Requesting a Transparent, Clear and Fair Consultation Process Regarding the "Proposed Demonstrations Bylaw to Protect Vulnerable Institutions"

Friends,

In February 2024, City Council directed the City Manager to develop a policy framework for the management and monitoring of rallies and protests, ensuring alignment with the City’s Human Rights and Anti-Harassment Policy.

The Report presented to City Council in December, 2024, presented a Policy framework that clarifies the City’s role, jurisdiction and municipal tools available to respond to demonstrations, including the role of applicable City divisions, and provided an overarching foundation of how the City coordinates its activities to determine an appropriate response based on the circumstances of the situation.

I supported the adoption of the Policy Framework.

However, this report included a recommendation (#3) that the City Manager report back with a proposed bylaw that limits demonstrations in our city.

This was a very difficult decision however, I could not support this direction as I believe that restricting people’s ability to protest is a step backward. It takes away people’s rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I believe the preservation of these rights in their entirety is essential to protecting the most vulnerable segments of our society, and our democracy. I spoke to my reasoning for not supporting this direction; you can listen to it here.

The City is now moving ahead with the public consultation.

On April 1st, all members of Council received a letter from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. It raised a number of questions about how the online survey regarding the “Proposed Demonstrations Bylaw to Protect Vulnerable Institutions” was designed and carried out.

I have submitted an Administrative Inquiry to the April 23, 2025 meeting of City Council to ensure a transparent, clear and fair discussion on this important topic and that the process is up to the standard of excellence that this tremendously important issue deserves.

My letter is available online here.

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates

Easter Long Weekend - City Closures
Seniors For Climate Toronto Earth Day Event
RentSafeTO - Spring 2025 Updates
Toronto Employment Survey 2025
Toronto's Energy and Water Reporting Bylaw
Charge Electric Vehicles Free with Green P – April 21-25
New Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras helping to reduce speeding and improve road safety

Ward 4

Ward 4 Community Compost Days
High Park Walking Tours - Co-Operative Scavenger Hunt
Free Nordic Pole Walking Group in High Park
Plastic Pellet Blitz - Community Science Clean-Up Event
Dufferin RapidTO
Ward 4 Developments:
- 11 Brock - Community Construction Update
- 138 Dowling Ave - Community Consultation Meeting
- 240-376R Dufferin St and 2 Melbourne Ave. Planning Application - Community Meeting

City Wide

City of Toronto activities and facilities open and closed for the Easter long weekend

Below are City of Toronto activities, operations and facilities with planned openings and closures for Friday, April 18, through Monday, April 21.

Garbage collection and recycling

Drop-off depots and transfer stations will be closed on Monday, April 21. There will be regular collection service for daytime and nighttime residential and commercial customers on Friday, April 18. More information is available on the City’s Holiday Collection & Drop-Off Depot Impacts webpage: www.toronto.ca/holiday-impacts.
Community Centres

On Friday, April 18 and Monday, April 21, all community recreation facilities will be closed. Regularly scheduled drop-in programs and registered activities will operate on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20. More information and schedules are available on the City’s Parks & Recreation webpage: www.toronto.ca/parks-recreation.
Toronto Public Library

Toronto Public Library (TPL) branches will be closed on Friday, April 18, Sunday, April 20 and Monday, April 21.

A complete list of TPL branches and their hours of operation is available on the TPL website: www.tpl.ca/branches.
Inquiry and payment counters

Inquiry and payment counters at Toronto City Hall, East York Civic Centre, Etobicoke Civic Centre, North York Civic Centre, Scarborough Civic Centre and York Civic Centre will be closed from Friday, April 18 until Monday, April 21, reopening on Tuesday, April 22.

Seniors For Climate Toronto Earth Day Event

While Earth Day is celebrated around the world, in Toronto, the Seniors For Climate Earth Day Event will be on Saturday, April 26th.

This is a family-friendly and entertaining outdoor event which will link defending our right to choose our own future – a future that eliminates carbon emissions - a better future that provides the necessities of life, (clean air, clean water, good health, affordable housing and a job that pays a living wage) and a future with justice for Indigenous People.

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Place: Allan Gardens – Jarvis at Carlton (North-West section) 160 Gerrard Street East. Toronto, ON M5A 2E5

RentSafeTO - Spring 2025 Updates

Please see below for the Spring 2025 edition of the RentSafeTO newsletter featuring important information about the program and other City initiatives.

Should you have any questions about RentSafeTO or the programs & initiatives listed below, please to contact [email protected] or call (416) 396-7228.

Toronto Employment Survey 2025

The Toronto Employment Survey will be launching its 43rd year on May 5th and running through August. Conducted by Toronto's City Planning Division, Surveyors will be visiting businesses across the City in person in order to conduct the survey.

The Survey information is crucial for:

monitoring the extent, nature, and location of employment activity and land use;
planning transportation, sewer, and water infrastructure and social services such as day cares; and
monitoring changing economic conditions in Toronto.

Surveyors are trained to be efficient and responsive to business owners if the timing is not appropriate to speak with the City. There is an option for the surveyor to leave a form that can be used for follow-up by phone, email or our website.

For more information, please visit the Employment Survey City webpage.

Toronto's Energy and Water Reporting Bylaw

Owners of buildings 4,645 square meters (50,000 square feet) and larger are required to report their energy and water use to the City annually. The deadline for reporting 2024 data to the City is Wednesday, July 2 2025. Starting in 2026, buildings 929 square metres (10,000 square feet) or larger will also be required to report energy and water use to the City. More information is available on the City’s Energy & Water Reporting for Buildings webpage. 

Charge Electric Vehicles Free with Green P – April 21-25

In celebration of Earth Day, the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) will offer free electric vehicle (EV) charging at all of its 450+ off-street and on-street chargers across Toronto. (Parking fees still apply).

To coincide with Earth Day on April 22, customers can roll up to any Level 2 or Level 3 EV charging station across the Green P EV charging network, plug in, power up, and drive change, for free.

Free charging is available at all on-street and off-street Green P charging locations, including gated lots and garages, from 12:00 a.m. EST on April 21 until 11:59 p.m. EST on April 25, 2025.

A map of all TPA's EV chargers is available online at: EV Charging - Green P Parking

For more information, please refer to this webpage.

New Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras helping to reduce speeding and improve road safety

75 new Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras are now installed to help remind motorists to reduce their speed, as part of the City of Toronto’s ongoing work to improve road safety.

In December 2024, Toronto City Council approved the installation of an additional 75 ASE cameras this year, bringing the total number to 150. ASE cameras are installed in Community Safety Zones, helping to enhance safety for the most vulnerable road users including children and seniors.

The 75 new cameras are installed using a data-driven approach that considers vehicle speed and collision history city-wide, rather than being evenly distributed between wards, to target locations with the most problematic vehicle speeds and provide the greatest safety benefit.

More information about the ASE program including the study's findings is available on the City’s website: www.toronto.ca/ASE.

Information about Community Safety Zones is on the City’s website here.

Ward 4

Ward 4 Community Compost Days

We are hosting our annual Community Compost Days this month at 2 locations:

Doran Ave & Althea Rd (North/East of Warren Park J.P.S.) - Saturday, April 19^th at 10:00am
Masaryk Cowan Community Centre - Thursday, April 24^th at 2:00pm

Please bring your own shovels and containers to receive FREE compost (while supplies last)! See flyer below for details:

High Park Walking Tours - Co-Operative Scavenger Hunt

Join the High Park community on the first walk of 2025. This will be a co-operative scavenger hunt. You'll join fellow participants as you work together to follow a series of clues, discovering some interesting locations throughout the park.

The unique aspect of this adventure is that the clues have not yet been created. Before setting off on the hunt, the teams themselves will create the clues. All will become clear when we gather on April 20.

It will be a terrific opportunity to get to know fellow participants, to have fun together, and to explore the park.

When: Sunday April 20, 10:00 a.m. to noon

Where: Meet at the grassy centre triangle, just inside the main entrance to High Park on Bloor Street

FREE NORDIC POLE WALKING GROUP IN HIGH PARK

CommunitiCare Health is rolling out their FREE Nordic Pole Walking Group that will run out of High Park through the Spring/Summer season. This program is available for all ages and experience levels. Walking poles are available to borrow.

When: Every Friday from May - October (weather permitting)

Time: 9:30 am - 10:45 am

Where: High Park - Meet around picnic tables between West Road & Colborne Lodge Drive

Please call Junko at 416-604-6453 for more information and how to register

Plastic Pellet Blitz - Community Science Clean-Up Event

Join the U of T Trash Team's community event,
Plastic Pellet Blitz, to become a community scientist and learn standard protocols to monitor and clean up plastic pellets from beach sand. This community science cleanup focuses on a less familiar source of microplastic pollution known as pre-production plastic pellets.

When & Where: Saturday, May 10, from 9:45 am to 12:30 pm, at Sir Casimir Gzowski Park Beach.

More information & registration details are available on the Eventbrite page.

Dufferin Rapid TO

The City of Toronto is working with the TTC on a Rapid TO study for Dufferin Street between Eglinton Avenue West and the Dufferin Gate Loop.

This project is part of the City Council endorsed Rapid TO Surface Transit Plan for 2024 to 2033. The project will impact current Right of Ways in Ward 4 by removing paid street parking South of Queen Street West.

City staff will host pop up events at various locations starting on April 26th, please see the project site for updates on exact dates and locations.

A public survey for the project will be live on the project’s website on April 22nd until the end of May. City staff will also be hosting a virtual public meeting on May 7th, with two drop in events on May 13th and May 20th to share concerns directly with staff.

City staff will draft a report to share findings with the TTC Board at the end of May. There will be a report for City Council for July. Final design and project implementation will be in either Q4 2025 or Q1 of 2026 with continues monitoring throughout 2026.

Ward 4 Developments

11 Brock - Community Construction Update

Please refer to the Notice below for further details on the construction update at 11 Brock.

138 Dowling Ave - Community Consultation Meeting

There will be a Virtual Community Consultation Meeting regarding the Development Application at 138 Dowling Ave. More details on the application are available here.

When: May 7 2025, from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

Visit www.toronto.ca/CPconsultations for the registration link and instructions on how to join. Please refer to the Notice below for further meeting details.

Community Meeting - 240-376R Dufferin St and 2 Melbourne Ave. Planning Application

This virtual Community Meeting will take place on May 5th, 2025 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Join Online

A link will be provided on the City Planning Consultations website at http://www.toronto.ca/cpconsultations before the session to be used for joining the meeting online.

Join by Phone:

Before the meeting: Participants by phone will not be able to ask live questions during the meeting. Submit your comments in advance by contacting the Community Planning Staff or the Councillor’s Office.

During the meeting: The call-in number and meeting number will be provided on the City Planning Consultations website at http://www.toronto.ca/cpconsultations

For more information about how to join the meeting, how to participate and code of conduct visit the Engagement Website

Please refer to the Notice below for further meeting details.

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Update on the 2299 Dundas St West Men’s Shelter

Friends,

As part of the George Street Revitalization (GSR) project, the City continues to relocate existing shelter programs to new and enhanced facilities across Toronto. The 2299 Dundas St. W. Men’s Shelter will create a safe space for 80 men experiencing homelessness. This program will provide case management to assist clients in securing permanent housing and access to onsite healthcare and mental health supports, including a Managed Alcohol Program. The anticipated construction completion date for this shelter is Winter 2026.

The shelter will be staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week and offer specialized programs that will provide health and housing support to help residents improve their health and move toward permanent housing.

Services and features of the shelter will include:
• Onsite healthcare, including personal support workers, nursing, medication support, and access to an in-house physician.
• Access to health services, including a Managed Alcohol Program (MAP) and the Annex Infirmary program which provides short-term medical observation, care, and recovery support to clients experiencing health challenges.
• Case management to support clients secure permanent and supportive housing.
• Mental health services and referrals to a wide range of additional community supports

Shelters in our city provide essential support to individuals in immediate housing crisis, act as a stepping stone to permanent housing, reduce reliance on other high-cost services (e.g emergency rooms), and bring people indoors, by providing an alternative to sleeping in parks, sidewalks, or transit shelters.

If you are interested in supporting the shelter, through the offer of programs that benefit shelter residents, participating in community events or partnerships, or donating goods, please email [email protected].

There will be a community event to welcome the shelter to the neighbourhood once construction is completed. Updates will continue to be shared as the project progresses on the City’s webpage at toronto.ca/2299dundas.

If you would like to receive future updates, ask a question or share an idea, you can reach the project team at [email protected] .

Sincerely,

Gord

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

TRCA Flood Safety Information
CultureLink Career Workshop
Grassy Narrows River Run Rally Save the Date

Ward 4 news

Pat Capponi Parkette Opening Event
Toronto East York Community Council
- 1464 King Street West and 10 to 12 Maynard Avenue
- 1497 and 1501 Queen Street West and 89 and 91 Beaty Avenue
- 1 & 3 Close Ave & 78 Springhurst Ave
- 1730 Bloor Street West
- 2273, 2277 and 2279 Bloor Street West
- 34 to 50 Southport Street
- Renaming Close-Springhurst Parkette in Honour of Diane Rajaram
- Transportation Items
  - CNE Traffic and Parking Regulations
  - King Street Construction
  - Armadale and Mayfield - All-Way Stop
  - Traffic Calming Various Streets
  - St. John's Road - Additional Speed Humps
Parkdale Parking Restrictions during FIFA

Expansion of Ontario’s Deposit Return Program

Friends,

On June 10, 2026, the Infrastructure and Environment Committee voted in favour of urging the Ontario government to immediately implement a deposit-return program for non-alcoholic beverage containers.

Currently, Ontario operates a successful deposit return system for alcohol, seeing an average of 75 percent of all empties returned to Beer Stores each year. The deposit return provides a consumer incentive to consciously recycle. This system must be expanded to include all beverage containers.

Ontario is one of Canada’s only provinces without a deposit-return program for non-alcoholic beverages. As a result, Ontario has the lowest beverage container recovery rate in Canada—at roughly 50% of containers being recycled. Other provinces such as Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia have an expanded deposit return program and see recovery rates 50% higher than Ontario. The Ontario government proposed expanding the deposit return program to include non-alcoholic containers in 2023 but has yet to do so.

The City of Toronto will join the Peel Region, the City of Waterloo, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative in urging the Ontario government to immediately implement a deposit-return program for non-alcoholic beverage containers.

The IEC Committee received a letter of support from the Canadian Beverage Association to expand the Deposit Return Program as the current mixed recycling system is inefficient, resulting in higher cost for producers with worse outcomes.

You can hear my comments on the matter at the IEC meeting here: https://youtu.be/73ZTlD1yDIU

As we push for ways to be more sustainable, I encourage you to participate in the Plastic Free July challenge, a global campaign encouraging individuals and communities to cut down on single use plastics throughout the month of July. We can use this movement to make incremental changes in individual habits but also to mobilize as a community to influence our governments and businesses to adopt sustainable practices.

Sincerely,

Gord

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

FIFA Related Nighttime Waste Collection Changes

Ward 4 news

Sorauren Construction Progress Update – June 18,2026
Swansea Town Hall: Clean Indoor Air Toronto
Summer Fest - Baby Point Gates BIACommunity Environment Day - June 27
Community Environment Day - June 27
Parkside Live: A Summer Music Series
Taste of the Junction 2026
Parkdale Parking Restrictions during FIFA

Landmark funding deal to build more rental homes

Friends,

This week at City Council we adopted a landmark funding deal in which $1.5 billion in funding will be provided to the City of Toronto to reduce development charges in partnership with the provincial and federal governments. The full City Council agenda can be reviewed here: City Council - Meeting 42 - TMMIS

The City can now reduce its residential development charges by 40 to 60 per cent for the next three years, and use this funding to pay for major infrastructure projects including our road network, water infrastructure, and enhanced transit capacity to support a growing population. These reductions will apply across the board for residential development. Deeper development charge discounts (60 per cent) will be offered to units with two or more bedrooms, to help incentivize building more housing for families.

At a time when our housing market has slowed down, these development charge reductions will help make projects more financially viable, build more of the kind of housing we need, and make homes more affordable for residents. It will also help generate an estimated 143,000 jobs through construction and related industries.

This funding deal was inspired by the City’s successful Purpose-Built Rental Housing Incentives program.

The first phase of the program, launched in fall 2024 with more than $1.2 billion in financial contributions from the City of Toronto, supported more than 8,000 rental homes, including more than 2,000 affordable homes.

Building on that success, with the greater financial stability provided through the $1.5 billion in federal and provincial infrastructure funding, the City of Toronto is now in a position to launch a new phase of Purpose-Built Rental Incentives.

The second phase of the program will support up to 10,000 new rental homes, including a minimum of 2,000 affordable rental homes. We will prioritize shovel-ready projects and City staff will review and approve applications on a rolling basis over the coming weeks and months.

We are proving as a city that there is a crucial role for government to steer development towards building housing that Torontonians can afford to live in. In doing so as a municipal government, we are influencing other orders of government to invest in Toronto with us.

Sincerely,

Gord

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

Celebrate Canada Day
Pride Weekend
Outdoor Swimming Pools
FIFA Related Nighttime Waste Collection Changes

Ward 4 news

Toronto East York Community Council
- 1464 King Street West and 10 to 12 Maynard Avenue
- 1497 and 1501 Queen Street West and 89 and 91 Beaty Avenue
- 1 & 3 Close Ave & 78 Springhurst Ave
- 1730 Bloor Street West
- 2273, 2277 and 2279 Bloor Street West
- 34 to 50 Southport Street
- Renaming Close-Springhurst Parkette in Honour of Diane Rajaram
- Transportation Items
Sorauren Ave Construction Update
Celebration of Compassion at Roncesvalles United Church
Celebrate Around the World on Roncy in Roncesvalles Village!
Swansea Town Hall: Clean Indoor Air Toronto
Summer Fest - Baby Point Gates BIA Community Environment Day - June 27
Community Environment Day - June 27
Parkside Live: A Summer Music Series
Taste of the Junction 2026
Parkdale Parking Restrictions during FIFA

Requesting a Transparent, Clear and Fair Consultation Process Regarding the "Proposed Demonstrations Bylaw to Protect Vulnerable Institutions"

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide

Ward 4

Ward 4 Developments

Latest posts

Update on the 2299 Dundas St West Men’s Shelter

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

Ward 4 news

Expansion of Ontario’s Deposit Return Program

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

Ward 4 news

Landmark funding deal to build more rental homes

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

Ward 4 news

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