An Update on the City's Vacant Home Tax

I wanted to share a reminder that despite temperatures beginning to dip, there are several outdoor activities offered by the City that residents can enjoy throughout the winter.

The City will begin to open its more than 50 outdoor ice rinks and skating trails citywide in the coming weeks. Family-friendly activities offered at these facilities include free public leisure and figure skating, shinny, ringette, and instructional programs. Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit the City’s service alerts webpage for updates regarding artificial ice rinks and to check the status of local rinks by visiting the City’s webpage. 

The Skate Lending Library is also back, which makes it easy and fun for residents and families to learn how to skate by providing access to skates, helmets, and skate aids. The program is free and no reservations are required. More information about skate lending locations is available here. 

Residents are also invited to make use of outdoor sport courts including 50 tennis courts with nets in place for winter tennis, designated fire pits that can be booked in advance through the new recreation booking system, birdwatching at Toronto parks, ravines and natural areas, and many other Winter in Toronto activities.

I encourage you to embrace the cold and stay active during this winter season by learning more about TO Winter activities.

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates

• Help shape the future of ice facilities in Toronto
• Canada Post labour disruption
• Early registration for Older Adult winter programs now open
• Holiday giving through DonateTO
• Help shape the future of Toronto's recreation spaces and parks
• Vacant Home Tax 2024 declaration 

Ward 4 Updates

• Shop Local in Parkdale
• Developments
  
  • 2461-2475 Dundas St W Refusal Report
  • *New Date* Committee of Adjustment Application, 1375 Queen St W

This week at Board of Health, staff presented the first annual progress report on Our Health, Our City, Toronto’s comprehensive five-year and city-wide strategy to address both mental health and substance use related issues in Toronto.

I was pleased to hear that significant progress has been made towards the first-year priorities identified in the strategy. Most notably, Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) has been expanded city-wide, which improves access to appropriate services and support for people in crisis.

Toronto Public Health staff emphasized, however, that Toronto continues to be in a drug toxicity epidemic, with over 500 deaths per year for the last four years due to opioid toxicity.

Staff expressed grave concerns for how in this context the provincial government’s plans to close Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) sites in Toronto will not only lead to an increase in overdoses but also negatively impact everyone’s health and access to emergency services.

SCSs are clinical spaces for people to bring their own drugs to use in the presence of trained health professionals available immediately should a person overdose. In 2023, staff at the 10 SCS locations currently in Toronto responded to 2296 overdoses – that’s over 2000 calls that didn’t get made to 911, preserving Emergency Services resources for other urgent needs in our city.

The staff report recommendations include reiterating the request to the provincial government to protect community health, well-being, and safety by continuing to fund, and permit the operation of all currently operating SCS sites.

The Board of Health adopted this item with amendments. You can listen to my comments on this item below.  

The Canadian and international evidence is clear that SCSs save lives, connect people to social services and are pathways to treatment. I will continue to work in partnership with Board of Health colleagues and community to advocate for policies that are evidence-based and promote public health and public safety for all Toronto residents.

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates

• Long-Term Waste Management Strategy, Phase 1 Consultation
• Vacant Home Tax 2024 declaration 

Ward 4 Updates

• Shop Local in Parkdale
• Designation of the Teiaiagon-Baby Point Heritage Conservation District Plan under the Ontario Heritage Act
• Baby Point Gates Annual Open House 
• Developments
  
  • 2461-2475 Dundas St W Refusal Report
  • Committee of Adjustment Application, 1375 Queen St W

I am pleased to share that this week at City Council we adopted two landmark policies aimed at reducing housing insecurity in our city: Establishing a New Purpose-built Rental Homes Incentives Stream and Implementing a Rental Reonvation License By-law to Address Renovictions.  Together, these two policies will steer our city’s housing system towards building the affordable rental housing options that residents need – starting with an immediate call for 7,000 new rental homes supported through the City’s own resources,  while at the same time increasing protections for tenants living in our existing rental housing stock.

City Council also adopted the Parkside Drive Study Final Report, advancing staff recommend safety improvements for achieving a safer Parkside neighbourhood. You can review the full City Council agenda here: City Council - Meeting 23 - TMMIS (toronto.ca)

I also wanted to remind residents that last week the City officially launched a new registration and booking system for its recreation programming. This new system includes a ‘wish list’ feature that will reduce the time it takes to register and eliminate the need to search for available programs on the spot. Residents are encouraged to explore the new system and create their new account before registration for winter recreation programming begins in the coming weeks. More information on how to set up an account and where to get support is included below.

I hope you and your family are able to make use of the terrific range of recreation programs offered by our City. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if we can be of support.

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates

• Winter Recreation Programming – Create a new account and a wish list
• 311 Toronto awareness and usage survey 🏙️ 
• Help shape public parking in Toronto 🅿️
• Supporting homeowners with home energy improvements 🍃 
• 2025 Waste Collection Schedules and Waste Management Guide
• It’s Fall Yard Waste Season!
• Reminder: Shape the future of Toronto facilities and parks
• Vacant Home Tax 2024 declaration 
• Exhibition Place Community Liaison Consultation

Ward 4 Updates

• Baby Point Gates Annual Open House 
• Committee of Adjustment Application 1229 Queen Street West 
• Developments
  
  • 138 Dowling Pre-Application Meeting