Looking Back on 2025: Stability, Safety, and Community
- councillorcarroll
- Jan 1
- 11 min read
As we begin 2026, I want to wish you and your family a happy New Year!
January 1 is always a moment to take stock, and looking back on 2025, it’s clear how quickly the world around us shifted. The year began with a new U.S. administration, renewed global economic uncertainty, the return of tariff threats, and both provincial and federal elections here at home. Together, these forces reshaped economic forecasts, put new pressure on household affordability, and required governments at every level to respond and adapt quickly.
Despite this uncertainty, Toronto made real progress. In Don Valley North and across the city, we stayed focused on the fundamentals: keeping communities safe, protecting affordability, restoring long-term financial stability, and staying connected to residents. I’m proud of what we accomplished together this year.
Community Safety: A Clear Priority
My year began by being elected as Chair of the Toronto Police Service Board, a role I accepted at a critical moment for our city.
Police funding and staffing are consistently among the most complex and consequential parts of the City’s budget. After years of strain, it was clear we needed a more strategic, multi-year approach—one that addressed staffing shortages, improved service delivery, and stabilized governance at the Board as we entered collective bargaining.
Working closely with the Chief and senior command, the Board approved a multi-year hiring plan that the Chief and I developed at the end of 2024. In April, I successfully led the ratification of a new five-year collective agreement with the Toronto Police Association. This agreement was not just about wages or working conditions; it was about stability, respect for the work officers do every day, and ensuring the Service has the capacity to keep Torontonians safe. The results are encouraging:
Auto thefts, break and enters, and homicides are down
911 response times have improved
Non-emergency phone lines are performing better
Staffing levels are up across divisions
We’ve expanded the Neighbourhood Community Officer (NCO) Program
I’ve spent time visiting divisions and joining officers on ride-alongs, and I hear directly from them that addressing staffing shortages is making a real difference. Community safety was the top concern residents raised at the start of this term—and it remains my focus.
A Local Example: Community Safety Hubs
Here in Don Valley North, a major milestone was the launch of the 33 Division Community Safety Hub at Fairview Mall this spring.
This Hub was shaped by years of feedback from residents and business owners who wanted a stronger police presence—but also something more connected and preventative. The Hub is not a traditional substation. It’s a place for education, outreach, and relationship-building, where officers can engage with youth, listen to residents, and better understand local concerns.
This model of community-rooted policing is already expanding, with another hub now open at the Shops at Don Mills, and it shows how safety and trust can go hand in hand.
Affordability and Financial Stability: Staying the Course
When I became Budget Chief, we committed to staying true to the Long-Term Financial Plan—a multi-year strategy to repair the City’s finances after more than a decade of underinvestment.
The 2025 budget was the second budget delivered under that plan. By finding millions of dollars in savings and efficiencies while protecting core services, Toronto’s financial management was recognized internationally with a credit rating upgrade for the first time in more than 20 years. That stronger rating lowers borrowing costs and ensures better value for every tax dollar.
This disciplined approach also put the City on firmer footing as we navigated global instability, rising interest rates, and cost-of-living pressures affecting both households and municipal budgets.
How We Invested
Expanded school food programs, supporting more than 250,000 students
Froze TTC fares while improving service across the city
Added hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and paramedics
Extended Sunday hours at all Toronto Public Library branches
Kept outdoor pools open longer and increased access to arts and culture
Expanded supports and programs for seniors
These investments improve everyday life for residents. At the same time, we have been clear-eyed about the challenges ahead: a projected billion-dollar operating pressure next year and $18 billion in state-of-good-repair and growth-related infrastructure needs over the coming decade.
That is why I remain focused on finding and implementing efficiencies across City operations. Senior management has already begun reviewing programs and services to identify opportunities to do things better and more cost-effectively. Building on that work, I brought forward the Mayor’s Savings Challenge, which invites frontline staff to propose practical, implementable cost-saving ideas for the next budget.
Frontline workers know our systems best. They see where processes can be streamlined, waste reduced, and services delivered more efficiently—often with simple, common-sense changes.
As promised, after making the investments needed to get our financial house in order, the 2026 budget will be leanerv and more disciplined—focused on efficiencies, affordability, and long-term stability in an uncertain global economy.
City Council Highlights Council had a busy year, and I want to highlight some items that speak directly to some of our city wide initiatives and local priorities.
Reducing crime takes more than policing alone, and SafeTO is designed to work alongside—and strengthen—our police response. SafeTO enhances the work of the Toronto Police Service by bringing police together with the City’s social development and youth programs, community agencies, and outreach teams to prevent violence, respond to crises more effectively, and improve safety across Toronto, including on the TTC.
A central focus of this work is youth safety and early intervention. By investing in youth outreach, violence prevention, and community-based supports, SafeTO is helping to address the root causes of youth-involved crime while keeping young people safe, supported, and connected to positive opportunities.
The 2025 SafeTO implementation update shows that this coordinated approach is delivering real results. SafeTO has supported police by launching the Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) to respond to mental health crises, strengthening community-based violence prevention, improving rapid support for victims and impacted communities, and using better data to guide safety decisions. As a result, the City is seeing meaningful progress in reducing youth-involved crime and repeat victimization in several priority communities.
This collaboration allows police to focus on serious and violent crime, while ensuring young people and others in crisis receive the right response at the right time—making our neighbourhoods safer and more resilient.
Local entrepreneurs are already facing rising costs, labour shortages, and renewed tariff uncertainty. That is why I introduced the Red Tape Hotline pilot—an initiative supported by local businesses and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
Run by the City’s Economic Development staff, the hotline gives business owners a direct way to flag inefficient permitting processes, outdated by-laws, and unnecessary delays that make it harder to do business in Toronto.
The pilot has been successful, and a report is now coming forward that will recommend tangible actions to make doing business easier and outline how the hotline can be made a permanent part of the City’s economic development toolkit.
Much of this year at Council was spent debating the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) initiative—particularly proposals related to neighbourhood retail, multiplexes, the redesignation of Avenues, and increased density. These were the issues I heard most about from residents, and I was grateful for your candid feedback. I strongly support the need for more varied housing options in our neighbourhoods, but I also believe we must build public trust alongside housing supply. On each of these items, I pushed for solutions that gave residents a stronger voice, avoided one-size-fits-all approaches, moved at a responsible pace, and allowed planning staff the time to gather the data and evidence needed before making sweeping changes. As a result, I believe we achieved better outcomes for everyone.
Coordinating Construction Management to Ease Congestion Traffic and congestion were among the most common concerns I heard from residents this year, and it’s why City Council focused heavily this year on how we manage congestion and how construction is delivered across the city. For many people, congestion isn’t just about traffic, it’s about streets tied up by overlapping construction projects that make getting around harder than it needs to be.
City data shows that construction is the single biggest contributor to congestion in Toronto. With major transit builds, private development, and long-overdue infrastructure repairs happening at the same time, better coordination is essential. That’s why Council is building on the Congestion Management Plan approved in 2023, including appointing a dedicated staff lead to focus on congestion and improving how we plan and manage capital projects.
These changes mean faster, better-coordinated construction, stronger on-site oversight, tougher rules for contractors, and higher fees for private developments that take up road space—creating real incentives to finish work quickly and efficiently. The goal is simple: reduce unnecessary disruption, keep the city moving, and respond directly to what residents told us matters most.
Speed Limit Reductions to 30 Kilometres Per Hour in DVN You will have started to notice new 30 km/h speed limit signs appearing across Don Valley North. The City has been rolling out 30 km/h neighbourhood speed limits since 2021, and our ward is among the last to receive them. Through the Area Local Speed Limit Reduction Program, all local roads in Don Valley North are being reduced to 30 km/h, with signs posted at neighbourhood entry and exit points.
Slower speeds on local streets help protect children and seniors, while allowing traffic to move more safely and efficiently on our main roads. The rollout will take about six months to complete, and residents can track progress using the City’s Vision Zero Mapping Tool.
Speed limit changes are just one part of Toronto’s broader Speed Management Strategy, which also includes traffic calming measures, speed enforcement, watch-your-speed signage, and road design changes to deliver safer, more effective speed management in our neighbourhoods.
Local Wins and Community Engagement
Locally, my team and I have been busier than ever. We sent out 48 E-Blasts, opened thousands of new constituency cases and we hosted events across the ward—bringing back favourites like Summer Celebration, Environment Days, Condo Clinics, and Seniors Information Day, while also responding to new concerns with events on coyotes, emergency preparedness, and ravine safety.
We also found new ways to engage residents. During consultations on Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods, we created a resident reference group—a small, diverse group that met regularly to dive deeply into the policy proposals. That ongoing feedback continues to guide me through multiple Council decisions.
Door-to-door outreach was another priority. Knocking on thousands of doors gave my team and I a clearer, real-time understanding of how our neighbourhoods are changing. While I value the dialogue we have through this e-blast, meeting residents where they live provides insights we simply can’t get any other way. Thank you to everyone who opened their door to me and my team and I!
Community Projects: Delivering on Local Priorities
We also made meaningful progress this year on a wide range of community projects across Don Valley North—many of them shaped directly by resident feedback through Participatory Budgeting, community consultations, and ongoing conversations in the neighbourhood.
Parkway Forest Park – New Off-Leash Dog Area
In July, I was thrilled to join so many residents—and their four-legged companions—for the official opening of the new off-leash dog area at Parkway Forest Park. This project, selected through Participatory Budgeting in 2022, created a safe, accessible space designed with both dogs and their humans in mind. It provides room to play, exercise, and socialize, while helping reduce conflicts in other park areas. It’s been wonderful to see the space so well used and enjoyed by the community.
Muirhead Park – New Shade Structure
Another participatory budgeting project that reached completion this year was the new shade structure at Muirhead Park. Years in the making, this improvement adds much-needed shelter from the sun, making the park more comfortable and usable for families, seniors, and caregivers during warmer months. I look forward to seeing many of you enjoying it in the spring.
Blue Ridge Park – Pathway Improvements
Safety and accessibility were the focus of the Blue Ridge Park Pathway Improvements project. Completed this year, this participatory budget project included improved lighting, new seating, a P-gate, and other pathway enhancements to make the route safer and more welcoming for everyday use. These changes help support active transportation while improving visibility and comfort for residents using the path.
Clarinda Park Playground Renewal and New Adult Fitness Area
Work is continuing on the Clarinda Park Playground Improvements and New Adult Fitness Area, another participatory budgeting project selected by residents. A contractor has now been retained, with construction anticipated to begin in spring 2026 and wrap up by the end of summer 2026. The project includes the removal and replacement of the existing playground, installation of new adult fitness equipment, and associated walkways and site furnishings—helping ensure the park serves residents of all ages.
Clarinda Park Staircase Reconstruction
Separate but related improvements are underway to replace the aging timber staircase at Clarinda Park. The project will include a new galvanized steel staircase with a bike ramp, slope stabilization planting, and pathway restoration at the top and bottom of the stairs. Subject to capital budget approval, construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2026 and be completed by spring 2027.
Ethennonnhawahstihnen Community Recreation Centre – Indoor Play Space
Construction has begun on a new indoor play space at the Ethennonnhawahstihnen Community Recreation Centre. Designed for children aged five to twelve, this space will provide year-round opportunities for active play and recreation, with completion anticipated in early 2026. This project will add valuable indoor programming capacity for families in the area. Updates will continue to be shared through the City’s project webpage.
Fairview Library – Youth Hub Expansion
In October, I was proud to join Toronto Public Library staff, students, and community members for the grand reopening of Fairview Library’s newly renovated third floor youth hub. The space includes a glass-enclosed programming room, group study areas, accessible tutoring booths, a soundproof studio for music remixing and podcasting, and a large 3D printing studio—alongside, of course, plenty of books. This investment reflects our commitment to providing young people with safe, inspiring spaces to learn and create.
Pleasant View Library – Moving Toward Construction
We also confirmed that construction on the Pleasant View Library Branch is expected to begin in 2026, supported by contributions from nearby development. This project has required sustained work behind the scenes to move through planning and funding stages, and I’m pleased that we’re now seeing real momentum toward delivering this important community asset.
Cresthaven Park – Hillcrest Tennis Club Improvements
At Cresthaven Park, I was pleased to move the motion allowing the City to accept funds raised by the Hillcrest Tennis Club to refurbish the park’s four tennis courts. Hillcrest Tennis Club is a community-based organization operating within a public park, and all funds for the improvements are being raised by members and players—not taxpayers. The refurbishment is scheduled for spring 2026 and will be delivered through a construction and donation agreement with Parks and Recreation, ensuring the courts remain publicly accessible while benefiting from community investment.
Seneca Hill Park – Tennis Courts State-of-Good-Repair
The State-of-Good-Repair project at Seneca Hill Park continues to move forward. This work includes replacing tennis court surfaces, fencing, and lighting, along with new shade structures, landscape furniture, pathway and drainage improvements, and an upgraded water fountain with a bottle-filling station. Court base asphalt and fencing installation are already underway, with construction expected to wrap up by the end of 2025, weather permitting. Final court surfacing is planned for spring 2026.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we head into the new year, my focus remains clear: affordability, safety, and stability.
The work ahead won’t be easy. Global uncertainty continues, and the City faces real financial pressures. But by staying disciplined, listening closely to residents, and investing where it matters most, we can continue to protect what makes Toronto—and Don Valley North—a great place to live.
I hope to see you early next year at our upcoming events, the 2026 Budget Town Hall and the Winter Bash!
Thank you for being engaged, for sharing your views, and for working with me throughout the year. I look forward to continuing this work together in 2026.
