Hi Neighbour!
Last week was a full week which meant I only had one weekday dinner with my kids. Unfortunately, this week has not been much better. I am grateful for a supportive partner who makes this intense work possible, but as the only mom of school-aged children on council, it is difficult to miss precious moments with my kids. I hope that my efforts to build a better community and city along with my example of leadership will sow meaningful seeds in their hearts. The life of any councillor means the entire family sacrifices to make the work possible. I write this email in partnership with staff during City Council and have included highlights of our meeting thus far.
Thank you for taking the time to read my updates as I believe it is an important conduit to empower our community to strengthen our participation and knowledge of the many events and policies that shape the city around us.
Growing density means we need more facilities
I hope you will join me in advocating for adequate investment in community facilities in Willowdale. We have invited the folks working on the Parkland & Recreation Facilities Strategy to come to our ward and hear about our needs. THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP! Please come out THIS SATURDAY, Nov. 16, 12-3pm at the North York Central Library. This is a drop-in consultation. Please lend your voice so we can ensure we get the investment needed to support the growth we continue to see around us.
Click Here to RSVP.
Proposed Traffic Changes for Newtonbrook East
Last year, a few residents in the Newtonbrook East neighbourhood raised concerns about traffic limitations around Maxome Ave. Now that our engagement platform is live, we have launched this survey to gather feedback on three proposed changes along Maxome Ave.
My goal is to gather community input rather than make decisions based on a few individual requests. We encourage those affected to share their perspectives through this survey. Here is what is being considered:
Installation of traffic calming measures (e.g., speed humps) on Maxome Ave, from Finch Ave E to Steeles Ave E.
Removal of the left-turn prohibition from Bishop Ave onto Maxome Ave, and the right-turn prohibition from Maxome Ave to Bishop Ave.
Removal of the north-south travel prohibition at the intersection of Steeles Ave E and Maxome Ave.
We invite those who drive on these streets or live nearby to share their thoughts on each proposal by CLICKING HERE to complete the survey!
THIS WEEKEND! Willowdale Leadership Symposium at North York Civic Centre
Join us THIS SATURDAY, November 16 at North York Civic Centre, Council Chamber for the Willowdale Leadership Symposium. This is a time for leaders across Willowdale to break out of our silos and learn more about each other towards building stronger pathways to collaboration. Registration begins at 8:45am. Click Here to RSVP!
The conference will run from 9am-3pm and will include:
Poverty Alleviation Roundtable - Meet some of the agencies working with the most vulnerable in Willowdale as we consider how we can strengthen our community support to build a better future.
Networking & Collaboration - As leaders in our neighbourhood, it is important for us to share the work we are doing and find ways our efforts can be amplified and multiplied through collaboration.
Peer Connection - Meet with others who are doing what you are doing, be it, Parent Council, Condo Board, Culture Group, Neighbourhood Associations and more!
Facilities Master Plan Consultation - Give input on what facilities and amenities our community will need in the next 10 years.
Skills Building - Learn about tools and platforms that can help you strengthen your service to the community.
Poverty Alleviation Roundtable Panelists:
Willowdale Welcome Centre - Refugee Shelter - Michael Lyster, Homes First
Willowdale Legal Clinic - Rola Hamdan
Downsview Legal Clinic - Kyle Warwick
NeighbourLink North York - Jordan Dover
Agincourt Community Services - Outreach to encampments in Willowdale - Jennifer Kissoore
Peoples Refugee House - Pastor Solange Belluz
Dixon Hall - Warming Centre at 15 Olive - Mina Mawani
Cummer Drop-Inn - Vicky Sanderson
Toronto Police Board (Happened this past Tuesday)
Click Here to see the agenda.
Highlights from Chief’s Update
A few nights ago, during a bail compliance check, officers encountered a shooting at Queen and Dufferin. Rival groups engaged in a gunfight. Thankfully no officers were hurt despite dozens of shots being fired. The officers seized 16 guns and made 23 arrests. The Chief highlighted that
He went on to emphasize that there is an URGENT NEED to address repeat offenders. Officers find themselves in life-endangering situations because the current system does not do enough to protect community members and officers from such dangerous situations.
I am grateful to the officers who were able to take hold of such a dangerous situation resulting in a reduction of guns and therefore danger on our streets!
Decrease in Use of Force
There were 1322 Use of Force incidents in 2023 making up 0.32% of all calls attended. There has been a year-over-year decrease of 4.7% since 2022 and 12% since 2019. This can be attributed to the focus on both de-escalation and strengthening training around the use of force. Last year was the lowest rate in the last 5 years! I remember when I was proudest of our Toronto Police Service. It was after the Yonge Street Tragedy when people around the world remarked on the skills of the officer who arrested the perpetrator. The officer was able to arrest the perpetrator without killing him, which likely would have happened in other municipalities.
Analytics Report on Intimate Partner Violence
On Tuesday, something significant happened at the Toronto Police Service Board, our Chief of Police Myron Demkiw made a personal commitment to work with front-line Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) organizations to improve how Toronto Police Service can improve their support for survivors. This statement is the culmination of a year-long journey I have shared with a group of front-line serving agencies to make a dent in the epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence. There is still much work to do, but this week, several leaders from these agencies made deputations on a special report on Intimate Partner Violence. Their extensive expertise and experience deepened our consideration of IPV at the board meeting.
Deputants included:
Deepa Mattoo, Executive Director, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
Marissa Kokkoros, Executive Director, Aura Freedom
Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director, WomanACT
Carla Neto, Executive Director, Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke
Sami Pritchard, Director of Advocacy and Communications, YWCA
The deputants highlighted that the 2024 year-to-date number of IPV occurrences (15,210) is greater than the 2023 total for the same time period (15,001) despite declaring IPV an epidemic in July 2023. One of the deputants pointed out that our efforts to reduce auto theft have resulted in a 20% year-over-year reduction and urged a similar investment to prevent violence against women. These IPV leaders also highlighted the vital need for better data collection to identify, among other items:
the number of survivors who are criminally charged even though they are not the dominant controller, and
the percentage of homicides where the victim is female.
Deputants from frontline IPV organizations also spoke about:
collaborating to improve IPV training for officers, such as how to recognize Coercive Control,
changing the way we talk about GBV for media, and
collaborating with Toronto agencies and departments such as Toronto Community Crisis Service to create partnerships to support survivors who do not want to engage with police.
My TPSB Motion on IPV
The Board direct the Chief to:
1. Continue to engage in a multi sectoral discussion in collaboration with SafeTO and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) organizations, and to work through SafeTO Collaborative Analytics and Learning Environment (SCALE) to:
a) develop a collaborative data collection framework to strengthen how data is collected, analyzed and reported, in order to support Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) survivors, and,
b) strengthen consultation and collaboration regarding Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) training and outcome based measurements; and
2. Host a roundtable discussion with representatives of both the Service and the GBV community to discuss improvements in collaboration with the aim of reducing the number of incidents.
Notice of Proposed Revisions to the Board’s Procedural By-Law
Over the past few months of Toronto Police Service Board, there has been some frustration about the lack of clarity of procedure for the meeting as previously there was not a division between time to ask questions and time for discussion. This proposed revision seeks to clarify the process and bring it into alignment with the same processes used at Toronto City Council. The challenge for me, is the complexity of the many issues that come to the Toronto Police Service Board that require time to be unpacked. While staff would prefer more of these questions get answered offline, I believe there is something irreplaceable when it comes to public accountability. Furthermore, issues that come to Toronto City Council generally have 2 opportunities to be discussed, once during standing committee and once at City Council where there are 25 councillors and a mayor to ask questions and make amendments.
The Toronto Police Board only has 7 of us with large and complex files including many of the recommendations made through various inquests. It is difficult to imagine how 5 minutes can be sufficient to do our due diligence. While I was assured by fellow board members they would generally be friendly to a second round of asking questions, this assumes a context where a majority of board members support greater transparency. We cannot assume this will always be the case as I have heard of past iterations of the board where asking questions was strongly discouraged. I will continue working with fellow board members to see how this proposal could be strengthened to ensure fulsome discussions can continue to be had around the many issues that come to the TPSB.
Contract Extension and Increase with Infor Canada Ltd for the Time and Resource Management System Software Licensing, Maintenance and Support
One of the purposes for this software is:
creates and displays employee schedules and assignments, tracks worked hours and exceptions to schedules and charges the hours worked against metrics such as specific jobs, projects, or departments.
When asked why we are not using this software to track the allocation of policing hours during the discussion on this item, I was told it would be cumbersome and the right categories have not been entered into the system. Yet, it seems to me, that there is already a measure of tracking happening and we are already paying for this. I believe it is important for the board to know how policing hours are being allocated across our city. I will continue to advocate that such a process and technology is implemented sooner than later.
Toronto City Council (started yesterday and will hopefully be completed tonight)
Auditor General - Audit of Parks Branch Operations - Phase 1: Improving Oversight of Day-to-Day Maintenance Helps to Ensure City Parks are Beautiful, Clean and Safe
This past summer, we received countless complaints about grass-cutting in public spaces across our community. It would have been so helpful if photos had been part of the monitoring of service quality. Personally, I greatly appreciate Amazon delivery folks who include a photo when they drop off a package. I was thus inspired when the Auditor General’s report revealed a lack of accountability and supervision of staff resulting in a large disparity between where staff were actually located and their reported location. I moved the following seemingly practical motion as a suggestion for how we can improve operational accountability.
My Proposed Motion
1. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the Chief Technology Officer and the Executive Director, Customer Experience (311), to investigate:
a. the feasibility of including photo records within new digital tools, specifically digitized Daily Activity Sheets with the inclusion of before and/or after photos as appropriate; and
b. the feasibility of customer service agents to access these photos to support and track 311 inquiries.
I met with some surprising opposition with questions about who had a staff phone and whether this would add extra unnecessary work. I lost the vote 10-14. I am disappointed a practical solution that would have not only improved accountability but potentially strengthened our ability to update our constituents on work being done was challenged by my colleagues. I am grateful for the councillors who supported my idea - including Councillor Stephen Holyday known for his advocacy for fiscal prudence. You win some and you lose some.
This Auditor General report is a confirmation of many people's worst assumptions of city staff. It is also frustrating to know they have been using a paper-based timesheet that has proven to be ineffective. We must be open to employing all digital tools available to us to increase efficiency, agility, and accountability. I am grateful we have an Auditor General whose division has done this important work to highlight a large gap in our supervision.
Motion Passed: IE17.6 - Community Sport and Recreation Investment Fund Application: Stream 1 - Repair and Rehabilitation for the Jack Goodlad Park Basketball Court Rehabilitation Project
The Provincial government has 2 streams of grant funding for sporting facilities. Every city is eligible for one grant per stream. Given the size of Toronto, and the fact that the population of every ward is larger than the definition of “Big City” (Population 100K+) and given there are aging sporting facilities across our city, I successfully moved a motion requesting the Provincial Government to expand the program to allow for one funded project for both streams be allocated to each ward. It’s important to remind the provincial government that our city is often under supported because of our size. My motion was an amendment to the application for the grant towards one project in Scarborough.
Here is my motion:
1. City Council request the Government of Ontario to expand the Community Sport and Recreation Investment Fund to include one Stream 1 and one Stream 2 funded project per Toronto ward, with Council endorsement, given that all 25 City of Toronto wards exceed the 100,000-person population threshold for a “Big City” in Ontario.
DM23.1 - Extending Voting Opportunities in City Polls to 16- and 17-Year-Olds
I was happy to second this motion moved by Councillor Saxe to extend voting rights at City Polls for 16-17 year olds. While there are not many opportunities for participation for city polls, I believe building the pathway for young people to participate in democracy can help us develop future engagement opportunities. Many of you may have attended a recent Spaghetti Town Hall or our recent TTC Town Hall and seen a young man make a brilliant presentation on a proposed new bus route for Willowdale. I have also witnessed incredible leadership, intelligence and vision on our Willowdale Youth Council. City polls are currently run for:
The motion was successfully passed.
EX18.7 - CaféTO Business Improvement Area (BIA) Pilot Programs Update and Toronto Municipal Code Amendments for 2025
CafeTO is a program that allows restaurants to set up patios on roads during the summer to expand their business opportunities. Created during COVID, the program has been well received mostly in downtown areas and not in the suburbs, nor areas like ours that are hybrid urban and suburban. Although there are fees, it is not a full cost-recovered program, which creates an inequity in investment for businesses outside the downtown core. That is why I moved the following motion which passed unanimously:
1. City Council request the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to explore new supports and opportunities on City Property and Private Strip Mall Plazas for restaurants in those areas of the city where there is currently a low concentration of outdoor patios including CafeTO patios with a report back to the appropriate committee by the end of the second quarter of 2025.
EX18.17 - FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto: Revenue Opportunities to Support Hosting Obligations, Procurement Plan Revisions, and Social Procurement and Community Workforce Development Updates
City Council approved a temporary increase to the Municipal Accommodation Tax from 6 percent to 8.5 percent effective June 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026. On average the city receives $98 million per year through the Municipal Accommodation Tax aka Hotel Tax. Approximately $28 million of this revenue is designated towards Destination Toronto which is charged with marketing our city for tourism. The rest of the money goes into city operations.
The estimated total cost of hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup (FWC26) in Toronto is $380 million. This amount covers all operational expenses, safety and security measures, and necessary capital upgrades to meet FIFA’s requirements. Of the $380 million, $201.4 million will be funded by provincial and federal contributions, leaving the City responsible for covering $178.6 million, which represents 47% of the total cost.
To date, $83.6 million in revenue has already been identified through existing municipal sources, commercial rights sales, rental fees, and in-kind contributions. This additional 2.5% Hotel Tax will help us garner $56.6 million of the remaining $95.1 million funding requirement. Furthermore, due to increased demand and occupancy rates for hotels and short-term rentals in 2024, Hotel Tax revenues are projected by year-end to exceed the 2024 Operating Budget by $16.7 million. Without drawing from the property tax base, the City will explore raising the remaining $21.8 million through:
• Donations secured by the FIFA World Cup 2026 Champions Table
• Percentage of FWC26 Toronto merchandise sales
• Percentage of FWC26 music royalties provided to Host Cities
• New commercial sales opportunities specific to hospitality sales at the Stadium
• Revenue opportunities specific to FIFA Fan Festival (e.g. premium ticketed events, vendor rental fees, etc.)
The Province of Ontario is also expected to benefit with more than $456 million in GDP. The combined efforts of Vancouver and Toronto are projected to contribute over $1.2 billion to Canada’s GDP. While the upper levels of government will directly benefit through income tax and sales tax, the city will not get a piece of this pie. The temporary raising of our hotel tax is much needed and highlights the need to discuss a better fiscal framework for our city. Let's consider the financial impact of the Taylor Swift concerts that are being hosted in our city which will incur policing costs and other costs to host such a large fan base. It does not make sense that we do not have revenue tools that grow with our economy.
The motion for this temporary increase in the hotel tax was passed.
NY18.6 - 150 - 160 Cactus Avenue - Rental Housing Demolition Application
This came to North York Council where I moved it without recommendation (neither approve nor refuse) in order to get more time to listen to the residents who will eventually have to move out of their homes and await a 27-month construction before returning to their rental replacements. The residents benefited from the proactivity of 2 residents, one who made a deputation at North York Council which garnered my attention and another resident created a summary sheet of concerns of the impacted residents. This is an excellent example of how neighbours can work together to strengthen their representation and voice.
We are grateful to the developer for quickly organizing a second (unmandated) meeting at their cost, where we were able to address a long list of concerns. Although nothing can take away from the stress of having an unknown move from a home some have lived in for 20-30 years, I am grateful we were able to clarify some of the worries and we also secured extra moving cost money for those living in 4-bedroom units and additional money for parking spot rental during the move-out period.
Here is what we were able to secure for the tenants, including further clarity on the allocation of accessible units and additional parking:
1. City Council revise Parts 1.k of the recommendations and replace the report recommendations with a new Part 1.k. and new parts Parts 1.l. through. 1.r.. below, and authorize the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to implement the changes necessary to enact the applicable By-laws;
1.k. An additional $500 will be offered to eligible tenants occupying a four-bedroom unit to help cover move-out costs. An additional $500 will be offered to eligible tenants that currently occupy a four-bedroom unit that elect to move back into a newly constructed rental replacement four-bedroom unit;
1.l. Additional compensation for parking during the displacement period of $85 per month (per unit), as a lump sum payment upon providing vacant possession. In the event that a tenant currently rents two parking spaces an additional $40 per month (per unit) will be provided. Tenants will need to demonstrate that the cost of parking is not included in their rent at their temporary rental unit (during the displacement period);
1.m. At least 20 percent of the rental replacement ground floor units, including the 4 barrier free units, will be made available for returning tenants households with mobility concerns. These units will be allocated to mobility challenged tenant households based on the tenant seniority list;
1.n. A total of 60 parking spaces will be reserved for eligible tenants that elect to return to the newly constructed rental replacement units. Each returning eligible tenant household will have access to at least one parking space. Any additional available parking will be allocated based on the tenant seniority list;
1.o. Prior to issuing notice to vacate for the existing rental units, City Council require the owner to develop a Construction Mitigation and Tenant Communication Plan, including quarterly updates, in-person meetings and coordination with the local councillor's office, all to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the local Councillor;
1.p. A rental leasing agent will be available for all tenants, as opposed to upon request; and
1.q. Returning eligible tenants will receive an $85 rent discount for the loss of each parking space included within their overall rent. Tenant renting parking spots separate from their lease will not be compensated for the loss parking.
1.r. The owner shall enter into and register on title to the lands at 150-160 Cactus Avenue, an agreement pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to secure the conditions outlined in Recommendations 1.a. through 1.q. above all to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division
I am grateful to have been able to bring some comfort and improvements to the supports available to these 55 households.
Thanks again for reading this newsletter. I hope to see you this Saturday at either our Leadership Symposium or the Parkland & Recreation Facilities Pop Up Consultation.
Warmest Regards,
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