Building Our Community Together

2023 Update from MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy

Since my last review, I have been honoured to attend many inspiring local events, including: Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association’s Explore Islam Exhibition, Black History Month Gala and presenting the ABC Music Award to George St. Kitts, hosted a Non-Profit Appreciation week event recognizing 22 of our amazing community partners for all the work they do to support our residents, participating in the Nature’s Emporium Run for Southlake, and hosting a community viewing of King Charles III coronation.

Ontario’s non-profit sector is the largest in Canada, with over 58,000 registered charities and non-profit organizations that offer a wide range of services to children, families and seniors including mental health support, seniors’ services, homeless shelters, services for people who have experienced violence, skills development, specialized help for children, support for people with disabilities, and family support services to programs that promote arts and culture, environmental sustainability and recreation. I was honoured to host an event in Newmarket on February 16th to thank the staff and volunteers of twenty-two of our local non-profit organizations for everything they do to help build a strong community. I thanked them for their incredible work and dedication to our community members.

Thrilled to host my first Seniors Month Community Connections Expo at the beginning of June in Newmarket. The goal of this event was to bring together organizations that seek to support, serve, and engage seniors in our community. Together with the Minister of Seniors and Accessibility, Raymond Cho, and his Parliamentary Assistant, Daisy Wai, we hosted a roundtable to hear from seventeen organizations from across Newmarket—Aurora and discuss how we can further assist them in their goals to support seniors. Looking forward to next year’s expo.

Since January 2023, I have had the pleasure of sharing funding announcements across Newmarket Aurora riding including:

• An investment of $36.7M to the Municipality of York Region in the homelessness prevention program which represented a 76% increase in annual funding.

• Over $30 million in additional one-time funding to support York Region Public Health with the extraordinary costs incurred while working to prevent, monitor, detect, and contain COVI-19 in the region.

• Girls Inc. York Region received two grants through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) totaling over $400,000 to assist with after school programs.

• Bluedoor received a $349,000 OTF grant to help them recover from COVID-19 through OTF.

• Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) received an OTF grant of $167,100 over two years.

• More than $145,000 to Marquee Theatrical Productions through the OTF Resilient Communities Fund grant.

• A Resilient Communities Fund grant of $104,000 to the CMHA.

• $102,876 split between Town of Aurora Seniors Centre and Town of Newmarket.

• CAYR Community Connections received a $12,900 OTF Resilient Communities Fund grant.

It is with great honour that I represent the people and families of Newmarket—Aurora at Queen’s Park. Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing you out in the community!