Clean Toronto Together: Friday, April 25 to Sunday, April 27 ️
It's time for some spring cleaning! Toronto’s 20th annual community cleanup returns this Friday, April 25 to Sunday, April 27. Join thousands of residents, families, businesses and community groups for a simple yet impactful activity - spending just 20 minutes picking up litter in your neighborhood. This self-directed event helps keep our parks beautiful by removing small plastics, cans, bottles and other harmful waste.
Participants are asked to register their cleanups online before Wednesday, April 23.
Find more information on the City’s Clean Toronto Together webpage.
Applications are open for the City of Toronto’s Local Leadership Grant Program 2025
Do you have a great idea for a resident-led project that could make a difference in your neighborhood? The Local Leadership Grant provides funding for community initiatives that align with the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy . Resident-led groups can apply for up to $5,000 to bring their projects to life.
Projects must focus on at least one of the following five areas:
-
Economic Opportunities – e.g., job skills workshop, certification training, or employment forum
-
Healthy Lives – e.g., nutrition workshop, wellness day, or community gardening event
-
Participation in Civic Decision-Making – e.g., leadership training, civic action forum, or community speak-out event
-
Physical Surroundings – e.g., neighborhood beautification, walking tours, or community art projects
-
Social Development – e.g., educational forums, back-to-school events, or neighborhood festivals
The grant prioritizes the leadership and participation of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), Black, and other equity-deserving groups in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas, emerging neighbourhoods, and other communities of focus, such as TCHC communities and RGI/cooperative housing communities, as well as areas undergoing rapid development, including transit-related developments.
Upcoming Local Leadership Grant Information Sessions and Drop-in Office Hours:
Virtual information sessions will provide an overview of the grant guidelines and online application form, including the project work plan and budget. City staff will also provide grant writing tips and best practices.
Visit the City of Toronto’s Local Leadership Grant web page for details on information sessions and drop-in office hours, as well as grant guidelines and key dates. Toronto-based resident-led groups can apply through the online application form until 12 p.m. on Monday, April 28.
Need to get in touch?
City of Toronto launches Children’s Spring Poetry Contest
Calling all young poets! City of Toronto launches Children’s Spring Poetry Contest
The City of Toronto has just launched its first Children’s Spring Poetry Contest, inviting poets aged 6 to 14 to write a poem about what they love most about Toronto’s parks.
Poems can be submitted online in any style and children are encouraged to explore topics such as nature, splash pads or their favourite memory at a local park. Lillian Allen, Toronto’s Poet Laureate, will be selecting the winning poems in each age category. Age categories include children six to eight years of age, nine to 11 years of age and 12 to 14 years of age.
The contest is part of the City’s work to create vibrant communities by encouraging children to consider the value that parks and nature spaces represent to them, their family and community.
Contest submissions are due by noon on May 5th, 2025.
More information about the Children’s Spring Poetry Competition and how to submit a poem is on the City’s website: www.Toronto.ca/PoetryContest
Expanding Housing Options - Upcoming Community Engagements
In response to Toronto’s housing crisis, City Planning is working to preserve and create new options for how people live as our city grows, ages and evolves.
The city-wide engagement program continues through the Spring to engage residents on many projects that propose or update policy with the aim of creating a diverse range and mix of housing options to accommodate people at all stages of life, and to accommodate the needs of all household sizes and incomes.
Here is information about two upcoming housing initiatives with community engagement opportunities that you can participate in:
1. Expanding Permissions in Neighbourhoods for Sixplexes Citywide and Multiplex Monitoring
Join an in-person or virtual consultation event, where the project team will present findings from the multiplex monitoring program and provide insight into the next phase of housing policy changes in neighbourhoods. This includes potentially increasing the number of permitted units in detached homes city-wide from the currently-permitted four units to six units.
For more information on the Multiplex Monitoring Program, visit the Multiplex Study webpage
When:
- Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 6-8pm
- Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 5-7:30pm
- City Hall Rotunda, 100 Queen Street West
2. Apartment Infill Study
The study focuses on increasing opportunities for additional infill housing on Apartment Tower sites across the City and creating new tools to simplify and speed up the housing approvals process in these locations. For more information, visit Apartment Infill Study webpage
Learn more and tell City staff what you think at the upcoming virtual meetings this month.
When:
- Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 6-8pm
- Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 6-8pm
For more information on these housing initiatives, you can contact Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) via email at [email protected] or call them at 416-392-9435 with your comments and questions.
Help us make your low-rise building more energy efficient ️
The City is looking for input to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in low-rise buildings. Residential building owners and tenants of low-rise buildings are invited to share their input on the benefits and challenges of energy-efficient retrofits, as well as provide feedback on the tools and support they need to undertake these retrofits.
Take the survey by Monday, April 14 and find more information on the City’s Building Emissions Performance Standards webpage.
Ward 4
Ward 4 Community Compost Days
Our office is 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 19th at 10:00am
-
Masaryk Cowan Community Centre - Thursday, April 24th at 2:00pm
Please bring your own shovels and containers to receive FREE compost (while supplies last)!
Baby Point BIA - Easter Bunny
Catch a sighting of the Easter Bunny who will be handing out chocolate eggs and hopping around the streets of Baby Point with the Baby Point BIA!
When: April 19th, from 11 am - 2 pm
Construction Notice: Scarlett Road Bridge -Toronto Hydro Overhead Electrical Work
Toronto Hydro is planning to install and relocate hydro poles and switchgear during the demolition and reconstruction of the Scarlett Road Bridge. The boundaries for the project include a section of Gooch Avenue, Dundas Street West, St Clair Avenue West, Scarlett Road, and Bernice Avenue.
Work is expected to begin April 2025. Read the Construction Notice below for further information:
Traffic Notice: No stopping on Dufferin St. from Queen St. W. to Springhurst Ave
As part of the City of Toronto’s ongoing commitment to congestion management, proven traffic management strategies are being implemented in the Liberty Village area to help keep traffic moving and ensure the safe and orderly movement of vehicles, public transit, pedestrians and people cycling.
Effective March 31 until December 31, there will be no stopping along Dufferin Street, from Queen Street West to Springhurst Avenue.
This includes the temporary removal of 75 on-street parking spaces. Alternative parking is available via Green P Parking lots at:
- 1155 King St. W.
- 45 Abell St.
- 1325 Queen St. W.
Reminder: Vacant Home Tax Declaration - DUE April 30!
Do you own a house or condo in Toronto? If yes, then you need to let the City know if it was occupied or vacant by declaring its occupancy status every year. Even if you reside at your property.
The Vacant Home Tax (VHT) program works to increase the availability and affordability of housing in our city. It does this by encouraging people who own homes that are kept empty to make these vacant properties available for rent or for sale, helping to make sure all homes are lived in.
You can make your declaration for the 2024 year quickly and easily online at toronto.ca/VacantHomeTax. Or you can call 311 if you need assistance. You can also visit a Tax and Utility counter at City Hall or one of the civic centres to make your declaration.
The deadline to make a declaration for the 2024 calendar year is April 30, 2025. But don’t wait for the deadline, declare soon.
Ward 4 Developments:
Swansea Mews Initial Development Proposal
Exciting News! At the April 10th Planning and Housing Committee Meeting (PHC), the Swansea Mews initial Development Proposal will be reviewed.
PH20.8 - Swansea Mews Initial Development Proposal - Item - 2025.PH20.8
Following an incident at Swansea Mews in May, 2022 where the underside of a structural concrete panel detached and fell in a Toronto Community Housing (THC) townhome unit, the Chief Building Officer deemed the site uninhabitable, and all tenants were immediately relocated offsite. Today, the buildings remain vacant and uninhabitable.
An Initial Development Proposal (IDP) will be considered at PHC that proposes the general site layout and the guiding principles for future development on the site. The IDP Report was adopted at TCHC BIFAC Committee and Board, following PHC it will move to City Council for approval.
The IDP recommends endorsing TCH’s proposed plans to replace 154 rent-geared to income homes onsite. In addition, 550-700 net new homes (beyond the 154 replacement) can be achieved on-site with varying levels of affordability and ownership models, and approximately 1,400 – 1,860 square meters of commercial, community, and/or amenity space.
Other city-building objectives are also proposed to be achieved including improved open/park space, improved access and road alignment, increased tenant benefits through community economic development programs, and an overall design that will promote community safety and social cohesion.
Following Council approval, TCHC will launch a detailed community engagement process. This is essential to the redevelopment plan for Swansea Mews. It reflects the community’s needs and supports an Official Plan Amendment and rezoning application. This work will take place later this year.
My office will continue to share updated through my weekly e-newsletter.
Connect with me
