May 8, 2026 Newsletter

Dear friend,

There is so much that I could talk about in this newsletter. The bill to expand the island airport is moving through the Legislature; Doug Ford is pushing through half-measures on housing; there are devastating failures to keep kids in government care safe; and so much more. 

But today I want to spotlight Ford’s underfunding and attack on our public education system. Catastrophic changes are coming day by day, and you deserve to know about them. 

This week, I was fortunate to participate in an education town hall co-hosted with my colleague MPP Jessica Bell and MPP Alexa Gilmour. Students, educators and parents everywhere are sounding the alarm about Ford’s hollowing out of our schools and the centralization of power at the Ministry of Education.

During the town hall, we heard from parents, experts, and advocates about what is going wrong in our schools and how we can pressure the Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, to reverse course. You can watch the full video of the town hall here. 

Yesterday, the Minister’s omnibus education Bill 101 received royal assent, meaning it has passed into law. This bill brings significant negative changes to Ontario’s public education system. After all, the doctors, policy makers, small business owners, tradespeople, and more of tomorrow are the public school students of today. An educated population enriches our society by providing improved services and qualified workers, whether or not you have children. 

Here is a quick overview of Bill 101: 

• Gives the Education Minister increased and unchecked power over schools and boards, including books, grades and exams, school budgets, board communications, land acquisition and buildings projects, and trustee pay and expenses.  
• Seriously reduces the powers of trustees and school boards in English-language boards (public and Catholic) to represent their communities. 
• Sets up the government to limit the number and scope of trustees
  • Toronto trustees will be cut in half, each one needing to represent double (and in our local case, to triple) the area
• Creates the position of School Board CEO, who can overrule democratically elected and accountable trustees. 
• Takes school board bargaining away from trustees for English boards, handing it to the new CEOs
• French school boards are largely exempt from these changes.

Every week, we hear about teachers being cut from their school boards, or “surplussed.” Some amount of surplussing is normal around this time as school boards estimate student populations for the upcoming school year. However, the numbers we are seeing this year are concerning. 

• This week, an email mistakenly sent to all high school teachers in government-supervised Peel Region identified by name the 159 full-time high school teachers who had been declared surplus. 
• The Ottawa Catholic District School Board’s government-appointed supervisor is surplussing 182 teachers, education workers, and principals. 
• The TDSB is surplussing 289 teachers, citing a significant projected drop in enrollment of 5,000 students. However, since the board is under government supervision, they have not shared details of why they are predicting this enrollment drop with teachers, their unions, or the public. 

It is absolutely outrageous that while our kids are learning in crowded classrooms and special education classes are being closed, the Minister of Education’s handpicked supervisors are taking even more teachers and education workers out of our schools at a moment when they need them the most. 

Our kids need more support, not less. They need more caring adults in the classroom, more educational assistants, and greater access to special education programs when they are indicated. Instead, this government and their board supervisors are cutting, removing funding for special education, surplussing education workers, including teachers and principals, and threatening to close specialized schools that allow our most at-risk students to thrive. 

This is all on top of decades of neglect of our school buildings. The Ontario NDP has been raising the alarm bells about the degrading state of our older school buildings for decades, but we have been ignored. We have all heard stories about students wearing coats in their classrooms, battling pests, and being subject to unsafe summer temperatures. 

We can not let Ford hollow out Ontario’s education system without a fight. I encourage you all to get connected with your local school, join the school council, and email the Minister of Education to let him know that you are outraged about these cuts. You can also sign my petition here to add your voice to the movement to restore public education.

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• 12 Reasons Not to Expand Billy Bishop Airport
• Tabling My Safety and Accountabilty in Corrections Bill
• A Summertime Win for Tenants
• Jobs and Housing for Scarborough and Beyond! 
• Rent Freeze Now! 
• Minister of Health Attacks Hospitals
• Ontario Needs a Black Healthy Equity Framework
• Winchester Park Residents Association AGM
  
• World Press Freedom Day Celebration
• Women RISE: Celebrating Leadership & Community Change
• Happy Forsythia Festival!
• INKSpire Book Launch and Grant Celebration
• Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Breakfast
• What’s Making Headlines
• Local Community Events

The government MPPs really got an earful from me this week. I spoke about the bill to expand Billy Bishop Airport and did not hold back. I shared twelve reasons why this plan is a terrible idea.

I also promised Doug Ford that I would let him know if I thought of any more reasons. Maybe you can help me out. Respond to this email with your ideas, and I will pass them on!

Below are my twelve reasons. If you want to hear me expand upon them, you can watch my whole speech here. 

My 12 Reasons: 

1. The Airport is too small. 
2. The traffic would be a nightmare! 
3. It’s unnecessary. On May 11, government officials will break ground on an expansion of Toronto Pearson International Airport to nearly double their capacity. 
4. Runway extensions would close off most of the harbour to boats and create a stagnant swamp to the west of the airport. 
5. Hanlan’s Point, a critical site of Queer and Trans history, would be under threat. 
6. It’s not safe. The airport does not currently meet Transport Canada safety standards, and the new one certainly would not either. 
7. There are health impacts from noise and fine particles.
8. Two elementary schools and countless recreation areas for children will be affected. 
9. It’s a waste of money. Taxpayers have invested billions of dollars to develop the waterfront into Canada’s #1 tourist destination.
10. It would be a disaster for wildlife, particularly migratory birds 
11. Follow the money—the main beneficiary is JP Morgan’s subsidiary, Nieuport Aviation.
12. New housing at risk. Due to new flight paths, at least one-third of the 30,000 new units of housing will be at risk in the Port Lands.

Yesterday, I introduced a bill that could make real progress to keeping our community safe. It is called the Safety and Accountability in Ontario Corrections Act. 

Too many workers and inmates are subjected to horrendous, unsafe conditions in Ontario Corrections. I want to echo Yusuf Faqiri's words: there are countless people just like his brother Soli currently detained without the support they need. Ontarians deserve real accountability when things go wrong in detention, and my bill could help make this happen.

Thank you to Emily Coyle from the Council of Elizabeth Fry Societies of Ontario and Yusuf Faqiri, founder of JUstice for Soli for their remarks and support for this important legislation.

My heart goes out to Yusef Faqiri and his family. This bill honours Soleiman’s memory. I will do everything in my power to make the Premier, the Solicitor General, and their government apologize for Soleiman’s death, ensure those working in corrections are safe, and fix Ontario’s corrections system. Add your name here if you agree. 

Attention all tenants! I am so thrilled to bring you truly excellent news. After decades of pressure from housing advocates and the Ontario NDP, new provincial rules will allow tenants to install window air conditioning units without unnecessary restrictions. 

This is a critical step forward that will protect renters' health during extreme heat events. No longer will renters have to weigh whether achieving a safe summer temperature in their homes will result in eviction. 

This is just one piece of the puzzle, though. 

We must continue pushing for a maximum-temperature law to ensure all tenants are protected from unsafe indoor temperatures. This is a health issue that impacts seniors, people with disabilities, and young children the most. It is critical that we tackle extreme heat in our homes and take robust climate action. I am proud to be part of a party that is working towards both. 

This Tuesday, I had the opportunity to ask Doug Ford why he won’t stand up for working people, especially people like Ingrid, a single mom, and her adult son, David. I met them at a community event in Scarborough, where they told me about Ingrid’s accident that left her permanently disabled and David’s struggle to find a job despite being a young university graduate ready to work. 

I asked Doug Ford why people like David and Ingrid are not his priority. He should be working every day to ensure that families can afford safe, stable housing and access to dignified work. 

Sadly, I was not given a substantive answer. If you would like to watch the whole exchange, you can do so here. 

I am so thankful to my colleague Jessica Bell, the MPP for University Rosedale, for bringing forward her motion to freeze rents on Ontario’s 1.7 million rent-controlled homes in 2027 and 2028. It was cruelly voted down by the government. 

Doug Ford and his government hate renters. How else can we explain his many policy failures in standing up for renters in Ontario?

• He failed Ontario renters when he removed rent-control protections for many new units first occupied after November 2018, exposing thousands of tenants to unlimited rent hikes.
• He failed renters when he allowed the Landlord and Tenant Board to become mired in delays, leaving tenants waiting for justice while uncertainty and abuse continued. 
• He failed renters by refusing to build enough deeply affordable and non-market housing. 
• I could go on, but you get the point.

I was proud to speak to this motion and bring the voices of renters to the Legislature. You can watch my entire speech here. 

Many of you may already have seen the shocking and disparaging comments that Minister of Health Sylivia Jones made to hospital leadership. She said that she was “frustrated” with hospital leadership because they did not seem grateful enough for a $1.1 billion dollar one-time cash infusion to be shared between Ontario’s 135 public hospitals. 

This government has been cutting healthcare spending, firing workers, and failing to respond to hospitals' desperate pleas for help for years. Her leadership has been defined by privatization, pulling funding out of our public hospitals and funnelling it into day-surgery clinics that are paid more for the same surgeries on low-risk patients than hospitals are paid for the highest-risk patients. 

Instead of listening to hospitals and frontline workers, Minister Jones is lashing out at the very partners keeping our system afloat. The Ontario NDP is focused on solutions. We are engaging our hospital partners, finding innovative practices we can scale, and ensuring that quality patient care remains at the centre of everything we do. 

Hospital leaders are telling this government they are stretched to the breaking point. We have been hearing reports that hospitals are turning offices and broom closets into patient rooms because they can’t handle the volume otherwise.

Yet Minister Jones responds with frustration instead of action. Partnership means listening, collaborating, and properly funding care. I am so proud that New Democrats have a plan to strengthen our hospitals through real investment, innovation, and true partnership with the people delivering care every day.

I was glad to stand with members of the Black Women’s Institute for Health during their press conference at Queen’s Park, where they spoke about the unique and exceptional barriers Black women face when accessing healthcare. Black women are often denied or dismissed by healthcare professionals, and many delay accessing healthcare because of previous negative experiences. Thousands of Black women report experiences of racism when accessing care during pregnancy and childbirth, for mental health concerns, and for chronic pain.

I am proud to co-sponsor Bill 115, the Black Health Equity Act, with my colleagues MPPs France Gelinas, Tom Rakocevic and Robin Lennox. This bill calls on the Government of Ontario to recognize the right of Black residents to equitable, culturally safe and anti-racist healthcare, and to develop a Black Health Equity Framework. The bill further calls for the collection of race-based data to understand where disparities exist and need to be addressed. You can read the bill here. 

As Kearie Daniel, the Founder and Executive Director of the Black Women’s Institute for Health, stated: Ontario has the largest black population in Canada – it has both the opportunity and responsibility to lead. Black Ontarians deserve the same level of care and compassion as anyone else. We cannot allow this unequal and racist healthcare system to continue to create worse health outcomes for Black communities.

The Toronto Star wrote an excellent article based on this press conference and the Black Women’s Institute for Health’s report. You can read the article here. 

The Winchester Park Residents Association’s AGM is always an excellent opportunity to connect with so many neighbours. Resident-led initiatives are imperative for local advocacy and the community's quality of life. I am grateful for the invitation to speak with these wonderful neighbours, and look forward to working with WPRA to accomplish their community objectives in the seasons ahead.

Thank you to the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada for hosting a celebration in honour of World Press Freedom Day at Toronto City Hall. I was glad to join my colleagues Chris Glover and Jessica Bell to highlight and champion the fundamental importance of a free press to democracy. 

In the past year, over 200 journalists have been killed through state repression, targeted attacks, and as casualties of global conflict. In particular, the genocide in Palestine has been one of the deadliest for journalists in history – the UN reports that 242 journalists have been killed or lost their lives.

Journalism is an act of bravery; a mantle taken up by people who believe in speaking truth to power and in the public's right to information. I would like to thank all members of the press for their courage and contributions.

I was honoured to join community members at WomenRISE this weekend to celebrate feminist leadership and social change with Bangladeshi-Canadian Community Services. I was inspired by the leaders advancing equity and empowerment for immigrant women. 

Thank you to all the community leaders and mentors for their warm welcome of me to Scarborough!

The Forsythia Festival bloomed just as brightly and beautifully as ever this past Sunday!

I always love marching through the streets of Cabbagetown with so many excited families, the Heavyweights Brass Band, and of course, all that yellow! Celebrating one of the first signs of spring, the flowering of the forsythia, is a 55-year-old tradition in Cabbagetown, and it brings me so much joy every year.

This festival is made possible by the dedication of the volunteer organizers, the local businesses that sponsored the event, and all the enthusiastic participants. I am so thankful to the Cabbagetown Residents Association for their ongoing work and enthusiasm in bringing the Forsythia Festival to life each year!

I was honoured to attend the launch of InkSpire’s very first print anthology and celebrate their successful Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant cycle at Ben McNally Books. 

I am so impressed with the work that INKspire does to uplift the voices of young women and gender-diverse writers, offering them one-on-one editorial support and publication opportunities. You can learn more about INKspire and read the work they publish here. 

These young writers and leaders are going places!

It was my pleasure to join the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects at their breakfast reception. Landscape architects create miracles every day, from building parks on top of parking garages and subway tunnels to being the minds behind the Bay Street Bioswale that has created so much greenery and growth. The OALA has been at Queen’s Park for several years, asking for nothing more than for landscape architects to be classified as a recognized profession.

I am proud to be working on legislative research that will hopefully lead to the creation of the long-awaited Landscape Architects Practice Act. Having a practice act would lawfully recognize the expertise that they bring to the table and prevent landscape architects from missing out on new work and other contract opportunities. As the Shadow Attorney General, I will continue to champion the OALA and their legislative requirements, and encourage members of all parties to work together to get this done.

• Endometriosis Events
• Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs
• UNIFOR

MigARTion aims to create critical and creative space where professional artists and the migrant community create art together in a shared environment of planning, integration and eventual execution of the project. 

The mobilization of MigARTion project is led by Co. ERASGA artistic director, choreographer/dancer Alvin E. Tolentino with his artistic team of Filipino artists - theatre director Dennis Gupa, music and opera trained singer Jeremiah Carag, poet/writer Karla Comanda and visual artist Christopher Nazaire.

We invite all new immigrants from the multi-racial community to participate in this collective art making experience.

Learn music, dance, theatre, visual arts and creative writings.

Toronto Workshop – May 19 from 3 PM - 8:00 PM

Scarborough Workshop – May 18th from 3 PM - 8 PM

Hosted by Butterfly and Asian Massage Workers, the Asian Massage Festival honours the cultural heritage of Asian massage practices and recognizes the healing knowledge, labour, resilience, and contributions of Asian massage workers across generations.

Online Panel: Resistance and Organizing of Asian Massage Workers Over the Past Decade

Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Time: 7–9 PM

Location: Online

Speakers: Butterfly and Asian massage workers

Asian Massage Workers’ Justice and Solidarity Parade

Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026

Time: 2–5 PM

Location: Great Hall, OCAD University, 100 McCaul Street, Toronto

This in-person gathering will feature a lion dance, RAW Taiko drummers, art book-making, massage demonstrations, and speeches by Asian massage workers.

The festival creates space to celebrate, learn, and recognize the leadership of Asian massage workers. It also raises awareness about the stigma, racism, classism, xenophobia, whorephobia, overregulation, racial profiling, discrimination, and criminalization that many workers continue to face.

Steps Public Art is pleased to share that the Call for Artists to animate construction hoarding at Ontario Line stations is now live. This pilot, delivered in partnership with Ontario Transit Group and STEPS Public Art, will animate construction hoarding with artwork at four stations: King West, Chinatown, Moss Park and Distillery District.

Call for Artists details:

• Application deadline: June 15, 2026
• Eligibility: Open to professional artists based in Toronto who have a connection to one of the four pilot site communities: Chinatown/Queen West, King West, Moss Park, or Distillery District/Old Town Toronto.
• Award: Up to four (4) awards of $5,000 CAD
• Call for Artists link and more information 

Selected artworks are expected to be installed in fall 2026.

WoodGreen is offering a Tenant Empowerment Course to help participants build confidence and knowledge when navigating the rental market and maintaining housing. The course covers practical tenant-related topics, including housing searches, inspections, securing a rental, budgeting, benefits, money management, communication with landlords, caring for your home, and tenant rights and responsibilities. 

Upcoming Session Dates:

• Thursday, May 14
• Thursday, May 21

Time: 4–6 PM
Location: 2206 Eglinton Avenue East, 7th Floor, Scarborough
Format: In-person and virtual

Register here.

Questions: Email [email protected]

Join the City of Toronto for Toronto Newcomer day, a city wide celebration recognizing the contributions and experiences of newcomers across Toronto. The event will include community information, activities and opportunities to connect with organizations and services from across the city. 

Event Details 

Date: Friday, May 29, 2026

Location: Nathan Phillips Square

Inspirations Studio invites you to their Spring Market pottery sale!

Dates and Times:

Friday, May 8, 4-7 PM

Saturday, May 9, 12-4 PM

Sunday, May 10, 12-4 PM

Location: YWCA’s Toronto Inspirations Studio – 389 Church Street

Meet the makers, find beautiful gifts that give twice, and enjoy lollipops and lemonade. Come celebrate Mother’s Day at Inspirations Studio.

Inspirations Studio is a unique, low-barrier ceramics program for women and gender diverse people who have experienced marginalization.

YouthWorx is seeking enthusiastic individuals aged 14-18 to join their summer team! This is a fantastic opportunity to engage in community cleanups, light repairs, painting, and beautification projects.

If you have any questions, email [email protected], visit the TCHC website, or call 437-228-3947.

Save the date for Riverdale Farm's Spring Celebration!

Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026

Time: 10 AM - 3 PM

Location: Riverdale Farm, 201 Winchester Street

There will be sheep shearing, carding, spinning, and weaving demonstrations, as well as crafts, a playroom, and refreshments. 

The event is from 10 AM - 3 PM, but the farm will be open from 9 AM to 5 PM.

The Toronto District School Board’s Summer International Languages Elementary & African Heritage Programs are open for registration!

Languages include Amharic, Somali, Cantonese, simplified and traditional Mandarin, Ukrainian, Spanish, Arabic, Tamil, and more!

Click here for more information and to sign up.

Applications are now open for the RISE Program by Apathy is Boring.

This is a 15-week program where young people (ages 18–30) work in a small cohort to co-create and launch a community project, with strong support along the way. Whether you’re new to civic engagement or already involved, this is a great entry point for building skills and bringing your ideas to life.

What does the RISE program do?

RISE supports participants by guiding them through a 15-week program that provides access to training, skill-building workshops, mentorship/networking opportunities, and a $ 4,000 budget! We encourage all youth to apply, especially those who are new to civic engagement. It is a great opportunity to gain transferable skills and serves as an entry point to further civic and community engagement.

Here’s a rundown of what participants can expect in the program:

• Weekly (evening) in-person meetings (located at CSI-Spadina), facilitated by the RISE Program coordinator.
• Free dinners at every weekly meeting
• All expenses paid national conference August 7th-9th, where they get to meet other passionate youth across Canada (Location TBD)
• A $4000 budget to make their project a reality
• Skill-building and networking opportunities
• 1:1 support and mentorship from the RISE Program coordinator

The upcoming RISE cohort runs from July 6 to October 12, 2026. Applications are currently open until this Sunday, May 24th. Click here for the application form.

They also have a referral program! If you have someone in mind that you think should apply, refer them, and you will receive a gift card from Apathy is Boring if they become one of the summer 2026 RISE ambassadors. Refer someone here.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to this email:

[email protected]

There will also be an information session happening on May 2, 2026, from 7-8 PM EST (youth can sign up here!).

Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Toronto provides mentorship and positive relationships for young people in our communities. In addition to brothers and sisters, they are recruiting Big Siblings to mentor 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, Big Couples (couples over 25 years old in stable relationships), and Big Gs (retirees aged 55+). There are so many ways to get involved! 

450 children and youth in Toronto are waiting to be matched with a mentor! Sign up today!

Learn about their programs and sign up here.

Are you looking to honour human rights heroes in your community?

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Daniel G. Hill Human Rights Awards, presented by the Ontario Human Rights Commission during its 65th anniversary year.

The Daniel G. Hill Human Rights Awards commemorate the legacy of human rights trailblazers by honouring them in the name of the organization’s first Black Director and Black Chairperson.

The awards are an opportunity for the OHRC to share, recognize, and celebrate achievements that advance and foster human rights in Ontario.

In 2026, the OHRC will present the Daniel G. Hill Awards in three categories:

• Young Leaders: to be awarded to a person under age 30 (as of December 31, 2025) for their outstanding contribution to advancing human rights in Ontario.
• Distinguished Service: to be awarded to an individual for outstanding contribution to advancing human rights in Ontario.
• Lifetime Achievement: to be awarded to an individual for significant contributions over their lifetime to advance human rights in Ontario.

If you or someone you know is doing great work to support human rights, please consider a nomination. Nominations are open until May 29, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST. Find out more here.