[homeles_ot-l] FW: Provincial Election: Our goal is to gather 10, 000 signatures by September 23rd to expand ac

[Bruce Ransom]

From: Steve Chenier
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2011 3:03 PM
To: Bruce Ransom
Subject: FW: Provincial Election: Our goal is to gather 10,000 signatures by September 23rd to expand ac



From: michele ferland [mailto:micheleferland1 at hotmail.com]
Sent: September 15, 2011 2:58 PM
To: becky bangus; Anne Bailey; becky henshall; Carolyn Steam Roller; chris; darren Graham; emilie G; emma inns; jen demmers; john warden; lawrence; lisa hunt; lisa paul; Phil Castro; pinney HEAD; sarah bailey; Steve Chenier
Subject: Provincial Election: Our goal is to gather 10,000 signatures by September 23rd to expand ac


Friends and colleagues,

I am writing to request that during the next few weeks CHC and AHAC staff members, boards and community partners become active participants in an election campaign organized by our Association of Ontario Health Centres to expand access to Ontario's Community Health Centres and Aboriginal Health Access Centres. As some of you might know the provincial wide campaign is calling on the next provincial government to commit to:

1)    Fully fund new Community Health Centres announced in 2005
2)    By 2015, enable 250,000 more Ontarians to access CHCs and AHACs.

It's important to remember reaching this goal can be achieved, in large part, through increased investments in existing CHCs and AHACs.

We also have a unique opportunity to promote the development of a new CHC in Western Ottawa.

Today CHC's cover much of the city....and there is value in advocating for CHC's to provide service across the entire city. Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre has the infrastructure in place today to quickly add a CHC program to serve the far west end of the city. Please join me in supporting their bid to expand access. I have attached a background document that describes why expanding access in Western Ottawa is the right thing to do. I encourage you to read it and promote this opportunity at upcoming all-candidate meetings in your communities across the City.

Already our campaign has strong momentum. In replies to surveys, three of the four major parties in the election have, in various ways, committed to expanded access. As active and engaged community members, CHC and AHAC staff members and boards can play a critical role securing even stronger commitments.

We especially need support in parts of the province where the Progressive Conservative Party is strong or looking to pick up seats. So far the PCs are the only party that has not publicly stated their position on access to CHCs and AHACs.  With community members across the province speaking up in favour of expanded access, we will encourage them to take a positive position.

During this provincial election campaign please join your voice with growing numbers of community members across the City of Ottawa calling for expanded access to Ontario's Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHACs).

I am very proud to have signed this online petition as a resident of Ottawa and I hope you will join your name with mine.

Candidates need to hear the message loud and clear: by investing in AHACs and CHCs, we invest in a healthier future. By investing in Western Ottawa we are investing in improving the lives of thousands of Western Ottawa residents.

Here's the link to sign the petition:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/expand-access-to-community-health-centres-now.html

After you have signed this petition, please consider distributing  the link through your social media networks. We are finding that posting to Facebook is especially effective gathering new signatures.

Thank you for your support and ongoing commitment - Together our voices can make a difference!

thanks!
Michele Ferland

[AOHC_EngLogo_Hor_RGB_Blk]
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