The Oshawa Federal Green Party Association would like to announce some exciting changes.

Due to the growing demand and interest in the Oshawa riding for the Green Party, our C.E.O, Robbin Taylor, has deemed it best to step down and allow someone who can donate more time to the needs of the association. Until our Annual General Meeting, being held on Janurary 16, 2010, our candidate, Gail Bates, has gladly stepped in to fill the immediate needs of the association as C.E.O. Assisting Gail Bates will be our current Financial Agent, Blaine Leal.

As well our address and phone number have changed, we can now be reached at :

Oshawa Federal Green Party Association
27-1300 King St. W
Suite # 281
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8J4
289-240-2470

This new contact infromation will be active by Friday, October 09, 2009.

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact Gail Bates or Blaine Leal:
Gail Bates – C.E.O – gail.bates@greenparty.ca
Blaine Leal – Finacial Agent – blaine.leal@greenparty.ca

Our website be also be undergoing some major changes in the next couple months to better serve your needs. Keep checking back to see the amazing changes. As well check our events calender to keep updated on events related to the Oshawa Green Party. We will be holding a meeting for the EDA on October 21 for instance and all our welcome to attend and offer their suggestions or ideas.

Title: Executive Council Meeting
Location: 13 John St. W
Start Time: 7:30 pm
Date: 2009-10-21

What has happened to the participation of our population as volunteers? Are we truly so selfish that we cannot give a little time every week to helping others? Many give money to different groups and think that covers our obligations – not so. Time and an extra pair of hands are what are really needed. How did we get to this point? From personal experience I can say a lot has to do with children’s activities taking over. Also my husband’s commute went from forty-five minutes to two hours so he wasn’t available to help transport the children to their various activities. When I went back to work full time the overtime required also increased. The Green Party of Canada is committed to families and communities. One way to free up time so parents can participate in community activities is to allow income splitting at tax time. This could allow one partner to stay home with the children and work from home, volunteer or participate in community events. Another Green Party initiative is workplace childcare made appealing to the workplace through tax credits for those companies or groups of small business owners who provide on site childcare. This would give a parent more time with their children during the commute to and from work and employees are happier knowing they can check on their offspring from time to time. Families would be happier and more inclined to volunteer for a favoured charity or group. In case you think I am only advocating volunteerism to couples – not so. Parents who are active volunteers will pass this on to their children and children are encouraged to participate as well. For singles, volunteering can replace the bar scene on some occasions as more and more singles volunteer. What a great way to meet others with a common interest! There are many organizations who need volunteers, just pick one and call.

Stephen Harper has snubbed the UN Summit to visit the mayor of NYC. When over 100 world leaders attend the summit guess who’s not a world leader? He did make it back for dinner though and then back home for dessert at Timmie’s. Maybe the nation of the Maldives can pack Timbits under their islands to soak up all the water threatening their island nation. Has Harper given any thought that the same thing could be happening here in Canada? We could lose our coastline as it is today (already happening in the North). Climate change does matter and battling it could create the jobs and industry that Canada needs to jumpstart our economy.

Gail Bates - Oshawa Federal Candidate

Gail Bates and members of the Oshawa Federal Green Party were happy to attend Durham Region’s Habitat for Humanity’s new ReStore’s grand opening on September 19th.

ReStores are retail stores that accept and resell quality new and gently used building materials. Everything is donated and the profits go toward Habitat for Humanity’s homebuilding program – restoring hope for low-income families. ReStores also help reduce our environmental footprint by providing an opportunity to reuse materials that would otherwise end up in landfill.

The store is located at 85 Chambers Drive, Unit 6, Ajax, ON L1Z 1E2 or call 905 428 7434 for more information.

Above is a picture of an amazing chandelier Oshawa Green Party members Blaine Leal and Mike Pellegrino picked up for their home at the low cost of only $40.00, brand new still in the orginal box.

“It felt great knowing that not only did we support a great local cause, help the environment, but we also scored a great deal for our home”, stated Mike Pellegrino. “It is a win-win situation for everyone involved and goes to show the community what the Green Party stands for is good for the environment, social issues, and even the economy”, Green Party member Blaine Leal explained.

Discover what it means to make real change. Shop, donate, or volunteer at Durham Region’s ReStore!

Sadly again, Gail Bates and the Oshawa Federal Green Party would like to extend their thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Pte. Johnathan Couturier killed Thursday Sept. 17th in Afghanistan.

Please joins us Sunday Sept. 20th on the Simcoe st. bridge in Oshawa at 3:30 p.m to honour Pte. Couturier as he returns home down the Highway of Heroes.

Yet again, just a week later, we mourn the loss of another Canadian soldier. Once again Gail Bates and the Oshawa Federal Green Party would like to express their condolences to the family of Patrick Lormand killed Sunday in Afghanistan.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Patrick’s family and friends during this difficult time. Thank you for all that you do.

Please join Gail Bates and the Oshawa Federal Green Party for Patrick Lormand’s repatriation ceremony on Wednesday September 16th at 3:30 PM on the Simcoe St bridge in Oshawa to pay our respects as Patrick Lormand returns home on the Highway of Heroes.

I join God knowing,
I fought for my fellow man’s freedom.

My duty complete,
yours to carry on in memory.

For now my mother is crying,
and criticism of our mission arises.

Question not, but always remember,
I am a Canadian soldier.

Sgt. M.J. Watts

Gail Bates and the Oshawa Federal Green Party who like to offer their condolences to the families and friends of the latest two soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Maj. Yannick Pepin and Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin during this time. We thank them for their hardwork, dedication and sacrifice representing Canada in helping Afghanistan once again flourish and stand on its own.

Please join us on the Simcoe St. bridge in Oshawa during their repatriation ceremony as we take time to honour these Canadian heroes as we welcome them home on our Highway of Heroes.

Our thoughts are also with the five soldiers injured on Sunday and we wish them a speedy recovery.

Tuesday, August 25th is a day I’ll remember for a long time. A whirlwind of meet the press, strategic training with deputy leader Adriane Carr and a corn roast to finish off. Three of the Green Party candidates attended, myself, Gail Bates from Oshawa, Rebecca Harrison from Whitby-Oshawa and Kevin Smith from Pickering-Scarborough. It was our first introduction to the local press and we were ready with our speeches about why we are running for the Green Party of Canada. Three people from very different backgrounds who have all come to the same conclusion. The Green Party holds some of the answers about what Canada needs. It goes without saying that the Green Party has a strong committment to the environment but we have an equally strong need to tell the public about our economic stance, our committment to education and student needs, our support of Canada’s health care system. We are no longer the “tree hugging” party of the 80’s but have evolved to meet the needs of Canadians now. So let’s spread the word, the Green Party can build a strong Canadian economy, create jobs, support communities, encourage families. We learned from Adriane Carr, one of the founding members, that the party platform is complete and will provide the answers Canadians need to their questions about the economy, job creation, even the war in Afghanistan. If the other parties think the Green Party doesn’t have a plan, they’re wrong. We did enjoy our training day but I enjoyed more knowing we are ready!