Today, my heart hurts.
My heart hurts for the people of France, still reeling from the senseless violence and destruction that has forever impacted their bodies, minds, and spirits. My heart hurts for the people of Beirut, who faced the same destructive chaos just days before, with only a fraction of awareness and support from their allies around the world.
Yes, my heart hurts. But it is also very, very fearful.
Because we all know that Canada is not immune to the tragedies experienced by other countries. And every day, as I kiss my children goodbye and watch their little bodies bobble away with a spring in their step, I think of another mom, in another country, who loves her children just as fiercely; who has the same hopes and dreams – yet a very different promise for a brighter future. And even though I can’t fix the world, I can be aware of the violence happening in my own city.
Maybe even in my own backyard.
While I’ve been obsessed with events happening a world away, I haven’t paid enough attention to the crisis over illegal tobacco in Ontario. And I’m not alone.
Almost half of Ontarians are unaware that illegal tobacco is fueling gun and drug trafficking.
In Canada, the production and sale of contraband cigarettes is on the rise with over 50 illegal factories across Ontario and Quebec, capable of producing up to 10,000 cigarettes every minute. …