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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.