Hi Neighbour!
If you are in need of some last-minute holiday gifts or some holiday fun, please visit the beautiful Holiday Fair in the Square at Mel Lastman Square in support of Epilepsy Toronto. The Lego Pop-Up is a great photo opportunity for families, and there are some wonderful gift ideas. I purchased a beautiful scented candle and felted wool slippers for Councillor Saxe for our annual Councillor Gift Exchange. Click Here for details and hours.
Shelter Meeting Reflections
The city hosted Tuesday’s meeting for 68 Sheppard Ave. West. As expected, the meeting was packed and emotional. I strongly disagree with how the meeting unfolded. Having a handful of tables scattered around the perimeter of a room filled with over 100 people creates bottlenecks and difficulty in getting meaningful answers. Furthermore, most people have very similar questions. It is easier if everyone hears the same answers at the same time. I am disappointed that my requests to answer all the questions were ignored, and I was silenced by both the hecklers and, later, by the consultant. I will be communicating my frustration with what happened and looking for ways to strengthen future meetings.
What is most frustrating for me is that due to the absence of clarity, people are left to fill in the blanks, which can easily result in misinformation and everyone imagining the worst-case scenario. It would be better if the city announced a new shelter when they can include clarity about the demographic being served and the operator or, at the very least, a timeline for when such details will be made clear. This is the same challenge we have had at 175 Cummer, which still has not announced the demographic and operator despite now building towards occupancy late next year.
Every day, I have to choose which fights to fight. I know many of you are hoping I fight this decision. I feel fighting this location would not result in the best outcome for our community. Like many of you, I have reservations about the location and uncertainty in the absence of clarity of what kind of shelter it will be. I acknowledge the need for shelters and feel Willowdale can be a good host as one of the 20 planned new shelters over the next 10 years. Eva’s Satellite - the shelter for youth on Canterbury Place, slated to be re-opened next year after a renovation- has had positive community support and collaboration for many years. Further, due to the delegated authority and the grouping of 6 locations being announced simultaneously, relocating any of the 6 planned sites would have a cascading impact and jeopardize the entire plan, thus making it unlikely to be supported by staff or City Council. That being said, those with suggestions for alternative sites within our ward can share them with my office, and I will share your ideas with the Toronto Shelter and Support Services Division.
I have submitted my list of questions and will continue to send a summary of constituent questions to staff to answer; I will share the answers I receive in an upcoming email newsletter.
Thank you to those who reached out to encourage me after the shelter meeting. It was a difficult space to walk into after a long day at City Council. Having people yell at me close to my face at how I failed and do not care about the community was hard, especially because I do care and am fighting all the time for Willowdale. But I do not take it personally because I know people were simply venting their fear and frustration at me. I am sorry the meeting did not result in the level of communication many hoped would be provided. We will work with community leaders and city staff to determine the next steps.
I believe most of those expressing anger and frustration genuinely care about the unhoused and vulnerable in our city. I will not call you NIMBYs, nor will I assume the worst of your intentions because you are voicing your genuine concern. This is an issue of trust - do we trust the city for a good implementation that can result in a positive outcome for shelter clients and the surrounding community? This is what I am committed to fighting for. Let us work together as a community.
Toronto City Council
It was a marathon session, with the second day of the meeting extending late into the night. I am grateful for the levity and humour some of my fellow councillors shared in side conversations amidst the gruelling agenda (e.g. you may have seen some of us stretching on camera at about 10pm). While viewers may see long serious speeches sometimes laced with anger and hostility, there is a lot more camaraderie shared amongst councillors than most might think. I have enjoyed building friendships with councillors across the political spectrum and know I can count on many of them for advice and support when needed.
NY19.10 - 120 - 128 Sheppard Avenue West
The developer agreed to add some non-residential space on their ground floor to help maintain vibrancy on the ground floor and to keep opportunities for jobs given most of Sheppard West is currently used for non-residential purposes. They also agreed to increase the number of visitor parking spots from 3 to 6.
NY19.11 - Renew Sheppard East Secondary Plan - Final Report
After several community meetings and consideration of what will be best for this neighbourhood with a 30-year vision, it was important to designate parkland and require non-residential use on the ground floor in the properties slated for higher density overlooking the planned park. I received support from Parks staff for this approach, which will help us plan for a more livable future. That being said, it is important to clarify no one will be expropriated for this plan. This plan gives us tools to shape the future as developers assemble properties and develop. I was moved to hear that one resident in the designated future parkland has reached out to my office to offer their home as a first acquisition.
Here is the amendment:
Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Lily Cheng (Carried)
That:
1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the Executive Director, Development Review, to designate the lands consisting of 31, 33, 35, 37, 39 Granlea Road & 40, 38, 36, 34, 32 Irvington Crescent as Parks and Open Space on Schedule 1 - OPA 777 - Amendments to Official Plan Map 16 - Land Use Plan.
2. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review, to show the lands consisting of 23 Vonda Avenue, and 19, 21A, 21, 21B, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49 Irvington Crescent and 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 Granlea Road as Retail Required Streets on Map 51-3: Retail Streets of Official Plan Amendment 777.
Many residents would prefer to maintain neighbourhood designation for their area. I tried to advocate for a carve-out that did not pass at North York Community Council. Readers unaffected by this plan should take note for the North York at the Centre Secondary Plan that is in the works.
NY19.29 - Steeles Avenue East and Bayview Avenue; Steeles Avenue East and Leslie Street - Pedestrian Crossing Protection
Several residents have expressed frustration to lose the turning channel that was previously available going Eastbound on Steeles to turn South on Bayview Ave. While all other corners of the intersection maintained their turning channel, it was not possible based on Vision Zero requirements and the bridge that limits the ability to widen the road to add a turning lane. While we were visiting the intersection with staff, I noticed a raised curb that looked like part of the road and learned that this was called a “Truck Apron.” This is added for trucks to be able to have enough space to make turns.
However, cars are discouraged from mounting the apron to make the turn to make the road safer for pedestrians.
During our visit, I watched a pedestrian stand on the Truck Apron, waiting for the light to change. I realized this new type of infrastructure is not familiar to many and could create risks for pedestrians who think it is meant for them as a waiting area. I therefore moved a motion to install signage to educate pedestrians at the intersection. At the same time, I also asked for better optimization to mitigate the loss of the turning channel. Here is my motion that passed:
1. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to place a visual notice at the intersection of Steeles Avenue East and Bayview Avenue to educate pedestrians on the use and function of truck aprons, investigate potential changes to improve traffic operations for eastbound vehicles at the intersection, and report to the North York Community Council at its meeting on April 2, 2025.
DM24.1 - 4800 Yonge Street - Request for Further Directions
Menkes on the southwest corner of Yonge/Sheppard is building a purpose-built rental building and will include affordable housing as a Section 37 contribution and subway access. They currently have 7 floors of office space planned. Should they decide to decrease to 6 storeys of office space, they will contribute additional units of affordable housing. This is a unique opportunity because it is a large building with a large floorplate and under Section 37 and not Community Benefits (substantially lower at 4% of land value). New development applications have not been able to agree with the City on the amount of affordable housing units that would meet the Community Benefits contribution and, therefore, affordable units are difficult to secure. I am grateful for the number of units being offered and hope there can still be other opportunities in our ward in the future.
CC24.9 - 145 Sheppard Avenue East - Ontario Land Tribunal Hearing - Request for Directions
This is a negotiated settlement. Staff have said it is very close to what my predecessor requested with participation from the neighbourhood. The developer agreed to add 3 visitor parking spots, whereas the original settlement had 0 visitor parking.
EX19.3 - Analysis of Driver Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry
This issue perfectly illustrates the need for intergovernmental collaboration for best outcomes. While the city would like to see fewer empty cars idling across our city and see workers make a living wage, the previously proposed cap on drivers was not practical because many drivers work across the GTA. Instead, we will launch a campaign to highlight this issue and hope for better work conditions to the many drivers who actively serve across our city.
CC24.3 - SmartTrack Stations Program - Update
The city can only afford to fund three of the five remaining stations, part of a regional transit plan that originally proposed 13 new stations and 22 stops along a 53-kilometre line stretching from Mississauga to Markham. There are many sunk costs, including $100 million spent on the design of 2 stations that no longer have the funding to be built. The city is asking the province to cover the cost of Finch-Kennedy and King-Liberty. Click Here to read the Toronto Star article on this matter. As my fellow councillors spoke about this issue, it brought up memories of fighting for Cummer Station. Communities have made plans based on these plans, and now these stations might not be built.
I will continue to fight for Cummer station into the next elections! We need support to increase much-needed infrastructure to meet the needs of our rapidly growing community. Further, I found out this past week that 2 of the stations the Province is paying for in the Yonge North Subway Extension are 400m apart. Meanwhile, Finch and Steeles are 2km apart.
EC17.4 - Shelter Safety Action Plan and Contract Amendments related to Lodging for Asylum Seekers and Refugees, and Community Safety Team Services
For the past 2 years I’ve been on Council and for years before I started serving, the City of Toronto has been asking the Federal Government to open a Refugee Welcome Centre with a national plan for how those who arrive and claim asylum are served and distributed across our country. This is a national issue, one that the City of Toronto cannot solve. Earlier this year I met with some of the asylum seekers at 5800 Yonge Street. One gentleman told me he made the effort to travel to New Brunswick, hoping that job opportunities and affordable housing might be more accessible. However, he came back to Toronto because there were no services available.
Toronto property taxpayers should be upset to hear that the Federal Government is scaling back their funding for how our city supports refugee claimants. While we expect 95% reimbursement for this year, we have been told they will only pay 75% of costs next year and 50% the year after. This perfectly illustrates how things get downloaded to municipalities without the financial tools to fund our expanding responsibilities. Property taxes are needed to pay for policing, fire services, roads, water and a myriad of services we depend on. Our limited municipal revenue tools were not ever designed to be responsible for affordable housing, rent-geared-to-income housing, shelters, long-term care, childcare and more. Yet, costs associated with these very important services continue to trickle down to us. Last year, the province downloaded 50% of administration costs for childcare.
Do you think property taxpayers should cover the cost of supporting asylum seekers in our city? When I asked this question, Gord Tanner, Director of Toronto Shelter and Support Services replied, “The shelter system in Toronto cannot support the immigration system of Canada.”
While people are upset to see the rise of mental health and addiction challenges on our streets, consider how difficult it is for the poor to access the services they need. People who want to seek rehabilitation services who cannot afford to pay out of pocket are put on waiting lists instead of getting immediate care.
Without collaboration across all 3 levels of government, we will never solve these complex issues impacting lives across our country. Please join me in advocating for this during our potential upcoming Provincial and Federal elections.
IA24.1 - Action Plan to Keep Toronto Safe from Hate
Several months ago there was an attempt to pass a motion to restrict protests around vulnerable institutions, such as places of worship. The item ended up referred to the City Manager to come up with a policy. This report is the follow-up and Council had to make a decision whether or not to move forward with the potential establishment of “bubble zones” that have been set in other cities including Vaughan. We received 500+ templated advocacy emails against this effort that accused this motion of restricting charter protected freedoms and suppressing Palestinian protestors. Jewish members of council made heartfelt speeches about the vulnerabilities and hatred their families and friends have been experiencing in the City of Toronto.
No one in our city should be afraid of sending their children to daycare or a place of worship. We can be upset about global conflicts without intimidating or expressing hatred towards our neighbours here in Toronto. I am grateful we are moving in a direction to protect people when attending their places of worship and other sensitive spaces while ensuring we protect charter rights. I only wish we could move faster as other cities have done.
PH17.2 - Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods - Neighbourhood Retail and Services Study Phase Two Final Report
City staff are proposing several changes to current policy, including permitting a wide variety of businesses—such as galleries, offices, restaurants, and retail—on major streets and corners in residential neighbourhoods. They also suggest relaxing regulations for home-based businesses, allowing up to two employees. While some may think this is a great idea to create more economic opportunities and walkable neighbourhoods, others are concerned about the changes this could bring - including unintended consequences relating to traffic and noise. Last week, some residents contacted me concerned that cannabis or alcohol-selling establishments could pop up on their neighbourhood streets. City Council decided there has been insufficient engagement on this matter and is referring it back to staff while also requesting a mass media campaign to ensure more people know about the changes that are being contemplated.
In Closing
Thank you for reading my final weekly update for 2024. It takes time to read through my numerous emails. I appreciate your effort in diving deeper into the many municipal issues that shape our city.
Your readership strengthens our democracy.
Warmest Regards,
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