Meeting transcript

>>Paulette: Testing, testing, testing -- okay, folks we're about to get started so if you could just grab your seats. So as soon as we get settled, there are a couple overflow rooms as well, for folks who can't make it into this room. So it is my pleasure to welcome all of you to this initial meeting at the Daniels Spectrum, the first of many meetings the government will be holding to hear about key issues on systemic racism, including anti-Black racism, and addressing them. I am your moderator for the evening, my name is Paulette Senior, we are all pleased to have such a huge turnout. It must be the hottest ticket in town. [Laughter] Probably second to the Indy, but really happy to have you all here for this very important gathering. But before we begin, I want to just welcome Bob Goulais who will be providing a blessing in our gathering, I will share a bit of information about who he is. He is a member of the First Nation, the original traditional society of Anishinaabe people. He is a strong advocate for attention and proliferate of Anishinaabe language and culture. Bob serves as President and senior principal of consulting Inc., a First Nations company that provides professional engagement communication, and cultural environment services and training. Please join me in giving him a warm welcome. [Applause]

>>Bob: Good evening (French) I want to start this evening off by providing some words, some context of what I've provided here today. I was offered tobacco, one of the most important gifts and the very first gift given to Anishinaabe by the creator himself, for use when we want to ask things of the creator. And this is a time for great struggle, for a lot of our brothers and sisters, for black lives that matter, for indigenous lives that matter [Applause] for all of the people -- but it’s also a reminder of how important it is to support one another. And I'd like to say when I, when I took that tobacco in, very rarely in an occasion like this I brought my pipe. But because of the pain that we're going through, the grief that we're feeling from what we see on social media and on TV , I took that tobacco that was offered to me by the Minister here and I smoked that tobacco and I asked for the Spirit to be here with us, to give us the strength and give us, you know, the wisdom that we need to make the decisions and provide the feedback to the leaders that are here for The Anti-Racism Directorate. To do the things we need to do to make sure that we are working towards the elimination of racism, discrimination, hate and intolerance. Especially here in Canada.

In our creation story we're told, when we learn our creation story the first thing we're told is that all creation stories are true, all of our creation mythologies, our origin stories, our ways of spirituality. We're taught that yours is just as legitimate as mine. And I want to offer a few words that in our creation story, as Anishinaabe people, the creator in his kindness, in his gentleness, lowered us all to this physical world at the same time with such a gentle and kindness and beautiful story to hear in our language. Lowered us to this Earth in a gentle and kind way and the first four that he lowered are the four brothers of man. The yellow, the red, the white and the black. In that way we're taught that we're all brothers and sisters in creation. The other thing that was given to us as Anishinaabe, soon afterwards in a time of great need, were seven very sacred teachings to us. And I'm not going to go through all of those teachings, but I am going to talk about the three most important of those seven grandfather teachings, they're all important.

The first one is love. To know love is to know peace, to have that peace in your heart, to have that kindness and gentleness in your heart, it is such an important thing. Respect, to respect one another is for me to honour you. And that’s given unconditionally. A lot of people say respect needs to be learned, for us respect is given no matter what, no matter how hurtful somebody’s words are on the street. We are going to honour that person, no matter what.

The other thing is humility, to understand that we're all a part, just a small part of creation. And we need to go beyond just the work of anti-racism, the work of a Directorate, the work of our Ministries. They all do good work, all the Ministries here with us. All of you do good work by blogging, by tweeting, by putting out the message of how important anti-racism and ridding that is. We need to also get out of our heads. It is not just a policy question where we need, you know, risks analyzed and the best options forward with a business case, and coming forward with a public policy directive. When it comes to racism, it is about our spirit. It is about spirituality, it is about emotions. We need to get out of our heads and into our hearts to find our way back to those teachings of kindness, respect, love and honouring one another. [Applause]

And I offer a prayer now, it is a prayer asking for those things, it is recognizing that we need to put aside all of our differences. These are important times. These leaders need to hear from us, but we're all in this room because we believe that we can rid Canada of racism, discrimination, hate and intolerance. We're all the -- we're preaching to the choir. But we also need to think of all of those out there, the ones that are on the street, those officers that may not buy into that. We need to be, we need to offer our prayers and words for them as well. They need to find their way back to this, Anishinaabe, we call, the good life. I'm going to offer you a prayer and leave you with a song.

(speaking Anishinaabe language)

We ask the Spirit, our great kind creator to be with us here today to offer us the wisdom and the strength to be able to bring these words forward, that they turn into action and they don't just stay words. We ask the spirit to look after all of us and think about those who feel so strongly that we need to eliminate that racism, discrimination, intolerance and hate. And we also offer our prayers for those who haven't bought into that philosophy, that live their lives with pain, so much so that they have to impose it on others, that they find their way back to kindness and respect and love. And that all of our decisions are indeed about kindness and respect.

(speaking Anishinaabe language)

(singing is Anishinaabe language)

And I wish you all

(speaking Anishinaabe language)

>>Paulette: Thank you so much Bob for blessing this gathering, as we collectively acknowledge that the indigenous people of this land have accepted us and have invited us on the quest and joined with us on the quest to live in a racist free society. Please help me in thanking Bob again. [Applause]

I'm going to take the next few moments to make some comments and to sort of set out how the evening is going to go.

So tonight we're here to hear from you, and we want to hear your views, you the public, on key issues regarding racism. Many of you I'm certain have been in the struggle to end racism for decades and looking at the faces of everyone tonight clearly has been an intergenerational struggle. In this gathering will come with our collective experiences, various levels of patience and frustration and probably yes even anger. But we're gathered because we are all committed and have vested interest in building a society where we can all walk, drive, live, speak and be our full selves expressed freely without fear of harm, discrimination, criminalization or any other impact due to racism, anti-Black racism, anti-indigenous racism. [Applause] So this evening, has been arranged in two parts, we will hear opening remarks from premier Wynne, and key issues under jurisdiction. Before we begin I would like to establish principles or you may call them rules of engagement that will gather interaction with us this evening, as we make recommendations and calls to action. This evening I request we exercise the patience to both hear and listen. Agree and disagree as you so choose, but with ultimate respect. And with the assurance that I will moderate as equitably and fairly as possible, with the intention that those who wish to speak will have an opportunity to do so and be heard. That said, I will interject as needed, after a few minutes, and it could be a couple or more depending, to ensure you get your main points across and these principles and rules are maintained for our gathering this evening. So I know that we all come with an understanding that the reality and impact of racism conjures up feelings filled with pain and sometimes even rage. For those of us listening, for those of us listening I encourage you to listen with that in mind. Tonight when you listen, listen as if you are hearing what’s being said for the first time. Doing your best to suspend the usual judgments but instead listen actively to make a difference. So the intention of the evening includes the following: the government is here to listen. Our discussion this evening will focus on key systemic anti-racism issues that are within Ontario’s jurisdiction. We have several items to get through, so I will be monitoring the time and speakers and endeavor to keep us on track. I'll provide a brief summary at the end of each portion of our agenda as well as the government will be providing a public summary of the feedback at this meeting tonight and the next four weeks. So a few housekeeping items, so this event is being leave-streamed for this evening only. So when you come to the mic, if you are not interested in being filmed please indicate that and we will make sure that happens. There are also comment cards on the back of your chairs or somewhere near you. So these are for your questions or comments that you want to share during the meeting. There are youth ambassadors in those red shirts that are around the room who are prepared to also collect your, your cards. And a few of them will be right out if the comments are new or haven't been said for the evening. The two microphones I pointed out here earlier, also a roaming microphone, if you need that for reasons of accessibility or any other reason, that will be available to you. There is also a quiet room available for anyone who may feel they need a break, the room is located just outside these doors, down the hall and staff will be available to show that to you, also for those who are wanting to, at sunset, have a space where they can go to pray, so that’s also available for that reason. There will be French and ASL translation for the evening, bathrooms are located outside the lounge, water, light refreshments are located here as well, at the end of the evening support for public transportation. So some tokens available to support those who need it. Just let one of the staff know outside of the room. So as you go up to the mic, please state your name and if you are with an organization do that as well, if you are not willing to have your picture taken mention that as well. Now on to our agenda. Any questions so far? Good. Okay. Yes? Just shout it.

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic]

>>Paulette: Okay so you will have an opportunity to speak later, okay?

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic]

>>Paulette: I'm sorry love you will have an opportunity to speak later, not right now.

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic] Very upsetting the --

>>Paulette: I'm just going to exercise my moderating powers, if you will, thank you. All right. Okay I'm now going to invite Mr. Coteau to come forward and share some opening remarks. [Applause]

>>Michael: Thank you very much Paulette, I just want to start by saying thank you for being here this evening, you know tonight we're joined by the Premier of course and we also have Minister Hunter, Minister of Education and David Zimmer, Minister of Indigenous Relations and MMP and MMP Lorenzo and Anderson and we also have Pam Mcconell and Michael Thompson from City Hall and from the Toronto City School Board and Jennifer the Vice-Chair of Toronto city school board, thank you for being here this evening. Did I miss someone? Oh Chris, area he represents, congratulations. [Applause]

>> (speaking French) Just wanted to take one quick minute, maybe one-and-a-half minutes just to say, to acknowledge that racism is real, anti-Black racism is real, systemic racism, you know, finds its place right across the Province in many parts of this country and it is something that has been here in Canada and internationally for as long as people can remember. Racism is a very sophisticated form of hate. It finds its way into small classrooms, it finds its way into large institutions and it is something that, you know, has affected my family and many families here for generations. When it comes to racism, not a lot has changed in the, in the last few decades but a few things have changed and I think it is the, the approach and the international call that people have had to eliminate racism and we can see around the world right now, there is a lot of dialogue, a lot of things happening and it is, I believe, for many reasons, we have a new generation of leadership, we can -- the world has become a lot more transparent, we can share our experiences, we are connected to other jurisdictions when something happens in another country we're aware of it. So things are changing in that aspect and I want to take this opportunity to thank organizations like Black Lives Matter, organizations like CASSA and colour of poverty, organizations that have been fighting -- I want to thank organizations that have been fighting against racism for years because now I think, you know, there is a new tone being said in Canada, in Ontario, but also around the world and governments have to respond. There is no option. They have to be part of that solution and the establishment of the Anti-Racism Directorate is one of those ways in which government can respond to look for ways to fight systemic racism, anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, any type of hate that takes place, racism here in Ontario. We're going to have a conversation over the next few months, across the Province. We'll have a dozen meetings, some in Toronto but in other parts of Ontario, to talk about racism, systemic racism, ways in which we can combat it and look for ways to eliminate it. So I just want to say that you have my commitment as the Minister responsible for anti-racism here in Ontario, but also the Minister responsible for children youth, I'm going to look for ways and I'm going to meet with as many people as possible, I met with around 25 different groups that focus on anti-racism and other forms of hate here in Ontario, and I want to be able to help in this dialogue and to, you know, to hold our government accountable to look for ways, not only in my Ministry but Minister Hunters Ministry, all Ministries of government and all functions of government. One of the ways we can start is looking within ourselves, how we hire, how we, you know, appoint on board. We need to take the data, we need to look for ways to, to show and reveal how systemic racism works and look for ways to, to find solutions, to build an inclusive Ontario. At the end of the day racism is more than just how it effects that individual. You know, racism can affect me, my family, it also does the entire community and the Province as a whole and it holds us back. We can be happy for a diversity or multiculturalism and inclusion, but I honestly believe that if we don't build an Ontario where every single person has the opportunity to be successful, an Ontario where those barriers are removed, we will never, we will never be able, as a Province, to reach our full potential and to really build, to continue to build this beautiful Oasis down with the world called Ontario. I'm going to stop there, just want to say thank you very much for being here. I just want to take this opportunity now to introduce Kathleen Wynne, the premier of Ontario. Thank you very much. [Applause]

>>Kathleen: Thank you Michael and thank you all of you for being here, thank you for caring enough to come and spend time with us. I don't, I don't know all of you and I don't know all of your organizations or work you have been doing you, but I know you care enough to be here to have this conversation with us and to use the patience that Paulette was talking about to tell us one more time, yeah I get that, I get that [general hum of conversation in the background] I get that, many more times, because this is not a new conversation. And I understand that. I understand it is not a new conversation and every time we come at it, we come at it to try to take our society to that next level of living up to what we say we are, which is a pluralistic, harmonious, equitable society. That’s how we see ourselves but that’s not, that’s not what we have lived and I understand that. That’s the second thing I want to say is that I understand that, that government and institutions have not lived up to that. So I know that systemic racism exists. I know that black racism exists, anti-Black racism exists, I know that black young people do not have the same, the same experience as white kids. I understand that indigenous kids don't have the same experience as white kids. And I know that at this moment in our, in our history, our shared history, we're dealing with anti-Black racism, we're dealing with racism against indigenous people, we're dealing with Islamophobia, all of that is creating an opportunity for us to have the next conversation. So those of you who are pushing us and who are not just here, not just in Toronto but across the country and across the continent who are pushing us to have that next conversation, that’s a very good thing and I'm, I'm grateful for that as a member of the government. So I believe we can do better, I believe that there are people, however, who would like to see us go at each other’s throats. I think there are people who would like to see, even this meeting, dissolve into anger and dissolve into a chaotic encounter and I want you to know that I don't, I hope that doesn't happen, if it does we will try again. But I believe we don't have, I don't believe that we have to, that we have to do that. I believe that we can find a better way, I believe that we can do better as government, as society, whether it is Provincial, whether it is municipal, whether it is federal, I believe we can do better. Otherwise I wouldn't be here and so I look forward to hearing your experiences and hearing your advice for all of us on how we can do better. That’s why we set up The Anti-Racism Directorate, but that’s not the first thing we have done, not the last thing that we will do. So I look forward to, to hearing from you and thank you again for coming here and I [Applause] yes, thank you. You know what, I neglected --

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic]

>>Kathleen: I understand.

>>Audience Member: Nothing wrong with it.

>>Kathleen: I understand, I understand being uncivil, I get that. Cause anger, anger is part of this. Of course you are angry, of course you are angry I get that.

>>Audience Member: I'm disappointed.

>>Kathleen: You know what you are going to come up and tell me about that.

>>Audience Member: It is not going to do anything, you know I'm disappointed you need to do your job.

>>Kathleen: [Applause] Absolutely, I'm here, part of doing my job is acknowledging that we haven't done enough, acknowledging I don't know I'm sure all of you um, all of you have heard the speeches that have been made in the states, but for us to pretend that somehow our history just goes away because we pass a law or we pass a policy, we have to acknowledge that the years, the decades, the generations, whether it is residential schools, whether slavery, all of the things that we have experienced together that are part of a bad history those are the things --

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic] (yelling out)

>>Kathleen: We are on the Mississauga of the new credit, I want to acknowledge that, I want to thank Bob Goulais and I want that thank you all for being here, thanks. [Applause]

>>Paulette: So there is no doubt we have an actively engaged audience. [Laughter] Which is a good thing for the Province of Ontario, for the City of.

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic] Ask a question, so apparently we -- [speaker off mic] and some of us levels of ability, they will prevent us from coming back into our seat. Not accessible -- [Laughter] [Applause]

>>Paulette: Okay so um the, the organizers of the meeting, could you just make sure that’s taken care of, please. Okay. I got the thumbs up that it is taken care of, so that will not happen, thank you.

>>Audience Member: Thank you! [Applause]

>>Paulette: All right. So let’s get going with second part of our gathering this evening. I pointed out the two mics here, thanks I don't have to yell. But before you do I need to say what I need to say, is that all right? Good, thank you. So there are two microphones that are here and um so what I'm going to ask you to do, as you make your submissions, as you make the points that you are making, please just come up and do that. They are here for you to line up or come up as works for you, plus I mentioned earlier there is a roaming mic. So those of you who know what you are going to say, the microphone is here, if you form a line, there are two of them I will go from one mic to the next. So I will just give folks some time to do that. So how about if we have one set come forward. [general hum of conversation in the background] May I have your attention please, may I have your attention please. May I have your attention please? Okay. So what I'm going to do, and maybe have some assistance from the youth ambassadors, jut ambassadors, I just want you to help to make sure that the line flows and people can come to the mic in an orderly way, we will go to this mic.

>>Audience Member: Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter! Black Lives Matter (chanting) Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter! Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter. Okay, okay, all right. All right. To the Ministers who are sitting here. (chanting in background) Okay, I'm speaking. To the Ministers, the dignitaries, the officials who are here, you know why I stop at Black Lives Matter? Because if it wasn't for Black Lives Matter we would not be here.

[Cheers and Applause]

Okay. If it wasn't for them we would not be here.

[Cheers and Applause]

Okay. They have asked for this meeting for a long, long time.

[Cheers and Applause]

I have been around folks, I have been around this issue for years. It is almost 50 years I have been in this country and for those 50 years that I have been year there hadn't been a time when the black community has not met with officials like yourselves. There hasn't been a time in the last 50 years when we have not marched on the streets of Toronto calling, calling out, calling out, calling out, to put an end to racism. There hadn't been a time when we have not faced whether it is the lick rats, whether NDP, whether conservatives and we have not met with policymakers around this issue of racism. Okay. And so here we are again, here we are again with our generation. These children, these young people with Black Lives Matter are our children. They are our children. [Applause] They are our grandchildren. Okay. And they have watched us older ones walk the streets and here they are many moons later, many years later, doing the same things. Calling [Applause], calling attention to this issue of racism. It is a shame, it really is a shame. It really is a shame. So let me here to say, I am here, I am here first and foremost to support my young sisters in Black Lives Matter [Applause] my young brothers -- and my brothers, my young brothers and sisters what they have done for us in the community is to unite us. It is to unite us, it is to call attention that they are gay, they are queer, they are trans, they have disabilities. They are not just [Applause] young and black but intersect with a whole range of different issues. Okay. That’s, that’s the legacy of this group. That’s the mark of this group, they are pulling us together, they are uniting us, all who wants to say that this is a radical group and this group does not -- they don't know what they're talking about. They do not know what they're talking about, this is a group that is for unit.

>>Audience Member: Yes!

>>: This is the group, if you were at that Pride demonstration on Saturday, you would have seen that, first thing this group did when it got to that College and Young is that they recognise the Aboriginal people of this land. [Applause] That’s the first thing they did. The second thing they did was to call attention to all of the shoots that took place in Orlando, they are for peace, they are for justice and they are for unit. And that is what we celebrate about this group.

[Cheers and Applause]

You cannot mistake that, we cannot overpass them, we cannot, I don't care who is yelling and screaming at this group, they can take a back step. Take a back step and think again because this is the group that is for unit, it is the group for peace, it is the group for social justice and it is the group that is pushing us forward. Struggling to push us forward beyond where we are, beyond where we are. When it calls for anti-Black racism, it isn't about multiculturalism (yells of approval) It is not about inclusion, not about anti-racism, saying loudly Ministers, that what we need to have here and it was said many years ago, fundamental and at root, is anti-Black racism.

[Cheers and Applause]

Said so years ago. This was said after, after 1992, you remember that so-called race riot and appointed Steven Lewis to do a consultation in the community, Steven when he met with us heard this phrase, at fundamental he said, you listen to the black community then, 1992, and said at root what we have here is anti-Black racism, a racism of course in which we are watching, we are watching our children not going anywhere in this country. We are watching that is pipeline from the community to the school to the jails. That’s what we're watching. [Applause] That is our struggle. That is our struggle. That is a struggle to stop the pipeline, to stop it going from school, from community where communities are policed. Our communities are policed, and our kids end up dropping out of schools. Schools as racism, we have to stop that. We have to stop that, I know Paulette is telling me to quit, I could go on here all night. But I really, I really want the Ministers to hear this, that what you are picking up on is not a new star, it is a continuation. It is a continuation, it is a fight, it is a struggle. Every day we're watching children in this social welfare offices, we're watching them in child welfare, the numbers keep growing. We're watching this and all for Marchs and the walks and struggle against racism, it isn't cutting it Ministers, it is not cutting it man, it is not cutting it. What has to cut it is anti-Black racism, a focus on us. It is not asking for special attention. You think that when we say anti-Black racism, it is asking for special favours, no! We are a group that in this country faced histories of slavery, people don't like to recognize it, they think we just raised off the boat, came here in the 50's, no we have been here hundreds of years and we have fought and fought and we continue to fight.

>>Paulette: Thank you, thank you.

>>: Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, thank you.

[Cheers and Applause]

>>Paulette: (thunderous applause) Okay. Hello.

>>Hello, I would not, I would not say all live matters at this time because -- because it is white, Black Lives Matter. I at one point I hear, when I make home visits in this region, this is like couple years ago, I hear of black mother told me, I don't know whether my son will come back tonight. I cannot, I cannot, I would never say I know that because I don't know that, I'm not black. And that’s not acceptable. [Applause] And I will tell the Chinese community learn not to be racist against other people of colour. It is not, I want you to allow the Chinese community time to progress because we come from a very colonized mind-set. We have fought against the sexual health curriculum, not with me but [Laughter] And we are against injection, tomorrow I go on the Chinese radio, they ask my sisters to behave better, thank you. [Applause]

>> Can I take it off or -- okay. Um good afternoon everybody um I would like to start by thanks God and recognizing um all the other faiths here today. I would also like to thank the Premier for being here today, the Minister, as well as Mike Thompson, I understand. Look I know we're all angry and I'm very angry myself, if you could just let me speak that would be very kind. I hear our government leaders say racism is real, I want to hear racism is a priority. Along with your commitment we want to see a detailed action plan down to dollars and cents, we need to see that. We respect your presence here today. But please do not belittle the centuries of repression by tanks us for being here today. [Applause] We have been here, we have been here time and time again and we have heard you tell us that racism is real it is time for action, that is the basis of where I'm coming from. I would like to talk about opportunity in the GTA. I would also like to talk about the Ontario government visual campaign to inform the public of the depth of racism in everyday life, the workforce, specifically Corporate structuring, the private and public sector as well as the lack of diversity in the government, in particular, and particularly the lack of Afro Canadian and Caribbean in the cabinet. [Applause] The government needs to do more than just listen at this point. It needs to empower minorities at all levels to combat issues in their own communities in regards to the opportunity and the promotion of education and by that I mean um, you know, I've gone into, you know, the Lesmill [Name?] social employment service centre and I see a lot of people not reflective of the demographic in need. They sit at their desks, you know, I come in, I treat as being unemployed as a full-time job. I come into that office, I see nobody like me, I see who is willing to use the resources at their disposal, to creatively impact, you know, my progression, my passion and desire to succeed in my community. These people seem to come in there, collect a check and not really put forth effort into helping that youth who is coming in to play video games. Sitting in a public resource centre to play video games because he feels like hey, you know what, it is free Wi-Fi, free Wi-Fi isn't enough. You know what I'm saying? So um in regards to opportunity I want to speak on well-educated youth and young adults, young adult minorities. Watching their peers and counterparts fail, racism in the public, private and government working sectors. We need to review and resample social service resources, I think they are being grossly misused [Applause] Grossly misused. These, these practices, systemic racism, institutionalized racism, pardon me, affect not only minorities but people of all backgrounds in workforce, classroom and everyday lives, it even affects even the white child. It is not, we're here, we're calling for black lives but the black community has always supported LGTB community. We have supported all other minorities and we are not here to not support them, but we're here to make it clear that anti-Black racism is the root of our problems here. [Applause] I'm almost done here, I got one more thing so I'm sorry, I apologize. I feel like the Ontario government visual campaign to inform the public on the depth of racism needs to be more impactful. The public has to change its perception around the issue of racism in Toronto specifically. This public, this needs to be made a public health issue, a mental health issue and environmentally, environmental issue. I feel like the public is so quick when we're talking about the environment or, you know, there was a Bell campaign for mental health. I feel like the, I feel like anti-Black racism issues are deeply rooted in all of those issues if you look closer. When we did this reputation of Toronto being excluded from the realities of institutionalized racism we have this idea we are this great melting pot, this diverse group of people, which we are. But we fail to recognise racism that’s underlining all of our lack of success in our minority communities. I feel like that is a really big issue we need to, pardon me, so [Applause] -- pardon me. So my last, my last point. I apologize for taking so long, my verbal, I know, I know, I know -- this verbal and visual and financial commitment from the Canadian government needs to be clear and it needs to involve action immediately, thank you.

>>Paulette: Okay so we have had our first, we had our first few speakers, three in number. We have taken quite a bit of time. So what I'm going to ask you to do is consider the line-up behind you as you come to the mic. So think other people would also like to make equally important points, right. And there is also a possibility that someone else may actually say what you wanted to say. So think about that as well. Okay. [Applause]

>> Thank you, good evening everyone. My name is (name removed) , a local poet and author. I have to warn you guys that I am in the minority tonight, you guys are, some of you all are not going to like me. Okay. With that said, I'm aware, oh I will, I'm aware of the line and out of respect for everyone I will race through this really quick and I need you guys to listen, really listen. Black, (speaking language other than English) trying desperately, feel. Not this year but -- struck family and friends who love and feel -- brother or sister, just remember, we as a community -- just remember, we love and we -- what else can we really do for the Society, in the pass, the future world -- the message sent to you black, we seek, sick and tired. Black --

[Cheers and Applause]

No I'm not done. I needed you guys to hear that before you hear this. Okay. Black lives do matter, I'm a black life and I matter and I, I am with you there. However, lady said before if it wasn't for black lives we wouldn't be here. We are here, ignorance may I hear, I sat in the [speaker off mic] I was the reporter and I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed, I might get in trouble for saying I was a reporter on this (people yelling out) I was embarrassed I was embarrassed, embarrassed Black Lives Matter Toronto does not speak for this black lady, I was embarrassed you guys were bullies. Bullies, the coroner had to, let me just say, Black Lives Matter Toronto does not speak for this black lady. And I'm not -- (people yelling and shouting)

>> I am a public advocate and Black Lives Matter, I will add I'm in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and when they speak they speak for me. [Applause] I also want to acknowledge Premier Wynne, first Premier in all of history to ever wade out through the group of security to meet with people protesting. So I commend you for that. [Applause] Thank you for paying attention to our young people who raise their voice. I appreciate that you are sitting here with a willingness to hear what we're looking for now is a willingness to act. [Applause] Premier Wynne we're here with solutions tonight. Just as a matter of course I reviewed Twitter, that’s what I'm on, and I did not see any announcements from yourself, from MMP, David Zimmerman and mayor about today’s event. That was surprising to me, I'm talking about today as a reminder, just today, today. So it is the emphasis that if you are saying that these things, these issues our lives matter and anti-racism should be ended, then these are things that need to be reflected from you actively. The other point that I want to make is that one of the solutions that we have, when we have some lawyers and a lot of lawyers in the audience, people that a lot of us discuss with and look for solutions when you are ready to hear them that we're ready to give them to you. We have lawyers here tonight Paul regulation, ideas, prepared for you so when you are willing and ready to hear from us on that hopefully within the next three months, we have them ready for you. So what is key, their needs to be accountability and acknowledgment, not only from heads of positions but all levels of government. I read distinctly on the website which there is no information about a budget. Is there a budget for The Anti-Racism Directorate. That’s, that’s a fair question that we would like to know. Is there a budget for The Anti-Racism Directorate?

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic]

>> So remember, remember Provincial parliament Coteau said there is a budget, but what is the budget? Yes please?

>> You want us to answer it?

>> Yes please.

>>Michael: So, hello, hello, hello? So there is a budget, I think there was a release that went out through CVC, the budget for this year is five million dollars, just passed, 32 full-time employees that will be hired and first start of the first-year and it will, it will change as time goes by. But The Anti-Racism Directorates principle is not to figure out how much money we can get. It is to figure out how to leverage other Ministry, like mine a four-and-a-half billion dollar, Minister Hunter, 25 billion dollar Ministry, how to leverage those things to work on anti-racism, but you know I don't think the budget of the Anti-Racism Directorate is the tool necessary to change what we are doing. It is a whole government approach, this Anti-Racism Directorate to look for ways to make those changes with government.

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic] All my life -- 5 million dollars is --

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Okay. Thank you.

>>Audience Member: Serious budget, time for that to leverage it -- [speaker off mic] to make serious change.

>>Michael: So five million dollars, let me answer the question.

>>Audience Member: (yelling out) [speaker off mic]

>>Michael: I'll just listen. [Applause]

>>Audience Member: We know what you're talking about. [Applause]

>>Michael: So thank you, thank you, thank you very much so the 5 million dollars, this is a brand new directorate, do you want me to answer?

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic] (yelling)

>> Do you have any points to make?

>>Michael: I do.

>> So Premier Wynne, you can see we have a problem already. If there is only 5 million dollars attributed to anti-racism for all of Ontario you see we have a problem. If we don't have the tools to meet the mandate or to end racism, we will not get there. The issue about fighting is not what we're interested in. We're tired of fighting. We want to end racism in Ontario and in Canada.

[Cheers and Applause]

So the issue then Premier Wynne, if you are expecting, if you are expecting the anti-racism to directorate to affect all levels of government, the tools have to be provided in order to do that. So here is another recommendation and here is a solution. 10% of every government level budget, every government organization and agency, 10% of their budget goes towards meeting that mandate and the mandate cannot be limited to [Applause] government representatives. You have to include members of the public in the decision making, so the people sitting at the table need to look like us and sound like us. [Applause]

>> I'm almost finished.

>> I'm sorry.

>> So Premier Wynne, when I go back I do want to hear from you and I will contact one of your representatives, again the issue of regulation, this is more specific to racial profiling. Government has always had the ability to do something today but yet keeps refusing to do it today. The, all levels of government, all Ministries have the ability to legislate. So how about legislating and making a regulation with regards to racial profiling? And that there is actually a penalty for doing so. If there is no accountability, if there is no responsibility, if there is no recourse, yes if there is, thank you Sir, if there is no reason for someone to be racist or to act in antiracist ways or to be against black people, Islamic people, anyone who is affected by racism then what stops them from doing it? So you the government, we elect, to ensure that we all feel that we can and thrive in this city, I'm going to speak to you, because very distinctly our young people from Black Lives Matter set outside the police headquarters for two weeks in the cold, snow, it was a peaceful environment, I say so because I was there. Our young people provided food, shelter and clothing for anyone would be wanted it. Where were you?

[Cheers and Applause]

And moreover, for you to not even address them directly about meeting to date is problematic for me as a leader, an elected leader. May I remind every member of parliament, every Provincial representative, every person on City Council, including you were elected to serve the people, including these people. I will end because there are many people who are waiting, I respect the fact everyone should be heard. Premier Wynne going back, very simple another solution, language. It is very easy to quickly change the language of government. What you can do is very simply this, we are not minorities. [Applause] Stop using the phrase minorities.

[Cheers and Applause]

That’s very easy to do. What we are discriminated against, we are marginalized and we are under-represented.

[Cheers and Applause]

Again, we need more people who look like us and speak like us to be at the decision making tables. And we need government, when they come to an environment like this, to be prepared as Coteau did do, thank you for that, be prepared to give answers, not just nodding your head at what we say, but ready to give an answer to the people whom you are there to serve. Thank you. [Applause]

>> Okay. So I'm going to go to this mic now and again I implore you to consider people behind you who have equally important things to say, quite possibly.

>> Okay. I take it off? Okay, that’s fine. I'm very loud person so I think I'm going to be fine. Okay, sure. Sure. I'm not going to be repeating too much of what has been said, my name is (name removed), some of you have seen me in the media, not in the right way. That’s not how I wanted to be in the media. A friend of mine [Name?] from south Sudan was killed last year in July, few days ago it was his anniversary. And we have been stirred up by that. I joined Black Lives Matter, I don't say I join, but I say that I'm black and it matters. My life matter. Black lives, black lives. No justice (no peace) no justice (no peace), we can talk about peace, I go to church, I love church, I love the principles of church. [Applause] I like thanking hallelujah [Laughter] but when there is no justice it is hard to keep that peace. How do you hold it on? That’s why I got, I jumped on the truck, Black Lives Matter. So I have to say it, I know that I'm black and I'm beautiful.

>>Audience Member: Yes!

>> [Applause] Thank you. And because I'm black and I'm enough I can smile better. My smile is beautiful. [Applause] So that being said, I know there is a lot and I'm just in the healing process I'm saying that I need to heal from this and I need somebody to hear me and I need solutions. I am very solution focused. And that’s how a leader is supposed to be. And I ask a lot of questions and the more I ask the more I get. And I need more and more answers. So this week I always, I always go for walking, it helps me heal, helps clears my head and I have been focusing on what I have done best. And I always do best, but nobody tells me I'm best. And I have to try to do best. And I wrote down and said, you know what, I did all that I could. But I still don't have the answers. When am I going to get those answers? And I like to say thank you to Premier Kathleen Wynne, mayor John, and even Mike for the issue that, reason why I say that is because I miss some comfort in me. And it look to me like they were able to hear me. They were able to humble themselves and listen to me when I went to City Hall. I don't have to [speaker off mic] to be heard. I don't have to be in - 30 degree weather for two weeks to be heard. I shouldn't be. Nobody should be in this position. Nobody. [Applause]

>> No, no, about two minutes, wrap up. [Laughter]

>> Okay. Last question is like this, died at 45 years old last year. Somebody from my family, six years old child, who goes to school, he loves school and one day he came home crying so hard and so upset and his mother ask him, what’s going on? And he said to her, I need to stop, stop to pick out this blackness. So what would you do if a child comes to you like this? Thank you. [Applause]

>> Okay. All right. Good evening ladies and gentlemen, elected officials, members of our community my name is (name removed) , civil servant, working for the Ontario government working for you the people. One of the things I want to focus on, is education. I have a young daughter who is in school, a young boy out in Brampton, made fun of her skin colour, brown and black racism. I remember going to the teacher about that issue and she feeled very defenseless in what to do. In fact she kind of dismissed it, didn't know how to respond. My daughter at the time was in grade 1. When we talk about the issue of racism it is like we don't have that problem in our school, too young to know about that anyways. So my concern, with brown and black racism or white and black racism, black on brown, whatever kind of racism, it happens young at the school system. And if we say that the education system is one that we can't talk about racism at a young age we're in trouble. So my challenge, I do facilitation with OPS when it comes to issue of racism, I want to be in the schools. I task principals they say oh we don't have, not really important or the teachers don't want to address it. I want to be able to into the school and have the conversation, like I had the conversation at my work. How can we make it happen? [Applause] How can we open up the conversation? Because my boy who, my black boy who is four years old knows what racism is and so if he is four and he knows that means they are not too young to have the conversation, thank you.

>> And so I speak French (speaking French) Good evening, members of the community -- I think we forgot one thing. Many French speakers that are be insulted that yes we are here, insulted to see the government here in Ontario so-called bilingual government forgot to put an agenda, forgot the community that is mostly black speaking French. So don't forget us next time.

>> I never see you actually. It is really interesting because I was out with a lot of people here. There were babies out there and I'm wondering why you are piggy-backing on Kathleen’s community [Applause] meeting when we have asked, we have asked for so long for you to come out.

[Cheers and Applause]

You came out to the Pride, Pride Toronto rally I should say, to the parade and you were so hot to talk to the media about how Black Lives Matter, Toronto, and yet you are here and you can't even address us, what is going on? You are a coward. You are a coward. And that is embarrassing and I want to know, and I think a lot of us here want to know when will you take the, the time to address the community, take the time to have your own community meeting for us to come and talk to you directly? It needs to happen.

[Cheers and Applause]

(audience members yelling out)

>> Yeah, yeah, you know what it is fine, that’s fine. It’s okay he has been silent all the other times it’s okay I get it, I'm used to it. There is, since you were at the city --

[Cheers and Applause]

--

>> Um, first of all I'm here tonight because I was invited by the Ontario government and I felt it was proper that I should come and I'm glad I did. Secondly, secondly, we have agreed that there will be a series of meetings, three series of meetings, this series put on by Province in August consultation meetings on police reform report put out last month and our meetings to be held in September communicated in writing by e-mail to a number of organizations including Black Lives Matter.

>> That’s nice.

[Cheers and Applause]

I think we should also remember, just in case all, I'll be quiet just in case you forgot, I didn't I remember the time when you were at, you were trying to get elected and told us that white privilege didn't exist, we are here, we are here, don't forget that. And there is a song that you wouldn't of heard of because apparently we don't exist, apparently it never happened, so I will sing it for you right here and I ask that people here help me because you forget to mention names and a song that goes (singing) ¶ you talk about, you talk about, you talk about [Name?] you talk -- about, you talk about, you talk about. Say his name, say his name, say his name [speaker off mic] say his name. (name removed), (repeating) and that goes for you Kathleen Wynne, because you forgot today to mention their name. You forgot to say their names. Don't ever forget their names. We are here, we will always be here and the next community member, which I can't wait to see the e-mail, I'll give it to you by the end of this meeting, we will still be here. Don't forget us, we are still here and we will follow you if we have to.

>> Thank you, thank you.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> So um before we have our next speaker I have a, before we have our next speaker I have a couple comments so remember we asked people to write down some comments and I was going to share some of those so I just want to read at least one of them right now, okay. The ARD needs a clear mandate and budget and the authority to oversee the identification of and challenge to systemic racism within the Provincial government and its agencies and departments. Systemic racism is so deeply embedded and given so many alibis though that simply tasking a small unit to write these is unlikely to make real change. So that’s one comment. [Applause]

>> Good evening everybody, my name is (name removed), thank you for coming tonight. Michael Coteau, Michael Thompson, I see [Name?] labour, I see a lot [Name?] is here too. I live in Region park, this is my neighborhood. I became an activist since I was at (removed), let me give you a bit of story about my activism. I represent Toronto, I started recording members of the infamous organization called Tavis [Name?], yes. Thank you so much that you have reduced the budget for Tavis by the way, keep it going down please. I started recording in 2010 when a group of white police officers were abusing a few kids in my neighborhood. I start to record and I said to myself I never going to come back, never going to stop doing this because I hate police mentality, I hate crime perpetrated by members of those that are supposed to protect us, the Toronto police. It is a shame, they are working away with crime. I know in September there is a consultation coming to reform the police. But it is now the changes, because what’s happening will happen here in Toronto, trust me. This is going out of control. Too many police officers killing innocent people, last Friday homeless man shot and killed by members of Toronto police, don't know his name. We don't have the names of the police officers who should, Andrew Loku, for example, we don't know. They don't want to tell us who did it. So if they want us to trust them please let us know who are the police officers. So I was going to say back [Applause], when I started my activism I was [Name?] employees QP and I was betraying, I was a unit minority member in the executive committee. So shame on the Unions. Are we talking about changes, we have to hold accountable the Unions as well. Yeah.

[Cheers and Applause]

It is time for you to know, it is time for you to know Joe, that is not right that you guys walk away betraying workers. Thank you so much, good night. [Applause]

>> Good evening to everyone, good evening. I must, just because I'm familiar in the field of politics, I follow the following, in the footstep of being, what you call it, protocol. I like to, glad to know that Premier is here and the Mayor is also here and other invited distinguished guests. My name is (name removed),ladies and gentlemen I'm so proud to see so many of my fellow groups are here. I came here, I would say over 40 years ago and I tell you this, when I was on the bus I was the only black guy on the bus. When I was at University sometimes only white, black guy in the class really. [Laughter] However, however I am so happy tonight to see so many of us who are here and fighting for our cause because I would say it is a just cause, but I tell you one of the things that you have to go, in order to go about it you have to be like what you call, a lobby group. And I think because I'm familiar with politics, you all have, you all have the numbers and the support. But what you have to do is to put it in writing and you have a good chance of meeting all the politicians who, who are in a position it make a difference because I tell you this, you have 3% of all people here as blacks. And you know what disturb me and disturb me very deeply is 10% of all youths are in prison. That is a sign, that is a sign that we are not forward in life youths going to call a life of meaningless situation. The politicians, when they are elected, they are responsible not only to have a better life of minority but for a majority of people. Their job is to make sure that everyone in a society have an equal opportunity to live a meaningful life. The Premier is responsible and the Mayor is responsible and I tell you what, you should form a lobby group, get an office and you can hold their feet to the fire for what you want to accomplish make sure they are accomplished. [Applause] Yeah. Just talk and shouting is fine, but I tell you what, make sure it is black and white and you meet with the politician who make decision for you and I'm telling you even more, whenever there is election, get involved in politics in this country here. Get involved in politics if you want to make a difference get involved with people who you vote for. Let them know what you want out of life in this country, because the youths, especially black youths, they have they must have certain, not only going to school but when they leave school they should have certain activities, everything should be in place so they should be able to play sports, meaningful activities in the community. They are responsible for providing all these facilities. And yeah not only that but the Indians, the Indians who are here, they have the opportunity just they should have also that opportunity.

>> Thank you. [Applause]

>> Who is next? I think you are next, aren't you?

>>

[Cheers and Applause]

Hi my name is, is it on? Oh -- hi my name is (name removed), I'm 17 years old, I'm so fed up with this bullshit [Applause] why are they taking kids from their homes? Why only black and native people, why are children aids steeling clothes and taking their money and babies, they do not let us speak, they do not listen when we do.

>> [Applause] Hi I'm(name removed), I just turned 19.

>>Audience Member: Hi (name removed).

>> And I just graduated from High School which is a bonus. [Applause] How do we know that the school system is really helping our black youth to graduate High School on time and not setting us up for failure? I need the Ministry to give me power to make change and I need the Ministry to make change now with me. [Applause]

>> Why are the police killing us? Why are they locking up the young black boys and like in the area, it is not fair. I'm fed up with my friends getting locked up, thank you.

>> Greetings everyone. Permission to speak from my elders? Thank you. My name is (name removed) Community Organization. I try to talk right now and I feel like I can't quite catch my breath and it is not because I ran over here, as you saw I drove up. [Laughter] It is because I'm totally affected by how much passion there is in this room and all of your energy is touching me and mine is touching you and for the amount of years that we have on this planet we discourage the Earth and treat it poorly and also my recent experience is not just knowing that you don't get enough opportunity. That people actively work to destroy your opportunities. [Applause] There is a part of me that wants to put a sign on my chest that says, divinity lives here and I will be divine and honoured as the creators being here on this planet. (sounds emotional) I want to stand on the street with that sign and I have seen people with signs and I thought oh I don't know what’s going on there, lights are on, nobody is home. But you know what, that’s where I belong. Because when you finally wake up, when you finally get what is happening around you, that’s the only place you can be. When you get present to the level of hate that makes someone stand in the middle of a sacred anthem and saying that your life is not that important because all lives matter. At this point we always knew that all lives matter, all life matters. So for us to say that Black Lives Matter and I support them, Harriet supports them, this is a real opportunity for our movement to move forward and I'm not, I'm sorry to capitalize on your movement, Black Lives Matter, I really am, but at the same time I have to speak because this has been in my heart for a long time, and in the hearts of our ancestors. So there is this thing that happens when I see young people walk into our centre and because it is African centre they say oh I can rest here, I can hang here, I can be at peace here. There are things that happen when you see a young child who was four last year say I'm five this year, I can come, can I come? Those things matter, these spaces that we create matter and it also is an important thing to continue to expand what is needed for our community. This experience that I have of all of the systemic discrimination I will serve you, but not you, I will give you access to services, but not you, this has got to stop. It is not your resource to do that with.

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic]

>> It needs to start today brother, I can't wait until tomorrow because tomorrow never comes. [Applause] And when I sit here and I feel all of these feelings and remember all of the remembrances of all the times past, all those that sit at the bottom of the Atlantic, all those that died before us unnamed, all of those that did the work and was never acknowledged, you know, every time we tried to acknowledge our people and bring it forward, United Nations has declared this decade is recognition, support, the decade of African people, yes. But specifically recognition, support and justice. We have no justice. We have no justice until every single person gets that, you don't have to work from fear. You don't have to cover your ass, you don't have to make sure all the paperwork gets done. You have to recognise that people’s lives matter with the stroke of the pen that you make. When you make a decision [Applause] that is going to transform, going to say okay they won't get it there year. That how many lives are you affecting? And you are sitting with your pen creating death, creating death when you can create life. You have a choice. [Applause] Make it count.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Ladies and gentlemen, you distinguish folks over there who look so incompetent. [Laughter] [Applause] My name is (name removed),and I have been at this game for a long time. From contrast in existence and I'd like to say first and foremost to sister (name removed)in the streets with us from way, way back and may I say this [Applause], I want to express my sincere gratitude to the sisters, the leaders, the daughter’s, the brothers, the son who make Black Lives Matter. And I'm with you until the end baby, Black Lives Matter!

[Cheers and Applause]

If it wasn't for Black Lives Matter these folks wouldn't be here listening to us. And I want to say this, something that you all don't even know about, race matters. Race matters in this time and all over the damn place. I spoke to a policeman who told me that he is glad his mother, mother, mother, mother is white and his father’s father is white, because if I was black I would commit suicide because the things that you folks have to go through, that’s why I would commit suicide. I'm here to tell you that this has been going on too long, your police and you can tell the squad to come and burn the house down, your police is racist. Your police is racist. When you pick up a black man and take him to the on the 51 and you put him in there and because he don't sign the paper he wants you to sign and you say put him in the [speaker off mic] let them molest him, I say they are my people. When you pick up a black man you looking for somebody 6 foot 2 and you pick up somebody 5 foot 5, what is that? Racism. Where are you going? Where are you coming from? Where do you work? If you drive a car that looks too expensive in their eyes, which is owned by the finance company, you are going to -- [Applause] and I am not afraid to tell you that as an advocate, let me speak baby, step back, step back, let me speak. As an advocate, the police don't like black people, there is no love loss because you shouldn't like them either. When a black woman is associating with a white man, you know what they say? White man is teaching her some culture, some class. But when a white girl associates with a black guy they say she is a black glad garbage bag. You can't do that. You talking about your own daughter. Now another thing that you folks don't know about is that when you send your kids to school, I was a photographer, I started with contrast, do you know the police going to school collect those photographs of your kids that you call picture day and they ride those kids and ride them to the ground, 13 year old boy, they know when to pick them up and when to turn them up by 17 can't get no jobs, still got to go back to the police, get a piece of paper. By the way I'm known to the police, I am known to the police because I didn't start talking about them today, best friends is the police. And we have a police chief, we have a police chief is black in colour. Let me finish man. Now the boss' of the police, the boss' of the police is John Tory [Name?] Mr. [Name?] buddy, and the head of the police Union. So don't think that you are safe in this place of racism is not here, it is here and you please tell your kids to respect the police cause they will shoot them. I love, Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter and respect those sisters out there who are doing things that rest of the community leaders are ashamed to do, because they get money from the government.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> So my name is(name removed), I'm from Associates I do support Black Lives Matter and the network and council, I think coming here filled with emotion because at the top of my mind is the inquest, the inquest, all of our babies who have died. There’s nothing that we can do today that could ever, ever bring back what happened to our children, nothing. The only thing we could do is we could hope for and work towards us moving forward together. I would like to see and we're talking about recommendations, what I would like to see is for the Ministry to review the 322 million dollars that was allocated for mental health services, when I went to that meeting and was asked to be removed after using my critical voice, I noticed that, that white privilege in that room never spoke. There was no people of African Canadian Heritage at that table and me, the only black voice asked to move, leave the space, leave the space and you know what? I sat there quietly, they said I'm sorry but you weren't invited. I think we need to revisit that, we need to revisit funding allocation for child society, for mental health, funding allocation for the police, funding allocations to the OHCAS, I believe it is an extension of children aid society, we are funding them right now from my dollars? I have a problem with that. Because there are certain things that they're doing that I'm not in agreement with. They have had over 100 years to get it right. I believe that dollars, there should be reallocation of those fundings that are currently available and they should be going directly to black run owned and governed agencies within our community throughout the Province. [Applause] In addition I'm also looking at, within children aid societies, the ability for us to evaluate each one of those children aid societies, I would like for us as community members to be at the table as we're condensing the children aid societies because there are individuals from within child welfare that do not have our community best interest at heart. And a systemic just automatic collapse of the children aid societies I do not believe is going to work in our best interest. And while we collapse the children aid societies we also have to look at what services are being put towards the communities? I have individuals right now who are on my caseload, like I mentioned before, and our children are forced to go through a tribunal if they do not agree with the children aid society decision, as we go through that tribunal they neglect to tell us none of our families have legal, we are fighting for the legal representation. So instead of putting my energies towards the services and the therapy for the children and the families so they can stay together, I'm fighting a much bigger system. I'm fighting double duty, triple duty. I'm now fighting child welfare, the legal aid system and fighting for the children and family to stay together. At this point in time what does that mean, it means they are going to get away with murder. They are gone with our children. There is nothing I could do. If I'm an individual there is nothing that I can do to look and say, you know what guys, I got this. And I'm holding them all back so they can stay away from the families. We need funding now. I can't wait another day. The children will be apprehended, not one more day. [Applause] Thank you.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Thank you. Good evening everyone, my name is (name removed) and I'm here tonight to speak with my not so Premier Kathleen and mayor John Tory. As you see this thing that I'm wearing, I have been living 11 years of hell going through justice system. We know this justice system was not formed for us, but against us. In the 21st century I still didn't believe that we would be going through all these things. I am so thankful for the Black Lives Matter youth because they so courageous in galvanizing it is like an international community and we are actually piggy-backing on them because I think this is the first kind of forum that we have seen and this is because of them. They realize that change is not given. We take it because nobody is going to give it to us. [Applause] And tonight I, I am here to say I have been fighting the insurance industry for 11 years and I know my Premier has the power to do something about it. Because it is corrupted, there are liars and I'm telling you, as a black person, the first thing they see is blackness. And even though I have fought tooth and nail with them, I wrote, I have written five letters to, nothing I have written to the lawyers, I have written to the doctors the whole justice system needs to come into the 21st century. And lead more than 400 years of slave system. I am tired of it. I am tired of fighting a fight that I am losing because my representatives are not listening to us and are not interested in doing anything to help the black and brown people or even the Aboriginal people of this nation. And today, tonight I am here to ask you, I want justice and I want to see the lawyers, the doctors, the insurance industry not too long ago that they met. But nobody include us in any of these when they are meeting. No accident victim, no black people, just the lawyers, maybe the Premier, I'm not sure, but I know the other ones who [speaker off mic] say what is needed for us. Now in the accident both my shoulders were dislocated, TMJ, both my hips, both my toes, my back, lower and upper back, cervical spine and nothing, you know when they terminate my benefits, you know what, what I wrote to the insurance, first thing I wrote, they wrote that I'm from a certain country then they wrote when asked what, of what the status of the person I'm functioning as [speaker off mic] that use a code and says, other doctors gave me 55. It says that I was steal then I have a personality of [speaker off mic] my interpretation was oh I have the delusional of grandeur and I have propensity to steal. That is how my benefits were terminated. Yeah and I want to know, pardon me?

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic]

>> Oh sorry, I want to know what are you going to do? There are some doctors that are being paid to deny black people or brown people benefits they are paid thousands of dollars and when they call us for these assessments five and ten minutes and push us out of the office and then get paid. .

And you charge people who are treating people for fraud, but what about the doctors, the insurance doctors who are doing the same thing? Nobody is doing anything about it. And I want something to be done because I want my life back and these Doctor’s I want to go before them and answer. The lawyers are not helping. Because the justice system doesn't belong to us. It was not founded for us but against us. So right now nobody is dealing with it and I'm sick of it. So I am asking you to do something about it and I would like you to get in touch with you and my file is very high and I need something to be done about it. Thank you very much. [Applause]

>> Okay. So before the next speaker I just want to read another comment for you. So my question, thank you. My question is what is the Provincial Government do to ensure we move beyond words with action with employment in the OPS. Where will black people never, oh so okay I think that was the intent of the comment. Okay. Thank you. All right. So you are next, thank you.

>> First of all I want to thank Paulette for very great job in facilitating this meeting, thank you. [Applause] And my name is (name removed), been fighting for many years to see The Anti-Racism Directorate established. (name removed) talked about intergenerational gathering, hearing from the High School kids remind me how old I am and how long we have been around that we are old enough to remember and participate in the so-called young street riot in 1992, old enough to remember anti-racism was established in this Province. But since then how many black lives have been lost to police shooting and how many people, people of colour and people with mental health issues, including [Name?] was shot dead by the police. And since then poverty has increased, triple and double. If you are a Chinese you are twice as likely to live in poverty compared to white person. If you are west Asian three times as likely to live in poverty as compared to white person, if you are black four to six times more likely to live in poverty than compared to a white person and we know that because we are able to collect statistics and this is why one of the key we have for the Province in the directorate is to push for the collection of this data. [Applause] Across all Ministries, across all government bodies, all agencies, all commissions funded by the government. In education, in the prison system, in child welfare, placing, you name it, health, everything. And we need concrete action, we need concrete strategy. With input from all the communities but in particular from indigenous communities and African communities. There is an urgency to deal with these issues, patience like having to wait for like 25 years, patience is an understatement. We need urgent action now. And we need to hold the government to account. We need to make sure that director sustainable so it doesn't matter who becomes the next government that this directorate will still be around to do the things that we want it to do. And that’s why we need legislation to provide the directorate. We need the directorate to be responsible to be, to responsible to carry out the recommendations that have included in the truth and reconciliation commission. And the report on the criminal justice systemic racism in the criminal justice system. In the real budget, and we need the Ministers accountable and the deputy Ministers accountable. This have to be made part of the performance measures of all the deputy Ministers. [Applause] And anti-racism strategy must have clear goals, it must have clear targets, measurable and it must be tied to the funding given to every single Ministries commissions for agency. Thank you. [Applause]

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Thank you. One more comment before the next brother speaks. Mandate mental health services forays and racism related trauma in schools and the workplace.

>> Okay my name is, I create programs for people who are African, Caribbean and black exclusively for youth and adults. I have a couple of recommendations, first recommendation is on be of my grandmother who moved into this on St Warthony [Name?] street in the 70's raised my family here and pushed out racism, you are bringing us back to this neighborhood to talk about anti-racism. My

[Cheers and Applause]

my recommendation, choose another venue, choose another venue. So I'm also the (name removed) and aware that within recent years there has been a priority for Aboriginal communities and it was voted on, it was passed in council, which is fine. What I'm here to recommend is that we're next. We should be, we should be prioritized and I don't want to see it framed as urban or priority neighborhood, call it what it is, we need programs for African, Caribbean and black youth and adult. We don't need any more basketball courts, thank you.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> All right. Good evening everyone, good evening. I'm honoured to join the many community leaders, residents and allies here today for this important discussion on eliminating systemic racism in our Province. Before commenting I too want to recognise and pay my respect to the long history and contributions of the First Nations and Inuit communities that came before us. [Applause] And I too want to affirm that Black Lives Matter.

>> My name is (name removed). As a background, the NCCM is independent non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the human rights and civil liberties of Canadians across this country, approximately two weeks ago we add NCCM, six simultaneous press conferences across this country launched a new project called charter for inclusive communities. The charter for inclusive communities affirms dignity of every person affirms dignity of every person and calls for a concerted effort to counter prejudice and hate and develop programs and policies specific to the reduction and elimination of Islamophobia in all forms. The reason rise and anti-Muslim incidences is disturbing, risks eroding strength of Province social fabric. All across Ontario we have seen Muslim woman being attacked in the street, and people facing prejudice in their workplace and at school. Shame. It is not only Canadian Muslims that suffer, Canadian society as a whole is weakened because our values of equality, respect, justice and dignity for all are threatened. Hate crimes against Muslims have risen dramatically in recent years both in Ontario and across Canadian. Given the unfortunate climate of fear that seems to have entered some segments of public life it appears this when trend is increasing. Islamophobia is real and it is wrong. This type of hate and discrimination [Applause], thank you, this type of hate and discrimination tells Canadian Muslims that they do not belong and isolates them further and their communities. So we need to take action and work collectively to create a more inclusive communities. Which is why we created the charter for inclusive communities and are encouraging all community leaders and citizens alike to sign and commit to the goal of eliminating racism, including Islamophobia, we urge the government of Ontario to commit to standing up for the rights and dignity of everyone in order to promote inclusive, just and respectful communities in Ontario. We urge the government of Ontario to affirm that all forms of racism, hate, Xenophobia and bigotry have no place in our society. [Applause] We urge the government of Ontario to act on eliminating discrimination and acts of hate against anyone, be it marginalized individuals or communities. In order to ensure we are all able to participate fully in our society to our fullest potential. And we urge the government of Ontario to affirm that the dignity of every person in Ontario is essential to a healthy and vibrant society and finally we urge our government of Ontario to work with all levels of government, civil society, community leaders to develop policies, programs and initiatives that to reduce and eliminate all forms of racism, including Islamophobia, by working together we can nurture inclusive communities and strengthen our shared commitment to Ontario’s values of equality, respect, justice and the dignity of all persons, thank you very much. [Applause]

>>Paulette: Okay so before we have the next speaker go I just want to point out to you it is after 9. But we do have about a half hour more to go so I want everyone, especially those at the front of the line to take a look at those behind you. They all want to speak as well. So please, when I come up to you I will take the mic away if you don't stop. So am I heard? Okay. So please make your point clear and get to it, don't start with a story and build it up, thank you. My name is (name removed), [honoured to be here to speak about anti-racism, thank you Premier Kathleen Wynne, for organizing this important discussion. I would like focus on the topic of this, especially within the private sector. Being minority in Canada can often be an exhausting experience. It, you often feel that you do not get to reach your fullest potential. And in the private sector, the main reason why this even has been, because the government wants to know what racism looks like within Ontario. Let me explain to you what racism looks like, when you work in private sector you will see often in the upper, Corporate sector you will not find -- higher up you go manager, senior manager, you will barely see any racialized minorities over there. The second thing is that any opportunity for reorganization. You will find that minorities are the first to be pushed out. You will see this over and over again in multiple and successive reorganizations, minorities are the first ones who get the boot and in two, three, in fact you almost feel like you are being hired just to fulfill, if you will fill some quota, but at the same time when the time comes, when there is an opportunity for any discretionary position the upper management will not use that discretion in your favour. [Applause] They will eject you at the first available opportunity. If you want any proof just go to the trading floors of many of the banking organizations here, the top five or six banks and you will see what I mean. I mean, you are going to see, you are, you are going to see a sea of people who look homogenous, you will never find any minorities over there. So this is, this is an example and what you are going to see is there is a lot of racism across the board in many organizations in the private sector and the government definitely needs to I noticed serine to stop this kind of racism, whether it is racism, promotions, racism in terms of making positions about separation or any such opportunities. So within the limited time just only a few, I hope the government will take notice of this and action on them. Thank you very much. [Applause]

>> Go ahead.

>> Good evening, good evening.

>>Audience Member: [speaker off mic]

>> Good evening.

>>Audience Member: Anti-racism --

>> So someone is at the mic.

>> Yes, good evening, that’s better. My name is (name removed). I wish to thank [general hum of conversation in the background] Minister, Mr. Coteau for this, for this opportunity to be here. I appear this evening on behalf of justice for blacks at work. Justice for Black at Work, came out of alarming surge of mental health issues flowing out of anti-Black racism at work. The cleanest box on my desk is refresh on most daily as black woman shed tears about the manner of treatment at the hands of managers, colleagues and their supposed Union representatives.

>>Audience Member: Yeah --

>> Our objective is to bring anti-Black racism to the light of day and press for justice for blacks at work. First targets are the city, the Province and the two English school boards. To be clear we are also targeting the Unions in those organizations which have failed to represent their black members, the diagnosis of many of these black woman which is exhibited as panic attacks, anxiety, depressive episodes and Spontaneous crying. On June 22nd, 2016 we had a press conference at the city hall to highlight these issues. Our focus, our focus as I indicated is the mental health. Which we take the view that it has been ignored. Anti-Black racism invades the safety and the sanity of lives of black families, mostly a lot of woman who come through my office. , a member of our group who lamented 40 years ago we were here, here 40 years ago and we have not advanced. In fact things have gotten worse. Our concerns, as Justice for Blacks is that this directorate, as far as I have been able to research what it stands for, does not address the most significant employer, I would say black folks in Ontario the OPS, the employment issues [Applause] that I see as a lawyer going through my office. And there is a, there is an anti-discrimination process that you have, the WDHP, which in my view is actually a dead trap for a lot of workers that come through my office [Applause], I have, for example, a client who has gone through the WDHP process, sorry, the WDHP process, she suffers from PTSD and what has been happening to her is that the very manager or the idiom, sorry, assistant deputy Minister against who she lodged a complaint still sits in the position of suspending her, acting in the same role that he did before the complaint was launched and suspends her despite or request that letters cause panic attacks, the letters continue to go to her home. That is, Mr. Coteau something that I would ask this process need to be overhauled to be examined. Because a lot of the folks at OPS, a lot of black folks at OPS, where there is an honour representation of black people in management. I think you know all of this. I'm not surprising you with all of this. I understand, I appreciate, that is an awesome task you have. An awesome task you have and so I would ask you to, for example mental health ought to be introduced into as a WSIB eligible disability that flows out of anti-Black racism, it ought to be part of the health and safety of Ontario as a risk that we often see and have to live with, all of us. You have heard professor, professor (name removed) has talked about it. Historical, it is not new and I'm so concerned that this effort, this idea of eliminating systemic racism might, is an intellectual objective, because we know it will always be here. And I would ask you to make the best that you can of this. [Applause]

>> (speaking language other than English) My name (name removed) coalition of black and worker with Black Lives Matter. Tonight I'm standing here on behalf of many father’s. Many years ago, on our way to give our children better life. But unfortunately what’s happening to so many children, so many children born in Canada and Ontario are dying every night. Every night when you go to the hospitals you will see [speaker off mic] if you go, for example let me say Mr. Coteau, [speaker off mic] Canadian, don't have a job, they finish college, they finish University and they speak English, they born here, this is their country. Our girls and our boys, they go out every morning we pray they will come back. My son (name removed) , every morning when he wakes up I give him a lecture, I give him a lecture, you know what, because first he is black. Secondly his name is (name removed), if the police is, don't be rude, don't be Canadian. Don't speak too much, I am taking his rights away from him. You know the reason, we don't have a commitment, over 140 children die, over 140 Canadian children, election time we see them, many [speaker off mic] I'm not sure what will happen to them, we see nobody the death continue. We need commitment, they are black children, Black Lives Matter, we need, we need commitment. Not only, we need not only [speaker off mic] we need you guys come out and give opportunities to our graduate. We need an opportunity, real opportunity, not an opportunity that will disappear one or two day, we need to be part of Canada. We are Canadians, we are here to stay. Thank you.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Before the next speaker comes forward we only have 15 minutes, we won't have time for everybody in the line. So it is really up to you as to how many people you want to speak after you, I know you. And so forth. So you know if I have to hire some security to get you, okay.

>> I hope you all notice how and when they change the rule. All right. So rules [speaker off mic] nevertheless I will continue, I will make it short. But Premier, I really want to thank you for making this possible and I say thank you, I want to say thank you because the secretary of Cabinet is there, I must say I have spent 36 years in the bureaucracy, 36 years, Bob is my very good friend and I used to, Bob used to write an excellent column and I used to ask diversity office to replicate, educate us people. I used to ask the diversity, what Bob was saying about the culture. To do the same thing for black people and believe me, madam Premier it was a sin from the bureaucracy. I must say that under Steven, the climate has changed. I must say that. I would also say that I was part of the group and November, when Tony Dean was secretary of cabinet and Tony Dean made a pledge, after the incident that one year from October the 7th, so that would of been October the 8th 2008 there would be fundamental changes in the bureaucracy. Sorry the group is, sorry the group is Black Public Service Network, sorry [Applause] so we were the first group then several other groups that came out. I just want to highlight a couple of example why Mr. Coteau, we have met, we have met privately --

>>Audience Member: (yelling out)

>> I just want to say this task must be taken very, very, very seriously. madam Premier, in order for this to be effective you must get Steve the authority that many people in the bureaucracy must be walked out and shown the door. I will end by giving you one example what I mean by that. We have asked, since 2005 that OPS must develop anti-racism policy to address the [speaker off mic] government employee and governmental service provider. The office was created to make that happen and what did that diversity office did was demonize us, diversity office went solver as to say government do not make decision by policy. And in addition to that, of the several groups, of the several groups that in the bureaucracy, they said that if you are black, blacks was the only group in the bureaucracy, blacks were the only group in the bureaucracy, they said if you are members it is a Conflict of Interest to work on black issue, that is the 21st century, epicentre of racism, Mr. Coteau, you have a lot of work to do. It can be collected, measurement can be made, report must be given and if you are serious, if you are serious it must be implemented immediately, as far as I'm concerned we don't need any further consultation. [Applause]

>> Okay thank you we will be very quick. My name is (name removed) , I want to say publicly, strongly support Black Lives Matter and all they are calling for. I'm old enough to remember, in the 1980's, (name removed) , the situation has not changed what I'm saying, I will say it quickly, we have had recommendations and consultations with Premier and Mr. Mayor, it is time for action and we are calling for action.

[Cheers and Applause]

And we want anti-racism to have the funding it needs to do the work that has to be done and that’s what we are imploring today.

>> Good evening my name is(name removed), private sector unit, we stand it solidarity with Black Lives Matter, 160 thousand members in this Province and we know the challenges and me, as a person of colour, experience racism but here today we're talking about how we stop anti-Black racism.

[Cheers and Applause]

Again just in the interest of time, I just want to say that we need a legislative mandate, one of the things that I learn really young as a young child in the school system like the brother said earlier today, I got into a fight. Because a white boy, two grades older than me, tried to beat me up and say racial slurs and I tried to stand up and fight and guess who was going to get suspended, I was. Enough is enough, let’s stop and do real changes in this Province, it is so absolutely necessary. Thank you.

[Cheers and Applause]

Thank you ladies and gentlemen, is this on? Is it, hello, hello, yeah it is on. My name is (name removed). I am here not to represent an organization, but I want to speak about economic racism. I want to speak about economic discrimination and in particular I want to make reference to (name removed).

[Cheers and Applause]

I am particularly addressing this to Mr. Tory in the last election you had made some promises, okay, sorry, at the last election you had made some promises to the black community about what you are going to be doing about this (name removed), in terms of providing more funding and so on. We would like to speak about a little bit, he has brought in substantial amount of money into this Province, right now we have almost nothing to show for it. We want to put the government on notice that we of the black community intend to take back in 2017 we want you to know that black money matters, we want you to know that black money would make better black lives.

[Cheers and Applause]

Mr. Tory and Premier Wynne, I am asking for you to address this group this evening to make a statement about 2017, not even 2016, we are speaking about our 50th anniversary and we are not speaking about the festival management committee here, we are speaking original [Name?] we are, I will finish now and I would like to hear your, please address this, because you know we affectionately call it our industry. It is an industry and incubation. It is an industry to create jobs for ourselves and our children. Our children should not only be going out there begging for jobs, we should be job creators, please address this, thank you. [Applause]

>> Madam Premier, Mr. Mayor, victim of racism, been going on for 24 years a judge who signed, delivered his judgment, six-days before the trial started and this is a cover-up going on for last 24 years. Was fired September the 19th 2000 by Jim a finance Minister and before that a [speaker off mic], if you want to see evidence, been trying to open this case for the last 24 years and I have been refused. Last motion I filed is in the court of appeal. The paper been accepted and waiting for the, in 2014 I went to court of appeal and asked for a date and I had Senior legal officer of the Court, (name removed) who told me to look right on the side corner, I say yes. I had my wife and two little kids, six year old and ten year old. Mr. [Name?] said listen you [speaker off mic] why don't you go back where you came from. I've been in this country for 41 year, I came 19th of March, 1975 been campaign for this party, I'm begging you, Mr. Madam Premier, please when said, my son sitting there and my daughter said daddy why he call you that, what is that? I'm asking you to please order the court of appeal to give me a court date, just a court date. The judges want to hear this case. Register, they don't want to give me a court case. The paper was accepted, I can show you this motion, I have filed nine copies of this motion. Please. [Applause] Thank you.

>> Good evening. I'm [Name?] Canadian Association [speaker off mic] I would like to address my questions primarily to Premier Wynne, the first one is to Premier Wynne and Mayor, I heard about this directory being set up I felt immediately how contradictory it was in that in 2011 declare it to be the year for people of African descent. And it is decade now but 2011 was the year, okay. I made calls to every government to find out what they were doing about it. And you Premier were in that government at the time, okay. Absolutely nothing was done, but in that declaration it spoke to governments being more diligent in hiring people of African descent and giving them promotions, because it recognized that we are discriminated against and calling on governments to set an example. That was in 2011. In 2016, as we have heard speak, which I know personally, nothing has changed in that we have an underbelly or African community working in a public service, highly qualified and being supervised by white college [speaker off mic] supervisors. We want to deal with racism, I got a few things to see. I will summarize. We are going to talk about this government dealing with anti-Black, anti-racism, okay, with racism, right. Set an example immediately, immediately. That’s one. I will be quick. I will be quick.

>>Audience Member: (yelling)

>> That goes for as well, occurring in the city, okay. Occurring through the city, it needs to be addressed. Two, we have an issue with black youth in the justice system. Black youth are being put in foundations that government funds okay and these foundations are outside of Toronto wound healing being supervised by small town whites, this is truth, this is truth. Okay. My point is this, the government funds this stuff, but government doesn't supervisor it. Right. So our youth are being subject to racial abuse when they should be groomed because they made some mistakes, huh, right. Okay. So the future is being damaged because government is not doing its job. Three, three, I got four points. Please. Wait, please, please. All right. Quick, quick -- the school boards, the school boards, the school boards. The government again, the school boards, right Railroading our kids. What I'm saying here is our government is talking about antiracism, our government shows laziness and unwillingness to really do what it needs to do to address the problems of racism. Four, finally, finally, we talk about anti-Black racism, the first victims of racism, the Aboriginal people, there is an issue when talking about anti-racism, why do we still have the issue of this for example, right, when you want to talk about racism and (name removed) who is in charge of this, not too long ago, native people are saying we still have a problem in our rivers said the fish have mercury in them. Dismissing the concerns of such, I've been here since 74, been issue ongoing. We want to talk about dealing with racism, let’s deal with it immediately.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Good evening ladies and gentlemen, my name is (name removed) also known as (name removed) for the Nigerians in the house. I would like to say good night to the elected representatives who are here. I would also like to address my speech or whatever I have to say, to the people represented here as we are the most important in conducting change. I come from five different backgrounds, born in Nigeria, my mom Jamaican father white Canadian, in Canada. Okay to this age my parents do not speak, even though they are supposed to be united they met at United Nations, but when I came back to Canada four years ago I was invited and sponsored by my family and told at the same time I would not be eligible to come to Christmas dinner and holidays and things like that and what I can say is because of the colour of my skin. All my family in Canada are white and this is how I'm treated on a daily basis. Let us be aware that these challenges that we face every day, they are not unique. They are within intrinsic within our family systems, due to assimilation and what we have inherited and will not be, they will not go away. So up to us to change our conduct. Things that need to be addressed we do not to be penalized for trying to amend the system, this is what is system that you guys have created due to the loyalist structure, where it is not about ethics, it is about being loyal to the Queen. You guys need to look at the policy and we need to be educated in how we can do election reform. I was only black person who came to the 2016 budget nobody else there except me, I was on the list, I wish next time you can bring this amount of crowd to the 2000 whatever budget we need to address. Please be there instead of just being me, they tried to overlook me. So the he could is thing need to stop to go second class structure where we teach immigrants to have a way of engraving the people, especially of marginalized Heritage here, shouldn't have Africans, shouldn't have new people coming over, getting the jobs, right. While people who have been there, since I was 12 I shouldn't have Africans telling me getting the job then teaching me how to behave. [speaker off mic] Also the thing --

>> Next person.

>> Okay, thank you. Next person.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> I'm serious --

>> How did you get --

>> No justice! no peace. No justice. For 40 years the Urban Alliance on Race Relations have been saying that with community, all of you with all of the organizations been fighting for anti-racism leading up to now. But today the Urban Alliance on Race Relations proudly stands in solidarity with black lives, black lives. Let me tell you why we stand in solidarity with government and police to try to bring racial harmony to our country, to our city. But what, Black Lives Matter has done is that they have given a voice to the voiceless, right. And Premier, Premier I was very proud when you became first LGTB Premier of our Province and I believe in your inauguration you said that you promised that you would listen to the voiceless. No, I don't, please let’s not -- no. Today the voiceless are here and today the voices have spoken. And so I agree with (name removed) with you if they have only five million dollars means we are not being serious about anti-racism, (name removed) thank you for history and reminding us all what happened here. For solutions moving forward, regulation isn't the elimination of [speaker off mic] [Applause] we need to get rid of the data that was already collected on innocent people. Mr. Coteau I watched you as you helped to get the first Afro-Centric school open, I know how much you work and love our community we have to make sure antiracist director, my mom called it puppy sure, it has to be real. So hold them accountable please. One love.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Yeah. Yeah I am talking. Hi. First of all I would like to thank Black Lives Matters for their intensity, for us to get here. Without them we wouldn't be talking right now and it is important that we understand why we are in a position we are right now and from a finance background it has a lot to do with finance, we are in balance when it comes to finance aspect of it. Take a look at, like mentioned the money comes in, goes into your coffers, you look at MBA weekend on February, February this year, money comes in, mayor Tory I'm addressing you, said we are bringing hundred million dollars into local economy, tell me how much of that money went to the black community who needs it. Who are the people who are on the stage, on the circus performing but yet none of it is going to the people who need it. Okay. Now Mayor Tory, I actually have tried to get ahold of you five different times. I left one message, a second message by e-mail, two phone calls, I dropped by your office and I also one year on, almost done, when I got on, when you were on TV I sent you an e-mail and I have a solution to the population. I think you are pretty serious about it but haven't heard from you so I'm starting to wonder how serious you are, Premier Wynne, you said the black community has given significant contributions to this Province, when you look at the newspapers, I looked at the newspapers for whole month of February, there wasn't anybody positive about black history or culture or anything of nature. However, when we had the Chinese new year, you should all see the different venues, not one single one, looked at every single newspaper from Metro To the Sun, all of them, I have one question for both of you, it is rhetorical. How much money have you contributed to a local black based cause? Leader starts at the top, that’s you. In February --

>> I ask that you wrap-up now.

>> He said okay we have, this is a month of giving, I remember you, I think you gave money to the Chum radio organization, what are you doing to the black community? Leadership starts at the top so I'm, I'm inviting you to maybe talk to us because we're doing something that you are concerned about. All right that’s all I have to say, thank you.

>>Paulette: Thank you.

>> Hi my name is (name removed) I'm here on behalf of Asian Canadian labour alliance, we're a network of labour and community activist who fight for equality with particular focus on anti-racism and anti-Asian racism. Today we're here to stand in support of Black Lives Matter [Applause] and the movement to address anti-Black racism. As we can see here today Premier and Mayor, there is a lot of people in this room and probably out of this room and thousands of people who couldn't come here to the meeting who want to express all the acts of racism experienced by other individuals and I salute that, I think we should have those spaces and have people be able to express those. I think what the core issue is addressing systemic racism because systemic racism is what keeps us out of good jobs, keeps our workers of colour, black workers, indigenous workers and, you know, low wage jobs, contract jobs and so I just want to echo also recommendations earlier that we should make sure that ARD mandate the collection of data on racism because that’s particularly important if we're going to make any headway on racism and develop a legislative mandate for ARD. So thank you.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Good evening ladies and gentlemen of the House, especially Mr. Mayor there, Mr. Tory, how are you? [Laughter] How about you Miss Wynne, I'm going to talk about racism and discrimination all together um that’s not my language. I'm going to give it back to you Mr. Tory, you can catch the word when I say racism. It’s gone back to you. [Laughter] When I say discrimination, Mrs. Wynne, back to you, discrimination, you caught it. Okay. A long time ago pure-bred Cree, all the way from Alberta. But I don't live by boarders remember, I live, this is my land, right from the time you came your race came to this continent you brought slavery here, your people brought slavery here. I know the Kkk still live on my land, I'm going to get those behind me to look for them. In fact I think that’s what is happening right now. Yeah. I come from the residential school era and when I hear shut up that comes from the residential schooler. I will not shut up anymore. Not for you, not for the Queen, not for everybody, do you understand! okay, there you go, got it. Thank you. So I'm going to respect the 2.3 seconds that I have, so --

>> Unfortunately we have run out of time. These two speakers will be last speakers for the evening, it is now 9:48 and I'm sorry, this is, these are the last two speakers, I did mention to you not everyone would be able to speak.

>> I thank you moderator for the 2.3 seconds I have but my name is (name removed) and the reality is black lives have always mattered. [Applause] The challenge is not us, the challenge is colonization. Now Kathleen, Kathleen, you mentioned that you understand the government hasn't lived up to combating racism, you said that? Then you can also understand why we can't wait. So I'll speak from my capacity as a Phd. [Applause] In my counselling office yesterday was a black child welfare youth who was struggling with depression, anxiety, homelessness and PTSD. So since we can't wait I'm here to let you know we have the answers. We have always shared the answers, as a matter of fact August 1st, 1834 all black slaves legally declared free in all British colonies including Canada. It is 2016, I'm here to let you know, change will happen with or without you.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Thank you.

>> Yeah. Since time is ticking.

>> I have good news, everyone who is in the line now, no one else, will be able to speak tonight.

>> All right to continue in the terms of the change that will happen, the founder, owner 180 change street. I want to thank Black Lives Matter, Katherine, John and Michael for being here. Demographic that has done time. That does have a record, that’s known to police that we never hear about but I'm going to speak for them right now. When I went to the fire, hold on, what’s up secret service, I know I'm pretty big, huh. Now check it out. Me getting big now, that comes to the time and pain. When I went through my situation, I had to look at my country, look around at what was going on and I realized that my country wasn't doing anything for this demographic. It was as if second class citizens and did not exist. I in myself seen, designed the curriculum, because my country didn't have anything for them. I took it upon myself, my shoulders, among the pain I was going through, to make sure it happened. That was in 2008. I kept on forging through, and just like the last person said with or without you it is going to happen. I went on and I forged on and I continued pushing this curriculum on my own, not getting the help and the support that was needed, long story short it made its way to the tedious, fighting, fighting, and I'm still fighting. Now let me, I'm going to pull, I'm going to expose some things here. Now what they call Toronto Youth Equity Strategy. I did the deputation for that. Let me talk about it, before I did that, how to hold my breath you know what father, from Malcom to X, you know what I got to take this step. I got to make something happen. I trusted them, did this deputation, can you believe not one single penny returned back to us, our community, our demographic. Let me get straight to it, I heard something in the news about 600 jobs, those 600 jobs ain't nothing if the centred approach within job says if you have a record you are not getting employed. Okay. So listen, let’s cut it. All right. Let’s cut the Bs right here right now it ain't about getting mad, here for solutions going to talk to you straight. 5 million dollars, let’s, that 5 million, let’s treat that like the 44 million that just got squandered what they are, anybody know about that? We blue 44 million. What is 5 million? We talk about what we pay to incarcerate individuals per year, see? You ready to spend how much money to lock them up, okay, we have been through that math already, let’s keep it moving, right. The funding allocations, we talking back and forth, Toronto youth equity funding the solution to that is a centred approach and what a centred approach means is that throughout history, obviously, we have had a colonization, through colonization that approach, through that lens. You cannot keep the same lens. It is that simple. You need an approach, might be scared to meet the tattoos or record, don't be. I need to be or someone like me needs to be around that table because if not

[Cheers and Applause]

if not the same things keep reoccurring, Michael for instance I met you before. You have seen me doing the work I do and I have seen you on the ground talked about maybe certain things happen but we got to make it happen. We got to make it what, let me keep going, we got 69% of African Canadians over past ten years going into the federal system, right. We see these correlations happen, what are you going to do, in the last government that we have, coming like they want us Canadians to be like the US and we are not, okay. They spend how much money increasing, building more prisons, so on and so forth, my liberals, I'm going to talk to you and I'm going to say in your heart, understand what charter of rights and freedom meant for our country and meant for us that were all in here and what it truly represents. What that means is that we don't go back and try to follow the states, we be Canadians, be true to us. That means we don't be afraid to make change and the change we truly need. This playing this game of back and forth, I'm not into this, been three weeks ago John I met you, you know what it is, I'm waiting for you to do what to do, we are not playing, community knows what time it is, we are here, I'm ready to die for mine, just know that.

[Cheers and Applause]

hello my name is (name removed) , I'm black and native and I have one thing to say. Let my people go. Set the captives free. Open up the prison doors. That’s the change I want to see. [Applause]

>> I know I don't have much time so I'll be as fast as I can, I want to thank the Earth, my mother, I want to thank the elders for your strength, the ones that are here and the ones that are not here. You are my strength. When I was three I knew that Black Lives Mattered. I am 18, I had the privilege of meeting Prime Minister Pierre in 1983 and asking to him about equality and issues of anti-racism and world peace and that was a privilege. In 1993 um I was working with an anti-racism committee here in Toronto um and we, I was a civil servant working at WSIB and we were asked to fill out a survey on who we were, who our ancestry was and I said I was proud to be of the religion of Buddhism, that’s my religion and I was proud to have aboriginal ancestry and I was told that I was no longer allowed to keep my job. I filed with the human rights commission and I've been waiting ever since. I think all lives matter and I also, I also understand that Black Lives Matter said they believe in peace and love and kindness I want to stand here and I want to honour the lives of the members of the Toronto police force and I want to recognise them as human beings and I want to say that I share from my heart love for all human beings of all colours, of all races. Black Lives Matter, solidarity. [Applause]

>> Hi everyone, thank you all for your patience, I know it has been a long evening my name is (name removed). I'm going to my best not to repeat what people have said before but to touch upon, thank you, but to touch upon some of the mandates of the Anti-Racism Directorate, in particular I want to mention three points very, very briefly, one is concept of bias, which we know permeates everything, academia, data collection, so one recommendation is that Anti-Racism Directorate do everything they can to make sure no bias in data collection or how the data is shared and ensure transparency and accountability permeate every aspect of the mandates of this directorate, that is including but not limited to a continuous collaboration with a public that flows back to the directorate and then streams down to the public. Not just speaking to one or two groups but making sure the public, as in all of us in this room able to disseminate this information, this information is translatable, that this information is easy to access and the information is easy to read. The last point I'm going to make is about quality education, Canada is a signatory to the sustainable goals as are all nations, one of the sustainability goals is about quality education. Ensuring that everyone has access to quality education and that is quality and free education, yes, thank you. Yes, thank you. Don't get me started on student loans, anyway, but what I will speak to in this moment is I will speak to, I'm going to say it very, very quickly, making sure that race, anti-racism education is part of curriculum, mandatory part of curriculum, that is including, [Applause] incorporating fully TRC recommendation number 62, which is saying that indigenous education, education residential schools mandatory part of curriculum, not optional part of funding you can apply for but mandatory part, unfortunately we have fallen short thus far, thank you.

[Cheers and Applause]

>> Yeah the reason why I stood up here was because I, I had to fight my way to get in here, I had to fight my way to get in here and again she cut me off and I wasn't able to articulate what I said. So I had a basic recommendation that I had wanted to give and I was not able to articulate that. So this is what I would like to say. We do need to be able to have this, we should not be creating second class structures where we teach neo immigrants to come in and utilize privilege in order to have access to jobs and things like that. We need to identify how to deal with systemic racism within our health care, within our finances, so that we can teach our generations that are coming up how to be financially literate and how to be financially sustainable, including our social services. We need to be able to have access to housing, I currently live in a shelter right now, you know, and like I said I come from an educated background. These are not the types of things that should be happening within our society. We need to be able to deal with internalize racism, we need to be able to learn how to restore leaders so that we can create leaders who are not establishing equity on the basis of molesting our youth, you know? And molesting woman, woman, black woman not just Black Lives Matter, but woman, especially marginalized like myself who have been sexually assaulted by actual black leaders a number of times, we should not be able to be silent and that’s why I stood because we should not continue the silence for black woman like myself. [Applause] And we should not have black woman like this doing the silencing. Okay. We need to create -- (boos from the crowd) We need to create a healing bond, to be able to have accessible lawyers within marginalized communities, African Canadian Legal Clinic can only tender our needs if it is based on racism, not based if we have actually from African descent. These are the recommendations I have, thank you very much. [Applause]

>> I want to thank you Premier and, for sticking around to listen to everything that we have to say and I know it is late and I know a lot has been said so I don't want to repeat many of what has already been said I think you can sort of get from sort of the gist of the evening basically we all have grievances about what’s going on in the community, I'm a social worker and work in mental health and justice, diverging in the courts there is an overrepresentation of um young black males who are dealing with issues that are intersected by mental health and addictions and there is a lot of homelessness in that population.

And what I see is sort of the root of that is sort of um from the school system where there is sort of a school to prison pipeline in the Province. So many of the young men that we get, at the point where they are in the criminal justice system and we are dealing with them, already been kicked out of schools, already gone to jail, so now they come to our program and I don't know if you've been downtown lately, live in Mississauga, drive into Toronto every day, when I'm driving into Toronto every day to work I get sad because all I can see is young black men stands be on the street side, worthless bodies like, they are like just standing there. They don't have jobs and I notice that um the issue for them is not that they don't want to work, I also notice when I see garbage truck go by all black men loading garbage on the trucks, myth they don't want to work is a myth they are working where they can get jobs. If we can do something about that I think we will sort of have half the problem, I don't want to take up much more time but I want to talk about the sort of the disrespect of young black men on their bodies because they are sleeping on the sidewalk. You see them every day and I believe that the, if you walk into any black community on any given day, I was saying to my friend, if you drive into any black community on any given day, 12 o'clock in the day time when everyone else is at work, old people and young black men. That in itself is a disgrace um, we all want to see our children do well I'm the mother of a son and, you know, it makes me sad because I do know that every parent want to see their children do well. So I think in terms of that, I think it is about employment and it is about changing the rules of the school where you have teachers that are teaching our children, that look like them. Because right now within the school system you have teachers coming in from all places, coming in to teach kids in the communities they don't belong, I think that has a lot to do with it. Okay so um [Applause] --

>> Premier Wynne, Mayor and other Ministers that are here, my name is (name removed) and stand here [Applause] solidly, in solidarity and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. And I am so proud of our young people and I want to say that Premier Wynne Mayor, you promised Black Lives Matter a meeting, you have to give them a meeting. They are our young leaders, this leader doesn't stand in, you owe them a meeting and you must respect them as young leaders in our community and give them the meeting they requested and that you promised them. [Applause] This is the international decade of people of African descent declared by the United Nations under recognition, development and justice. And to date we have attempted at the ACLC to try to meet with Mayor Tory, try to meet with you Premier Wynne, to talk about development of plan of action, from 2014 we have been trying to get a meeting around development of a plan of action. If Germany could develop a plan of action for after Africans, under recognise [speaker off mic] legacy of slavery on every aspect of our lives. Under development, the African Canadian Legal Clinic and other partners in the community are calling for the establishment of a department of African Canadian affairs.

We have been in this country for centuries. Our ancestors have helped to build this country on indigenous people stolen land. And we feel at the very least we deserve a department of African Canadian, if you were serious about dealing about anti-Black racism. Lastly justice, we talk about placing, we talk about the courts, but very rarely do we talk about corrections. And our brother here, who founded the association of black law enforcement, David Michel, been in the belly of the beast for years. The numbers, if you go to Toronto south detention centre and do mayor, 90% of the inmates are young African Canadian men being warehoused, there is no programming for them, they are being let out on the streets with nothing and it is a Travesty, there is a crisis going on now, for days the men are not getting access to a shower. For days they are being held on lock down. And they, corrections go unscathed and we must put that on the agenda and get, should of been here in this room as well and whoever the Minister is for community safety and correctional services, but let know as part of the mandate corrections is important. But we would like a meeting with both you mayor and with you Premier to talk about the international decade for people of African descent. [Applause]

>> Good evening, I won't say my name, I will just identify myself as predominantly a casualty of Canada, a casualty of Ontario as many people here are and as much as I hate language of sound bites as effective as I can be in conveying some points tonight. How many rivers do we have to cross before we can talk to the boss? He says so much things to say right now, so much things to say. I think we need more of these meetings. Is the tip of the iceberg, is the tip of the iceberg. Black lives do matter, I am totally for that, I'm a realist I have to go one step further and say evidently, it shows black lives do not matter. We have to look at that reality. The reality is that black lives have not mattered, that’s what brought us here. Okay. We recognise sound bites, Mayor Tory, sorry, yeah Mayor, we recognise sound bites, it is not okay to um over-represent superficiality, we cannot build a house from the top down. We have to go to the foundation and assess that, that is good first there is no foundation here, we are hurt people. Okay. The governments are the most racist of all. If my neighbor is racist, if my neighbor has some kind of hatred against my pigment or whatever it hurts, not as much as when you look at the judge in the court only there to terrorize the black person and throw the book at them, when the teacher is there to undermine the black kids and ascend them down the conveyer belt to destruction, okay. When you look at the institutions that represent government that only wallow in white privilege has no merit for the position that they hold and resort to hatred and wickedness as opposed to service, there is where the problem lies. That is, the need of course, yes please and as far as media goes, do not twist what I'm saying by saying black lives don't matter, I'm making the point that we should matter, but we don't as per the evidence. Okay. Just to wrap-up, okay, I do not want to be part of Ontario, the test of native people of this country, I don't want to be part of an Ontario that treats First Nations people so horribly, pretending that they are going to help us. You do not help them enough, you have them under oppression as we speak and that is proof that you are not capable or willing or genuine about helping us. We know, we know what this abuse is. We are not asking for privilege and attention and special treatment, if you take away the hatred that lives in the heart of the people that are supposed to provide service to us equally, then the colour of our skin will not matter. Okay. It will not matter. So the root is, harboring hatred in one’s heart for people based on fallacy, that is where the problem is. And so this, through such lenses and this is what brings forth the oppression that is. I don't want to be special, because you are trying to make me, I want to be regular, okay. Please. Respect that. [Applause]

>>

>> I would like to thank everybody for being here especially the Mayor and Premier as well, many different types of people here but would like to address my immediate two communities and like to represent two, black and Islamic community in Ontario. I'm not Muslim myself but my husband is, Black Lives Matter and Islamic is many things but biggest solutions is what I would like to keep short and sweet. Need to be encouraging one another to learn about our communities and what we can start, specifically businesses that can help us thrive forward spiritually, financially, intellectually and physically. For those of us that choose to stick to employment as opposed to starting our own businesses, please take charge of your dollars, please buy with the statement in mind that not only Black Lives Matter, but black money matters and black education matters as well. [Applause] Without it we cannot survive as a people. Finally, please do not conversations about these solutions stop here but have them with your families and avoid statements like we are all crabs in a barrel or a bucket, I've heard that many times from elder folk, I'm only 23. And also regardless of what happens in the media, please stand together. Thank you. [Applause]

>> My name is (name removed) run an organization that teaches tech skills to youth of colour, diversity, I'm going to give two solutions, let me know, start with the first, let me know if you want to hear the second. In California, police officers were put on what was called a performance improvement plan where third party organization had to come in and teach them de-escalation training, had to teach them ethics, had to give them anti-racism training. In Tennessee two officers who beat a man at a traffic stop were fired from the force, quickly. The reason that happened, insurance. I wrote about this from a Claims magazine. In Toronto we paid since 2000, 27 million dollars in terms of court fees and settlements, my friend (name removed) was beaten, he settled for multiple millions of dollars, what does that mean, if I get stopped and a police officer shoots me, I paid for the uniform on his back and gun, I paid for the bullet he put on my body, I will pay for that to be taken out and if my ass happens to live and I sue, the money given to me as compensation is actually a refund. In Toronto [Applause], in Toronto I work in the insurance industry so we have this concept called in their insurance is city Treasury, when the Toronto police beat [Name?] on the street and then they were sued and he won, we paid for that. So my suggestion is, given that doctors and lawyers and people who work in the financial industry like myself, plumbers, engineers, they all have liability insurance, may also know it as malpractise insurance, a police officer can botch and beat a suspect and face no accountability whatsoever because we are paying for that, I believe they should pay for own malpractise. Do you want to hear solution number two? Okay, okay, number two, in the tech industry, in the United States, because part of the 2020 strategy is innovation policy going to build this between Toronto and Waterloo, silicon valley north, anybody identify a problem with Silicon valley now? In Silicon Valley 2% of the workforce is black, 2, 2. If somebody quits in Silicon valley, drop that percentage, so is that what we want to replicate right here in Toronto? I have taken money out of my own pocket, gone and passed the hat around to fund, like to fund a program, as a matter of fact I drove here tonight because we were teaching coding on how to make video games. We teach them Web development [Applause], opening a blog, we're going to teach them visual media as well, doing that completely out-of-pocket. My question is why is it I had to do that, why don't we have coders working and teaching young people? Very quick story, I mentored a young man, when I mentor people at homeless shelter and then when I met him was 17 years old, he is now working in BC, no High School education making $150 thousand a year software engineer because he taught himself, why can't we have that sort of strategy towards our youth, don't want to take any more time, thank you for letting me speak Black Lives Matter. [Applause]

>> My name is (name removed) ]black lives -- matter, black lives -- matter. Matter. People ask me why I always defend Black Lives Matter and it is because they are always defending me so

[Cheers and Applause]

I just want to say two things really quick, first is a question for Mayor Tory, I think you know and I think if you didn't know before tonight you heard that a lot of people in our community are upset with you particularly. And we're upset because of a lot of things that I'm not going to get into but for me the fact that you didn't come when people held space outside in the cold for 15 days, it hurt. It hurt because of the position that you've been given in this city and people who know me know when I get a microphone in my hand I don't like to let go of it, but I will right now if you will come up here and just acknowledge to us that you should of been there, that you should of been there for our community. Can you do that? [Applause]

>>Michael: I should of been there, as leader of the city, because I've gone many other places to greet groups protesting or grieving or other things, I now said I'm going to sit down, I want to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter served important service to me, now it is time to do what the Premier has started to do tonight I was happy to attend, sit down and make a difference. [Applause]

>> I'm so angry about so many things but don't want to be just angry, I want some healing, you know, anyway, thank you. Second other thing I want to say is because I get to have a micro phone in my hand a lot of time I try to remember there are people who don't have this opportunity, somebody mentioned second class citizens this evening, I want to talk about people who are not citizens at all. There are people in our Provincial jails who aren't citizens of this country and they are not there because they are waiting to go to trial, they are not there because they are serving part of a sentence, they are there on immigration hold. Because Canadian border service agency picks them up and they put them in our Provincial jail and I'm asking you tonight, send a message to do the Prime Minister of this country and tell him that you are not going to house any more immigration on Ontario jail. [Applause] I know that you don't have the power to stop Canadian border services agency from doing their job, they have their federal mandate and I know you can't do anything about that, but you can send a message to the Prime Minister that we are not going to house any more immigration detainees, a woman named(name removed) , her child was born inside the detention centre. A friend of mine got out of jail eight months immigration, it changed his life forever, stop doing this to us, black people, especially people of colour in these situations of immigration detention and it messes their life forever, I'm begging you please stop this now, you have the ability to do that and send a message, thank you.

>> Okay so this is our last, last submission for the evening and then we will have some comments, some summarized comments before we go. Okay.

>> Well, well, well what can I say. I must say thank you to Premier Wynne, Ministers and the dedicated public servants around you for listening to the tip of the iceberg that is bubbling up in the black community. My name is (name removed) I must tell you that I'm also a former public service in Ontario public service. And therefore what I'm going to say we have heard a lot tonight but the roles that I have played in the Ontario public service included human rights officer which investigated all kind of human rights complaints throughout the government. Up to and including the legislative assembly of Ontario. And I can tell you that there are no dollars that Ministry, deputy Minister will not spend to defend Ministry against an allegation, a complaint of a human rights complaint regardless. Because it is doing business, it’s Magistery in the right of Ontario and let me tell you a couple of things. I also was involved with the training of Ontario public service in the social justice agenda of the government. Which included the workplace harassment and discrimination prevention program with [Name?] spoke about. As a matter of fact I was one of the first batch of people trained under the original program. The program you have now is not what existed at that time. So what I'm trying to say to you at this time, the black option defense committee has been around since 1988 trying to bring about change in these areas. Today many of us are getting, this is my 48th year of 48th year of advocacy on human rights and other issues across this great country of ours. We have made some progress and we have slid, however I am here to say that the journey of a thousand miles begin with the first step and the first step was for these officials to be here tonight to sit through all that has been said. The next step is action. We know that we need action and I can tell you, as a public servant that developed programs and policies and this type of thing, I can tell you that we can develop some of them, not to work or to work. If you are serious about getting the anti-racism secretary, directorate, sorry, developed as an effective instrument to help eliminate racism, you got to put your money where your mouth is. [Applause] You got to fund it to do that. You also have to give it a mandate to racism at the highest levels within the OPS, in cabinet office. In the Ministers office. I worked in the OPS and I had a director, a supervisor who had a confederate flag on his desk today and probably still have it there as a deputy Minister today. I can tell you this, if you are serious about change, you have the people, the resources, those of us in the trenches advocating, we are advocating for change, we are not just, we have the technical expertise, we have the inside knowledge and I have with me, we have access to the knowledge base from across Canada to help you bring about that change. And so we will be willing partners, I am willing and available and I have technical resources that I can mobilize to assist in whatever way is necessary. But the job must be done.

>> Thank you, thank you.

>>Paulette: Wow. [Applause] Okay so thank you all so much for your incredible submissions [Applause] I want to acknowledge our leaders, Premier Mayor, Ministers, for sticking it out and listening because that’s what you came here to do tonight. This is the, this is the first of several meetings so for those who unfortunately, I wasn't able to accommodate there will be a meeting in Scarborough, Mississauga, other meetings you can attend. Please take a time to do that. This point I would like to call on, who am I calling on the Premier to make a closing remark because she does have to go.

>>Kathleen: Thank you for staying, thank you for all that you have said I just want, there was an urgent issue around [Name?] a question that was asked of us and I'm not exactly sure what the, what the issues are, what I know is that our government continues to fund and will continue to fund -- I just said I don't know if that was the question, but what I would like to do is sit down with the person who asked that question, where is, there he is right there. If you can outline to us, with our Ministers and with the mayor exact what issue is, not at this second, just wait until afterwards and I will connect with you, okay. Some people have come up, I have taken a lot of notes, taken notes, some people have come up to me with specific information about their cases with their phone numbers on it. What I, because I don't want people to leave the room with some, with an unrealistic expectation, I want you to know what I am going to do is make sure that someone gets those numbers and calls. It probably won't be me, if I can I will but I got a lot of, I got a lot of notes that people have given me and we will do our best to follow-up on all of those very specific issues, okay. And the last thing I will just say is that we have begun, continuation of a very long conversation. So thank you very much the next step is action, we know that, we will get there and I appreciate so much your input, thank you. [Applause]

>>Kathleen: Thank you, so I would like to call on Minister Coteau, to just wrap-up this meeting about his Minister --

>>Michael: Let’s give Paulette a big round of applause for her work tonight. [Applause] I'm going to say thank you again for being here and we have a big task in front of us, I don't take this task lightly, I will work hard to make sure we can take these conversations tonight and move it into action, thank you for being here, have a good evening. [Applause]

>>Paulette: Good night everyone.