if your name is drawn.

Hopefully things will change in the next few months and we will be able to get back to life as we knew it.
Please Take Care and Stay Safe

Aldra Pawson
President COPE Local 96

Some good news about public health care.

Victory for Patients Over Private Clinics in B.C. Court Challenge:

Historic Victory Against Profit-Driven Health Care

Toronto – A ten-year legal attack launched by one of the largest private for-profit surgical centres in Canada seeking to strike down key protections for single-tier health care has reached a critical juncture. Today a B.C. Court ruled on the case upholding the provisions in British Columbia law that protect our system of public health care without extra user fees for patients.

The landmark ruling by Justice Steeves dealt a strong blow to the efforts of Dr. Brian Day and others advocating for-profit privatization of health care to undermine Canada’s publicly-funded health care system. This decision ensures that access to health care will continue to be based on need and not on wealth. It has implications for the whole country and the Ontario Health Coalition has been following the case closely.

Canada’s public health care system is based on foundational principles of equity and compassion that underlie the principles of the Canada Health Act and provincial legislation that is built upon it. The recent public health emergency caused by COVID-19 has underscored just how important our public health care system is. This decision protects our ability to endure crises without financial ruin and to care for one other into the future.

The B.C. Health Coalition and Canadian Doctors for Medicare were Intervenors in the court challenge. This is what they said: “This is a historic victory against profit-driven health care in Canada,” said Dr. Danyaal Raza, Chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare. “We know that single-payer publicly-funded health care is the fairest way to pay for health care, rather than forcing patients to pay out-of-pocket or buy private insurance. This case was never about wait times – it was always about profit.”

The sections of BC law that the private clinic operators sought to strike down are in place to preserve a public health care system for in which access to necessary medical care is based on need and not an individual’s ability to pay. This case has always been about increasing profits for doctors and investor-owned health care facilities.

“As a group of patients, doctors and health care advocates, we became involved in this case in order to defend and protect public health care,” said Edith MacHattie, co-chair of the BC Health Coalition. “This is a victory for everyone who uses health care in Canada. Even though the attack had been launched in BC, it took aim at the very heart of the Canada Health Act and every provincial health care insurance plan.”

Cambie case release

This Explanatory Note was written as a reader’s aid to Bill 195 and does not form part of the law.
Bill 195 has been enacted as Chapter 17 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2020.

The Bill enacts the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020.

The Act continues orders made under sections 7.0.2 and 7.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act in relation to COVID-19. Continued orders will cease to apply after 30 days but can be extended by the Lieutenant Governor in Council for additional periods of up to 30 days.

Orders may be amended by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, subject to limitations. A continued section 7.0.2 order may be amended if the amendment would have been authorized under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and if it satisfies other specified requirements. Certain continued section 7.0.2 orders listed in the Act may not be amended. Any continued order may be amended to address transitional issues. Orders may also be revoked.

The power to extend, amend or revoke orders can be delegated to a Minister.

The powers to extend or amend orders cease to apply after one year but the Assembly, on the recommendation of the Premier, may extend those powers for additional periods of up to one year.

Enforcement provisions are included to provide for court orders to restrain contraventions and to provide for offences. Those provisions are based on provisions of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

The Premier, or a Minister, is required to report regularly to the public and, at least once every 30 days, appear before, and report to, a standing or select committee of the Assembly. The Premier is required to table a report in the Assembly after one year and after any extension of the power to extend or amend orders.

If the COVID-19 declared emergency has not already been terminated, the Act provides for its termination.

The Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.

Ontario Bill 195

here are a few more pictures from our members who went out and supported the Pandemic Pay Rally

Thank You to OPSEU for arranging a for all of the Health Care workers at TBRHSC.
We appreciate the effort that Jesse Kuluski put into this for all of us also a big THANK YOU to all of our COPE Local 96 members for coming out in support of this rally.

Thanks Holly Molnar for keeping us motivated and up to date on what is happening.

Dear Premier Ford,
While we are pleased that your government has committed to independence, non-partisanship and transparency with
regards to the commission into long-term care and COVID-19, we are seeking some assurances regarding both this
commission and the immediate measures needed that cannot wait for a commission. In addition, we believe that it is
imperative that Ontario hold a full public commission or inquiry into the province’s overall response to COVID-19, like
the SARS Commission, as there are many lessons to be learned from this experience beyond the long-term care sector.

To be clear, the Ontario Health Coalition called for the commission into long-term care to be under the Public Inquiry
Act. You have voted against this in the Legislature. Failing that, Premier, we must state in the clearest possible terms
that it will be unacceptable to the public if the commissioner(s) and any supporting staff are not fully independent of
long-term care operators. Any long-term care commission must have unimpeachable credibility and operate in the
public interest. This means it cannot be led or controlled by any partisan (political party) interests or by long-term care
owners and operators. It must be transparent and open, not by invitation only. Access to the Commission must be
equitable and it must allow for voices from families, residents, staff and their associations and unions, public interest
groups and advocates who have worked closely on these issues. Care workers and professionals must be protected to
speak on the record about conditions in the homes. Testimony and research must be on the record and fully available
publicly as with formal commissions and inquiries in the past, and the commission must report as quickly as possible.

Further, this commission cannot delay immediate action being taken to stabilize and support the workforce to stop
the COVID-19 outbreaks that continue to spread in long-term care homes across significant parts of Ontario. We need
a coherent plan from your government to stop the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care and retirement homes,
including concrete measures to improve PPE supply, workplace safety and infection control, and to stabilize the
workforce. We urgently need your government to take leadership and concrete coordination measures to immediately
address critical staffing shortages that mean even basic daily care like feeding, bathing, hygiene, human contact are
not able to be done; that palliative care needs are not being met; that care for the gravely ill is less than what is
needed, as follows

Open letter to doug ford re ltc commission

hi all

here are the addresses and emails of our elected officials

member of provincial parliament – Thunder Bay – Superior North
Michael Gravelle
179 South Algoma Street
Thunder Bay, ON
P7B 3C1
mgravelle.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

member of provincial parliament – Thunder Bay – Atikokan
Judith Monteith-Farrell
409 George Street
Thunder Bay, ON
P7E 5Y9
JMonteith-Farrell-CO@ndp.on.ca

Hon. Doug Ford, Premier – doug.fordco@pc.ola.org

Hon. Christine Elliott, Minister of Health – christine.elliott@pc.ola.org

Hon. Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour – monte.mcnaughtonco@pc.ola.org

Given the situation with regard to the spread of COVID-19 across Canada, and the uncertainty over the coming weeks and months, it would be inappropriate to hold our traditional Steps for Life – Walking for Families of Workplace Tragedy events as community gatherings. Therefore, Threads of Life has made the decision to alter our Steps for Life plan to ensure the health and safety of all participants, volunteers and staff.

We will be encouraging all of our participants to hold their personal Steps for Life event/walk. Perhaps that means a solo walk in the woods, a ride on an exercise bike, doing yoga, or it may mean a small family or team get-together — provided you can maintain safe social distancing. We are excited to see all of the different ways our participants display their support. We will seek out additional ways to profile and recognize our community sponsors.

As a partner with Threads of Life, you are vital to our work.Our programs are available to our families at no cost and this is only possible through your generous support.Threads of Life continues to grow; we are currently providing our support programs to over 2,900 family members across the country. We hope you will continue to support the families of Threads of Life and our efforts to create awareness of prevention. However, if you are unable, and require a refund of your Steps for Life sponsorship contribution, please let me know.

On behalf of the families we serve, thank you for your ongoing support. Together we are achieving Threads of Life’s mission:

To help families heal through a community of support and to promote the elimination of life-altering workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths.

Thank you Heather Bouley – Heather represented COPE Local 96 at the Remembrance Day Services