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this budget is about the right investments

Friends,

I have been hearing from Torontonians throughout the 2024 Budget process, including at this week's public presentation sessions. People feel that it's time to reinvest in the services that make Toronto work.

People want investments in public transit that get us back to pre-pandemic service levels, investments in community services that foster strong and connected neighbourhoods, and investments in shelter and housing that ensure that our most vulnerable neighbours have the supports they need.

The inadequate state of our City's services is a direct result of a decade of austerity budgets and service cuts.

The property tax increase in the proposed 2024 Budget is designed to make up for this lost ground and get us back to building a city that we can all be proud of. I have been very encouraged by how many of you have voiced your support for this direction. 

The proposed budget increases funding in the TTC to allow for a fare freeze while increasing services and safety measures. It also includes significant investments in shelter and housing, the winter warming response plan, and the Toronto Public Library system to extend open hours and access to critical community supports and services.

There have been media reports about cuts to policing, however this is not true. The Budget proposes an increases to the police budget. The City has also designated the Toronto Community Crisis Service as the fourth municipal emergency service which is a non-police-led, 24/7, community-based, client-centered and trauma informed service to support non-emergency crisis calls. This holistic approach to community safety builds our capacity to be more responsive to crisis, and with the right expertise.

For those who have written-in, phoned-in, attended meetings, and engaged during this Budget process, thank you for doing your part in building a better City.

Sincerely,

Gord

 

Other News

- Planning and Housing Updates

     - 150 Dunn housing provider selected

     - 2453-2469 Bloor St W Community Consultation Meeting

     - 2112 Dundas St W Community Consultation Meeting

     - Baby Point HCD virtual sessions

- Parkside Drive Study: Public Consultation

- Winter Services Reminder

 

150 Dunn housing provider selected

The City has selected Fred Victor as the housing and support services provider at the supportive housing at 150 Dunn Ave.

Fred Victor is a mult-service charitable organization bringing 128 years of experience helping people rebuild their lives and operating affordable and supportive housing. 

Thank you to the community, City staff and partners for their contribution towards this milestone.

2453-2469 Bloor St W Community Consultation Meeting

The City has received a Zoning By-law Amendment application for 2453-2469 Bloor St West and so City Planning has scheduled a virtual Community Consultation Meeting for the evening of January 30th at 6pm.

A plan has been proposed to redevelop this space into a 12-storey mass timber mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor, containing 91 residential units, 111 bike parking spaces, and 40 vehicle parking spaces. A pre-application community meeting was held for this site previously on May 8th, 2023. This month's meeting, consisting of a short presentation of the development followed by a Q&A session, will allow you to view the proposal and share your thoughts.

Councillor Perks and City Planning staff, and the applicant will be in attendance to help answer any questions that may arise. You can register for the meeting here: https://toronto.webex.com/weblink/register/rbfac32bd95bca3cfb767e611ef4aa0f5.

Further information on the project and what is being proposed can be found on the City's Application Information Centre website here: www.toronto.ca/2461BloorStW.

2112 Dundas St W community meeting

The property owners of 2112 Dundas St West, N/E corner of Dundas and Golden Avenue, is holding an Online Community Meeting to share preliminary plans for a 10-storey mixed-use development on this site.

Online Community Meeting Details:

Tuesday, February 13th, 2024

6:30pm - 8:00 pm

Zoom Link: here

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.

Baby Point HCD virtual sessions

Join the City for an update on the Baby Point Heritage Conservation District Plan.

The City is looking to get input from Baby Point community members through a series of virtual sessions happening in February 2024 to discuss this unique historic neighbourhood.

The first session regarding Archaeology & Landscape is happening on February 5, 2024 from 6 - 8pm. The second session regarding Architectural Policies is happening on February 27, 2024 from 6 - 7:30pm. 

Here is a direct link to the newsletter pdf with the information on the webinars on the front page: Baby Point Heritage Conservation District Study Newsletter Issue 02 (toronto.ca)

Here's the webpage where you can register in advance to participate in the meetings: Meetings & Events: Baby Point HCD – City of Toronto

Parkside Drive Study: Phase Two Public Consultation

Phase two of the Parkside Drive Study Public Consultation continue with a Public Drop-In event on February 1st and an online survey.

This phase of consultation will collect community and road user feedback on potential interim changes and the long-term vision for Parkside Drive. Following the stakeholder group meeting with residents on Parkside Drive, city staff have also scheduled a public drop-in event and an online survey to review next steps for Parkside Drive and to receive feedback from the community.

Public Drop-In Event

The Public Drop-In Event will provide an opportunity to view the project information through a panel display and speak with members of the project team one-on-one.

Date: February 1, 2024
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Lithuanian Hall 1573 Bloor Street West

This is a wheelchair accessible venue.

Feedback

Complete the online feedback survey  before Thursday, February 15, 2024.

Consultation Materials

Winter Services Reminder

All property owners are responsible for keeping sidewalks clear of snow & ice where accumulations of less than 2cm exist. Sidewalk accumulations of 2cm or more will be cleared by the City. If property owners are not able to maintain City sidewalks themselves, arrangements must be made by the property owner for clearing of snow & ice, under a depth of 2cm. Property owners that fail to comply face the risk of being reported to the City, and the City has an obligation to follow-up on reports received. Fines issued are at the discretion of the investigating bylaw officer.

Please see the City's webpage and the flyer below for more information.

 

 

Latest posts

Demonstrations Bylaw

Friends,

The City of Toronto is moving ahead with public consultation for a proposed demonstrations bylaw to protect vulnerable institutions, as directed by City Council (2024.CC24.2).

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. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.CC24.2

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 .

This multi-pronged public consultation approach will include the following:

Online Survey

Written Comments

Public Discussions

  • Additional opportunities to participate in public discussions will follow in April. More information on the dates of the public discussions will be communicated and posted on the City’s webpage once confirmed.

Information and additional details on the City’s public consultation can be found on the City’s webpage at: http://toronto.ca/PublicConsult.

The consultation is an opportunity to take part in this conversation. I encourage you to participate.

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • Zoning for Housing – Upcoming City Planning Consultations
    • Garden Suites Monitoring Program
    • Expanding Permissions in Neighbourhoods for Sixplexes Citywide
  • Help shape the next Toronto Seniors’ Strategy 

Ward 4

  • Swansea Town Hall Community Centre - Seeking New Board Members & Assistant Executive Director 
  • Greenest City: Parkdale Seedy Sunday & Ecofair 2025 - Volunteer Call
  • Toronto Hydro Construction Notice - Glenlake Ave.
  • Road Rehabilitation Construction Notice - Evans Ave
  • Developments
    • 3459-3461 Dundas St W
    • 138 Dowling Ave

Anyone can experience homelessness. Everyone deserves shelter.

Friends,

Anyone can experience homelessness.

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, providing an alternative to sleeping in parks, sidewalks, or transit stations.

The positive impact of shelter service is evident in the stories of individuals who have successfully transitioned from shelter into permanent housing. Some have bravely shared their stories: Successful Pathways to Housing – City of Toronto .

Shelters provide critical services to help individuals experiencing homelessness gain stability as they work toward permanent housing.

The City has a 10-year plan to improve and expand our shelter system: Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS).

One pillar of the 10-year strategy is building up to 20 permanent and purpose-built shelters, with a focus on expanding outside of the downtown core to address gaps in available services for people.     

Community engagement is a crucial component to supporting the successful integration of new shelters into the neighbourhood. The City is committed to engaging the community to support the program’s success – both for the individuals who will be staying at shelters and the surrounding community. The process includes communicating details about the shelter development process, responding to community inquiries and concerns, improving public understanding of shelter development and providing ongoing shelter updates. Details will be shared with each community as development of each site progresses and can be found online at toronto.ca/NewShelters . 

I am encouraged by the City’s Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy (HSCIS) and will continue to use my voice and vote on Council to support improving and increasing our shelter infrastructure and expediting the City’s delivery of housing.

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy (TSNS) Community Networks Launching
  • Spring Flooding: Flood Preparedness Resources
  • Committee of Adjustment Annual Stakeholder Update and Engagement
  • Celebrate Community Story Telling at City Hall

Ward 4

  • BenTastic Magic Show at Parkdale Library
  • High Park Prescribed Burn
  • Construction Notice: Road Resurfacing on Weatherell Street from Rivercrest Rd to Jane St
  • Greenest City: Parkdale Seedy Sunday & Ecofair 2025

Potential Labour Strike & Disruptions

Friends,

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79, the union representing the City’s 27,000 city workers will be in a legal strike at 12:01 a.m., or one minute past midnight, on Saturday, March 8 if an agreement is not reached before then.

City Manager Paul Johnson has provided updates on city services that may be impacted in the event of a labour disruption.

A labour disruption would result in the closure of all 39 City-operated early learning and child care centres, as well as the closure and cancellation of programming at all City recreation centres including March Break camps. Refunds will be issued for any paid recreation programs that are affected and clients will not be charged for days that City-operated child care centres are closed.

The City will remain prepared to respond to emergencies if a labour disruption occurs. Emergency response by the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Paramedic Services will not be impacted. The Toronto Community Crisis Service will operate normally. Winter maintenance operations for roads and sidewalks will continue.

Seniors Services and Long-Term Care, TTC, Toronto Community Housing and Toronto Water operations will continue during a labour disruption. All City-operated and funded shelters, 24-hour respite and drop-in programs will remain open. The City will continue to activate additional services during colder temperatures, including Warming Centres.

Information on City services and bargaining updates can be found on the City’s website at www.toronto.ca/labour.

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • Prepare for potential flooding
  • Bylaw update for Accessible Parking Permit holders
  • Reminder: Vacant Home Tax Declaration

Ward 4

  • Family Skate at Coca Cola Coliseum
  • Artists in Flux 2: Empowerment
  • CommunitiCare Health Taking New Patients
  • Greenest City: Parkdale Seedy Sunday & Ecofair 2025
More — Read Our Weekly Newsletter

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