Blog Post
Ottawa
Today is International Women’s Day; a day which I am truly thankful for all the women who have worked tirelessly, past and present, towards a more equitable world where all voices are heard. I take this day to reflect on the women that came before me and the work that we have to continue to do in their honour.
Blog Post
Ottawa
As promised we’ve got lots of news to share with you this month. The Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation had a banner year in 2023. We produced more special events, original content, research projects, and educational materials than ever before!
This year we’re building from that success. You’ll see us in more places with more exciting programs for you to participate in throughout the year. All of this growth is thanks to our supporters like you.
We hope you enjoy our update this month.
Blog Post
Ottawa
We hope you have had a good start to the year. We’ve got lots of important information and event announcements to share with you this month.
Thank you to those who supported us last year with a donation and helped us advance social democracy! You allow us to continue the important work we do, being the only charity in Canada to promote social democracy and carry on our founders' legacies. With your support we were able to create new research, establish an annual lecture series, new scholarships, new training for activists, and an interview series with social democrat leaders. And, this year we have even more content to deliver and special event plans to share with you.
Your charitable tax receipts are on the way!
Blog Post by Josh Bizjak
Blog Post
Ottawa
The Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation Board of Directors and Staff along with friends and family mourn one of Canada’s prominent and influential social democratic thinkers. We offer our sincerest and most heartfelt condolences to our country and everyone who loved our dear friend Ed Broadbent.
2023 has been a banner year for the charity that Tommy Douglas founded over 50 years ago. Thanks to our members, donors, and supporters like you, we've been able to produce more important educational projects and special events to promote the benefits of social democracy than ever before! We hope you’ve enjoyed the exceptional content of our programme this year. It was a pleasure for our staff and board members to meet and greet thousands of people across Canada to introduce them to the value of our charity. All of our good work can be found for your convenience on our website: www.DouglasColdwellLayton.ca
Please take a moment to review all of our good work this past year while you consider making a kind and generous Year-End donation to our charity and the promotion of social democracy in Canada.
Charitable Year-End donations can be made using this link: www.douglascoldwelllayton.ca/year_end_2023
Dear friends,
I sincerely hope that you have had a good year. The staff and Board of Directors of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation for Social Democracy send their best regards to you and your loved ones. This letter includes our 2023 Year-End Report: Taking Action and Promoting Social Democracy. We’re very proud of the work we’ve done – please take a moment to read about what we’ve accomplished with your support.
First, we must acknowledge the chaos that sadly surrounds us today. We are witnessing conflicts, war, famine, natural disasters, and horrific tragedies all around the world, and we are asking world leaders to work for peace and security for all. As well, neither can we shy away from the problems our country is facing and the major challenges we have here at home.
The persistent colonial injustice against Indigenous people, the recent rise of racism, and hatred toward 2SLGBTQ+ people, the disastrous effects of climate change, labour injustices, growing income inequality, our seniors being mistreated and dismissed, children living in poverty, people living without adequate shelter and housing, and, the crisis facing our universal healthcare system and social safety net which have been consistently undermined.
Dear friends in labour,
I sincerely hope that you and your family, and colleagues have had a wonderful year. The staff and Board of Directors of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation send their best regards to you and your sisters and brothers.
It’s a pleasure to bring you and your union up to speed on all of our activities and projects we have in the works this year and next. It is my hope that you share this information with your executive board at your next meeting.
As you know, over the last two years we have been working to revitalize the charity that Tommy Douglas himself founded in 1971 so that we can educate people about the merits of Social Democracy and unionization in Canada. This charity is also now the home of Jack Layton’s Legacy - I know Jack would be proud of our mission, and your union’s participation.
Tommy Douglas and Jack Layton believed strongly that social good must come from a collaborative relationship with Labour Unions to educate the public at large. Evidence of this goes all the way back to Tommy’s efforts in bringing the CLC and CCF together in the formation of the NDP, and Jack’s tenacity in the house of commons in loyal defense of unions.
Here’s what our “Partner” union leaders have to say about our strategy to promote social democracy:
“The United Steelworkers union was proud to be the first union sponsor of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation Union Partner Program. The foundation has an important role in shaping and growing progressive values and our shared hope for a better, more equitable future.” Marty Warren, National Director, USW Canada
"UFCW Canada is a proud sponsor of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation Union Partner Program. The Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation is a force for social change, research, and education to help strengthen our movement and our union allies.” Paul Meinema, President, UFCW Canada
“The Foundation is playing an essential role in the promotion of social democracy in Canada and educating Canada’s activists with the latest thinking based on those social democratic values. As part of the labour movement, we’re proud of our support for the Douglas Coldwell Layton foundation.” Jeffier Carr, President, PIPSC
“Ontario’s Professional Employees are proud to partner with Douglas Coldwell Layton for two key reasons. The research they perform and the education they offer. Good ideas don’t become thoughtful policy without the nourishment of collective opinion, expert input, and careful analysis. Young progressives don’t flourish without the nourishment that comes from learning from the leaders of our social democratic past or without exposure to provocative, progressive policy ideas. DCL provides all of that and more.” Dave Bulmer, President & CEO, AMAPCEO
I am delighted to report our restoration efforts have been a success thanks to the support of labour unions who have stepped up to help. Thank you!
Thanks to this support we have been able to build a solid and stable annual programme of work in the promotion of Social Democracy;
You can see more about our initiatives this year in our 2023 Year End Report here.
Friends, although we’ve been successful in the restoration of Tommy’s charity, there is so much more work to be done. We have only just scratched the surface of what is possible.
Most Canadian provincial governments lack multi-year capital plans to build long term care and no province with a plan is sufficient to meet the expected demands for long term care caused by an aging population, according to our analysis of provincial documents.
Many provincial ministries of health or long term care have developed strategic plans that acknowledge the coming bulge in Canada’s senior population. Many are orienting themselves to a goal of “age in place.” However, no provincial strategy document shows how much such a re-orientation can reduce the demand for long term care beds. “Age in place” appears as more of a hope than a plan.
Research to Reality: Improving mental health though workplace change and access to unions
Summary
Our findings: workplace change can improve mental health and unions can help
One in three Canadians’ work regularly leaves them mentally hurt and struggling to find work-life balance, but a union can help mental health and well-being, according to our research Our survey with Abacus Research confirms what a lot of us, our friends or a family member are experiencing.
Blog Post
Ottawa
The past two months have been an exciting time here at the DCLF going from coast to coast promoting social democracy with our annual lecture series with stops in Halifax and Victoria. Plus, a book launch in our Ottawa office, and promoting our work with a membership drive at the NDP Federal Convention this past weekend.
But it doesn’t stop there. Looking forward, we have two major events next month including the David Lewis Lecture on November 1st at the University of Toronto with Havard Professor and the architect of Barack Obama’s field campaign Marshall Ganz, as well as our marquee fundraising event in Ottawa on November 22nd; The Mouseland Gala.
Blog Post
Ottawa
We hope you are all soaking up the sun as we are now in the heart of summer. Despite the temptations of beautiful weather it’s been another productive couple months for us as we get ready for all the exciting events we have lined up for you the rest of the year.
It’s also been a busier than usual few weeks in the office for our staff. Just last month they attended the Canadian Forum on Public Education hosted by the Canadian Teachers Federation, published the first phase of our research on Seniors Care and Long Term Care, and sent out a special mailing to all of our donors and strongest supporters on the healthcare crisis facing Candians. Plus, they’ve been organizing a number of special initiatives that you can enjoy both in-person and virtually including the Layton Legacy Awards, and a brand new Podcast series!
Please read on to hear about all the exciting things we’ve got going on this summer to advance social democracy in Canada.
In this discovery phase of our research on Seniors Care and Long Term Care we explore the crisis that exists today for aging Canadians and delve into the issues and challenges facing our country in the future. This first phase of our research allows us to determine what information exists today, what is missing, and helps guide the next phase of our research work.
By Tom Parkin
Low birthrates and longer life expectancies have dramatically increased the average age of people in Canada, but it’s already clear Canadians do not have the retirement income or care support for this growing population.
Blog Post
Ottawa
From all of us at Tommy’s charity; we hope you are having a nice start to your summer. We just wrapped up our Annual General Meeting which was a success and we have a ton of exciting news and events to look forward to.
