Workers, community members gather in Ottawa to protest Ontario government's policies, cost of living
Thousands of workers marched in Ottawa and across Ontario as part of the "Enough is Enough Day of Action", to mark the Progressive Conservative Party’s re-election anniversary.
In Ottawa, the march started at Major’s Hill Park Saturday afternoon with a strong message.
All different organizations came together in a united front on the one-year anniversary of Premier Doug Ford’s re-election.
"As someone with a disability, I have a worry that if I have a health care need, is it going to be taken care of? Is there going to be space for me in the emergency?" Kenzie McCurdy of StopGap Ottawa said.
Unions, community groups, volunteers and residents attended the march.
Those gathering at the site included unions, community groups, volunteers, and residents.
"What I want is the Ford government to sit down and think about how its actions are affecting our students in Ontario, because they are not going to be OK if things keep going the way it is. Privatization is not the answer," said Shelby McEachern, who was at the march.
The event is called the Day of Action, with rallies across the province hosted by the Ontario Federation of Labour.
"We were marching to keep our healthcare public, to keep our education public and to fight for a more affordable Ontario," said Elizabeth Houlding. "We want affordable housing and affordable groceries."
McCurdy is living with a disability and wants her voice heard loud and clear.
"All of the issues that I care about are under attack in Ontario," McCurdy said. "Social housing, accessible housing, affordability, healthcare, and privatization of healthcare, it’s just everything is going downhill and we are in crisis mode."
The Day of Action issued a number of demands for the provincial government, including wage increases for workers across different sectors, keeping schools and healthcare public, as well as factors around the cost of living like affordable groceries and gas.
"Justice for workers came out of the '15 and Fairness' movement. We represent and fight for unionized and non-unionized workers,” said Susan Rab of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation.
The march left Major’s Hill Park for the Byward Market. Police officers temporarily blocked traffic as hundreds took to the streets.
Each group here with their own demands to make their lives better.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

House Speaker Anthony Rota apologizes after inviting man who fought for Nazis to Parliament
Several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned members of Parliament on Sunday for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
Writers Guild and Hollywood studios reach tentative deal to end strike. No deal yet for actors
Union leaders and Hollywood studios reached a tentative agreement Sunday to end a historic screenwriters strike after nearly five months, though no deal is yet in the works for striking actors.
Toronto woman hospitalized with botulism
A Toronto woman has been hospitalized in France with a severe case of botulism after eating improperly preserved sardines at a Bordeaux wine bar.
Taylor Swift turns out to see Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs play Chicago Bears
Travis Kelce put the ball in Taylor Swift's court, and she wound up bringing it to Arrowhead Stadium after all. Call it what you want. It's out of the woods now.
Man hospitalized in life-threatening condition after incident at Calgary pub holding eating contest
Calgary paramedics took a man to hospital in life-threatening condition on Saturday after an incident at the Ship and Anchor pub.
A year after Fiona, a traumatized Newfoundland town backs away from the sea
One year after a wave driven by post-tropical storm Fiona slammed into the back of her house and twisted it like a corkscrew, some residents of Port aux Basques, N.L., are backing away from the sea.
It’s here! Rare asteroid sample lands on Earth after OSIRIS-REx drops cargo
Seven years after OSIRIS-REx was sent into space to retrieve a sample of an asteroid, the NASA-led spacecraft has delivered its cargo into Earth’s orbit, and Canada is set to receive a piece.
Canadian autoworkers ratify deal with Ford Motor Company
Five days after reaching a tentative deal, Unifor members voted this weekend and have narrowly ratified a new three-year collective agreement with the Ford Motor Company.
Key to mending broken labour relations is fixing inflation, RBC economists say
High inflation is driving workers to take labour action and press for wage increases, according to a new report by Canada's largest bank that says more turbulence could be on the way for Canadian labour relations