Executive Committee Review

Friends,

Today the City of Toronto Executive Committee is meeting for the first time under Mayor Chow. I am pleased to be a member of this committee. Two important items are in discussion.

First, a report from the City Manager and the Interim Chief Financial Officer provides an updated Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) for the city which identifies immediate and long-term opportunities to address the City's fiscal challenges, which amount to an expected $46.5 billion over the next 10 years. This report includes options to review operating expenditures, financial incentives, new and existing revenue tools, capital prioritization, asset transactions, and intergovernmental funding arrangements. The report can be read online at: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-238625.pdf. While the City has limited revenue tools and strategies available under the City of Toronto Act, the LTFP makes every effort to address the City's financial challenges on its own. However, ultimately, the City's existing revenues do not match the complexity or the level of expenditures incurred and new revenue sources are required.

The second item introduced by Mayor Chow is to create a plan, an implementation framework and a timeline to build 25,000 new rent-controlled homes. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX7.2.

This is an exciting time at City Hall as we focus on making important changes to address the significant issues our city faces. We are primed to make some bold changes with Mayor Chow at the helm and the recent reshuffle of Committee appointments. Keep reading our newsletter to stay up to date on City Hall goings-on as we tackle these problems.

Sincerely,

Gord


Planning & Development Updates

   - Ontario Place Redevelopment – Public Consultation meetings

   - West Queen West Planning Study Community Meeting

   - OLT Decision on 1354-1360 Queen St W/8-14 Brock Ave

   - 1304 King St West Pre-application Meeting

   - 2442-2454 Bloor Street West Community Meeting

City Divisions Updates

  - Fall Recreation Program Listings

  - Runnymede Library Renovation Closure

  - Gus Ryder Pool extended season

  - TTC Survey - deadline August 27

Ontario Place Redevelopment – Public Consultation meetings on September 7th

The City of Toronto is planning the next round of community engagement on the Ontario Place Redevelopment plan.

I will continue to work closely with Ontario Place for All and Deputy Mayor Malik to advocate for a fair and transparent process. We also want to see that these public lands remain publicly-owned and accessible. As Ontario Place is located within the Toronto-Centre ward represented by Deputy Mayor Malik, she has shared a statement outlining her concerns about the current process.

On Thursday September 7th, the City will be hosting an in-person community consultation meeting to get the community's feedback on the proposal. Here are the meeting details:

Community Consultation Meeting (In-Person)

Thursday, September 7, 2023 – Beanfield Centre, Exhibition Place

  • Open house design panels: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Presentation and discussion: 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Register  

A virtual community consultation is also being planned for early September. We will share the meeting details as soon as they become available.

To learn more about this project, visit https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/waterfront/current-projects/ontario-place-redevelopment/


West Queen West Planning Study Community Meeting on September 5th

At the July 2023 City Council meeting, amendments to the West Queen West Planning Study (Bathurst Street to Roncesvalles Avenue) – Official Plan Amendment were  recommended by City Planning (Community Planning, Urban Design, Transportation Planning and Heritage Planning) staff and approved by Council.

The amendments are now public and available at https://secure.toronto.ca/council/#/committees/2462/23196    Search CC8.20

City Planning staff have provided a summary of the amendments to assist in explaining the purpose and effect of the changes to the policy. The summary can be found here.  

Further, Councillor Perks has scheduled a WebEx call on September 5th from 5-6 PM for interested community members to have an opportunity to review and discuss these amendments with Councillor Perks and City Planning staff.

WebEx link: https://toronto.webex.com/toronto/j.php?MTID=m0d550043bcb46280c026db8f598e625a


OLT Decision on 1354-1360 Queen St W/8-14 Brock Ave

The Ontario Land Tribunal has issued its decision regarding the appeal of the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application for a new 11-storey mixed-use building at 1354-1360 Queen St W and 8-14 Brock Avenue (Queen and Brock),

The Tribunal has approved the application pending a number of conditions including securing a tenant assistance plan pursuant to policy 3.2.1.12 of the City’s Official Plan, to the satisfaction of the City.

The OLT decision is available here.

An original 9 storey building was submitted to the City in 2020 and then appealed at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). City Council had directed the City Solicitor, together with City Planning staff, and other appropriate City staff, attend the OLT in opposition to the proposed development.


1304 King Street West - community meeting on August 30th

The property owner of 1304-1318 King St West and 143-145 Cowan Avenue is holding an online pre-application Community Meeting to share preliminary plans for a 21-storey mixed-use building.

Online Community Meeting Details:

Wednesday, August 30th, 2023   6:30 – 8 PM

 Link to join: zoom.us/join

Meeting ID: 847 4424 7798

Telephone dial-in: 647-558-0588

The meeting will be an opportunity to review a presentation as well as to ask questions and provide comments.

Councillor Perks and City Planning staff will be in attendance.

Further details are available on the flyer below.


2442-2454 Bloor Street West Construction Management Plan and Site Plan Community Meeting

The 2442-2454 Bloor St W Construction Management Plan and Site Plan Community Meeting has found a new date. The meeting is taking place on Tuesday, September 5th from 6:30pm-8pm.                                                   

In 2019 City Council approved a mixed-use development consisting of a 12-storey apartment building containing 186 residential units with retail on the ground floor.

To ensure that the community remains a part of the process for this development I will be, in cooperation with City Planning staff and the applicant, holding a community meeting in September. This meeting will allow you to view the proposed Construction Management Plan and share your thoughts about how best to conscientiously tackle the disruption that comes with constructing a new building of this size. It will be a great opportunity to ask questions and for the applicant and City Staff to gather feedback. I will chair the meeting which will include presentations from City Planning and the applicant, followed by a Q&A period to allow discussion.

More information for the site is available here.

The link to join the meeting will be available in next week's newsletter


Fall Recreation Program Listings have now launched

The City's fall recreation program listings are now available online to help residents prepare for registration dates next month.

Registration for City fall recreation programs opens at 7 a.m. on both Tuesday, September 12 (Etobicoke York, including York South-Weston, Toronto and East York) and Wednesday, September 13 (North York and Scarborough), for programs that begin on Saturday, September 30.

Residents can visit the City’s Fall Recreation webpage at www.toronto.ca/FallRec to learn more about registration dates in their area and to find program and registration information.

The quickest and easiest way to register for recreation programs is online. Registration by phone will also be available by calling 416-396-7378 from 7 a.m. on registration dates. For in-person registration support, five community centre locations will be open on the following dates, from 7 a.m. to noon:

  • September 12
    • Driftwood Community Recreation Centre, 4401 Jane St.
    • Masaryk-Cowan Community Recreation Centre, 220 Cowan Ave.
    • Wellesley Community Centre, 495 Sherbourne St.
  • September 13
    • Centennial Recreation Centre, 1967 Ellesmere Rd.
    • Dennis R. Timbrell Resource Centre, 29 St. Dennis Dr.

Residents who require help preparing for registration can call 416-396-7378, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to normal operating hours, the City will offer extended hours on Monday, September 11 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The call centre will be open for extended hours on registration days from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Discounts and free recreation programs
Many community centres offer free recreation programs including leisure swimming and drop-in programs for children, youth and older adults.  Information about free programs and other subsidies for recreation programs is available on the City’s Free & Lower-Cost Recreation Options webpage: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/recreation/free-lower-cost-recreation-options/.

Welcome Policy yearly credit
The Welcome Policy credit can be used to register for City recreation programs including fall recreation. Those receiving social assistance (Ontario Works) and living in Toronto are pre-approved to receive this credit and should speak to their caseworker or apply online. Toronto residents with a before-tax total family income below the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) threshold may also apply for the Welcome Policy by visiting the City’s Welcome Policy webpage: www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/child-family-support/welcome-policy-recreation-fee-subsidy/.  

Recreation jobs
Information about positions and upcoming information sessions is available on the City’s Recreation Jobs webpage: https://www.toronto.ca/home/jobs/information-for-applicants/recruitment-initiatives/recreation-jobs/new-applicants/how-to-get-hired-in-recreation/.


Runnymede Library Renovations and Closure

The Runnymede library will be closed for roofing renovations beginning Monday September 4, 2023.  The work should take approximately four weeks and the branch is scheduled to re-open as of Tuesday October 10, 2023

The book drop will be closed during the construction. Library materials may be returned to any Toronto Public Library branch.  The closest branch to Runnymede is the Annette branch, at 145 Annette St.

Here is a list of "What's on at Library Branches" in our Ward


Gus Ryder pool open till September 24

Parks, Forestry and Recreation will be extending the pool season at ten
pools, until Sunday, September 24, 2023.

Sunnyside Gus Ryder Outdoor Pool in Parkdale-High Park will be extended this season, along with nine others. The selected pools will be open Monday – Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. and
Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 7:00 p.m. The pools that will remain open are:


TTC Survey available till August 27

The TTC is seeking your valuable insights to enhance transit services and experiences. Participate in Round three of engagement until August 27, 2023, for our 5 Year Annual Service Plan and 10-year Customer Experience Action Plan. Your feedback will help us improve the TTC’s express bus network, regional transit integration, safety measures, trip planning, real-time information, stops, station amenities, and cleanliness.

Take the Survey: Share your thoughts at www.ttc5yearplans.ca/survey or request a hard copy via email ([email protected]) or phone (647-905-8825).

Learn More: Visit www.ttc5yearplans.ca. Together, let's create a better transit future for everyone!

Latest posts

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  

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  

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  

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