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Regional
Councillor Report
Submitted
by: Colleen Jordan, Regional Councillor Wards 3 & 4
Date:
May 25 , 2009
Health
and Social Services – May 21, 2009
Health
Department
Toronto
Board of Health Report – Foodborne illness
The
Health Committee endorsed a resolution from Toronto Board of Health that
calls upon the provincial and federal governments to implement
outstanding recommendations from the 2005 Report on the Meat Regulatory
and Inspection Review and other improvements regarding food safety such
as; providing data on gastrointestinal illness to public health units,
enhancing laboratory capacity for rapid identification, exploring
options to ensure food handlers are compensated for absences from work
due to gastrointestinal illness and ensuring boards of health receive
sufficient provincial funding to fully comply with the Food Safety
Protocol. The recommendation also urges the Government to ensure that
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reviews its food recall and public
notification policies and procedures. In addition; it asks that the
Health Protection and Promotion Act be amended to require that, at all
times, food premises have trained and certified food handlers on the
premises at all times.
Although
the Dine Safe program is linked to a 30% reduction in foodborne illness,
the Toronto Board of Health report still estimates that an average of
437,000 Toronto residents experience foodborne illness each year, which
relates to economic costs between $476 and $587 million, annually.
Toronto Public Health also raises the concern that with the current
multi step production processes involving ingredients, sourced globally,
the risk of contaminates entering the food production process increases.
Mass production creates the potential for mass exposure as well as
making the monitoring and surveillance process much more difficult.
Social
Services
Child
Care
Committee
endorsed a resolution calling on the Province to work with
municipalities to create a quality learning and childcare services
system as well as asking that the federal government recommit to funding
the Ontario- Canada Bilateral Funding Agreement on Early Learning and
Child Care which was a first start towards a more comprehensive child
care framework. In 2004 under the Liberal Government the federal
government committed 5 Billion dollars over five years to support
provinces in developing early learning and child care plans. In 2006,
with the new Conservative government there was a change in direction
away from a national child care direction. The Province then advised
that that the second and final payment of federal funds would be
allocated over the next four years. There is concern as to whether there
will be funding for child care beyond March 31, 2009. In addition; there
is an overall reduction in fee subsidy funding resulting in a loss of 8
FTE fee subsidy spaces for Durham. As of May 4, 2009 there were 2,322
children on the waiting list for fee subsidy. Ajax currently has 575
children on the waiting list. Durham’s share of Best Start funding is
$9.7 million and there is concern that if this funding is not continued
there will be a significant effect on child care service levels.
Committee has requested that staff prepare a ramp down strategy in the
event that the Best Start funding is discontinued.
The
Committee also endorsed recommendations from the Standing Senate
Committee on Social Affairs, which tabled its report, Early Childhood
Education and Care: Next Steps which examined the state of early
learning and childcare in Canada in light of the OECD report,, released
in Sept. 2006 which rated Canada last, among 14 countries, on spending
on early learning and child care programs.
Income
and Employment Support
The
economic downturn has resulted in a significant increase to the Ontario
Works caseload. A 28% increase in Central Intake calls has resulted in
increased wait times for OW. There is a 16% increase in caseload over
last year. In March 2009, there were 4073 visits to the Employment
Resource Centre compared to an average of 2400 visits each month, prior
to the economic downturn. The rate of unemployment for the Oshawa CMA is
currently 7.9% and expected to continue to rise in 2009. The different
criteria for eligibility for Employment Insurance continues to be a
serious matter as only 40% of those unemployed in the Oshawa CMA qualify
for EI compared to higher percentages in other jurisdictions. The
Toronto Star May 5, 2009 reported that “In Ontario, for instance just
31 % of unemployed persons qualify for benefits compared to 99% in
Newfoundland.” |
