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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

Update on the 2299 Dundas St West Men’s Shelter

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  

Expansion of Ontario’s Deposit Return Program

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  

Landmark funding deal to build more rental homes

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  
More — Read Our Weekly Newsletter

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Phone: 416-392-7919
Address:
100 Queen St W, Suite A14
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2