There is something truly special that happens when my team and I sit down with senior residents. My team and I have held a couple of neighbourhood seniors roundtables recently, and these conversations give us an irreplaceable perspective on life in Don Valley North. Senior residents bring insight into the economic pressures being felt day to day, the accessibility challenges that exist on the ground, and the very real difficulties that come with the pace of change in a maturing city. Senior residents live these realities, and you've had the time to reflect on them deeply. Every conversation leaves us with a concrete list of actions to take and goals to set. I really look forward to these discussions. Too often, engaging with government feels like a frustrating digital exercise. It genuinely centres me to hear your experiences firsthand. I also use these opportunities to shed some light on how change is being managed and what policies are coming into play. I know that change can feel overwhelming, and I share that with many of you. I carry my own memories of a North York that grew outward; New streets lined with young trees north of what we now call the 401, a shiny new hospital, room to build recreation centres and libraries from scratch. My parents were among the community members who helped shape some of those first services. There was a lot of room to grow. Growing is harder in a mature city, but it is still possible, and your voices are essential to making sure we're growing in the right direction. There are plenty of things you told us we could change. Here is a quick look at what we heard. You rely on City services — but they need to work better Seniors told me they depend on services like public transit, snow clearing, garbage collection, community centres, libraries, and health programs to stay active and independent. At Pleasant View, many highlighted exercise and mobility programs and access to healthcare. At Hillcrest, residents emphasized parks and green space, library programs, and Wheel-Trans. But the message was consistent: when these services fall short, whether it’s missed snow clearing, inconsistent garbage pickup, or difficulty navigating transit, it has a real impact on your day-to-day life. My office is here to help. If you're experiencing a service issue, you can report it through 311, but I know that website can be hard to navigate. Don't hesitate to call or email us directly and we'll make sure your concern gets to the right place. Safety and mobility are top concerns Safety came up in many forms. Residents raised concerns about speeding, road conditions, and unclear signage, including specific intersections like Van Horne and Kingslake, and challenges around school zones near A.Y. Jackson. At both sessions, I also heard concerns about break-ins, illegal dumping, and the need for stronger bylaw enforcement. At Hillcrest, many spoke about traffic volumes, construction disruptions, and the growing challenge of e-bikes and scooters. Just as important was pedestrian safety, including requests for better sidewalk maintenance, more benches, and safer crossings. I want you to know that work is actively underway on all of these fronts. Through my work on the Police Services Board, we are making real progress on reducing crime and improving 911 response times across Toronto. And through Vision Zero, we are working in communities across the ward to make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and all vulnerable road users. If there's a specific intersection, stretch of road, or safety concern that worries you, a simple call to my team can set things in motion. We know how to get the right people's attention, and we want to hear from you. Staying connected and active matters deeply One of the strongest messages I heard was the importance of social connection. Many seniors asked for: More daytime, seniors-focused programming at community centres Activities like games, fitness, and cultural programming Programs tailored to mobility, balance, and health needs At Pleasant View, there was a clear call for more accessible, affordable recreation programs and even dedicated seniors-only social time. At Hillcrest, residents asked for more specialized programs, including chair yoga, Tai Chi, and supports for conditions like Parkinson’s and dementia. This is really important feedback that we have shared with our colleagues and Parks Forestry and Recreation to consider as they develop their programming for the upcoming budget. Affordability and access remain challenges You told me that costs, from transit to recreation programs to housing are a growing concern. There were also clear calls for: Better access to family doctors and healthcare services More reliable and accessible transportation options, including Wheel-Trans Support to age safely at home At Hillcrest, residents also raised concerns about property taxes and housing affordability for both seniors and their families. There are financial supports available for seniors struggling with costs. If this applies to you, please be in touch and my team will work with you to identify the right kind of support. Communication needs to improve Finally, I heard clearly that communication from the City — and from my office — needs to be clearer, more accessible, and more responsive. Suggestions included: More direct updates tailored for seniors Clearer explanations of decisions and next steps Faster response times and better follow-up Services Available to Seniors in Don Valley North One of the most important things my office can do is make sure you know what's available to you. Here is a snapshot of key programs and services from our 2025/2026 Don Valley North Seniors Guide: Recreation & Active Living Don Valley North has six Community Recreation Centres at Cummer Park, Oriole, Parkway Forest, Pleasant View, Seneca Village, and Ethennonnhawahstihnen' all offering City-run programs, classes, and social activities. Adults 60 and over receive a 50% discount on adult recreation programs. Call Parks & Recreation Client Services at 416-396-7378 or visit toronto.ca/rec for a full program listing. Low-income residents may also qualify for the Welcome Policy subsidy by calling 416-338-8888. For outdoor exercise, Don Valley North has several outdoor fitness parks, including a dedicated Seniors Fitness Park in Godstone Park. Health Care The City's Homemakers and Nurses Services program provides light housekeeping, laundry, shopping, and meal preparation support to those with limited financial resources — call 416-392-8579 to learn about eligibility. The Seniors Dental Program offers free dental care for eligible seniors 65+ through the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program; contact them at 416-916-0204. Seniors also automatically qualify for the Ontario Drug Benefit when they turn 65. For mental health support, the Toronto Seniors Helpline (416-217-2077) and Distress Centres of Greater Toronto (416-408-4357) are available. Housing If you need help navigating housing, the Housing Help Centre (416-285-5410) can assist with tenant-landlord issues, eviction prevention, and referrals. Low-income seniors may be eligible for property tax and utility bill relief — call 311 to learn more. Willowdale Community Legal Services at 245 Fairview Mall Drive also provides free legal help on housing rights, Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan, and more. Reach them at 416-492-2437. Transportation Seniors 65 and over receive discounted TTC fares and monthly passes. To apply your senior discount to a Presto Card, visit any Shoppers Drug Mart with government-issued photo ID. TTC Wheel-Trans provides accessible shared-ride service for persons with disabilities anywhere in the city — call 416-393-4111 to check eligibility. Libraries Don Valley North has four Toronto Public Library branches — Ethennonnhawahstihnen', Fairview, Hillcrest, and Pleasant View ( temporarily closed for renovations!!) offering free books, e-books, computer access, Wi-Fi, and programs like Seniors Socials. Homebound residents can receive free monthly home delivery of up to 20 items through the Home Library Services program. Learning & Volunteering The Toronto District School Board's Learn4Life program offers general interest courses for adults and seniors, with a 30% discount for those 65 and over. Visit learn4life.ca or call 416-388-4111. Volunteer Toronto (416-961-6888) can help you find meaningful local volunteering opportunities. For a complete copy of the 2025/2026 Don Valley North Seniors Guide, contact my office, we would be happy to send you a printed copy! What Comes Next These conversations don’t end here. I am already working with City divisions on several of the issues raised and I will continue to advocate for improvements that reflect what I heard from you. Just as importantly, I will continue creating opportunities like these roundtables to hear directly from residents. Thank you again to everyone who participated and shared their experiences so openly. Your input is shaping the work ahead. As always, my office is here to help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

City Council met again last week and has made several important decisions that will affect daily life across Toronto and here in Don Valley North. From major investments in safer street lighting and smarter traffic signals, to improvements in tenant protections, housing access, and community programming, these updates reflect the practical steps the City is taking to improve safety, accessibility, and quality of life. I want to share what these changes mean for you and how they will support our community in the months and years ahead. EX30.1 Critical Investments in Streetlight Infrastructure for Public Safety (Ward All) Often, when we talk about safety in our neighbourhoods, I hear concerns about street lighting, whether it’s lights that are out, areas that feel too dim, or aging infrastructure that simply isn’t keeping up. Good lighting is a basic safety feature and goes a long way towards making our streets feel welcoming. That’s why I am pleased to share some very good news. City Council has approved a significant long-term investment to repair and upgrade Toronto’s street lighting system in partnership with Toronto Hydro, which owns the City’s streetlight infrastructure. Much of Toronto’s street lighting network is aging, and many components such as underground cables and poles require renewal. This new agreement allows the City to move forward with a coordinated program of repairs and upgrades that will bring the system up to modern standards. It represents a major capital investment and a carefully negotiated agreement that will allow this important safety work to move ahead. Through the City’s capital plan, Toronto will invest $577 million over the next 10 years to renew key infrastructure, replace aging equipment, and convert lighting across the city to modern, energy-efficient LED technology. This kind of behind-the-scenes infrastructure work doesn’t always make headlines, but makes a real difference in daily life, and I’m glad to see Toronto making the investment to get it right. EX30.5 FIFA World Cup 2026: Non-Competitive Procurement with the FIFA Fan Festival™ Toronto vendor You may have heard discussion about the upcoming FIFA Fan Festival and concerns that fans would have to pay to attend. I’m pleased to say that council has approved a plan that will make about 80% of the 20,000 tickets available, free of charge. A smaller portion of premium tickets ($100–$300) will still be available, helping offset the costs of hosting and supporting enhanced amenities As part of Toronto’s Host City Agreement for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Toronto will host an official FIFA Fan Festival, billed as a global celebration of soccer, culture, and community. From June 11 to July 19, 2026, the festival will take place at Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway, transforming these iconic spaces into lively gathering places where fans can watch live match broadcasts on large screens, enjoy cultural performances, explore interactive art installations, and sample food from Toronto’s diverse local vendors. With capacity currently estimated at up to 20,000 attendees, this will be one of the most vibrant public celebrations our city has ever hosted. I’m excited about what this will mean for Toronto. The Fan Festival will showcase our city’s creativity, diversity, and hospitality to the world. EC27.7 Refreshing Food and Beverage Offerings in Park and Recreation Spaces City Council has approved a new pilot program that will allow mobile food vendors, like food trucks and food carts to operate in select parks across Toronto this summer. This new City-coordinated program, led by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, will run from June 25 through approximately October 12, 2026. Vendors will be carefully screened and must meet all City licensing requirements, including DineSafe inspections, waste management standards, and strict operating rules. Depending on the size of a park, this could mean a single food truck in a smaller park or a small group of vendors in a larger one. Alcohol sales are not part of this program. I want to be very clear: no parks in Don Valley North have been identified for this pilot at this time. I will be working closely with Parks, Forestry and Recreation to identify suitable locations, using criteria that consider the character of the park, waste collections, environmental impacts, and how the space is used today. As always, my priority is to ensure that any new initiative enhances our parks while respecting the neighbourhoods around them. Your feedback will help shape which locations are considered as this pilot moves forward. Please share your thoughts with my office so we can ensure any changes reflect what our community wants IE28.1 - Congestion Management Plan - 2026 Spring Update Traffic congestion is one of the most common concerns I hear about when I meet with residents and businesses across Don Valley North. Whether it is signal timing, construction delays, or daily travel times, people want to know what practical steps the City is taking to keep traffic moving. City Council has now adopted a new 2026–2028 Congestion Management Plan, led by Toronto’s Chief Congestion Officer and focused on making measurable improvements to how our roads operate. The plan includes a $299.4 million investment to improve travel times and reduce gridlock through better construction coordination, improved traffic operations, stronger surface transit, and the use of smart technologies. One of the most important local highlights for our area is the continued expansion of smart traffic signal technology, including planned installations along Steeles Avenue East and Steeles Avenue West. When I speak with residents about congestion, signal timing almost always comes up. Many people ask why lights cannot adjust more quickly to changing traffic patterns. That is exactly what this technology is designed to do. Smart Traffic Signals use advanced software and sensors to respond to real-time traffic conditions, allowing signals to adapt automatically as volumes change throughout the day. These systems work particularly well in suburban areas like Don Valley North, where intersections are more standardized and traffic volumes are steady and predictable. The first installations will take place in May along Yonge Street from Mill Street near York Mills Road to Steeles Avenue. In the next phase, smart traffic signals are planned for sections of Steeles Avenue East and Steeles Avenue West. I will be sure to keep you updated as installation moves ahead! PH29.4 - RentSafeTO Update Report Last September at our Tenant Town Hall, many renters raised concerns about building conditions and enforcement for bad landlords. Council has now approved the final steps to introduce colour-coded rating signage for apartment buildings through the City’s RentSafeTO program. Modeled after the well-known DineSafe system for restaurants, landlords will soon need to post green, yellow, or red signs in visible locations to show the results of their most recent inspection. These updates also strengthen how the City scores violations, improve audit processes, and introduce new tools to address repeat non-compliance. The new signage system takes effect June 15, 2026, and will give tenants clearer, at-a-glance information about building conditions while helping the City hold landlords accountable. PH29.5 - Advancing the City’s Affordable Housing Access System Accessing affordable housing was another issue that came up again and again at the Tenant Town Hall. Many residents shared that trying to find and become eligible for affordable housing lotteries was confusing, time-consuming, and difficult to navigate. We heard you! last week, Council approved a new centralized application system so residents can apply for both Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing and Affordable Rental housing in one place through the MyAccesstoHousingTO portal. Right now, applicants often have to apply separately to individual buildings and keep track of multiple waiting lists. Under the new approach, you will submit one application and be considered for available homes across the system. This change will make the process more transparent and consistent, help available homes fill faster, and give the City better oversight to ensure housing opportunities reach those who need them most. It will also introduce a standardized random draw system for Affordable Rental homes, creating a clearer and fairer way to allocate units. Implementation is expected by late 2026, and I will continue to share updates as the new system rolls out. Making affordable housing easier to find and access remains a key part of our HousingTO Action Plan and our work to ensure every Torontonian has access to safe, stable housing. Whether it’s upgrading infrastructure, improving housing systems, or creating more welcoming public spaces, I will continue to advocate for investments that make a real difference in people’s daily lives. As always, I welcome your feedback—please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office to share your thoughts or questions.

At next week’s North York Community Council meeting, one of the most important items for Don Valley North residents will be the Peanut Streets Plan report. I want to take some time to explain how we got here, remind everyone what a Neighbourhood Streets Plan is, and what I will be recommending as we move forward.   You might remember from an E-Blast I wrote in 2024 that The Peanut neighbourhood was selected for the 2023–2024 Neighbourhood Streets Plans (NSP) program cycle.   Neighbourhood Streets Plans are a relatively new City service that takes a holistic approach to transportation planning in areas where traffic patterns may be affecting safety and mobility. Instead of adding safety measures one at a time, City transportation staff study the entire neighbourhood, work with residents to identify concerns, and recommend a coordinated set of changes. This approach helps maximize safety improvements, anticipate knock-on effects on surrounding streets, and strike an important balance between improving safety and maintaining traffic flow.   We began community consultations in March 2024, and last November we held a second consultation where residents were able to review the proposed interventions developed by staff. It was a cold, snowy night, and only a handful of residents were able to attend, but those who did had a very thoughtful discussion with us.   That conversation reminded me why this neighbourhood deserves careful attention and strong community involvement.   At that November meeting, one resident asked me why I always refer to this neighbourhood as “The Peanut.” Did the nickname come first, or did Peanut Plaza create the name?   Because my family’s roots go so far back in this neighbourhood, I was able to answer.   The community around the peanut-shaped island at Don Mills Road was originally intended to be known as the Oriole Community, hence the name of Oriole Arena and community centre.   But in the early 1960s, when the Sitzer family was designing the shopping plaza, one of the children looked at the drawings spread across the dining room table and said, “It looks like a giant peanut.” The name stuck. From the moment the sign went up, everyone simply called the area The Peanut.   Years later, after I was first elected, a heritage architect showed me an original North York Borough plan for the area. I was surprised to discover that parts of the road network and pedestrian safety design were never fully completed.   Why? Because as the city grew rapidly, the extension of the Don Valley Parkway beyond Highway 401 was delayed, and commuters began  using Don Mills Road as an express route to Markham and Richmond Hill. The needs of the local community, and especially children trying to get to school safely, got pushed aside.   Now, finally, we have the opportunity to finish that work and put safety back into the fabric of the Peanut Community.   Based on community feedback, technical studies, and City policy review, four major safety concerns have been identified:   Lack of direct and safe pedestrian crossings, especially along Don Mills Road Long wait times at signals, making pedestrian crossings frustrating and unsafe Limited cycling infrastructure, which can push cyclists onto sidewalks Motor vehicle speeding on neighbourhood streets, a major contributor to serious collisions   These findings reflect what many of you have told me directly over the years.   The report includes many recommended changes. Some of these are widely supported and address urgent safety needs. The need for safer pedestrian crossings was identified early in the consultation process, and I have heard clearly from residents that these improvements are a top priority. These are safety upgrades we should not delay.   I will be supporting approval of three new protected pedestrian crossings, located at:   Don Mills Road West, approximately 135 metres north of Fairview Mall Drive Van Horne Avenue, approximately 55 metres east of Deerford Road Don Mills Road West, approximately 75 metres south of Van Horne Avenue, between the concrete island and the pedestrian access to the shopping centre   Other proposed measures, including proposals for new speed humps, zebra crossings, all-way stop controls, additional crosswalks and curb radius reductions will require more community input before final approval.   While City staff have done strong technical work, I am not satisfied that we have heard from enough residents yet. That snowy consultation night, during the height of the Canada Post strike, simply did not capture the full range of voices in this neighbourhood.   For that reason, I will be deferring parts of the plan so that we can return to the community, share the proposals more widely, and hear directly from more residents about what you support and what concerns you may have.   This report represents meaningful progress, but we must get it right. Over the coming months, my office will be working with City staff to hold additional consultations and gather more feedback before bringing the remaining elements back for approval.   In the meantime, please review the report and let me know your thoughts!   If you’re reviewing the North York Community Council Agenda you might have questions about some other items impacting us here in Don Valley North   NY32.18 - Adra Grado Way and Okra Tomar Crescent - Pay-and-Display Parking   For years, my office has been working to manage excess street parking on Adra Grado Way. Too often, limited visitor parking has led to vehicles parking on both sides of the street. Despite ongoing enforcement, illegal parking has continued, creating safety concerns by limiting emergency vehicle access.   Last summer, I met with Transportation Services and Toronto Community Housing staff to explore creative ways to increase available parking while keeping the roadway clear and safe. This report proposes introducing pay-and-display parking, which will not affect traffic flow and is expected to create approximately 34 new on-street paid parking spaces.     NY32.19 - Francine Drive - Traffic Calming (Speed Humps)   This report was initiated after residents on Francine Drive requested measures to address speeding. Staff have confirmed that warrants are met and are recommending eight speed humps between Zircon Court and Janus Court. However, we are also consulting with the parent council and administration at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School, who have raised safety concerns during pick-up and drop-off times. I plan to defer this item to allow more consultation and bring forward a holistic plan that addresses both neighbourhood speeding and school safety concerns.   NY32.20 - Ruddington Drive - Traffic Calming (Speed Humps)   This report was initiated after residents on Ruddington Drive requested measures to address speeding. Staff have confirmed that warrants are met and are recommending the installation of three speed humps on Ruddington Drive between Cummer Avenue and Wyvern Road. We have received strong community support for this change, and I will be recommending approval.   As always, your input plays an essential role in shaping the decisions we make at City Hall. Whether it’s large neighbourhood plans like the Peanut Streets Plan or smaller traffic and parking changes on local streets, hearing directly from residents helps ensure we get the balance right between safety, mobility, and community needs. I encourage you to stay engaged, review the items that matter to you, and reach out to my office to share your feedback.     Statement on Fairview Mall Shooting   Many residents have reached out following Tuesday morning’s shooting at Fairview Mall, a place where so many families in our community shop and gather every day. My thoughts remain with the victim and their loved ones, and I am relieved to hear that the injured security guard is now reported to be in stable condition.   Later Tuesday, police issued a news release identifying the suspect as a 53-year-old Montreal man with ties to Toronto and Vancouver. He is also wanted in connection with a break-and-enter investigation in Durham Region dating back to August 2023. I am grateful for how quickly investigators were able to identify the suspect, and I remain in close contact with 33 Division as they continue their work to locate and apprehend him.   While the investigation is still ongoing, the available evidence suggests this was not a random act of violence. This incident appears to have resulted from a smash-and-grab attempt gone wrong, a targeted criminal event and is not considered a threat to the general public. While this does not make it any less serious, I hope it provides some reassurance to those who are understandably concerned about their safety in the area.   I also want to recognize that Fairview Mall is supported by a range of established safety measures, including the Division 33 Police Hub on site, along with dedicated security and ongoing coordination between Toronto Police and mall management. I encourage anyone who is visiting the mall to drop by the safety hub, and talk to our officers about everything they are doing to keep the area safe. I know speaking directly to the experts makes me feel more secure.   Residents can expect a significantly increased police presence in and around the mall in the coming days as officers continue their investigation and work to reassure the community.   I want to thank the first responders, security personnel, and mall staff who acted quickly in a frightening situation. I urge anyone with information, to contact Toronto Police Service immediately at 416-808-3300, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.   If you or anyone you know has been impacted by this event and you require access to resources or support, please contact Christene Lewis, a Community Development Officer with the City’s Violence Intervention and Support Unit (VISU) by telephone (437)-551-1173 or email Christene.Lewis@Toronto.ca. You can also contact my office directly.     North York is a strong, resilient community. I will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide updates as they become available.

Over the past several months, my office has received a significant volume of calls and emails from residents who were understandably shocked and confused by unexpectedly high water bills. This issue also came up directly at our recent Seniors Roundtable, where many participants shared their frustration and worry. I covered what was going on in an E-Blast in October 2024 , but it’s clear that it’s time for an update! As a reminder, the City of Toronto is dealing with a city-wide failure of Water Meter Transmission Units (MTUs) — the small battery-powered devices attached to your water meter that automatically send your water usage data to the City for billing. The MTUs across Toronto were installed between 2009 and 2015, and they were designed to last 20 years. They are failing far ahead of schedule. As of early 2026, more than 70% of the city's 470,000 units, roughly 329,000 homes and businesses, have already failed. This isn't a Toronto-specific problem either; municipalities across North America are dealing with the same premature failures from the same equipment. City staff first flagged the spike in failures back in the winter of 2023, and since then the situation has accelerated sharply, with 11,000 to 12,000 new failures happening every single month. When your MTU fails, your billing shifts to estimates. For some households those estimates have tracked reasonably well. For others, especially those whose usage patterns have changed, the estimates have come in noticeably higher than what was actually used. That is the source of so many of the calls my office has received, and it's a completely legitimate concern. What the City Is Doing About It Last May, City Council approved a  full city-wide replacement program to swap out all 470,000 MTUs over three years. That program officially launched on April 1st of this year. The City has contracted Neptune Technology Group Canada to carry out the in-home replacements. The work is rolling out zone by zone across nine geographic areas of the city, with full completion expected by fall 2028. The total investment is approximately $103 million, covered through Toronto Water's budget, not as a charge to residents. This will not cost you anything. Additionally, the City is in active negotiations with the manufacturer on cost recovery for the faulty devices. Our ward falls within Zone 3 of the city-wide replacement program. Replacements in Zone 3 are scheduled for Winter 2026/2027 . The City will send you advance notice before Neptune begins work in your zone. You'll then receive instructions from Neptune directly on how to book your appointment. The actual replacement takes about 20 to 30 minutes, your water will not be shut off, and you simply need an adult at home to let the technician in. Neptune staff will carry photo ID, wear a company uniform, and arrive in a clearly marked vehicle, and they will never ask you for payment. What You Can Do Right Now You don't have to wait for your replacement appointment to get a handle on your bill. If you've been receiving estimated bills, which can be identified by a yellow-highlighted notice on the front of the bill, the single best thing you can do is submit a manual water meter reading. That gives the City your actual usage and allows them to adjust your account accordingly. You can do that by calling 311, or through the online portal at toronto.ca/MTUreplacement . If you've already had your MTU replaced and your bill still doesn't look right, please call 311. There is a dedicated customer care team available Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., specifically set up to help residents work through billing questions related to this issue. Any overpayment made during the estimated billing period will be automatically credited back to your account, you don't need to chase that down yourself. And of course, my office is here to help. If you've called 311 and still have questions, if you're feeling overwhelmed navigating the process, or if you just want someone to talk it through with, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly. We've been fielding these calls for months and we're happy to point you in the right direction. I know that an unexpected bill, especially on a fixed income can cause real stress. This situation has been frustrating for a lot of people, and that frustration is warranted. The City is working hard to get this resolved, and I'll be keeping a close eye on the program's progress right through to our Zone 3 replacements this winter. You've got my office in your corner.

Whether I am hearing from families stretching their budgets at the grocery store, seniors weighing the cost of staying in their homes, or small business owners on our local main streets trying to keep the lights on, the message is consistent: the cost of living is pressing hard on our community. Don Valley North is a wonderfully diverse ward, home to longtime residents and newcomers, renters and homeowners, young families and seniors, and the decisions we make at Toronto City Hall ripple through all of those lives. I know many of you are feeling the financial strain and wondering what the City is doing to help. The honest answer is: quite a lot, and I want to make sure you know about it. Many of these programs and services go unnoticed, and that means people who qualify are leaving real money on the table. So let me walk you through some of what is available right now. Getting Around the City Freezing TTC fares  for the last three years is one of the most direct affordability measures the City has delivered — saving regular riders hundreds of dollars a year while continuing to  invest in safety measures  and added services. And with gas prices climbing, transit is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative for Torontonians who might not have considered it before. Ditching the car for even a few trips a week can add up to real savings at a time when every dollar counts. But even if you never set foot on a bus or subway, this affects you too. Every person we move onto transit is one fewer car on our congested roads, and a city that moves efficiently is a city where businesses thrive and costs stay down for everyone. The more Torontonians choose transit, the better it is for all of us, including drivers. A well-funded, well-run transit system is not just a convenience; it is a cornerstone of an affordable, functioning city.  The City also offers a  Fair Pass Transit Discount Program . Eligible residents between the ages of 20 and 64 who live in Toronto and meet the income threshold can access a 36% discount on TTC single ride fares and a 21% discount on monthly passes — loaded directly onto their PRESTO card for 12 months. If you are struggling with the cost of transit, I encourage you to look into whether you qualify. Keeping a Roof Over Your Head The  Toronto Rent Bank  helps residents facing short-term financial hardship stay stably housed through grants and loans. This year it is supporting 2,800 households. Keeping people in their homes is not only the right thing to do, it saves significant Provincial and Municipal dollars that would otherwise go toward far more costly emergency shelter services. If you or someone you know is at risk of losing their housing, the Rent Bank is worth exploring. On the ownership side,  property tax relief programs  are available for eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities, supporting an anticipated 11,500 households this year. There is also a lesser-known program specifically for seniors falling behind on utility bills. If you or someone you know is struggling to afford homeownership in your senior years, please look into these programs. Full details are available on the City's Tax and Utility Relief webpage. Making Homes More Energy Efficient If you are a homeowner looking to reduce your energy bills, the City's  Home Renovation Savings Program  offers rebates of up to $12,000 for the installation of cold-climate air-source or ground-source heat pumps. These are a genuine game-changer for home heating and cooling. If your central air conditioner is nearing the end of its life, heat pump options are well worth exploring — I looked into it last summer and I am glad I did. For larger projects, the City of Toronto  Home Energy Loan Program (HELP)  allows homeowners to borrow up to $125,000 to cover the cost of home energy improvements. Before starting any renovation, check out the full list of energy efficiency grants and incentives available to Toronto homeowners on the City's website. Building More Affordable Rental Housing Housing is one of the biggest drivers of affordability in our city, and the City is taking direct action to bring costs down. We are pushing hard on multiple fronts to increase supply, reduce development costs, and protect renters — because more homes means more choices, and more choices means more competitive prices. When you see all three levels of government together at housing announcement events, it is because all three are at the table — and the City and its corporations are doing the heavy lifting to bring it all to life. Two measures in particular are making a real difference right now. The City is continuing its 15% property tax discount for new multi-residential properties, actively encouraging the construction of 27,000 new rental homes, including 9,700 rent-controlled and affordable units. And by introducing discounts on development charges, we are getting shovels in the ground faster — directly reducing the cost of building new homes and making renting and homeownership more attainable for a whole new generation of Torontonians.  Despite the Province limiting the City's ability to require affordable units in new developments, I have been personally negotiating with developers on new, large site development applications that comes through Don Valley North to secure additional affordable units. As you see new developments take shape across our ward — at Bayview Village Mall, Tyndale, Fairview, and in the Consumers Road area — affordable units will be part of those communities. Keeping Your Home Cool This Summer Toronto summers are getting hotter, and for residents living in apartments without air conditioning, extreme heat is a serious health risk. That is why the City is expanding its free portable air conditioner program this year, making 1,000 units available to residents who need them most. The program has two streams: one for seniors aged 65 and older with a health-related need for air conditioning, and one for pregnant individuals and parents or legal guardians of infants under one year old. Eligible participants will be selected through a randomized draw, with notifications going out in May. If you or someone you know may qualify, I encourage you to  apply , this program could make a real difference this summer. This summer, as we did last year, the City will be extending pool season and daily operating hours so that select pools open in mid-June and remain open into September. For families looking for affordable ways to keep kids active and cool all summer long, this is a welcome relief. Feeding Our Kids North York Harvest Food Bank  serves more than 30,000 people in our community every single month, and the City is stepping up to help them grow. This past December, City Council exempted their new space at 4050 Chesswood Drive from property taxes, directing more resources toward food access and community programming. I also moved an amendment to secure a City loan guarantee to help North York Harvest unlock financing for an expanded food distribution facility, reducing their borrowing costs and helping get this critical project off the ground. Through the Student Nutrition Program, the City and its partners now provide nutritious food to 330,000 students per day across 841 schools, and this year, that support has been extended to City-run summer camps, reaching approximately 115,000 children per day at 185 locations across the city. Together, these programs save families with children at least $1,000 a year. For a single parent, that is transformative, and as I heard recently from a seniors group, those savings ripple through the whole family tree, all the way up to grandparents who are stretching to help their kids and grandkids make ends meet. On the broader question of food affordability, a proposal for municipally run grocery stores has been making the rounds at City Hall. I have heard from many of you who are skeptical — and I share that concern. My preferred approach is to make it easier to get grocery stores into new developments from the ground up, and to remove the barriers that prevent community-run food co-ops from taking root. Food co-ops are member-owned, not-for-profit grocery stores that offer ethically sourced, fairly priced food — and they have a strong track record right here in Toronto and around the world. Support for Small Business Small businesses are the heartbeat of our neighbourhoods, and I am proud to have led the charge to expand the  small business property tax sub-class.  This category delivers a meaningful property tax discount directly to qualifying small business owners. If you own a small business or know someone who does, I encourage you to look into whether you qualify. Thriving main streets benefit everyone — and this is one more tool to help keep them that way. A Wide Range of Additional Benefits If you or someone you know receives Ontario Works or ODSP payments, or if you are feeling the financial pinch and are not sure what help is out there, the City delivers a wide range of benefits on behalf of all three orders of government. These go well beyond monthly payments and are designed to extend affordability and improve quality of life. Visit the  Programs and Benefits page  on the City's website to see everything available, organized by category. You will find options ranging from tax relief to free recreation programs for qualifying children. I wish that page had existed when my kids were little. The Bottom Line When I was a young mom with a special needs toddler and a kindergartener, "It's the economy, stupid" was the catchphrase of the age. We felt it at the gas pump and in the grocery store, and my husband and I put our dream of buying a house on hold. It feels very much like that today — especially for young adults just starting out. But here is what I want you to take away: you do not have to navigate this alone. The City of Toronto has tools and programs in place to help, and I am here to make sure you can access them.  Please share this with anyone in Don Valley North who could use a hand — and as always, my office is here if you need help finding the right program for your situation.

Spring is finally here, and with it comes a season full of meaning and celebration. Whether you're marking Passover with family or celebrating Easter this weekend, I hope the holiday brings you warmth, joy, and time with loved ones. Along with these special occasions comes the usual flurry of activity in our neighbourhoods: residents out walking, kids back on bikes, gardens waking up, and a whole new list of things to keep an eye on. I always look forward to this time of year as a chance to reconnect with the community, so I wanted to send along a few important updates and reminders as we head into the warmer months. Spring Street Cleaning Starting mid-April, the city kicks off its annual spring-cleaning operations across Toronto, and it's a pretty comprehensive effort. Street sweepers will be out on arterial roads and local streets removing the winter's worth of debris, salt, and dust that's built up since November. Beyond the roads themselves, crews will also be clearing grassed boulevards, sidewalks, walkways, and laneways; removing litter and debris from parks; cleaning fence lines; clearing graffiti from bridges and public walls; and tidying up watercourses and ravines along arterial roads. Derelict and abandoned bikes will be removed as well. Once that initial spring sweep is done, local roads move to a scheduled rotation of once every two months. If your street looks like it needs attention before its next scheduled sweep — or if something was missed — you can submit a 311 service request directly. It takes just a minute and helps crews prioritize where the need is greatest. Plow Damage to Boulevard and Lawns This year was a rough one for plow damage, torn-up sod, gouged boulevards, lawns that look like they've been through something. If your property was affected, report it to 311 either by phone or through the online form . Once you do, your address goes into the repair queue and crews will come by to restore the area, typically with fresh sod. A couple of things worth knowing: the city coordinates the repairs, but the winter maintenance contractors pay for them, not the City's budget. Repairs are targeted for early summer, but given the volume of damage this year, it may take a bit longer than usual. Catch Basins With the rain and melting we've had so far this spring, this one's worth a quick mention. Catch basins, those metal grates at the edge of the road, are what keep our streets from flooding. They get clogged with leaves, garbage, and leftover ice and when that happens, water pools up fast. If there's one near your home and it looks blocked, clear it if it's safe to do so. If it's damaged or fully clogged, call or report online to 311 and the City will send someone out. Long Grass and Property Standards While the City goes about it’s clean up, homeowners are reminded of their responsibilities too. As soon as the weather turns, my office starts hearing about overgrown grass , it's the number one property standards complaint every spring. If you've got a traditional turf lawn, keep it under 20 cm. You're also responsible for the boulevard in front of and beside your home. Landlords, that applies to your properties too. That said, the City's updated bylaw is quite supportive of pollinator-friendly gardens, so you're not locked into turf. Native plants like goldenrod are welcome, the prohibited list is really about noxious species like ragweed, poison ivy, giant hogweed, and garlic mustard. If you're thinking about converting some of your lawn to a pollinator garden, the Toronto Master Gardeners have great resources.   For other property standards issues — litter, debris, general disrepair — you can report to 311 or reach out to my office directly. Parking A few seasonal reminders as more people get outside and we become more aware of parking infractions. Nearly all residential streets in Don Valley North have a three-hour parking maximum, including overnight. The parking maximum applies whether there are street signs or not, so don’t get caught with a ticket! Other common issues: parking facing the wrong direction, blocking driveways, parking in front of fire hydrants or bus stops. These are all handled by Toronto Police Parking Enforcement, you can report online or call their non-emergency line at 416-808-2222. For off-street parking issues, like a car parked on a lawn or on the paved portion of a boulevard (yes, that's also a bylaw infraction), report to 311 . These situations can take a couple of months to resolve since bylaw has to issue a written warning first, but if it's a chronic problem, reach out to my office and we'll stay on it. Coyotes Many of you along the hydro corridor have reached out with concerns about coyote sightings, and I want you to know Council has been listening. City Council has approved a strengthened Coyote Coexistence and Response Strategy , including a new dedicated Wildlife Response Team within Toronto Animal Services. This team will take a proactive approach: monitoring hotspots, putting up signage, doing enforcement and education work, and engaging directly with communities.  In the meantime, spring means it’s pup season, coyotes are actively defending dens and can be more reactive right now. Keep dogs leashed in all public areas unless you're in a designated off-leash zone. A few other things worth keeping in mind: Never feed coyotes Pick up after your dog! Waste attracts rodents, which attract coyotes Don't leave pet food, bird feeders, or garbage accessible outside Don't approach coyotes, their dens, or their young If you see a coyote approaching people or pets, acting sick or injured, or behaving strangely, call or report online to 311 Large Item and Yard Waste Collection Spring yard cleaning tends to generate a lot of material, so a quick reminder: bins need to be out by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day. If your pickup is missed, report it to 311 after 5 PM on collection day and before 5 PM the following day. If you're dealing with repeated missed collections, contact my office and we'll follow up with Solid Waste directly. If something is too big to fit in your regular garbage bin, just put it out next to your bin on your normal garbage collection day — no tags, no appointment needed.  If your items aren't picked up right away, don't panic. Sometimes the first truck fills up before it gets through the whole route, and a second truck will come around to collect what's left. Give it one business day, and if things are still sitting there after that, submit a 311 request and a crew will come back for them. Illegal Dumping Every year as the weather warms up, we see an uptick in people using parks, ravines, and public spaces as a convenient place to offload things they don't want anymore. We see situations such as discarded furniture, tires, construction debris, bags of soil, and household waste stuffed into park garbage cans. It falls on City crews and our neighbours to deal with the mess. This year we have already seen dumping on highway ramps, which creates a serious safety hazard. If you see illegal dumping happening, or come across a dump site in a park, ravine, or trail, please report it to 311, either online or by phone. It doesn't matter whether you witnessed it happening or just stumbled across it after the fact; 311 wants to hear about both . The faster these get reported, the faster crews can get out and clean it up. Let's keep Don Valley North's green spaces clean this spring. As always, don't hesitate to get in touch if something's come up in your neighbourhood that you need help navigating. Spring brings a lot of activity, the good kind and the kind that needs a little sorting out and my team and I are here for both. Wishing you a great start to the season. Safety in Don Valley North I want to speak directly to what many of you have been hearing about and asking me. Home invasions and break-and-enters are serious crimes, and we have seen incidents here in Don Valley North, including a home invasion last week. These are deeply unsettling, especially when people are home. While overall numbers across the region have been trending down, the level of risk in these cases is something police are taking very seriously.  In my role as Chair of the Toronto Police Service Board, I have asked Chief Myron Demkiw to provide a detailed briefing to the Board on how the Toronto Police Service is responding. That includes how these crimes are being investigated, how patrols are being deployed, and what additional steps may be needed. I will share what we learn so you have a clear picture of what is being done and where we need to strengthen the response. In the meantime, there are practical steps you can take. Our local 33 Division officers are available to meet with neighbourhood groups, condo boards, and residents to walk through prevention measures and property security. If your association or building would benefit from that, reach out to my office and we will help coordinate it. Don Valley North remains a safe community, but staying informed and taking simple precautions can make a real difference.

This week marked the first full City Council meeting of 2026, and it was a long one! We covered an enormous range of topics, from local development files like the redevelopment of the YMCA right through to city-wide debates about democracy and Toronto's right to have a say in the future of Billy Bishop Airport. IE27.7 - Ravine Strategy 2026 Implementation Update I was very happy to support the 2026 Ravine Strategy Update this week and celebrate years of dedicated work by city staff, community partners, and thousands of volunteers who love Toronto's ravines as much as I do. Since 2020, the results have been remarkable: 3,760 hectares of land have been restored through invasive species management; 521 tonnes of garbage and metal removed from 681 hectares of ravine land; 181 students engaged through employment and training programs; and over 20,000 participants taking part in 265 Ravine Days events. We've delivered 16 capital projects, including wetland restorations, trail upgrades, and improved wayfinding, totalling over $12 million in investment. Perhaps most significantly, the capital investment gap in our Priority Investment Areas has been cut nearly in half, from $104.9 million down to $50.2 million. That is real, measurable progress for our natural environment. But the achievement I am most personally excited about in this update is the permanent establishment of the Toronto Nature Stewards program. Piloted in 2021, TNS is a community-led restoration initiative hosted by the Institute of Forestry & Conservation at the University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. In 2025 alone, TNS recruited and trained over 2,000 volunteers to steward 47 sites covering more than 120 hectares of natural area parkland across the city, tackling over 35 invasive plant species. In 2026, they're on track to expand to 52 sites. I must give a special shout-out to our stewardship group at Newtonbrook Creek Park, they are an extraordinary example of what engaged, passionate community members can accomplish, and we are so proud of everything they have done for that ravine. If you would like to get involved in cleaning our green spaces, please join my Community Cleanup Day on Apr 25, 2026, at 1:00 PM. We’re meeting on Pineway Blvd at the entrance to the hydro corridor to clean up this beloved green space. You can RSVP  here .    IE27.8 - Tree By-law Review Report This report recommends a comprehensive set of by-law amendments, operational updates, and new studies to improve enforcement, and support climate resilience as we work to strengthen Toronto's tree protection framework. The recommendation I know residents are most focused on is the proposal to study lowering the size threshold at which private property trees become "protected" — from 30cm trunk diameter down to 20cm. I want to be clear: this report does not implement that change. It directs staff to first report back on the impacts to housing delivery and what the cost implications for residents would be. I support studying this because we need more information before deciding either way, including whether it could meaningfully help protect our mature tree canopy. I'll keep you updated as this work moves forward. MM39.82 - Building a Made-in-Toronto Community Safety Plan Protecting Residents at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue and Across Toronto The surge in antisemitism across Toronto is alarming, and I want the Jewish community to know that their fear and anguish are heard. Every person in this city deserves to feel safe and secure. I was proud to work with my colleagues in creating this motion where Council formally reiterated its condemnation of hate speech and chants at protests and rallies, called for rapid removal of hateful graffiti from TTC vehicles and property, and requested an update on the legal tools available to take stronger action against hate speech in our public spaces and neighbourhoods. Council also requested that the Toronto Police Service provide a full update on actions taken in response to hate crimes, asked City staff to review and strengthen existing anti-hate policy frameworks, and ensured that bylaw enforcement is properly staffed to respond to noise complaints at protests. Finally, Council asked the city to advocate to the provincial and federal governments for sustainable funding to support the frontline workers who respond to the growing number of protests across our city.  Taken together, these measures reflect a serious and multi-layered commitment to making Toronto safer and more welcoming for Jewish Torontonians and all residents who have been targeted by hate. MM39.10 - Supporting the Role of Trustees in Maintaining an Accountable and Transparent Education System Earlier this year, at a community meeting in Henry Farm, a resident asked me whether schools with lower attendance were being threatened with closure. While she was specifically asking about Shaughnessy Public School, it raised an important concern for residents across Don Valley North. Councillors are not kept in the loop on these decisions, which is why we need our Trustees to be empowered to provide accountability and advocate for local priorities. There is currently real uncertainty around school board governance and representation. This report asked City Council to affirm the role of locally elected trustees in ensuring accountability, representing local priorities, and advocating for the needs of students, and I was proud to support it. Protecting local schools like Shaughnessy is exactly why I got into local politics as a trustee all those years ago. That said, Council's support is only one piece of the puzzle. We need to hear from parents and residents too. I encourage everyone who cares about this issue to contact the Minister of Education directly and make their voices heard. The Toronto Auditor General's 2025 Team AU11.1 - Auditor General's 2025 Annual Report - Demonstrating the Value of the Auditor General's Office I am always grateful to read the Auditor General's Annual Report. It is an important reminder of the vital role accountability officers play in keeping Toronto honest. Toronto was actually the first Canadian city to employ an independent Auditor General, a direct response to the MFP Computer Leasing Scandal (for those of you too young to remember, you can read about it  here ). That history matters, because it shows that when things go wrong, Toronto has been willing to build the institutions needed to make sure they don't go wrong again. I know there is a perception that the city doesn't do enough to hold contractors and City staff accountable when things go wrong. The Auditor General is how we do that. Two cases from the past year stand out. We suspended a sewer services contractor after our internal controls and the Auditor General's Fraud and Waste Hotline identified intentional overbilling of at least $1.1 million on a major City sewer project. A second investigation uncovered inconsistencies and deficiencies in how the city was managing park inspections and maintenance. The resulting report led to real improvements: an overhauled work order system, new staff training, and better processes for addressing complaints, monitoring repairs, conducting park inspections, creating better value, and saving taxpayers money. This is the kind of work that doesn't always make headlines, but it matters enormously. I encourage you to  read the Auditor General's full report . It gives me real confidence that the city is well looked after, and I think it will give you that confidence too. EX29.13 - Winter Surge Capacity Snow Shovellers We all know that snow clearing and removal was challenging this winter, and Toronto was far from alone. New York City's newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani made international headlines in February when he launched an emergency snow removal initiative, paying New Yorkers $30 an hour, rising to $45 after 40 hours, to clear bus stops, crosswalks, and fire hydrants following a 20-inch blizzard. The program employed 1,400 people to accelerate cleanup efforts, and similar approaches have been used successfully in Minneapolis and Montreal. This week, City Council voted to ask staff to look at a made-in-Toronto version of this program for the 2026-2027 winter season, drawing on the best practices and lessons learned from these other cities. I will want to see the price tag and how this could responsibly managed before we continue to add on to our snow plans.  EC26.2 - Toronto's Festival Strategy This week I was proud to support the passage of Toronto's Festival Strategy (2026-2031), the next chapter in the work I launched in October 2024 with Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto. Toronto is home to approximately 300 festivals, and as a sector, they generate more than $1 billion in GDP across Canada. That's a huge economic powerhouse. This strategy provides 17 concrete actions to strengthen festival sector development, sustainability, and resilience ensuring Torontonians can access free, inclusive, and diverse cultural experiences in their own neighbourhoods, while keeping Toronto globally competitive as a destination city. As the City's Economic Development & Culture Champion, the City Councillor charged with overseeing Economic Development & Culture, I'm thrilled to see festivals get the structural support they deserve, while continuing to engage the private sector and philanthropy to fill the gaps that government can’t and shouldn’t fill on our own. A vibrant festival sector means vibrant main streets, stronger communities, and a city people are proud to call home. MM39.59 - Toronto Must Have a Say in Waterfront Decisions This motion from Deputy Mayor Malik and Mayor Chow asks Council to take the position that other orders of government must include Toronto residents and their elected municipal representatives in any decisions about the future of our city, including our waterfront. That means no unilateral expropriation of land within Toronto, full stop. Now, I want to be clear about what this is and isn't about. The province has not put forward a formal proposal on jets at Billy Bishop, so I cannot tell you whether jet service is a good idea or a bad one. The airport is a vital economic engine for the city and for tourism, but there are a number of key questions that need to be asked. What would it cost taxpayers to extend the runway? What would it mean for people living nearby? What does it do to the future development potential of the Portlands? I don't have those answers, and neither does anyone else right now. What I do know is that Toronto, as a member of the tripartite agreement, has every right to be part of that conversation before any decisions are made. Whatever you think about jets at Billy Bishop, I think we can all agree on this: our city's future should not be decided without us. NY28.6 - 567 Sheppard Avenue East - Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment - Decision Report – Approval This application to redevelop the YMCA at Bayview and Sheppard was deferred from the December City Council meeting to allow more time to work with the applicant and City staff on key outstanding issues. Unfortunately, City Planning and the Applicant could not come to an agreement and the applicant appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal. I moved to direct staff to object to this application at the OLT. I strongly value our YMCA, and I want to see the delivery of a modern YMCA facility and new housing, but I continue to have serious concerns about the traffic impacts of having over a thousand units awkwardly pour out between highway ramps and the intersection and the overall organization of the site, particularly given the very real congestion challenges at Bayview and Sheppard. As always, it was a full and meaningful week at City Hall. From protecting our ravines and urban forest, to defending Toronto's right to have a voice on decisions that affect our city, these are the issues that matter to the people of Don Valley North and they matter deeply to me.  Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns about anything covered in this update or anything else on your mind.

Earlier this year , I wrote about how public engagement is changing, and how important it is that we meet people where they are. Throughout the summer and fall, my team and I were out in neighbourhoods across Don Valley North, knocking on doors and speaking directly with residents about what matters most to you. Those conversations are always the most valuable part of this job. With winter and snow now upon us, door-to-door conversations are a little harder, so we want to try something new. I’m inviting you to take a few minutes to complete a short community survey  so I can hear directly from you about your priorities. Tell me about your experience on your street or in your building. What’s working? What isn’t? Are City services meeting your expectations? I’d like to know how you experience the infrastructure you use every day — our parks, the Toronto Transit Commission, community centres, roads, sidewalks, and snow clearing. Are they working the way you expect them to? What could we be doing differently?   I also want your input on this E-Blast We try to keep these updates focused on timely issues and local developments, but there may be City topics you’d like explained more clearly — from budgeting to development approvals to public safety. Tell me what you’d like to read more about.   Your feedback helps shape my advocacy at City Hall and ensures our office focuses on what matters most to you.   Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Reminder: Join Us This Saturday to Celebrate Lunar New Year I’m looking forward to celebrating Lunar New Year with you this Saturday at our Don Valley North community gathering. This year, we welcome the Year of the Horse, a symbol of energy, resilience, and determination. The Horse represents strength, optimism, and forward momentum, qualities that reflect the spirit of our Don Valley North community. As we step into a new year, it’s a time for fresh beginnings, good fortune, and coming together with friends and neighbours. Community celebrations like this mean a great deal to me. Don Valley North is strengthened by its rich cultural traditions, and I’m always grateful for the opportunity to gather, celebrate, and honour the many communities that make our neighbourhood so vibrant. I hope you’ll  join me , MP Maggie Chi, and MPP Jonathan Tsao for a festive afternoon of culture, performances, and celebration. Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026 Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Location: A.Y. Jackson Secondary School 50 Francine Dr, North York, ON M2H 2G6 Let’s welcome the new year together with joy, prosperity, and community spirit. 新年快乐，恭喜发财！ I look forward to celebrating with you.

Every homeowner runs into this at some point: something goes wrong, and you’re not quite sure who to call. For condo and condo townhouse residents, that question can be even more complicated, and fair enough, it’s not always clear where one responsibility ends and another begins. That’s exactly why we do this. It is time once again for our third annual Don Valley North Condo Clinic. Haven’t been to the condo clinic before? Think of it as a one-stop information fair designed specifically for condo residents. Instead of spending hours trying to track down the right person to call or the right website to visit, you come to us. We bring together experts from the agencies, offices, and organizations that deal with condominium issues every day, and we put them all in one room so you can have real, face-to-face conversations about the things that matter to you. Whether your question is about building maintenance, condo governance, provincial regulations or city services, there is someone at the clinic who can point you in the right direction. I got the idea for an annual clinic from a Chicago City Councillor who started hosting a yearly Condo Clinic night in his North Shore ward. With extensive lakefront development, the 49th Ward of Chicago had come to include condominium buildings of all ages and sizes, and Councillor Joe Moore was fielding all kinds of questions about maintenance and governance for this unique housing type. Don Valley North isn't so different, so we're taking a page from Joe Moore's book.   Time and again, we hear from condo owners, condo tenants, and condo board members looking for information about the buildings they call home. Your condo is governed by provincial legislation, and there are provincial authorities that can help, but they can't address everything. When infrastructure like water pipes age out, it's often a city matter for your property manager or Board president to navigate. Even so, as an owner or tenant you deserve to understand the situation yourself and know where to turn. My staff team and I track the unique condominium concerns that reach our office throughout the year. When clinic time comes around, we bring the right people together in one place to share useful, practical information. Here's a sampling of the knowledge tables we'll have on hand next Saturday, March 28th: Willowdale Legal Condominium Authority of Ontario Revenue Services Toronto Fire Toronto Police Toronto Building And we can genuinely promise that you will be talking to a real person, not an AI chatbot or a faraway call centre. Condo residents now make up a significant portion of Toronto's population, and in Don Valley North, we have condominium properties of every type and age. Our ward is home to some of the earliest condo complexes ever constructed in North York. Have you ever noticed those streets that end in “-way,” like Shepway, Starway, or Fernway? Those are all managed by condo boards and residents. So, whether you're in a newer property still working out the kinks, or an older community beginning to tackle major state-of-good-repair work, the Condo Clinic is a place to compare notes and get solid information. I always come away having learned something new from the experts on hand. Honestly, though, my most important conversations are the one-on-one exchanges I have with you, the condo residents who show up. Hearing directly about your experience helps me represent you better. And if something comes up that all condo residents could benefit from knowing, we'll be sure to share it in a future E-Blast. One more thing worth mentioning: this year, we're doing away with formal presentations. We've found that people appreciate having the flexibility to drop by, get what they need, and come and go at their own pace. This also gives me and my team even more opportunities to chat. I look forward to seeing you there! Drop by any time between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM, Saturday, March 28, at the Parkway Forest Community Centre, 55 Forest Manor Rd.

While recently we have seen a noticeable uptick in development application activity in Don Valley North, it’s still far less than we have seen in years past. However, a clear pattern is emerging in Don Valley North. Rather than brand-new proposals, much of what we're seeing are developers with existing approvals returning to request additional height. This isn't happening in a vacuum; new Provincial policies are actively encouraging taller buildings and greater density across Toronto. I covered what these changes mean for how our city is absorbing growth in an E-Blast last year . In short, City Planning's responsibility is to ensure every proposal still reflects sound planning principles and is backed by the services and infrastructure our neighbourhoods depend on. My job is to bring your concerns into that process and fight to have them shape the outcome. It's also worth keeping in mind that under Provincial rules, developers can appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) at any time — effectively removing the decision from our hands. That's exactly why building a strong record of community input and solid planning rationale from the very beginning matters so much. This week's update walks through the development files currently on our radar. As always, I remain committed to defending good planning and keeping a close watch on each application to ensure it reflects the needs and character of our community. I know that seeing all these together can feel daunting — but it's worth remembering that many of these projects won't be built for many years, if they're built at all. Update on ReNew Sheppard: The ReNew Sheppard Secondary Plan , approved by City Council, remains under appeal at the Ontario Land Tribunal by several property owners. The appeal process is still ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for this fall. City Planning and Legal staff continue to review the matter closely, and we remain committed to keeping residents informed as the process moves forward. Despite the holdup, new applications that are coming forward in the ReNew Sheppard catchment are being asked to review and adhere to the vision and policies in ReNew. Bayview Village Concord Park Place Concord Park Place is a multi-tower condo complex that was approved by Provincial Tribunal in 2013. The complex is located south of Sheppard Avenue East between Bessarion Road and Leslie Street and includes several buildings already constructed and occupied. Block 15 (3 towers of 31, 27, and 19 storeys with 990 units) is nearing the end of construction, with occupancy expected in 2026, while future building phases continue to be reviewed. Block 7  - 1001 Sheppard Avenue East - Concord Park Place Application:  Two towers of 44 and 39 storeys atop a 6-storey podium with a TCDSB elementary school incorporated within the first 2-storeys of the base building and a school yard, as well as retail space. The updated proposal consists of an increase from 867 units to 929 units, although the height and total number of storeys remains the same. Community Consultation: Held in June 2024. Status:  Approved in 2024. City staff are currently working with the applicant to finalize the technical drawings and details needed for the building permit approvals and site plan. City Planner:  Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca Block 1  - 1181 Sheppard Avenue East - Concord Park Place Application: Two towers of 32 and 38 storeys, connected by a 5-storey mixed-use podium for a total of 795 units. 58,642 square metres would be residential gross floor area, 1,410 square metres would be retail gross floor area, and 6,899 would be office gross floor area. Community Consultation: Held in November 2020. Status:  This application was approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal in 2023. City staff are currently working with the applicant to finalize the technical drawings and details needed for the building permit approvals and site plan. City Planner:  Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca Block 2 - 1125 Sheppard Avenue East - Concord Park Place Original Application: Two towers of 40 and 36 storeys inclusive of a shared 6-storey podium, with a stratified park at the southeast corner of the site and a landscaped mid-block connecting Sheppard Avenue East to Singer Court. The proposal consists of 950 residential units, and 2,881 square metres of non-residential gross floor area (retail space). Revised Application: Increase heights of 52 and 48 storeys, with a total of 1,238 residential units and 414 vehicle parking spaces. Community Consultation: Held in June 2024. Status: Refused at December 2025 City Council meeting and appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal. City Planner: Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca 22-36 Greenbriar  Application: 31-storey rental residential building. The building would provide a total of 516 residential units, being a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. An original proposal 22-storey residential building was approved in 2023. Community Consultation: Held November 24, 2025. Status:  Approval recommended at upcoming March 25, 2026, City Council Meeting.   City Planner:  Michael Romero - Michael.Romero@toronto.ca 11 Greenbriar Road Application: 3-storey rental residential building with a total of 29 residential units. A total of 24 vehicular parking spaces is proposed, including 21 for residents and three for visitors. A total of 22 bicycle parking spaces is proposed in the underground parking garage. Community Consultation:  Held March 2022. Status: Approval recommended at upcoming March 25, 2026, City Council Meeting. City Planner: Michael Romero - Michael.Romero@toronto.ca   23-29 Greenbriar  Application: A 25-storey residential building with 326 units, 24 of which will be purpose-built rentals. Community Consultation: Held in June 2022. Status: Approved May 2025. City staff are currently working with the applicant to finalize the technical drawings and details needed for the building permit approvals and site plan.   City Planner:  Michael Romero - Michael.Romero@toronto.ca 2901 Bayview Ave - Bayview Village Mall Approved Application: Comprised of two distinct development phases, the North site, which is currently under construction is located at Bayview Mews and Hawksbury Drive and includes one 20-storey mixed use building; two 6-storey mixed use buildings; and a retail addition to the existing Bayview Village Shopping Centre. The existing south site approval includes a mixed-use building fronting onto Sheppard Avenue East with two towers (30 and 29 storeys); and a five-storey parking structure located to the south of the Loblaws building. Revised Application: Proposal to seek additional heights on the south half of the site from the Tribunal approved 29-storey and 30-storesy to a 52-storey and 44-storey mixed use building. The proposed development provides a total GFA of 93,208.36 square metres and a total of 1074 residential units. A total of 508 parking spaces; as well as 732 bicycle parking spaces will be provided on-site. Note, a paved access along the north property line will be provided, leading to 3 levels of below-grade parking. Community Consultation: Scheduled for March 31, 2026. Status: Resubmission under review by City Staff. City Planner : Jenny Choi – Jenny.Choi@toronto.ca 589 Sheppard Ave E Application: One building of 14 storeys. The proposal consists of 160 residential units, and 410 square metres of non-residential gross floor area (retail space). Community Consultation: Held in May 2021. Status: Under review by City staff. Awaiting resubmission from applicant.  City Planner:  Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca 567 Sheppard Ave E – YMCA Original Application : Three buildings of 55, 45, and 2 storeys for 1,179 units and the reconstruction of the existing 2 storey YMCA community facility. Revised Application: Increases the building heights to 56 and 46 storeys for a total of 1,219 units, with a new YMCA facility that is up to three storeys in height.  Community Consultation: Last held in July 2024. Status: Report deferred at December 2025 City Council. Applicant has appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal. I intend to direct staff to oppose the application at this upcoming City Council meeting and continue to push for a major reworking of the site.  City Planner:  Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca . 635 Sheppard Avenue East & 1 Greenbriar Road Original Application: One building of 12 storeys inclusive of a 5-storey podium. The proposal consists of 145 residential units, and 404 square metres of non-residential gross floor area (retail space). Revised Application: A 30-storey mixed-use building atop a podium with residential and commercial uses with a total of 351 residential units, providing a total of 97 parking spaces.  Community Consultation: Scheduled for April 2026, Details TBC. Status: Originally approved in October 2023, resubmission under review by City staff. City Planner:  Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca . 680-688 Sheppard Avenue East Application: A tower of 22 storeys and an 8 to 13-storey mid-rise component inclusive of a shared 6-8 storey podium, and a 747 square metre park. The proposal consists of 487 residential units and 6,16 square metres of non-residential gross floor area. Community Consultation: Held in November 2020. Status: Approved at the Ontario Land Tribunal in 2023. City staff are currently working with the applicant to finalize the technical drawings and details needed for the building permit approvals and site plan. City Planner:  Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca 690 -720 Sheppard Original Application:  A mixed-use tower with an 11-storey podium, for a total of 29 storeys. The development would include 554 residential units, 1,185 square metres of commercial space, 298 parking spaces, and 438 bicycle parking spaces. Revised Application: A 32-storey and 28-storey mixed use buildings (705 units) inclusive of a shared 8-storey podium and 4-storey streetwall submitted in November 2024. Status: Appealed to the OLT in June 2025 citing Council’s lack of a decision within the Province’s legislated time frame. Planner:   Jenny Choi – Jenny.Choi@toronto.ca 41-47 Talara Dr. Application: 43-storey residential building. The building would provide a total of 369 residential units, 37 parking spaces and 150 bicycle parking spaces Community Consultation: Held March 02, 2026. Status: Under review by City Staff. City Planner: Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca 71 Talara Original Approval: A 23-storey residential building atop a 5-storey podium. The proposal consists of 281 residential units. Resubmitted Application:   A 36-storey residential building containing a 4 to 5-storey podium fronting onto Talara Drive. The proposal includes a total of 385 residential dwelling units, 29 of which will be rental replacement units, with a total gross floor area of 27,730.1 square metres. Community Consultation: Held in July 2025 for the resubmission. Status: Approved at the December 2025 City Council meeting. City Planner:  Michael Romero – Michael.Romero@toronto.ca . 4000 Leslie Street – North York General Hospital (MZO) Application: One 16-storey building housing the North York General Long term care facility (528 beds) owned and operated by North York General Hospital with senior focused services (hemodialysis, medial imaging and pharmacy) as well as an integrated care services offered through North York General Hospital (4001 Leslie Street). The first two levels will be devoted to retail, medical office, clinic uses, and lobby and building service uses. Community Consultation: N/A. No community consultation was required because this project was approved by a Provincial Ministerial Zoning Order. Status: Approved by Provincial Ministerial Zoning Order. Building permits have begun to be issued. City Planner:  Jenny Choi – Jenny.Choi@toronto.ca . Don Valley Village 2500 Don Mills Original Application: Two towers of 49 and 44 storeys inclusive of a 6-storey podium. The proposal consists of 1,196 residential units, and 1,003 square metres of non-residential gross floor area (retail space). Status: Approved at the Ontario Land Tribunal in Nov 2024. City staff are currently working with the applicant to finalize the technical drawings and details needed for the building permit approvals and site plan. I am working with the applicant to clean up the site or add hoarding around the old gas station to improve cleanliness and safety. City Planner:  Jenny Choi – Jenny.Choi@toronto.ca . 2600 Don Mills Original Application: A 33-storey infill tower that maintains the existing rental building along with three blocks of stacked townhomes on other parts of the site. The 384 new units would be supported by additional parkland and road network additions through a block context plan with 1650 Sheppard Ave and 25 Leith Hill Rd. Revised Application: Four buildings with heights of 47, 42, 42 and 42 storeys, together with an onsite public park occupying 1,096.8 square meters. The total residential gross floor area (GFA) of the four buildings is 126,673 square meters, with a total of 1,814 units proposed. This revised proposal would demolish the existing residential building. Community Consultation: Held October 28, 2025. Status: Under review by City Staff. City Planner:  Jenny Choi - Jenny.Choi@toronto.ca 5 Fairview Mall Original Application: Two towers of 36 and 31 storeys inclusive a 5-storey podium and retention of an existing 4-storey medical office building on site, with approximately 8,000 square metres of gross floor area. The proposal consists of 598 residential units, and 11,432 square metres of non-residential gross floor area (retail space). Revised Application: Three towers of 35, 39, 47 storeys inclusive of an 8-storey podium for a total of 1,295 units. Existing medical office building would be replaced, with current offices relocated into one of the newer towers. Community Consultation: Held in January 2023. Series of workshops between Applicant and City Staff to address comments completed. Status: Under review by City Staff. City Planner:  Michelle Charkow – Michelle.Charkow@toronto.ca . 1800 Sheppard (Fairview Mall) Original Application : Masterplan concept of 12 buildings between 18 and 52 storeys with approximately 4500 units and three new public parks over four phases. No existing buildings would be demolished. The first phase proposes three buildings of 38, 48, and 58 storeys containing 1,416 residential units. Approved Application : Masterplan concept of 14 new buildings, with height ranges between 24 and 52 storeys, 9,500 square metres of parkland, a multi-use path along the east side of Fairview Mall Drive, new public streets, existing private driveways, and a total of approximately 6,200 residential dwelling units. Zoning by-law application for phase 1 of the development will be submitted in the future. Community Consultation : Held in July 2022. We also facilitated working group meetings with Cadillac Fairview and local stakeholders throughout 2024. This resulted in more parkland, more affordable housing and more community space in the development. Status: Master Plan approved at City Council in November 2024. City Planner:  Michelle Charkow – Michelle.Charkow@toronto.ca 1800 Sheppard Phase 1 (Fairview Mall) Application: Phase 1 A proposes a 48-storey mixed-use development containing 579 purpose-built rental residential units (including approximately 17 affordable units), 169 square metres of at-grade retail space, and a 1,060 square metre Privately-Owned Publicly Accessible Space (POPS). Community Consultation: Held December 1, 2025. Status: Under review by City staff. A technical amendment regarding the phasing policies to facilitate the redevelopment of the southern portion of Phase 1 without a Draft Plan of Subdivision will be reviewed at the upcoming City Council Meeting. City Planner: Michelle Charkow – Michelle.Charkow@toronto.ca Parkway Forest 123 Parkway Forest Drive (OPA & ZBA) Application:  One tower of 35 storeys atop a 1-storey podium, the retention of an existing 19-storey apartment building and five 3-storey townhouses on site, and the demolition of an existing five 3-storey townhouses on site. The proposal consists of 339 residential units. Community Consultation:  Last held in February 2022. Status:  Approved at City Council in May 2025. City staff are currently working with the applicant to finalize the technical drawings and details needed for the building permit approvals and site plan. City Planner:  Leila Mirriahi – Leila.Mirriahi@toronto.ca Bayview Woods-Steeles 10 Ruddington Drive Application:  One building of 13 storeys and three stacked townhouse blocks, and the retention of an existing 13-storey residential building. The proposal consists of 244 residential units. Community Consultation:  Held in June 2021. Status: Approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal in December 2021. City staff are currently working with the applicant to finalize the technical drawings and details needed for the building permit approvals. City Planner: Derrick Wong - Derrick.Wong@toronto.ca 3377 Bayview Avenue (Tyndale University) Application: 14 residential buildings, most which range in height from 6 storeys to 8 storeys. Three buildings will have heights of 11, 15, and 20 storeys. There will be a total of 1530 residential units across the site, as well as a daycare, café, and flexible use spaces to be used by Tyndale University. Revised Application: In Fall 2025, the applicant filed a request to alter the approval to include minor technical changes to some of the buildings and shifts how parking is delivered across the site. Underground parking beneath several blocks has been removed, replaced by a temporary surface lot on Block 6 while a permanent above-grade parking structure is built on Block 2. That permanent structure will include retail, or community uses at street level. Community Consultation:  Held in October 2021. My office also convened a working group which met regularly to discuss this application. Status: Approved at the Ontario Land Tribunal in 2023. At the December 2025 City Council meeting, City Legal staff recommended support for proposed changes and enter a new agreement through the OLT. That process is ongoing. City Planner:  Marian Prejel - Marian.Prejel@toronto.ca . 6 Foxdale Court Original Application: Five two-storey detached dwellings fronting onto a public road with a cul-de-sac design.  Revised Application: Six two-storey residential detached dwellings fronting a new private road with a hammerhead design.  Community Consultation: Held in March 2024. Status: Revised application was approved by City Council in September 2025.  City Planner:  Diana Steinberg - Diana.Steinberg@toronto.ca 636-686 Finch St East Original Application: 12-storey mixed use building that would contain 206 dwelling units, 897 sqm of non-residential gross floor area and 311 proposed parking spaces within a proposed three level underground garage. Community Consultation: N/A Status: Approved at OLT in February 2025, City staff are currently working with the applicant to finalize the technical drawings and details needed for the building permit approvals. City Planner:  Derrick Wong – Derrick.Wong@toronto.ca   Consumers Business Park 1 Herons Hill Way Application: 34-storey mixed-use building while retaining the existing 2-storey office building on the west portion of the subject site. The proposed mixed-use building would contain 292 square metres of office space on the ground level, and 25,951 square metres of residential gross floor area above. A total of 350 rental residential units is proposed. Community Consultation: Held December 2020. Status:  City Council first approved this development in October 2023, but the approval was put on hold until the province signed off on a land use redesignation. That provincial approval came through, and the project received its final approval in December 2025. The approved plan keeps the original building design intact. City Planner:  Derrick Wong – Derrick.Wong@toronto.ca . 15 Smooth Rose Court Application: Building A, originally approved at 35 storeys as part of the Parkside Square development at Sheppard Avenue and Consumers Road, has been resubmitted for approval at 43 storeys with 417 units. Community Consultation: Held June 2025. Status:  Approved at December 2025 City Council Meeting. City Planner:  Richard Martin – Richard.Martin@toronto.ca . 245 Yorkland Boulevard Application:  Four towers, divided across two 6-storey podiums, for a total of 45 storeys each, a public park in the northeast corner of the site, and the retention of an existing 12-storey office building located in the centre of the site. The proposal consists of 2,140 residential units. Community Consultation:  Held July 2025.  Status: Under review by City Staff. City Planner: Derrick Wong – Derrick.Wong@toronto.ca . Out of Ward While the following applications are beyond the borders of Don Valley North, they are near enough that I know residents will be curious. 2192-2926 Sheppard Ave E2192-2926 Sheppard Ave E Application: One 50-storey mixed use building atop a 6-storey podium that would contain 590 new residential units, 357 parking spaces and 548 bicycle parking spaces. The subject site is currently occupied with a two-storey commercial building and a surface parking lot fronting Sheppard Avenue East. Community Consultation: Held Sept 10, 2025. Status: Under Review by City staff. City Planner: Asif Patel - Asif.Patel@toronto.ca 2900 Steeles Ave East – Shops on Steeles While not in the Ward (or the City of Toronto), we know there is significant interest in Don Valley North about the application to redevelop the Shops on Steeles on the northeast corner of Steeles Avenue East and Don Mills Road, known municipally as 2880 to 2930 Steeles Avenue East in Markham. The application proposes a mixed-use community of 13 buildings ranging in height from eight to 59 storeys, consisting of 5,049 dwelling units, two levels of underground parking for 4,367 cars, and 7,884 square meters (85,000 sq. ft.) of commercial space. Planning staff in Markham have offered the following update: Applications were submitted in June 2024. A Public Meeting was held by the City of Markham on November 5, 2024, the Public Meeting Information Report is linked here . Comments from Markham City Staff and external agencies were issued to the applicant in October 2024. No further update currently. If you have questions or concerns about any of these developments, or about how the process works, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. Whether you’re looking for more details on a specific application or want to share your thoughts, we’re here to listen and make sure your voice is part of the conversation.

After a winter like the one we’ve just had, anyone driving around the city has noticed the same thing: our roads took a beating. Across Don Valley North — but especially along Sheppard from Bayview to Victoria Park — potholes have been appearing quickly as the snow melts and the freeze-thaw cycle does its work. It is something residents have already begun flagging to my office. City crews fill hundreds of thousands of potholes each year, and Executive Committee will be considering a proposal from the Mayor of the expansion of Toronto’s pothole blitz strategy to help crews respond faster and focus on the streets that need attention most urgently. Last year alone, more than 250,000 potholes were repaired across Toronto, and the proposed approach would better direct crews to the locations residents are identifying through 311 and where road conditions show the greatest need. The work is also connected to the City’s broader effort to accelerate road resurfacing across Toronto. Recent budget investments have allowed Transportation Services to move some neighbourhood streets forward in the repair schedule so they can be fixed sooner than originally planned. Good roads may not make headlines, but they are one of the fundamentals of a city that works — for residents getting to work, for buses moving reliably along our main corridors, and for families simply getting around their neighbourhood. My focus as your councillor has always been making sure the basics of city services are done well, and maintaining our roads and public spaces is a big part of that.   Executive Committee will also be considering a second item from the Mayor that addresses another issue residents regularly raise when I’m out in the community: litter bins on our streets. Most of us have seen the problem from time to time — a bin that is overflowing, broken, or simply not located where people need it most. These are small things, but they make a real difference in how our neighbourhood streets and parks feel. What many residents may not realize is that Toronto’s litter bins are part of a long-term street furniture agreement that dates back to 2007. At the time, bundling transit shelters, benches, and litter bins into a single long-term agreement made sense. It allowed the City to expand street furniture across Toronto quickly, with private dollars, while ensuring the infrastructure would be maintained. That approach helped expand street furniture across the city without property tax dollars and ensured maintenance was handled through a single system. But it also meant that litter bins — one of the most basic city services residents rely on — have been managed within that broader private agreement for nearly two decades. With the contract set to expire in 2027, the City now has a natural opportunity to rethink how the program should operate going forward. The proposal before Executive Committee asks City staff to report back on options for bringing responsibility for litter bins back under direct City control so that decisions about design, placement, and maintenance can be made based on community needs and the experience residents see every day on their streets. I support taking a careful look at how the program should operate once the current contract expires. At the same time, it is important that Council fully understand the potential costs and operational implications before making any final decision. A report back will help ensure we have that information. If bringing the program back under City management can improve responsiveness, ensure bins are placed where they are most needed, and do so in a cost-effective way, it is certainly worth considering. These are everyday services, but they shape everyday life in our neighbourhoods. I will be supporting both items at Executive Committee and will continue working to ensure Don Valley North’s streets and public spaces receive the attention they deserve. If you notice a pothole or another maintenance issue in the community, please report it through 311 and feel free to copy my office so we can help make sure it gets addressed. Update on Project South Recent reports related to Project South have raised serious concerns about integrity and accountability within the Toronto Police Service. When issues like this arise, the response must be clear, independent, and focused on restoring public trust. As Chair of the Toronto Police Service Board, my responsibility is to ensure strong civilian oversight of the Service and to make sure accountability measures are in place. In response, the Board has requested an independent inspection by Ontario’s Inspectorate of Policing so that policing practices can be examined and corrective action directed where necessary. At the same time, the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency is conducting independent investigations into the conduct of the officers involved. These processes ensure both individual accountability and a broader review of systems and supervision. At yesterday’s Police Board meeting, the Board also directed the Chief to provide regular updates on reforms and corrective measures underway within the Service. We are strengthening our own governance as well, including examining the creation of a dedicated Audit and Risk Management Committee to ensure stronger oversight of internal controls and risk management. The vast majority of Toronto Police Service members serve this city with professionalism and integrity. Strengthening accountability protects the public and protects the integrity of those officers who do their jobs the right way. Project South has raised serious questions, and the Board will continue to provide firm oversight as this work moves forward. Public trust must be earned through action. That is exactly what we are focused on.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete last week’s community survey. I read your comments carefully — every response, every concern, and every suggestion. You are my eyes and ears across our neighbourhoods, and the real experts on what is happening on your streets every day. What stood out most was how thoughtful and detailed your feedback was. Many of you didn’t just identify big-picture challenges — you shared very specific examples of what is and isn’t working. That kind of information helps my office get results. Here’s some of what we heard from you: Safer Streets and Traffic Concerns Traffic congestion, speeding, and dangerous intersections came up again and again. Residents raised concerns about speeding following the removal of automated speed enforcement cameras, aggressive driving, and cut-through traffic on residential streets. Many of you highlighted specific locations, including requests for better signal timing at busy intersections and safer crossings near schools and parks.   My office has already begun sharing these locations directly with Transportation Services for review. When residents flag exact corners or streets, it allows us to push for traffic studies, enforcement, or traffic calming measures where they are most needed. Road safety was one of the strongest themes in your responses, and it remains a top priority for me at City Hall. Through the City’s Vision Zero work, we continue redesigning streets, adding traffic calming, and strengthening enforcement so everyone can move safely through our neighbourhoods.   One of the biggest neighbourhood changes you noticed was the rollout of 30 km/h speed limits on local roads across Don Valley North. That work is now complete. A reminder that instead of signs on every block, you will see gateway signage at neighbourhood entry points. This approach has reduced speeding and cut-through traffic in other parts of Toronto, and I expect we will see the same improvements here. For more updates on Vision Zero, the steps the City and my office are taking to improve road safety, and how you can request traffic calming in your neighbourhood, please revisit my E-Blast  from last October. Addressing Traffic Congestion Many of you also raised concerns about congestion, and I was not surprised. Toronto is managing an unprecedented level of construction and infrastructure renewal at the same time as rapid growth and transit expansion. That combination has made travel along major corridors, and especially downtown and at our highway ramp intersections, particularly challenging. We continue to make progress on our Congestion Management Plan,  but we know more needs to be done. To address this, the City created a new leadership role dedicated entirely to coordinating construction and reducing disruptions across agencies and utilities. That work began in January. Better coordination means fewer overlapping road closures, clearer communication, and smoother travel whether you drive, walk, cycle, or take transit. Snow Clearing, Sidewalks, and Road Conditions Snow removal was one of the most common concerns you identified, and I know this week’s snowfall has not helped. Many residents told us sidewalks remained icy or uncleared for too long, snowbanks narrowed streets, and hydrants and intersections were blocked. I want to thank everyone for your patience as we continue managing the impacts of the largest snow accumulation in Toronto’s history. Across Don Valley North and across Toronto, City crews are continuing winter maintenance work following several major snowfalls that required priority plowing and salting to keep roads open and safe. Snow removal has now resumed on a targeted basis, focusing first on streets where snowbanks and windrows are creating safety or accessibility concerns, and where emergency access could be affected. Crews are working to widen travel lanes, improve visibility at intersections, and clear sidewalks and crossings wherever possible. I also want to be clear about expectations: the goal is safe and passable streets, not always bare pavement. Some hard-packed snow may remain where it does not pose a safety risk. My office continues raising resident concerns directly with City winter maintenance and road repair teams. Your detailed service requests help crews identify problem areas more quickly and strengthen our advocacy for better service where it is needed most. I also want to remind drivers to watch for temporary orange “No Parking — Snow Removal” signs. Snow clearing typically occurs within 24–48 hours once signs are posted. Vehicles left in signed areas may be ticketed or towed, as they delay operations. Community Spaces and Facilities You shared strong support for our libraries, community centres, and parks, along with clear ideas about how they could be improved. You asked for more youth and seniors programming, better use of recreation spaces, and upgrades to facilities such as Pleasantview Community Centre and local parks. I am pleased to confirm that several Don Valley North park upgrades are moving forward this spring, including improvements to the Clarinda Park playground, the Ruddington Park and Seneca Hill tennis courts, and continued progress on the Ethennonnhawahstihnen Community Recreation Centre indoor play space. Many of you also raised concerns about the length of the Pleasantview Library closure. I know it has been frustrating to see such an important community space closed for so long — especially for families, students, and seniors who rely on it. Just like our recently refurbished Fairview branch, I truly believe it will be worth the wait. When it reopens, the new Pleasantview branch will be a modern, accessible 10,000-square-foot library designed to serve our growing community for years to come. The expansion allows us to complete critical repairs, meet accessibility and environmental standards, and create a more flexible learning and gathering space for residents of all ages. You also raised specific lighting concerns along pedestrian routes and trails, including the Betty Sutherland Trail (which is currently partially closed by the Province for construction on the 401), and requested improved safety lighting near pathways and community spaces. These are exactly the kinds of practical improvements we can pursue when residents tell us where problems exist. Transit and Getting Around Many of you mentioned concerns about transit reliability and connectivity — from TTC crowding, delays, and long bus wait times to the need for better GO service at Oriole Station, including more departure options and weekend service. While some decisions rest with our provincial partners, I continue to raise these priorities in meetings and will keep advocating for improvements that make commuting and family travel easier. Safety in Our Neighbourhoods I heard clearly that safety matters deeply to residents. Many of you spoke about the strength of your neighbours and community connections, but you also raised concerns about break-ins, car thefts, lighting, ongoing antisemitism, and pedestrian safety. That is why I continue supporting investments in community safety. Since becoming Chair of the Toronto Police Service Board, 911 wait times have improved and crime trends are moving in the right direction. We have added more Neighbourhood Community Officers and opened two Community Safety Hubs in our local police division. The City also continues hiring additional police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and mental health crisis workers to ensure residents receive the support they need. My office will continue working closely with Toronto Police and City staff to share the trends residents are seeing and advocate for prevention and enforcement where needed. The Details Matter Some of your feedback was incredibly specific, water temperatures at the Oriole swimming pool, lighting gaps along pathways, overflowing catch basins, illegal parking hotspots, and even trail signage hidden by foliage. Those details matter. If something isn’t working, please tell us. You can always reach out by email or phone when you see something that needs attention. Whether it is a dangerous corner, a broken sidewalk, a maintenance issue, or a community idea you want explored, we want to hear from you. Thank you again for sharing your time, your ideas, and your experience. Working together is how we make our neighbourhoods safer, more welcoming, and stronger for everyone.