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  3. November 13, 2025

November 13, 2025

Friends,

I am pleased to share that at City Council this week, Council approved increasing permissions for retail and services in neighbourhoods city-wide, so that the goods and services that residents need can be reached closer to home. The increased permission for retail and services are being advanced primarily on two types of street designations – ‘Major Streets’ and ‘Community Streets’.

The staff report on this item proposed increased permissions on Major Streets (where Council adopted permissions for apartment buildings up to six storeys and townhouses in June 2024), to allow a range of options mostly on the ground floor, including small stores, cafes, medical offices, after-school programs, cleaners, barbers and professional offices. More impactful uses are not permitted, for example: vehicle repair, animal shelter, payday loan, warehouse, and club.

City Council voted to adopt these staff recommendations with amendments that account for ward-specific considerations, resulting in the increased permissions being implemented on Major Streets in all 25 wards across Toronto.

To be permitted on Major Streets (ground floor only):

  • Retail: All retail uses. This could include grocery/convenience stores, clothing, furniture, second-hand shops, among others.
  • Dining: Cafés, restaurants (sit-down or take-out), licensed bars with patios.
  • Personal & Pet Services: Examples include hair/nail salons, barbers, tattoo parlours, dry cleaners, pet grooming.
  • Arts & Cultural: Music, dance, theatre, artist studios, art galleries.
  • Recreation Uses: Examples include fitness clubs, bowling alleys, billiard halls, indoor rinks.
  • Workshops: Custom, repair, or refurbishing shops, etc.

To be permitted on Major Streets (ground and second floors):

  • Professional/Office: Medical, real estate, accounting, legal.
  • Health/Other: Massage and wellness therapy, education, religious education.

The staff report also proposed permitting small-scale retail stores in neighbourhood interiors at properties adjacent to parks, schools, and existing commercial sites, as well as on corner lots on Community Streets. This includes option for stores to include ancillary eating or takeout eating service, allowing for the establishment of small, low impact neighbourhood cafés which serve beverages and food items prepared off-site.

Community Streets are generally those that are identified within the city’s Road Classification Map as Collectors or Minor Arterials and are not major streets. These streets are more likely to have sidewalks on both sides of the street, are more likely to have bicycle infrastructure and public transit service, and are typically through-streets that connect to nearby major streets making them the primary pedestrian corridors with easy access to/from other neighbourhood streets.  A ward-specific collection of maps demonstrating the location of Community Streets can be reviewed here: Attachment 2: Neighbourhood Interiors Zoning By-law Amendment.

Thanks to a successful amendment championed by Mayor Chow, City Council voted to move forward on adopting these permissions for neighbourhood interior small-scale retail in Toronto and East York District (which includes our Ward 4), while allowing for other wards to opt-in by request in the future. I encourage you to review the full item here.

The progress on this item is a significant advancement of our City’s goal to develop more complete and walkable communities city-wide, and demonstrates that when we engage respectfully and collaboratively in dialogue with one another, we can forge paths that all of Toronto can move forward on together.

 

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

  • Winter Recreation Activities Registration Opening Soon
  • City of Toronto Winter Services Plan for People Experiencing Homelessness

Ward 4 news

  • Swansea Mews Community Meeting - November 20
  • Bloor West Village Avenue Study
  • TTC Closures: Kipling to Jane stations
  • Dundas Street West Closure between Gilmour and Runnymede
  • 1266 Queen Street West (Queen & Dufferin) at the Toronto Preservation Board 
  • Baby Point Gates BIA Winter Event - Nov 22
  • Live in the Library - Adam Solomon at the Parkdale Library - November 28 - 7 pm
  • Window Wonderland Transforms the Junction into a Free Outdoor Art Gallery

City-Wide News

Winter Recreation Activities Registration Opening Soon

Toronto residents can start gearing up for a season of fun, as the City of Toronto has released its full list of winter recreation programming.  

Residents can register online over the following schedule: 

  • Monday, December 1 at 10 a.m.: Registration for Older Adult programs 
  • Tuesday, December 2 at 7 a.m.: Registration for Etobicoke and Toronto East York locations 
  • Wednesday, December 3 at 7 a.m.: Registration for North York and Scarborough locations 

Winter recreation programming starts on Monday, January 5, 2026. All activities are listed on the City’s winter recreation activities webpage: www.toronto.ca/WinterRec.  

How to register for Winter recreation programs 

The fastest and easiest way to register is on the City’s website: www.toronto.ca/OnlineReg. Residents can also register over the phone at 416-396-7378, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on registration dates or in-person at the following location:  

Tuesday, December 2: 

  • Masaryk Cowan Community Centre, 220 Cowan Ave. 

Help with registration 
The City continues to offer virtual registration preparation sessions for any resident needing support with the online registration and booking system. Dates, times and session links are available at www.toronto.ca/OnlineReg. 

Winter Services Plan for Houseless Individuals

This year’s, the City's winter services plan will expand shelter system capacity, activate Warming Centres, move people into permanent housing, enhance street outreach, and open extra capacity during extreme cold.   

Toronto continues to experience a homelessness emergency, driven by unaffordable housing, insufficient income supports and unmet health needs. The City is working to build more housing and long-term shelter capacity while providing emergency relief through its Winter Services Plan for people experiencing homelessness.  

These measures will be in place from Saturday, November 15 through to Wednesday, April 15, 2026.  

Highlights 

This winter, the City will open approximately 1,275 additional shelter and housing spaces, with an emphasis on both emergency response and moving more people into permanent housing. 

This includes:   

  • Approximately 370 permanent supportive and subsidized units 
  • 244 Warming Centre spaces at five sites, activated when temperatures hit minus five degrees Celsius or during winter weather event warnings   
  • Close to 490 new shelter and 24-hour winter respite site spaces  
  • Approximately 175 additional surge capacity spaces opened during extreme temperatures. 

The City will dispatch additional street outreach teams during extreme cold to encourage people to come indoors. Staff also conduct regular outreach to provide services along with warm clothing, sleeping bags and other cold weather supplies all winter long.  

Operating hours will be extended at several daytime drop-in programs, which provide food, healthcare, showers, laundry, and recreational activities, leading to 262 extra hours of service each week.  

Full details of the City’s Winter Services plan are available online.

Ward 4 news

Swansea Mews Community Meeting - November 20 at Swansea Junior and Senior Public School

The City of Toronto’s Development Review Division has received an application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit a mixed use development consisting of two buildings of 35 and 20 storeys at 21 Windermere Avenue.

Join us at the community consultation meeting where you can view information panels, provide comments, ask questions, and speak with the project team.

Meeting Details:

Date: Thursday, November 20th, 2025
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm (Drop-In Open House)
Location: Swansea Junior and Senior Public School – Lunch Room (207 Windermere Avenue)

For more information on the development application at 21 Windermere Avenue and to review application materials, visit the Application Information Centre or  www.toronto.ca/21WindermereAve.

See the complete notice for the meeting here. 

Bloor West Village Avenue Study

The City has completed an Avenue Study to assess the land uses, transportation and servicing infrastructure, community services and facilities, built form character and redevelopment potential for Bloor Street West between Keele Street and the Humber River. The Bloor West Village Avenue Study included extensive community consultation and technical review in order to evaluate existing conditions, develop a vision for the study area and set out recommendations for an area-specific planning framework that will guide future development and infrastructure improvements.

Following the completion of this study a set of guidelines have been created to shape future development in the area. These outcomes, which are available on the City website with additional information here: Bloor West Village Avenue Study – City of Toronto, are being reported to Toronto and East York Community Council on November 27th in Council chambers for consideration.

Should this item move forward to City Council, this will be the final opportunity for the community to provide input. Past engagement opportunities are listed here: Meetings & Events: Bloor West Village Avenue Study – City of Toronto.

If you wish to participate in the Council hearing, instructions on how to do so can be found here: Have Your Say at Council & Committee Meetings – City of Toronto.

Information on this item will be found here: Toronto and East York Community Council - Meeting 27 - TMMIS, once the agenda has been uploaded, closer to the date of the meeting.

TTC Subway Closure Line 2 (bloor - danforth)–Kipling to Jane stations

Full weekend closures – Saturday, November 15 to Sunday, November 16, 2025

Subway service on Line 2 between Kipling to Jane stations will be replaced by shuttle buses from Saturday, November 15 to Sunday, November 16 due to planned track work.

Wheel-Trans service will be available for any customer requiring assistance. TTC staff will be available to assist customers.   

Customers with accessibility needs can also take the 149 Etobicoke-Bloor Accessibility Shuttle buses which operates between Kipling and High Park stations. The last eastbound 149 Etobicoke-Bloor bus leaves Kipling Station at approximately 1:06 a.m. The last westbound 149 Etobicoke-Bloor bus leaves High Park Station at approximately 1:42 a.m.

Grenview Boulevard Entrance at Royal York Station will be closed. All TTC stations will remain open for customers to purchase or load a PRESTO card, PRESTO Ticket and to connect to surface routes.

Regular service will resume on Monday, November 17 at approximately 6 a.m.

To confirm the status of elevators and escalators throughout the system, contact the TTC lift line at: 416-539-5438 (LIFT) for real-time information on any outages.  

Dundas Street West Closure

On Monday, November 17 from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m., Dundas Street West will be closed between Gilmour Avenue and Runnymede Road to film a television series. 

A map of all road closures is available on the City’s website: toronto.ca/RoadRestrictions. 

1266 Queen Street West at the Toronto Preservation Board

Toronto Preservation Board (TPB) will be considering a request to demolish a 'non-contributing' building and erect a new 27-storey mixed-use building at 1266 Queen Street West, in the Parkdale Main Street Heritage Conservation District (PHCD) at TPB meeting on November 18th.  https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2025.PB37.9 “

Click here for the complete notice along with information on how to depute.

Baby Point Gates BIA Winter Event - Nov 22

Live in the Library - Adam Solomon at the Parkdale Library - November 28 - 7 pm

Window Wonderland Transforms the Junction into a Free Outdoor Art Gallery

From November 28 to February 1, experience Toronto’s award-winning winter exhibit featuring immersive augmented reality displays by local and international artists.
Plus, a one-day-only performance by The Alpine Merry Sheep Choir brings festive cheer to the streets on December 20!

Toronto’s award-winning winter art exhibit, Window Wonderland, returns to the Junction for its sixth consecutive year! From Friday, November 28 to Sunday, February 1, 2026, the streets of the Junction will once again be transformed into a FREE, open-air gallery, showcasing 20 artist-designed storefront windows and 11 vibrant wall murals. Each installation will be brought to life through the magic of augmented reality (AR), blending creativity, technology and community spirit.

This annual event has become one of Toronto’s most anticipated winter traditions, inviting visitors to experience a unique celebration of art and innovation in one of the city’s most dynamic neighbourhoods.

Latest posts

November 6, 2025

Friends,

I am grateful to the groundswell of Toronto residents who are organizing to protect renters’ rights in our province. As you may have heard, changes to the Residential Tenancies Act are being proposed through the provincial government’s Bill 60 that would make it easier to unfairly evict renters.

Thanks to the rapid mobilization of residents who are voicing their disapproval, the provincial government has walked back their proposals to change security of tenure and rent control. However, there remain numerous proposed cuts to renters’ rights that are alarming. If passed, Bill 60 would:

  • Block renters from introducing any new evidence and issues to support their cases at Landlord Tenant Board hearings.
  • Deny renters the ability to challenge “voluntary evictions” when they have been pressured or misled into signing an N11.
  • Cut in half the time available for renters to appeal unfair decisions at the Landlord Tenant Board to just 15 days.
  • Eliminate the requirement for landlords to provide 1 month’s rent as compensation to renters when being evicted for “personal use” through an N12. Often, renters rely on this compensation to help them move or find a new home.
  • Make it easier for landlords to evict renters by cutting notice periods in half, cutting the options for requesting an eviction be postponed, and hiring more enforcement officers to forcibly remove renters from their homes.

We heard from numerous residents deputing at Executive Committee this week, who shared their experiences of being evicted, and made clear how the rights that are still under attack are vital to safeguarding renters from bad faith evictions and ensuring that evicted renters can stay housed.

Fifty percent of Torontonians rent their homes. They have the right to feel secure, without fear of baseless evictions or needlessly paying more of their hard-earned income towards rent.

I was pleased to join Mayor Chow and colleagues at Executive Committee in unanimously adopting recommendations that respond to the concerns we heard from Torontonians, advocating for all orders of government to protect instead of dismantling renters’ rights and to adequately invest in building the housing supply that Toronto deserves.

I look forward to continuing our City’s advocacy on this issue when the impacts of Bill 60 and the Annual Progress Report – HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan is considered at City Council next week. I encourage you to review and follow the Council discussion here: City Council - Meeting 34 - TMMIS

 

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

  • Committee of Adjustment Drop-in Information Session - Nov 26

Ward 4 news

  • Dufferin Street - RapidTO Installation Begins
  • Subway Closure Update Kipling to Islington Subway Station
  • Sunnyside Historical Society Strory-telling event - Nov 19

October 30, 2025

Friends,

We are seeing the City’s new role as a public builder pay off. Today at Planning and Housing Committee, City staff presented the City’s annual report on the City’s Housing Action Plan for 2020 - 2030, reporting significant progress on all five pillars of the City’s housing priorities. Key highlights from the report include:

  • Creating New Homes - Approved a record of 6,366 new rent-controlled homes in 2024, achieving 46% of the City’s overall target of 65,000 approved rent-controlled homes by 2030
  • Protecting and preserving existing homes - Secured more than 700 permanent affordable homes through the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) Program
  • Supporting renters and improving housing stability - Adopted the Rental Renovation Licence By-law, which came into effect in 2025, to protect renters from bad faith renovation-related evictions, or “renovictions”
  • Prioritizing diverse housing needs - Supported more than 4,600 people experiencing homelessness to move into permanent homes through initiatives like Rapid Rehousing Initiative and Priority Access to Housing and Supports (PATHS)
  • Transforming housing policies - Adopted Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendments to permit townhouses and small-scale apartment buildings on lots designated as Neighbourhoods and abutting a major street, which is projected to create 41,083 new homes by 2051.

These interventions along with targeted incentives by the City are helping to steer developers towards building the affordable rental units residents need to live in Toronto.  

Whereas projects that rely on the private market alone have stalled, the City’s Public Developer housing projects are moving forward to deliver rent-controlled homes. This is demonstrated by the fact that in the first eight months of 2025, City-led and City-supported projects account for 65% of all housing starts achieved this year.

The staff report makes clear that while the City has successfully modelled how government action can bolster the supply of new homes, these solutions need to be supported through adequate investment from other orders of government to meet the scale of our present housing crisis. I will continue to use my voice and vote on Council to support the growth of affordable rental housing options in our city.  

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

  • Vacant Home Tax Declaration Period Opens Nov 3
  • Inclusionary Zoning Updates Virtual Information Session
  • Gardiner Closure Saturday Night

Ward 4 news

  • King St W & Dufferin St TTC Track Renewal Completed
  • Baird Park Playground Improvements – Online Survey
  • High Park Station - Easier Access Project Construction Notice
  • Reminder: 3286-3316 Dundas St West (Runnymede and Dundas) Community Consultation Meeting on Nov 6

October 23, 2025

Friends,

I am happy to share that the City’s commitment to expanding access to Toronto Public Library (TPL) branches has reached a new milestone. Starting October 19, all 100 branches are now open on Sundays from 12 – 5pm, except on holiday weekends.  

For the first time, every neighbourhood in Toronto will have Sunday access to public libraries and the meeting spaces, technology, books and programming that they provide. This expansion is in response to growing community demand. When TPL increased open hours in 2024, participating branches recorded a 44% increase in visits compared to the same period the previous year. Usage of our TPL – the biggest and busiest public library system in North America – continues to rise, with 81% of Toronto residents accessing TPL services.

Sunday library service in our neighbourhoods represent students finding quiet study space, families attending programs together, and job seekers accessing computers and career resources, for free and close to home.

I also want to highlight that the Toronto Public Library co-presented the winner of the 2025 Toronto Book Awards last week. Since 1974, the awards have honoured works that capture Toronto’s spirit, reflect its diversity and deepen understanding of life in the city. The full list of 2025 Toronto Book Awards titles can be explored here: 2025 Toronto Book Awards : Toronto Public Library

When we invest in our libraries, all Toronto residents’ benefit from increased access to welcoming community spaces, resources, and opportunities for connection and learning. I will continue to support progressive investments in our library system, as our City works towards the addition of more weekday hours and seven days a week service in all 100 branches in 2026.

Sincerely,

In This Week's Newsletter

Ward 4 news

  • 3286-3316 Dundas St West (Dundas/Runnymede) Community Consultation Meeting on Nov 6

  • Notice: Emergency Repair of Sewer Infrastructure Bloor and Kennedy

  • Sorauren Ave Watermain Replacement Project

  • New Parkette at 55B Brock Avenue – Naming in Honour of Pat Capponi Approved

  • Junction Farmers Market Halloween Fest

  • Community Crisis Response Program (CCRP) Parkdale Community Connections Roadshow
More — Read Our Weekly Newsletter

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