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If you’re a regular E-Blast reader, you’ve likely seen me promote community meetings for the Renew Sheppard  study several times over the past few years. This comprehensive plan has been in the works since before the pandemic, and will guide growth and development along Sheppard Avenue East and surrounding neighbourhoods from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street. After years of detailed research and consultation with our community here in Don Valley North, City Planning is ready to present the Renew Sheppard East Secondary Plan  to North York Community Council this coming Tuesday. Let’s look at exactly what this plan entails and what it means for our neighbourhoods. The Renew Sheppard Plan was set in motion by Councillor David Shiner back in 2018, before his ward and mine amalgamated. Councillor Shiner was preparing for his retirement from City Council and looking at what he should draw attention to in Bayview Village and Bayview Woods-Steeles before his departure. After representing the neighbourhood through almost 20 years of developments approved and built according to the 1999 Sheppard Subway Corridor Secondary Plan, Councillor Shiner moved a motion at City Council to review the plan and update it to guide future growth in the best way possible for the community.   The resulting study, Renew Sheppard, shows just how important it was that this review happen. While growth has been happening across the City, Renew Sheppard tells us that 55% of housing units within the Secondary Plan area were built between 2001 and 2021. That is a lot of change in 20 years. By comparison, the percentage for similar areas in other parts of Toronto was 24% for the same time period. Toronto’s Official Plan  really drove that phenomenon. It called for intensification along transit avenues, so our neighbourhoods along Sheppard have grown at a similar rate to downtown and midtown.   The study has taken a long time to produce because Provincial planning policy has been an ever-shifting sand beneath the feet of municipalities since Premier Ford was elected in 2018. It’s important to note that not all of the policy changes were purely political. There’s no question that Premier Ford set out to make things faster and easier for developers when he was elected, but we must acknowledge that he is faced with an unprecedented housing availability crisis across the province. One upside to the lengthy review process is that it has given staff the opportunity to consult with our community several times throughout the plan’s development. City Planning staff first engaged with our community on this plan early in 2020, before the pandemic hit. We had a fantastic turnout at that first meeting, and I saw similar enthusiasm for the official community engagement launch that took place in March 2022. There were a couple of Community Open Houses in 2023, with the most recent held in September 2024. Don Valley North has truly helped shape this plan every step of the way.   So, what exactly does this plan entail? It outlines a new planning framework for the secondary plan area along Sheppard Avenue from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street, replacing portions of the Sheppard East Subway Corridor Secondary Plan that was penned in 1999. The updated policies in Renew Sheppard promote sustainable, transit-oriented, and pedestrian-friendly communities. This plan also ensures we are meeting all updated Provincial policies, which is a mandatory requirement.   Here is an overview of the main focuses of this plan: Complete Communities:  Establish mixed-use areas with diverse housing options, jobs, and services. Transit-Supportive Growth:  Promote higher density near transit stations (Bayview, Bessarion, and Leslie subway stations). Sustainability:  Enhance green spaces, improve climate resilience, and reduce car dependency. Improved Mobility:  Expand pedestrian, cycling, and transit networks with new streets and trails. Public Realm Enhancements:  Create vibrant, walkable streets and open spaces, including the Sheppard Promenade and Green Loop. I know that there is a wide range of opinions on population and job growth within our community. Growth can be hard to adjust to when it’s right in your own backyard, but we have to acknowledge that growth is happening and must keep happening to keep our neighbourhoods liveable for future generations. City Planning is asking us to move forward with intentionality so we can get this local growth right.   You hear the word “intentionality” more and more these days. In this context, intentionality allows us to preserve the environmental and heritage elements we love because we’re putting them top of mind as we navigate the growth coming to our neighbourhoods. It has been amazing to see so many residents in our community come out to meetings with intention to find productive solutions together.   At its core, Renew Sheppard is a list of detailed amendments to the Toronto Official Plan specific to our stretch of Sheppard. You can read the amendments in full in Attachment 2 , but I’ve boiled them down here: Land Use Changes: Some areas north and south of Sheppard are amended to allow mixed-use developments and institutional zones where they were previously restricted to neighbourhood homes only. Development Framework:  Renew Sheppard organizes the previous secondary plan map into seven “Character Areas”, including zones for tall buildings near transit, zones for mid-rise development, and green areas. Public Amenities: The plan calls for the expansion of parks, community facilities, and public art through future development applications. Mobility Improvements:  The plan calls for the creation of new public streets, mid-block connections, and multi-use trails in conjunction with future development applications. Infrastructure Upgrades:  Renew Sheppard shows the serious need to address sewer and water capacity to accommodate future growth. This will be more challenging now that municipalities collect fewer dollars in development charges due to Provincial policy changes. We will continue to advocate to the Province to ensure that growth pays for growth.   There is no question that Renew Sheppard is a very impactful piece of policy. What is important to remember is that the impact of a secondary plan is spread over time. In the initial Sheppard East Secondary Plan, the big change came from the Canadian Tire Lands proposal. Many current Don Valley North residents weren’t around to see the old Canadian Tire facility on the 401 or its window display showing all the tires they sold, from giant tractor tires right down to the smallest bike tires.   I have heard from some residents who are concerned about how this plan will impact their properties in the short term. There are some homes identified on maps in the Renew Sheppard Secondary Plan as sites for future parkland or potential roadways. Some residents are worried that approving this plan will force changes to their property, and that they will be required to move or sell their homes. I want to provide absolute reassurance and clarity: there is absolutely nothing in this plan that imposes changes to anyone’s property or compels them to leave their property . The only way your property could be changed is if you or a future owner willingly decides to sell. These designations do not mean that the City is planning to purchase your home or make changes to your property. While we can't control who sells to a developer, we can use this policy framework to build the community we want to see.   We know that under Provincial policy, growth will continue along Sheppard Avenue. What’s important is that we have a solid plan in place to ensure that we grow in the most liveable and sustainable way possible for our community. Renew Sheppard acknowledges that there is still work to do to create the neighbourhoods we want to enjoy. We need to push hard to increase green space, secure public realm enhancements, and build school capacity for the hundreds of new families who now call Don Valley North home. It also acknowledges that yes, there is still room to develop units of housing that are so needed in Toronto right now.   Thank you to each and every resident who participated in the Renew Sheppard community meetings and helped shape the final plan we will see presented next week. Together, we will get growth right in Don Valley North.

We always have a busy Council agenda in November. It’s our second-last meeting of the calendar year, which means Councillors and staff are hard at work setting things in motion for 2025. From increasing our housing supply and protecting renters from renovictions, to overhauling our crossing guard program, let’s take a look at the most notable items from our meeting last week. Build More Homes: Expanding Incentives for Purpose Built Rental Housing   Many of us here in Don Valley North remember the constant stream of virtual development consultations that came our way in the early years of the pandemic. Now, years later, almost none of those approved developments are under construction. We are in a housing crisis, so we need to ensure that approved development projects start putting shovels in the ground to create much-needed homes for our growing population.   At Council, we adopted a plan to forgo certain fees and development charges for applications that will create at least 20% affordable rental housing. These incentives aim to work in tandem with existing supports from the Federal and Provincial governments, and will help create 7000 new units of rental housing across the city. The hope is that if our municipal program succeeds in getting these homes built, the Federal and Provincial governments will consider providing similar financial support for another 13,000 affordable rental units here in Toronto.   Audit of Parks Branch Operations - Phase 1: Improving Oversight of Day-to-Day Maintenance Helps to Ensure City Parks are Beautiful, Clean and Safe   Toronto’s Auditor General released a damning report concerning the lack of accountability from some of our parks maintenance staff , who were logging hours on the job without actually doing the work. I have been very frustrated by the real dip in quality of grass cutting and overall maintenance in many of our parks here in Don Valley North, particularly over the past two summers. While I was happy to learn that my feelings were warranted and these issues are going to be addressed, I was deeply upset when I read the Auditor’s report. While I’m not able to discuss personnel outcomes, I can assure you that proper supervision improvements are being made to ensure that all of our parks crews are getting the job done and clocking their hours properly. I will be popping up in our local parks again this summer to monitor for signs of vast improvement firsthand.   Reinforcing the Importance of Openness, Fairness and Transparency in City Procurement: An Audit of the Procurement and Implementation of the PayIt Unsolicited Proposal    This item is a bit of a mouthful. Back in 2020, I took serious issue with a procurement process that took place at City Hall . At the time, I attended an Executive Committee meeting as an “observing non-member”. At that meeting, an item was presented asking Councillors to support an unsolicited proposal to spend $14 million on a payment portal technology for City services, called PayIt. When I asked questions about the lack of adherence to proper public procurement rules, I was shut down. That item passed at Executive Committee and later passed at City Council, where I voted against it .   Now, the Auditor General has released a report showing that the City did not properly follow the unsolicited proposal guidelines when considering PayIt’s proposal. The report found that the proper policy was not followed even after concerns were raised by senior staff, the proposal was not directed to the appropriate office, and most importantly, that the majority of expected benefits from implementing PayIt have not been realized.   The Auditor General has made a number of recommendations to strengthen this process and ensure better adherence going forward. It’s essential that we conduct open, fair, and transparent processes whenever we are sourcing products or services for the city. This not only ensures fairness for businesses, it ensures we get the best product for the best price, making the best use of your tax dollars.   Implementing a Rental Renovation Licence By-law to Address Renovictions   The term “renovictions” may sound like something that only happens downtown, but our local legal aid clinic, Willowdale Legal , has told us that it is very much on the rise here in Don Valley North. Landlords are allowed to evict tenants to undertake major renovations to their properties, but bad-faith landlords are abusing this rule. They evict tenants under the guise of renovations in order to put the unit back on the market at a much higher rent. For many evicted tenants, especially those being evicted from rent-controlled units, this can mark the beginning of homelessness.   The City is proceeding with a new licensing program to help protect tenants from renovictions and ensure that they receive proper supports if they are evicted for legitimate renos. It will require landlords to prove the extent of their renovation and take some responsibility for de-stabilizing their tenant, such as helping cover the costs of moving. Staff are working to set up this new licensing program for implementation in summer 2025. In the meantime, if you’re a tenant and require support, check out my Housing Resources page: Respecting Local Democracy and Cities   This item contains a set of recommendations for how and why the City should respond to the Provincial government’s forthcoming bike lane legislation . While the topic is bike lanes, the item is really about municipal autonomy. I have always been a champion for local democracy and decision-making, whether that’s through participatory budgeting, making elections more accessible through measures like ranked ballots and fundraising reform, or through on-the-ground community engagement. Provincial governments have every right to pick up the phone and express concern over municipal decisions, but enacting legislation to take power away from cities is a very slippery slope.   If the bike lane legislation passes its third reading and becomes law, we will still have work to do here in Don Valley North. Bike lanes will still be permitted, but not where they would remove a lane of traffic on a major artery. As bike and e-scooter usage continue to grow across Toronto, we will have to work together to design good solutions for multi-modal mobility in our communities.   Managing Sustainable Growth in the School Crossing Guard Program   The City took over the management of school crossing guards in 2017 as part of de-tasking our police force. This was a smart financial move. When the police ran the program, full-fledged officers were often called to fill in vacancies at premium pay rates. However, the use of crossing guards has vastly increased since the program was taken over by the City, raising the cost from $8 million in 2017 to over $30 million in 2024.   I know how beloved crossing guards are in our neighbourhoods, and they do very important work. The aim of this item is not to take away any of our existing crossing guards, but to come up with a solid plan to accommodate the need for new crossing guards within our financial means. My motion asks staff to explore successful but affordable crossing guard models in other jurisdictions. This could mean adjusting the criteria to warrant a new crossing guard, looking into Vision Zero  physical traffic calming measures first, and even exploring the old youth leadership model where students act as crossing guards in certain locations. We will hear back from staff on this item next year.     As always, I will keep our community updated on these items and more as they progress in the months ahead.

It’s been quite the week. We’re in the middle of our November Council session, and I’ll share my signature highlights in the next E-Blast. Today, I want to update you on a meeting I attended earlier this week. On Tuesday, I presented an item at the Toronto Police Service Board meeting that I think will be good for all of us.   You may remember that I wrote a column back in September about the need to develop a multi-year staffing plan for our Police Service . Settling police funding is always the most challenging part of our City Budget process. A multi-year staffing strategy will help us understand the needs of our police force and plan accordingly to ensure they are able to keep Toronto safe effectively and affordably.   Last year at Budget time, I was not a member of the Police Service Board. As we head into the 2025 Budget process, I’ve been back on the Board for seven months now, having rejoined in April of this past year. This has given me the chance to work closely with our Police Chief and his command to better understand the needs of our Police Service. I’m happy to report that Chief Demkiw shares my belief in the multi-year staffing plan and we’ve been able to work together on a solution.   On Tuesday, I moved a Hiring Plan that passed with unanimous support at the Police Board. This plan is the product of deep collaboration with the Chief, his Chief Administrative Officer, and the City’s Chief Financial Officer. All of us needed to work together to consider the impacts of several hiring models. We looked at the options that were presented to the Board in August, plus a few more versions, to land on a model that’s the right fit for our city.   You may be wondering, “Why so much complexity? Isn’t it just a matter of dollars = officers?” That is certainly the biggest part of the equation, but there are a number of other factors at play. We need a certain number of new officers every year just to keep pace with our population growth, let alone account for retirements and potential enhancements to the service. It requires serious planning to ensure our “Cop-to-Pop” ratio stays consistent. Police services around the world use this ratio to represent the number of police officers per 100,000 people. Toronto is at the low end of this metric, with 168 officers per 100,000 residents. If we want to improve that cop-to-pop ratio, we have to consider how many officers we can move through the Police College each year. Once officers graduate from the Police College, we also have to account for their hiring, training, and mentorship within the force to ensure they develop into excellent officers. All of these factors, each with their own timelines and costs, are precisely why we need a multi-year approach to hiring up. Chief Demkiw is leading one of the youngest forces in Toronto Police’s history due to retirement turnover, and he wants to make sure he gets it right.   So, here’s where we’ve landed with the Hiring Plan. For the next two years, the police budget will include the maximum annual training allocation set by the Province: four classes of 90 new officers each will move through the Police College in 2025, for a total of 360 new recruits. The financial pressure to reach uniform policing targets will have to be absorbed into other areas of police operation so that we can get officer complements up and response times down across our city. For three years after that, each budget must at minimum continue to meet the newly achieved cop-to-pop ratio. For instance, if the next two years of hiring bring us up to a ratio of 185 officers per 100,000 Torontonians, the next three budgets after that would have to allocate enough funds to maintain that ratio as our population rises. There may be further improvements to our cop-to-pop ratio as intergovernmental discussions continue. So what does this mean for you? It means that City Hall and the Toronto Police Service Board are working together to get more officers on the ground in our neighbourhoods. We’re also ensuring there will be enough officers to compose special task forces, tackling issues like auto theft and hate crimes on a city-wide basis. I would also like to see a full complement in the Neighbourhood Officer Program, which has made significant strides in building positive relationships between the force and youth in particular.    My hope is that we can turn a page to a more collaborative relationship between Police leadership, on-the-ground officers, the Mayor and City Council, and you, our residents. I know that we need to keep working hard at the City to tackle the socioeconomic challenges that threaten safety in our neighbourhoods. At the same time, the Toronto Police Service needs to continue its work to build trust and partnership with communities across Toronto. The Multi-Year Hiring Plan is the first step in turning that page.

My week at City Hall started with conversations about the 2026 FIFA World Cup . As you may know, Toronto is one of 16 North American cities that will host matches during the next Cup. We’ll have six games played here between June 12 and July 2, 2026. That may feel like a long ways off, but there’s a lot of work to do if we want these matches to go off without a hitch and deliver the maximum benefit possible for Torontonians.   Former Mayor John Tory signed the agreement for Toronto to participate in the 2026 World Cup last term. Now, it’s up to our current Mayor and Council to make the World Cup a success. There is huge potential for these matches to deliver serious benefits for Toronto. These six matches are projected to attract 300,000 visitors, generate $393 million in GDP in our city alone, and create over 3,500 jobs for hardworking Torontonians. We’ll also see lasting community benefits from our investments, such as improved playing facilities, coaching and organizing capacities, and local interest in soccer, especially for young people.   This economic boost is especially important for our tourism sector, which has still not fully recovered from the pandemic. While we’re seeing promising trends— tourism is up 6% compared to this time last year —it still hasn’t bounced back to 2019 levels. The World Cup presents an incredible opportunity to help achieve full economic recovery, and even economic growth, for the tens of thousands of folks who work in hospitality and hospitality-related industries.   Of course, we know that executing our World Cup duties will be no small feat. As Budget Chief and the Mayor’s Economic Development & Culture Champion, I’m Chairing the sub-committee that is tracking the World Cup work to ensure cost control and financial accountability. Our main task at this point in the planning process is to carefully watch the budget and ensure we’re delivering within our allocated funding. I think every Torontonian wants to deliver good value for our dollars and a great event. We all want to look back and remember that World Cup fever took hold, everyone caught the spirit, and our economy seriously benefitted. Let’s take a look at how we’re going to get there within our FIFA budget.   To meet all the technical requirements laid out by FIFA, we’re looking at a final budget of $380 million to host six matches. The Provincial and Federal governments have both agreed to fund a portion of the cost—the Province is kicking in $93 million and the Federal government is contributing $108 million. They made these funding commitments when Toronto was only slated to host five matches, which would have left the City with about $100 million to cover on our own. That number bumped up to $180 million when Toronto took on a sixth match and after the FIFA guidelines became fully known.   My committee has met with staff in every department related to hosting the FIFA World Cup to make each portion of the budget as lean as possible. Another sub-committee, the FIFA Champions committee, is developing a fundraising model to raise the additional $80 million needed to make this event a success. A good portion can be achieved through corporate fundraising, and our FIFA Champions are ready to go out with a package for Toronto-based companies to become partners in the games. To make up the rest, staff are proposing a temporary increase to our hotel tax, known as the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT). This increase makes sense given Council and the Mayor’s request to avoid any additional impacts on local taxpayers, but it does carry some risk. I’ve written about the MAT in the past when discussing Toronto’s tourism industry . Alongside the regular 13% HST on a hotel room, visitors pay an additional 6% MAT. The revenue generated from the MAT is shared between the City and our tourism corporation, Destination Toronto . The MAT isn’t only collected on hotels—it’s also collected on short-term rental services like Airbnb, and those funds come directly to the City to help cover the cost of bylaw enforcement to monitor short-term rental properties.   So what does this mean for the World Cup? City staff have proposed adding an additional 2.5% to the MAT from June 1, 2025 to and July 31, 2026 so that visitors can help pick up the cost of the World Cup here in Toronto. The risk with this move is that visitors may be left with the impression that the high MAT rate is permanent. As the FIFA sub-committee Chair, I moved a motion on behalf of the tourism sector to allow businesses to display the temporary FIFA increase as a separate line on room receipts. This will make it clear to visitors the higher tax rate isn’t permanent. This may seem like a small thing, but travellers take note of these rates and take them into account when considering where to host their next business event. Toronto needs to put our best foot forward to help secure the long-term economic benefits that can come from hosting the World Cup.   Alongside the FIFA event budget, the City is switching into high gear on state-of-good-repair and capital improvements to ensure we are ready for the influx of visitors that will come to watch the matches. I know that road paving, sidewalk reconstruction, and transit creation can all be a headache. We began pushing an accelerated construction agenda last summer and will continue in summer 2025 so that we can be well and truly ready for a fabulous World Cup celebration in 2026. I know the amount of construction is hard to bear, but we will get to enjoy all the benefits long after the World Cup is over. It's also important to remember that the fun part of hosting the World Cup comes closer to the event date. In the year before we kick off FIFA 2026, you’ll see the focus shift towards bringing spirit and celebration to the forefront. So what can you do to get into the spirit? Don’t wait until the World Cup begins in a year and a half. Watch a few matches here and there so you can learn the ins and outs of “the Beautiful Game”. All the while, you can rest assured I’ll be monitoring the FIFA Budget closely and ensuring we’re on track for a smooth and smart delivery of the 2026 World Cup.

I can’t believe that July has come to an end and we’re already into August. While my favourite part of summer is being out in the community with all of you, whether that’s at our Summer Celebration, a community movie night, or one of my signature Park Pop-Ups, the work never stops here at City Hall. We had a busy July Council session,  tackling everything from speeding up construction on the Gardiner to taking greater action to mitigate flooding after our extreme July storm. Let’s dive into it.  EX16.1 – Gardiner State of Good Repair Acceleration & Enhanced Congestion Management Measures The Mayor’s First Key Matter for this Council agenda was aimed directly at tackling challenges with the Gardiner rehabilitation project. While the Gardiner Expressway is being uploaded to the Provincial government as part of the New Deal, the City will still be closely involved in the execution of state of good repair work to the end of the year. The traffic challenges we’ve experienced over the past few months have made it clear that we must speed up this work and do more to manage congestion.  Through partnership with the Provincial government, the City has secured an expedited work plan that will allow the project to wrap up a year earlier than originally planned. The project is now slated to finish in April 2026 instead of April 2027. The upgraded contract permits crews to work 24/7 to get this work done and keep our city moving. Rest assured we’ve built provisions into the contract to ensure the noisiest work, including demolitions, happens during the day. City staff also worked closely with industry experts to develop better congestion management measures—all essential steps to minimize the impacts of this project on commuters. EX16.2 – Update on the Reallocation of Funding from the Provincial Upload of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway City Council also approved a plan to reallocate the funds from the upload of the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) that resulted from the  Ontario-Toronto New Deal we secured last year. This was a major achievement for the City. The New Deal awarded us operating savings for three years, but the capital savings on highway repairs are permanent and significant. The City will save $1.9 billion in capital costs in the first ten years alone. That means nearly $2 billion can now be allocated to other much-needed capital work across Toronto, including $500 million for TTC improvements and hundreds of millions invested into state of good repair work in various city departments. I’ve gotten questions from some folks asking why this money is being spent instead of saved. The answer is that Toronto is staring down a state of good repair backlog of $10.6 billion .  The $1.9 billion we saved by uploading the Gardiner takes a good chunk out of that backlog. Delayed repairs only result in more damage and higher costs. These New Deal dollars will help us fix our roads faster, repair and upgrade important neighbourhood spaces like parks, community centres, and libraries, make essential investments into housing state of good repair, and complete important flood protection work. Here is the full list of areas where you can expect to see increased investment: EX16.5 – Ontario Science Centre Update This was another long discussion at Council. The City of Toronto does not own or manage the Ontario Science Centre so the tools available to us are limited. We could never afford to take over the operation of a facility that costs $15 million to run each year with nothing but your property taxes. We have heard loud and clear that the community wants the Science Centre to remain in place. While that is not within the City’s power to guarantee, Council has made a number of requests to the Province to explore options for a Provincial attraction at this site. That includes an invitation for the Provincial government to join a working group together with the City, the Toronto Zoo, and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to discuss lease obligations and a possible Provincial solution for the future of the site. EX16.21 & EX16.32 – FIFA World Cup 2026 Updates I recently began my duties as Chair of the City’s FIFA World Cup sub-committee. The World Cup has the potential to give our economy a serious boost, especially in our hospitality and entertainment sectors. As Chair of this sub-committee, my focus is to balance costs and ensure that any public investments yield significant benefits for Torontonians. We approved two motions at City Council that move us a few steps closer to hosting the tournament. The first allows us to receive donations and sponsorships to help cover the cost of the games. Given the huge impact this event will have on our local economy, I want to see the private sector step up and help us make our World Cup games the best they can be. This motion also allows us to accelerate transit projects on Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street to help fans make it to the games and alleviate some of the  traffic impacts of hosting. The second motion outlines our procurement plan to award contracts for a number of costs associated with hosting the games—everything from infrastructure upgrades to food and drink suppliers. A major contract has been awarded for the expansion of BMO Field. We also adopted policies for future contracts to ensure that our FIFA budget provides fair and equitable opportunities to businesses here in Toronto. This will help us ensure that the economic benefits of hosting the games are the strongest for Toronto businesses and workers. EC14.12 – Canada-Wide Early Learning & Child Care Implementation This item responds to a deeply troubling development in our efforts to ensure everyone has access to $10-a-day child care.  The Provincial government recently announced that they are cancelling 48 previously-approved child care expansion projects in schools across the city . This represents a loss of thousands of child care spaces, including nearly 50 new spaces that were slated to open here in Don Valley North. The Provincial government must reverse this decision and make the necessary investments to expand school-based child care in our city. Since the implementation of the Federal $10-a-day program began, we’ve seen improved affordability for parents, better wages for workers, and moms getting back into the workforce, but the number of spaces has remained a challenge. We must continue to expand child care space to support Toronto families. IE15.2 – Toronto Island Park Master Plan (Billy Bishop Airport) The Toronto Island Park Master Plan is the result of years of work and deep engagement with the community, and I hope you’ll pardon the pun when I say it truly is masterful. As the Mayor’s Economic Development & Culture Champion, I was focused on a specific part of the plan that had to do with our island airport—Billy Bishop. An earlier draft of the Master Plan mentioned that if the airport ceased to exist, the City would turn those lands back into a park. This caused concern from a number of businesses that rely on our island airport. There are now about three million trips in and out of Billy Bishop airport every year, and it has become a key component of our downtown economy. Working with the Mayor’s Office and City staff, I was able to have the Master Plan updated. It now states that the western end of Toronto Island is still designated as an airport and there are no plans to change that. MM20.24 – Reducing Runoff and Mitigating Flooding This motion from Mayor Chow and Deputy Mayor McKelvie is a direct response to the extreme weather and flooding we experienced earlier this month. The July 16 storm made it abundantly clear that we still have a lot of work to do to adapt to climate change and make our city more resilient to extreme weather. To do that effectively, we need to implement a range of measures on public and private property. On the public property side, staff will be investigating options to increase green infrastructure on our boulevards, streets, parking lots, and other public spaces. On the private property side, Mayor Chow’s motion directs staff to take stock of the stormwater mitigation programs we currently offer to property owners and evaluate their success and uptake. Staff will explore new programs that can help protect private properties from the impacts of flooding and will collect public input as part of their reporting process. Stay tuned for opportunities to share your feedback on what programs and incentives you would find most beneficial. With coordinated action, we can avoid costly floods and minimize the impact of extreme weather on our city. Member Motions: Below are a few more notable motions moved by my fellow Councillors at our meeting last week: MM20.1 – Putting the Brakes on Auto Theft : This motion from Councillor Burnside asks the Federal and Provincial governments to tighten up their regulations for vehicle security features and registrations to help tackle auto thefts. Auto thefts are down across the City but we must stay diligent to combat this persistent problem. MM20.3 – Welcome to Toronto, Taylor Swift! : Deputy Mayor McKelvie moved this motion to have a bit of fun with Taylor Swift’s upcoming visit to Toronto. She has organized a donor to fund the small cost of temporary “Taylor Swift Way” signs along the route from Nathan Phillips Square to the Rogers Centre, and the City will auction off the signs after the concerts to raise money for Daily Bread Food Bank. As always, I hope you found these Council updates helpful and informative. I’ll be taking a break from the E-Blast for the month of August, but don’t worry—I’ll be back in your inbox the first week of September sharing everything you need to know as we move into a busy fall. I hope everyone here in Don Valley North and readers across the city have a wonderful rest of the summer.  Farewell, Josh! I have some bittersweet news to share.  Many of you know Josh Bowman, who has been a member of my team since the summer of 2020. Josh has worn many hats in our office, doing everything from helping neighbours in Bayview Village and Henry Farm with local issues to handling some of our major policy files and development applications. He has been a pillar of my team for the past four years and has done so much to support my work here in Don Valley North. Josh will be moving over to the City of Toronto's public service as a Senior Consultation Coordinator in the Parks department later this month. This is a wonderful opportunity, and I'm glad to know Josh's hard work and dedication will still very much be serving the people of Toronto in his new role.  A big congratulations to Josh on his new position! I know he will be missed here in Don Valley North, but we wish him all the best in this exciting new chapter.

I was listening to a morning radio show the other day and heard some pundits really go to town on the issue of Toronto’s faulty water meters. These guys wasted no time piling on criticism, proclaiming the issue as proof that the City and its water system are facing impending doom. As you might expect, I have a different take.  For those of you who may not have heard about our water meter challenges, I’ll give a quick recap. Earlier this year, Toronto Water staff discovered that many of our automated Water Meter Transmission Units (MTUs) were failing prematurely. These are battery-powered devices that automatically send your water usage data to the City, saving significant time and money as staff no longer have to go and check water meters manually. The MTUs in question were installed about 12-14 years ago, and had an expected lifespan of 20 years. However, about 30% of these units have stopped working this year.    Now, I want to go back to these radio pundits and their take on the issue. When listening to or reading media about municipal issues, it’s important to keep two things in mind: Cities don’t get things done by shuffling money to other governments and partners. We actually execute actions and deliver services on the ground.  Cities are transparent to a fault. We are a public institution and deliver services, so we publicly report on what we’re doing as much as possible. We also disclose when we’ve done something wrong and spell out how we’re going to fix it.   There is a lot of blowback that results from always reporting on our mistakes. I sometimes envy the private utility companies out there, like telecommunications and gas companies. While I’m sure they have rigorous internal processes to find their inefficiencies and errors, there is nothing compelling them to share information about problems that can be quietly fixed. Their shareholders might find out months after the solution to a problem has already been implemented. All the while, you and I just keep paying our phone bills, none the wiser.    Unlike these private companies, your local government is accountable to you. We are spending your money and you deserve full transparency on how it is spent. There is an independent Toronto Auditor General who investigates issues with City services and publicly reports on their findings. When staff identify an issue without or before Auditor General involvement, they are still required to be transparent and publicly account for how they will fix the problem.    This is exactly what happened with the water meter transmission unit failures. As soon as Toronto Water learned that a sampling of bills were inaccurate, they began to check meters across the city. It turns out that the units that were installed earliest were the ones having problems. Toronto Water staff then knew that they could get to work solving the problem by moving across the city in order of installation. We are lucky here in Don Valley North to have been towards the end of that installation process, meaning we’re less likely to be experiencing water meter transmission issues now.    Of course, solutions rarely make headlines in the news—problems do. The important thing to know is that these units are under extended warranty for their full twenty-year lifespan, so the issue is being addressed in partnership with the manufacturer. Several other cities across Ontario are facing the same issue as they installed the same transmission units, and all are in the process of working with the manufacturer to replace them. Writing an article about municipal failure evokes emotions, and that’s the whole point of news media these days. Writing an article about how the city responsibly negotiated a warranty for the full promised life of new equipment doesn’t have the same pizzazz.   In the coming months, Toronto Water will come to the Infrastructure & Environment Committee with a procurement process for our next iteration of water meter technology. The City is also arranging for a supply of replacement meters until the next system can be properly procured.    In the meantime, you will receive a letter (or may have already) outlining the issues being experienced with the water meter transmission units. The important thing to know is that the meters themselves are working just fine and are accurately recording water usage. It is just the piece of equipment that automatically transmits those readings to the City that have stopped working for some households.  If you do have a faulty water meter transmission unit, you have been switched to estimated billing. Rest assured that the City has an accurate and reliable process for estimated billing, and that no customer will pay for more than their actual water consumption due to these MTU failures. The letter sent in the mail also details ways to submit manual readings of your water meter, which can be done by calling 3-1-1 or visiting the utility counter at any Civic Centre. You can learn more information at the link below: Bottom line, while the City has to address the shorter battery life and warranty claims for these automated transmission units, they still delivered savings over their true lifetime in the tens of millions of dollars. The financial benefits to the City of these units is estimated at $32.8 million per year, including $27.8 million in revenue recovery and $5 million in operating savings. We also have full confidence that the next system purchased will be more reliable, as the technology has advanced greatly in the past 15 years since this batch of units was acquired. They’ve also been in use longer and the suppliers of the equipment have more experience under their belts.    I believe there is a bigger lesson in all of this. We are the level of government that is constantly implementing solutions and providing services. We are going to experience everything from small hiccups to big fat problems from time to time. Every time that happens, we remain transparent and accountable to you. When you hear about a problem and want to know what the City is doing to fix it, don’t hesitate to contact my office. City staff provide me and my team with briefings on solutions and next steps as quickly as possible because they know the solutions won’t appear on the front page of the news. My team and I are always happy to get the word out.

Last week, we launched two substantial plans that will guide Toronto’s economic growth and cultural development in the coming years. The first plan is Sidewalks to Skylines: A 10-Year Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy . The other is Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto . It was very exciting to unveil these plans after nearly two years of hard work by City staff, key stakeholders, and engaged residents.   We knew from the very start that we needed to make this plan responsive to the real, on-the-ground needs of both sectors. That’s why we convened two all-star teams of industry experts to guide our work: the Economic Advisory Panel  and the Culture Advisory Panel . Thanks to their insights and the hard work of dedicated City staff, both plans outline concrete, specific actions the City will take over the next ten years to support the growth of our economy and our culture scene. The ultimate goal: a more prosperous, vibrant, and inclusive city for the three million residents who call Toronto home.   Now, let’s dive into the specifics of each plan and talk about how both will shape a better future for Toronto.   Sidewalks to Skylines: A 10-Year Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy A strong economy means employment opportunities and economic prosperity for all Torontonians. To achieve that, we need to support business and industry at every level, from the international companies that set up in 50-storey office buildings to the mom-and-pop shops that exist on corners in every neighbourhood across the city. Sidewalks to Skylines does just that, and makes strategic commitments in three key areas:   1.      Strong Main Streets 2.      Quality Jobs 3.      Global Competitiveness   Just think about how important these areas are. Strong main streets have a variety of shops, restaurants, services and experiences to bring our neighbourhoods to life. Quality jobs are essential to support the livelihoods of current and future of Torontonians. And we need an international edge to attract investment and talent from across the globe, creating more opportunities for good jobs and economic growth.   Commitments to these three areas are backed by 28 specific actions the City will take, often in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, to drive our economy forward. Those actions include everything from protecting small businesses from rising costs to fostering strong partnerships between industries and post-secondary institutions for strategic and inclusive workforce development.   This plan also acknowledges that we have to get the basics right first. If we want to build a bigger and better economy, we need a strong foundation. That’s why this plan begins with actions like tackling congestion, coordinating capital work, and building more affordable housing. It addresses the need to reduce barriers to economic inclusion for Black, Indigenous, and other equity-deserving Torontonians. Business leaders also stressed the need for Toronto to secure a long-term, sustainable intergovernmental funding deal and advance climate action to create the best environment possible for economic growth.   Of course, it’s not just one City division that will be undertaking this work. These commitments reflect the fact that all the challenges we face here in Toronto are interconnected. We need to make progress across the board to support economic growth and vibrancy for all.   The plan is laid out as a very engaging and efficient read. I invite you to take a look before it comes to Council in mid-November.   Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto   The success of our arts and culture sector is strongly linked to the success of our local economy. The culture sector generated $8.4 billion in economic activity last year and employs 93,000 people. That’s an impressive number, but we know we can do more. Back in 2012, arts and culture generated $11.3 billion in GDP for the city. That’s the incredible thing about our culture sector—small, strategic investments can yield significant gains across the board.   Of course, arts and culture does so much more than just boost our economy. Culture brings people together, helps us learn about diverse experiences and perspectives, and builds a shared sense of community in a city that is home to folks from every corner of the globe. That deep, inherent value of culture to the fabric of our city sits at the heart of this plan, which divides work into four interconnected areas:   1.      Culture Everywhere 2.      Culture for All 3.      Culture for the Future 4.      Culture Beyond Our Borders   Many of you may know that the arts and culture sector was one of the hardest hit by the global pandemic, and it is still struggling to recover today. The pandemic changed audience patterns, availability of space, and even private sector funding due to economic challenges. Our incredible advisory panel of arts and culture leaders made it clear that this plan needs to take bold action to keep the arts and culture we still have alive, and then go on to encourage more. Those four priorities aim to embed arts and culture into every neighbourhood in our city. One of the targets I’m most excited about is ensuring that every Torontonians will have access to at least one free cultural experience in their neighbourhood each month by 2035. Imagine what that will do to animate our neighbourhoods. The plan also outlines concrete steps to incubate a new generation of arts workers and audiences, build cultural infrastructure, and strengthen our cultural reputation by uplifting Toronto artists wherever possible.   All of this will require investment. For example, the City will invest in creative exchange programs to help boost Toronto’s international reputation. The stronger our reputation is, the more foreign investment we can secure, such as locating big-budget TV shows and movies at Toronto studios. With the limitless potential of the arts and culture sector, these investments will not only help us achieve the goals in the Culture Plan, they’ll help us hit goals in the Economic Plan as well.   This plan is another great read. I hope it inspires you to reconnect or become even more connected with arts and culture in our city. Whether you drop by a gallery, buy a theatre ticket, or stop by a local restaurant with live music playing, our arts and culture sector can’t thrive without you, the people of Toronto, supporting it.   Economy & Culture in Action Together, these plans will make strategic investments that will create a more vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous Toronto for all. I think I can safely speak for everyone who worked on these plans when I say we created them with our city’s broader challenges in mind. There are some who think the resources attached to these plans would be better spent elsewhere, but I think we need to look at the bigger picture. A healthy economy and a healthy culture sector allow us to tackle the other challenges we face. The stronger our economy is, the more money we’ll have to dedicate to poverty reduction. The stronger our culture sector is, the more creative solutions we’ll find to tackling our housing crisis. The list goes on.   These two plans are incredible roadmaps. If we follow them with modest but sustained investment, we can foster an incredible quality of life here in Toronto and build a city that both current and future generations will be proud to call home.

We always have a busy Council session in October. This month, Council moved motions on everything from revamping the Vacant Home Tax, to managing congestion, expanding student nutrition programs, increasing access to pickleball, and more. Let’s dive into it. Building a Universal Student Food Program in Toronto Every day, tens of thousands of children in Toronto’s public and Catholic schools receive a nutritious snack or a light breakfast. This program has faced many changes and challenges over the years. Thanks to an amazing collaboration between the previous Provincial government, Toronto Public Health, and charitable foundations, snack and breakfast programs are currently available in about 73% of publicly funded Toronto schools.   In April 2024, the Federal government announced the creation of a National School Food Program . This includes an investment of $1 billion nationally over five years. With food insecurity affecting one in four households in Toronto , it’s essential that we expand these programs to every Toronto school as soon as we can. Mayor Chow’s motion will ensure Council receives regular updates on the intergovernmental progress towards this important goal.     Redesigning the Vacant Home Tax Program and Supporting Housing Supply I wrote in-depth about the proposed improvements to the Vacant Home Tax declaration process in this E-Blast a few weeks back . I know that this was a frustrating process for many of you last year. This tax is very important for the future of our city, as it will help us get more homes back onto the housing market. This means we must make the declaration process easy, accessible, and widely communicated so we can move forward as smoothly as possible this year.   The Vacant Home Tax declaration redesign was adopted by Council, so keep an eye out for a letter in your mailbox early this November. This letter will be personalized with all the account information you need to submit your declaration. It will also outline the options you have to declare, including online or by phone.  You’ll see and hear reminders to declare on the radio, transit shelters, social media, and more. As always, my team is here to answer your questions, help you with the declaration process, and hear your feedback on the new system.   Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport - Runway End Safety Areas   This was the most contentious item discussed at this Council session. The Billy Bishop airport operates on Toronto Island under a three-way lease agreement, or tripartite agreement, between the City of Toronto, Ports Toronto, and Transport Canada. The lease was originally set to expire in 2033, and there is a wide range of opinions on the future of the island airport. At Council, however, we needed to focus on a more immediate issue: ensuring Billy Bishop airport can update its runway to meet new Federal safety requirements.   After a long and drawn-out debate, Council reached what I would call a healthy compromise as we consider the future of the island airport. Council authorized a Runway End Safety Area plan that aligns with Federal requirements, and agreed to a lease extension of 12 years to facilitate its implementation. Extending the island airport’s lease to 2045 allows Ports Toronto to negotiate the financing they’ll need to pay for these required Runway End Safety Areas.   This also gives us more time to negotiate the next lease agreement in the coming years. Lease negotiations at this site have historically taken years due to the unique nature of the island airport. Extending the lease to 2045 leaves ample time for these discussions, including research, community consultation, and Council feedback. In the meantime, the island runway will receive Runway End Safety Areas as the law requires.   Capital Variance Report for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2024 The Capital Variance Report tells Council which projects have deviated from their budget so far this year. Within this report is a note on the cost of the West Toronto Railpath Extension , a multi-use trail that runs adjacent to the Kitchener Line GO Rail Corridor. My fellow Councillors and I heard many concerns from you, our residents, about the drastic cost increase to this project. This prompted all of us to take a detailed look at the plan. Councillors Alejandra Bravo and Brad Bradford both moved motions requesting more detail about the ballooned cost of this project. Metrolinx, the Provincial transit agency, has quoted the cost of installing this two-kilometre trail extension at $150 million. City staff’s original estimate had pegged it at $30 million in our capital plan. Councillor Bravo’s motion asks City staff to report on the project costs, while Councillor Bradford’s requested that the Auditor General weigh in. The Auditor General is an independent authority, so she will decide if her team needs to investigate this project. In the meantime, I’ve had a long talk with the General Manager of Transportation Services to understand the value-for-money calculation in proceeding with this path. I’ll continue to investigate this further as we approach the 2025 budget drafts in the coming weeks.   Congestion Management Plan 2023 - 2026 - Fall Update This item was the subject of last week’s E-Blast . There were plenty of questions from Councillors, but in the end the main points of the Congestion Management Plan were fully supported. Work continues to ensure better coordination of on-street capital work, ensure developers are paying for disruptions to traffic they cause, and investigate options for more automated enforcement to keep our streets safe and moving.   Annual Progress Update Report - HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan and Housing Action Plan (2022-2026) Our work to improve access to housing in Toronto is never-ending and multi-faceted. Here at the City, we take full advantage of every partnership opportunity with the other orders of government to tackle our housing crisis. That includes everything from creating more space for refugee claimants in our shelter system, facilitating rental subsidies and working to build more rental housing, and providing supportive housing options to help folks as they transition out of homelessness.   The Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, Councillor Perks, summed this work up well at Council: “A lot of people say we’re not doing enough. And that’s true. Some people say we’re not doing anything. And that’s not true. The City of Toronto made lives better for over 100,000 people with better housing just in the last year. Let’s take a moment and think about the hard work we do, and the hard work the Toronto public service does.”   Member Motions: There were also a number of notable member motions at last week’s Council session: Colle moved a motion asking the Province to scrap their plans for a tunnel highway beneath the 401 and focus on a regional high-speed train instead . Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie and Mayor Chow moved a motion calling on the Provincial government to take greater action on the intersecting crises of mental health, addiction, and homelessness . This comes after they returned from the Ontario Big City Mayors’ Caucus, where every city reported serious challenges tackling these issues. It’s worth noting that it has been two years since the Province’s own Auditor General called on the government to develop an Ontario-wide homelessness strategy, with no action thus far. Councillor Ainslie moved a motion to ensure that seniors and those without access to computers will be able to register for Toronto recreation programming  once the new online registration tool launches soon. Centres in every region of the City will provide early registration to these groups to ensure fair access. I seconded a motion from Councillor Fletcher to investigate options for indoor pickleball facilities here in Toronto . I know demand for this sport just keeps growing and it’s important that we have public programs to support it. There is no money attached to this idea yet, but I would love to hear your thoughts.   As always, I will keep you updated on these and other important items through this weekly E-Blast, so stay tuned.

Ten-year plan would double funding of local arts service organizations

Traffic is always on our minds here in Toronto. If it feels like it’s at an all-time high right now, it’s not just your imagination. Toronto is North America’s busiest city for construction. Our congestion crisis is being exacerbated by rapid growth, infrastructure renewal, and transit expansion. All those things are part of life in a growing city, so how do we deal with the resulting traffic? That brings me to today’s E-Blast topic: Toronto’s Congestion Management Plan.  The Congestion Management Plan  has been in place for a year now, and its aim is to tackle congestion on every front. It uses a mix of traditional and innovative strategies, along with a healthy dose of common sense. Let’s take a look at the steps the City is taking to reduce congestion and how we can help as drivers.      Construction: The Source of Congestion   Toronto’s construction boom really does lie at the heart of our traffic problem. Whether it’s housing developments, transit expansions, road resurfacings, or other projects, the resulting lane and road closures make navigating the city a real challenge.   The Congestion Management Plan Update  prepared for this Council session reveals that nearly half of road closures in 2023 were the result of City-led infrastructure projects as we catch up on long-deferred state of good repair work. The plan in place requires that staff thoroughly consider the timing of a project and ensure that any disruptions to major routes happen for the shortest duration possible.   While the City accounted for the greatest number of road closures, Provincial transit developer Metrolinx accounted for the longest duration of road closures throughout 2023 and 2024 due to projects like the Eglinton Crosstown, Ontario Line, and Scarborough Subway. We want to make sure these projects proceed as efficiently as possible, and at the same time we want to minimize disruptions to traffic. City staff are bringing these lane closure concerns to Metrolinx for greater action and coordination.   It's essential that our approach to managing congestion is proactive, not just reactive. The Congestion Management Plan uses a new Strategic Capital Coordination Office (SCCO) to deliver better sequencing of capital projects and avoid unnecessary overlap. This will be especially crucial as Ontario Line work continues. The SCCO has had early success managing work along King Street, which finished 10 weeks ahead of schedule. I look forward to seeing this new office continue to deliver more efficient construction coordination for the city in the months ahead.     Managing Special Events and Neighborhood Mobility   Beyond construction, special events have surged in Toronto in the past couple of years. Festivals, marathons, and fundraisers do a lot to strengthen the city’s vitality, but there has to be coordination. The City is developing a new framework to review and approve event permits that will weigh the positive impact of the event against its impact on traffic and public resources.   The Congestion Management Plan also proposes utilizing a traffic simulation model powered by artificial intelligence to show the impact of special event road closures. I know it might sound a bit spooky and futuristic, but it will allow us to plan for these events more accurately and objectively. The City aims to roll out this system by 2025, which should immediately improve how we manage the congestion that comes with special events.     Congestion Management Comes at a Cost   The City will also be introducing a new congestion management levy for developers and private contractors. This levy will apply to road, sidewalk, and boulevard closures caused by construction, and the charges will be based on the location and duration of the closures. This will incentivize private companies to design their projects in a way that results in the lowest possible fees, minimizing the amount of time they occupy the right-of-way.   As a trade-off for the new fees, the City will introduce a Road Disruption Activity Reporting System (RoDARS). This new digital permit system aims to reduce conflicts and streamline road occupancy applications.   This new levy creates a system where those who contribute to road closures—whether developers or utility companies—are responsible for covering the municipal costs of the traffic disruptions they cause. That reduces the burden on taxpayers for the whole of the Congestion Management Plan. The City is also allowing contractors to work extended hours and utilize technology to better manage project timelines in an effort to speed up their work and further reduce traffic impacts.     Enhancing Public Awareness and Compliance   The first year of the Congestion Management Plan saw parking fines increase across the board. To further change driver behaviour, fines for key traffic infractions are increasing. For example, the penalty for stopping on a signed highway during rush hour will be raised from $190 to $300. This is part of a broader strategy to improve compliance with the traffic regulations that have the biggest impact on congestion, particularly at critical times of day.   The City is planning to launch educational initiatives in collaboration with Toronto Police Services, starting with warnings before escalating to fines. I support this warning-first approach because I know that a warning from an enforcement office can be very impactful. If you’ve been complaining about congestion and then hear from a police officer that you’re part of the problem, that’s a helluva wake up call.     Automated Enforcement and Traffic Management   In the same vein, the City is exploring new uses for automated enforcement to improve traffic flow. These include fixed cameras and dashcam systems. They’ll be used to address infractions like blocking intersections, occupying bike lanes, and driving in dedicated bus lanes. We’re even exploring mounting cameras on TTC buses and City vehicles, following a successful program in New York City that used bus-mounted cameras to significantly reduce traffic violations. It’s high time we tested the viability of new technologies to reduce congestion and ensure compliance with road rules.   We have also started a very successful Toronto Traffic Agent Program . In partnership with Toronto Police Services and our Transportation department, these agents are already managing intersections and keeping traffic flowing during peak times in the downtown core. We hope to expand this program further once we clear some legislative hurdles with the Province. I can already think of a few intersections here in North York that could benefit from a Traffic Agent’s supervision.     A Balanced Approach to a Complex Problem   The reality is that congestion can never be entirely eliminated in a growing city like Toronto, but it can be mitigated. By improving coordination, embracing technological solutions, and holding private contractors accountable, City staff are doing everything they can to ease the daily burden on Torontonians while allowing the city to continue to grow and thrive.   I also have to add that we, as drivers, can make a big difference. Our behaviour matters. Blocking intersections or racing to the front of an on- or off-ramp is never worth it for the cost to other drivers. We need to be considerate of everyone on the road and do our part to reduce congestion. This also means looking at opportunities to leave the car at home when we can, or use it for just part of our journey. Often times, a trip downtown can be a lot less painful and less expensive if we hop on the subway or GO train. There’s no single solution to our traffic problem, but all of these measures work together to make meaningful improvements to congestion in our city. Rest assured City staff will continue to find innovative solutions to keep Toronto moving as smoothly as possible.

This week, we officially launched the new-and-improved declaration process for the Vacant Home Tax . Now, those words may send a shiver down some of your spines. I know that last year’s process was very challenging for residents across the city. Hundreds of Don Valley Northerners contacted my office after receiving Vacant Home Tax bills in error, and I want to thank every person who did. Each and every one of you has contributed to improving the process for the upcoming year.   For the past six months, Finance and Revenue Services staff have been hard at work making sure the new process is straightforward, easy to use, and that it’s communicated well across the city. I’m very thankful for your patience as staff worked to create this system, and I know Mayor Chow is as well. We’re also thankful to every Council member who sat down to discuss what they heard from their constituents. We wanted to make sure these changes were directly informed by all of your experiences last year.   Today, I want to explain the changes that are in place for the 2025 Vacant Home Tax process. I’m also going to explain the reasons why the Vacant Home Tax will continue, as I know in the frustration of last year some folks wanted us to do away with it entirely. #1: Why we’re keeping the Vacant Home Tax Toronto is sticking with the Vacant Home Tax program. It is designed to incentivize the renting or selling of fully built units of housing that are sitting empty long-term. There are up to 10,000 vacant homes in Toronto. Putting them back onto the housing market could put a real dent in our housing crisis and help make life more affordable for all Torontonians.   We know we need more housing supply in Toronto. While every municipality is working hard to create new homes, building new housing is expensive. We must make every effort to fully utilize the homes we already have. Building 10,000 new homes would cost about $5 billion. The Vacant Home Tax, on the other hand, is entirely self-funded by the taxes it collects. It can put 10,000 existing houses and condos back on the market for zero property tax dollars. We also know this program is effective—Vancouver has reduced its vacant homes by 54% after having the program in place for five years.    #2: The need for annual declarations of occupancy We are continuing to use an annual declaration system, but with much improvement. Many homeowners who did not declare by the deadline last year asked “Why do we have to do this every year? Can’t you just check my utility bill to see that my house is occupied?” Unfortunately, it turns out that it’s not that simple.   Revenue Services staff and City Legal staff spent many hours looking into this and it is not a possibility. Using utility data would only work for about 50% of homeowners. Condo owners are often not on a distinct utility billing account on the City of Toronto’s side. We would need to design a separate system for these owners, and explaining two systems is never a recipe for success. We learned last year that if we want this program to work, we have to keep the process consistent and straightforward for everyone. #3: Better communication This year, you can expect much better communication about the Vacant Home Tax and the declaration process. All property tax ratepayers will receive a notice in the mail as of November 1st explaining the need to declare and the steps they need to take. The letter will include your customer number, your tax roll number, and all of the information you need to make the declaration. The letter will even have a QR code so you can declare immediately on your cellphone while the info is in your hand.   There will also be an ad campaign running across a number of platforms to remind you about the need to declare. You’ll see ads on transit shelters, in newspapers, on the radio, and even on condo elevator screens. The City will also run ads across social media platforms and elsewhere online. There will also be follow up letters in the mail until you complete your declaration. Only declaring will make those notices stop.   #4: Making it easier to declare This year, declaring will be as easy as making a phone call or online shopping on your phone. We are introducing the ability to declare by calling 311. Not only can you call in to declare, anytime you call 311 for any reason between November 1st, 2024 and April 1st, 2025, the operator will ask you if you need to declare. If your answer is yes, your call can be forwarded to complete your declaration directly on the phone and in multiple languages. If you provide your email address, the operator will send you a confirmation email that your declaration is complete.   If you use the website to declare this year, you’ll notice that the questions asked are much more direct and simpler to answer. Just like when you online shop, the online declaration will display a progress tracker that shows you how far along you are in the process. When you’re complete, it will show you a downloadable confirmation page. A big focus of the revamped program is ensuring we provide confirmation of receipt no matter how you declare.   Together, these changes aim to make sure everyone in Toronto knows about the need to file a Vacant Home Tax declaration and that it’s easy to do. While it is a bit of extra work, it will go a very long way in helping make more housing available in our city—something we desperately need if we want our kids and grandkids to be able call Toronto home long-term.   I know that even with all of these changes and improvements, you may still have questions as you go to file your Vacant Home Tax declaration. As you know, my office is always here to support you. Every Councillor will be prepared with a toolkit to answer your questions, and it doesn’t stop there. Revenue Services will have a dedicated customer care team available at Civic Centre service counters and via 311 to address any tricky questions or unique ownership scenarios.   Declaration portals and services open on November 1st and run until April 1st. At my house, my husband Sandy and I will complete it in the quiet time between Christmas and New Years. It will become our end-of-year tradition, and we’re happy to do it if it helps one more house become someone’s home.

Last Sunday, I was at Fairview Mall before the “mall walkers”. It was 7:00 AM, to be precise. I was there to witness a massive training exercise for Police, Fire, Paramedics, and the mall’s own security forces that was organized by Staff Sergeant Shawn Gilbert of our local Toronto Police Division 33. I watched 200 volunteers act out surprise emergency scenarios so that first responders could test their ability to handle situations in a very crowded space.   This event had my heart racing even though it was all staged. The volunteer actors were very convincing, and I had to keep reminding myself that everyone was alright. I asked myself, “What would I do in any of these situations?” After witnessing the training, I know one thing for sure—I am awfully glad to have first responders around to ensure my safety.   This brings me to this week’s topic: the Toronto Police Service Board’s staffing plan. Sometimes when we talk budget at the Police Board, I get the sense that members of the Service feel like we don’t appreciate their lifesaving roles. I can firmly state that every member of the Board appreciates the work of our police force.  Still, conversations about funding police efforts within our means can get tense. Let’s unpack some of the challenges and how we can move forward together to keep our city safe.    I was last on the Police Board in 2015. At that time, the Board and the Chief of Police worked together to chart a course for the modernization of police services and appointed some key community leaders to help us. The group was called the “Transformational Task Force” and they produced a multi-pronged modernization plan called “ The Way Forward ”. This plan proposed using the latest technology to modernize our police force, and the Board felt we could effectively use this plan to extend the Service’s reach while stabilizing the Police Budget. However, the best laid plans don’t always pan out.   The Toronto Police Service dutifully flatlined its budget for a few years in anticipation of the predicted savings from “The Way Forward”. However, several community challenges led to additional pressures on the force. The flatlining of the budget reduced the number of officers patrolling our city by 500, but the technology that was meant to make the job of police easier was never purchased. Additional challenges cropped up in communities across Toronto, including the arrival of fentanyl and a rising tide of mental health and addictions issues.   At the Service, The Way Forward efforts needed to take a backseat to issues of police trust following the widespread practice of carding. There was an immediate need to institute body worn cameras for increased police accountability.   By the time the murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked global calls to reimagine and defund policing, the Toronto Police Service was already understaffed and behind on modernization efforts. Much of the low-hanging fruit for police de-tasking had already been done, such as reassigning the duties of crossing guards and lakefront lifeguards. We have made tremendous progress over the past four years in the launch of the Toronto Community Crisis Service , Toronto’s fourth emergency service that responds to persons in mental health crisis. However, we still needed to address gaps in the police service and the steady rise of emergency response times.   The above background may seem lengthy, but it matters when you are trying to effect change in any organization. It has now been five months since I rejoined the Police Board and about the same length of time since the Province’s new Community Safety and Policing Act became properly embedded in our rules of operation.   Our Police Service is still somewhat understaffed for the community it serves and the issues it faces, but we have made steady progress on increasing the size of the force over the past few years. You may recall that this was at the heart of recent City Budget discussions. The 2023 Budget allocated funding for 200 new police officers, and the 2024 Budget allocated funding for 300 new officers. These were important short-term steps to address rising response times and growing community safety issues.   I’m proud to report that these investments are working. Response times for what we call “Priority Response” calls have dropped significantly, from an average of 22 minutes down to 17. In our own Division 33, that response time is even faster at an average of 16 minutes. We want to bring those numbers even lower, which is why hiring to cover retirements and to add strength to the force are understood goals.  Toronto City Council wants to do right by our Police Service and our residents. With some long-range planning, that will be possible while staying within our financial means. The Service is developing a multi-year hiring plan for inclusion in their budget request. This means Toronto Police will outline how many new officers they want to hire for the next several years, allowing us to account for these costs early and develop stronger budget plans. This is different from our current model where the Police Service asks for service enhancements one year at a time.   As a Board member, as Budget Chief, and most important as a City Councillor who is accountable to you, I’m working hard to understand the hiring needs of the police and how they can be incorporated into the City’s overall needs. We need this long-term staffing plan to ensure a responsible, sustainable path forward to ensure the safety of Torontonians.   We got our first look at Toronto Police Service’s proposed hiring plan at our July Board meeting. They presented four options, from only hiring replacement officers all the way up to meeting the full measure of Provincial guidelines. The Service presented their hiring plan to the Police Board publicly just last week, with very few changes to the summer proposal. I added on a motion to ensure the Board is considering the City’s ability to pay for the multi-year staffing plan, as well as the anticipated financial impacts of collective bargaining. If we can arrive at a hiring model that is reasonable, affordable, and achievable, both our city and our police force will be much better off. Contract negotiations between the Police Board and the Toronto Police Association are moving into arbitration at the Union’s request. Not much can be said in the media while the arbitrator works with both parties.   As I said earlier in this E-Blast, we want to do right by our Police Service and the people of Toronto. We’ve seen investments in our police force lead to faster response times and decreases in major crime indicators like auto theft. Car theft incidents are down 20% month-to-month in 2024 as compared to 2023. At the same time, we’ve seen a troubling rise in gun violence this year. We also continue to struggle with the rise in hate crimes across Toronto, which requires serious attention from our police force.   All of us on the Toronto Police Service Board know that our police force needs to be adequately staffed and compensated. Our police officers are essential in keeping our city safe, and we applaud their hard work. As Budget Chief, my challenge here is the same as in every other department—to ensure that work is being done efficiently, effectively, and in a way we can afford. As we move into Budget season, rest assured I will keep you up-to-date on police budget developments. I know that community safety is top of mind here in Don Valley North and that knowledge guides my work here at City Hall. I am also working with Toronto Police Division 33 to host a Community Safety Town Hall next month. Join us on Tuesday, October 22nd from 7 – 9 PM at the Fairview Library Theatre to discuss any safety concerns in your neighbourhood and learn helpful safety tips from officers themselves. We all have a role to play in keeping our neighbourhoods safe, so let’s keep communication open and keep working together—police officers, City Councillors, and neighbours alike.