Linda was elected Member of Provincial Parliament to represent the riding of Brampton Centre on October 2nd, 2003. In addition to her parliamentary duties, Linda is a member of the Cabinet Committee on Inter-Provincial, Municipal and Federal Relations. She currently chairs the Standing Committee on General Government and in November 2005 was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children & Youth Services. She was elected to Brampton City Council in 1991 and served as Alderman and then City Councillor for twelve years. Shortly after arriving at Queen's Park, Linda spoke to the Minister of Health and the Premier about Brampton's desperate need for a new hospital. In October 2004, construction crews and cranes arrived at the Bovaird Drive and Bramalea Road site. The new Civic Hospital is scheduled to open in the fall of 2007. As well, Linda strongly advocated the redevelopment of the William Osler Health Centre's Peel Memorial site on Lynch Street - she was successful in her discussions and construction is slated to begin in 2009/2010 on this multi-million dollar redevelopment. In November 2004 Linda introduced her first Private Member's Bill entitled "The Home Fire Sprinklers Act, 2004". This Bill, revised and reintroduced in October 2005, is aimed at preventing loss of life to fire, by ensuring that all new residential housing will be constructed with fire sprinklers. Born in Cork, Ireland, Linda moved to Heart Lake in 1983. She and her husband John have three sons and a golden retriever. For frequent updates, visit Linda Jeffrey for more information.
McGuinty Government Invests
in Services for Newcomers
Brampton, ON 28 Apr 08 - Newcomers to Brampton are getting help from the Ontario government to find jobs and build their future.
The province is investing $244,772 in three local agencies to help newcomers settle in our community and get off to a good start in their new lives. Through the Newcomer Settlement Program (NSP), more than $5.3 million is being invested across Ontario to help an estimated 82,000 newcomers access services such as skills training, orientation, and job-finding workshops. An additional $1.1 million will go toward assisting agencies to improve service through staff training and upgrading equipment and facilities provincially.
"Newcomers bring their talent, skills, education and global experience that help Brampton prosper," said Linda Jeffrey, MPP Brampton Springdale. "That is why our government is working with community partners to give newcomers the best start possible."
The agencies receiving funding are the African Community Services of Peel, Brampton Multicultural Community Centre & the Brampton Neighbourhood Resource Centre.
Other Ontario initiatives designed to help newcomers integrate successfully into communities include:
- Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA) which provides $920 million over five years for settlement services and language training in Ontario
- bridge training programs to help internationally-trained professionals get jobs in their field sooner
- English and French as a second language training