✊📢 No Recess During Crisis: Canadians Demand Parliament Stay and Work
By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
Canada is in crisis — and Parliament wants to take the summer off?
No. Absolutely not. This is UNACCEPTABLE.
While families are sleeping in tents, food banks are overwhelmed, and thousands are dying in the fentanyl crisis, our highly paid Members of Parliament are preparing for nearly 3 months of summer recess.
They already had an 11-week winter break. They already get long weekends. They already make $200,000+ a year, and they get a pension most of us could never dream of. And now, they want to walk away — again — while:
- Thousands remain homeless across BC and Canada
- 16,000+ lives lost to toxic drugs since 2016 in BC alone
- Millions can't afford food — 1 in 4 households are food insecure
- Rent and housing are unaffordable for a generation
- Wildfires, floods, and climate breakdown are getting worse
- Young people are losing hope
This is not “business as usual.” This is a national emergency, and our leaders should be in the House of Commons working — every day, all summer — until lives are saved and change is made.
🧓 Do you remember when politicians served the people?
They’ve forgotten. But we haven’t.
We, the people, are watching. And we are demanding:
❗ NO SUMMER RECESS DURING A NATIONAL CRISIS ❗
❗ WE DEMAND ACTION — NOT VACATION ❗
❗ WORK THROUGH THE SUMMER ❗
💬 What Elizabeth May said:
“We are in a national crisis and Parliament is pretending everything is fine.”
— Elizabeth May, June 2025
She’s right. And we must amplify her voice.
✍️ What YOU can do:
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Tag your MP on social media and say:
➤ “No recess while Canadians suffer. Get back to work.”
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Write to your MP:
➤ “I expect you to vote against summer recess and demand Parliament stay open.”
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Start a petition or share this post — because if enough of us say NO, they’ll have to listen.
🇨🇦 We are calling for a Summer of Justice.
A Summer of Courage.
A Summer where Parliament finally does the people’s work.
Because Canadians are suffering. And people are dying.
Let’s remind our government:
Recess is for children. Not for MPs during a national emergency.
#NoRecessDuringCrisis #ParliamentMustWork #StopTheDeaths #HousingNow #EndTheToxicDrugCrisis #FoodForAll #BCisBleeding #ZipolitaSpeaks
Here are some support materials
Absolutely! Here are three ready-to-use formats you can share and encourage others to use:
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📩 Draft Letter to Send to Your MP (or all MPs)
> Subject: No Summer Recess – Canadians Are in Crisis
Dear [MP's Name],
I am writing as a concerned citizen and constituent to say: Canada is in crisis, and Parliament must not go on summer recess.
While MPs prepare to take nearly three months off, the people you represent are suffering:
16,000+ people in BC alone have died from toxic drug poisonings since 2016.
Thousands are living on the streets or in unsafe shelters.
Food insecurity is at record highs.
Climate emergencies are worsening, and many Indigenous communities are still waiting for basic infrastructure.
Housing is unaffordable, and rents are crushing a whole generation.
This is not a time for vacation — it is a time for leadership, courage, and work.
You are among the highest-paid public servants in the country. We expect you to be in the House of Commons throughout the summer, passing laws, funding solutions, and responding to the people’s real needs.
Please take a public stand: Oppose the summer recess and demand Parliament stay open. We are watching. We are organizing. We will remember who stood up — and who walked away.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City/Province
🐦 Twitter/X Post (Tag + Rally Format)
🇨🇦 No recess while people are dying!
Parliament plans to take the summer off while Canada faces a housing crisis, food insecurity, & 16,000+ drug deaths in BC alone.
We DEMAND they stay & work!
📢 Tag your MP: #NoRecessDuringCrisis
@ElizabethMay @MarkCarney @JustinTrudeau @PierrePoilievre
🔁 SHARE if you agree!
📘 Facebook/Instagram Post (Long-Form for Sharing)
📣 No Recess During Crisis 📣
Our politicians are planning to take a 3-month summer vacation while thousands of Canadians live in tents, starve, or die from toxic drugs.
🚨 16,000+ people dead in BC since 2016 from the fentanyl crisis.
🚨 1 in 4 Canadian households are food insecure.
🚨 Rents & housing prices are crushing families.
🚨 Climate emergencies are rising — and Parliament wants a break?
They already had 11 weeks off this winter. Enough is enough.
We, the people, are DEMANDING that MPs stay in Ottawa and work through the summer. No more excuses. No more deaths.
📢 Tag your MP
📢 Tag party leaders:
@MarkCarney @ElizabethMay @JustinTrudeau @PierrePoilievre
📢 Use hashtag: #NoRecessDuringCrisis
SHARE this message and demand real leadership.
Let’s hold them accountable. ✊
