DAY 6 @ MISSISSAUGA (PORT CREDIT)

We spent the day in Port Credit which was only about an hour commute from downtown Toronto, but as far as the students were concerned, it seemed like an oasis far, far away! We arrived a bit early and while we waited for our Mississauga student counterparts to join us, we sat on the docks and watched the swans and ducks swim by. It was incredibly relaxing and serene! Again, we were blessed with a gorgeous day.

We set out, marching towards MPP Charles Sousa's office with our trusty signs and pamphlets. We protested outside his office, garnering support from passersby. Rogers TV showed up and interviewed Stephanie, a first year Mississauga native from our class. A local reporter also came and took plenty of photos of Naila Ahmed, another Mississauga native. Charles Sousa was a no-show, however one of his staffers emerged from the office with a peace offering--a bag full of cold drinks (Coke Zero, water and other soft drinks). After some deliberation, we decided to accept the drinks--it was sure hot outside and our voices were quite strained! Later, me, Nadeem and Michelle visited a local pharmacy in Port Credit. We interviewed the pharmacists there, who told us that the pharmacy offered varied services such as blister packaging and compounding. However, with the cuts, they would have to cut some of those services.

Canvassing took place in the affluent Port Credit area, and we spent quite a bit of time walking up and down giant driveways in the sweltering heat. We spent alot of time explaining our stance, but to be honest, many people didn't seem to interested in listening. One lady slowly closed the door as I was talking, and I managed to slip in a flyer! One lady that stands out in my mind signed the petition just because she hates Dalton McGuinty. She told us that she runs her own business and that with the new HST, her clients would have to take an 8% hit. Since she can't charge them more because of the competitive nature of her industry, her company will take the hit directly. In her words, "Dalton McGuinty is an idiot." This is seems to be a common opinion held by Ontarians we've talked to in the past few days...

I will post the pictures from Port Credit tomorrow! Thanks for reading and will report back tomorrow after our visit to Hamilton!