Thanks for signing our petition! 

We are trying to limit harms to Ontario's children and youth from COVID-19 control measures by asking the province to empower local Medical Officers of Health to make decisions about whether things like schools can safely operate in their community. 

Personal emails to the elected officials and bureaucrats involved in decisions about Ontario’s COVID response are important for bring about change. You can use the below templates for adults and students to help us achieve this goal.

Emails: 

premier@ontario.ca, christine.elliott@ontario.ca, minister.edu@ontario.ca,    dr.david.williams@ontario.ca,  Barbara.Yaffe@ontario.ca, Alison.Blair@ontario.ca, nancy.naylor@ontario.ca, helen.angus@ontario.ca 

Adult letter: 

Dear Premier Ford, Minister Elliot, Minister Lecce, Dr. Williams, Dr. Yaffee, Ms. Blair, Ms. Nayloy, and Ms. Angus,

I am a [description of who you are. Example: a parent of a Grade One Student] in [community]. My child(ren)/patients/clients have struggled a lot over the past year. Here’s how [describe].

In fact, children, youth, and their families are struggling all around me. While I believe that the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic requires evidence-based and data-driven strategies to limit the harm to society, I am deeply concerned about the unintended harms that some measures are having on Ontario’s children and youth. 

I am writing to ask that you support a regionalized approach to COVID-19 control measures to ensure that the health, well-being, and development of children and youth is at the centre of those decisions that substantially impact their daily lives and futures, as described in the attached Open Letter. 

Signatories to this letter include Queen’s University faculty in the Departments of Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Public Health, Psychology, Occupational Therapy; healthcare workers from Kingston Health Sciences Centre; children’s mental health organizations; family doctors; educators; as well as parents, grandparents, and others who care about children.

Data show that communities across Ontario are experiencing COVID-19 differently, as is the capacity to test, trace and isolate. For this reason, we believe that a regionalized approach to COVID-19 control measures is the best way to ensure that the health, well-being, and development of children and youth is at the centre of decisions that substantially impact their daily lives and futures. 

Sincerely,

[your name]

Student letter: 

Dear Dear Premier Ford, Minister Elliot, Minister Lecce, Dr. Williams, Dr. Yaffee, Ms. Blair, Ms. Nayloy, and Ms. Angus,

I am a [description of who you are. Example: a Grade Four student] in [community]. I have struggled a lot over the past year. Here’s how [describe. Example: bored and lonely, more fights with parents and siblings, etc]. In fact, my friends and classmates are also struggling. 

It is so important that you find a way to get us back into school, before and after school programs, and extracurriculars. I know there is a big problem in Ontario, but COVID-19 hasn’t been a big problem in my community or school. The biggest problem for me and other kids in my community is being out of school. 

The best thing you can do for kids like me is to let our Medical Officer of Health decide if it’s safe in our community for kids to be in schools, after-school programs, camps, and extracurriculars. 

Sincerely,

[your name]