Seasonal Newsletter: March 2024

Table of Contents

1. The History of International Women's Day

2. Ontario Union of Family Physicians: Family Medicine is ‘Not Sustainable’ in 2024

3. A Taste of Main Street Unionville

   
   

The History of International Women’s Day

By: Rachel Chung 

The 2024 International Women’s Day campaign theme. 

Did you know that International Women’s Day has been celebrated for over a hundred years? What started as a group of American women advocating for better working conditions and equal rights has become an international holiday dedicated to celebrating the remarkable achievements of women all around the world.  In this article, we will dive into the fascinating origins of International Women’s Day and recount some of the most significant years for such a significant and important day.

The historical protest of 1908. 

In 1908, many women began to speak out against the oppression and unfair treatment that they were receiving. Campaigns and protests began occurring. One of the most memorable demonstrations of the year 1908 occurred when fifteen thousand women marched through the streets of New York City, advocating for the rights of working women. Although they didn’t know it yet, a movement was to be born out of their cries for better working conditions including shorter hours, fair pay, and voting rights. 

The very next year, 1909, saw the first National Women’s Day. On February 28, 1909, National Women’s Day was observed across  all fifty states of the United States of America. 

A year later, during the International Conference of Working Women in 1910, a historical proposal was made by Clara Zetkin. She was the Leader of the Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, and was the first to suggest an International Women’s Day. Her initial proposal was that every country should celebrate women and their demands regarding equality and justice, on the same day. Her proposal was met with approval by all the women attending the conference, and International Women’s Day was to be celebrated for the first time, in 1911. 

Women working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. 

On March 19, 1911, Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, marked and celebrated International Women’s Day. Over a million people, women and men, tirelessly campaigned for the end of gender inequality, women’s rights to vote, women’s rights to hold public office, and women’s rights to work. That same year, on March 25, 1911, the ‘Triangle Fire’ of New York claimed the lives of over 140 immigrant working women. The tragic event had only one good outcome. Over the years, the poor working conditions of women became a key focus for future International Women’s Day events, in an effort to prevent such a tragedy from occuring again. 

In 1913, Russian women celebrated the country’s first International Women’s Day on February 23. The date was later changed to become March 8, as the Gregorian calendar became more popular. The date of International Women’s Day has remained unchanged since. 

The Bread and Peace strike in Russia. 

Russian women began a “Bread and Peace” strike on March 8, 1917 (according to the Gregorian calendar) following the deaths of more than two million soldiers in World War I. The strike lasted four days as the women bravely endured opposition from various political leaders at the time. Their courage and commitment eventually led to them gaining voting rights for women, following the abdication of Russia’s Czar. This protest was not only an excellent example of the spirit and power of International Women’s Day but also marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution.  

The next great milestone for International Women’s Day occurred in 1975, when it was officially recognized by the United Nations. 

Twenty-one years later, the United Nations began announcing  annual themes for International Women’s Day. The first theme, announced in 1996, was Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future. 

In 2001, a digital International Women’s Day platform was launched. This website was designed to get more women involved in the ongoing fight for gender equality and also to recognize and celebrate women’s accomplishments.

Women participating in Annie Lennox’s march in support of Women for Women International. 

Ten years later, the year 2011 marked the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Former US President, Barack Obama, made March 2011 “Women’s History Month” and asked all Americans to spend March 8 reflecting and recognizing the actions of women that shaped America’s history. Hillary Clinton also launched the “100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges” that same year. Annie Lennox, a renowned Scottish singer and activist, led marches and demonstrations across London’s iconic bridges to support the global charity Women for Women International. 

Today, International Women’s Day is celebrated in countries all over the world. Every March 8, women and their achievements are celebrated in various ways. Although much progress has been made towards gender equality, there is still work to be done. So this March 8, and every year after this one, make sure to celebrate all women, and continue raising awareness regarding the inequality that women continue to face. 

Ontario Union of Family Physicians: Family Medicine is ‘Not Sustainable’ in 2024

By: Joanne Liang

On the evening of Monday, February 5th, 150 family doctors gathered at a career summit to discuss the future of Ontarian family medicine. They debated the possibility of striking at their workplaces and corresponding only through video calls with their patients. 

Whether it’s underemployment or some sort of recruitment problem, full-time physicians are reportedly being handed double their workload and aren’t being paid the amount due. They’ve seen a substantial rise in the amount of paperwork, including prescription renewals, referrals, and other requests for information.

“It really speaks to how dire the situation is and frankly how desperate family physicians are,” said Dr. Ramsey Hijazi, founder of the Ontario Union of Family Physicians, in a CBC article.

It’s a pressing matter for Ontario these days. It’s one that the public needs to know about now more than ever, because we’re the ones that are going to be impacted. In a study done by the Ontario College of Physicians, in the next two years, every 1 in 4 families will be without a family doctor. That’s approximately 4.4 million people.

Dr. Andrew Park, president of the Ontario Medical Association described it as “a perfect storm” on CTV. And honestly? It couldn’t be more fitting. 

On top of being overworked and underpaid, family doctors are left ill-prepared by the government for the crisis to brew. Ford’s controversial Bill 60, which aims to expand surgery options in private care, means that more workers will start to pull out of public practice in pursuit of better working conditions. This will inevitably leave a staggering discrepancy between the reduced workforce and ever-increasing patient demands.

During the pandemic, Ford had made a pledge of billions of dollars to increase capacity in the healthcare sector. However, it seems that the government will have to make adjustments to Ontario’s funds to uphold this statement. A report by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario showed that, because of a “larger and aging population,” funding towards hospital sectors will significantly diminish over the coming years. By 2027-2028, funding will have reduced by $21 billion.

Image sourced from CTV

More recently, the up and coming measles outbreak has Ontario’s healthcare professionals on alert. Just two weeks ago, four cases were confirmed in Ontario and sixty four in the US.

In a report released by Public Health Ontario, it was revealed that measles vaccination rates had dropped a significant amount in the years between COVID. Whereas the vaccination reports for youth was in the 86% range from 2019-2020, it had dropped to a staggering 63% in 2021-2021. A similar trend had followed in varicella (chickenpox), pertussis and polio vaccination rates.

This means that the demand in family medicine will only increase as parents are pressed for their children’s vaccinations. 

Theresa Tam, the Chief Medical Officer of Canada, has yet to release a statement on preparation for this wave to come to family medicine.

A Taste of Main Street Unionville

By: Joanne Liang

Kids laughing. Highschoolers yelling. The clamouring of drums as a synchronous blur of red and black marches down the street, steps in tandem. An elderly couple wandering down the street, hand in hand, quietly admiring the aromatic hanging flowerpots that are replaced every national holiday. This is Main Street Unionville, one of Markham’s most celebrated and diversified locations to date. Here, an amalgamation of cultures display themselves side by side, a personalised showcase for those who pass, accentuating their unique histories of trinkets, fashion, and all sorts of attractive shops. 

Photo by BlogTO

Main Street Unionville is, truly, a timeless thing. Amongst this wonderful collection exists a handful of restaurants and stores, bursting with all sorts of flavours; amongst these establishments, a select few stand out prominently. This is both a personal keep of those memories and a passionate endorsement of what enchanting things this humble yet focal retail street has to offer.

1. Sweetie Pie –– 190 Main Street Unionville

This bakery offers an assortment of delicious confections, ranging from tarts and pies to cakes and cookies and even ice cream. Their classics, like the raspberry pies and cake jars, are fantastic. For me, their banana cream pie was especially delicious, having a not too overpowering sweetness for my palate but enough to make me go for seconds. The banana flavour had a fresh and natural taste. Furthermore, the service here is wonderful; the servers are polite and funny, and work efficiently. Overall, I was left with a great impression of this location, and I’ll definitely be returning next time.

Photo from Main Street Unionville on Twitter

2. Chat Bar –– 187 Main Street Unionville

Located in the heart of the street’s bustling activities, this culinary gem found its home inside a repurposed shack. The restaurant’s loud, energetic atmosphere makes it perfect for lively conversation over smoked barbecue. The beef short ribs and lamb sticks are to die for, but I was completely blown away by the pork rice bowl. It had the perfect amount of spice to it, and it was bursting with flavour in every spoonful. Just thinking about their food is making my mouth water right now…

Photo from Main Street Unionville on Facebook

3. The Alley –– 142 Main Street Unionville

This little store is located near the outskirts of the bustling parts of the street. The quiet ambience of this location is unlike any other on Main Street, and with the interior design to compliment, it just feels like home. The service is excellent; the person who made our drinks was polite and professional. They have a wide selection of cold and hot drinks that cater to just about any individual. There’s some Asian inspiration in their flavours that comes out so authentically, setting it apart from its competitors on the street.

Photo by The Alley on Facebook

Thanks for the wait guys! We're constantly on the look for things that might be relevant and interesting to you guys, and we appreciate your support. It's what keeps us going <33 Thank you so much for the hearts and comments! We can say for sure that April is going to be full of some fantastic articles by our fellow writers, so stay tuned until then! As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure to give this article a bump :)

Your lovely writers,

Rachel, Grace, and Joanne