By MPP Toby Barrett Hundreds of invasive species of plants, animals and marine life have become established in Ontario. Not all non-native species are invasive. Invasive species are defined as harmful alien species whose introduction or spread threatens the environment, the economy, or society, including human health. Once established, invasive species can be extremely difficult … Continue reading “Hundreds of invasive species established in Ontario”
Category: Column Articles
By MPP Toby Barrett Mention wildlife conservation and it means many different things to various people. To me, it is the guidance that has allowed wildlife populations in Canada and the United States to recover from lows at the end of the 19th century and recover to sustainable levels. Stepping back in time to the … Continue reading “The value of managing wildlife sustainability”
By MPP Toby Barrett As students get set to head back to school, there is more to think about than new pencils, jeans and sneakers. The good news is Ontario students are going back to class, full-time, in-person, in a more normal learning environment. We made a commitment to parents, and we are delivering on … Continue reading “Expect improvements as students head back to school”
By MPP Toby Barrett Three years ago, Ontario’s Autism Program was facing some major challenges that had been decades in the making. The program was under-funded, with a long waitlist. We had a program that did not provide the much-needed range of clinical services. Further, we had a waitlist that was not moving the way … Continue reading “Action to support children on the autism spectrum”
By MPP Toby Barrett At a cost of $10 billion a year, Ontario supports 600,000 people on Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). However, Ontario’s Auditor General recently highlighted the current system has not been working well for social assistance recipients. Only one per cent were finding employment every month, and … Continue reading “Only one per cent on assistance move to employment”
By MPP Toby Barrett Connecting Ontario to fast reliable internet has been an initiative of our government since elected in 2018. Recently, Ontario announced it would move forward with the ambitious plan to bring high-speed internet to all communities across the province by 2025. This $4 billion commitment is the largest single investment in high-speed … Continue reading “More internet for Haldimand-Norfolk and beyond”
By MPP Toby Barrett Many in Ontario aspire to be a conservation officer (CO). I know I wanted to be a forest ranger while in high school, a sentiment shared by many today as 1,700 people recently applied for 25 CO positions. Through the recently-amalgamated, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, conservation … Continue reading “Conservation officers working for us and the great outdoors”
By MPP Toby Barrett Ontario welcomes more than 20,000 temporary foreign workers (TFWs) each year. About 90 per cent arrive between the months of January and July, leaving behind families in Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago. Their work is hard as I can attest. However, the work is essential as TFWs … Continue reading “The safety of our offshore workers is paramount”
By MPP Toby Barrett My past two years as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) have been a front row seat to the impact of the pandemic on our agriculture production. It is no exaggeration that our agri-food sector not only touches every corner of Haldimand-Norfolk, but every corner … Continue reading “A front row seat to the impact of COVID on agriculture”
By MPP Toby Barrett Fixing long-term care has always been extremely important for our government, and that commitment continues. The pandemic has highlighted the immediate need for action. As a newly elected Mike Harris government member, one of my first meetings was with the board of Parkview Meadows in Townsend. That was 26 years ago, … Continue reading “Fixing long-term care is key, locally and provincially”