CELEBRATING

sociallife
Ombudsman
investigating
complaints
against city
council
The Ontario Ombudsman is once again
looking into questionable activities at
London City Hall. On July 27, the city announced
that council had been notified
by the office of acting Ombudsman Barbara
Finlay that two complaints regarding
closed meetings held at city hall were under
investigation. The complaints alleged
that the city held a closed meeting in May
2016 to discuss the appointment of an integrity
commissioner, which did not comply
with the open meeting rules laid out in
the Municipal Act, 2001, and that another
closed meeting occurred on June 23, 2016,
to discuss the Integrity Commissioner’s report
- concerning the affair between Mayor
Matt Brown and former Deputy Mayor
Maureen Cassidy - which was in violation
of the open meeting requirements. A copy
of the Ombudsman’s final report into these
matters will be made publically available.
City hall was under scrutiny last summer as
well when complaints were filed over the
issue of closed meetings during the inside
worker’s strike.
Province and feds
support inquiry
into missing,
murdered
aboriginal
women and girls
A joint statement by the Ontario government
was made on August 3 on the
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women and Girls. The
statement, made by Indigenous Relations
Minister David Zimmer, Minister Responsible
for Women’s Issues Tracy MacCharles
and Attorney General Yasir Naqvi followed
the federal government’s announcement of
the five commissioners who will lead the
inquiry - the next stage of combating the
epidemic of violence Indigenous women
and girls. In the statement, the ministers
spoke of the work in progress on the issue,
including Ontario’s involvement in the second
national roundtable in Winnipeg earlier
this year, and the $72 million strategy to
end human trafficking which was released
in June. Additionally, a new investment of
$100 million over three years will support
DIGEST
SHAYNE HODGSON OF PULSE SPIN STUDIO WITH THE DONATED BIKES AT
LAST YEARʼS BIG BIKE GIVEAWAY IN WORTLEY VILLAGE
Walking Together, Ontario’s long-term program
to end violence against Indigenous
women.
Pulse Spin teams
with Bridges Out
of Poverty
Pulse Spin Studio is linking its efforts to
mobilize people through its annual Big
Bike Giveaway with Bridges Out of Poverty/Circles,
a charitable organization coordinated
by Goodwill Industries. Last year,
Pulse gave out almost 200 free bicycles
to people in the community. The donated
bikes were collected and refurbished by
studio owners Shayne and Monica Hodgson.
This year, they hope to provide at
least 250-300 bikes to people that need
them at the event, which will be held on
the Normal School grounds at Wortley and
Elmwood, October 2, 12pm-3pm. Bridges
Out of Poverty/Circles will be presented
with the first 20 bikes prior to the public
giveaway. Anyone is welcome to attend the
event and be matched with an appropriate
bike. Bikes are granted on a first-come,
first-served basis - one bike per person and
you must be in attendance to be eligible.
Pulse is accepting donations of bikes (and
money for bike parts): Call or text 519-
200-5496 or email pulsespinstudio@mail.
com for more info.
Start your
weekend with a
walk!
Take a vigorous constitutional through
one of London’s beautiful natural settings
at Saturday Morning Walks, hosted by the
Thames Valley Trail Association (TVTA).
Each walk begins at 9am and lasts approximately
an hour. Families with small children
are welcome, but some trails may be
too hilly to walk with a stroller. Organizers
ask that participants wear good boots, as
they may encounter mud, roots or rocks on
the trail. Dogs should be left at home. The
next Saturday Morning Walk takes place on
August 27 at Springbank Park West (1205
Commissioners Road W.), starting at the
west end parking lot. On September 3,
participants will hike trails at the Sifton
Bog Natural Area, on the west side of Hyde
Park Road, north of Riverside. Then it’s off
to Kilally Meadows, located at the east end
of Windermere Road, for the September 10
walk. For more information about Saturday
Morning Walks, call John Clark at 519-641-
0442 or visit the TVTA online.
Party on Dundas
Street!
The Dundas Street Festival marks its 7th
anniversary this year as a celebration of
London’s unique culture. Scheduled on
September 16-17 and situated on Dundas
Street between Talbot and Clarence Streets,
the festival offers a unique range of musical
programming that visitors would be
hard-pressed to hear anywhere else. From
indie rock to afrobeat to a DJ dance party in
the street, this family friendly festival will
also amaze with Food Truck Alley, craft and
community vendors, interactive art installations,
and much more. For details on the
two-day event, call 226-973-7609 or visit
the Dundas Street Festival website.
- Amie Ronald-Morgan and Chris Morgan
Deb Matthews, MPP
London North Centre
Working hard for
a stronger Ontario
242 Piccadilly Street | 519-432-7339 | debmatthews.ca
FRIDAY,
OCTOBER 21, 2016 – 7 PM
CENTENNIAL HALL - LONDON
Tickets at The Centennial Hall Box Office.
Charge by Phone 519-672-1967
or online at www.centennialhall.london.ca
featuring
Natural Factors
and
Webber Naturals
GREAT SELECTION
Store Hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
(519) 672-3340
www.turnerdrugstore.com
E-mail: turner@turnerdrugs.com
52 Grand Avenue at Carfrae Crescent
AUGUST 25 - SEPTEMBER 21 • 2016 CELEBRATING 27 YEARS
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