Wellesley Institute works in research and policy to improve health and health equity in the GTA through action on the social determinants of health.
The COVID-19 virus is clever. Most people who spread COVID-19 do not know that they have it. They have no symptoms at all, they are early in their illness and have mild symptoms, or they are getting better and do not know their illness was COVID-19. If we want to stop the spread, we have […]
The recent federal budget was an opportunity to make significant progress to establish a new normal to create a stronger, more equitable Canada. Racism, poverty, inadequate and unaffordable housing, and scarce mental health resources are all pre-existing pandemics that put equity-seeking groups at greater risk than others. This budget correctly rejects the idea that a […]
The pandemic and the associated recession provide an opportunity for us to reconsider the ‘normal’ state of affairs. Now is the time to envision a bold new normal and learn from the failures of the previous status quo. The Old Normal In the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, the estimated number of Canadians […]
Continue ReadingA new normal for ending homelessness: Collective action towards adequate support
As we live through an unprecedented crisis, the upcoming Federal Budget and future COVID-19 recovery plans must establish a new normal to create a stronger, more equitable Canada. To establish this new normal, we have to start by first recognizing that many other pandemics – including racism, poverty, inadequate and unaffordable housing, and scarce mental […]
Continue ReadingFederal Budget 2021: Opportunity for an equitable recovery
The Old Normal Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our policies failed to tackle the root causes of health inequalities by not addressing the economic polarization and control of wealth by the very rich in Canada. There has been a clear upward trend in wealth inequality since the mid-1980s, and since the 1990s, taxes relative […]
Continue ReadingA new normal for taxation in Canada: Tipping the scales on wealth tax
The Old Normal Before the COVID-19 pandemic, not only was it difficult for parents to find child care spaces, but it was also expected that they pay exorbitant amounts of money for care that varied in quality across providers in Canada. This lack of access meant that a proportion of parents could not afford to […]
Continue ReadingA new normal for child care in Canada: Accessible, affordable, universal
In the coming weeks Ontario’s children will return to school, after several months of distance learning capped off the regular school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision for students to return to in-class learning was made to address the mental health and emotional impacts the lockdown has had on children, as well as […]
Continue ReadingA safe and equitable return to school: Can Ontario pass the test?
People who identified as Arab, Middle Eastern, West Asian, Latin American, South East Asian or Black were 6-9 times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than the White population according to new figures from Toronto Public Health covering the period from mid-May to July. Similar results were reported from Peel Regional Public Health Unit […]
The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in unprecedented job and benefits loss for workers, and its full effect on the economy still remains to be seen. Pharmacare is crucial not only for health and equity in Canada but may also hold promise for economic health. As we slowly move into a post-pandemic economy, the implementation of […]
Continue ReadingPharmacare: essential to our health and economy
Many factors contribute to keeping Canadians healthy. Just as crucial as access to healthcare, social supports and good working conditions, is housing. Currently, we are facing a housing crisis due to lack of affordability, disrepair, crowding, short supply, and the list goes on. If Canada is going to solve the housing problem, we need to […]
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We would like to acknowledge this sacred land on which the Wellesley Institute operates. It has been a site of human activity for 15,000 years. This land is the territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and Confederacy of the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.
Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory.
Revised by the Elders Circle (Council of Aboriginal Initiatives) on November 6, 2014
In the spirit of equity and inclusion, if we can improve on this statement, please contact us. Thank you.