<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Good afternoon, members of the Alliance to End Homelessness listserv,<br></div>The City of Ottawa is currently studying the possibility of bringing in a Low-Income Transit Pass, and I was hoping every organization, and individual, on this listserv might be willing to voice their support for it?<br><br></div>So far, thirty-five organizations (see below) have already voiced their support by endorsing the campaign, and more than 1,200 individuals have signed a related petition.<br><br></div>How can you and/or your organization help?<br></div>1) simply review the text of the petition at the following website, and if you support it, please sign it:<br><a href="http://healthytransportationcoalition.nationbuilder.com/transit_pass_petition">http://healthytransportationcoalition.nationbuilder.com/transit_pass_petition</a><br><br></div>2) if your organization would be kind enough to endorse the campaign, please have someone e-mail me with your organization's endorsement as soon as possible (I can be reached at <a href="mailto:trevhache@gmail.com">trevhache@gmail.com</a>)<br><br></div>For your information, I have included the wording on the petition below, as well as the current list of endorsers.<br><br></div>Thank you kindly for your consideration, and all the great work you do.<br><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="gmail_extra">Sincerely,<br clear="all"></div><div class="gmail_extra"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div>Trevor Haché | worker, Healthy Transportation Coalition<br><a href="http://www.healthytransportation.ca">www.healthytransportation.ca</a> Cell: 613-789-0604<br></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><span class=""><font color="#888888"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>
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</blockquote></div><br><h2 class=""><u>Ottawa Needs a Low Income Transit Pass</u></h2>
<div id="intro" class="">
<p>Ottawa has one of the most expensive transit systems in the country,
and lags behind other Canadian cities in ensuring that transit is
equitable, inclusive, affordable, and accessible. Sign the petition
below to add your voice to the call for change! </p>
</div>
<p><strong>To:</strong> the Council and the Transit Commission of the City of Ottawa<br>110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1 </p>
<p><strong>Whereas, an affordable, inclusive and equitable
transportation system helps ensure safe, healthy communities, people,
and a strong economy; and</strong></p>
<p><strong>Whereas, the municipalities of Cornwall, Guelph, Halton
Region, Hamilton, Kingston, Peterborough, Waterloo and Windsor have all
enacted low-income public transit passes;</strong></p>
<p><strong>Therefore, we, the undersigned, ask that Mayor Jim Watson,
Ottawa City Council, and the Transit Commission work together urgently
to enact a low-income public transit pass in the nation’s capital. The
low-income public transit pass should be designed to benefit all people
whose income is less than the Low-Income Cut-Off, as defined by
Statistics Canada.</strong></p>
<p><u>Notes</u>: </p>
<p><a style="color:rgb(33,9,245)" href="http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/pick-choisir?lang=eng&p2=33&id=2060092">Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO)</a> is
an income threshold below which a family will likely devote a larger
share of its income on the necessities of food, shelter and clothing
than the average family. For example, in Ottawa, if a single person’s
income is $23,861 before tax, they are considered low-income. If a
family of four’s income is $44,340 before tax, they are considered
low-income.</p>
<p>By signing this petition, I hereby acknowledge that this petition
will become a public document at the City of Ottawa and that all
information contained in it will be subject to the scrutiny of the City,
and will be publicly available. Questions about the collection and
disclosure of personal information contained in this petition should be
directed to the City Clerk, 110 Laurier Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, ON K1P
1J1.</p>
<p>This campaign has been endorsed by 35 organizations, including <a href="http://www.ash-acs.ca/">Action Sandy Hill</a>, the <a href="http://www.centretowncitizens.ca/">Centretown Citizens Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://www.chnaottawa.ca/">Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association</a>, the <a href="http://www.ottawadalhousie.ca/">Dalhousie Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://www.glebeca.ca/">Glebe Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://heronpark.ca/">Heron Park Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://www.hintonburg.com/">Hintonburg Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://hunt-club.ncf.ca/">Hunt Club Community Organization</a>, the <a href="http://www.lowertown-basseville.ca/">Lowertown Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://www.mechanicsville.ca/">Mechanicsville Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://www.ensemblepourvanier.com/en/residents-association.php">Vanier Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://www.westborobeach.ca/">Westboro Beach Community Association</a>, the <a href="http://endhomelessnessottawa.ca/about-ateh/list-of-members/">Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa</a>, the <a href="http://ccochousing.org/"><span class="">Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation</span></a>, <a href="http://www.cawi-ivtf.org/">City for All Women Initiative</a>, the <a href="http://www.coalitionottawa.ca/">Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres of Ottawa</a> (which includes 13 community health and resource centres), <a href="http://www.ottawa.anglican.ca/cornerstone/index.html">Cornerstone Housing for Women</a>, <a href="http://gsaed.ca/">Graduate Students’ Association (GSAED) of the University of Ottawa</a>, <a href="https://www.acorncanada.org/ottawa">Ottawa ACORN</a>, <a href="http://www.coaottawa.ca/committees/transportation/index-en.html">Ottawa Seniors Transportation Committee at the The Council on Aging of Ottawa</a>, <a href="http://www.haloresearch.ca/">Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute</a>, <a href="http://www.greenspace-alliance.ca/">Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital</a>, and <a href="http://walkottawa.ca/">Walk Ottawa</a>.</p>Please sign here:<br><a href="http://healthytransportationcoalition.nationbuilder.com/transit_pass_petition">http://healthytransportationcoalition.nationbuilder.com/transit_pass_petition</a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>