Council Meeting Review & Security on the TTC

Friends,

Yesterday, Toronto City Council declared the mayoral seat vacant and passed a bylaw requiring a by-election. City Clerk has set the by-election for Monday, June 26. Beginning Monday, April 3, until Friday, May 12, those who are eligible may file a nomination to run in the mayoral by-election.

More information on the process is available at https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/elections/by-election/. The City Clerk has set the by-election for Monday, June 26.  This by-election is an opportunity to choose someone who wants to build a better future for our City by recognizing and meaningfully addressing the various challenges our City faces.

City Council is currently meeting this week. As part of the agenda, we will be discussing the Ombudsman's report on the investigation into the City's processes for clearing encampments in 2021. Council will also discuss Community Safety Issues and the City's response to address the series of senseless violent incidents on the TTC including the recent tragic incident at Keele station.

The city needs to take a proactive response to address such crisis situations.

Over many years, public transit, mental health services and access to housing has been chronically underfunded in our city. We are now seeing the impacts of those funding decisions. To prevent violence, we need to focus our efforts on investing in programs and services that provide health and long term supports to individuals in need.

The City is working closely with the TTC to take a multifaceted approach to addressing the rise in violence. The City has partnered with the TTC to strengthen transit system outreach including the recent addition of street outreach mental health specialists. You can learn more about this work here.

For those that have taken the time to share your thoughts on the matter, thank you. There is a need for urgent action and a collaborative approach to addressing these concerns. I will continue to advocate to improve transit service and safety while also prioritizing programming and investments to support vulnerable community members.

 

Sincerely,

Gord

In this week's newsletter:

  • Stone Soup Network honoured as a Toronto Community Champion
  • Virtual Stakeholder Meeting Invite: Bloor St W Complete Street Extension
  • Clean Toronto Together set for April 21-23
  • Public Input Needed for Night Economy Review
  • Swansea Town Hall looking for a new Board Member
  • Sistering Community Project: Making Visible on April 1, 2023
  • Reminder: High Park Movement Strategy Open House on April 3, 2023

Stone Soup Network honoured as a Toronto Community Champion

A hearty congratulations to Stone Soup Network. They were one of 25 community organizations that were honoured by the City as Toronto Community Champions for extraordinary service to community during the unprecedented times of the pandemic.

Stone Soup Network is a program that was founded in Ward 4 in 2016.

During the pandemic, Stone Soup Network (SSN) provided $140,000 in goods and services to people in need locally, brought 16,000 N95 masks to food banks, seniors and support agencies, and provided $104,000 in direct aid to 107 Swansea Mews families.

Thank you to the many volunteers for your compassionate generosity.


Virtual Stakeholder Meeting on the Bloor St W Complete Street Extension will be held on April 4th, 2023

Gord encourages everyone interested to take part in the Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension virtual stakeholder meeting on April 4th. This extension of bike lanes further west into our ward will provide even safer access to Toronto's bike network, enabling easier access for all. See the message below, from the Cycling Team, for more information:

The City of Toronto is inviting stakeholders along or near Bloor Street West from Runnymede Road to Resurrection Road to learn more about and provide feedback on the Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension Project.

The Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension Project aims to make travel on Bloor Street West safer, more inviting and attractive for everyone. The project includes proposed road safety improvements, cycle tracks and public realm upgrades to meet Toronto’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and TransformTO: Climate Action Strategy goals. The project goals are to:

  1. Improve safety for people walking, cycling and driving​
  2. Enhance the walking and cycling experience​
  3. Support the qualities that make Bloor Street West a place
  4. Maintain roadway space for transit, emergency services, deliveries, shopping and commuting​

Changes to Bloor Street West would be made with materials that can be installed quickly, such as bollards, roadway paint, planters and signage. No major road reconstruction is planned. Installation is planned in two phases from 2023 to 2024.

Meeting details and project background can be found below.

Virtual Stakeholder Meeting Details:

Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension: Runnymede Road to Resurrection Road

Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Registration: Please email [email protected] to register*

*Please limit registration to two people per organization to accommodate the virtual format and limited capacity of this meeting. Two public drop-in meetings are scheduled for this project for April 12 and 13 and all are welcomed to attend. Further project and public meeting event details will be available online at www.toronto.ca/bloorwest. Additional project materials will be posted on the website in the coming days and weeks.

Project Background:

The Bloor Street West Cycle Tracks between Avenue Road and Shaw Street were approved and installed in 2016 as a pilot. After rigorous evaluation, they were made permanent in 2017. The Bloor Street West Bikeway Extension between Shaw Street and Runnymede Road was approved and installed in 2020. This project will connect existing bikeways between Runnymede Road and Dundas Street West (Six Points). Through the 2021 Cycling Network Plan Update, City Council directed staff to design and consult on the Bloor Street West Complete Street Extension.


2023 Clean Toronto Together Spring Cleanup Campaign 

This April, gather your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues and help cleanup litter in Toronto’s parks, beaches, or other public spaces.

Organize a 20-Minute Makeover on Friday, April 21 or schedule a community cleanup on Saturday, April 22 (Earth Day) or Sunday, April 23. Twenty minutes is all it takes to help put litter in its proper place!

Participants are asked to register their cleanups online at www.toronto.ca/cleantoronto by Wednesday, April 19. 


Public Input Needed for Night Economy Review

The City is seeking input to inform a review of licensing and zoning regulations for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as strategies to support Toronto’s night economy – the social, cultural and business activities that occur from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The public is encouraged to participate by completing an online survey and/or by attending an in-person or virtual consultation to share feedback.

Public consultation sessions will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 12 and Thursday, April 13 and in person on Monday, April 17. The link to the survey and details on how to register are available on the City’s Night Economy Review webpage. The deadline to submit feedback on the survey is Friday, April 21.


Swansea Town Hall looking for a new Board Member

Swansea Town Hall is seeking enthusiastic individuals who want to help improve our community centre by serving on our Board of Management. Are you interested in giving back to your community and getting involved at the governance level? 

Application available hereDeadline Monday April 3, 2023. 


Sistering's Making Visible - April 1, 2023

Making Visible is a four-year community-based participatory research project that seeks to address the pressing homelessness and housing crisis in Canada.

 


High Park Movement Strategy Open House: April 3, 2023

The High Park Movement Strategy (HPMS) is a city-led study to explore improvements to the travel network in High Park to better serve park users and the surrounding community, while prioritizing safety, accessibility and the park's natural environment.

The HPMS is nearing completion and staff are preparing a preferred strategy and final report that will be presented at Committee and Council this spring.

You are invited to an in-person Open House to learn about the study process and the preferred strategy. Members of the project team will be available to answer questions.

Open House materials will be shared on the project website (www.toronto.ca/HighParkMove), where you can also find additional information about the study. The project team can always be reached at [email protected].

High Park Movement Strategy - Public Open House

Date: Monday, April 3, 2023

Time: Drop by anytime between 4:30pm and 7:30pm

Location: Lithuania House - 1573 Bloor Street West

Registration: While registration is NOT required, it is helpful to ensure the project team is adequately staffed. Register Here.

Accessibility: The venue is wheelchair accessible. Attendees will need to take one elevator to the lower level. If you have any accommodation requests contact us at least 72 hours before the meeting by emailing [email protected] or calling 437-220-5975.

Transportation Options: The Lithuanian house is 220 metres from Dundas West subway station.

Thank you for your interest in the High Park Movement Strategy and we look forward to seeing you there!

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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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