Tell City Council Our Kids Count!
In January, City Council is being asked to cut student nutrition programs, eliminate dozens of swim and recreation programs, close wading and outdoor pools, shut down 10 arenas during off peak hours, cut childcare and reduce youth outreach services across the City.
Our kids count. They deserve better and they need every opportunity to stay healthy and engaged. The savings represented by these cuts are miniscule as compared to value of investing in healthy children and healthy communities.
Please sign our petition today and send a message calling on your Councillor to vote against these cuts.
For further information, contact info@kidscounttoronto.ca
The Letter to Councillors
Here is the sample text of the letter which you can edit and send to your City Councillor on the right.
Dear Councillor,
As one of your constituents, I am writing you about the proposals in the 2012 city budget that impact our children.
Please don’t vote to:
- eliminate swim programs at 7 pools – Bedford Park CC, Frankland CC, Gordon A. Brown M.S., Hillcrest CC. Runnymede CI, S.H. Armstrong CRC and Sir Wilfred Laurier
- end recreation programs at 12 “shared use” schools – Bloordale CS, Brown CC, Earl Beatty CC, Fairmount Park CC, Hillcrest CC, James Sl. Bell CS, John English CS, John G. Althouse CS, Keele CC, McNicoll CC, The Elms CS, Thistletown CC
- close 5 wading pools at MacGregor, Fred Hamilton, Alexandra Park, Wellesley Park, Kempton Howard Park and 2 outdoor pools at Fairhaven and Stanley Park
- cut arena hours at Long Branch, Chris Tonks, Bayview, Lambton, Habitant, Commander Park, Phil White, Pine Point, John Booth, and Baycrest
- shut down student nutrition programs
- discontinue free recreation programming in our Priority Recreation Centres
- cut Youth Outreach services to 16,000 young people
- raise fees and close 3 childcare centres
These recommendations are being made without consulting your community partners or the public. There has been no evaluation of the consequences they will have on the health, safety and well being of our children and our City.
Our kids count. They deserve better and they need every opportunity to stay healthy and engaged. The savings represented by these cuts are miniscule as compared to value of investing in healthy children and healthy communities.
I am asking you to oppose these cuts in the best interests of our kids and the future of our City.