Latest news with #CatherineFife
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Ont. seniors separated in long-term care reunited after nearly 8 years
Jim and Joan McLeod posed for a photo at Fairview Mennonite Home in Cambridge, Ont. on July 8, 2025. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News) An elderly couple from Cambridge, Ont. has been living separately in the same city since 2017 – but not by choice. Jim McLeod has been trying to reunite with his 86-year-old wife Joan, who requires long-term care, for nearly eight years. 'I've made over 2,600 trips from here down to Hilltop, the south end of Cambridge,' said Jim. He has been living independently at Fairview Mennonite Home, which has long-term care facilities on-site. Joan was sent to Hilltop Manor due to health complications, which is a 25-minute drive away. Jim lobbied to have her moved to Fairview, but Ontario's long-term care system doesn't prioritize keeping married couples together. Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife joined the fight in 2019 by introducing the Till Death Do Us Part Act. 'Jim and I have been walking this road, which has been very painful, for a number of years now,' said Fife. The proposed law to reunite married couples who are separated when they enter institutional care for seniors died before it could go into effect. It didn't pass on several occasions due to varying factors, but the last time was because a snap election was called, which meant any legislation yet to pass at that point was wiped from the docket. 'So technically, all of the bills for the spousal reunification are no longer valid,' said Jim. But as Joan's condition began to worsen, medical staff at Hilltop Manor wrote to the province and requested that she be transferred to Fairview for proper care and to be closer with Jim. She moved into Fairview's long-term care facilities on June 11. 'It's nice to know we're that much closer,' said Joan, from her new room at Fairview. Jim is now able to visit her without having to leave the building. While Joan and Jim are back under the same roof together, the fight isn't over. The pair have friends in the building who are separated from their spouses. They want to see the Till Death Do Us Part Act become law so other couples don't lose valuable time together. 'Unfortunately, we have seen some spouses pass away and never be unified again,' said Fife. So as Jim continues to push the province, Joan's advice reflected the same words of wisdom she had when they were trying to reunite: 'Don't give up.'
National Post
26-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
OCEU President Harry Goslin to Join WSIB Strike Picket Line in Waterloo
Article content WATERLOO, Ontario — Harry Goslin, president of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750), will join striking Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) workers on the picket line outside the constituency office of NDP MPP Catherine Fife at 100 Regina St. S. in Waterloo on Thursday, June 26 at 10:00 a.m. Article content His appearance follows a renewed call from the union for WSIB leadership to finalize a fair deal before Canada Day, as the strike by more than 3,600 frontline workers stretches over two months. Article content Where: Article content 'This strike cannot drag on any longer,' said Goslin. 'The WSIB has delayed long enough. Our bargaining team is a fully empowered decision-making body. What's missing is a mandate from WSIB leadership — especially the CEO — to finalize a deal and end this disruption.' Article content These essential workers process injury claims, support safe return-to-work plans and deliver critical services to injured Ontarians. Despite repeated efforts by the union to reach a resolution, WSIB leadership has not tabled a final offer or allowed a member vote. Article content 'We're calling on the WSIB to pull out all the stops and get this done before Canada Day,' said Goslin. 'It's time to finish the deal — and restore stability for injured workers across Ontario.' Article content The union's team remains ready 24/7 to reach a settlement. Meanwhile, system breakdowns and mounting service delays have underscored the impact of the ongoing strike. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information, please contact: Article content Article content Article content Article content
Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
OCEU President Harry Goslin to Join WSIB Strike Picket Line in Waterloo
WATERLOO, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harry Goslin, president of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750), will join striking Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) workers on the picket line outside the constituency office of NDP MPP Catherine Fife at 100 Regina St. S. in Waterloo on Thursday, June 26 at 10:00 a.m. His appearance follows a renewed call from the union for WSIB leadership to finalize a fair deal before Canada Day, as the strike by more than 3,600 frontline workers stretches over two months. Where: Constituency office of MPP Catherine Fife — 100 Regina St. S., Waterloo Time 10:00 a.m. ET 'This strike cannot drag on any longer,' said Goslin. 'The WSIB has delayed long enough. Our bargaining team is a fully empowered decision-making body. What's missing is a mandate from WSIB leadership — especially the CEO — to finalize a deal and end this disruption.' These essential workers process injury claims, support safe return-to-work plans and deliver critical services to injured Ontarians. Despite repeated efforts by the union to reach a resolution, WSIB leadership has not tabled a final offer or allowed a member vote. 'We're calling on the WSIB to pull out all the stops and get this done before Canada Day,' said Goslin. 'It's time to finish the deal — and restore stability for injured workers across Ontario.' The union's team remains ready 24/7 to reach a settlement. Meanwhile, system breakdowns and mounting service delays have underscored the impact of the ongoing strike. mb/cope491
CBC
28-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Voting ends in Waterloo where NDP's Catherine Fife is projected to win again
Social Sharing NDP candidate Catherine Fife is projected to win another term as MPP for Waterloo. Currently the longest-serving MPP in the region, Fife won the seat in a Sept. 2012 byelection and has held it ever since. With 42 out of 61 polls reporting, Fife has 22,220 votes. PC's Peter Turkington is in second with 12,482 votes. Fife even earned the support of a fellow candidate. Earlier this week, Green candidate Shefaza Esmail said to avoid splitting the vote, people should vote for Fife in the election. The candidates in Waterloo were (in alphabetical order by last name): Suja Biber, New Blue. Shefaza Esmail, Green. Catherine Fife, NDP (incumbent). Peter House, Electoral Reform Party. Chris Martin, Ontario Party. Clayton Moore, Liberal. James Schulz, Libertarian. Peter Turkington, Progressive Conservatives. Suja Biber, the New Blue candidate, is a registered massage therapist in Waterloo. Shefaza Esmail, the Green candidate, works at Mohawk College in Hamilton where she manages the low carbon readiness program. She has also worked as a lecturer in the school of environment, resources and sustainability at the University of Waterloo. Esmail was the Green candidate in this riding in 2022. Catherine Fife is the the incumbent and the NDP candidate. She has held the seat since winning a byelection in Sept. 2012. Prior to being elected, she worked at the Toronto District School Board as an educational assistant, community advisor and settlement worker. Peter House is a candidate for the Electoral Reform Party, a party he formed. Chris Martin is the Ontario Party candidate. The party's motto is "freedom, family and faith." Clayton Moore, the Liberal candidate, works for software company BioRender as a senior scientific sales executive. His work focuses on startups and scientific communications. James Schulz, the Libertarian candidate, has run in previous elections for the same party. Peter Turkington, the PC candidate, is the director of communications for the Progressive Conservatives. He also started Turkington Public Relations Consulting in 2004. Riding history The Waterloo riding, as it exists in this election, was formed in 2018. It was created from the riding of Kitchener-Waterloo, which existed from 1999 to 2018. Before 1999, the riding was known as Waterloo North and was established in 1867. The first Member of Provincial Parliament in Waterloo North was Liberal Moses Springer. In the last 50 years, Liberal Edward Good held the seat from 1967 to 1977. He was followed by Liberal Herb Epp, who held the seat from 1977 until he retired in 1990. In 1990, Progressive Conservative Elizabeth Witmer won the seat and held it until 2012, when she stepped down from politics.
CBC
25-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'Do the right thing': Pressure to avoid vote-splitting intensifies in Waterloo region
Social Sharing A second Green candidate in Waterloo region has endorsed their NDP rival, while a Liberal candidate says he won't step back from his campaign after his car was defaced at a debate Monday night. During the Kitchener-Conestoga debate hosted by the New Hamburg Board of Trade Monday night, Green candidate Brayden Wagenaar started the night criticizing the job done by Progressive Conservative candidate and incumbent Mike Harris Jr. and then offered his support to NDP candidate Jodi Szimanski. "We need a candidate that cares, and we need a candidate that's going to put in the time and energy and work to take care of you guys. And the only way that's going to happen in our current, not great democratic voting system, is to create a candidate that we can all get behind," he said. " And that's why tonight, I'm proud to say that I'm supporting Jodi as the candidate for this riding." It was the second local Green candidate to throw their support behind an NDP rival on Monday. Earlier that day, after a candidate panel on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition, Green candidate Shefaza Esmail told CBC K-W reporter Karis Mapp she was telling her supporters to consider voting for NDP candidate and incumbent Catherine Fife. Esmail said she was concerned people splitting their votes between the other candidates could mean Progressive Conservative candidate Peter Turkington could win the riding, "and that is a real concern for me." "If you really like the Green movement, send me a message, tell me I'm doing great, tell me I can earn your vote for next time, but this time, vote Catherine Fife, vote NDP," Esmail said. Waterloo's Green candidate endorses NDP 1 day ago Duration 1:11 Following a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, the Ontario Green Party's Waterloo candidate, Shefaza Esmail, shared that she wants voters within her riding to vote for the NDP incumbent Catherine Fife. Esmail said the decision is because of concerns about vote splitting, which could lead to a win for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate, Peter Turkington. In an interview on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning Tuesday, Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner said the endorsements by the two Green candidates were "news to me." "I have always said that when you elect Greens, I'm not their boss. The people of the riding are their boss. And if these two candidates decided that's what the people of their riding want ... I respect their decision. But I can guarantee you we are running strong candidates across this province," Schreiner said. Graffiti on Liberal candidate's car After the Kitchener-Conestoga debate in New Hamburg, Liberal candidate Joe Gowing returned to his car to find a message asking him to step down. Someone had written the results of the 2018 election on the window of his car with the words: "Step aside now. Do the right thing." Gowing, who ran for the Liberals in 2018, came in third in that race. He told CBC News he has no intention of stepping down. "The 2018 results, the Ontario Liberal Party lost around Ontario, so we cannot use the 2018. This is a different climate for an election," Gowing said. "I'm not gonna pursue it with police. I'm just gonna focus on my campaign, keep pushing, keep talking to people ... get as many votes as I can and show them that I am the person that should be elected," Gowing said. "My message is clear I show up. I'm not a one-issue candidate and I have support from all parts of the riding. I will not step aside." Strategic voting rarely works: Prof Andrea Perrella, a political science professor at Wilfrid Laurier University whose main research areas are political behaviour and participation, says asking candidates to step aside or candidates supporting rivals isn't new, although it's uncommon. "I don't know the context that is perfect for strategic voting because it requires a lot of voter engagement and most voters are not that engaged to calculate their votes in that precise detail," Perrella told CBC K-W's Craig Norris, host of The Morning Edition. He noted it can be particularly difficult to know how well candidates are doing on a local level. "Yes, there are polls that do sample voters in particular districts, but polling these days is a bit difficult and it's hard to tell whether the polls are accurate or not in terms of the local races," he said. "There's not a whole lot you can do if you want to be a strategic voter. That's why most people, the most comfortable choice is to ... vote for the party that they prefer. Sometimes they vote for their second choice if they know that their first choice does not have a chance." Perrella says rather than trying to vote strategically, people should focus more on learning about their candidates and doing their homework before casting a ballot. "I've always believed that voters should pay close attention to the candidates and to ask who's likely to function as an effective professional manager of the province as opposed to these other issues that come up in a campaign." he said.
