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Some of you will have joined us in person, two years ago for advanced 2019, along with 150 local and international academics, policymakers city builders and problem solvers.

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Of course, things were much different than.

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And we are now living through a pandemic that just changed the way we live, work and connect. We've seen rises in evictions job loss and homelessness.

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So that many of us could stay at home and say stay safe. And we've seen how underfunded health systems and long term care homes struggle.

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And one covered has been a story of health housing and employment.

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Its foremost a story of equity.

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The gap between rich and poor, has increased.

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Older people have borne the brunt of deaths, women and younger people have been the hardest hit by the mental health, health impacts and racialized populations have had up to find time to infect in five times infection rates and death rates from covert

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19.

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Now, many will tell you that the pandemic has shine a spotlight on historic and stomach inequalities that we want, we say that we want to take it further we say that the pandemic has challenged us to rethink our priorities.

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And that's what we're going to be exploring over the next four weeks of asymptote the symposium series, how we prioritize equity. When we're building a new normal.

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Glad that today we're going to start the discussion on how covert differentially impacted certain communities, but also what can be done about it.

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Now, before I introduce our panelists.

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I'd like to go through a few housekeeping notes today.

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Now we're going to start with me introducing the panelists then have the panelists presentations. Then we're going to come back together for a discussion afterwards.

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And I'd like to thank everybody who submitted questions for our panelists through the event web page. And that, if you haven't, you can feel free to still submit a question, through the q amp a function on zoom.

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Now I'd like now like to introduce our panelists.

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We have three remarkable panelists, and we will hear from today. And I'm, we're going to present in alphabetical order and so I'll put, I'll say who they are in alphabetical order first we have Dr.

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Carol Estabrook joining us from Edmonton, Alberta.

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Now Dr. Carol Esther books is a.

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Dr. Karen Esteban's is a health service researcher and holds a Canada Research Chair, and knowledge translation in the care of older adults in residential long term care settings.

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She studies the influence of organizations on the use of knowledge, and its effects on quality of care quality of life quality of end of life and quality of work life outcomes.

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She has been the recipient of several awards and distinction amongst them the Order of Canada in 2016.

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She's a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. The American Academy of nurses and the Canadian Academy of nurseries, welcome Doug for esta box.

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Second, count Hopkins, joining us from Bothwell Ontario, Canada Hopkins is the chief executive officer of Thunderbird partnership Foundation, which is a division of the national native addictions partnership Foundation, and she is of the map a nation

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at Moravia in town Moravia in town in Ontario.

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I hope I get that right.

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We're ready in town.

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She spent more than 25 years in the fields of First Nations substance use and mental health. She's coaching many national initiatives including one that resulted in the landmark.

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First Nations mental wellness continuum framework. She was appointed as an officer to the order in the Order of Canada in 2018 and in 2019. She was recognized with an honorary Doctor of law degree from Western University.

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Welcome Carol Hopkins.

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And third, Angela Roberts and joining us here from Toronto.

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Angela is the executive director Parkdale Queen West Community Health Center. She is one of the most effective people in developing equitable health services for low income and racialized people that I know.

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For instance, in response to the impact of coke 19 and and pandemic and racialized and low income populations. Actually initiated a raft of actions which lead the collection and use associate demographic data.

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The development of a more equitable vaccination strategy and implementation of a number of effective cross sector partnerships, which decreased in equities.

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Angela has been recognized for her social justice work on many organizations, including the Fred Victor Center, the urban Alliance on race relations, and she was also recognized by York University with an honorary honorary doctorate in Laws degree for

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her social justice work, so you can see what we have got an awesome panel. And without further ado, I'd like to move on to the panel, presentations, starting with Dr.

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Carol Estabrook.

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I'm just going to share my screen hope that it works.

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I'm also grateful and technology works.

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Thank you very much for the lovely invitation and thank you very much for taking the time to attend today I'm going to talk very briefly from the perspective of residential long term care, and the impact that coven has had on there and some of the ways

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that we're trying to emerge from the impact in long term care, as we've heard and you've heard for many months and will continue to hear covert had its impact, not because it happened, out of the blue into a system that was functioning well, but because

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it happened, out of the blue into a system that had deep structural and systemic problems and weaknesses that we'll talk a little bit about here.

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These are the sober facts. Me we've all seen them.

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We've had almost 30,000 deaths and Canada. In the first wave will come to that in a minute and we've had about 5 million deaths, globally, covered 19 pales in comparison to some of the great scourges historically that have struck the earth.

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50 million died in Spanish Flu 35 million have died from HIV AIDS, thus far approximately, and of course in the 13th 14th and 15th centuries the Black Death or bubonic plague to upwards of 200 million lives.

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So it's a, an infant by comparison but nonetheless, in the last 100 years and given the state of civilizations progress, it's had a devastating impact and one that were of course as we all know when feel for decades and decades and decades to come.

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in long term care.

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Well first of all, I never thought I'd see the images I saw in long term care or elsewhere in the world.

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They've really certainly shattered my sense of safety in the world and certainly shared the sense of many other people less fortunate than I.

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Canada is in an unfortunate position of having the worst performance, internationally on the globe of deaths in long term care is a result of covered in the early phases in 2020 80% of Canadian deaths are in long term care.

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It still approaches 70%. This isn't a country with an extraordinarily high quality of living, high income country. In a country that seen by many people as a desirable destination for immigration.

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The questions remain How could we possibly have done this poorly, and how can we remediate and how can we remove ourselves from what can only be described as an international shame.

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There's no other way to describe it.

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There are lots of reasons for it and I'll talk, super briefly about those but we'll also talk about some of the solutions. The most emblematic image for me out of public 19 and 2020 was the woman who was not allowed to see her parent, whose parent was

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dying in long term care for coven who got an arborist to bring a tree, cutting truck thing, and conquer up to the third floor so that she could look through a window.

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The second image that burned in my memory was the image of the Canadian military being brought into nursing homes and Ontario and Quebec and of course we've know experienced some of this in Alberta.

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If the military has been called your way pass bad in the fact that we could let it get that bad. It's just, it's disturbing in very deep place in Canada coven night team killed a lot of people in it, in it killed a lot of older adults, but the conditions

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of Colin are something that we're just beginning to hear about, and we'll hear but increasingly. This is a very good report in the Washington Post's over a six month period 2020 that showed the expected deaths from Alzheimer's and other age related dementias.

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And then it showed a calculated using CDC data, the excess death so they're about 13,000 more deaths than they would have predicted from outsiders and dementia so those people yes they had Alzheimer's and dementia, but they were community living and what

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they died, it was the conditions of coven primarily isolation and loneliness. That is the tiniest tip of the most incredibly large iceberg that we're just beginning to appeal.

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And we will hear more and more about it, and many of these deaths will never be most of them will never be recorded and attributed to covert but they're there and we should we should remember that long term care is I think of it sometimes as a crucible.

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So all the things that you've heard about in the scientific literature in the popular media that you'll hear about from the other panelists, and from your friends and your neighbors, and you've experienced yourselves.

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It all comes home in long term care. It's like a container container that brings all of life, to the end of life. We tend to homogenize long term care and, and once you get the label old is a kind of an immediate homogenization that goes on.

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and we wait wash it in this whether it's just old people.

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Well yes it is very old people these days in long term care but they bring with them, their race, their culture, their ethnicity their sex their gender identity, their previous history of mental health and substance abuse their history of psychological

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trauma, their history, that everything that happens to us in life comes with you it's not as if it all disappears when you get to long term care. And we have not done a very good job historically in long term care of recognizing and addressing and trying

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to meet the needs of older adults in these positions. I'm doing some work right now with older adults with events dimension in long term care who have histories of psychological trauma, and they get treated as if they're challenging behaviors of dementia,

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when in fact, Their PTSD, and you can't just talk to someone with advanced dimension and fix anything not the top is often the way to fix some of these things.

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But there are things that we know from science and neurobiology now that we can do, and that's just one example of things that come home to rest in long term care.

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So I have before Colbert I use the slide quite a bit and I said we have a building Perfect Storm happening we have rising resident needs and rising Why would they be rising we're older, there's much higher levels of dementia.

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80% of people have some form of the dimension long term care.

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And some people would put that number really higher, they're coming later in the phases of their dementia so they're having more advanced communication and other challenges.

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These are incredibly complex people to care for and try to provide quality of life for. They also come with multiple chronic conditions.

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They come with all the things that I've just mentioned, And they come with high dependency needs.

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Often you get to long term care because your needs can no longer be met by the family or extended family or friends or the community.

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Taking looking after and caring for people who have that profile is incredibly complex sophisticated work.

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We have in Canada and elsewhere in high income countries relegated to the work of caregiving to women's work.

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It's how hard can it be it's just helping older people at the end of life. Eat and be clean, and that is so wrong.

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And because we have these attitudes about older adults and the work of caregiving which is highly gendered. We then think it's okay to what we've done is the best you can say about the workforce is we kept it flat, but in fact we lowered the capacity

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in the workforce by filling out the skill mix by poor not providing across the country adequate education or continuing education by thinking that it was okay to not provide full time work to not have pensions and benefits and the host of things you've

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begun to hear about about this workforce this workforce is highly racialized.

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It's 90 over 95% women they tend to be older.

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Most of them have high school, and most of them in some provinces have some kind of vocational training.

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Prior to the pandemic we weren't tracking who was working where we were tracking a small cohort of homes in the West and we knew that about a third of carriers are PSW

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us.

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We began to realize what a catastrophe that one little thing was was not a little thing.

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So this is a workforce that is just like the residents they have multiple stalking vulnerabilities. And you keep stacking them, and we all understand what happens and then you put the two together and you get a really critical situation, and then covert

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came a normal virus with no cure or treatment really except supportive measures. We didn't know how it spread. And it happened in a, in a system that was structurally physically structurally unsound in terms of the way the buildings are built their old

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some of them were built in the 60s and happening in a population who had an aging immune system that couldn't combat the virus as well as younger adults and so what we saw was not surprising why we sought to such an exhaust extensive level in Canada is.

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We understand some of it but it's much more troubling than it appears on the surface. I had the privilege of chairing this Royal Society. Task Force. Working Group last year, and we were the first report that they produce on a series of populations that

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Colby Colby 19 wasn't affecting.

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We made a lot of recommendations, but we couldn't boil the ocean we get into that conundrum when we sat down and had a heart to heart one day instead of food, if nothing else if there was only one thing in this country that governments and regions and

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jurisdictions did. To fix this, what would it be and it was very clear that it was addressed the complex workforce issues so we went hard on the workforce issues.

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We did the best we could given the crazy timeline, we had to offer because we felt it was an opportunity to outline historical and systemic problems and long term care I mean this is a sector that has history and 17th century Elizabeth and Paula.

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That created different classes of the poor and nursing homes have kind of created different classes of the old.

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The people with great wealth, do not experience the kind of things that you're reading about in nursing homes because they don't go to nursing homes.

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But that is out of the reach of the vast majority of people, but even high, middle income people, it, it really is populated predominantly by women residents with older adults who are women who have dementia who have lower income so that you can even

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hardly get into a nursing home if we are only are a woman you don't have dementia. So before you even get in the door. You have three vulnerabilities, and then you stack on these other things.

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So what is needed.

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And what are we doing well What is needed is absolutely a written branch overhaul will not happen on clear.

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One might be if your glass is half full every morning cautiously optimistic.

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But, practically, this may not happen but this is certainly the window and those of us in this Long Term Care Area whatever part of it, we're coming from are really working hard to, because we know the window will close, other things will come and fill

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the space. What we are seeing are the development of national standards and I'm also part of that, that's in process, and it really is and I'm a skeptic at heart, an impressive process.

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However, even if they're the best standards in the whole world they're not a panacea they are one part to a series of solutions.

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Where, where fraught with federal, provincial jurisdictional squabbling and fighting.

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Partly but not entirely because Long Term Care is not part of the Canada Health fact it's entirely preventable jurisdiction the federal MCs transfer payments.

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I mean you've heard it all in it's getting in the way of addressing issues in a cooperative way in the sector, we call for a moratorium in our report, more reports.

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Over the last 50 years have been about 80 and Canada.

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For adverse events catastrophes crises the terrible fire and come back in just a host of other things.

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They all get written, they're all good reports, and they all say basically the same thing and nothing changes, one or two things are dumb, the political atmosphere changes and the media moves on.

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I will say a side note about the media, they have done yeoman's duty during covert in support of long term care I've been very impressed with them. But anyway, nonetheless reports are being done, reviews, and some are already scheduled.

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And somewhere, specifically about Colvin expert panels some of the responses and one or two problems is are very strong and they look hopeful others it's unclear.

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So we repeated history once again there.

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There's some work at raising minimum hours there, they're atrociously low for this population across the country and they have been forever.

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And we'll see what happens but it costs money now there is enough money in the system to work properly with most of our sectors, but it's how its distributed.

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So we'll see what happens with minimum hours of care.

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There are tips that work for stabilization, but some of them are like, just importing 10,000 people from another country and plopping them into a system, and thinking that the solution it you know sometimes we do things in emergencies.

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In, and then we see the unintended consequences play out. But we have to be very thoughtful because long term care in the workforce and labor supply and demand or globalized, they're not local anymore so we have to be very thoughtful and we're looking

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at immigration as a solution.

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And then we're beginning to hear concerns about mental health of the workforce, resilience, and well being.

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We don't know the sector doesn't know what to do, and I would submit that we have little appreciation in Canada yet for how profound the mental health Seroquel I are going to be from not just the long term care workforce and what they went through we've

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been interviewing them and it's a, it's a workforce in pain, but from the acute care side and for all the other sectors that have been affected.

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We know that a proportion of the workers the frontline workers are screening positive for symptoms of PTSD and that this doesn't go away tomorrow or when cold it's over if it ever is for some of those people those effects will last for decades.

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So there's a lot to be done, it's a mixed bag of what we have done.

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And hopefully in the panel we can talk about some of the other things that we can do and where we might find points of pressure that help. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to do this and I think I'm reasonably okay with the time I've

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used. Thanks.

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Thank you, Carol. And now we move to Carol Hopkins, and then really looking forward to hearing what you say.

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Okay, let me just find my way to share the slides with you.

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Okay.

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I am not sure if you're seeing the slides or not.

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It says you started screen sharing but I can't see your slides, at the moment.

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Yeah, I am not either. And

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somehow, my system is locked in when I'm pressing the right buttons it's not doing any.

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Okay, so I'm just going to talk.

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Okay, nevermind the slides.

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Okay. Oh wait, it just.

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I think it started. Okay, I think we've got it.

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Yes, very good.

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Okay. Here we go. Okay.

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So, thank you.

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Carol for that presentation I think I have a lot of similar messages and so I'm talking about First Nations mental wellness and the pandemic and we know that substance misuse anxiety, depression, the presence of intergenerational trauma have all been

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exacerbated throughout the pandemic and we've seen also gaps and services a lack of resources being highlighted, but there's also innovations that we've seen from First Nations.

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I want to situate this within policy, and within. First Nations rights. So there are some unique policy challenges that we have to be aware of when we're thinking about what the impacts have been in the context of the pandemic so it's a dynamic complex

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policy environment, because there are very acute needs across the country.

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Prior to the pandemic that were exasperated during the pandemic.

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Oftentimes policy is created.

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And of course we want expertise to inform policy, but unfortunately there's often a lack of engagement of First Nations people because they're not considered experts.

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And, and then there's comprehensive Paul policy response to manage what changes are unique to First Nations people and drive innovation.

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However, those policy responses are problem specific, they're focused on one aspect and do not consider the environment or the determinants of health.

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So, the policy response is short term limited doesn't address address the needs, and then the reality is that we have a lack of understanding between worldviews.

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I'm trying to figure out how to change that slide. Okay, there we go.

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This is all situated with and I'm not going to go through a big history lesson but you have to understand the jurisdictional differences specific to First Nations and you want me to people's in Canada.

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What set the foundation of relationships are the treaties. We had our own worldview of What relation how we understood relationships, and how we understood the meaning of the treaties and those are represented through a number of cultural spiritual representation

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in our scrolls and our want them belts.

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Again they have spiritual significance that's the foundation of a world view of First Nations anyone at people's carry that forward to the patron of the Constitution and charter that articulated a promise of the recognition of First Nations jurisdiction

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and recognizing the conscience constitution is supreme to other laws, such as the Indian act, but Canada is a member of the United Nations Commission for the Elimination of Racial discrimination and consistently we see progress but we also see criticism

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by the Commission for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2006 criticized Canada for minimizing the charter and unconstitutional constitutional protection of First Nations jurisdiction and writes in 2018.

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They were criticized Canada was criticized for recognizing and in implementing indigenous rights framework, but doing so. without consultation and free prior informed consent of indigenous peoples.

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So this is the backdrop for understanding why things are exacerbated during the pandemic. So send of our partnership foundation carried out a survey of First Nations communities, to understand opioids and methamphetamines.

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So this is just one slide on the impacts at from the community perspective of covert 19 increase and depression, anxiety, unemployment, increase substance use, so from the community perspective, they're also talking about a lack of access to their children

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that are we're in the care of child welfare systems.

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So, from residential treatment centers we have a national network of both adult and youth residential treatment centers that quickly had to adapt their program, and their service delivery models within the pandemic because their clients all had to go

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home and they couldn't operate an in person residential program.

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And so they continue to offer services, virtually.

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And we have this national system that collects data from them. And so the drug screening inventory is used as an assessment tool pre and post services.

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So the left side of the screen you're, you can can't see the numbers on this. But what I want you to pay attention to is the blue portion of the bars.

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So the left side of the screen is prior to the pandemic up to February 2020.

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The right side of your screen is during the pandemic so this is March 2022 February, or January 2021.

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And what we see is the blue section, more significant during the pandemic what that represents is the severity of substance use and the severity of substance use in this time period represents increased use to 20 or more times per month.

00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:34.000
During the pandemic. And so what's on the screen is alcohol stimulants

00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:49.000
methamphetamines opioids and the typical host of substances that we, we all want information, and we monitor. So there was a 46% increase in severity.

00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:58.000
However, we did see First Nations communities where there was a decline in substance use during the pandemic. There's some unique characteristics about these communities.

00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:14.000
They had put up community barriers and locked down the community to promote and protect the public health restrictions and measures to keep the community safe at their borders.

00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:29.000
However, there was a concern about what that would do to people who use drugs. What that increase the use would it exacerbate the harmful drugs coming into the community.

00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:39.000
But what they saw was community cohesion around that community border, and the protection of their public health.

00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:44.000
so lot high, high level of compliance.

00:32:44.000 --> 00:33:06.000
The reason that happened was because there was increased support by clinicians outside the community, but also a focus on building capacity of the workforce in the community that embraced culture and indigenous knowledge, and the support for those communities.

00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:27.000
Also included working across licensed or unlicensed professionals in land based environments, it also meant that they use the virtual supports available to them, and community was engaged to in regular conversations constant conversations to help them

00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:37.000
understand the impacts of CO bed, but also to focus on alternative ways of service delivery to minimize the risks.

00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:44.000
And so as a result of community treatment centers offering virtual services.

00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:56.000
They again with a drug, with this national database where we collect information, such as the drug screening inventory. We also measure the impact of culture.

00:33:56.000 --> 00:34:03.000
And so treatment centers who were registering their clients in treatment.

00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:18.000
In the addictions management information system administered the drug screening inventory but also administer the native wellness assessment class be psychological assessment to measure the impact of culture, and the outcomes of hope belonging, meaning

00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:39.000
and purpose saw consistent improvement in wellness. And so the outside ring is the exit the inside ring is the entry point and so you can see again you can't see the numbers, but you can see the differences in the two circles, where the OUTSIDE RING represents

00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:52.000
the exit so an improvement in wellness through virtual services, and a conversation that we had through a public health. working group on mental wellness of northern Canada.

00:34:52.000 --> 00:35:09.000
We saw consistent recommendations regarding substance use, with a focus on harm reduction building community capacity, ensuring rapid access to addictions medicine culturally appropriate services community based solutions and investments.

00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:20.000
These were the needs that were highlighted by the community, the communities who did not see an increase of harm related to drug use during the pandemic.

00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:24.000
where communities didn't have those supports.

00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:44.000
We can look at the determinants of health, to understand what impacts the pandemic had. And so for folks who had reported food insecurity. They were three times more likely to be using methamphetamines on a regular and consistent basis and and reported

00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:52.000
that they preferred that mess up the methamphetamine.

00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:54.000
Use.

00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:58.000
While not having access to, to food.

00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:08.000
Also, people who are experiencing homelessness or two more like two more times more likely to use methamphetamine.

00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:20.000
This might not sound really bad. It's bad enough, three times two times, you know what is the magic number to get our attention around the needs of people who use drugs.

00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:34.000
What is significant about this data is this is data from rural and remote isolated communities. And so we know that most of the harm reduction programming exists in urban environments.

00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:44.000
There are communities who reported a high rate of being impacted by gangs coming into the community.

00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:49.000
overdose poisonings and other harms to the community.

00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:58.000
Again, these are communities who did not have the structural support to address and support people who are using drugs.

00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:14.000
Furthermore, just like the previous presenter highlighted there are challenges to the wellness of the workforce. And so, the workforce and First Nations communities one community borders were locked down.

00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:36.000
They also outside of that saw the lack of capacity to meet the needs of the community. And so community workers were, you know, had had to play multiple roles and fulfill multiple responsibilities and stretch the knowledge and skills and expertise that

00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:55.000
they had to fill the needs of the community, there was a lack of access to resources, not enough personal and community experienced by outsiders external clinicians wanting to support and help the community, the colonial structures and processes that

00:37:55.000 --> 00:38:06.000
were still in place, presented a significant barrier. There was also issues again with practicing.

00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:16.000
And in service delivery attending to the needs of your client. When working from an individual perspective in the communities values are on family and community.

00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:30.000
So issues around licensing regulations, talking to family when your client is an individual, but also working with cultural practitioners in land based programming.

00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:41.000
Differences around an understanding around, personal coping and healing during the pandemic. These this workforce is also, they they live in the community.

00:38:41.000 --> 00:38:55.000
They're from the community have the same intergenerational trauma oftentimes, as the people that they are serving. And so, that becomes an issue, outside of the individual though there are systemic issues.

00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:59.000
So racism and discrimination continue to thrive.

00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:01.000
During the pandemic.

00:39:01.000 --> 00:39:04.000
So what's the agenda for change.

00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:11.000
actions to for equity requires living linguistic competency.

00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:17.000
Now that might sound, sound a little odd when we're talking about these issues.

00:39:17.000 --> 00:39:32.000
During the pandemic However, our language is the foundation of our worldview it holds the concepts of meaning that gives us evidence for supporting mental wellness.

00:39:32.000 --> 00:39:51.000
The lack of data collection and the infrastructure to support data collection and communities is a is a significant challenge. Although I've been able to share some data with you from the National addictions management information system, and through

00:39:51.000 --> 00:40:02.000
some efforts that we were able to continue during the pandemic to collect data with these communities, despite all the challenges that they were that they were facing.

00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:20.000
We're still interested in learning more, but the broader system of data collection and capacity infrastructure needs to be further developed to broaden our evidence base and there has to be continued collaboration through joint processes and processes

00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:41.000
that are focused on decolonization, it's not coming into the community anymore, with the band aid solution or the only the perspective of just a Western based conventional evidence, it has to nurture and respect the role of indigenous knowledge and evidence

00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:53.000
to support innovation, and to meet the needs. So those holistic policy considerations, it's not just about individual policy has to be considered of what impacts.

00:40:53.000 --> 00:41:07.000
There are four of policy for families and whole communities. And it isn't just one aspect, it's, it's, mind body spirit any emotions that whole the whole person perspective.

00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:12.000
And so, First Nations voice.

00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:26.000
Recognizing First Nations experts, as experts and the understanding their needs but also for developing their solutions and building capacity within First Nations community.

00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:40.000
And when we mean capacity, it's not just the number of people but it's also the wages of the workforce and First Nations communities are dismally

00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:56.000
less than significantly less than their male counterparts and so in a study that we did in 2010. We saw that the wages of this workforce is 47%, less than their counterpart parts.

00:41:56.000 --> 00:42:10.000
There have been some improvements but so have so has the the cost of living has also increased and so there's still continues to be a significant gap in compensation for the workforce.

00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:15.000
Thank you very much.

00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:27.000
Thank you very much count fabulous. And I'm starting to see some things that are cross walking between the two presentations. And now I wish I was going to be good for the discussion.

00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:33.000
Now I want to bring on Angela Robertson, please.

00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:38.000
Thank you. Thank you very much, and I'm hoping you can hear and see me Yes.

00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:40.000
Lovely. Thank you.

00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:58.000
So I will, I the benefit of going last is sometimes you get to then truncate some of what you have to say because it's been said before, so hopefully I can make up and sphere, in terms of time for us to have the good q amp a that we desire.

00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:08.000
So first I think it's important for me to state the back to normal. So when we think about the framing for the simple as you're building the new normal.

00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:15.000
Is that the skin of normal for the folks I prioritizing my remarks pre pandemic.

00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:31.000
During, and during the pandemic held and continue to hold sites of deep structural and systemic inequality. And that has been a steady normal for many of the communities who I think we are here talking about.

00:43:31.000 --> 00:43:50.000
And that for many of us that the pandemic has been in fact a fatal flaw, and that the also we have seen consistent and consistent repetition and deepening of those sites of inequality.

00:43:50.000 --> 00:44:05.000
During the pandemic that continued to really widen the material deprivation gap. And therefore, the new normal is really a new state of being.

00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:25.000
So when I think about lessons learned during this pandemic. I think it's also important to not forget that corvid is happening in the midst of an overdose epidemic an overdose crisis, we're in this province, we have seen over 2500 or almost 2500 deaths

00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:31.000
in the last year which is a significant increase from prior years.

00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:50.000
And we have also seen that the mobilized movements against anti black and the indigenous racism, the movements and the mobilization against Islamophobia violence, and the Asian heed, and that these are events happening in the same moment discovered that

00:44:50.000 --> 00:45:04.000
as you've heard from Carol earlier has continued to to also deepen and differentiate racialized indigenous bodies experience of this pandemic.

00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:24.000
So, in the conversation that I've been asked to kind of to share and reflections I want to focus my remarks in three areas. So one is I would say it's imperative for the collection of race, based and socio demographic data in our systems I was, I would

00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:37.000
say health systems but I would say systems broadly, second is that we need to focus on essential workers and equitable recovery and will speak to why that is important.

00:45:37.000 --> 00:45:54.000
And that we needed to what I see as embed the basic needs of black indigenous and other racialized populations in the provincial and national public policy and economic recovery and investment agenda.

00:45:54.000 --> 00:46:18.000
And those are kind of three pieces that I want to pick up quam spoke in the beginning about, and we heard from Carol and Carol whole Corbett has impacted differentially black indigenous low income workers for quick summary of just running through a few

00:46:18.000 --> 00:46:35.000
bits, we have seen higher rates of covert infection among racialized populations. This was confirmed by Chief of public health officer. Dr Theresa Tam, and the many public health units who were stuffy gathering some of that data.

00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:45.000
What was revealed is that 80% of coordinating cases have thus far occurred in people who identify as racialized people who are not white.

00:46:45.000 --> 00:46:56.000
We have seen higher rates of hospitalization and here in this province, Ontario where I'm sitting, is that this is also twinned with hospitalization that's irrespective of the age.

00:46:56.000 --> 00:47:12.000
Meaning that black folks, particularly for black populations for black folks who are younger, there have been hospitalized that the same rates of white folks who are older when age was identified as the risk factor, increasing coven severity, including

00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:25.000
the risk of death. And this I think speaks to what existed pre pandemic, which is chronic health conditions and sites have debt provision that increased vulnerability.

00:47:25.000 --> 00:47:35.000
I think one of the things that were significant but I think we should not forget. In the new normal is when resources, and the resource of vaccination.

00:47:35.000 --> 00:47:40.000
When vaccination was scarce in the start of the vaccine deployment effort.

00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:53.000
And we saw the supply chain issues and challenges. Is that what we saw is that communities that had the highest rates of covered also had the lowest rates of immunization.

00:47:53.000 --> 00:48:13.000
So, you know, many of us who do this work, and who are in the space of equity social justice. We're not surprised by that. But I think we must remember that in the building back, better, or the new normal, which is when we hear language of scarcity is

00:48:13.000 --> 00:48:30.000
that those of us who are in the margins and those of us who are pressed up against deprivation, need to be afraid, but we also need to be alert and vigilant and relentless because it is when we hear the language of deprivation is that we know the rationing

00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:49.000
will begin, and we will not be at the front of the line, and therefore we saw, as I said, when the vaccine was was law is that the communities who needed them the most and who were most at risk, were in fact, the ones who did not get what we also signed

00:48:49.000 --> 00:49:11.000
the pandemic. And it's that scan started collecting some new race based data in their labor force participation is that we saw that folks who identify as racialized indigenous immigrants had higher rates of financial impact and higher rates of job loss

00:49:11.000 --> 00:49:16.000
during Colgate, then all white counterparts.

00:49:16.000 --> 00:49:34.000
So, I'm running swiftly then into one two and three. So as I said, the number one being the imperative for the collection of race and socio economic data in our systems, hearing this province, the former Medical Officer of Health, Dr.

00:49:34.000 --> 00:49:51.000
David Williams. At the start of the pandemic in the face of the demand for data collection so the province did not need to collect data on race and other indicators of who is hard, who is being hardest like coffee.

00:49:51.000 --> 00:50:07.000
ethnic, or other backgrounds, they're all equally important to us, and therefore we will all get equally, what, what should be afforded to folks in this response we know that that wasn't true we know that that didn't happen.

00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:23.000
We but we also heard a similar Echo, at the same time from Public Health Agency of Canada who similarly said the federal government had no plans to collect this aggregated data on social determinants of health as risk factors for coffee 19.

00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:40.000
And what we have seen I think the impact of the pandemic makes those kinds of assertions, not just wrong but I would say dangerous, dangerous because it makes the deepening inequality invisible, and the surrenders the experience that we racialized folks

00:50:40.000 --> 00:50:58.000
indigenous folks, low income folks experience as mere anecdotes that I think then can easily be dismissed. So I would posit that mandatory mandatory collection of race and other socio demographic data collection must be part of the new normal.

00:50:58.000 --> 00:51:17.000
And it must be twinned with an engagement governance, access and protection and many of us in this space, through an equity black health equity work group framed this as a gap framework that basically envision envision is black and other racialized communities

00:51:17.000 --> 00:51:26.000
gaining control over the data that is collected and being involved in the analysis, and recommendations coming out of that data collection.

00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:44.000
The aim I think must be to use the data to improve quality. by changing practices in all parts of the system. And we know that data alone will not change the social conditions, we see our US counterpart, we're, there's a proliferation of data, they can

00:51:44.000 --> 00:51:55.000
tell you down to the footprint of a neighborhood, who is in the neighborhood, who is impacted differentially, but what we have not seen, is we have not seen that that'll lead to conditions of change.

00:51:55.000 --> 00:52:04.000
So in the new normal. We must collect the data but the collection of the data must be tuned with actions for improvement and change.

00:52:04.000 --> 00:52:09.000
Number two, essential workers and equitable recovery.

00:52:09.000 --> 00:52:29.000
I would say that one's invisible, but we know essential. There's a group of workers who have been doing personal support grocery store work custodial work in healthcare settings, retail work delivery work, poor made previously invisible, but we know essential

00:52:29.000 --> 00:52:34.000
were no made visible and publicly deemed as essential.

00:52:34.000 --> 00:52:50.000
And they were the ones who have been putting themselves and continue to put themselves at risk, and who were early in the pandemic without all the protections of PP, but still in the forefront of ensuring that we, those of us with means those of us with

00:52:50.000 --> 00:52:58.000
ability, and others got access to the essential supports that they provided.

00:52:58.000 --> 00:53:14.000
I think we must be bold and suggest that there can be no equitable recovery, without equity for those deemed essential during the pandemic. As we continue to need their essential services in the new normal.

00:53:14.000 --> 00:53:35.000
And that our ability to recover and return to the normal, the good new process relies on largely these workers who are largely racialized who comprise the group that is in the quote unquote invisible essential work category, the new normal must include

00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:50.000
I think increase minimum wage, preferably index to cost of living. And I think we must also demand the reinstatement of the wage enhancements that were given to essential workers, because they were deemed essential and valuable.

00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:55.000
And that, we also need to add to this provisions of benefits like sick time.

00:53:55.000 --> 00:54:10.000
What we have seen is that with vaccine rates, increasing and public health measures and being relaxed, is somehow know this group of ones, essential workers are no do no longer essential.

00:54:10.000 --> 00:54:17.000
And therefore, and therefore some of the investments and the wage enhancements that were provided, have no receded.

00:54:17.000 --> 00:54:23.000
And I think we need to lean in, and push for that to shift.

00:54:23.000 --> 00:54:40.000
I think this position is bolstered by the recent awarding of David Carr that the Canadian economists, based in the US the Nobel Prize, Nobel Prize for economics for pioneering research that really showed practically emphatically undeniably that increasing

00:54:40.000 --> 00:55:00.000
the minimum wage does not lead to less hiring and immigrants do not lower the rates for quote unquote native born workers in this country, and that we must use this moment to be a catalyst for pushing for those things and demanding those things in the

00:55:00.000 --> 00:55:07.000
new normal, particularly in the midst of a new government that we have where there's an opening window.

00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:17.000
I think we also should not succumb to the demonizing and union bashing when we know that there is a unionized advantage for black and indigenous workers.

00:55:17.000 --> 00:55:36.000
I remember when I, as a young student seeking to work and seeking part time work. I was always happy to find work on my new I worked in a long term care facility to find work on hospital to find work in organizations where there was a union.

00:55:36.000 --> 00:55:49.000
While I was not necessarily in the Union as a relief. As a part time as a casual worker, being in a unionized workplace, often meant that the only way Jesus was higher.

00:55:49.000 --> 00:56:06.000
So that is the unionized advantage that I think we benefit from as black and indigenous workers, low income earners, and I think we need to be cautious when we hear governments beginning to posit things that impinge on organizing and the ability for workers

00:56:06.000 --> 00:56:09.000
to organize themselves.

00:56:09.000 --> 00:56:24.000
Third I, you know, when I comment on that that we need to embed basic needs for black and indigenous and other racialized populations and the provinces and the and the net and the nation's public policy and economic recovery and investment agenda.

00:56:24.000 --> 00:56:38.000
Here I speak specifically, I want to speak specifically about black populations, but knowing that it has implications for other populations including other racialist populations and indigenous peoples.

00:56:38.000 --> 00:56:57.000
I believe when we push back against governments election cycle funding approaches and Carol mentioned that, which are oftentimes short term, small sometimes maybe larger multi year with a pilot, but always asking for us to be innovative.

00:56:57.000 --> 00:57:05.000
And, you know, the innovation to respond to, I think, income disparity is higher wages.

00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:09.000
You know how much more innovative than that can you get.

00:57:09.000 --> 00:57:26.000
But I think we must push for plans and strategies and actions that lift up what I see, and many of us here in this province, small huddle group of us are working on a black health plan that is focused on sustained health equity and structural changes

00:57:26.000 --> 00:57:45.000
for black populations plans and approaches that embed basic needs improvement strategies for black indigenous racialized populations. And I think this makes investments in things like affordable housing for justice childcare, healthcare, transportation

00:57:45.000 --> 00:57:54.000
industry and infrastructure, labor market participation income support education justice and policing.

00:57:54.000 --> 00:58:15.000
If we bring an equity and anti black racism lens to the recovery efforts to the National Public Policy efforts, then what we're seeing is that all of these things are really anti black racism and indigenous racism strategies, because affordable housing,

00:58:15.000 --> 00:58:25.000
and the need for affordable housing to respond to the homelessness crisis, I believe, is an anti black racism strategy, it isn't and the indigenous racism strategy.

00:58:25.000 --> 00:58:36.000
when we know that for folks who self identify as homeless over 30% self identify who are black and serve their self identify as indigenous.

00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:54.000
And I think I borrow from Guam here when I say that we need to, quote unquote, hard wire this approach into recovery back to normal, so that we can make tangible changes on the structural and systemic sites of deprivation, because I do not believe that

00:58:54.000 --> 00:59:14.000
we can have and we can use this moment in this moment we be used, because I think that if we don't do this, then we will not what we what we will get is the optics of change but not the substance of equitable change for black indigenous racialized and

00:59:14.000 --> 00:59:17.000
other marginalized populations.

00:59:17.000 --> 00:59:41.000
So I will just turn to, I think, Wellesley team to just bring up one slide that I just want to share in a final comment before we move to the q amp A is, I shared this particular slide, which comes from a vaccine clinic that we held in a predominantly

00:59:41.000 --> 00:59:52.000
low income, highly racialized large number of black populations, black people living in this area. The Jane Finch area here in Toronto.

00:59:52.000 --> 01:00:10.000
And this was a vaccine clinic held at a time when vaccine was scarce. And also, at a time when the talk was because vaccine is scarce. Then, I think there was also an inference that we would not bring vaccine to communities where they were headed where

01:00:10.000 --> 01:00:17.000
they were there was perceived high rates of hesitancy because basically folks would not come.

01:00:17.000 --> 01:00:19.000
This was a weekend event.

01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:35.000
April 17 and 18th. In 2021, and this was one, this became one of the largest pop up vaccine sites that was held in the first roll out of the vaccine campaign in this province.

01:00:35.000 --> 01:00:41.000
And what you see here are groups of black women.

01:00:41.000 --> 01:00:43.000
Following the vaccine.

01:00:43.000 --> 01:00:58.000
And I see I see this as an image of whole, the folks who have been pressed up against sites of deprivation sites of marginalization are ready and committed to bring care to their communities.

01:00:58.000 --> 01:01:06.000
What we don't have is we don't have the resource to enable that. And to enact that into and to bring that into be.

01:01:06.000 --> 01:01:24.000
But, if we have the resource is that folks I think this is you know harkening back to, to Carol's comment is that the community and the people in community are committed to delivering and ensuring that the community get the care it needs.

01:01:24.000 --> 01:01:35.000
So therefore, what this moment of this new normal I think calls for is enabling the community to get the resources that they need to bring back here to community.

01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:54.000
So, these black women were trusted, as well, to be the thoughts to tell the vaccine. These are precious vials in a stack of scarcity, if it breaks, that's 10 less people who would have this life saving and protective factor of vaccines and.

01:01:54.000 --> 01:02:10.000
And again, this brings the issue of trust, is that we have not been trusted to bring care to community because somehow we have also not been proceeded to be executed of strategy for the benefit of communities and I think in the new normal.

01:02:10.000 --> 01:02:23.000
We need to have the resource, and we need to be trusted, that we have the capacity and the ability to bring here and to bring good care, and to enable equity in our communities.

01:02:23.000 --> 01:02:29.000
So thank you, and looking forward to the q amp a thanks

01:02:29.000 --> 01:02:41.000
room so Natalie so can we get all of the panelists Batman so all into the same view,

01:02:41.000 --> 01:02:45.000
get everybody. Right.

01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:59.000
Wonderful. And we're going to being gallery view now spectacular. So some wonderful presentations and really like you know all slightly different, with some significant commonalities.

01:02:59.000 --> 01:03:07.000
Now I have 150 different questions I would like to ask, but we've got a number of questions that have come through.

01:03:07.000 --> 01:03:20.000
And I'm being sent by my controller and being controlled by our communications department, and thank first question from the audience.

01:03:20.000 --> 01:03:33.000
I appreciate how folks and noting that we still need the number that we are still in a number of pandemics. But while the rest of the world moves on. Many of us is still in survival.

01:03:33.000 --> 01:03:56.000
So what is the new normal. And I'm going to go to. Carolyn Carol because I think this question came in before, Angela, very clearly indicated what she thought the new normal should be from her perspective so Carol and Carol.

01:03:56.000 --> 01:04:02.000
Shall we still follow the same speaking order. No, no, just jump in.

01:04:02.000 --> 01:04:03.000
Okay.

01:04:03.000 --> 01:04:07.000
Yeah, I, I challenge.

01:04:07.000 --> 01:04:10.000
And along with others.

01:04:10.000 --> 01:04:14.000
Certainly I heard that in Angeles talk. What we need my normal.

01:04:14.000 --> 01:04:22.000
And so we have to raise the awareness of the current inequity that exists the racism that exists.

01:04:22.000 --> 01:04:34.000
And the conditions that facilitate this and some of those being the jurisdictional divides and lack of engagement in policy development.

01:04:34.000 --> 01:04:38.000
So if that's our normal.

01:04:38.000 --> 01:05:00.000
And we have no new resources to address those gaps during the pandemic. Then, how do we sustain ourselves. Following the pandemic does the new normal mean going back to the conditions that we've always lived with, or does it mean opportunity to support

01:05:00.000 --> 01:05:17.000
the innovations for example I talked about virtual treatment services seems fairly simple it's working. We're doing an evaluation. We're seeing the collection of data to help demonstrate the efficacy of those services, but no promise.

01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:29.000
So where does that promise come from province will say well that's federal government responsibility, federal government will say well provinces have responsibility for mental health, where are they in this conversation.

01:05:29.000 --> 01:05:36.000
And we're back in the ping pong. That's a continuation of the normal, the new normal.

01:05:36.000 --> 01:05:44.000
I really really I was jumping up and down and high five Angela for all of her comments, we have.

01:05:44.000 --> 01:05:49.000
We have lots of strengths.

01:05:49.000 --> 01:05:59.000
The question is, how do we get people engaged to respond. And it's not just on black and indigenous people.

01:05:59.000 --> 01:06:06.000
We have to have partnerships and that's what we were talking about in the context of reconciliation.

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It's not just indigenous people who have to engage in reconciliation it's all of Canada, who have a role to play, and reconciliation.

01:06:19.000 --> 01:06:33.000
So, yeah, what is normal, continuation of the old and the same or realizing that was there, people just didn't talk about it. Now there's more awareness.

01:06:33.000 --> 01:06:37.000
And we can use that awareness to create change.

01:06:37.000 --> 01:06:57.000
Okay, perfect. And Carol, just to give a slightly different twist on the same question at the end you gave a significant you gave a very clear and set of ideas, and how to move forward, or Estabrook sir.

01:06:57.000 --> 01:07:19.000
So, and that was clear but right early on in your presentation, you intimated that actually we needed a change in culture, because, you know, how did we get to a point how did we get to a culture where we were so neglectful of long term care and neglectful

01:07:19.000 --> 01:07:36.000
of elders that we're happy to sacrifice them in the pandemic. So what can we say about the new normal and how culture needs to change in order to change the way we think about older people.

01:07:36.000 --> 01:07:39.000
Hmm. Thank you.

01:07:39.000 --> 01:07:44.000
I'll start by saying there's a tremendous

01:07:44.000 --> 01:07:52.000
pressure to go back to the old normal in the sector I work in it, it's, it's palpable.

01:07:52.000 --> 01:07:59.000
In the standard superficial responses, we can't afford it.

01:07:59.000 --> 01:08:11.000
In my sector, But that is really a false argument because it doesn't address where we need to go and why we don't want to go there.

01:08:11.000 --> 01:08:21.000
So where we need to go. So, and, but in equities like there's an, there's an added layer in the residential long term care sector.

01:08:21.000 --> 01:08:38.000
All the vulnerabilities are there, but we have organically once voice is removed as the disease of dementia progresses, so you can't you have no more voice You are so vulnerable to the goodwill of strangers.

01:08:38.000 --> 01:08:46.000
And what's left of goodwill if there's any, even in a family left because these are people whose average age is 85.

01:08:46.000 --> 01:09:00.000
So, families are distant they're dispersed, they may be a stranger, etc etc. So this is this group is so vulnerable. We have to advocate for them, which is really kind of advocating for ourselves because there's, there's only one trajectory in life and

01:09:00.000 --> 01:09:02.000
that's aging.

01:09:02.000 --> 01:09:20.000
And then that's compounded by a workforce that's been silenced for, for many of the reasons that Angela and Carol have spoken. It's a highly racialized workforce it's a vulnerable workforce it's older women, it's in a cetera etc etc.

01:09:20.000 --> 01:09:23.000
So where do you like how are we going to approach this.

01:09:23.000 --> 01:09:41.000
Nobody I've talked to wants to talk about the root causes of why it was so catastrophic in long term care because their heart, and we don't think impolite Canadian society, we may be able to admit possibly that we have, well not really doing that well.

01:09:41.000 --> 01:09:47.000
So it's difficult enough to talk about institutionalized racism.

01:09:47.000 --> 01:10:00.000
But ageism i is also, we don't like to talk about the fact that we have treated our old adults like garbage that we can throw away in an institution and lock the door and go away.

01:10:00.000 --> 01:10:14.000
And I don't think Canadians as individuals are malevolent, I think what happens is it's more convenient to to enact the kind of benign neglect. We close the door and tell ourselves well it'll be okay, they'll be taken care of, well there.

01:10:14.000 --> 01:10:32.000
And that's not served as well so we to change culture we have to address our own feelings, our own beliefs and our own values, about aging about death, and about cognitive and intellectual disability which is good.

01:10:32.000 --> 01:10:49.000
to address our, our core values around sexism and we do not like to talk about that in polite company, and our attitudes about caregiving is women's work domestic work which has always been devalued undervalued for all sorts of historical reasons.

01:10:49.000 --> 01:10:55.000
I don't know how you just fix that. but if we don't get at those root causes.

01:10:55.000 --> 01:11:09.000
We will help. Well we've already gone back to the old normal in lots of cases we've removed the one work site policies because it was, we don't have enough supply to manage it, we have removed the incentives financially.

01:11:09.000 --> 01:11:23.000
We haven't moved to unionization where there isn't No, we haven't changed the structure of ownership in terms of private for profit and public not for profit or regulated the private for profit sector, which can be done it's difficult but it can be done.

01:11:23.000 --> 01:11:35.000
So it was already slipping back. And now we're, we're I think what's going to happen what could happen in long term care if we are vigilant, is a death by incremental ism.

01:11:35.000 --> 01:11:53.000
Okay, so we will raise the hours, which are now at about three points, three in the country. 20 years ago they should have been 4.1 they probably should be 5.7 or six right now will raise them by fractions.

01:11:53.000 --> 01:12:09.000
If they aren't going to make the kind of substantial difference in a mess just one of many things so the old normal being the new normal is one of the things I think that terrifies us the most in, in, in the sector where so many things come together in

01:12:09.000 --> 01:12:26.000
terms of what's out in the community. Okay, so I think we've got a few questions so I'm going to come through I'm going to try and make sure we rattle through the questions and get your best responses, and some of them are coming from the audience are

01:12:26.000 --> 01:12:36.000
a bit challenging so you're not going to be able to do all of them so if we can keep it focused. So question to, we're so used to being at the end of the line.

01:12:36.000 --> 01:12:52.000
So we mobilize on our own, and still not listen to how do we get policymakers and decision makers. Actually, operationalize high level equity frameworks, rather than to pitch rating.

01:12:52.000 --> 01:13:08.000
The current racial inequities using actual evidence, coupled with lift experience is not seen to move policy, Angela, and Carol Hopkins.

01:13:08.000 --> 01:13:14.000
I saw that question coming on.

01:13:14.000 --> 01:13:24.000
But taking taking a go effete, I'll just use maybe the example of some of the approaches that some of us have taken in a small cluster in Ontario.

01:13:24.000 --> 01:13:38.000
So I come from the, you know, as I, you know, feminist collective, which is, you know, all you need is, you know, you need to women at our kitchen table to mobilize a strategy and many things are possible.

01:13:38.000 --> 01:14:03.000
And I think my approach and the approach that I kind of recommend is one way or even if it is a small group is that the site of intervention that we seek our is the site, we're there are the system leaders who are making decisions and advancing structural

01:14:03.000 --> 01:14:12.000
and policy changes and pulling them into a conversation so oftentimes we end up being called to a meeting.

01:14:12.000 --> 01:14:30.000
I do the reverse I love to call a meeting and have other folks come to that meeting, because it means that what folks are coming to is an agenda that we have set that we are saying this is the agenda, we know want to become your agenda.

01:14:30.000 --> 01:14:49.000
So one is the shifting that orientation, oftentimes, we are, we, we positioned to be asked to be invited in. And for me, I think this moment calls for an opens a window of a little bit of the reverse that I think then enables that I think then also positions.

01:14:49.000 --> 01:14:58.000
As I said in my third point is about getting the structural systemic strategies.

01:14:58.000 --> 01:15:18.000
And as the sites have changes that we want embedded in the public policy agenda that is moving forward, and they will be pushed back because there's oftentimes the attempt to then assuage acquiesce sideline by, by giving you a small pockets of funding

01:15:18.000 --> 01:15:21.000
and sometimes it's very attractive when you are without.

01:15:21.000 --> 01:15:29.000
Yeah. And we get seduced by the 24 million over a year over two years for something.

01:15:29.000 --> 01:15:46.000
But that really is only about a particular program it's not about the system around us. So every cycle we come back to those parts of 24 million or 12 million, and I'm saying, No, I don't want your money.

01:15:46.000 --> 01:15:59.000
I want you to hold the money. And I want to change. And you have accountability for delivering that change to me so that's kind of just an orientation that I've come to.

01:15:59.000 --> 01:16:16.000
In addition to taking to the streets of course because I think you need the beginning, I think you need the two sandwiches. I think you need the streets and I think you need those, what I call, provisional alliances table to embed strategies in national

01:16:16.000 --> 01:16:18.000
and public interest policies.

01:16:18.000 --> 01:16:22.000
Perfect. Terror Hopkins.

01:16:22.000 --> 01:16:31.000
Wow, that was well said Angela, I'm not sure what I can add on to that, but I'll try.

01:16:31.000 --> 01:16:52.000
I think, while I was listening to your response that I wholeheartedly champion and believe in as well, is that we have an issue, a problem where we have internalized oppression, and we have internalized colonization.

01:16:52.000 --> 01:17:09.000
And so we're afraid to believe that change is possible. And so we need those champions to facilitate conversations that get at the fear get at the false beliefs that it's not possible.

01:17:09.000 --> 01:17:13.000
I often hear, you know.

01:17:13.000 --> 01:17:27.000
First Nations governments and workforces talk about the proposals that they wrote that didn't get funded, and in the response, it was, we would you don't have enough data, we need to have the data to demonstrate the need.

01:17:27.000 --> 01:17:34.000
And so the data is produced but it's not the right kind of data, it's not valued.

01:17:34.000 --> 01:17:45.000
Then there's the worldview challenges when we put forward this framework that says culture is the foundation we have to use our own knowledge and our own culture to make the difference.

01:17:45.000 --> 01:18:06.000
But there's the space of ambiguity, and we're not comfortable living in that space of ambiguity, where the expert says, I don't really understand, but I want to understand and First Nation say well I don't really trust you with the sacred precious knowledge

01:18:06.000 --> 01:18:19.000
that you're going to really understand and use it to support our needs. And so we're in the space of fear of mistrust and a history that demonstrates.

01:18:19.000 --> 01:18:29.000
It's not just made up over and over again we see these challenges before us and so in those spaces.

01:18:29.000 --> 01:18:50.000
It is the courage, it is the tenacity, but it's also having those partners, alongside and championing your voice helping you to articulate, you know, whether it's black people indigenous people to articulate those policy objectives to articulate the need,

01:18:50.000 --> 01:19:09.000
facilitating. Let's massage the message this way. Let's invite this group to a conversation. So, the supporters. The allies. They're absolutely necessary for facilitating a way forward that champions.

01:19:09.000 --> 01:19:22.000
Population populations of need, black people indigenous people work forces that are marginalized forgotten about the population that they serve to support, and to work alongside.

01:19:22.000 --> 01:19:39.000
So I'm going to try and get to because that's fabulous and I think we're moving here nicely. London and try and get a couple of more questions in but we only got five minutes left, so the first one, which is how can we expose the contradictions in policy

01:19:39.000 --> 01:19:44.000
and practice in the new normal out in the public.

01:19:44.000 --> 01:19:53.000
So how can we expose the contradictions in policy and practice and the new normal out in the public, people saying there is a new normal when it's the old normal.

01:19:53.000 --> 01:20:03.000
And the problem is in the new normal. What can we do about exposing that and gap between policy and practice.

01:20:03.000 --> 01:20:05.000
Everybody can jump in.

01:20:05.000 --> 01:20:31.000
Well, one, one medium is social media. It has quite a presence and has raised the profile of racism indigenous population so unfortunately the experience of Joyce ash upon in a Quebec hospital called attention to the racism experienced by indigenous people

01:20:31.000 --> 01:20:34.000
in the health care system in Canada.

01:20:34.000 --> 01:20:36.000
And it was through social media.

01:20:36.000 --> 01:20:49.000
social media raised the attention of the new populations that were had high rates of suicide, and there was no response to that so when they expose that story.

01:20:49.000 --> 01:20:57.000
Nationally, it went worldwide. There was a response from the federal government, But I'm.

01:20:57.000 --> 01:20:59.000
It shouldn't be.

01:20:59.000 --> 01:21:15.000
To that extent where we're pushing hard, but it's necessary. And so I'll just say social media is one way to expose those discrepancies and gaps and contradictions.

01:21:15.000 --> 01:21:28.000
So in the modern world social media, and as Andrew saying, saying getting out on the streets are a similar thing can be similar things or at least compliment complimentary things.

01:21:28.000 --> 01:21:30.000
Yeah.

01:21:30.000 --> 01:21:35.000
I can't read his books I can see that you've unmuted.

01:21:35.000 --> 01:21:40.000
Well, the social media comments interesting because we've worked.

01:21:40.000 --> 01:21:55.000
Locally, we have a national program but we've worked quite aggressively to create a social media presence in its we hit a ceiling we did really well and then we hit a ceiling and we just can't move beyond and I think part of it is that we look at the

01:21:55.000 --> 01:22:10.000
profile of our users and they tend to be white women between 55 and 70, and we have tried everything to penetrate other groups, but the social media work we're trying to do is on behalf of others.

01:22:10.000 --> 01:22:15.000
In, we, it's very hard to mobilize the same cohort certain community.

01:22:15.000 --> 01:22:36.000
And so I it's a conundrum to me how to maximize social media because we have not had much success at penetrating younger populations are different demographic profiles so I understand fully how powerful social media can be.

01:22:36.000 --> 01:22:45.000
But when you're always advocating on behalf of a group the people that socially we don't think is that important.

01:22:45.000 --> 01:22:50.000
I mean, we don't or we wouldn't do what we do.

01:22:50.000 --> 01:22:56.000
I'm curious about how, if that's actually the right Avenue here.

01:22:56.000 --> 01:23:13.000
The media the regular media has been more effective, I think in the areas that I work in and finding and finding people whose lives have been personally touched but of course the people in power, don't often encounter.

01:23:13.000 --> 01:23:15.000
I mean others know this better than I do.

01:23:15.000 --> 01:23:25.000
But it's better for us in that way they all have moms and dads, and sometimes despite their wealth and their connections and their best efforts, they can't make it right.

01:23:25.000 --> 01:23:40.000
And so that's one of the strategies I think in working with older adults that we can find it because if you can find a minister of health or, or a prime minister or a deputy or a civil senior civil servant, or a well known media person who's been touched

01:23:40.000 --> 01:23:45.000
painfully by the problems in this part of the system.

01:23:45.000 --> 01:23:53.000
It's easier to make some things, loose the problem is, is that that's one person in one sphere.

01:23:53.000 --> 01:24:00.000
It takes a lot of them together to solve it. I don't know the solutions but we keep trying different strategies.

01:24:00.000 --> 01:24:08.000
So, Angela we're right up against the end of it so I just wanted to give you the last word before we start to wind down.

01:24:08.000 --> 01:24:26.000
I agree with the in terms of the Carolyn Carol's comment about in terms of social media but also some of social media is limitation, the possibilities because I think social media has certainly enabled, kind of, you know what, you know we call a kind

01:24:26.000 --> 01:24:48.000
of democratizing off of communications in a way that I think does enable folks to to put stories old and agitate and push so I think that's one it doesn't work for all of the strategy so I think the the media the the main quote unquote mainstream media

01:24:48.000 --> 01:25:04.000
is another sphere and I think many of us who did the push on the data response data collection, use that as the medium and that was quite effective and and then I think the other piece that I think it's also about printing, all because I think the other

01:25:04.000 --> 01:25:23.000
piece for me is also about calling the question. So it's being also very direct and direct directive, about the question that we're seeking to call, or the policy contradiction that we're wanting to save and lift up and for me it's always, not just calling

01:25:23.000 --> 01:25:40.000
the question, but having a solution. And this I've learned from you quam is, you know, if you call the question. And if you cite the problem is also site and bring forward solutions because oftentimes the assumption we make is that the people who are

01:25:40.000 --> 01:25:50.000
doing the planning have another solution, and sometimes they don't. Are the solution they have. It's the wrong solution that will certainly not produce what we need.

01:25:50.000 --> 01:25:58.000
So for me it's always doing that, but bringing a solution to the table our solutions and strategies to the table.

01:25:58.000 --> 01:25:59.000
Thank you.

01:25:59.000 --> 01:26:15.000
Thank you very much, we're right at the end, we're at the end of today's event is called quickly brilliant wonderfully engaging discussions from different areas but coming to the same question of what the new normal really love the fact that we cited

01:26:15.000 --> 01:26:32.000
problem but will also cited solutions, but also that those solutions have fundamentally asked for fundamental change and of course we need fundamental change, but really like to thank Carol Angela and Carol, wonderful presentations wonderfully engaging

01:26:32.000 --> 01:26:40.000
presentations and loved it at the end when we started getting in the walk next.

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I really love, and thank everybody who's been attended who's attended and virtually and you probably know that we had over 350 people sign up and a couple of hundred people attended and will often on top of that I'm sure people will be looking for the

01:26:58.000 --> 01:26:58.000
video.

01:26:58.000 --> 01:27:14.000
video reminder that our next panel is on Wednesday the 27th of October, and it's not too late to register, and we'll be discussing housing and health at that time in the New button new normal and hope to see you there.

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Now, as soon as we finish here, because we're evidence base will be a short survey that will appear on your screen in your browser, and we'd really appreciate your feedback on today's event, so that we can continue to improve.

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So thank you everybody. Stay safe, and goodbye.

01:27:42.000 --> 01:27:47.000
Great job, everyone. thank you so much for the opportunity

01:27:47.000 --> 01:27:53.000
to you. Likewise. Likewise, thank you. Thank you.

01:27:53.000 --> 01:28:04.000
Thank you Michael for bringing this home perfect work. Thank you so much for getting everybody on and this one's worked out nicely so thank you very much.

01:28:04.000 --> 01:28:09.000
Thank you. Thank you. Brilliant tend to they're very, very much. Thank you.

01:28:09.000 --> 01:28:10.000
Angela.

01:28:10.000 --> 01:28:40.000
Bye. Thanks. Bye bye.