Newmarket-Aurora MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy writes a regular column for NewmarketToday about provincial initiatives and issues impacting our community.
The fall season is a busy time for community events in Newmarket-Aurora and throughout this great province.
It’s harvest time for farmers and a time of celebration for many faiths and backgrounds.
October commenced with the marking of the 25th anniversary of Agriculture Week in Ontario. In celebration, the government introduced Dine Ontario, which has been a concerted effort across the province to demonstrate the value of growing and producing good-quality food and beverages close to home, resulting in an amazing dining experience in a local restaurant.
Three local restaurants participated this year, Ristorante Orsini in Newmarket, and in Aurora, Sweet Dutchess and WickedEats. I had the pleasure of featuring their efforts and tasting their great cuisine over the past week. Our local restaurants need all the support we can provide right now, and what a great way to experience all the good things grown and made in Ontario.
#DineOnt @orsini_ristorante Celebrating 25th anniversary of Agriculture Week! Their pumpkin crème brulée was out of this world. #thankyou to Mike & James for an amazing Ontario fresh dining experience.
— Dawn Gallagher Murphy (@MurphyGallagher) October 4, 2023
Wonderful to sneak in a date night w/my ever so supportive & loving husband. pic.twitter.com/sqQxN4ZrYC
Did you know?
- In 2022, Ontario’s agri-food industry contributed $48.8 billion in gross domestic product to the provincial economy (6.3 per cent of total Ontario GDP), increasing 4.6 per cent from 2021.
- In 2022, Ontario’s agri-food industry employed more than 836,000 people (836,029), up 11.3 per cent from the 2021 level of roughly 751,200.
- The agri-food sector represents 10.8 per cent of the province’s total labour force. Roughly one in every 10 jobs in Ontario was related to the agri-food sector in 2022.
- Ontario farmers work seven days a week, 365 days a year to ensure that their products, whether that be livestock or crops, can make it to shelves on time, and in good quality.
- Ensuring we support Ontario farmers is critical to driving growth in our provincial supply chains and meeting the goal of increasing the amount of food grown and produced in the province by 30 per cent by 2032.
Investment announcements for York Region Public Health, York Region Paramedic Services
Such an honour to visit the new Municipality of York Region offices to announce some significant investments for public health care and emergency care services. Making health care more convenient for Ontarians by connecting residents to care closer to home is our government’s priority. By building a stronger public health system and ensuring access to emergency care, the residents of York Region will receive improved access to care.
- To strengthen public health, nearly $65 million to York Region this year to help cover increased costs, which includes additional base funding of more than $4.9 million, plus additional one-time funding of more than $5.7 million.
- Increasing land ambulance funding for York Region by over seven per cent, bringing the province’s total investment this year to over $50.4 million.
- Investing $2.4 million for hiring nurses to help with offloading ambulance patients at hospital emergency departments and ensure paramedics can get back out in the community faster. This is part of the government’s additional provincial funding of $51 million in the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program over the next three years.
First PET-CT scanner in York Region at Southlake
Pleased to be present at Southlake Regional Health Centre’s unveiling of a new PET-CT simulator scanner at the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre. Our government invested more than $2.8 million to support the addition of York Region’s first PET-CT scanner, ensuring Southlake can continue to provide world-class care to cancer patients with this state-of-the-art equipment.
Now, approximately 1,200 residents in our community of Newmarket-Aurora and surrounding areas will be able to receive the advanced cancer care they need and deserve, right here at Southlake. For patients, this means an earlier diagnosis and tailor-made treatments. This equipment is a game changer.
I thank the physicians as well as the medical radiation technologists as they are the foundation of our health-care system. It takes their professional care to ensure patients receive the treatments needed to improve their health and well-being.
Community barbecue
MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy’s second annual community barbecue is Sunday, Oct. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Riverwalk Commons, Newmarket. Looking forward to chatting with constituents at my annual community barbecue. Join me for food, music, and fun for the whole family.
