Protecting the Wellbeing of Water: A Letter to Premier Ford

Ontario's water sources are under stress from climate change, land development, and population growth. That's why water permits (an important tool in assessing, monitoring and managing water sources) are important. They can help Ontario to pursue economic development within a wider vision that protects the wellbeing of water.

We invite you to read the attached letter from our Federation Office for Systemic Justice to Premier Ford expressing concerns about water and reminding the government that “it is more important than ever to have ongoing and careful assessments of the frequency and quantity of water-taking permits [which] requires strong structures for tracking, evaluating, and managing cumulative withdrawals across water sources…”.

Read the letter here.

-Sister Sue Wilson, csj

Image: David Becker @beckerworks/Unsplash

World Day for Social Justice

On this World Day of Social Justice, I've decided to highlight a troubling practice at the heart of capitalism, that is, the practice of socializing losses and privatizing gains. While it is certainly not the only inequitable pattern in capitalism, this flow of money from the government (public) to private corporations and wealthy citizens underlies many social injustices. For instance, it undermines the government's capacity to create strong social protections such as robust systems for health care, pharma care, dental care, education, child care, senior care, and work inspections.  

Here's the thing. Privatizing profits and socializing losses means that a company's profit earnings can go to shareholders while passing part (or all) of the losses to society (to taxpayers).  It's a practice that often occurs through government interventions such as bailouts, subsidies or cost-sharing arrangements for infrastructure projects where the public takes on the risks of any losses. Some examples include subsidies to the oil sector, the government paying for environmental clean-ups, and financial supports to banks during the 2008-2009 Financial Crisis.

Let's take a quick look at the Financial Crisis. Although Canadian banks remained relatively stable, the federal government still provided billions of dollars in support by purchasing mortgage assets from banks. This action seemed to be based on the assumption that allowing banks to collapse would cause widespread economic downturns and have much worse impacts on the working population than the rescues. However, the fact that banks continued to pay dividends to shareholders and award executive bonuses during this time, seems to suggest that this was about more than simply lessening any impact on the working population.

Maybe it's time we all do a little more thinking about how our economy works. Then we might be motivated to act for change.

-Sister Sue Wilson, CSJ

Image: Greg Rosenke @greg_rosenke/Unsplash

Write for Rights 2025

On November 28th we once again hosted our annual Write for Rights event in London! Beginning in Poland as a letter writing marathon to advocate for human rights in 2001, Amnesty International’s event has since grown into a global movement. These letters are sent to government officials across the globe to call for the end of unjust imprisonments, violence, and other human rights violations. Having been long supporters of Amnesty International, the Sisters of St. Joseph have been hosting their own Write for Rights events in London for over a decade.

Image: Marc Ignacio/Unsplash

This year we lost three vocal supporters of Amnesty International. Our dear Sisters Jean Moylan, Olga Barilko, and Nancy Wales are all remembered for their kindness and compassion to those facing hardship in all walks of life. While it was difficult to focus on the wider world with our own hearts still heavy with grief, it is in Sister Jean, Sister Olga, and Sister Nancy’s memory that we continue to advocate for human rights for all.

In 2025, we focused on three cases highlighted by Amnesty International: the Guerreras por la Amazonía climate defenders in Ecuador, Damisoa and the displaced people of Madagascar, and Sonia Dahmani, a lawyer and media commentator in  Tunisia charged for exercising her right to freedom of expression. To champion these three individuals, the Sisters and staff in London gathered 170 petition signatures and wrote 187 letters of advocacy and support.

Words have the power to change!

 -Sarah Morrison & Rhiannon Allen-Roberts | CSJ Staff

Pictured below: Sisters Anne, Joyce, Elaine, Teresa and Mary Raphael, and Susan -Writing for Rights.

Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes

Recently in my inbox, I received a fundraising email from Opportunity International. I get many of these appeals, as many of us do. However, this one stayed with me. Not because of the ask, but because of the insight it offered.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his/her point of view. Until you climb into his/her skin and walk around in it."

— Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Opportunity International is a nonprofit organization working to break the cycle of poverty through microfinance and community investment. Their appeal began with a deep human challenge: “Imagine standing in your home with just a few dollars left in your hand. You must choose between buying food for your children or sending them to school.” This was not a hypothetical situation. It was a real dilemma that I now faced.

Opportunity International created an interactive experience called Impossible Decisions.  It invites you step into the shoes of Miriam, mother of three in Northern Ghana. As Miriam, you are asked to make a series of painful choices. Difficult choices in which every option carries a cost. With each decision, you see the consequences, not in abstract terms, but in deep personal, human ones.

The experience does not last long, but it is powerful. You are no longer just an observer of poverty or injustice. For a few minutes, you are the person living it. This brief experience reminded me that for many, the choices agonized over are not between good and bad, but between two bad options. Walking in Mariam’s shoes left me more aware, more humbled, and hopefully, more compassionate.

"When you understand the suffering of another person, that understanding brings compassion and the desire to help."

— Thich Nhat Hanh

If you're looking for a meaningful way to broaden your perspective today, I encourage you to take a few minutes and walk through Impossible Decisions. It will not take long, but I predict it will leave a mark. https://opportunityinternational.ca/impossible-decisions/

You will walk away not just more informed, but more connected. And maybe, like me, with a fuller heart.

-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

Image: Saulo Meza/Unsplash

Be Seen. Be Heard. Be part of the Change.

“The act of voting is the most important act a citizen can perform in a democracy.”
— Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer from 1990 to 2007

Many young Canadians, sadly, have not been exercising their right to vote. In the last three federal elections, 2015, 2019, and 2021, voter turnout among eligible voters, ages 18 to 24, has declined. In fact, this age group had the lowest turnout of all voter demographics in the 2021 federal election. These trends are concerning and do not bode well for the future of engaged citizenship.

According to Elections Canada’s 2015 National Youth Survey, many young people feel that their voting will not make a difference. They also believe that the government does not care about their views. On top of that, young voters are often less informed about how to register and vote, and many perceive the process as confusing, difficult or not pertinent to their lives.

Despite this, today’s youth, in this election, form the largest voting bloc in Canada. This gives them a powerful voice and one that politicians cannot afford to ignore. They have the decision-making power to play a decisive role in shaping the next federal government, but only if they show up and cast their ballots.

If you are part of the over-fifty crowd, like me, where more than two-thirds of us typically vote, we have a role to play too. We can encourage first-time and younger voters to make their voices heard by participating in the 2025 federal election.

Let us help our newest, younger voters understand how to register, where and when to vote, and why their participation matters. More than ever this time around the front burner issues, cost of living, housing affordability, and labour and employment concerns directly relate to their days ahead. Let us clearly, kindly message all eligible voters:

Do not sit this one out.
Be heard. Be seen. Be part of the change.

No matter which party you support or who ultimately wins, elections shape our future. Civic participation by voting is one of our most powerful ways to influence what comes next.

 -Sister Nancy Wales, csj

Sources: https://electionsanddemocracy.ca/elections-numbers-0/table-voter-turnout-age-group

https://www.ctvnews.ca/federal-election-2025/article/heres-why-young-voters-could-tip-the-federal-election/

 Images: Unsplash/Glen Carrie, Phil Scroggs