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Black History Month Statement 2022: Towards a more Hopeful Future for Black Communities across Ontario and Canada

Black History Month is a time to recognize and learn about Black people and their communities’ histories, honour and celebrate Black leaders and their work, both past and present, and acknowledge and celebrate their contributions to Canadian society. The Alliance for Healthier Communities is committed to advancing health equity and improving health outcomes of Black communities. Our work to advance Black Health is informed by our Black Health Committee, which is comprised of Black executive directors and chief executive officers of members of the Alliance for Healthier Communities.

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Systemic Racism Impacts Who Gets to Demonstrate Safely: Our Statement On Protesting Through An Equity Lens

"Everyone has the … freedom of peaceful assembly” in Canada, as enshrined in section 2, part c, of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Combined with the freedoms guaranteed under section 2 (b), freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, this means that everyone in Canada is entitled to gather with like-minded people to voice their opinions -- a right to demonstrate and to protest.

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Inequities in Ontario’s online health card renewal system must be addressed so marginalized people are not left behind

The Alliance for Healthier Communities (Alliance), the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC), and the Nurse Practitioner-led Clinic Association (NPLCA) call on the government to address the inequities in the online health card renewal system.

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Letter to Premier Ford regarding province-wide vaccination mandate in hospitals

Dear Premier,

Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on a province-wide vaccination mandate in hospitals.

We support mandatory vaccinations for healthcare staff and visitors in hospitals and a required COVID-19 test for patients. It is critical to do all we can to prevent transmission in hospitals and ensure we protect capacity. Hospitals are where providers and other staff are in regular contact with patients, and where patients are often most vulnerable. It is essential patients are comfortable pursuing care at a hospital when needed.

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National Truth and Reconciliation Day: Primary Care Collaborative Statement

On the inaugural National Truth and Reconciliation Day being recognized today across Canada, the Primary Care Collaborative values the opportunity and responsibility to acknowledge some of the actions that can help support better understanding of colonization, the trauma of residential schools for Indigenous people and communities, and the ongoing impacts of systemic racism, and the steps to create safer spaces and change for Indigenous health and wellbeing.

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Deepening our acceptance of truth to understand our roles in reconciliation

The number of unmarked graves uncovered currently stands at more than 1,300 across Canada, with many Indigenous children still to be brought home to their peoples, and with many residential schools still unrecognized by Canada’s leaders, who’ve only focused on the 139 schools funded directly by the federal government.

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Letter to Premier Ford, Minister Elliott, re: Directive 6 and implementation of mandatory vaccine policies for team-based primary care

To: Hon. Doug Ford, Premier; Hon. Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier, Minister of Health

Cc: Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health; Matthew Anderson, CEO, Ontario Health; Helen Angus, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health (outgoing)

Re: Directive 6 must apply to patient-facing team-based primary care providers during COVID-19

September 3, 2021

Dear Premier and Deputy Premier,

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How We’re Marking July 1

This Canada Day isn’t like any other, and it shouldn’t be. Like many, we feel as if the usual celebrations and recognition of a history from which so many Indigenous people and their lives are erased simply does not make any sense. This is a year and a time for reflection, understanding, and facing hard truths about Canada, its history, and ourselves.

So this year, on July 1, we:

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Alliance Pride Statement 2021

At a time like the present, when we see starkly the trauma and impacts of colonization, of racism and hate, and homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, the Alliance for Healthier Communities stands together with all people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ in defiance of hate and oppression in all its forms.

After a year like no other, we also look forward this weekend to a celebration of Pride like no other. In many ways, this will be a joyous time as people re-connect to celebrate and mark solidarity around action for the lives, safety, health and rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people and communities.

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Black Health Strategy Fact Sheet

TORONTO -- June 25 -- Today we want to share a Factsheet that outlines the coming Black Health Strategy for Ontario, created and advanced by the Black Health Committee. This strategy will be crucial in addressing anti-Black racism and addressing police and other systemic violence as public health issues.

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