ECOASIS

Projet de / Project of

L'Association pour la santé environnementale du Québec / Environmental Health Association of Québec

Take Action

MAKE ECOASIS A REALITY

How can you help make ECOASIS a reality? Contact your local Member of the National Assembly (MNA). Contacting your MNA does more than you think! Using your voice to express your needs is so impactful and lets your elected officials know where you want to see change! If you don’t contact them about an issue, how will they know about it?

The best way is to 1) send an email (copy to ASEQ-EHAQ) 2) follow up with a phone call 3) contact them regularly so that they don’t think that if they ignore you, you will drop this issue.

This page is a guide on how to send that email and make that call!

HOW TO TAKE ACTION

1) Email Your Local MNA:

Find your MNA and their contact information here:
http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/index.html

Use the email template below to express your concerns and support for the ECOASIS housing project:

Dear [Recipient],

I am a constituent in your electoral riding. I am contacting you with great concern regarding the current status and treatment of the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) community. This community is made up of over 1 million Canadians and 250,000 Quebecois who are diagnosed with MCS (Statistics Canada, 2020). In particular, I am concerned about the current housing status of many members of the MCS community and urge you to act on the following measures:

  • Recognize MCS as a health condition, and mandate least-toxic solutions and fragrance-free spaces for essential services, especially health care.
  • Support the ASEQ-EHAQ, ECOASIS housing project without delay and provide appropriate supports and financial resources in order to ensure its swift completion to provide much needed housing, for this disabled population.
  • Ensure access to appropriate housing and healthcare for all people experiencing MCS.
  • Withdraw the misinformed INSPQ report on MCS from the INSPQ website, and revise and update it, consulting MCS experts, researchers, doctors, groups, and people with lived experience of this health condition.
  • Create proper legal, social, and medical support for this population to address stigma and ensure their health and accessibility to broader society.

MCS is a two-step process, caused by exposure to chemicals present in commonly used products. The person then reacts to chemicals in their environment, and with further exposures; these reactions become more severe, and multiple symptoms occur in many body systems. This health condition is a recognized disability protected under the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRC, 2007). Life for the individual, irrespective of education or social standing, can become unbearable, due to extensive barriers, and unwillingness to provide proper accommodation, which can often lead to increased lack of well-being, isolation, poverty, and homelessness.

Finding adequate housing that is affordable is extremely difficult for this population, as many new housing developments are plagued with triggering chemicals, many apartment buildings do not enforce no-smoking, or no-fragrance rules, and many neighbours are not aware or do not understand the significance of chemical exposures on this health condition. As with any disability, members of the MCS community require appropriate and adequate social and health supports, and may require help with housework, personal care, meal preparation or chores (Statistics Canada, 2020). These can be expensive services as people with MCS are not guaranteed RAMQ coverage for their condition. Living costs for people experiencing MCS can be higher due to the need for least toxic solutions for all applications, such as organic food, and products that are less toxic and fragrance-free. In addition, people with MCS experience job loss due to a lack of accessibility in the workplace. The resulting poverty or reduced access to funds, coupled with expensive living costs reduce the overall available budget of people with MCS making it difficult to secure appropriate housing for themselves. This is why we need guaranteed, accessible, affordable, healthy housing for people with MCS. Supporting ASEQ-EHAQ’s ECOASIS housing project would be a step in the right direction.

The disability of MCS could happen to anyone. The numbers of diagnosed cases are increasing (Statistics Canada 2000 – 2020). Ignoring this population is equivalent to climate change denial.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my concerns. I look forward to an accessible Québec which protects all of its citizens.

[Senders Name &/or Signature]

2) Call Your Local Representative:

After sending the email, follow up with a phone call! Calling your representative does more than you think! Using your voice to express your needs is so impactful and it lets your elected officials know where you want to see change!

Find your local official’s contact information here: http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/index.html

Steps to Take:

  1. Find your local representative and their contact information above. Be aware that you may not get a hold of the MNA themselves but their staff or voicemail instead; don’t get discouraged! This is just as impactful! Ask to speak to the member handling housing issues, affordable housing mandates or accessibility to housing.
  • Things to remember:
    • Some ridings are bigger than others and will have teams or multiple members in the office so be sure to ask to speak to whoever is responsible for housing projects and housing concerns.
    • Other ridings might be smaller, and not have a staff member specifically assigned to housing. If this is the case, continue by delivering your message.
  1. Call your representative’s office directly.
  2. Follow the script below, for talking points. Good Luck!

Sample Script to Follow:

My name is [YOUR NAME] and I live in your riding in [NAME YOUR CITY]. I would like to speak to [Mr. OR Mrs. YOUR MNA’s LAST NAME].

I am calling to ask [Mr. OR Mrs. YOUR MNA’s LAST NAME] what your office is doing concerning Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, specifically what are you doing to get this community better access to safe and affordable housing?

I am very concerned about this issue. I am asking that [Mr. or Mrs. MNA’s LAST NAME] take action to recognize MCS as a health condition, and mandate least-toxic solutions and fragrance-free spaces for essential services, especially health care, and to support the ASEQ-EHAQ ECOASIS housing project without delay and provide appropriate supports and financial resources in order to ensure its swift completion to provide much needed housing, for this disabled population. I am asking [Mr. OR Mrs. MNA’s LAST NAME] to take steps in order to withdraw the misinformed INSPQ report on MCS from the INSPQ website, and to revise and update it, consulting MCS experts, researchers, doctors, groups, and people with lived experience of this health condition, and create proper legal, social, and medical support for this population to address stigma and ensure their health and accessibility to broader society.

These issues are very important and all of these issues must be acted on to ensure a safe, healthy, and accessible Quebec.

I have sent you an email on [MENTION THE DATE] asking about your office’s plan to address these issues, when should I expect a response?

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Have a nice day. Goodbye

Note: If the office of your MNA has already written back, and the answer is unsatisfactory, let them know you are not pleased and you want a clearer answer. In any case, contact ASEQ-EHAQ with the response received, for next steps.

Sample Script to leave a message:

My name is [YOUR NAME] and I live in your riding in [ NAME YOUR CITY]. Here is my phone number: [xxx-xxx-xxxx]

I am calling to ask [Mr. OR Mrs. MNA’s LAST NAME] to take action to get MCS recognized as a health condition, and mandate for least-toxic solutions and fragrance-free spaces for essential services, especially health care, and publicly support the ASEQ-EHAQ ECOASIS housing project without delay and to provide appropriate supports and financial resources in order to ensure its swift completion to provide much needed housing for this disabled population.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you. Goodbye

If you need assistance with any of the above, contact ASEQ-EHAQ

Email: office@aseq-ehaq.ca

Phone: 514 332 4320

Who is ECOASIS For?

ECOASIS is more than a housing complex, it is a community for anyone who experiences the disability of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a health condition that leaves many vulnerable, neglected, and isolated in today’s society.

Quebec has long ignored the population experiencing MCS and has failed to provide the proper services, resources, and support that it urgently needs. It is time to create awareness of this disability, within the general population, on the rising prevalence and seriousness of MCS in Quebec (251, 000 diagnosed cases, Statistics Canada, 2020).

ECOASIS aims to fill the gap of healthy, affordable housing that is currently being ignored, and to provide a healthy space for the MCS community to regain strength, health, and social connection.

The foundation for any healing process is a healthy living environment. ECOASIS is that foundation; affordable, healthy housing with clean air, clean water, organic food, and a strong supportive community.

A New way to Live and Build

ECOASIS is the first project of its kind. A project that will benefit us, and future generations, on living without pollutants in our environment. ECOASIS will focus on having the best indoor air quality possible; and its benefits to personal and public health, and our environment.

ECOASIS will provide a solid foundation for good health and a new way of living by using the least-toxic available products across all facilities and applications, to ensure an optimal level of air quality. This will be achieved not only through product choices, but also through a variety of methods to encourage offgassing of chemicals, which include a process known as ‘baking’ as a means to clear harmful VOCs from the ECOASIS living spaces and by using the highest efficiency ventilation systems available.

ECOASIS will exemplify a new way of building by reducing electricity consumption, leaning into solar energy, planning for and installing effective mechanical ventilation, choosing the most healthy and eco-friendly building materials, and ensuring strict management of the worksite to prevent significant chemical exposures.