Dear friend,
I can’t believe the end of summer is here, and back to school is just around the corner! My son is starting kindergarten this year, and I couldn’t be more proud of him as he begins this new adventure. Like all parents, I am filled with a mix of excitement, joy, and worry about the year ahead.
I am excited for our students to go back to school, where they can learn and discover their talents, supported by an incredible community of passionate educators, dedicated parents, and curious classmates. I know there is so much joy and discovery waiting for them. I also wish that students and parents in our public schools didn’t need to worry about broken furnaces, leaky windows, and general disrepair in our school buildings. It doesn’t have to be this way though - we need to invest in our schools to bring them into a good state of repair, something that I and the Ontario NDP have been advocating for for years.
I can’t wait for students to make friends, master skills, and enjoy fun and freedom on the playground. I also wish that all students, especially those with extra support needs, were able to go to school every day knowing that enough caring ECE and other professionals were there to meet their needs and ensure that they could participate fully in their classroom. Students with special needs belong in our public schools - we need to show that we believe that by providing the funding school boards need to hire education workers to provide that care and facilitate access for these students.
I also know that lots of little ones are starting daycare for the first time this week or going to before- or after-school care. This is an exciting step and a wonderful opportunity for learning, fun, and forming relationships with more caring adults. I also know how expensive childcare can be. Ontario has signed on to the federal Early Learning Childcare Agreement, but gaps to access still exist. The province should have started an aggressive campaign to train more ECEs and set up more childcare centres years ago. I am hopeful that affordable, accessible childcare is within reach for all of us, and I will not stop pushing until this becomes a reality.
Our post-secondary institutions also resume classes this week. I am so excited for those students to dive into their coursework and deepen their passion for their areas of study, whether they are straight out of high school, returning to school to retrain, or something in the middle. Post-secondary is a time for self-discovery, exploration, deep scholarship, making lifelong friends, and taking risks. But we all know it is also a time of bills and loans. Students should be able to focus on their studies, but many are forced to work long hours on top of their courseload, often while caring for family members, just to make ends meet. Students deserve more support, as do our colleges and universities, but instead, they are getting less from this government. All students should be free to pursue their strengths and passions, regardless of their economic background – their growth makes for a stronger society and a more exciting city! I am proud to support students and advocate for their funding needs at the Legislature.
I also want to wish all of you a Happy Labour Day and a beautiful long weekend. The Ontario NDP is marching in Toronto’s Labour Day Parade, and it would be fantastic if you could join us! You can sign up to march here. Happy Labour Day and happy back to school!
Yours in community service,
Kristyn Wong-Tam
MPP, Toronto Centre
| In This Newsletter |
- Volunteer with Us: Cabbagetown and St James Town Festivals, Rastafest Regent Park
- My Nomination Meeting!
- Our London Family Act - Have Your Say
- Intimate Partner Violence Consultations Phase 1 Concludes
- You’re Invited: Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration
- Letter to Metrolinx: Noise Levels at the Don Yard
- Ontario Place: Ford’s Opaque Procurement Process
- Your Feedback - Public Order, Protest, and Police
- Toronto’s Renoviction Bylaw: Have Your Say
- This Week’s Headlines
- Local Community News
| Volunteer with Us: Cabbagetown and St James Town Festivals, Rastafest Regent Park! |
The St James Town and Cabbagetown Festivals, as well as Rastafest Regent Park, are coming up next weekend! All three are held on Saturday, September 7, and the Cabbagetown Festival spans the whole weekend, continuing until Sunday, September 8. My team will be setting up community tables in Cabbagetown and St James Town, and we need your help to give away our beautiful tote bags and collect petition signatures on critical issues!
Volunteering at these festivals is a great time to connect with the community, spread the word about important provincial issues, and enjoy a beautiful weekend with friends.
Volunteer with us!
We have shifts at 11 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM and 4:30 PM on Saturday the 7 and Sunday the 8. When can you join us?
| My Nomination Meeting! |
You are invited! Speculation about Ford calling a snap election is swirling. We will be ready.
My nomination meeting to be your next Toronto Centre Ontario NDP candidate will be on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 6:30 PM.
|
Our London Family Act - Have Your Say |
The Our London Family Act was first introduced in 2021 by London MPPs after the horrific murder of the Afzaal family. This new law, if passed, would make changes to stop Islamophobia in Ontario. We are asking for your input before it is re-introduced to ensure it continues to propose the solutions that will keep Muslim communities safe. I hope you can join and share feedback.
Where: Banquet Hall, 402 Shuter St, Toronto.
When: Thursday, September 19, 6:30 PM – 8 PM
Refreshments will be provided.
| Intimate Partner Violence Consultations Phase 1 Concludes |
Yesterday was the final day of Phase 1 of the Intimate Partner Violence Study. Over the summer, MPP Jess Dixon and I co-chaired ten days of committee hearings, receiving presentations from and asking questions of well over 100 experts, academics, non-profit leaders, legal professionals, and frontline workers. Each day, I was in awe of these professionals’ commitment to their communities, combatting violence, and assisting survivors even when the work felt never-ending.
Changes that were called for over and over throughout Phase 1 included:
- More education and prevention programs, especially in schools for youth,
- Trainings for first responders about early indicators of abuse and covert abuse tactics like coercive control,
- Support for municipalities to build capacity and a provincial coordination centre,
- Staffing up our courts so that cases don’t get thrown out,
- Increased support for Indigenous and fly-in communities,
- Support for restorative justice programs that replace courts at the request of survivors
- Support for legal aid, including funding and staffing
- Addressing the gendered nature of poverty and homelessness,
- And, of course, work to end sexism, patriarchy, rape culture and victim blaming.
I am so incredibly thankful to all of the presenters, the clerks, my fellow MPPs, and my co-chair MPP Jess Dixon for all of their hard work, which made Phase 1 of the IPV Consultations a success. I look forward to the upcoming phases and to bringing you all the updates along the way.
| You’re Invited: Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration |
I am thrilled to partner with Neighbourhood Information Post to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival!
Join us on Friday, September 13, from 3-6 PM in the Community Room at 150 River Street to celebrate!
The event is is free, and all are welcome. Attendees will enjoy colourful lantern making, moon cakes, hot drinks and food, and door prizes.
I hope to see you there!
|
Letter to Metrolinx: Noise Levels at the Don Yard |
Click here to read my letter to CEO of Metrolinx, Phil Verster, asking for immediate action to address the noise from construction at the Don Yards subway construction site. These instances of excessive construction noise have repeatedly woken exhausted and mentally stressed residents in nearby buildings, one of whom reported that all their neighbours are, “feeling panicked and anxious, as our ability to sleep has been taken away.”
|
Ontario Place: Ford’s Opaque Procurement Process |
This week, Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP leader, raised concerns about the questionable procurement processes behind Ford’s Ontario Place redevelopment project. The Ontario NDP obtained documents that show a process rife with unusual rules, including insinuating that the government had absolute power over the final decision and could even choose a partner that had not entered a bid or did not meet the requirements set out in the redevelopment documents. That is absurd.
The people of Ontario should be able to count on their government to not make decisions in the dark about a beloved public gem like the Ontario Place. That is the bare minimum.
We dug up the details of an unusual and opaque procurement process, but questions about transparency when it comes to Ontario Place are not new. This deal smelled fishy right from the start. The public has always known that and you deserve answers.
This is a pattern of behaviour from a government that likes operating in the dark and hiding things from the public. Ontario Place, the Science Centre, the Greenbelt – this government loves setting up processes and rules that benefit their insiders.
It’s time for a government that puts transparency first.
| Toronto’s Renoviction Bylaw: Have Your Say |
The City of Toronto is inviting residents to provide input on the implementation of a new renovictions bylaw modelled after successful initiatives in other cities across Canada.
In June, Toronto City Council directed City staff to create a bylaw in response to the growing trend of renovictions in Toronto, where a landlord illegitimately evicts a tenant by alleging that vacant possession of the rental unit is required to make renovations or repairs, leading to situations where landlords increase rents significantly or refuse to allow tenants to return to their homes. This results in the displacement of tenants, the permanent loss of affordable rental housing, and contributes to rising homelessness in Toronto.
To inform the development of the bylaw, the City is engaging with tenants, landlords, and residents impacted by renovictions. Staff will report back to the Planning and Housing Committee with a proposed renovictions bylaw in October.
Online survey
Residents are encouraged to share their insights and experiences by completing the online survey by Monday, September 30 on the City’s website.
Drop-in sessions
The City is also hosting in-person and virtual consultation meetings:
City-wide Online Session
Date: Monday, September 9
Time: 7 to 8.30 p.m.
Zoom Online Meeting: Click the link or join by phone at 647-374-4685
Meeting ID: 369 644 7895
Passcode: 740975
Downtown Toronto
Date: Friday, September 13
Time: 1:30 to 3.30 p.m.
Location: 55 John Street – Rotunda (main floor)
More information on the Renovictions Policy Implementation report is available on the City’s website.'
| Your Feedback - Public Order, Protest, and Police |
Have your say as the Toronto Police Service Board creates new guidelines for how police behave at public events and protests.
While public order has been something we think about in Toronto Centre when homophobic preachers spew hate on Church St. or when anti-vax extremists intimidate health care workers at clinics, we do not want legitimate demonstrations to be curtailed in any way. I do not want this consultation to justify any more events like the violent kettling of peaceful protesters and local pedestrians in late March of this year. We must ensure that genuine freedom of expression protected, and I hope you share your feedback on this.
Here is what the TPSB has to say about the feedback they are soliciting:
Members of the public are encouraged to express to the Board their views on important elements they would like to see in the Board’s new Public Order Policy, and suggest priorities the Board should establish for the Service and the Chief in this area.
The consultation is open to all members of the public, organizations, and community groups.
Submissions can be made in writing, or by audio or video recording and will be accepted through this form, or by mail.
The submission deadline is today, August 30.
| This Week's Headlines |
- Toronto neighbourhoods with drug consumption sites saw many types of crime drop: data
- I almost died of an overdose. Then I got sober, got married and had three kids. Ask my family if closing supervised consumption sites is a good idea
- ‘A billion-dollar bungle.’ Toronto courthouse slammed for failing to be the accessible space it was promised to be
- Many deaths predicted from Ontario's plan to shut supervised consumption sites: experts, data
- Wealthier Ontarians more likely to receive publicly funded cataract surgeries in private clinics: Study
- Ontario transportation minister brushes aside report Hwy. 413 won’t help ease GTA gridlock
- How Ontario allows industry to evade air pollution rules
- There’s a gaping hole in Canada’s COVID tracking
- Randall Denley: Why Doug Ford is likely to call an early election
- Hamilton church leader says supervised injection site 'reduced violence' rather than caused it
- Toronto shelters with internal supervised injection sites for their residents also affected by provincial ban
| Upcoming Community Events |
| Allan Gardens September Community Markets |
The Friends of Allan Gardens are excited to present the new Community Market Series this September!
Each Saturday, from 11 AM. to 3 PM, the Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory and the new Teaching Garden will host themed markets featuring unique finds and fun activities for the whole family.
Location: Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory & Teaching Garden, 117 Carlton St
|
BENA Annual Social |
Join your BENA Operations Committee at the Bishop and Belcher on September 10 at 6:30 PM for their third Annual Social!
Please RSVP to [email protected] by Friday September 6.
See the poster attached for further details or visit their website here.
| Refugees and Newcomers Career Navigation Seminar |
The Toronto Newcomer Council invites refugees, asylum seekers, and newcomers to the "Empowerment Through Employment: Refugees and Newcomers Career Navigation Seminar 2024" on September 13-14, at 163 Queen St, Toronto. This event will connect participants with employers, training institutions, and service agencies, offering valuable insights into the Canadian job market.
Event Highlights:
- Panel Discussions & Q&A Sessions: Explore challenges and opportunities in the Canadian labour market.
- Workshops: Hands-on training in resume writing, cover letter preparation, and interview techniques.
- Networking Opportunities: Build connections with employers and fellow job seekers.
- Exhibition Booths: Engage with organizations showcasing employment resources.
- Expert Talks: Gain career navigation advice from professionals.
Attendees will have the chance to meet potential employers, enhance job readiness skills, and access tailored employment programs. Register here to secure a spot.
| Youth Civic and Political Forum at Toronto City Hall |
The Young Politicians invites all youth to the Youth Civic and Political Forum on September 21, 2024 at Toronto City Hall. This event is an opportunity for young minds to come together, engage in meaningful discussions, and explore solutions to issues facing Toronto. Join like-minded peers and renowned leaders to explore, initiate, and debate on civic and political matters. For more details, click here.
| Tawich in the City |
Wildlands League and Mushkegowuk Council are delighted to present Tawich in the City, where Indigenous music meets science meets art and much more.
Tawich* has been a hidden gem until now. This one night only event will connect your heart, soul, and mind to Canada's great inland sea and its incredible people!
You will see astonishing wildlife footage by the award-winning Water Brothers and hear from the Omushkego leaders like Mushkegowuk Council’s Deputy Grand Chief Natasha Martin, Peawanuck’s Sam Hunter, and Juno Award winner Lawrence Martin, who is galvanizing the protection of his peoples’ sacred lands and waters.
September 25, 2024 | 7:00 PM
- Tikcets: $55.00+
- Venue: Koerner Hall
- Genre: Art & Conversation, Indigenous Music
- Presenter: Wildlands League & Mushkegowuk Council
| River Run 2024 |
Walk with Grassy Narrows youth and community members to show that you are with them on their path to achieve mercury justice and freedom!
Date: September 18, 2024
Time: 12 PM
Location: Downtown Toronto, details TBD
Sign up: Click here to register
This is a family-friendly event. Rain or shine!
| Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Awards |
Do you know of an exemplary project, group or person who has shown leadership, commitment and the best practice in heritage conservation this past year? Help the Ontario Heritage Trust recognize and celebrate them by submitting a nomination for the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards.
Nomination deadline: October 11, 2024
