NationBuilder

As we approach the end of another year, I want to thank everyone who has walked with us as a party and a movement over the past year - our members, volunteers, donors, caucus and council members, by-election candidate and team, and everyone who reads our newsletters and helps spread the word about the difference Greens have been making.

Recently, while preparing for our end-of-year fundraising campaign, we had the experience of putting together a list of all the legislative accomplishments of our Green Official Opposition since 2019 - and it was such a long list that even we were surprised! You can check it out here.

We can also be proud of the work the party organization has accomplished this year, which includes the election of our most diverse Provincial Council ever, passing seven new member-created policy resolutions at our spring AGM, launching our Election Readiness Committee, and organizing an energetic by-election campaign in District 16.

There's a lot to look forward to in the new year, and we hope you'll continue to be be involved. In the meantime, we wish you a very warm and happy holiday season!

Of course, one of the things keeping Greens busy the past couple of months was the by-election in District 16 Cornwall-Meadowbank.

While we are disappointed not to have succeeded in our goal of electing Todd MacLean to the Legislature, we are proud of our hard-working, fun-loving and inspiring candidate, our dedicated volunteers and of the fun, positive campaign we ran. We got new people involved, activated new voters, made memories and learned a lot, too - there's no loss in any of that!

Altogether, more than 100 people directly supported our by-election campaign as volunteers, donors, and endorsers - a big thank you to all of them! Together, we knocked on all 2000 doors in the district (many more than once), registered more than 1000 conversations and raised more than $12,000.

On Sunday, December 12th at 1pm, join fellow Eastern Greens including party president Susan Hartley, executive director Jordan Bober, and provincial councillors Maria Rodriguez and Omair Imtiaz at the Lucky Bean Cafe in Montague for community, conversation and connection.

Grassroots Policy Development

ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS: It's not too early to gear up for our next general meeting in the Spring OF 2022! We are looking for ideas to develop into policy motions for our convention.

If you have a policy idea, or simply an idea of an area where you think the party needs to develop policy, and you are interested in a workshop to help develop your idea into a motion to be submitted for the meeting, we would like to hear from you!

Please send us your idea by emailing [email protected]. We can help connect you with members with similar interests or expertise, with workshop sessions to help generate options to address the issue (perhaps different from what you first had in mind!), and to develop a formal motion for the general meeting.

We are hoping to grow the capacity to hold these workshops so we can expand our roster of policy helpers - members who assist other members in developing solid policies that the party can bring forward in the future.

Preparing for the next election

As mentioned earlier, with less than two years to go until the next election, the Green Party of PEI is actively planning and preparing for the next election, scheduled for October 2023.

Election preparedness is a party-wide effort, and we are seeking volunteers on an ongoing basis who would be interested in serving on Election Readiness Working Groups in areas such as:

We will be putting out a more detailed call for volunteers in the new year, but if you would be interested in helping out in any capacity, please let us know anytime by filling out this form or emailing Election Readiness Committee Chair Patrick Lévêque at [email protected].

Our powerful Green Official Opposition Caucus had a very productive and impactful Fall Sitting of the Legislature ending November 17th, which included the passage of three bills and five motions. In case you missed it, you can catch up on what happened in our Fall 2021 Legislative Roundup:

Great things happen when Greens are in the House - Fall 2021 Legislative Roundup

Government consultations - have your say!

The PEI government is currently looking for Islanders input on a couple of important issues. If these issues are important to you, please provide your input!

Survivors of adult sexual violence asked to provide input to improve support services

Island residents who have experienced sexual violence can share their personal experiences confidentially to help the Province continue its work to develop an adult sexual violence strategy.

Islanders invited to provide feedback on Responsible Gambling Strategy

Islanders can provide their input on updating PEI’s Responsible Gambling Strategy through an online survey, virtual consultation meetings, or by making a submission in writing. Please click here for more information.

NOTE: The remaining two virtual public consultation meetings will take place on December 7th and 9th (pre-registration required). The survey closes on December 20th.

We asked, and now it's here: free Shingrix vaccines for seniors!

Island seniors will be able to receive the free Shingrix™ vaccine, to prevent shingles, beginning January 2022. The free Shingrix™ vaccine (two doses) will be available to Islanders aged 65 years and over at community pharmacies across Prince Edward Island.

The cost is being covered by the provincial government – this was the result of a budget submission ask by the Green Official Opposition as well as a Green motion in the PEI Legislature.

The Green Caucus has been hard at work to improve the lives of Islanders. If you haven't already, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And check out their website at www.peigreencaucus.ca for blogs, videos and more!

Red Cross Friendly Calls Program

Green Provincial Councillor Omair Imtiaz has recently come on board with the Canadian Red Cross as coordinator of the Friendly Calls program in PEI, and he's asked for help getting the word out about this new program, both to those who could benefit from it as well as volunteers who would like to help make a difference in the lives of the people this program serves.

Friendly Calls is a free phone program that aims to help address heightened feelings of loneliness and isolation that so many have been experiencing. The program pairs a trained Red Cross volunteer with an adult (18+) who may have limited social and family connections or feels they could benefit from more social interaction over the phone.

Phone calls are scheduled on a weekly basis, or more frequently if the individual would like. They can be as quick as a two-minute conversation (i.e., a check in), or longer, if the individual wishes. The person can register for the program themselves by calling 1-833-729-0144 or be referred by themselves, a family member, caregiver, medical practitioner, friend, or community partner by using this online referral form: https://www.redcross.ca/in-your-community/prince-edward-island/friendly-calls-participant-referral-form. It is quick and easy to fill and only takes a few minutes. This is something you can fill out if you feel a regular phone call/check-in will benefit a person.

For volunteers who would like to help make friendly calls, this program is flexible and convenient, asking for a commitment of just an hour per week for a consistent 6 – 12 months.

Get daily updates from the Green Party of PEI - follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram today!

We can't do any of this without your support!