Federal Government Caucus

March 5, 2021

The Hon. Doug Ford Premier of Queen's Park, Legislative Building, Toronto, ON M7A 1A1

Dear Premier Ford:

I am writing on behalf of the Toronto members of the federal government caucus who have some serious concerns with respect to the vaccine rollout in our city.

We live in unprecedented times and all of us have had to find solutions to challenges we could never even imagine just one year ago. Vaccinating our citizens against a global pandemic falls into that category.

In this regard there are three issues that we feel require urgent attention on the part of your government.

Mr. Premier, people are extremely anxious about the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. We are hearing daily from constituents that they have no idea how to ensure they are on the vaccination list or when and where they will be vaccinated. This week we have all witnessed long lines of our seniors waiting hours in the cold because of the uncertainty and fear they will miss out. We ask that the provincial government immediately release a clear and detailed plan. The plan must outline the sequence of the vaccination process by region, age and all other details. Information on the process must be made easily available so everyone can understand and know what to expect. Further delays such as the failure to have the online registration system functioning cannot continue. We have heard repeatedly that the province was ready for vaccines upon arrival. There are many who question the validity of that statement.

As a Toronto caucus and as a federal government we worked diligently to overcome vaccine supply challenges that arose in January, due to circumstances beyond our control. We are now in a situation where all vaccine supply lines are flowing and flowing quickly, and additional vaccines are being approved such that more vaccines are scheduled to arrive in this country, quicker than originally planned. We need an assurance that Ontario is ready to roll out these vaccines: to this point we have no such assurance from your government.

Furthermore, the citizens of Toronto need to be assured that they will receive their fair share of vaccines each week. Our population density and increased level of high-risk residents put the city in a unique situation: Toronto is, by far, home to the largest number of racialized persons and newcomers in all of Ontario. The evidence has clearly shown that this population has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, because they are more likely to work in service jobs on the front lines, use public transit, and live in congregate settings in densely populated areas. -2-

We are calling on you to ensure that Toronto gets an appropriate allocation of vaccines to protect our constituents, in particular those who are most vulnerable. In addition, Toronto has a disproportionally larger share of health care workers who should receive higher priority.

Finally, we are calling on the province to ensure that this vaccine rollout in Toronto occurs quickly and efficiently using effective communication and outreach to communities which will ensure transparency and clarity as outlined above.

We are here to work with the province, as the federal government representatives in this city, as we have been from the start of the pandemic.

With kind regards,

James Maloney, M.P., -Lakeshore Toronto 416 Caucus Chair

Gary Anandasangaree, M.P., Scarborough-Rouge River , M.P., Etobicoke Centre , M.P., Scarborough North , M.P., Toronto-Danforth , M.P., Don Valley North The Hon. , P.C., M.P., Etobicoke North , M.P., Davenport , M.P., Willowdale Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, M.P., Beaches- , M.P., Toronto Centre The Hon. John McKay, P.C., M.P, Scarborough-Guildwood , M.P., Don Valley West Ya’ra Saks, M.P, York Centre The Hon. , P.C., M.P, Humber River-Black Creek , M.P., Spadina-Fort York , M.P., Parkdale-High Park , M.P. Scarborough-Agincourt , M.P., Scarborough Centre