Volunteers from the Ottawa Branch met with four candidates for the upcoming provincial byelection in the Kanata-Carleton riding, to ensure they are aware of, and to discuss their party’s positions on critical senior’s issues.

Ottawa Branch president Dave Bennett, member of the board Hugh O’Donnell and volunteer Richard Lajeunesse met with the candidates of the Liberal, NDP, PC and Green party to discuss these following key issues:

• Long-term care (LTC) — The need for implementing national standards for long-term care, as well as better standards, regulations, oversight, and accountability for LTC in Ontario.
• Senior health care funding — How to deal with the backlog and delayed services affecting the health care system in Ontario.

Please click the links below to access the minutes of each candidate meeting, to see what they had to say about these issues:

• Minutes — Meeting with Liberal candidate Karen McCrimmon
• Minutes — Meeting with NDP candidate Melissa Coenraad
• Minutes — Meeting with PC candidate Sean Webster
• Minutes — Meeting with Green Party candidate Steven Warren

2022 Provincial Election Virtual Candidates Platform

Welcome to the 2022 Provincial Election – Virtual Candidates Platform – a collaborative effort from the Ottawa Branch of the National Association of Federal Retirees, and the Council on Aging of Ottawa.

On your behalf, we invited the candidates in the 8 provincial ridings in Ottawa to provide a 5-minute video recording giving their position on the following key topics for seniors:

• Senior health care – ensuring adequate funding (including for vision care and medicine); addressing backlogs; and ensuring appropriate training and education
• Long-term care (LTC) and home care – improving access, affordability, quality and outcomes for those in LTC and those who need home care; implementing LTC standards with funding; and, establishing a long-term LTC plan that meets all the needs of residents
• Age positive wellbeing – a provincial seniors strategy that involves seniors in policy decisions affecting their well-being; and age-friendly communities and strategies to help seniors age in place
• Income security – ensuring a policy environment that protects and strengthens well-managed defined benefit pensions; helping seniors manage the rising cost of living; and lifting older, vulnerable seniors out of poverty

Now you will have the opportunity to hear what the candidates said. Click on candidate names below to access the videos. If you experience any technical difficulties viewing the videos, please contact [email protected].

Please note in cases we do not receive a video, we will provide the email address for the candidate and you can follow-up directly:

To learn more about other party platforms, please visit the Elections Ontario website for more information: https://finances.elections.on.ca/en/registered-parties.

Carleton

Tom Dawson, Ontario Liberal Party
email: [email protected]

Goldie Ghamari, Ontario PC Party
email: [email protected]

Kevin St. Denis. Ontario NDP
email: [email protected]

Cody Zulinski, Green Party of Ontario
email: [email protected]

Kanata-Carleton

Melissa Coenraad, Ontario NDP
email: [email protected]

Merrilee Fullerton, Ontario PC Party
email: [email protected]

Shahbaz Syed, Ontario Liberal Party Video
email: [email protected]

Patrick Freel, Green Party of Ontario Video
email: [email protected]

Nepean

Lisa MacLeod, Ontario PC Party
email: [email protected]

Tyler Watt, Ontario Liberal Party
email: [email protected]

Kaitlyn Tremblay, Green Party of Ontario
email: [email protected]

Brian Double, Ontario NDP Video
email:  [email protected]

Orléans

Stephen Blais, Ontario Liberal Party Video
email: [email protected]

Gabriel Bourdon, Ontario NDP Video
email: [email protected]

Michelle Petersen, Green Party of Ontario Video
email: [email protected]

Melissa Felián, Ontario PC Party
email: N/A

Ottawa Centre

Shelby Bertrand, Green Party of Ontario
email: [email protected]

Katie Gibbs, Ontario Liberal Party Video
email: [email protected]

Joel Harden, Ontario NDP Video
email: [email protected]

Scott Healey, Ontario PC Party
email: [email protected]

Ottawa South

Morgan Gay, Ontario NDP Video

email: [email protected]

John Fraser, Ontario Liberal Party Video
email: [email protected]

Nira Dookeran, Green Party of Ontario
email: [email protected]

Edward Dinca, Ontario PC Party
email: N/A

Ottawa–Vanier

Lucille Collard, Ontario Liberal Party
email: [email protected]

Lyra Evans, Ontario NDP Video
email: [email protected]m

Patrick Mayangi, Ontario PC Party
email: [email protected]

Christian Proulx, Green Party of Ontario
email: [email protected]

Ottawa–West Nepean

Sam Bhalesar, Ontario Liberal Party Video
email: [email protected]

Chandra Pasma, Ontario NDP Video
email: [email protected]

Jeremy Roberts, Ontario PC Party Video
email: [email protected]

Steven Warren, Green Party of Ontario Video
email: [email protected]

Click here for a copy of the Ontario Election 2022 Fact sheet prepared by the National Association and shared with the candidates. Visit the National Association website to learn more about how to send a letter to candidates in your riding, or to the editor of your local news publications. Please click here to view the invitation that the Council on Aging and the Ottawa Branch sent to the candidates.

Ottawa Branch collaborated with the Ottawa chapter of CARP and the Council on Aging of Ottawa and held virtual information sessions with local candidates in each Ottawa riding this past September. Over 300 members attended to hear 27 candidates address seniors’ issues. Watch the session in your riding by clicking on the links below:

September 9, 2021 – Nepean Virtual Information Session with Riding Candidates recording

September 13, 2021 – Carleton Virtual Information Session with Riding Candidates recording

September 13, 2021 – Ottawa West Virtual Information Session with Riding Candidates recording

September 14, 2021 – Orléans Virtual Information Session with Riding Candidates recording

September 14, 2021 – Orléans Conservative Candidate recording

September 14, 2021 – Ottawa-Vanier Virtual Information Session with Riding Candidates recording

September 15, 2021 – Ottawa Centre Virtual Information Session with Riding Candidates recording

September 15, 2021 – Ottawa South Virtual Information Session with Riding Candidates recording

Ottawa Branch participated in the National Association Project Reach 338 to build a strong connected network with MPs and sensitize them to our advocacy priorities: retirement income security; a National Seniors’ Strategy; support for veterans and their families; and pharmacare. 

When the pandemic shone a stark light on the intolerable conditions facing residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities, our Association responded by pressing the government to reform LTC, adopt national standards and improve home care. As a result, LTC reform is now a critical element in our call for a National Seniors’ Strategy.

In the fall of 2020 and early 2021, our volunteers were able to connect virtually with MPs in five Ottawa ridings. In addition, our volunteers helped out by virtually connecting with the MP for Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston and they also connected virtually with the MP for Nunavut, as this falls within Ottawa Branch’s geographic area of responsibility. At each meeting, our volunteers made sure to deliver the message that LTC reform is both urgent and critical.