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Dear Neighbour,

Get your orange horses ready! Yesterday, key rules for the federal NDP Leadership race was decided. A new leader will be named by the end of March 2026. Political junkies rejoice: over the coming weeks and months, you can expect swirling rumours, fresh announcements, and hot political gossip about who will lead the NDP at the federal level. I’ll be keenly watching and encouraging everyone to renew their membership. Thanks to the NDP’s unified party structure, our federal and provincial NDP membership comes with voting rights!

What: Education in Crisis Townhall

When: Monday July 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Where: Zoom — RSVP here

On the last day of school in June, the Minister of Education placed four more school boards under provincial supervision — including the TDSB. The authority of elected Trustees is now in the hands of the Minister of Education, who has appointed an un-elected supervisor. Join MPP Jessica Bell, MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam, and elected Trustee Deborah Williams for updates and what provincial supervision means for our students, families, educators, communities, and our democracy. Everyone is welcome! Your voice matters! Please note, as of June 27, 2025 the TDSB is under Ministry of Education supervision and control. Provincial supervision has restricted the role of Deborah Williams, who is the Elected Trustee for TDSB Ward 10, University-Rosedale & Toronto Centre.

Failing to act on homelessness should be a political impossibility, and yet here we are, with homelessness in Toronto at crisis levels. Rates have more than doubled over the past three years, something I know isn’t a shock to anyone in downtown Toronto. We experience this humanitarian crisis every day at our doorsteps and in our neighbourhoods. 

The City of Toronto published their 2024 Street Needs Assessment report this week, and it is bleak. This report is a snapshot in time of homelessness in October 2024. Still, it gives us valuable insight into who is unhoused, what complexities are common, and which needs are going unmet (spoiler alert - it's most of them). The survey found that Indigenous, Black, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people are vastly over-represented in Toronto’s homeless population, as are people with unmet health needs and survivors of intimate partner or gender-based violence. We also know that surveys like these miss many “hidden homeless” people who are couch surfing, living outside in difficult-to-access areas, and those who are unwilling to participate in surveys like this. Cathy Crow, a street nurse and advocate for the unhoused, shared with CBC that every count of homeless folks is an undercount, especially of those living outdoors. 

The vast majority of respondents to the Street Needs Assessment survey stated that access to Rent-Geared-To-Income housing would have prevented or would end their homelessness. Many others stated that unmet health needs, like access to a family doctor, mental health supports, and/or addiction treatment, were all factors in their lack of housing. Another trend was that experiences of violence, especially gender-based and intimate partner violence, were high among respondents, and often were factors in their lack of housing. This phenomenon was echoed in another report published this week by the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, which found that gender-based violence was the leading cause of homelessness for women and gender-diverse people. 

Solving the homelessness crisis in Toronto and across Canada is possible. It will require a concentrated, collective effort by every level of government across our country. It will be difficult, but not impossible, as we already know how to end homelessness. 

Building affordable non-market housing and supportive housing are homelessness prevention and reduction strategies. Accessible, high-quality healthcare with low barriers is homelessness prevention. Doubling social assistance rates to a level that would actually lift people out of poverty and allow them to pay for housing is homelessness prevention. We also know that creating a justice system that works, investing in violence prevention and early-intervention programs for youth, are all homelessness prevention. Not only are these solutions to address homelessness, but they also reduce expensive and desperate alternatives such as shelter, hospital and correctional beds. Building a continuum of suitable and affordable housing for the broad needs of Ontarians reduces government costs, creates healthier communities and bolsters our economy. 

Yet the Ford government fails to implement them. This government does not have a plan to end homelessness and continually ignores the recommendations of its own housing task force.

The Ontario NDP will never stop pushing for a housing mix that meets everyone’s needs and includes non-market options, a healthcare system that is public and well-funded, violence-prevention and justice services that advance community wellbeing, and the prioritization of equity for underserved communities. I am so proud to be a New Democrat; to be part of a party that advances policies that make life more affordable, make our communities healthier, more connected and prosperous, and lead with compassion. I will never stop pushing all governments to do more for our communities. Ending homelessness is a responsibility that falls on every elected official and order of government. 

Despite being incredibly busy ignoring Ontario’s homelessness crisis, this week, Ford met with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to sign two non-binding Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on interprovincial trade. The MOUs focused on pipelines and rail transportation to transport critical minerals, oil sands extraction, and natural gas to markets. I can get behind more rail transportation and recognize the need to export our critical minerals (when they are responsibly mined and respectful of Indigenous sovereignty), but building new fossil fuel infrastructure like pipelines must come with rigorous environmental assessments and a clear business case, things I worry Ford would not provide. A resurrection of the Energy East pipeline, once proposed to carry Alberta crude from the oil sands to refineries in New Brunswick, even seemed to be on the table.

We need more interprovincial trade - that is something that I fully support. However, Ford is using the cover of Trump’s trade war to push his regressive, anti-environmental agenda as far as it will go. Anything to help his rich buddies get richer!

The Energy East pipeline was killed more than ten years ago because it was too expensive, too logistically complex, faced massive opposition from Indigenous nations and environmental groups, and because the world is moving away from fossil fuels. Ten years later, the same barriers exist, renewables are cheaper, and Trans Canada (now TC Energy), which was going to build the pipeline, is no longer in the business of building pipelines. The only reason that Energy East was ever logistically or economically viable was because Trans Canada owned a natural gas pipeline that covered ⅓ of the proposed route, which they planned to repurpose. And even with that existing pipeline, the project couldn’t get off the ground! 

Instead of relying on the fossil fuel industry to create short-term jobs and short-term energy independence, we should go all-in on renewables. Renewables create great long-term jobs, energy independence that lasts for generations, and a cleaner planet we can all be proud of.

If Energy East is ever officially proposed, we need to be prepared to push for strong environmental assessments, true consultation with Indigenous communities, and an air-tight business case. Bill 5 has completely changed the regulatory environment, and we know that Doug Ford often pushes through projects that don’t make economic or local sense (see below for an update on the Ontario Place mega-spa). We must therefore be ready with strong arguments and stronger opposition to create an environment where building this pipeline is a political impossibility. I am ready. 

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Judge Upholds Bike Lane Injunction, Ford Flounders
• Ontario’s Tribunals Failing on Transparency
• Therme Downsizes Ontario Place Spa Again
• Cafe Zuzu Open After Impaired Driver Crash
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

Another win for cyclists and an independent judiciary in Toronto this week! The Ontario courts have dismissed Ford’s request to appeal the injunction currently in place to prevent the removal of bike lanes on Bloor, Yonge, and University. This injunction is in place until the courts hear arguments and decide whether Ford’s legislation to remove these bike lanes is constitutional. Cycle Toronto argues that the law is arbitrary, puts cyclists’ lives at stake, and that the government lacks evidence that removing the lanes will reduce congestion. I couldn’t agree more. 

As a cyclist and a driver, I strongly support keeping these lanes for the safety and well-being of cyclists and drivers alike. Nothing is more stressful than drivers and cyclists sharing the same space on a busy roadway, no matter who you are! I will not stop fighting for safe streets for all road users. 

Yesterday, I sent two letters to the Ontario Ombudsman, Paul Dubé, asking him to investigate issues of transparency and consistency within the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), as well as the failure of three Tribunals to release annual reports for two years in a row. 

In my letter concerning the LTB, I ask why Tribunals Ontario and the Ombudsman’s office are reporting contradictory statistics concerning the LTB’s implementation of the Ombudsman’s Office’s recommendations for improvement. The Ombudsman’s 2023/24 Annual Report says that the LTB had taken action on 35 of 61 recommendations.  Meanwhile, Tribunals Ontario claims to have “fully addressed” 79 percent of the recommendations. This discrepancy is enormous. You deserve answers about what is really going on inside the LTB. Tenants and Landlords are waiting for egregiously long periods of time for hearings, much longer than they waited just six years ago. They deserve answers and a genuine commitment to improve wait times through evidence. 

My second letter concerned the failure of the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB), Health Services Appeal and Review Board (HSARB), and Consent and Capacity Board (CCB) to publish annual reports for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This failure is consistent with the lack of transparency and increased insider appointments that have plagued the tribunal system throughout the Ford government’s tenure, especially after Ford appointed former PC candidate Sean Weir as Tribunals Ontario's Executive Chair in 2020. 

While these annual reports may not make for the most exciting reading, they are critical tools to understand how the tribunal is functioning, what the backlogs are, and to track trends in types of cases and case outcomes. If one kind of case suddenly skyrockets, that is a flag that something in our society is not working well, and the government should act to address it on a systemic level. If there is a sudden spike in dismissed cases, that is an opportunity to review adjudicator training and appointments, as well as materials and processes on the public side. Those are just two examples! These reports are critical for transparency, early response, and reflection by tribunal leadership. Failing to produce these reports and make them public undermines the effectiveness of the entire system. 

I am eagerly awaiting a response from the Ombudsman and will keep you updated.

The Ontario Place mega-spa is getting a little less mega — for the second time. This Tuesday, Therme released newly redesigned plans for its private spa on public land. These plans include a 13% reduction in the spa's size, following a 2023 redesign that saw the space reduced by 25%. 

These continual redesigns may mean more public realm space and less inaccessible public land, but they also point to chaos and a potential lack of financing behind the scenes. As we know, Therme lied continuously about their assets, allowing the government to believe that they owned and operated six large spas globally. When the Auditor General looked closely, they found that Therme only owned and operated one spa; the others were simply operated under the same model and the same name by a different company and owner, but not by the Therme that was making the application. That alone should be grounds for tearing up this horrible agreement.

The more we learn about Therme and their plans for Ontario Place, the more the entire agreement reveals itself to be a sham. It is disgusting that this government continues to double down on this failed plan, when we could be spending nearly $3 billion on a beautiful public realm project that suits the site and is open for everyone to enjoy. I am so thankful to the diligent Ontario NDP researchers and the array of journalists who have worked so hard to reveal Ford’s corruption for what it is. This story is continually evolving, and I promise to continue holding the government to account for it.

Last Saturday morning, an impaired driver crashed into the front of Regent Park’s beloved Cafe Zuzu. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, and Cafe Zuzu has been incredibly resilient. They are already open again and with their sense of humour intact. They are even hosting a “Door Crasher” community event today, inviting the neighbourhood to “bless this mess” and enjoy a special price on some of their most popular drinks. We love you, Zuzu!T

Ontario’s jail conditions are inhumane and disgraceful, judges say. Criminals are serving shorter sentences as a result

Coalition of parents, teachers, trustees speaks out against Ontario's school board takeover

Federal NDP plans to have a new leader by end of March 

Ontario asks feds to drop bill that would help provide clean drinking water to First Nations

Extreme heat is killing more seniors. Cities aren’t ready

Brace for layoffs, budget watchdog says, as Carney government aims to slash spending by $25B

New law that aims to protect Ontario gig workers falls short, critics say

Ontario child-care fees still at ‘high end,’ despite significant savings: report 

Ontario community colleges face up to 10,000 layoffs: union

York Region paramedic shouldn't have been fired over Israel comments: union, law experts

This man is running every street in Toronto. He’s not letting a brain cancer diagnosis stop him 

Registration is open for RAW’s Diversity in Design Summer Camp! Running August 25–29, this is a free, week-long camp for Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth in grades 6–12. The goal is to introduce young people to architecture and design through creative, hands-on workshops, walking tours, design challenges, and conversations about how design shapes our communities.

The camp includes:

• Daily workshops (10 AM–3 PM) at RAW’s studio near Ossington and Dupont
• Lunch, snacks, and TTC support as needed
• Mentorship from architects and designers
• Portfolio review and post-secondary prep for grade 11/ 12 high school students

Interested families or students can contact Carrie at [email protected] for more information and to register.

Celebrate the amazing Canadian Small Businesses that make our communities unique with the CFIB’s Big Thank You Contest! Send a thank you message to your favourite Canadian small business for a chance to win one of two weekly prizes consisting of $1,000 cash and a Big Thank You Gift Box valued at $500 of small business goodies from across the country! 

If you win, the business you thank also wins a cash prize of $3,000 and a Big Thank You Gift Box valued at $1,000 which includes small business goodies and a 1-year CFIB membership connecting them to advocacy, business support, and savings! PLUS! We’re giving the most nominated business a bonus prize of $3,000!

Click here to submit your thank you!

Time: 1 PM - 5 PM

Date: Saturday, June 12, 2025

Location: Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter Street

All are welcome to take part in this free event for a taste of Caribbean food, drumming, Socacize, Caribbean and Latin dance, mask/headpiece making and games!

Under the Stars Opens Next Week!

Pre-show activities begin at 7:30 PM

Films start at sundown

Audiences are encouraged to arrive early, bring a picnic blanket, and gather friends and family to grab a great spot for opening night.

This year’s Under the Stars lineup has already earned rave reviews from Letterboxd users. From a bold reimagining of the Iranian road-trip genre to a charming rom-com featuring a meet-cute at a Hindu temple, the 2025 selection promises unforgettable stories and standout cinema.

Dates: July 16, 23 

Location: Regent Park

Get ready for another incredible summer of movies Under the Stars! Check out the local movie line-up here.

Are you a self-identifying woman aged 15–35? Join Mental Health Matters for an inspiring evening of networking, connection, and community. Enjoy a panel discussion, interactive networking, a Bloom Bar, and a photo booth — plus free food and refreshments.

Time: 6 PM - 9 PM

Date: Friday, July 18, 2025

Location: 150 River Street, Party Room, First Floor. 

Dress Code: Business Casual

RSVP Here 

Join us for an unforgettable evening as the Mike Field Jazz Quintet celebrates the release of their highly anticipated fifth album, Nashland!

Renowned for his bright, energetic sound and captivating performances, Mike Field returns with a vibrant collection of original tunes—two years in the making and brought to life by some of Toronto’s top jazz talent.

📍 Reid's Distillery (32 Logan Ave, just north of Lakeshore Blvd.)
📅 Tuesday, July 22, 2025
🕗 8:00–10:00 PM (Two 50-minute sets)
🎟️ Tickets: $15 in advance / $20 at the door
🎫 Get yours now at https://www.mikefieldjazz.com/dates

Set in the stylish setting of Reid’s Distillery, this special album launch concert promises an unforgettable night of fresh, fiery jazz and feel-good vibes.

This exciting project has been made possible with the funding support of the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

A new self-guided walking tour exploring Cabbagetown’s rich history is now available through the free Driftscape app. The Mainstreet Walking Tour — Discover Cabbagetown’s Roots takes users through the neighbourhood’s lively commercial corridors, highlighting its architecture, notable historical figures, and independent businesses.

With stops along Carlton, Parliament, and Gerrard Streets, the tour allows participants to explore at their own pace, making it ideal for both residents and visitors looking to discover something new.

This year’s edition includes brand-new content and expanded locations, as well as a Scavenger Hunt feature that challenges users to solve clues at each stop—adding an engaging, interactive experience for all ages.

Tour Features:

• Historic landmarks and heritage homes featuring archival images
  
  
• Stories of local figures and hidden histories throughout the neighbourhood
  
  
• Scavenger Hunt with clues and prize entry
  
  
• Interviews with local business owners and community voices
  
  
• Audio guides, visuals, and offline access for convenience
  
  
• Insider recommendations curated by the Cabbagetown Preservation Association

The full experience takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the participant’s pace, and is available anytime until the end of the year.

Dear Emma,

This past long weekend was full of fun, excitement, and community connection as we celebrated Pride and Canada Day. 

On Canada Day, I was thrilled to see so many neighbours out enjoying the festivities organized by the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association. St. James Park was busy with locals and visitors soaking up the music, performances, historical reenactments, and kids’ activities. 

I truly believe that Canada is one of the greatest nations in the world and that everyone who calls Canada home has a responsibility to make life better for themselves and their neighbours every day. I am grateful that my parents chose Canada as our adopted home. I am proudly raising my family here and planting our roots as deeply as possible, giving back to my country and city in every way. I love Canada and am so proud to be Canadian!

Canada Day is not just a celebration, but also a time for reflection. Celebrating Canada authentically means recognizing how Indigenous peoples experience Canada, both historically and today. We can be proud of how much has been done to work towards reconciliation and documenting the true history of colonialism and genocide. However, as Doug Ford showed when he passed Bill 5, and as Mark Carney showed when he passed Bill C-5, colonialism never ended: it evolved. It falls on truly patriotic Canadians to see this, work with Indigenous communities, and demand better. 

July 1st is also an important day for Chinese Canadians, as it is the day we call “Humiliation Day,” when the Chinese Exclusion Act came into force, requiring that Chinese Canadians pay a “head tax” of $500 ($15,000 in today’s money) per person to immigrate to Canada. The head tax was a racially specific immigration tax, one that Canada has never asked another group to pay. The Canadian government finally apologized for this racist policy in 2006, after years of activism from the Chinese-Canadian community. 

Canada is an incredibly welcoming and diverse country, where people come from all over the world to seek safety, community, and a better life. We might have a long way to go, but I also cannot name a single country whose people aspire to be inclusive, just, and a force for good, the way that Canadians do. I am thankful to all of the people in our Toronto Centre community for creating strong neighbourhoods and support networks that make me proud to be Canadian! 

Thank you to the St Lawrence Neighbourhood Association for organizing this Canada Day celebration, as they do every year! It was great to celebrate Canada and reflect on our history together, alongside the tabling groups, performers, and attendees who made Tuesday a beautiful day! 

This week, Doug Ford was talking a big game about investing half a billion dollars in six new water bombers to fight wildfires in Ontario. The problem? Despite desperately needing more planes to fight wildfires, Ontario has water bombers sitting idle because the province has not invested in the staff to pilot them. The other problem? Ford has not allocated any money in the 2025-2026 budget to pay for these water bombers. Not to mention, the one facility that builds these planes is so backed up that any order placed now would not be delivered for nearly 10 years. 

On Wednesday, the Toronto Star released a report detailing the internal government documents they acquired, which showed that no money had been put aside to purchase new waterbombers, despite Ford’s claims. Even in the face of this report, he refuses to explain his comments to the public. 

People’s lives are on the line as these wildfires rage. They do not need empty promises that will be decades in the making (if they are even true). They need commitments that will improve their lives today, for the rest of this fire season, and for years to come. We all also deserve a government that takes climate change seriously, invests in reducing our emissions, and lowers our risk into the future. 

The Ontario NDP has been raising the alarm about the lack of wildland firefighters in Ontario and proposing solutions for years. Firefighters have been telling us what they need to recruit and retain wildland firefighters, pilots, engineers, and other frontline workers: better pay, presumptive WSIB coverage for fire-related long-term illnesses, the acknowledgement that one fire season of work is one year of work, and basic respect for the incredibly challenging and life-saving work that they do. 

The North is on fire, and instead of respecting workers, Ford cut millions from wildland firefighting in the last budget and is now refusing to come clean about whether the government actually purchased necessary equipment.

I will continue to press the government to disclose whether or not these planes have actually been ordered and what concrete actions Ford is taking today to ensure our communities' safety. 

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Toronto Pride!
• 2026 Rent Increase Guideline will be 2.1%
• Justice Must Extend Behind Bars: New Maplehurst Recommendations
• Book Launch: Shame-Sex Attraction
• East African Experience in Regent Park
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

Anyone who spent any time in Toronto Centre last weekend knows that we celebrated Pride all weekend long!

I had a blast marching in all three marches alongside new and old friends, and of course, my Ontario NDP family. 

Starting off Pride weekend with the Trans March always feels right. It is a time to celebrate 2 Spirit, Transgender, and Non-Binary people in our community, speaking up for our rights to be safe, happy, and loved. This year, more than ever, we need to stand with our Trans siblings. They cannot face attacks on their safety and personhood alone, and nor should they. I was so moved to see the massive crowd of Trans folks and our allies this year, who proudly proclaimed that Trans people are an integral and treasured part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. I was also overjoyed to march with my wife, Farrah, who spent days lovingly sewing a banner (with the help of my mother) that proudly proclaimed “A day without trans kids is like a day without sunshine,” paying homage and building on the legacy of this iconic pride banner honouring lesbians. It was an honour to carry this banner and speak up for Trans kids everywhere.

The rest of the weekend was packed with events, including family pride, the Dyke March (a personal favourite), walking through the community fair, the Greenspace Festival, Church on Church, Drag Brunch at Glad Day, and of course the Pride Parade!

Sunday’s Pride Parade, the grand finale of the whole weekend, was wall-to-wall joy. Supporters packed the NDP float, dancing to gay anthems and spreading happiness (and free hand fans) to everyone along the parade route. I can’t wait for next June to do it all over again! Until then, you can find me pushing my Queer and Trans Agenda for the other 11 months of the year. 

Cultural festivals like Pride are critical gathering places. They are also economic engines, bringing millions of dollars to our community and supporting thousands of workers. The Ontario government must come to the table with stable, predictable funding to support Toronto Pride and other significant cultural festivals across the province. It is a good deal for them! The province takes in significant tax revenue - to the tune of tens of millions of dollars - from Toronto Pride each year. They have much to gain from its success and should invest in its long-term viability as a festival. These investments are also just the right thing to do! Pride is critical to the social fabric of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and governments should invest in events like it that improve the lives of people in our communities. This funding is something that I have been pressing the government to commit to for years, and I will not let up! 

The Ford government recently announced that Ontario’s 2026 rent increase guideline will be 2.1%. It's good that this is the lowest increase in four years. But let’s be clear: this government is doing the bare minimum. Renters need more support.

Renters need the government to close control loopholes. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018, remain completely exempt from rent control. This means that every renter in new buildings could be hit by a 10% or more rent increase every year.

That's not the only loophole. Corporate landlords regularly take advantage of above-guideline increases. Tenants facing AGIs could see rent increases as high as 5.1% in 2026.

Ontario’s renters deserve real rent control that includes all units. They deserve protections from renovictions and AGI abuse. They deserve a housing system built around human rights.

I will continue fighting for full rent control — that includes vacancy rent control.

This week, a coroner’s jury released 23 urgent recommendations in response to the overdose deaths of seven incarcerated men at Maplehurst Correctional Complex. These deaths were tragic and preventable. 

The jury’s recommendations build on existing calls from inmates, their loved ones, and unions. None of these findings are new or shocking, all the more reason that we must act on them to save lives in our correctional facilities. 

Here are a few of the most urgent recommendations:

• Inmates and staff must be equipped with Naloxone (a nasal spray that quickly reverses overdoses) and trained to use it. 
• Inmates must have access to comprehensive addiction treatment services while incarcerated. 
• The Ford government must address dangerous staffing shortages that threaten the safety and freedoms of inmates and staff. 

Let me be clear: human rights continue when someone is incarcerated. I will be following the Ministry of the Solicitor General’s actions closely to ensure these recommendations are not shelved or ignored, but instead treated with the urgency that they deserve. 

We must build a province where healthcare and support, not punishment, is our response to addiction.

LGBTQ+ lives and stories are fundamental to our history, but hate, bigotry, and intentional erasure have hidden our people's stories for far too long. 

Last night, I was honoured to attend the launch of Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors' Stories of Conversion Therapy, an anthology edited by Lucas Wilson. 

New Democrats are proud to have led the charge to ban conversion therapy — provincially and federally. It is critical to document the history of abuse that 2SLGBTQI+ people endured so that we never go backwards. You can request this book and others like it at Glad Day Bookshop!

This past weekend, I spent an incredible evening at the third annual East African Experience in Regent Park!

Events like this show the brilliance and beauty that collides together in Toronto and Regent Park! The cultural richness and strength on display reminded me of the importance of the Ethiopian Heritage Month Act that I sponsored with Doly Begum.

Thank you to the organizers, performers, local vendors, and sponsors behind this celebration. I'm so grateful that you invited the whole community to celebrate with such generosity.

Competition Bureau warns Canadian landlords and property managers about illegal discussions on rents

How Toronto tenants took on their landlords—and won—with rent strikes

USAID defunding could lead to 14 million deaths worldwide from infectious diseases by 2030

Doug Ford said he ordered new waterbombers to fight Ontario’s wildfires. Budget documents show no money earmarked for their purchase

Thousands gather for Pride parade in downtown Toronto

GALLERY: Toronto Pride Parade a ‘really special’ experience for first-timers

‘We’re not letting it go’: Advocates say government needs to do more to ensure people aren’t living in scorching hot apartments

Moderna announces promising efficacy results from mRNA flu vaccine trial

Shingles, RSV vaccines may protect older adults from dementia

Maternal flu vaccine protects newborns, vaccination in kids also effective, studies show

Innovation At Internal House

Join Fred Victor for a fun pride wrap-up celebration featuring a Bollywood dance workshop, button making, music, and snacks! 

Time: 1:30 PM - 3 PM

Date: Wednesday, July 9

Location: 40 Oak Street

In Vaibhav Sharma’s workshop, participants will learn a fun Bollywood routine to “Main toh raste se jaa raha tha,” a lively song about enjoying life and being true to oneself. Vaibhav interprets it as a powerful Pride anthem — expressing, “I was minding my own business, loving whoever I want, and if that offends you, that’s not my problem.”

Under the Stars Opens Next Week!

Pre-show activities begin at 7:30 PM

Films start at sundown

Audiences are encouraged to arrive early, bring a picnic blanket, and gather friends and family to grab a great spot for opening night.

This year’s Under the Stars lineup has already earned rave reviews from Letterboxd users. From a bold reimagining of the Iranian road-trip genre to a charming rom-com featuring a meet-cute at a Hindu temple, the 2025 selection promises unforgettable stories and standout cinema.

Dates: July 9, 16, 23 

Location: Regent Park

Get ready for another incredible summer of movies Under the Stars! Check out the local movie line-up here.

Time: 1 PM - 5 PM

Date: Saturday, June 12, 2025

Location: Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter Street

All are welcome to take part in this free event for a taste of Caribbean food, drumming, Socacize, Caribbean and Latin dance, mask/headpiece making and games!

Are you a self-identifying woman aged 15–35? Join Mental Health Matters for an inspiring evening of networking, connection, and community. Enjoy a panel discussion, interactive networking, a Bloom Bar, and a photo booth — plus free food and refreshments.

Time: 6 PM - 9 PM

Date: Friday, July 18, 2025

Location: 150 River Street, Party Room, First Floor. 

Dress Code: Business Casual

RSVP Here

A new self-guided walking tour exploring Cabbagetown’s rich history is now available through the free Driftscape app. The Mainstreet Walking Tour — Discover Cabbagetown’s Roots takes users through the neighbourhood’s lively commercial corridors, highlighting its architecture, notable historical figures, and independent businesses.

With stops along Carlton, Parliament, and Gerrard Streets, the tour allows participants to explore at their own pace, making it ideal for both residents and visitors looking to discover something new.

This year’s edition includes brand-new content and expanded locations, as well as a Scavenger Hunt feature that challenges users to solve clues at each stop—adding an engaging, interactive experience for all ages.

Tour Features:

• Historic landmarks and heritage homes featuring archival images
  
  
• Stories of local figures and hidden histories throughout the neighbourhood
  
  
• Scavenger Hunt with clues and prize entry
  
  
• Interviews with local business owners and community voices
  
  
• Audio guides, visuals, and offline access for convenience
  
  
• Insider recommendations curated by the Cabbagetown Preservation Association

The full experience takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the participant’s pace, and is available anytime until the end of the year.

Dear Neighbour,

I want to start by saying that my thoughts are with my colleague and Ontario NDP Deputy Leader Sol Mamakwa. His wife unexpectedly passed away this week. I cannot imagine the shock and pain he and his family are going through. I hope they are wrapped in love as they come together, grieve, and work to heal. 

You may have heard of Ford’s school takeover. Friends, I am furious.

Today the Ford government seized control of four democratically elected school boards. The list includes the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

He did this on the Friday before Pride and a long weekend because he wants you distracted.

Ford's move is a hostile takeover, dressed up in the language of “fiscal responsibility.” An unelected provincial appointee answering to Ford will now run each board. Trustees getting no pay or say in the public education that our children receive. It is another affront to public education and local democracy.

Ford created this funding crisis so that he could take more power away from our communities. For years, Trustees have been rightfully crying out for more provincial funding. Trustees were a vocal thorn in Ford's side as they fought for adequate staffing levels, smaller classrooms, supports for special education and more resources for students' well-being. That's because they were doing their job. Ford should absolutely be afraid of the power our Trustee Deborah Williams was working to build with students, parents, caregivers and education workers.

Paul Calandra, the Education Minister is a brazen media hitman deployed to bully public servants and attack public services. That's why I warned our community to watch out when he became Education Minister. He is trying to blame Trustees for inflation, downloading, and chronic underfunding. But he knows damn well that his government made the crisis.

We must start organizing now to fight the critical service cuts that will be coming. Trustees were trying to protect programs such as special education, mental health supports, and access to school pools. Now they’re being punished for refusing to make budget cuts that would hurt our children.

And soon, a provincial appointee with less understanding of how vital programs support our kids will wield the axe instead. Buried in his announcement, overdue curriculum updates to literacy, history, and STEM will be delayed — again.

We must not be silent. We must fight for transparency, for our young students, and for local democracy. We must demand that the Minister and Ford fix the real problem: their underfunding of our schools.

This week, Ontario’s Ombudsman released his annual report. His findings are clear: what happened at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex is not an isolated incident. There it is a widespread, systemic failure in Ontario jails that is getting worse under Doug Ford.

The Ombudsman has recorded a record-breaking 55% increase in complaints over the past year. That's the highest in the Ombudsman's 50-year history. Every complaint is a cry for help — and complaints from youth in detention have more than doubled from 202 to 423 last year alone. Investigators visiting 12 correctional facilities saw conditions deteriorating in real time with indefinite lockdowns. Facilities regularly fail to provide access to basic healthcare and mental health supports. How does this rehabilitate inmates, foster health or make Ontarians safer?

It’s time to call balls and strikes: Ford's policy failure in the corrections system is akin to subjecting Ontarians to state-sponsored torture.

As the Ombudsman said: “When we fail to uphold the basic dignity of people in custody, we do more than inflict harm, we erode public trust, degrade working conditions for staff, and weaken the very foundations of our justice system.”

The crisis in corrections impacts all of us. These conditions put everyone at risk — staff, families, communities, and the public at large. Many cases that law enforcement workers are advancing to keep the public safe are at risk. Judges are weighing time and mistreatment in corrections heavily when determining case outcomes.

The Premier can't call himself tough on crime when he's endangering our community’s safety.

Like the Ombudsman, Ontario New Democrats are demanding meaningful, systemic reforms. Subjecting inmates and corrections workers to unsanitary and unsafe conditions won't improve moral character or make the public safer. Correctional facilities must be places where rehabilitation is able to happen.

It's Pride weekend in Toronto! This is a great moment to uplift for our community and local businesses!  Again, if you spot me, don’t be shy and please say hi! I will be at the NDP’s Pride Table in the Community Fair and other iconic Pride events — all listed in this newsletter. Happy Pride!

You can sign up and join fellow supporters and I at Pride events using the button below:

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Join Me at Pride Marches this Weekend!
• 2025 AIDS Vigil
• Living Long in the Distillery District
• Touring the Hassle Free Clinic
• LAUFT Event
• A Successful Market St. Pride
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

Toronto Pride lets our community celebrate who we are, remember our history, and recommit to the fight for liberation. Ontario New Democrats are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with 2SLGBTQI+ communities every step of the way.

You can march with us in this year’s Pride! Whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, you are welcome — with your flags, bells, signs, sparkles, and righteous indignation.

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans Rally and March

🗓 Friday, June 28

📍 Rally 7:00 PM | March: 8:00 PM

📌 Location: Church & Charles Street

RSVP

🌈 Dyke Rally and March

🗓 Saturday, June 29

📍 Meet-up time: 1:00 PM | March: 2:00 PM

📌 Location: North side of Church & Hayden

RSVP

🎉 Pride Parade (NEW location this year for meet up)

🗓 Sunday, June 30

📍NDP contingent Assembly time: 1:30 PM

📌 NEW Location: Yonge St & Aylmer Ave(north of Bloor & Davenport)

RSVP

Let’s show Ontario what solidarity looks like. Let’s march for queer joy, for trans rights, for racial justice, for public healthcare, and for a future where no one is left behind.

Every Pride Month, the AIDS vigil is one of the most important moments for our community. At the AIDS vigil this year, our community remembered those we lost, those we love, and the work ahead. There is tremendous power running through the ongoing history of HIV/AIDS. 2SLGBTQI+ communities have stared apocalypse in the face and come out the other side. The political present — no matter how scary or hateful — is vincible. Our elders took command of their destiny when the odds were stacked against them and grief was everywhere. Our community can win impossible fights again because we have won impossible fights before. Thank you to the 519 and those working year-round supporting those with HIV/AIDS and keeping our history alive.

I also want to share the AIDS Memorial Story-telling project. This initiative by the 519 aims to document peoples’ lived history and create a multimedia record that can be layered on to the existing monument. If you want the legacy of someone you know or loved who died of HIV/AIDS included in this project, you can share their story here. 

Congratulations to the Gooderham and Worts Neighbourhood Association on receiving a government grant to support your project Living Long in the Distillery District!  I was thrilled to join you this week and learn about how there will be more support and programming for older adults coming to Toronto Centre! Our community is stronger because of your work to build a more inclusive and age-friendly Toronto.

Thank you to the Hassle Free Clinic for inviting me to tour your beautiful facility at 66 Gerrard Street East! 

The Hassle Free Clinic provides free sexual and mental health services to 2SLGTBQI+ folks and community members at risk because of marginalization. If this is your first time hearing about the hassle free clinic, you can check them out at https://www.hasslefreeclinic.org/ if you or someone you know would benefit from their low-barrier services!

The way in which people work continues to rapidly change. The rise of remote work quickened during COVID when opportunities to physically meet were limited. It brought unique challenges that are still being addressed and understood today. I was honoured to join Founder and CEO, Graham Wong of LAUFT for Toronto Tech Week at their 95 King Street East office and event space.

LAUFT creates flexible coworking spaces for people who want the benefits of remote and flexible working locations without missing out on in-person collaboration opportunities. Community and connections make for successful places to work. Thank you for choosing to make Toronto Centre your home!

Thank you St. Lawrence Market, Pride Toronto, and Old Town Toronto BIA for organizing another fabulous Market Street Pride last weekend! I’m very proud to have initiated the pedestrianized of Market Street years ago at City Hall with the Old Town Toronto and the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association. The extra public space enabled performances and unique vendors while highlighting the small businesses and community ties that keep Toronto's Pride movement growing across the city. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi and pick up a new tote bag!

Ombudsman sounds alarm about 'growing state of crisis' in Ontario jails

Creating a safe space for 2SLGBTQ+ seniors

Toronto renters see little mandated relief as temperatures soar

With Ford’s government in one corner and city officials in another, will Toronto’s green homebuilding measures survive?

More than 100 households on rent strike await their fate after four-day eviction hearing ends

Toronto woman waited 12 hours for police's non-emergency line — but didn’t get through

Scorching temperatures keep hammering GTA, heat warning expected to end Tuesday night

St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Presents CANADA DAY at St. James Park

July 1st, 2025 from 11:00am – 3:00pm.

FREE: T-shirt colouring, temporary tattoos, and perforances!

Every year, the 519's Green Space festival has some of the most fabulous Pride programming. Green space lets community members party for a cause, with all proceeds supporting the 519's work in our community! You can check out their programming here. 

It will soon be Pride weekend in Toronto Centre! You can check out Pride Toronto's Pride Guide to see the fabulous line-up of events in our community. Remember to shop local and support Toronto Centre businesses where you can throughout Pride weekend!

A new self-guided walking tour exploring Cabbagetown’s rich history is now available through the free Driftscape app. The Mainstreet Walking Tour — Discover Cabbagetown’s Roots takes users through the neighbourhood’s lively commercial corridors, highlighting its architecture, notable historical figures, and independent businesses.

With stops along Carlton, Parliament, and Gerrard Streets, the tour allows participants to explore at their own pace, making it ideal for both residents and visitors looking to discover something new.

This year’s edition includes brand-new content and expanded locations, as well as a Scavenger Hunt feature that challenges users to solve clues at each stop—adding an engaging, interactive experience for all ages.

🔍 Tour Features:

• 🏛️ Historic landmarks and heritage homes featuring archival images
  
  
• 📍 Stories of local figures and hidden histories throughout the neighbourhood
  
  
• 🎯 Scavenger Hunt with clues and prize entry
  
  
• 🎙️ Interviews with local business owners and community voices
  
  
• 📞 Audio guides, visuals, and offline access for convenience
  
  
• 💬 Insider recommendations curated by the Cabbagetown Preservation Association
  
  

The full experience takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the participant’s pace, and is available anytime until the end of the year.

The Downtown Yonge BIA is celebrating summer by giving away a $300 prize pack EVERY WEEK from June until September!

There are 2 ways to enter:

1) Submit a photo of any purchase made in Downtown Yonge
AND/OR
2) Submit a photo you took at a Downtown Yonge event. Check out their full list of events

Prize packs include show tickets, restaurant and shopping giftcards and more!

For full contest details, please click here.

I want to help amplify Black People United for Change’s official petition! Black People United for Change has come together to stand up to the Canadian Government to address the lack of protection afforded to Black Canadians.

Dear Neighbour,

The thermometer is spiking and Pride Month is in full swing in Toronto Centre! This Sunday from 3 to 5 PM the Toronto Centre NDP Riding Association is hosting our Pride Month Social at Paddington’s Pump and you are invited! It will be right beside Market Street Pride — an all day Pride celebration along Market Street in St. Lawrence Market!

Yesterday I had the honour of attending Lord Dufferin Public School’s graduation. Congratulations to all of the families with graduates and students for their hard work and perseverance during the school year. Your achievements are many, and the next chapter awaits you filled with opportunity and bright hope. I wish the students all the very best for a safe and healthy well-deserved summer break.

My thoughts are also with everyone in our community who has family and friends affected by the emerging Israel and Iran war. Violence against civilians is wrong — no matter by whom. I know that critical airports have closed, trapping people while their loved ones here in Canada desperately wait for answers. Hundreds of civilians have been killed or wounded. Trump’s reckless statements that the US could join a war or that civilians in Tehran might need to evacuate are as terrifying as they are impossible to imagine.

It is crucial that we remember the history of American interventions: Iran's current despotic regime was only able to come to power because of instability unleashed after the United States helped overthrow the democratically elected government of Iran's Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953. American interventions have lacked foresight and seem to only guarantee future violence. We need to put civilian safety above warlords' short-term political goals. 

It is disappointing that Mark Carney is failing to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Neyatanahu and Iran's neighbours to push for peace as this violence unfolds. While recent sanctions against war cabinet members were better than doing nothing, Canada is continuing to transfer military goods to Israel. This is happening while the genocide in Gaza has left millions displaced and almost 60,000 directly killed.

I fully support calls from the Federal NDP for Canada to:

• Demand an immediate ceasefire between Iran and Israel 
• End all military exports to Israel 
• Sanction Netanyahu and his war cabinet 
• Stand up for international law and protection for all civilians

I also want to tell you a secret that I have come to learn from years of being elected: always be intensely skeptical of what a government tries to do at the start of their term. Right after elections, governments put forward their worst laws. We just saw this with Doug Ford and Bill 5. Newly elected governments hope that time will make voters forget their sins by the next election. Carney’s Bill C-2 and C-5 are prime examples of this. 

If a Conservative government was trying to pass Bills C-2 and C-5, progressives would be united in outrage. Carney does not deserve a pass for being a Liberal. 

Bill C-2 appears to be an attempt to appease Trump by weakening the laws that protect Canadians and uphold our values. NDP MP Jenny Kwan described this bill as ushering in a “surveillance state” that would allow police to approach any doctor or service provider to find out what other services someone is using — without a warrant. The government has declined to publish a Charter analysis of Bill C-2 — something that is a standard practice. 

Carney’s Bill C-5 is the hideous federal doppelganger to Ford’s highly contentious Bill 5. It would:

• Let Cabinet Ministers bypass existing laws and override constitutional obligations
• Let the federal government move resource extraction projects forward without Indigenous Peoples' Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)
• Let the federal government violate Section 35 of Canada's Constitution — Rights of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
• Let Ministers ignore protections for water, air, biodiversity, and climate change;
• Undermines federal health and safety regulations, putting workers, communities, and ecosystems at risk;
  

With support from Poilievre's Conservatives, Carney Liberals fast-tracked Bill C-5 through Parliament. Even though the Chiefs of Ontario, the Assembly of First Nations, scientists, constitutional experts and many civil society organizations strongly oppose this bill, Carney is promising its passage before Canada Day.

Toronto Centre is home to the second largest Pride festival in the world, so there is a good chance we will see each other. Don’t be shy and please say hi. I will be at the NDP’s Pride Table in the Community Fair and other iconic Pride events this week and next. I hope to see you soon!

You can sign up and join fellow New Democrats and I at Pride events using the button below

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Ontario’s Pride Festivals Deserve Fair Funding
•  Thank you to our OLIP Intern Annie!
•  Cooling Centres in Toronto Centre
• Maplehurst Inmates Launch a Class Action Lawsuit
• Bill 5 Fall-Out Continues
• Victim Impact Statements in the Sentencing of Thane Murray’s Killers
• Black People United for Change Petition
• Black Students Alliance Showcase
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

Pride Toronto and Pride festivals hire local workers and generate massive revenue for small businesses and cities across Ontario through tourism and foot-traffic. Don’t take it from me: take it from the pinko-socialists at KPMG who conducted Pride’s economic impact report. Their thorough 2023 analysis into the economic impact of Toronto’s Pride festival found that it: increased Canada's GDP by $589.8 million, generated combined tax revenues of $231.4 million, and helped create 4,748 jobs. 

But Doug Ford and his conservative government is leaving Pride festivals across Ontario out to dry as corporate sponsors pull funding to appease Trump’s anti-Queer and anti-Trans policies, all the while security costs sky-rocket for event organizers. In a trade war, Ontario should be doubling down on promoting local tourism, buying Ontario campaigns and Canadian values. Pride festivals deserve stable and predictable funding from the Ontario government to strengthen our economy and cultural mosaic. I have heard from various festival producers — not just Pride festivals — that they learn about provincial funding amounts just weeks before their actual festivals open. It is literally impossible to plan logistics and book the performers with such little notice. Festival organizers deserve more respect and Ontarians expect better from their government.

This week our office extended best wishes to Annie Dowd, our intern through the Ontario Legislative Internship Program. Annie’s infectious positivity was a blessing during the fast and furious legislative session. She contributed greatly to the enhanced operations of our legislative and constituency offices. Mark my words: Annie will one day be a leading lawyer who blazes progressive trails for future Ontarians to follow.  

The temperature will shoot up to 43 Celsius with the humidex this weekend. Everyone should take caution and stay safe in the heat. Anyone who needs access to air conditioned space can go to a City of Toronto cooling centre. You can find a list of local cooling centres on the City website here. With climate change, we urgently need a maximum temperature bylaw. Heat stress kills. Safe temperatures should be recognized as a vital service!

This week, a class action lawsuit of the Ontario government by prisoners at the Maplehurst provincial prison was announced. This followed their bone-chilling collective punishment in December 2023 and a Ministry cover-up that is being investigated by the Ontario Ombudsman. 

Instead of making Ontarians safer, the Ford government and its Solicitor General Michael Kerzner continue to hide behind a cover-up, refusing transparency and investments. The horrific abuses recorded at Maplehurst will keep happening if there is no independent public inquiry and urgent action is not taken.

Ford’s failure to fix Ontario corrections is putting the work of law enforcement and public safety at risk. Judges have already begun considering the collective punishment of prisoners at Maplehurst when deciding bail terms and sentencing. This is actively interfering with legal cases that police officers, Crown Attorneys, and investigators have worked to build.

The root cause of abuse at Maplehurst is provincial neglect and underfunding. When prisons are unsafe for people to work at, they become unsafe places for people to be forced to live in. 

Let’s be clear: Ford’s willful underfunding and ignoring of requests for resources and mental health services is just as evil as the violence prisoners were subjected to.

The political fall-out of Bill 5 continued this week when the Premier answered a question about First Nations opposition to Bill 5 that “you can’t just keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government, you’ve got to be able to take care of yourselves”. I am glad that he apologized to the First Nations Leaders whom he made these remarks to. 

However I want to echo what Deputy NDP Leader MPP Sol Mamakwa said: “This premier has made it clear that he won’t bring people together, uphold the honour of the crown, and obtain free, prior, and informed consent. Bill 5 was an assault on treaty rights, the whole province made their voice heard, the Premier needs to take a step back and listen.” In short, it would be easier to take Ford’s apology seriously if he also committed to repealing Bill 5. 

This week, the devastating victim impact statements from those who knew and loved Thane Murray were heard. Thane Murray was a 27-year-old Regent Park recreation worker and community leader who was randomly shot in 2021. Hearing how his friends spoke about how  "we can never see our friend again," while his mother told the judge "I just want my son back," is heartbreaking. Thane was dedicated to uplifting community members and I know his passing has left a huge void in our community. My thoughts are with all his family and friends for all they have endured. I know that he made a difference on so many lives through his work, and that difference is still with us.

I want to help amplify Black People United for Change’s official petition! Black People United for Change has come together to stand up to the Canadian Government to address the lack of protection afforded to Black Canadians.

It was an honour to attend the Black Students Alliance Showcase by the TDSB this week! The energy was amazing as students proudly shared their stories through spoken word, music, song & dance. Thank you to Lord Dufferin Public School for hosting this event and all of the organizers who made this important event happen!

TDSB approves balanced budget while slamming Ford over cuts

Ontario electronic vaccine registry urged as measles spreads

Extreme heat in store for Toronto with temperatures that may prompt warning | CBC News

Pride Toronto $900k shortfall sparks urgent NDP call

These Toronto public beaches are open for swimming

Ford apologizes for saying First Nations 'keep coming hat in hand' amid Bill 5 controversy | CBC News

‘If Thane Murray is a victim, no one is safe’: Court hears of fear sparked by ‘random’ murder of Regent Park mentor

New law taking effect this week called 'major win' for Canadian workers

Canada is making it harder for immigrants to help build much-needed homes — despite the construction industry’s growing reliance on them

New report finds housing crisis is taking a huge toll on middle-class workers

Kids are breathing more toxic air in schools. We know how to fix it, but will Ontario act?

Health-care unions calling for Alberta government to halt plan to limit free vaccines

You have to pay out of pocket for most vaccines at your local drugstore. Ontario pharmacists want that to change

This weekend, get your Pride on early and support local! The 11th Annual Village Fest, put on by The Village BIA, is packed with activities and entertainment. Check out the schedule on their website! See you on Church street!

On Tuesday June 24, 2025, join community members at the Toronto AIDS Memorial in Barbara Hall Park at 9pm for the annual AIDS Vigil. This year’s theme is “Legacy is the Light, Action is the Path.”

This past year The 519 has embarked on the AIDS Memorial Storytelling Project. This project has involved targeted outreach to find loved ones of people on the AIDS memorial to tell their stories, and to find names of people who had died of AIDS related causes in the past, but were yet to be included on the memorial. Visit ToAIDSMemorial.com to learn more, or to contribute to this project.

For 41 years, communities and allies alike have gathered in Barbara Hall Park to remember, honour, and celebrate those we have lost to AIDS, and those who live with HIV.

Join community members at Barbara Hall Park [519 Church St.] on Tuesday, June 24 at 9pm for our 41st annual Toronto AIDS Candlelight Vigil. 

Every year, the 519's Green Space festival has some of the most fabulous Pride programming. Green space lets community members party for a cause, with all proceeds supporting the 519's work in our community! You can check out their programming here. 

It will soon be Pride weekend in Toronto Centre! You can check out Pride Toronto's Pride Guide to see the fabulous line-up of events in our community. Remember to shop local and support Toronto Centre businesses where you can throughout Pride weekend!

A new self-guided walking tour exploring Cabbagetown’s rich history is now available through the free Driftscape app. The Mainstreet Walking Tour — Discover Cabbagetown’s Roots takes users through the neighbourhood’s lively commercial corridors, highlighting its architecture, notable historical figures, and independent businesses.

With stops along Carlton, Parliament, and Gerrard Streets, the tour allows participants to explore at their own pace, making it ideal for both residents and visitors looking to discover something new.

This year’s edition includes brand-new content and expanded locations, as well as a Scavenger Hunt feature that challenges users to solve clues at each stop—adding an engaging, interactive experience for all ages.

🔍 Tour Features:

• 🏛️ Historic landmarks and heritage homes featuring archival images
  
  
• 📍 Stories of local figures and hidden histories throughout the neighbourhood
  
  
• 🎯 Scavenger Hunt with clues and prize entry
  
  
• 🎙️ Interviews with local business owners and community voices
  
  
• 📞 Audio guides, visuals, and offline access for convenience
  
  
• 💬 Insider recommendations curated by the Cabbagetown Preservation Association
  
  

The full experience takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the participant’s pace, and is available anytime until the end of the year.

The Downtown Yonge BIA is celebrating summer by giving away a $300 prize pack EVERY WEEK from June until September!

There are 2 ways to enter:

1) Submit a photo of any purchase made in Downtown Yonge
AND/OR
2) Submit a photo you took at a Downtown Yonge event. Check out their full list of events

Prize packs include show tickets, restaurant and shopping giftcards and more!

For full contest details, please click here.

St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Presents CANADA DAY at St. James Park

July 1st, 2025 from 11:00am – 3:00pm.

FREE: T-shirt colouring, temporary tattoos, and perforances!

TNG Community Services invites residents to the TNG Challenge, an event supporting seniors to live independently, safely, and with dignity.

• Event: Tai Chi with the Chinese Seniors Group
• Date: Saturday, June 21
• Time: 10am 
• Location: 349 Ontario Street

This engaging outdoor event promotes wellness and community spirit. Participants can also get involved by donating, starting a fundraising page, or becoming a matching donor.

Learn more at Get moving in support of seniors!

Market Street Pride promises a day of music, delicious food, engaging workshops, and live demonstrations. Local queer vendors will be featured, along with a carabiner decorating session with Beyond the Bow.

Performances will light up the Great Lakes Brewery Stage, including a show by the iconic Tynomi Banks. Freedom School Toronto and the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance will offer youth workshops and demos.

Date: June 22, 2025

Time: 10 AM - 5 PM
Location: St. Lawrence Market

Toronto’s public labyrinth at Trinity Square Park is becoming the 10th Legacy Labyrinth in the world. To celebrate this distinction, two great community events are coming up!

🌿 Legacy Labyrinth Designation Ceremony

Saturday, June 21 at 12:00 PM
📍 Trinity Square Park
The ceremony will be followed by a Summer Solstice Walk, inviting reflection in support of global and local community care.

🍽 Legacy Project Workshop – Lunch & Learn

Sunday, June 22 from 12:30 to 2:00 PM
📍 Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E.
This interactive session will explore how walking a labyrinth can raise awareness for social issues, including the needs of Toronto’s unhoused residents.

Date: June 26 and July 03

Time: 6 PM – 8 PM

Location: 180 Sackville Street (main floor meeting room)

 *Attend at least 2 sessions to qualify for raffle draw.

 **Free child minding, call for more info.

Click here to register

Find Your Voice Through Empowerment Of Storytelling Workshop uses the art of storytelling as a therapeutic approach to mental health, it will allow community members to discover their lifepath, or something that brings confidence, and to be able to link it to their identity. For more info on the details of each session, please find the syllabus here. 

 The Find Your Voice workshop will consist of 2 sessions (2hrs per session). The workshop will be facilitated by Sarah Abusarar (RSW, ExAT). Sarah is a professional Storyteller, registered social worker, and expressive arts therapist with a focus in the areas of survivors of violence and gender based violence at home.

Canadian Immigrant is bringing its signature Canadian Immigrant Fair back to Toronto on Friday, June 27, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre North (255 Front Street West).

This free, one-stop event is designed to support newcomers with the tools and connections they need to succeed in Canada, focusing on:

• Careers
• Education
• Settlement

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with employers, recruiters, educational institutions, government agencies, and community service organizations.

Highlights include:

• One-on-one résumé critiques
• An engaging lineup of guest speakers
• Access to valuable resources for job searching, upgrading education, and settling in a new community

Admission is free and open to all.

The St James Town Service Providers Network is looking for community input in planning the 2025 SJT Festival, taking place in August.

This is an opportunity to share your voice and leadership in this amazing yearly celebration! 

Sign up for a festival planning subcommittee that meets your interests, where you can share your skills or learn new ones! To join a SJT Festival Planning Subcommittee, fill out this online form, and you will receive an email with next steps. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact the SJT Festival Planning Team, [email protected].

Sign up here. 

Dear Emma,

Yesterday, the Ontario Legislature rose for its summer break, which will last until October 20, over four months. This government has a shameful pattern of rushing the passing of all of their bills on a compressed timeline and then taking long breaks to avoid scrutiny from the public. It is undemocratic and shameful.

On Wednesday, the government rammed through Bill 5, passing it despite Indigenous rights holders and their allies packing the chamber, raising their voices, calling for the government to scrap the bill. All week, Indigenous communities rallied outside of Queen’s Park, many of them having travelled eight hours or more to be there. They were there sharing their opposition to the bill, drumming so loudly that we could hear them in the chamber. It was powerful, but it did not move the Ford government, who passed Bill 5 despite massive opposition and concerns about the bill’s harmful impact to Indigenous sovereignty, the environment, labour laws and override of municipal and provincial laws at the discretion of this government. 

Right after Bill 5 passed, I recorded a video explaining what was going on, which you can watch and share here.

This government should never have passed Bill 5. Instead, they should have listened to Indigenous people who are asking for real consultation and a true partnership when legislation concerns their treaty territories. None of that happened, and Bill 5 became law when it received Royal Assent yesterday. 

But this is not the end. Indigenous leaders have told me that Bill 5's passing just means that their fight changes shape, and it will move from the lawn of Queen’s Park to other parts of their land. The Idle No More movement of 2012 is just one example of how they will shut things down and make their voices heard when all other means have failed. The ONDP will stand with them to resist Ford’s undemocratic seizure of power every step of the way. 

First Nations chiefs and the Ontario NDP are now calling for the government to rescind Bill 5 and for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, Greg Rickford, to resign after his blatant failure to honour First Nations rights in the lead-up to Bill 5. He has disgraced the ministry and set back Indigenous relations in Ontario for years to come.

This week, we celebrated the start of the Pride season, which is always full of joy, tempered by reflection on the attacks that our Queer and Trans siblings are experiencing globally. 

I attended the progress Pride flag raisings at City Hall and Queen’s Park and spoke in the Legislature about the importance of Pride Month. Making this statement in the Legislative Chamber each year is a highlight for me, as I get to bring Queer and Trans joy, as well as our struggles directly to the government. This year has brought many struggles, with attacks on Trans people and inclusion coming thick and fast. Pride Toronto has lost many core corporate sponsors who are bending to Trump’s anti-DEI ideology like cowards, Alberta is pushing a disgusting anti-Trans agenda, and American lawmakers are currently considering over 900 anti-Trans bills across their country. This Pride season, we must unite in deep solidarity, caring for each other and standing up for our collective human rights. I know I can count on all of you. 

You can watch my full speech here:

I will be participating in all of the Toronto Pride marches with the Ontario NDP and would love for you to march with me! You can sign up to march in the Trans March, Dyke March, and Pride Parade with the Ontario NDP here. 

The Ontario NDP is also tabling at the Pride community fair all weekend long. Join us by signing up to volunteer here! 

Finally, Eid Mubarak to the Muslim community and all who are celebrating Eid Al-Adha today. May this blessed time bring you and your family peace, good health, and happiness. 

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Government Refuses to Declare IPV an Epidemic
• Justice for Soli (Stop Criminalizing Mental Health Act)
• Declare September Ethiopian Heritage Month
• Homes Ontario: The ONDP’s Plan to Get Building
• Ford’s Plan to Take Over Our School Boards
• Protect Ontario Consumers - Stop the Illegal Sale of Palestinian Land
• Tragic Death from Measles in Ontario
• This Week's Meetings
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

Yesterday, on the last day before the Legislature rose for the summer break, I moved a Unanimous Consent motion that would have declared intimate partner violence (IPV) an epidemic in Ontario. Passing this motion would have declared IPV an epidemic without further delay or debate. You may remember that I have moved this motion three times in the past year, but the government said no each time. Yesterday was no different. Global News has the story here. 

The Ford government’s defeat of this motion is a failure to recognize the urgency of the epidemic, which disproportionately affects Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people who face multiple, compounding barriers when seeking help.

This government has heard loud and clear from survivors and their families, law enforcement and 100 municipalities that they must immediately declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. This latest refusal again ignores those calls and puts survivors at risk. The house has risen for the summer, and the Ford government has chosen to deny survivors the immediate resources they need to escape or recover from violence.

The government did, however, move to revive the Standing Committee on Justice Policy’s Study on Intimate Partner Violence, a study they killed when they called an early election in January of this year. 

When the Ford government created this study, they promised that it would be resourced to travel to Northern, Indigenous, and rural communities, to hear directly from Indigenous women about the disproportionate violence that they experience. But last year, they broke that promise. Funding was never delivered, and consultations instead occurred online over video calls.

The Ford government knows that Northern and Indigenous communities struggle to access high-speed internet. Yet, they did nothing to ensure that survivors had a secure, private place to share their stories. Because of these callous choices, so many survivors' stories went unheard.

Yesterday afternoon, I re-tabled the Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, and I will be meeting with organizations over the summer to discuss next steps and strategies. 

On Wednesday, I reintroduced a bill that I worked on with the family of Soleiman (Soli) Faqiri, a man who was killed while in custody at an Ontario jail during an acute mental health crisis. He was a beloved brother, son and community member. He also had schizoaffective disorder.

Mr. Faqiri needed care, care that his family and other guards advocated strongly for, but that he never received. His family tried to visit him four times over the eleven days that he was incarcerated before his death. They knew that he was scared and needed support. But they were forbidden from seeing him. 

A coroner's inquest into Mr. Faqiri’s death ruled that it was a homicide. It also yielded 57 recommendations for systemic change directed at the Provincial government. The first recommendation was that the government, within 60 days, “develop and issue a public position statement within 60 days of the verdict, recognizing that correctional facilities are not an appropriate environment for persons in custody experiencing significant mental health issues.”

It has now been more than 18 months, and the Ford Conservatives have said nothing. The Premier owes Maryam Faqiri and her family an apology for the killing of their beloved son and relative while in government custody.

I will continue to fight for the justice that Soleiman Faqiri and his family deserve. A person experiencing a mental health crisis needs access to health care, not incarceration.

I was thrilled to join my good friend and ONDP Deputy Leader, MPP Doly Begum, in introducing a bill to mark September as Ethiopian Heritage Month in Ontario. You can watch our press conferences and hear from Ethiopian community leaders here. 

The Ethiopian community has contributed so much to Ontario and Toronto. I want to thank them for their contributions to the many organizations based in Toronto Centre, such as the African Centre for Refugees, Wanasah, Regent Park Mothers of Peace, and so many others, which would not be as vibrant and effective without the leadership and hard work of Ethiopian Canadians. 

Declaring September as Ethiopian Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate Ethiopian customs, traditions, and proud history, showcase their heritage to fellow Ontarians, and preserve it for future generations.

September holds special meaning for Ethiopian Canadians, featuring important celebrations such as Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year), Irreechaa (Thanksgiving), and Maskel (Finding of the True Cross). The Bill seeks to formally recognize these traditions and promote greater awareness and appreciation across Ontario.

The Ontario NDP has introduced a motion calling on the Ontario government to establish Homes Ontario, a new dedicated public agency with a mandate to tariff-proof Ontario’s housing market and deliver homes that are publicly built, permanently affordable homes, and made in Ontario.

Housing is essential infrastructure. Ontario cannot grow, thrive, or compete if people can’t afford to live here. Homes Ontario is about getting the government back in the business of building housing—at scale, for the public good, and for the long haul.

The motion urges the government to give Homes Ontario the tools it needs to:

• Finance and deliver hundreds of thousands of permanently affordable homes
• Leverage public land to fast-track development and ensure it serves the public interest
• Partner with non-profit, co-op, and supportive housing providers
• Create good union jobs and strengthen Ontario’s skilled trades and building capacity

I am proud to support this motion. It is critical that Ontario reinvests in building supportive, co-op, rent-geared-to-income, and affordable homes to combat the housing crisis and lift up our communities. 

Late last week, Education Minister Paul Calandra tabled a shocking new education bill, Bill 33. 

The bill gives the Minister unfettered power to take over school boards, silence trustees, and ignore students and parents. It establishes that school boards must follow the Minister’s every whim or risk having the ministry take over management of the board. 

The bill doesn’t once mention fixing our crumbling schools, putting more caring adults in classrooms, or making sure our kids have what they need to succeed. Instead, this government is focused on locking parents out, silencing them from speaking up about their kids’ education.

This bill does nothing to improve learning conditions, reduce class sizes, or support kids with special needs. It does nothing to fill the $6.35 billion funding gap created by this government. As a public school parent myself, I am proud to stand with the Ontario NDP in supporting students, families, and educators in fighting this legislation and protecting the integrity of our public education system from political control.

Did you know that illegally occupied Palestinian land is regularly sold at closed-door real estate events in Ontario? These events have no transparency, scant records, and hide information about the sellers and land title. Selling this land is illegal under international law. These sales violate the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute. They also undermine work to establish a just and secure peace with freedom for all. If Ontario land were sold under the same conditions, it would be title fraud. Ford government knows this is happening and is doing nothing. This must end. I was proud to share this petition in the Legislature and await the Minister's response

Relatedly, I want to highlight the work of the Madleen Flotilla. This flotilla is a peaceful attempt to break the Israeli government’s genocidal siege of Gaza. It aims to peacefully facilitate the flow of essential supplies into the Gaza Strip and draw international attention to Israel’s total blockage of food, water, and medicine from entering the Gaza Strip. You can learn more about their effort here. 

Measles is a serious viral infection that can cause lasting harm and cost lives. We received sad news yesterday when Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer made public that a baby has died following a measles infection. The Chief Medical Officer shared that "the child contracted the virus before birth from the mother, who had not been immunized against measles, mumps and rubella. Measles was a significant contributing factor in the premature death of this child, but the child also had other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus."

My heart goes out to the grieving family. No family should face what they are going through. 

Ontario has over 2000 measles cases — more than the entire United States. We need to increase vaccine uptake to keep everyone safe. Many young people missed required vaccine appointments during COVID-19 remote learning. If a young person in your life still needs their MMR shot, they have two options. First, they can get this shot at a family doctor's office. Second, if they don't have a family doctor — they can use Toronto Public Health's booking system here.

I have also launched a petition about this, so you can take action. Sign if you agree that we need more funding to increase vaccine uptake and fix loopholes in our system. 

• Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada
• Consortium of Restorative Justice Advocates
• Centre for Independent Living Toronto

Ford government is still underfunding education despite budget increase, school boards say

Ontario hospital files $100-million lawsuit claiming shoddy construction, like uneven floors, putting patient safety at risk

Parts of GTA under special air quality statement Friday amid wildfire smoke

Four of Doug Ford’s HART Hubs are open in Toronto. What are they?

Full closure of King-Church intersection beginning a month ahead of schedule on June 2

‘Our festival will go on,’ says executive director, as Google, Home Depot drop Pride Toronto sponsorship

City staff recommend allowing sixplexes across all Toronto neighbourhoods

Toronto’s new Indigenous Health Centre hailed as ‘a place of healing, hope and reconciliation’

Opposition parties slam Ford government for legislature’s long summer break

Doug Ford pushes through rapid development law despite objections of First Nations

TRANScendTO: Registration is Open!

In partnership with LGBT Youthline and the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance, the City of Toronto is hosting a one-day gathering and service provider fair for Two-Spirit, Trans and non-binary (2STNB) youth. Admission is free and food is provided.

 This transformative day of learning, community-building, and celebration for trans and gender-diverse youth will include:

• Workshops and peer-led spaces
• A service provider fair
• A Kiki Ball to close out the day

 Date: Friday, June 6

 Time: 12 to 8:30 PM

 Location: TMU Student Centre, 55 Gould St

 Registration and more information

The City is updating its 2016 Long-term Waste Management Strategy to guide waste reduction, reuse, and diversion over the next 30-50 years, with an implementation plan for 2026–2036.

The process is currently in Phase 2, evaluating options based on public feedback, best practices, and City staff input.

This includes exploring residual waste disposal options like energy-from-waste (incineration) and understanding related environmental, economic, and social values.

Phase 3 will develop a ten-year implementation plan, culminating in a final strategy presented to City Council and the public.

Get involved:

• Take the online survey by June 29
• Join the public event on June 10, 6–8 p.m. at City Hall (100 Queen St. W), live streamed
• Learn more and participate at toronto.ca/wastestrategy.

The St James Town Service Providers Network is looking for community input in planning the 2025 SJT Festival, taking place in August.

This is an opportunity to share your voice and leadership in this amazing yearly celebration! 

Sign up for a festival planning subcommittee that meets your interests, where you can share your skills or learn new ones! To join a SJT Festival Planning Subcommittee, fill out this online form, and you will receive an email with next steps. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact the SJT Festival Planning Team, [email protected].

Sign up here. 

Call for Local Talent: Cabbagetown Roaming Performers Program Returns

Cabbagetown BIA is bringing back the Roaming Performers Program to animate the neighbourhood with live music, movement, and creativity all summer long.

• Program Dates: June 6 – September 1, 2025
• Application Deadline (First Round): Friday, May 31, 2025
• Final Rolling Deadline: Saturday, June 15, 2025

Who They’re Looking For:

 Musicians, magicians, dancers, balloon artists, jugglers, street performers, and other entertainers ready to perform short sets throughout the community.

Program Details:

• Performances run 2–3 hours
• Honorarium of $200–$300 per session
• Artists must bring their own equipment
• Performances must be mobile and suitable for street settings
• Open to solo acts and small groups (up to 3 members)

Selected performers will activate Cabbagetown’s public spaces with joyful, engaging shows for visitors, patio diners, and residents alike.

Apply now: Application for Roaming Performers — Cabbagetown BIA

Fred Victor’s Employment and Training Services is launching THRIVE! A low-barrier, drop-in employment support program specifically for trans and non-binary people.

 When & Where:

• Fridays, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
• Fred Victor ETS Office
• 145 Front St. E., Lower Level Unit #2

What’s Offered:

• Resume & cover letter support
• Skills-building workshops
• Referrals to employment specialists & job retention workers
• Computer + internet access
• Quiet space to work on employment goals

Contact the Fred Victor team here: [email protected]

Date: Saturday, June 14 (Rain dates: June 15 and June 21)
Time: Noon to 6 p.m.
Location: The Big Park, 600 Dundas St. East

Hosted by: Toronto Community Housing, Daniels, Tridel, and local partners

Enjoy a fun day celebrating community safety and togetherness, featuring:

• A free halal BBQ
• A local bazaar
• Live music

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025

Time: 11 AM - 2 PM

Location: 51 Parliament Street

Join 51 Division for a family-friendly event including: 

• Police Exhibits
• TPS vintage cars
• Station tours
• Entertainment
• Food, refreshments and more!

Contact [email protected] with questions.

Date: Sunday, June 15, 2025
Time: 3 PM
Start Location: Barbara Hall Park, 519 Church Street

Cost: $8/person

Participants will hear stories of Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ community — from the activism sparked by the Bathhouse Raids and the AIDS crisis to the spaces of belonging found at City Park Apartments, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and St. Charles Tavern. The tour also explores ongoing efforts to strengthen the Church-Wellesley Village.

Click here to register and learn more.

TNG Community Services invites residents to the TNG Challenge, an event supporting seniors to live independently, safely, and with dignity.

• Event: Tai Chi with the Chinese Seniors Group
• Date: Saturday, June 21
• Time: Not specified
• Location: 349 Ontario Street

This engaging outdoor event promotes wellness and community spirit. Participants can also get involved by donating, starting a fundraising page, or becoming a matching donor.

Learn more at Get moving in support of seniors!

Market Street Pride promises a day of music, delicious food, engaging workshops, and live demonstrations. Local queer vendors will be featured, along with a carabiner decorating session with Beyond the Bow.

Performances will light up the Great Lakes Brewery Stage, including a show by the iconic Tynomi Banks. Freedom School Toronto and the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance will offer youth workshops and demos.

Date: June 22, 2025

Time: 10 AM - 5 PM
Location: St. Lawrence Market

Toronto’s public labyrinth at Trinity Square Park is becoming the 10th Legacy Labyrinth in the world. To celebrate this distinction, two great community events are coming up!

🌿 Legacy Labyrinth Designation Ceremony

Saturday, June 21 at 12:00 PM
📍 Trinity Square Park
The ceremony will be followed by a Summer Solstice Walk, inviting reflection in support of global and local community care.

🍽 Legacy Project Workshop – Lunch & Learn

Sunday, June 22 from 12:30 to 2:00 PM
📍 Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E.
This interactive session will explore how walking a labyrinth can raise awareness for social issues, including the needs of Toronto’s unhoused residents.

Date: June 26 and July 03

Time: 6 PM – 8 PM

Location: 180 Sackville Street (main floor meeting room)

 *Attend at least 2 sessions to qualify for raffle draw.

 **Free child minding, call for more info.

Click here to register

Find Your Voice Through Empowerment Of Storytelling Workshop uses the art of storytelling as a therapeutic approach to mental health, it will allow community members to discover their lifepath, or something that brings confidence, and to be able to link it to their identity. For more info on the details of each session, please find the syllabus here. 

 The Find Your Voice workshop will consist of 2 sessions (2hrs per session). The workshop will be facilitated by Sarah Abusarar (RSW, ExAT). Sarah is a professional Storyteller, registered social worker, and expressive arts therapist with a focus in the areas of survivors of violence and gender based violence at home.

Canadian Immigrant is bringing its signature Canadian Immigrant Fair back to Toronto on Friday, June 27, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre North (255 Front Street West).

This free, one-stop event is designed to support newcomers with the tools and connections they need to succeed in Canada, focusing on:

• Careers
• Education
• Settlement

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with employers, recruiters, educational institutions, government agencies, and community service organizations.

Highlights include:

• One-on-one résumé critiques
• An engaging lineup of guest speakers
• Access to valuable resources for job searching, upgrading education, and settling in a new community

Admission is free and open to all.

Dear Emma,

On Wednesday night, I was at the Legislature until 12:30 AM fighting the government’s unconstitutional Bill 5. This Bill attacks Indigenous sovereignty, environmental regulations, workers' rights, municipal bylaws and more in favour of reckless development. My Ontario NDP colleagues and I used every committee tool in the book to delay Ford’s attempt to rush through this legislation, and our filibustering was successful! 

By forcing debate to continue late into the night, we ensured that committee hearing for Bill 5 would continue on Monday, giving advocates and journalists critical time to spread the word and build resistance around this horrible legislation. Yesterday afternoon, the Ford government changed the rules to prohibit the Opposition from any further filibustering of Bill 5. Now we must move on to new tools. Sign the petition to stop bill 5 here and click below to email Doug Ford and your MPP about Bill 5. Please share these links with your friends! Ford’s team has caved before under public backlash — we need to stop him again!

We know that Bill 5 isn’t about our economy. It isn’t about the North. It isn’t about anything other than an unchecked, unfettered power grab by Ford. Local democracy is just collateral damage. 

I spoke in the Legislature about the dire consequences of Bill 5 and the government’s undemocratic action. You can watch it here. 

It is shameful and wrong that Ford tried to jam Bill 5 through without proper consultation with First Nations. Indigenous leaders have told this government loud and clear that they need to scrap Bill 5, go back to the drawing board, and write a new bill that deeply honours Indigenous peoples. Delaying this bill has bought us time to get organized and overwhelm this government with opposition, just like we did with the Greenbelt. 

Yesterday, I was absolutely thrilled to host the Toronto Centre Leadership Awards, honouring seven exceptional individuals and organizations who work to make our communities better every day. They work together to improve the environment, report community news, ensure faith communities have gathering spaces, encourage thoughtful development in culturally significant neighbourhoods, fight for affordable childcare, do outstanding advocacy for the Queer and Trans community, and start social enterprises to empower newcomer women. Pretty impressive, right?

Our three recipients of the King Charles Coronation Medal are: 

• Connie Langile, President of the Church-Wellesley Neighbourhood Association.Connie brings the Village together by championing community safety, heritage preservation, and social connection. 
• Sureya Ibrahim, founder of Regent Park Mothers of Peace and affectionately known as the “Mayor of Regent Park.” Surreya harnesses the power of social enterprises and community organizing to lift up women and children in more ways than I have space to name here. 
• Erin Filby, Early Childhood Educator and community organizer with the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO). Erin works every day in service of more accessible, affordable, and high-quality childcare for everyone. 

Our four recipients of the inaugural Toronto Centre Leadership Awards are: 

• Curran Stikuts, Director of Advocacy & Strategic Communications at The 519. Curran’s skill in hearing the smallest voices helps him to heal community wounds, support 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, and advocate for affordable and accessible housing.
• Emad Hussein, founding member of the Regent Park Islamic Resource Centre. Emad is a pillar of strength and leadership within the Muslim community in Regent Park. He is always working to unite the community and welcomes everyone to his table. 
• The Bridge Community News, an independent local newspaper covering the Downtown East. When local papers were disappearing and we were losing neighbourhood-level news, the Bridge appeared, offering hyper-local coverage and critical perspectives.
• St Lawrence Neighbourhood Association’s Waste Reduction Group, which works to divert waste from landfill and build community through their regular RE:market events. RE:market offers recycling of typically non-recyclable items, repair cafes, a free store, and chances for neighbours to meet each other. 

We had a wonderful celebration, gathering with the recipient's friends and families to toast their accomplishments. It was also a great opportunity to make connections – some recipients had ot met each other.  I can only imagine what great local work could come from their shared talents! 

I am so proud of these local leaders and can’t wait to support them as they continue their community work!

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Bombshell Report on Maplehurst Correctional Complex
• Free Ice Cream - Eid ul-Adha Celebration
• Changes to Ontario Civil Court Rules
• Rally for Public Education
• Asian Heritage Month Celebration
• YWCA Women of Distinction Awards
• Ontario NDP Plan to Support Caregivers
• You're Invited: Rosemary Brown Awards 
• This Week's Meetings
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

The Solicitor General, Michael Kerzner, knows just how bad the conditions inside Maplehurst Correctional Complex are, but he refuses to act. 

Just yesterday, the Toronto Star published a damning investigation, sharing details from two internal investigations by the Ministry of the Solicitor General into the horrific two-day collective punishment carried out at Maplehurst Correctional Complex in 2023. We all recall the chilling video of this violent incident; two hundred inmates were stripped, handcuffed, and made to crouch in hallways in their underwear. In this report, staff across the organization, including and especially former superintendent Winston Wong, were implicated in the violence prisoners experienced. 

One report describes an “absence of competent managerial oversight from the beginning to the end of this incident.” These reports are full of horrific details, including an incident where an inmate says he was tied up like a Christmas turkey by correctional officers while his cellmates were forced to sing carols. I cannot even imagine how degrading that would have been. 

Yesterday, during Question Period, I asked the Solicitor General when he would break his silence, end the cover-up, and act on the reports written by his own ministry, which indicate structural changes are needed at Maplehurst. He dodged the question as usual - you can watch our exchange here. I will continue to shine light on this abuse of power and hold the government accountable for addressing the systemic problems in our provincial prisons.

Join me on June 6 from 3 PM to 6 PM for free ice cream as we celebrate Eid ul-Adha in Regent Park! I am excited to join in on the Regent Park Cultural Bazaar and would love to see you as part of our Eid celebration. All are welcome!

Date: Friday, June 6, 2025

Time: 3 PM - 6 PM

Location: Regent Park Boulevard

This week, I sent a letter to the Attorney General, echoing calls from the legal community across Ontario for the government to reconsider proposed changes to civil courts. The modernization of Ontario’s civil rules is welcome, but the timelines are rushed, given how significant the changes are. Legal experts are asking for a little more time to consider the legal implications of these changes and share their considered feedback. The Middlesex Lawyers’ Association has an excellent summary of widely shared concerns that you can read here.

In my letter, I requested that the Attorney General heed these calls and alter the finalization timelines to be more realistic, allowing more time for meaningful collaboration with the very stakeholders who are expected to operationalize them.

Rushing this consultation process could limit access to justice and prevent parties from reaching fair settlements sooner. This could result in more costly avoidable trials, making court backlogs worse. This is something that the Ontario courts simply cannot afford or support. As Shadow Attorney General, I intend to continue to advocate for thoughtful changes to Ontario’s justice system that will benefit Ontarians.

Last Saturday was a blast! I was joined by hundreds of students, parents, caregivers, education workers, and labour allies in front of Queen’s Park to raise our voice for public education. We called on the government to properly fund our public schools so that we can save our pools, support music and outdoor education, and ensure special education supports. This is not fluff! These are essential parts of learning that our government should adequately fund. 

Thank you to everyone who came out, chanted with us, enjoyed ice cream, got their face painted, and sent a message to this government - education is not for sale!

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Ontario NDP’s Asian Heritage Month Reception at Queen’s Park on Wednesday evening. I was very proud to co-host this event and connect with so many Asian-Canadian leaders! 

Every May, we celebrate the contributions, diversity, and cultural brilliance of Asian communities across Ontario. This month is a time to celebrate culture, yes, but also to recommit to the ongoing fight against anti-Asian racism and to reflect on the historic oppression of our communities. There is so much work to be done, but with the enthusiasm everyone brought to the room on Wednesday, I know we can get it done!

On Tuesday, I left the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards feeling hopeful. It’s so important to celebrate and shine a spotlight on the brilliant women driving real, lasting change across Toronto. Congratulations to all of the award winners! 

I want to give a special shout-out to my unstoppable wife, Farrah Khan, who was honoured with an award for her work in advancing gender equity and justice across Canada. I am so proud of her!

This week, I supported my colleague MPP Wayne Gates as he reintroduced his motion to establish the Ontario Caregiver Support Benefit. So many of us are or will be caregivers in our lives, just as many of us have or will require care. It is a role I know well. 

MPP Gates’ bill would establish a direct monthly support payment for unpaid caregivers across Ontario. At his press conference, MPP Gates stated, “This isn’t just compassionate policy—it’s smart economics,” and I agree! This bill has the potential to reduce the need for nearly 8% of all long-term care beds, saving up to $300 million annually. The NDP is proud to bring this proposal forward, and I am proud to support it!

On behalf of Official Opposition and Ontario NDP Leader, Marit Stiles, I are honoured to invite all of you to the 2025 Rosemary Brown Racial Justice Awards Ceremony, an evening dedicated to recognizing exceptional individuals and organizations working to eliminate racial discrimination and advance equity and justice across Ontario.

Named in honour of Rosemary Brown, the first Black woman elected to a provincial legislature and the first to run for leadership of a federal party  — these awards carry on Rosemary’s legacy of fighting sexism, racism, and poverty, both here in Ontario and around the world.

In that same spirit, this ceremony will spotlight changemakers who have made meaningful contributions toward dismantling systemic racism and building a more equitable province.

Event Details:

Date: Friday, June 6, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Kennedy Convention Centre, Hall A

(Parking & main entrance at rear. Accessible entrance via Hall C)

1199 Kennedy Road, Scarborough

To confirm your attendance, please RSVP by Friday, May 30 using the following link: RSVP here.

• Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA)
• Beef Farmers of Ontario
• Tarion Home Warranty
• Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness
• Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council

‘True North Strong & Queer’: Artist recreates banner from Canada’s first gay march

Ontario to give education minister power to more easily take over school boards

Doug Ford's controversial Bill 5: Here's what you need to know

Ontario NDP, Liberals successfully stall Bill 5 after filibustering until midnight Thursday

First Nations chief warns of ‘fierce resistance’ to mining bill

Sir John A. Macdonald statue at Queen's Park to be uncovered after 5 years

Ontario jail guards broke rules, misled investigators

Doug Ford lifts 16-year pay freeze for MPPs

Do you have a desire to step up and fight for a better, fairer, more just world? This People, Power, Change workshop is for you. This workshop series is designed to help anyone learn how to make a difference by organizing their communities.

Based on the work of Marshall Ganz, this in-person workshop develops five core leadership practices:

• Tell your story to share your own leadership journey, connect with your people, and foster shared purpose
• Develop an effective structure that scales up as your movement grows
• Build intentional relationships rooted in shared values
• Develop realistic strategies based in a meaningful power analysis
• Design campaign tactics that grow your capacity while reaching for your goals

Dates: June 7 and 8, 2025
Times: 9 AM - 4:30 PM

Deadline to Register: May 30th, 2025.

Price: $499.00 per person, $2,000 team tickets for groups of 6 people committed to working in a team together. Scholarships available, please complete this form to apply.

Call for Local Talent: Cabbagetown Roaming Performers Program Returns

Cabbagetown BIA is bringing back the Roaming Performers Program to animate the neighbourhood with live music, movement, and creativity all summer long.

• Program Dates: June 6 – September 1, 2025
• Application Deadline (First Round): Friday, May 31, 2025
• Final Rolling Deadline: Saturday, June 15, 2025

Who They’re Looking For:

 Musicians, magicians, dancers, balloon artists, jugglers, street performers, and other entertainers ready to perform short sets throughout the community.

Program Details:

• Performances run 2–3 hours
• Honorarium of $200–$300 per session
• Artists must bring their own equipment
• Performances must be mobile and suitable for street settings
• Open to solo acts and small groups (up to 3 members)

Selected performers will activate Cabbagetown’s public spaces with joyful, engaging shows for visitors, patio diners, and residents alike.

Apply now: Application for Roaming Performers — Cabbagetown BIA

Date: Saturday, June 14 (Rain dates: June 15 and June 21)
Time: Noon to 6 p.m.
Location: The Big Park, 600 Dundas St. East

Hosted by: Toronto Community Housing, Daniels, Tridel, and local partners

Enjoy a fun day celebrating community safety and togetherness, featuring:

• A free halal BBQ
• A local bazaar
• Live music

Date: Sunday, June 15, 2025
Time: 3 PM
Start Location: Barbara Hall Park, 519 Church Street

Cost: $8/person

Participants will hear stories of Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ community — from the activism sparked by the Bathhouse Raids and the AIDS crisis to the spaces of belonging found at City Park Apartments, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and St. Charles Tavern. The tour also explores ongoing efforts to strengthen the Church-Wellesley Village.

Click here to register and learn more.

TNG Community Services invites residents to the TNG Challenge, an event supporting seniors to live independently, safely, and with dignity.

• Event: Tai Chi with the Chinese Seniors Group
• Date: Saturday, June 21
• Time: Not specified
• Location: 349 Ontario Street

This engaging outdoor event promotes wellness and community spirit. Participants can also get involved by donating, starting a fundraising page, or becoming a matching donor.

Learn more at Get moving in support of seniors!

Market Street Pride promises a day of music, delicious food, engaging workshops, and live demonstrations. Local queer vendors will be featured, along with a carabiner decorating session with Beyond the Bow.

Performances will light up the Great Lakes Brewery Stage, including a show by the iconic Tynomi Banks. Freedom School Toronto and the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance will offer youth workshops and demos.

Date: June 22, 2025

Time: 10 AM - 5 PM
Location: St. Lawrence Market

Toronto’s public labyrinth at Trinity Square Park is becoming the 10th Legacy Labyrinth in the world. To celebrate this distinction, two great community events are coming up!

🌿 Legacy Labyrinth Designation Ceremony

Saturday, June 21 at 12:00 PM
📍 Trinity Square Park
The ceremony will be followed by a Summer Solstice Walk, inviting reflection in support of global and local community care.

🍽 Legacy Project Workshop – Lunch & Learn

Sunday, June 22 from 12:30 to 2:00 PM
📍 Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E.
This interactive session will explore how walking a labyrinth can raise awareness for social issues, including the needs of Toronto’s unhoused residents.

Canadian Immigrant is bringing its signature Canadian Immigrant Fair back to Toronto on Friday, June 27, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre North (255 Front Street West).

This free, one-stop event is designed to support newcomers with the tools and connections they need to succeed in Canada, focusing on:

• Careers
• Education
• Settlement

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with employers, recruiters, educational institutions, government agencies, and community service organizations.

Highlights include:

• One-on-one résumé critiques
• An engaging lineup of guest speakers
• Access to valuable resources for job searching, upgrading education, and settling in a new community

Admission is free and open to all.

Dear Emma,

I hope you have all stayed dry and warm during this unseasonably rainy and cool week! I am looking forward to some beautiful spring and summer weather over the next few weeks – fingers crossed!

Tomorrow, Saturday, I’m co-hosting a Rally for Public Education outside of Queen’s Park from 12 to 1:30 PM. Join me and other passionate education advocates on the Queen's Park South Lawn for kids' activities, free ice cream, and an opportunity to advocate for the high-quality public education we need.

Ontario’s public schools are in crisis. Chronic underfunding has led to larger class sizes, cancelled programs, delayed repairs, and a growing crisis in special education. 

Since 2018, Ontario has been spending $1,500 less per student when adjusted for inflation. That adds up to a $3 billion shortfall across our education system.

We're calling on the Ford government to reverse the cuts and properly invest in public education.

The rally will be family-friendly, accessible, and feature speakers from the communities most impacted by the cuts, including students, educators, and parents.

Speakers will highlight issues like:

• Special education cuts
• Mental health supports
• Program cancellations (pools, arts, adult education)
• Overcrowded classrooms

Bring your family, friends, neighbours and noise makers!

You may have seen me and my team at your school entrances this week, handing out flyers promoting this rally and talking with parents and students about how the government’s budget cuts affect their schools. A huge turnout will send a strong message to Doug Ford and Education Minister Paul Calandra. 

Keep reading below to learn more about Ford’s budget cuts to essential school services, such as swimming pools, music classes, outdoor education, and more. To save our schools, we need you to get involved. Together, let’s tell Ford to invest in our kids! 

May is Asian Heritage Month! The Ontario NDP Caucus and I are hosting a reception to mark this important month on Tuesday, May 28, from 5 to 7 PM at Queen’s Park. We would love for you to attend.

This catered reception celebrates diverse Asian cultures and the diasporic communities that call Ontario their home. It will be a special event with food, beverages and special guests. Please RSVP by Monday, May 26, at noon.

I hope to see you at tomorrow’s Queen’s Park Rally for Public Education!

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Emergency Education Meeting Recap
• Scrap Bill 5!
• Muriel Collins Housing Co-op’s 30th Anniversary
• Marry Me Mochi Grand Opening
• You're Invited: Rosemary Brown Awards 
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

This Tuesday’s Emergency Education Meeting was a huge success! Nearly 100 participants joined MPP Jessica Bell, Trustee Williams, and me, and the discussion was dynamic. It was energizing to be around many people dedicated to ensuring our students and public schools are well-resourced. The Ford government is banking on busy parents and caregivers being overwhelmed by budget numbers and government talking points. The clear and concise explanations from my co-hosts left everyone who attended feeling more informed about what’s at stake if Ford does not reverse his budget cuts. Trustee Williams shared her excellent presentation with me, and I’ve posted her slides for you here.

If you are fired up and ready to take action like I am, the most impactful thing you can do to fight cuts to education is to organize your school community. Join your parent council, speak to other parents and caregivers at pickup and dropoff times, and organize a Rally for Public Education of your own in front of your local school before school hours. If you need support with any of this work or would like me to attend your school's rally, please reach out to my office. 

If you are looking for a smaller way to get started, you can sign our digital petition here or print out and sign a paper petition, which you can find here. 

As your MPP, I will introduce and read your paper petition into the official legislative records. Please note that the Ontario Legislative Assembly only accepts paper petitions. (I know, I know.)

Paper petitions are a great way to initiate a friendly, in-person conversation with your neighbours about public education. Please share all paper petitions with me to ensure they are tabled to make your voice heard. Contact my office and we will arrange a time to pick the petitions from you.

Yesterday, the government held hearings for Bill 5, their proposed legislation which, if passed, would overhaul mining laws in Ontario, reducing or eliminating environmental assessment requirements, overhauling endangered species protections, potentially overriding labour laws, and more. As with many government bills lately, Bill 5 is written in a very open-ended fashion, allowing most of the details to be finalized “in regulation,” a step that happens after the bill is passed at the discretion of the Minister. This style of governing is very frustrating and, in my opinion, borders on anti-democratic. 

Many critics of Bill 5 say that this government is using the threat of tariffs as a convenient excuse to do what they always planned: strip environmental regulations from mining projects. This bill also faces massive opposition from Indigenous nations, especially those near the “Ring of Fire” mineral deposits in Northwestern Ontario. Yesterday, many Indigenous leaders came to Queen’s Park to share their concerns and register their opposition to Bill 5. 

You can join the movement to scrap Bill 5 by clicking here to send an email to Doug Ford and Minister Lecce demanding that they scrap this dangerous bill! 

Committee consultation on the bill will continue on Monday, and written submissions will be accepted until Monday at 6 PM. To share your feedback with the committee, click here.

Last Saturday, I had a splendid time celebrating Muriel Collins Housing Co-operative’s 30th anniversary with their members, extended family and supporters of the co-op movement. 

Muriel Collins is an iconic housing co-op built in the 1990s on provincial land. It was made possible through the leveraging of government investments and sponsorship from CUPE Local 79, the union representing the City of Toronto’s inside workers. It was a beautiful reminder that the solutions to Ontario's housing crisis are already tried, tested and successfully on display in Toronto Centre.

Doug Ford should take note that selling government-owned land to land speculators is incredibly short-sighted and a policy failure. Public land can do so much more if we only look at the examples that already exist all around us. Workers and everyday folks need affordable housing now!

This special anniversary and the co-op members I met have strengthened my passion for fighting to build more affordable and co-op housing in Toronto Centre.

Congratulations to Marry Me Mochi on the grand opening of their 15th store, this time in Canada's busiest mall, the Eaton Centre! 

It's remarkable to see this Canadian independent business, run by a passionate group of siblings, supported by their extended family, accomplished the feat of opening 15 stores in less than one year. I encourage everyone to visit the new location and indulge in delicious Marry Me Mochi donuts. I can't wait to see the next 15 stores and another 15 more after that!

On behalf of Official Opposition and Ontario NDP Leader, Marit Stiles, I are honoured to invite all of you to the 2025 Rosemary Brown Racial Justice Awards Ceremony, an evening dedicated to recognizing exceptional individuals and organizations working to eliminate racial discrimination and advance equity and justice across Ontario.

Named in honour of Rosemary Brown, the first Black woman elected to a provincial legislature and the first to run for leadership of a federal party  — these awards carry on Rosemary’s legacy of fighting sexism, racism, and poverty, both here in Ontario and around the world.

In that same spirit, this ceremony will spotlight changemakers who have made meaningful contributions toward dismantling systemic racism and building a more equitable province.

Event Details:

Date: Friday, June 6, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Kennedy Convention Centre, Hall A

(Parking & main entrance at rear. Accessible entrance via Hall C)

1199 Kennedy Road, Scarborough

To confirm your attendance, please RSVP by Friday, May 30 using the following link: RSVP here.

‘Financial landlords’ more aggressive on raising Toronto rents than other landlords, study finds

Lawyer groups are ‘deeply concerned’ about proposed changes to civil lawsuits in Ontario 

Rainfall warning in Toronto downgraded as drizzle, unseasonable cold to continue into the weekend 

Why is it cold in Toronto this week?

Mining claims in Ring of Fire up 66 per cent over past 3 years: environmental group

Toronto police 911 upgrade expected to improve response times

Explore Toronto’s architectural, historical, cultural and socially significant buildings for free during Doors Open weekend, this weekend, May 24 and 25. With sports, music and theatre venues and more than 150 sites to discover, the city becomes an urban playground. Get ready to play!

Use this map to explore all of the locations and plan your weekend! 

Sites are open from 10 AM to 5 PM unless otherwise indicated. 

The Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter and the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action invite community members to a youth-led roundtable dedicated to fighting racism and fostering solidarity.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, May 24
  
  
• Time: 10 AM – 2 PM
  
  
• Location: Scarborough Civic Centre + Zoom
  
  
• Language: English with interpretation available in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Tamil
  
  
• Support: Snacks and TTC tokens available as needed; volunteer hours recognized
  

This hybrid event features youth leaders from Chinese and Tamil communities sharing powerful stories, strategies, and resources. Participants will hear how youth created culturally relevant workshops, developed educational tools, and gained confidence in sharing their lived experiences. The roundtable also offers space to connect with mentors, engage with peers, and contribute ideas to grassroots anti-racism efforts.

Register: Youth Led Roundtable: Asians Against Racism and Hate Tickets, Sat, May 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

Contact:

• Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter – [email protected]
  
  
• Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action – [email protected]

Friends of Regent Park, alongside community partners, invite residents to a joyful Community Birthday Celebration on Saturday, May 24 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Regent Park Community Centre (402 Shuter Street).

This free, all-ages event brings together neighbours for an afternoon of:

• Cake
• Games
• Music
• Fun activities

Everyone is welcome to take part in the festivities and celebrate the spirit of Regent Park with friends, family, and community.

New Beginnings Support Program Hosts Final Overstock Inventory Sale

New Beginnings Support Program is organizing a final inventory sale to support women and children in the community. All proceeds will go directly to the program’s ongoing initiatives.

• Event: Final Overstock Inventory Sale
• Date: Saturday, May 24, 2025
• Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Location: Suite 418, 120 Carlton Street, Toronto, Ontario
• Payment: Cash only

Items for sale include:

• Clothes
• Wedding dresses
• Dove and Silk’n products
• Toys

Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags. Everything is priced to go, with items starting at just $2.

As part of Pride Toronto's 2025 Affiliate Events, Long Live the Rainbow brings a vibrant celebration of love, resilience, and queer joy to the stage.

🎭 Long Live the Rainbow

📅 May 16 – May 25, 2025
📍 Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley Street, Toronto
🎟 Tickets: Long Live the Rainbow Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

💖 $5 from each ticket supports Rainbow Railroad, helping LGBTQ+ people find safety from persecution.

The Centre of Learning & Development, Mothers of Peace Regent Park, and ArtHubs Toronto invite everyone to a festive Eid al-Adha Bazaar celebrating community, culture, and local talent.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, May 27
  
  
• Time: 2 – 8 PM
  
  
• Location: Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas Street East

Enjoy a vibrant market filled with henna, jewellery, clothing, delicious food, and more — all from local vendors!

Contact for Questions or Vendor Inquiries:
Sureya at [email protected] or 647-493-2462 ext. 112

Toronto Newcomer Day 2025 Celebrates Diversity and Community Connection

The City of Toronto will host Toronto Newcomer Day on Wednesday, May 28 at Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen St. West) from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

This annual celebration welcomes newcomers to Toronto with a day filled with:

• Information booths from community service providers
• A vibrant marketplace and food fair
• Free cultural performances throughout the day

Special Feature:

 A storytelling session with Indigenous knowledge keeper Jim Adams, offering an interactive, all-ages program. The presentation will explore the histories and relationships of Indigenous peoples in the region — past and present — with a focus on wampum belts, treaties, and cultural traditions. Sensory and auditory elements will be included to engage participants of all ages.

Space is limited. Registration for this program is required and is managed by Toronto Public Library via Eventbrite. Group bookings should include the total number of tickets needed.

The SLNA’s Waste Reduction Group is hosting their 13th REmarket! This two-day community initiative supports waste reduction by collecting unwanted items, encouraging reuse, and offering repair services.

📍 Event Details

Location: St. Lawrence Market Tent (125 The Esplanade)

🗓 Wednesday, May 28, 2025

• Donation collection, recycling services, and household hazardous waste drop-off:
  ⏰ 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
  
  
• FreeMarket:
  ⏰ 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  Guests can bring and take items freely (non-commercial use only). Bring your own bag.
  

🗓 Thursday, May 29, 2025

• Donation collection, recycling services, and household hazardous waste drop-off:
  ⏰ 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  
  
• Repair Café Toronto & CultureLink Bike Hub:
  ⏰ 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
  Clothing, jewellery, electronics, small appliances, and more will be repaired on site. CultureLink Bike Hub will offer bike repairs and safety checks.

Do you have a desire to step up and fight for a better, fairer, more just world? This People, Power, Change workshop is for you. This workshop series is designed to help anyone learn how to make a difference by organizing their communities.

Based on the work of Marshall Ganz, this in-person workshop develops five core leadership practices:

• Tell your story to share your own leadership journey, connect with your people, and foster shared purpose
• Develop an effective structure that scales up as your movement grows
• Build intentional relationships rooted in shared values
• Develop realistic strategies based in a meaningful power analysis
• Design campaign tactics that grow your capacity while reaching for your goals

Dates: June 7 and 8, 2025
Times: 9 AM - 4:30 PM

Deadline to Register: May 30th, 2025.

Price: $499.00 per person, $2,000 team tickets for groups of 6 people committed to working in a team together. Scholarships available, please complete this form to apply.

Call for Local Talent: Cabbagetown Roaming Performers Program Returns

Cabbagetown BIA is bringing back the Roaming Performers Program to animate the neighbourhood with live music, movement, and creativity all summer long.

• Program Dates: June 6 – September 1, 2025
• Application Deadline (First Round): Friday, May 31, 2025
• Final Rolling Deadline: Saturday, June 15, 2025

Who They’re Looking For:

 Musicians, magicians, dancers, balloon artists, jugglers, street performers, and other entertainers ready to perform short sets throughout the community.

Program Details:

• Performances run 2–3 hours
• Honorarium of $200–$300 per session
• Artists must bring their own equipment
• Performances must be mobile and suitable for street settings
• Open to solo acts and small groups (up to 3 members)

Selected performers will activate Cabbagetown’s public spaces with joyful, engaging shows for visitors, patio diners, and residents alike.

Apply now: Application for Roaming Performers — Cabbagetown BIA

TNG Community Services invites residents to the TNG Challenge, an event supporting seniors to live independently, safely, and with dignity.

• Event: Tai Chi with the Chinese Seniors Group
• Date: Saturday, June 21
• Time: Not specified
• Location: 349 Ontario Street

This engaging outdoor event promotes wellness and community spirit. Participants can also get involved by donating, starting a fundraising page, or becoming a matching donor.

Learn more at Get moving in support of seniors!

Toronto’s public labyrinth at Trinity Square Park is becoming the 10th Legacy Labyrinth in the world. To celebrate this distinction, two great community events are coming up!

🌿 Legacy Labyrinth Designation Ceremony

Saturday, June 21 at 12:00 PM
📍 Trinity Square Park
The ceremony will be followed by a Summer Solstice Walk, inviting reflection in support of global and local community care.

🍽 Legacy Project Workshop – Lunch & Learn

Sunday, June 22 from 12:30 to 2:00 PM
📍 Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E.
This interactive session will explore how walking a labyrinth can raise awareness for social issues, including the needs of Toronto’s unhoused residents.

Canadian Immigrant is bringing its signature Canadian Immigrant Fair back to Toronto on Friday, June 27, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre North (255 Front Street West).

This free, one-stop event is designed to support newcomers with the tools and connections they need to succeed in Canada, focusing on:

• Careers
• Education
• Settlement

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with employers, recruiters, educational institutions, government agencies, and community service organizations.

Highlights include:

• One-on-one résumé critiques
• An engaging lineup of guest speakers
• Access to valuable resources for job searching, upgrading education, and settling in a new community

Admission is free and open to all.

Dear Emma,

This week, the Ford government made their priorities crystal clear. Yesterday, they tabled the Ontario Budget for 2025-2026, and it left me wanting, especially when it comes to education funding, which was stagnant despite the growing crises in our schools. 

This budget failed to include new funding to tackle the structural deficits facing school boards across our province, especially in Toronto. Without new funding, these deficits will result in Ford forcing the closure of 50% of all TDSB pools, slashing music and outdoor education programs, and leaving students with learning and developmental exceptionalities without vital support.

The budget was a punch in the gut to partners and students fighting for new funding for special education, despite the clear need for more support. Working and middle-class families are struggling with the high cost of groceries, this is expected to worsen as the tariff war drags on.  Yes, Ford could not find it in his heart to invest in student nutrition programs, proven to enable better learning. It’s hard to stay focused when your tummy is growling!

This is why we must band together to Save Our Schools - Invest in Kids and Protect Our Pools!

On Tuesday, May 20, at 8 PM, I am co-hosting a virtual Public Education Emergency Meeting. Please join MPP Jessica Bell, TDSB Trustee Dee Williams and me to learn more about the Ford’s proposed service cuts and program closures. Have your say and let’s take action together to save our vital school resources. 

Following the Emergency Meeting, on Saturday, May 24, let’s take our message directly to Doug Ford and his government at Queen’s Park with a Rally for Education Funding. The stakes are too high, and we must not let the Conservatives get away with defunding our schools and closing our pools. 

For the little ones and their parents, we know weekends are precious, so we will have craft paper and markers for sign-making opportunities and free ice cream for everyone. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Besides the disappointment in education funding, the budget was rife with other policy failures. It missed the opportunity to tariff-proof Ontario or invest in the nation-building projects we need, like new affordable homes, schools, and hospitals. 

Doug Ford and his government had a choice with this budget: to build a tariff-proof future so Ontario can take on the economic uncertainties from Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs or to table a business-as-usual budget. Unfortunately, he picked the latter. 

This budget delivers little hope or reassurance for families already stretched thin, overworked health care and education workers, and auto workers worried about their livelihoods. I am disappointed. 

Over the past few months, the people of Ontario have been asking themselves: Why wasn’t Ontario in a stronger position to take on these tariffs? Today’s budget offers a clue.  

This budget cuts $1.2 billion from post-secondary education, takes us even further off track from the goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2030, and delivers no relief to communities stuck with closed and overcrowded emergency rooms.

I am proud to stand with the Ontario NDP and our plan to strengthen Ontario. If we had tabled a budget today, it would have included plans to: 

1. Accelerate public infrastructure projects — hospitals, schools, and affordable housing so Ontario can address social challenges and create jobs. 
2. Invest in training and apprenticeships to build a resilient workforce. 
3. Grow Ontario’s economy, strengthen local supply chains, and bolster efforts to find new markets for Ontario goods and services. 
4. Protect jobs and implement tough measures to stop jobs and manufacturing from leaving the province. 
5. Bring real income supports for workers and emergency funding for tariff-exposed industries.

I look forward to the rest of this legislative session as the ONDP pushes for these priorities and improves life for everyday people in Ontario, instead of sticking wet band-aids on gaping funding holes like this government is doing. Ontarians deserve reassurance, relief, and results. That is exactly what I intend to deliver. 

If you want to have your say about the budget or any other legislation moving through the Legislature, you can sign up to depute at a committee, either in person or through a written submission, here. 

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• PC Reliance on Private Nursing Costs $9.2 Billion
• Ford Broke His Promises to Survivors
• ONDP Demands No Clawbacks to Federal Disability Benefit
• Allan Gardens Palm House Reopening
• TNG Cabbagetown Open House
• St Lawrence Market North Grand Opening
• CWNA 15th Anniversary Celebration
• This Week's Meetings
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

Over the past 10 years, the Ontario government has spent over $9.2 billion on private for-profit nursing agencies to fill hospital staffing gaps, according to a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, published this week. 

Agency nurses are up to three times as expensive per shift as public hospital staff nurses, and they cannot provide the continuity of care that staff nurses can because they work at hospitals so sporadically. This is a lose-lose situation for hospitals, staff, patients, and taxpayers. 

But instead of investing in, retaining, and recruiting nurses to our public system, Ford is privatizing our healthcare system by emptying public coffers into the private bank accounts of nursing agency shareholders. 

This week, I asked Ford when his government would stop using band-aid solutions to fix our province's systemic and far-reaching problems. As usual, I received a non-answer. 

Instead of addressing the root causes of Ontario’s healthcare staffing crisis, like underfunding, low wages, or lack of full-time work, the government has chosen to reintroduce bills like The More Convenient Care Act. This bill would make changes that could weaken local public health oversight, line the pockets of private healthcare profiteers, and put Ontarians’ personal health information at risk. 

Last week, when I spoke to the government’s new justice bill, I had the opportunity to hold the government accountable for their abandonment of all Ontarians touched by intimate partner violence. You can watch part of my speech here. 

We can never forget the three women who were murdered in Renfrew County in September 2015 at the hands of their former partner. I carry the three of them and their stories with me every time I stand up in the Legislature.

Many families, friends and advocates from Renfrew travelled to Queen's Park on behalf of the victims last year to support my introduction of Bill 173, a bill that would declare intimate partner violence (IPV) an epidemic in Ontario. Instead of passing the bill quickly, the Ford government referred it to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy to “study” the issue, even though there were already numerous studies, including the Renfrew Inquest recommendations from 2022 that have not yet been implemented by the province.

Nevertheless, the government promised to let the committee travel to Renfrew County and other rural and Indigenous communities to meet with families and survivors to support their efforts to end IPV problems. Then, without notice, Ford took away our resources to visit these vital communities. Bill 173 was never called up for debate again, and it died on the order paper when Ford called his snap winter election this past February.

Just like the stories of its victims, Ford’s duplicity when it comes to IPV is painful to witness. His trail of broken promises is heartless. Survivors and advocates in Ontario refused to be ignored and shoved to the side. This fight is not over, and we will win.

The new Federal Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is scheduled to roll out this summer, with eligible recipients expecting their first installment in July 2025. This benefit is a cornerstone initiative of Canada’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan - a whole-of-government approach to improve the lives of disabled people in Canada. The CDB aims to reduce poverty among working-age disabled folks, a worthy goal that we should have accomplished long ago.

However, the funds from the CDB are at risk of not flowing to the people who need them most. Alberta has cruelly decided to claw back the Federal CDB for individuals receiving provincial disability support. This is appalling, especially since allowing individuals to receive both does not increase their costs, and may even reduce costs as people who are lifted out of poverty generally require fewer emergency supports.

 I am proud that the ONDP is firm that the CDB must be a top-up for provincial benefits, not a replacement. I have co-signed a letter, along with all of my ONDP colleagues, calling on the Ontario government to join Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Nunavut, Quebec, and British Columbia and announce immediately that we will not claw back social assistance for disabled people. You can read the letter here.

On Wednesday morning, I attended the long-anticipated re-opening of Allan Gardens’ historic Palm House. This space was a refuge for me as a teenager, and seeing it restored and transformed was powerful. 

It was a joy to officially open this space to the public, alongside Mayor Olivia Chow and Councillor Chris Moise. I encourage everyone to pop by and enjoy this refreshed green space!

I was so pleased to visit TNG Community Services at their open house in Cabbagetown this week. Their talented team generously provided a tour of the facility and shared details about the wide range of community services they offer. I learned that TNG provides home care for 1 in 20 Torontonians who need it! 

During the tour, we discussed how children ages 7-12 who need pre- and after-school care are left out of conversations surrounding affordable childcare. We also talked about the financial challenges TNG faces in delivering its critical services. I am so thankful to the incredible staff and volunteers for their hard work and to the many community members who welcomed us!

Last weekend, I spent a fantastic Saturday morning at the St. Lawrence Market North Market Grand Opening! 

I am in awe of the entire St. Lawrence Market team. They have done beautiful work on this revitalization project. After years of planning and anticipation, seeing the hustle and bustle of local vendors serving the thousands of visitors was a wonderful sight! 

I encourage you to check out the newly expanded market from Tuesday to Sunday every week!

Congratulations to the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association, who celebrated their 15th anniversary last night! The CWNA is an integral part of Canada’s largest and most diverse 2SLGBTQI neighbourhood working tirelessly to make sure we foster a vibrant, Queer, safe, and welcoming space for everyone who calls the Church Wellesley Village home. 

I am so thankful for all of the leaders, volunteers, and community members who work so hard to promote and empower this remarkable neighbourhood. Here's to the next 15 fabulous years ahead!

• Hassle Free Clinic
• Canadian Race Relations Foundation
• Pride at Work
• Ontario Association of Landscape Architects
• Toronto Community Housing

Victoria Day weekend 2025: What's open and closed in Toronto

Toronto police warn of phone scam where fraudsters claim to be Shanghai police

Toronto mayor calls for financial support fighting rising costs, in letter to Carney

Health minister, premier defend Ontario's response to worsening measles outbreak

On the run for 21 years, U.S. fugitive 'psychic' arrested in Toronto

Loblaw says number of tariff-affected products will triple in coming weeks

Toronto shares long-awaited details of proposed ‘bubble zone’ bylaw aimed at limiting protests near places of worship

Toronto’s splash and spray pads to reopen over Victoria Day long weekend

As part of Pride Toronto's 2025 Affiliate Events, Long Live the Rainbow brings a vibrant celebration of love, resilience, and queer joy to the stage.

🎭 Long Live the Rainbow

📅 May 16 – May 25, 2025
📍 Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley Street, Toronto
🎟 Tickets: Click here
💖 $5 from each ticket supports Rainbow Railroad, helping LGBTQ+ people find safety from persecution.

The SLNA’s Waste Reduction Group is hosting their 13th REmarket! This two-day community initiative supports waste reduction by collecting unwanted items, encouraging reuse, and offering repair services.

📍 Event Details

Location: St. Lawrence Market Tent (125 The Esplanade)

🗓 Wednesday, May 28, 2025

• Donation collection, recycling services, and household hazardous waste drop-off:
  ⏰ 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
  
  
• FreeMarket:
  ⏰ 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  Guests can bring and take items freely (non-commercial use only). Bring your own bag.
  
  

🗓 Thursday, May 29, 2025

• Donation collection, recycling services, and household hazardous waste drop-off:
  ⏰ 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  
  
• Repair Café Toronto & CultureLink Bike Hub:
  ⏰ 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
  Clothing, jewellery, electronics, small appliances, and more will be repaired on site. CultureLink Bike Hub will offer bike repairs and safety checks.

The 519’s Health Justice Program invites community members to an important discussion on Community Violence and Healing, part of the Talking Justice series.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
• Time: 6 – 8 PM
• Location: In person at The 519 (519 Church Street) or virtually
• Tickets: Free (Presto tickets and snacks provided)
  

Bianca Braganza, MSc, JD/BCL, Pro Bono Lawyer with The 519’s Combatting 2SLGBTQ+ BIPOC Hate and Racism Program, will lead a conversation exploring:

• Community and structural violence
• Social determinants of health in relation to crime and justice
• Alternative approaches to safety and justice
  

The 519 is a fully accessible space with all-gender washrooms. Additional accessibility supports are available upon request during registration.

The Winchester Park Residents Association is hosting its Annual General Meeting! 

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Hugh Garner Co-op (550 Ontario Street, 8th Floor Meeting Room).

This annual gathering brings neighbours together to reflect on local developments and shape the future of the community. The evening will include:

• Guest speakers
• Presentations from local representatives
• Board elections
• Updates on housing and development in the area
• A Q&A session for community members

Residents interested in serving on the board are encouraged to submit a nomination in advance. To apply, send your name, address, length of residency, and a brief note on your interest to [email protected]. Community members from all housing backgrounds— renters, owners, co-op members, or otherwise—are welcome to apply.

The Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter and the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action invite community members to a youth-led roundtable dedicated to fighting racism and fostering solidarity.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, May 24
  
  
• Time: 10 AM – 2 PM
  
  
• Location: Scarborough Civic Centre + Zoom
  
  
• Language: English with interpretation available in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Tamil
  
  
• Support: Snacks and TTC tokens available as needed; volunteer hours recognized
  
  

This hybrid event features youth leaders from Chinese and Tamil communities sharing powerful stories, strategies, and resources. Participants will hear how youth created culturally relevant workshops, developed educational tools, and gained confidence in sharing their lived experiences. The roundtable also offers space to connect with mentors, engage with peers, and contribute ideas to grassroots anti-racism efforts.

Register here: https://youthledroundtable-arah.eventbrite.ca/

Contact:

• Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter – [email protected]
• Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action – [email protected]

The Centre of Learning & Development, Mothers of Peace Regent Park, and ArtHubs Toronto invite everyone to a festive Eid al-Adha Bazaar celebrating community, culture, and local talent.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, May 27
  
  
• Time: 2 – 8 PM
  
  
• Location: Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas Street East

Enjoy a vibrant market filled with henna, jewellery, clothing, delicious food, and more — all from local vendors!

Contact for Questions or Vendor Inquiries:
Sureya at [email protected] or 647-493-2462 ext. 112

The Regent Park Neighbourhood Association (RPNA) is hiring for five new positions as part of their Empowering Tenants: Expanding Legal Knowledge and Justice for Housing Rights project.

Current opportunities are:

• Community Animators (4 positions)

Apply today & view all current openings: www.regentparkna.ca/jobs

The Regent Park Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its 2025 festival!

Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is an award-winning, community-based, non-profit organization, and Toronto’s longest-running, FREE film festival.

RPFF’s mission is two-fold: to amplify and center marginalized communities and their stories, providing a platform for the work of emerging and established artists, while opening up access to the film and television industry; and to ensure art is free and accessible to everyone, regardless of financial status.
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024
🎥 Open to: Canadian and international filmmakers
📍 Submissions accepted online

• Welcomes films from Black, Indigenous, and racialized creators, as well as those from marginalized communities
• All genres and formats considered, including features, shorts, documentaries, and animation
• Free to submit

The festival prioritizes stories that reflect social justice, community, and the realities of those living in underrepresented spaces.

Toronto’s public labyrinth at Trinity Square Park is becoming the 10th Legacy Labyrinth in the world. To celebrate this distinction, two great community events are coming up!

🌿 Legacy Labyrinth Designation Ceremony

Saturday, June 21 at 12:00 PM
📍 Trinity Square Park
The ceremony will be followed by a Summer Solstice Walk, inviting reflection in support of global and local community care.

🍽 Legacy Project Workshop – Lunch & Learn

Sunday, June 22 from 12:30 to 2:00 PM
📍 Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E.
This interactive session will explore how walking a labyrinth can raise awareness for social issues, including the needs of Toronto’s unhoused residents.

The Toronto District School Board invites families to explore the International Languages – Elementary & African Heritage Summer Program, designed to celebrate cultural heritage and support multilingual learning.

Program Dates:

  July 2 – July 25, 2025

  Location: Charles E. Webster School, 1900 Keele Street

International Languages Program

• Time: 9:00 – 11:30 AM, Monday to Friday
• Languages Offered: Amharic and Tigrinya
• Grades: Senior Kindergarten (as of Sept. 2025) to Grade 8 (TDSB and non-TDSB)
• Cost: $20 materials fee
• Note: More languages may be offered if 25+ students register per language.
• Break: Supervised break from 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM for students continuing into the PM program.

African Heritage Program

• Time: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, Monday to Friday
• Focus: Explores the legacies, cultures, and histories of African descent through inquiry and experiential learning
• Grades: Senior Kindergarten (as of Sept. 2025) to Grade 8 (TDSB and non-TDSB)
• Cost: $20 materials fee

Registration Details

• Deadline: June 22, 2025
• Register Online: ereg.tdsb.on.ca/public/ilelogin.aspx
• Requirements: Ontario Education Number (OEN) and OHIP card

Contact: Grace Ocloo at 416-788-2180 or [email protected]

Dear Emma,

The Ford government is up to their old tricks, rapidly tabling legislation at the start of a new term then refusing to give advance notice to their debate days, making it impossible for the public to keep up. They have tabled seven large bills during their first month back and will table two more next week. Some of these government bills are supportable, such as Bill 9, which would increase the accountability from municipal politicians. In contrast, others are actually dangerous, like Bill 5, which would rip up longstanding environmental protections and ignore Indigenous communities around the Ring of Fire. 

This week, as your Shadow Attorney General, I spoke to Government Bill 10, a multi-pronged justice bill. The most significant prong is Schedule 5, which would make it easier for the government to handpick their favoured judges and erode the independence of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee. This committee's independence was already in question because Doug Ford’s former deputy chief of staff, Matthew Bondy, is the appointed chair (while simultaneously being a full-time registered government lobbyist in Ontario). 

Bill 10 proposed other changes that sound productive, but under closer review it will not make a difference to clearing the court backlogs, funding legal aid or improving public safety in Ontario, including: 

• Making it easier for courts to collect surety money, colloquially known as “bail bonds,” when the terms of bail had been breached. 
  • This change is all for show. During the Standing Committee on Justice Policy’s study on bail, the head of the Ontario Provincial Police Association stated that he had “in 27 years…never seen a surety held accountable for whatever they’ve put up.”
  • Instead, the government could invest in underfunded yet proven to be effective programs including that of bail supervision and compliance.
• Allowing people other than guardians to apply for a restraining order on behalf of a child. 
  • This sounds good, but restraining orders in Ontario are routinely not enforced. 
  • Recently, a survivor was turned away by police multiple times when trying to report breaches. 
• Prohibiting the possession of electronic devices that may be used to steal cars.
  • This presents problems as these devices are legal, widely available, and may have legitimate uses. I am concerned about police profiling people in these cases.
  • The government is still refusing to take steps that might actually crack down on car thefts, such as creating a VIN verification system.

One of the most egregious parts of Bill 10 is the fact that the bill preamble, in which the author outlines the aims of the bill, mentions intimate partner violence, but the actual text of the bill – the part that is enacted into law – fails to use the phrase even once. That is so offensive to survivors and families. This government has had many opportunities to create legislation that truly honours survivors – most of the work has already been done for them! The Renfrew Inquest recommendations are full of actionable changes that this government could easily incorporate into legislation. They could also pass my IPV epidemic bill any time they like. But they refuse to do so. You can watch me speak about the lack of support for survivors in Bill 10 here.

This bill frustrates many legal experts because it does not include any support for community-based bail programs, like the ones run by the John Howard and Elizabeth Fry Societies. These programs consistently deliver results, supporting people to stick to their bail terms, keeping them out of jail and reducing crime in our communities. I will continue pushing for evidence-based legislation on this front.

Instead of properly investing in public education, the Ford government continued their attacks on the Toronto District School Board this week, insinuating that they are not putting all available funding into our classrooms.

In truth Ford has been defunding public education since 2018 to the point that actual per-student funding in Ontario is now the lowest in recent history. 

Unlike the Ford government, the TDSB by law must balance their budget. They are now facing a $58 million structural deficit and without any financial assistance, they will soon shut down music programs and close half of their swimming pools. We can not let this happen. 

Click here to sign my petition calling on Ford to stop the cuts and save our schools.

This week, I stood in the legislature, calling on the government to adequately fund our public education system and put our kids first. You can watch my full statement here.

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Bill 5: Ford Stripping Environmental, Indigenous Protections 
• Greenbelt Scandal: Ford Government Ordered to Release More Records
• Black People United for Change Petition
• Daily Bread Food Bank
• Nominations Open for the Toronto Centre Leadership Awards
• This Week's Meetings
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

I have been hearing from many constituents each day raising concerns about the Government's Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act. Swiftly, upon its tabling, the Ontario NDP struck a Ring of Fire Taskforce and thoroughly reviewed this bill. The reviews are in, and they are not great.

Bill 5 is being advertised as a “One Project, One Process” approval model. Such a model would streamline mining project approvals into one process, with a dedicated team to help make things more efficient. 

If all this bill did was streamline these processes, I would happily support it. The Ontario NDP believes in the importance of responsible mining. Unfortunately, this 229-page bill goes much further, making changes that could cause a lot of harm to our province. 

The bill extensively amends the Endangered Species Act, putting our animals and environment at risk. It includes exemptions from public notice and consultations around Ontario Place. It also specifically exempts the Dresden landfill project from the Environmental Assessment Act. The Dresden landfill is a project headed by a company affiliated with prominent donors to Doug Ford and the PC Party. Sound familiar?

Bill 5 allows for the creation of Special Economic Zones within which the government can amend or ignore any and all local by-laws and provincial legislation, if doing so would enable large, profitable infrastructure projects to go ahead. This would allow the government and their preferred applicants to use “cheat codes” to do whatever they want, no matter the rules. The wording of the legislation is so vague that the types of laws that the government can ignore include labour, health and safety, and environmental laws. 

We know that Ontario's rich mineral deposits have the potential to fuel prosperity for decades to come, but we also know we can’t trust Doug Ford to open up mining in a way that is fair, safe, and respectful. This bill shows that he wants to allow his buddies to cheat and bypass their way to extracting wealth from the land. 

As we work to develop the Ring of Fire and unlock mining in Ontario, I strongly believe that we must work in partnership with First Nations. Mining and infrastructure projects must obtain free, prior, and informed consent of First Nations so that the benefits from mining and infrastructure projects flow to the people to whom the land belongs. Unrestrained development also risks destroying sacred and archaeologically significant sites of First Nations history. Development cannot be at the expense of the environment, culture, or people’s rights.

In the face of Trump’s tariffs, we must strengthen Ontario and grow our economy. But we have to do it right, with a path forward that works for workers, communities, First Nations, the environment, industry, and for the long haul. I am very concerned that Bill 5 is not the right path, and I will support my colleagues as they move amendments to improve the bill at committee.

This week, Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner confirmed what many had suspected: a staffer in Premier Doug Ford’s Office held at least one secret meeting with developers linked to the Greenbelt scandal — and tried to cover it up.

The IPC’s confirmation followed the incredible work of Ontario NDP research staff on this file, which revealed that one of the "off-the-books" meetings matched an email about Greenbelt land removals that was sent to a political staffer’s personal email account to bypass public record laws.

Now that they have uncovered this secret meeting, the IPC has ordered Ford’s government to contact a former Premier’s Office staffer and demand a sworn affidavit about 34 “private” meetings. I am anxiously awaiting this affidavit. We need to get to the bottom of this. I hope to have further updates soon. 

On Tuesday, I proudly presented a petition to the Legislature on behalf of Black People United for Change. The petition calls on the government to urgently table and pass a bill to combat anti-Black racism in Ontario and address the systemic injustices that they face. 

The Black community in Ontario experiences countless injustices every day due to a lack of accountability from this government. I am proud to raise my voice and call upon the Premier and this government to do everything within their purview and more to put an end to anti-Black racism. Ontario must invest in the Black community, end discrimination, and improve access to justice for all. 

Yesterday, I visited the Daily Bread Food Bank to discuss strategies for addressing poverty and food insecurity in Toronto. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of food banks has increased by 273%.  1 in 10 Torontonians currently use food banks just to get by. The data is deeply disheartening and points to a deep affordability crisis. 51% of new clients have someone in their household who is employed and 57% of those surveyed listed cost of living as the primary barrier to food security.

I had the opportunity to witness the incredible work of staff and volunteers as we toured the facility and learned of the various critical services that Daily Bread provides to Toronto residents. I want to thank Daily Bread for their important work and for sharing their recommendations for government action with me.  I am calling on the government to act now to address the food insecurity crisis that continues to grow in Toronto and across the province.

I am so excited to host my inaugural Toronto Centre Leadership Awards ceremony this spring! If you know a powerful leader in your community who you think deserves recognition, nominate them by emailing me at [email protected]. Please include the nominee's name, the neighbourhood they call home, a phone number or email address we can reach them at, and of course a description of why they are so wonderful and deserving of this award. I can't wait to see all of the names flowing into my inbox! 

• Friends of Ruby
• Black People United for Change
• TDSB Action Planning Meeting
• The Elevate Project
• Daily Bread Food Bank
• Ontario Student Voices

Doug Ford government appeals temporary bike lane injunction

Ford’s education minister says TDSB shouldn’t close pools

Ontario greenlights construction of Canada's first small modular reactor | CBC News

Health minister, premier defend Ontario's response to worsening measles outbreak | CBC News

GTA student data obtained in a cyberattack was not destroyed

Mother's Day 2025: Flower markets, high tea, and other Toronto events

Emergency Preparedness Week is May 4 - 10, and The 519 is hosting some great initiatives to help our communities get ready for heat, smoke, and other emergencies. Come by to learn, connect, and pick up some helpful resources!

Sat, May 10 | 11:30 AM–1 PM

Staying Safe in Heat and Smoke Season – Info Session

Learn how to prepare for heat and smoke season and get your very own emergency kit. Spots are limited and going fast — kits are in high demand!

Register now (drop-in as space allows): Scan the QR on the flyer or visit Emergency Preparedness Week - Heat & Smoke Season Registration Form

The Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association invites the community to their 15th Annual General Meeting — an evening to connect, renew memberships, and celebrate local leadership.

🗓️ Thursday, May 15, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 The 519 Ballroom, 519 Church Street

Evening Schedule:

• 6:30 PM: Registration and Membership Renewal
  
  
• 7:00 PM: Business Meeting (Board of Directors elections; members in good standing are eligible to vote and run)
  
  
• 8:30 PM: 15th Anniversary Celebration and Cake Cutting

Questions? Contact [email protected].

The 519’s Health Justice Program invites community members to an important discussion on Community Violence and Healing, part of the Talking Justice series.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
• Time: 6 – 8 PM
• Location: In person at The 519 (519 Church Street) or virtually
• Tickets: Free (Presto tickets and snacks provided)
  

Bianca Braganza, MSc, JD/BCL, Pro Bono Lawyer with The 519’s Combatting 2SLGBTQ+ BIPOC Hate and Racism Program, will lead a conversation exploring:

• Community and structural violence
• Social determinants of health in relation to crime and justice
• Alternative approaches to safety and justice
  

The 519 is a fully accessible space with all-gender washrooms. Additional accessibility supports are available upon request during registration.

The Winchester Park Residents Association is hosting its Annual General Meeting! 

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Hugh Garner Co-op (550 Ontario Street, 8th Floor Meeting Room).

This annual gathering brings neighbours together to reflect on local developments and shape the future of the community. The evening will include:

• Guest speakers
• Presentations from local representatives
• Board elections
• Updates on housing and development in the area
• A Q&A session for community members

Residents interested in serving on the board are encouraged to submit a nomination in advance. To apply, send your name, address, length of residency, and a brief note on your interest to [email protected]. Community members from all housing backgrounds— renters, owners, co-op members, or otherwise—are welcome to apply.

The Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter and the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action invite community members to a youth-led roundtable dedicated to fighting racism and fostering solidarity.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, May 24
  
  
• Time: 10 AM – 2 PM
  
  
• Location: Scarborough Civic Centre + Zoom
  
  
• Language: English with interpretation available in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Tamil
  
  
• Support: Snacks and TTC tokens available as needed; volunteer hours recognized
  
  

This hybrid event features youth leaders from Chinese and Tamil communities sharing powerful stories, strategies, and resources. Participants will hear how youth created culturally relevant workshops, developed educational tools, and gained confidence in sharing their lived experiences. The roundtable also offers space to connect with mentors, engage with peers, and contribute ideas to grassroots anti-racism efforts.

Register here: https://youthledroundtable-arah.eventbrite.ca/

Contact:

• Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter – [email protected]
• Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action – [email protected]

The Centre of Learning & Development, Mothers of Peace Regent Park, and ArtHubs Toronto invite everyone to a festive Eid al-Adha Bazaar celebrating community, culture, and local talent.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, May 27
  
  
• Time: 2 – 8 PM
  
  
• Location: Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas Street East

Enjoy a vibrant market filled with henna, jewellery, clothing, delicious food, and more — all from local vendors!

Contact for Questions or Vendor Inquiries:
Sureya at [email protected] or 647-493-2462 ext. 112

The Regent Park Neighbourhood Association (RPNA) is hiring for five new positions as part of their Empowering Tenants: Expanding Legal Knowledge and Justice for Housing Rights project.

Current opportunities include: 

• Project Coordinator (1 position)
• Community Animators (4 positions)

Apply today & view all current openings: www.regentparkna.ca/jobs

The Regent Park Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its 2025 festival!

Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is an award-winning, community-based, non-profit organization, and Toronto’s longest-running, FREE film festival.

RPFF’s mission is two-fold: to amplify and center marginalized communities and their stories, providing a platform for the work of emerging and established artists, while opening up access to the film and television industry; and to ensure art is free and accessible to everyone, regardless of financial status.
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024
🎥 Open to: Canadian and international filmmakers
📍 Submissions accepted online

• Welcomes films from Black, Indigenous, and racialized creators, as well as those from marginalized communities
• All genres and formats considered, including features, shorts, documentaries, and animation
• Free to submit

The festival prioritizes stories that reflect social justice, community, and the realities of those living in underrepresented spaces.

The Toronto District School Board invites families to explore the International Languages – Elementary & African Heritage Summer Program, designed to celebrate cultural heritage and support multilingual learning.

Program Dates:

  July 2 – July 25, 2025

  Location: Charles E. Webster School, 1900 Keele Street

International Languages Program

• Time: 9:00 – 11:30 AM, Monday to Friday
• Languages Offered: Amharic and Tigrinya
• Grades: Senior Kindergarten (as of Sept. 2025) to Grade 8 (TDSB and non-TDSB)
• Cost: $20 materials fee
• Note: More languages may be offered if 25+ students register per language.
• Break: Supervised break from 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM for students continuing into the PM program.

African Heritage Program

• Time: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, Monday to Friday
• Focus: Explores the legacies, cultures, and histories of African descent through inquiry and experiential learning
• Grades: Senior Kindergarten (as of Sept. 2025) to Grade 8 (TDSB and non-TDSB)
• Cost: $20 materials fee

Registration Details

• Deadline: June 22, 2025
• Register Online: ereg.tdsb.on.ca/public/ilelogin.aspx
• Requirements: Ontario Education Number (OEN) and OHIP card

Contact: Grace Ocloo at 416-788-2180 or [email protected]

Dear Emma,

What a week! On Monday (and into Tuesday due to some tight races), Canada elected a new government, and we in Toronto Centre elected a new MP. I want to congratulate Prime Minister Carney on his election. Canada needs strong leadership right now, and the work ahead will be difficult, but the NDP will be there to hold the balance of power, put forth solutions, and ensure the voices of the forgotten are heard. I also want to congratulate our new Member of Parliament, Evan Solomon. Representing the wonderful people of Toronto Centre is a great privilege and blessing. I look forward to collaborating with MP-Elect Solomon on the important work ahead.

I am very proud of the legacy of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who led our federal party and forced the Trudeau government to create groundbreaking national programs such as dental care, pharmacare, $10-a-day childcare, and school nutrition for children. This represents the most significant expansion of Canada’s social safety net since the creation of Tommy Douglas’ medicare program (another NDP win). Jagmeet’s legacy is one of care and commitment to the people who need us the most, even at great personal cost. And I know that legacy will continue through the current federal NDP caucus and the incoming leader, whoever they may be. 

The small but mighty federal NDP caucus holds the balance of power, as they did before the election, and I am excited to see how they hold the Liberals to account and push for progressive action at every turn. 

I have saved the best for last: Dr. Samantha Green, our local NDP candidate. Samantha and her team ran a powerful campaign, speaking to over 14,000 community members and really understanding what the people of Toronto Centre need. The result was not what we had hoped, but I know Samantha will stand up for the people of Toronto Centre for years to come.

This week, Doug Ford blatantly and shamelessly attacked the independence of judges in Ontario, going on a Trump-style rant about how judges are “too ideological” and should not be able to challenge legislation passed by his government, even if it contravened legal precedent in Ontario. He went on to say that we should be more like the United States and elect our judges. These types of elections would challenge judicial independence, a foundational cornerstone of our democracy. The backlash from the legal community has been fierce as they call on Ford to stop undermining Ontario’s justice system.

You can watch the whole rant here. It is chilling.

Yesterday during Question Period, I asked the Premier why he would make these threats that undermine our judicial system instead of acting on the actual recommendations to fix the courts made by legal experts. The Attorney General, who answered on his behalf, dodged the question. When I followed up, asking if he could name even one legal organization in Canada that agrees with the Premier's politicization of judicial appointments, he was again unable to answer. The truth of the matter is that this government does not respect the rule of law. Their inability to follow basic rules and laws has landed them in an RCMP investigation over their Greenbelt scandal. 

That same afternoon, the government tabled a bill that would, if passed, radically alter and speed up the judicial appointments process, among myriad other changes to our justice system. I will conduct a full analysis of the bill in the coming days and will bring you more updates shortly. 

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Nominations Open for the Toronto Centre Leadership Awards!
• ONDP Plan to support Buy Ontario, Combat Grocery Store Price Gouging
• Save Our TDSB Pools from Ford’s Cuts!
• NIP Seniors' Birthday Celebration
• Khalsa Day Parade
• OPSEU Rally - Our Time is Now
• SLNA &RPNA Neighbourhood Cleanup
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

I am so excited to host my inaugural Toronto Centre Leadership Awards ceremony this spring! If you know a powerful leader in your community who you think deserves recognition, nominate them by emailing me at [email protected]. Please include the nominee's name, the neighbourhood they call home, a phone number or email address we can reach them at, and of course a description of why they are so wonderful and deserving of this award. I can't wait to see all of the names flowing into my inbox! 

On Monday, I proudly stood in the legislature to share the Ontario NDP’s plan to empower Ontarians at the grocery store by labelling Ontario and Canadian products and implementing price transparency. 

The motion would require large grocery stores and other big-box retailers to label products made in Ontario and Canada, as well as those imported from the United States, so that consumers can make informed choices.

Donald Trump’s reckless and baseless tariffs have united Canadians like no other moment. We are all choosing to vote with our dollars and proudly buy Canadian and Ontario whenever possible. I see people in the grocery store aisles every week reading the small print on product labels for their place or country of origin — it's tedious and time consuming.

As Ontario MPPs, we have a wonderful opportunity to support this citizen-led movement by standardizing and simplifying labelling. This would make it clear and easy for everyone to support our local producers and avoid tariffed goods. 

The motion would also require big-box retailers to label products when their price increases by more than 2% over the course of one week, injecting transparency into the pricing process. Two percent may not sound like a lot, however, as these increases compound weekly, they add up quickly. These labels could also have a chilling effect on rising grocery prices, as corporations try to avoid posting them.

Unfortunately, the Ford government voted the motion down, but this doesn’t mean it is over. I am proud to be part of a caucus fighting to protect consumers shopping smartly, with their budget and our province in mind. 

This week, I have to share a sad update to last week’s news of the Toronto District School Board’s budget shortfall. The Ministry of Education is doubling down on its threat to take over management of the board if the TDSB are not able to meet its budget. Therefore, the TDSB is having to take a long, hard look at some of its expenses, including its pools. 

One of the proposals, which would save the board over $12M per year, is to close all TDSB-owned pools that the board does not lease out to other groups. This would be a huge blow, not only to students who would no longer have easy access to lifesaving swimming lessons, but also to community members who rely on public access to those pools for exercise, social connection, and safety training. 

Today, I sent an open letter to Education Minister Paul Calandra, sharing how important proper funding of public education is, and how critical these school pools are to our children’s health and well-being. You can read the letter here and sign my petition to save our pools here. If you want to get further involved in this campaign to save public education and our pools, reach out to your local school’s Parent Council! 

Save Our Pools! Sign the petition here: 

Neighbourhood Information Post does an incredible job of bringing Chinese seniors together to strengthen their community bonds. On Friday, I was overjoyed to be the special guest at their monthly meeting and to celebrate the birthdays of three of their members! 

If you are or know of seniors in Toronto Centre who need a little more community, connect with NIP here.

Sikhs from across Toronto and paraded through the streets last Sunday to mark Khalsa Day. Thank you to the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwara Council (OSGC) for hosting! It was moving to see so many people in Nathan Philips Square to mark Khalsa Day and celebrate Sikh values like peace and community.

On Saturday, I was proud to stand in solidarity with Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) members at their rally! Our public service workers are the backbone of Ontario—from healthcare to education to frontline support, they keep our province running. 

We must respect our workers, protect good public jobs from privatization, and grow solidarity. I am so proud of OPSEU for doing all that work and more!

Last Saturday, I was proud to work alongside Chris Glover, Ausma Malik, and many dedicated volunteers to give the St. Lawrence and Regent Park neighbourhoods a good spring cleaning! We picked up garbage, recyclables, cigarette butts, and more, all while meeting neighbours and strengthening community. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in a community cleanup in their local area last weekend. You helped keep our communities clean, vibrant, and connected!

• Canadian Parents for French (Ontario)
• Housing Roundtable with:
  • Home Opportunities
  • Discovery House
  • CMHA TVAMHS, Supportive Housing & Program development
  • Muskoka Community Land Trust
  • City of Toronto
  • BGI group
  • Constructors Guild
  • SkyRise Prefab
• Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA)

Ontario budget coming on May 15

Ford rants about 'bleeding-heart judges' who are 'overruling the government'

TDSB committee ponders big cuts to curtail $58M budget deficit

Ontario gets moving on Highway 401 tunnel feasibility study

Where to see Toronto’s cherry blossoms outside of High Park

Doug Ford’s attorney general says no to election of judges

Ford’s education minister demands changes from school boards

Ontario to crack down on councillors who harass staff

Ontario measles: 223 new infections

Exciting opportunities are being offered through the CRAFT Pre-Apprenticeship Program, a paid 16-week carpentry training initiative open exclusively to residents of Toronto Community Housing (TCH).

Virtual Information Session:

•   Date: May 6, 2025
•   Time: 12:00 PM
•   Location: Online (registration required)

This session will provide details about the paid training program, including eligibility requirements and application steps. Participants must be prepared to submit the following documents:

• Government-issued Photo ID
• SIN Card
• Canadian High School Diploma or Ontario Grade 10 Transcript

This program is a partnership between Daniels, the College of Carpenters and Allied Trades, Carpenters Local 27, Toronto Community Housing, and Building Up.

Register for the session here. 

 For questions, contact Fatima Saya at [email protected]

Trustee Deborah Williams invites community members to a thoughtful and informative panel discussion on the supports available for TDSB students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Event Details:

🗓️Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

📍Location: Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, 711 Bloor Street East, Toronto (near Castle Frank Station)

RSVP here!

This forum will explore how families can navigate supports such as the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) and Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Panelists will share insights on advocacy, school resources, and system navigation. Updates from the Trustee and Superintendents will also be shared.

Childminding and light refreshments will be available.

Accessibility supports, interpretation, and additional accommodations can be arranged upon request during registration.

The Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association invites the community to their 15th Annual General Meeting — an evening to connect, renew memberships, and celebrate local leadership.

🗓️ Thursday, May 15, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 The 519 Ballroom, 519 Church Street

Evening Schedule:

• 6:30 PM: Registration and Membership Renewal
  
  
• 7:00 PM: Business Meeting (Board of Directors elections; members in good standing are eligible to vote and run)
  
  
• 8:30 PM: 15th Anniversary Celebration and Cake Cutting

Questions? Contact [email protected].

The 519’s Health Justice Program invites community members to an important discussion on Community Violence and Healing, part of the Talking Justice series.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
• Time: 6 – 8 PM
• Location: In person at The 519 (519 Church Street) or virtually
• Tickets: Free (Presto tickets and snacks provided)
  

Bianca Braganza, MSc, JD/BCL, Pro Bono Lawyer with The 519’s Combatting 2SLGBTQ+ BIPOC Hate and Racism Program, will lead a conversation exploring:

• Community and structural violence
• Social determinants of health in relation to crime and justice
• Alternative approaches to safety and justice
  

The 519 is a fully accessible space with all-gender washrooms. Additional accessibility supports are available upon request during registration.

The Winchester Park Residents Association is hosting its Annual General Meeting! 

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Hugh Garner Co-op (550 Ontario Street, 8th Floor Meeting Room).

This annual gathering brings neighbours together to reflect on local developments and shape the future of the community. The evening will include:

• Guest speakers
• Presentations from local representatives
• Board elections
• Updates on housing and development in the area
• A Q&A session for community members

Residents interested in serving on the board are encouraged to submit a nomination in advance. To apply, send your name, address, length of residency, and a brief note on your interest to [email protected]. Community members from all housing backgrounds— renters, owners, co-op members, or otherwise—are welcome to apply.

The Regent Park Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its 2025 festival!

Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is an award-winning, community-based, non-profit organization, and Toronto’s longest-running, FREE film festival.

RPFF’s mission is two-fold: to amplify and center marginalized communities and their stories, providing a platform for the work of emerging and established artists, while opening up access to the film and television industry; and to ensure art is free and accessible to everyone, regardless of financial status.
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024
🎥 Open to: Canadian and international filmmakers
📍 Submissions accepted online

• Welcomes films from Black, Indigenous, and racialized creators, as well as those from marginalized communities
• All genres and formats considered, including features, shorts, documentaries, and animation
• Free to submit

The festival prioritizes stories that reflect social justice, community, and the realities of those living in underrepresented spaces.

The Toronto District School Board invites families to explore the International Languages – Elementary & African Heritage Summer Program, designed to celebrate cultural heritage and support multilingual learning.

Program Dates:

  July 2 – July 25, 2025

  Location: Charles E. Webster School, 1900 Keele Street

International Languages Program

• Time: 9:00 – 11:30 AM, Monday to Friday
• Languages Offered: Amharic and Tigrinya
• Grades: Senior Kindergarten (as of Sept. 2025) to Grade 8 (TDSB and non-TDSB)
• Cost: $20 materials fee
• Note: More languages may be offered if 25+ students register per language.
• Break: Supervised break from 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM for students continuing into the PM program.

African Heritage Program

• Time: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, Monday to Friday
• Focus: Explores the legacies, cultures, and histories of African descent through inquiry and experiential learning
• Grades: Senior Kindergarten (as of Sept. 2025) to Grade 8 (TDSB and non-TDSB)
• Cost: $20 materials fee

Registration Details

• Deadline: June 22, 2025
• Register Online: ereg.tdsb.on.ca/public/ilelogin.aspx
• Requirements: Ontario Education Number (OEN) and OHIP card

Contact: Grace Ocloo at 416-788-2180 or [email protected]

Dear friend,

The Federal election is just three days away! I am proud of the campaign that Dr. Samantha Green and her team have run in Toronto Centre. Samantha has connected with many community members, spreading the NDP’s hopeful message of greater affordability, a stronger safety net and a more prosperous Canada.

Many political pundits have observed that Mark Carney as Prime Minister represents a significant policy shift to the right for the Liberals. A conservative friend of mine has even described him as “the Conservative leader I always dreamed of,” which is apt. 

The Liberals have given Toronto Centre voters a “disgraced” candidate in Evan Solomon, according to the news headlines. In 2015, Evan Solomon ”was fired by CBC News in the wake of alleged secret art deals.”

The Guardian, a British daily newspaper reported Solomon was “accused of taking in commissions of over $300,000 in art sales arranged through journalistic contacts.”

Two days ago, Allison Smith, Editor of TorontoToday and former publisher of Queen’s Park Today report, “Liberal candidate, Evan Solomon, says he's been “sleeping on a buddy’s couch’ while campaigning in Toronto Centre. The former broadcast journalist, who spent 15 years in Ottawa and NYC, sloughed off criticism from his NDP opponent about his ties to Toronto.”

Toronto Centre needs an MP with a strong moral compass. Someone with the courage to speak up in the face of injustice, here and abroad. Someone with a proven track record on climate action. Someone who has earned our trust and deeply loves our communities. The stakes are high and Toronto Centre can not be taken for granted. I can’t think of anyone more trustworthy than Dr. Green, who has been a beloved family doctor and neighbour in our community for years.

We need a strong NDP caucus in Ottawa to combat the Liberals' rightward shift. Only New Democrats have been successful in forcing the Liberals to invest in the programs that Canadians depend on, such as dental care, pharmacare, $10-a-day childcare, real affordable housing, and much more. The small but mighty NDP caucus was able to do it last time, and the same push is required now more than ever, as we face economic uncertainty.

I hope you vote for Dr. Samantha Green on Monday. Make your plan to vote at howyouvote.ca and pledge your support for Samantha here! 

If you want to get more involved, the campaign is looking for volunteers on Saturday and election day. Sign up here! Any amount of time you can give is so valuable! 

Yours in hope, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Ford Threatens Toronto School Boards
• Bike Lane Victory (For Now)
• Ford’s Greenbelt Lobbyist Banned
• OPSEU Convention
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

This week, my concern about Paul Calandra becoming the Minister of Education was proven right. The Ministry of Education has taken control of one Ontario school board and is investigating three others, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), due to their “inability” to balance their budgets. What the government failed to share were the reasons for the budget shortfalls, specifically chronic underfunding from the Ford government.

Minister Calandra cited two egregious instances of board overspending as the reason for these takeovers, neither of which was expensed by the Toronto boards. While these two expenses were far from examples of prudent spending, they only totalled $230,000, which is far from the difference between these boards balancing their budgets or not. There are deeper, structural issues at play that the government refuses to acknowledge. 

The Ford government says again and again that education funding has never been higher, which is true. What they fail to mention is that the cost to deliver education is also at an all-time high and that school boards, especially those in larger urban areas, are struggling to keep up. 

Ford and Calandra also blame these unbalanced budgets on bloated administration budgets, even though all school boards have their administration costs capped at 2.5% of their funding, which is considered very lean by even conservative business standards. Meanwhile, almost every school board in Ontario spends more than the government funds them for on special education for students with disabilities and still fails to meet students’ needs. We need more special education funding now! 

Last week, I shared updates from the TDSB’s budget town hall, where they outlined their budget shortfalls and the fact that they would need to make significant cuts to balance their budget. 

Here are the main funding issues identified by TDSB: 

• Increases to employer-paid CPP and EI contributions
• Teacher and support staff salaries that are higher than the ministry standard to which they are funded
• Inability to close schools, no increased funding for half-full schools that cost the same to operate as a full school, minus teacher costs
• High inflation, in terms of both labour and supply costs
• Greater than average populations of students with special needs (they are only funded for the provincial average)
• Greater than average populations of students who are refugees, newcomers, and need ESL support (they are only funded for the provincial average)

TDSB staff have said that they may be forced to cut programs that community members rely on, including the program that supplies a Chromebook to every student in grade 5 and above, as well as the Learn4Life adult general interest programs. However, even if they cut both programs entirely, that would not result in a balanced budget. 

I look forward to returning to the legislature next week to hold the government accountable for its misleading rhetoric and scapegoating of school boards. Our kids deserve better!

Incredible news! This week, Cycle Toronto and two individual cyclists were granted an injunction that temporarily halts the removal of bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue. 

The battle is far from over, and the government can still appeal, but I am hopeful. In the final decision, the judge in this case referenced the lack of credible evidence that the bike lanes cause congestion, which is the government's main argument for their removal. 

I am so proud of these brave activists working so hard to ensure that Toronto continues to be a place where cyclists and other vulnerable road users are respected, protected, and safe. I hope to have more updates soon!

Last week, Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner issued a 2-year lobbying ban on John Mutton a.k.a. Mr. X, and named Matt Johnston, both prominent characters in Premier Ford’s Greenbelt carve-up.

It is horrifying that these rule-breakers are the kind of people that this government is in business with – a lobbyist who has broken the law not once, not twice, but repeatedly for almost a decade. This is ridiculous, and we know that we will only learn more when the RCMP investigation into the Greenbelt carve-up is made public. 

Next, the Integrity commissioner should reveal just which public officials were in positions of conflict of interest, receiving Toronto Raptors tickets and other bribes from Mr. X and his friends. 

People in Ontario are facing a lot of uncertainty right now. They are worried about their jobs, how they are going to afford groceries this month, and whether they will continue to have a stable place to live. In an environment like this, we all deserve a government that we can trust to put our best interests first. The Premier needs to clean up the culture of cash-for-access and preferential treatment that continues to plague his government so we can get to work strengthening Ontario. We can’t afford any more distractions. 

On Thursday, I was proud to attend the opening ceremony of the OPSEU/SEFPO Convention 2025 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. I enjoyed the opportunity to show my support for the nearly 180,000 members of the Ontario Public Service that OPSEU/SEFPO represents. I was joined by my fellow caucus members, MPPs Chris Glover and Jamie West, and together we reflected alongside the Indigenous Elders leading the procession into the Convention and listened to the opening remarks. I thank OPSEU/SEFPO for the invitation to attend this year’s convention and for the ongoing solidarity between workers and the ONDP caucus.

Council approves new plan to ease Toronto congestion, create 'traffic czar'

Mistrial declared in sex assault case against 5 ex-world junior hockey players in London, Ont.

‘It felt like we were family’: Stories from the hallways of SickKids as Toronto hospital marks 150 years

How to see peak cherry blossom bloom in Toronto

Hudson’s Bay expected to begin liquidation at final six stores

Clean Toronto Together is happening this weekend! Tomorrow, community associations across Toronto Centre are coming together to clean up our local parks and green spaces! 

Here are just a few of the community cleanups happening tomorrow: 

St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Cleanup Day

📅  Saturday, April 26, 2025

⏰ 10 AM – 1 PM

📍 Southwest corner of The Esplanade and Frederick Street

🧤 Garbage bags and gloves will be provided

🗑️ Please bring your own plastic containers for cigarette butt collection

Friends of Berczy Park Cleanup Day

 📅 Saturday, April 26, 2025

 ⏰ 10 AM – 1 PM

📍 Berczy Park

Bay-Cloverhill Neighbourhood Cleanup Day

📅 Saturday, April 26, 2025

 ⏰ 10 AM 

 📍 1055 Bay Street

 🥪  Lunch afterwards at Firkin on Bloor

Corktown Community Cleanup at Sackville Playground

 📅 Saturday, April 26, 2025

 ⏰ 11 AM – 1 PM

  📍 Sackville Playground

🗓️ Friday, April 25th, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Panel Discussion: Financialization of Housing and Low-Income Communities

Featuring:

• John Clarke (230 Fightback)
  
  
• Walied Khogali Ali (Regent Park Residents Association)
  
  
• Chiara Padovani (York South Weston Tenant Union)
  
  
• Lorrain Lam (Shelter Housing Justice Network)
  

🗓️ Saturday, April 26th, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Full-Day Assembly

• 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM: Working Together
  Speakers from Climate Justice Toronto, Migrant Workers Alliance, No Demovictions, Toronto Underhoused and Homeless Union/Shelter Housing Justice Network, Friends of Chinatown, and Parkdale Housing Justice.
  
  
• 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch (provided onsite)
  
  
• 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Workshops on Organizing and Tactics
  
  
• 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Mobilizing Communities
  Panel speakers: Gaetan Heroux (230 Fightback) and Bruno Dobrusin (York South Weston Tenant Union)
  
  
• 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Final Comments and Closing Reflections

📍 Location: Toronto PWA Foundation, 4th Floor, 163 Queen St E, Toronto

🆓 This is a free event. Registration is optional and not required to attend.
🍽️ Lunch will be served on Saturday.

For more information, reach out to [email protected].

 A family friendly and entertaining outdoor event which will link defending our right to choose our own future – a future that eliminates carbon emissions - a better future that provides the necessities of life, (clean air, clean water, good health, affordable housing and a job that pays a living wage) and a future with justice for Indigenous People. Come on out and enjoy speakers, music, street theatre, and a kids table!

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025

Time: 1 PM to 4 PM

Location: Allan Gardens – Jarvis at Carlton (North-West section) 160 Gerrard Street East, Toronto.

  Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025

  Time: 1 PM – 4 PM

  Location: Regent Park Greenhouse & Picnic Area (600 Dundas St. E.)

Hosted by Green Thumbs, this free, family-friendly event celebrates the arrival of spring and the kickoff of Green Thumbs’ 26th season.

Event highlights include:

• Live music by David Celia & Co, blending retro pop, folk, rock, and improv
• Face painting, children’s activities, and silent auction pickup
• Plant sale to support children’s gardening programs
• Tasty food and community connection

Double Take Thrift Store invites you to their pop-up market celebrating local talent, sustainable style, and conscious shopping.

Event Details:

• Saturday, April 26 & Sunday, April 27, 2025
• 11 AM – 5:30 PM
• Double Take Thrift Store
• 310 Gerrard Street East, Toronto
• Free customer parking available

Highlights Include:

• A curated selection from 12 local vendors offering handmade goods, vintage finds, and unique treasures
• An exclusive opportunity to browse the Online Luxury Collection in person
• New releases from the Upcycling Studio

Every purchase helps support the Yonge Street Mission’s community programs!

The Cabbagetown BIA is looking for a motivated and community-minded Projects Assistant to support summer initiatives that uplift local businesses and animate the neighbourhood.

Position Overview:

• Title: Projects Assistant
• Location: Hybrid work based out of 237 Carlton St., Toronto
• Wage: $21/hour
• Hours: 35 hours per week
• Duration: May 5 to August 22, 2025
• Application Deadline: Sunday, April 27, 2025

View the whole job description and apply here. 

The City of Toronto's Local Leadership Grant is now open! 

As a part of the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy (TSNS), the Local Leadership Grant of $5,000 supports resident-led projects that support local activation and focus on the five domains of TSNS – economic opportunities, healthy lives, participation in civic-decision making, physical surroundings, and social development - across all neighbourhoods. The Local Leadership Grant prioritizes the leadership and participation of Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups within Neighbourhood Improvement Areas, Emerging Neighbourhoods, and other communities of focus. 

Applicants must be a resident-led group consisting of at least 3 members who live in Toronto but do not live in the same household

Group projects must offer community-based activities related to at least one of the five domains of TSNS (i.e., economic opportunities, healthy lives, participation in decision-making, social development and physical surroundings) of the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy

• Grant Closes: Monday April 28, 2025 at 12 PM

Click Here to submit your online application

Click here to learn about the online information sessions and grant office hours to support you with your application. 

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] 

Applications due: Friday, May 2, 2025 (online)

In-person deadline: Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 4 PM

Regent Park tenants can apply for up to $3,000 toward tuition fees, along with a $500 bursary to help cover books and additional education costs.

Who is eligible:

• Current or relocated tenants of Regent Park due to revitalization
• Ages 17 and older
• In good standing on rent payments
• Enrolled or accepted into a post-secondary program or training course at a recognized institution (college, university, trade school, career academy), part-time or full-time
• Able to show financial need
• Demonstrated community involvement and/or leadership

How to apply:

Online:

 Complete the application by Friday, May 2, 2025 at 11:59 PM

  Click here for the online application

In-person:

 Pick up a paper application at 530 Dundas St. E.

 Available Mondays and Thursdays, 10 AM – 4 PM

 Submit completed applications by Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 4 PM

For a paper copy, translation, or other support with your application, contact Vanessa Gyali at 437-717-3378 or [email protected]

Trustee Deborah Williams invites community members to a thoughtful and informative panel discussion on the supports available for TDSB students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Event Details:

🗓️Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

📍Location: Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, 711 Bloor Street East, Toronto (near Castle Frank Station)

RSVP here!

This forum will explore how families can navigate supports such as the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) and Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Panelists will share insights on advocacy, school resources, and system navigation. Updates from the Trustee and Superintendents will also be shared.

Childminding and light refreshments will be available.

Accessibility supports, interpretation, and additional accommodations can be arranged upon request during registration.

The Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association invites the community to their 15th Annual General Meeting — an evening to connect, renew memberships, and celebrate local leadership.

🗓️ Thursday, May 15th, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 The 519 Ballroom, 519 Church Street

Evening Schedule:

• 6:30 PM: Registration and Membership Renewal
  
  
• 7:00 PM: Business Meeting (Board of Directors elections; members in good standing are eligible to vote and run)
  
  
• 8:30 PM: 15th Anniversary Celebration and Cake Cutting

Questions? Contact [email protected].

The 519’s Health Justice Program invites community members to an important discussion on Community Violence and Healing, part of the Talking Justice series.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
• Time: 6 PM – 8 PM
• Location: In person at The 519 (519 Church Street) or virtually
• Tickets: Free (Presto tickets and snacks provided)
  

Bianca Braganza, MSc, JD/BCL, Pro Bono Lawyer with The 519’s Combatting 2SLGBTQ+ BIPOC Hate and Racism Program, will lead a conversation exploring:

• Community and structural violence
• Social determinants of health in relation to crime and justice
• Alternative approaches to safety and justice
  

The 519 is a fully accessible space with all-gender washrooms. Additional accessibility supports are available upon request during registration.

RSVP preferred at The519.org/hjprog

The Winchester Park Residents Association is hosting its Annual General Meeting! 

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Hugh Garner Co-op (550 Ontario Street, 8th Floor Meeting Room).

This annual gathering brings neighbours together to reflect on local developments and shape the future of the community. The evening will include:

• Guest speakers
• Presentations from local representatives
• Board elections
• Updates on housing and development in the area
• A Q&A session for community members

Residents interested in serving on the board are encouraged to submit a nomination in advance. To apply, send your name, address, length of residency, and a brief note on your interest to [email protected]. Community members from all housing backgrounds— renters, owners, co-op members, or otherwise—are welcome to apply.

The Regent Park Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its 2025 festival!

Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) is an award-winning, community-based, non-profit organization, and Toronto’s longest-running, FREE film festival.

RPFF’s mission is two-fold: to amplify and center marginalized communities and their stories, providing a platform for the work of emerging and established artists, while opening up access to the film and television industry; and to ensure art is free and accessible to everyone, regardless of financial status.

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024
🎥 Open to: Canadian and international filmmakers
📍 Submissions accepted online

• Welcomes films from Black, Indigenous, and racialized creators, as well as those from marginalized communities
• All genres and formats considered, including features, shorts, documentaries, and animation
• Free to submit

The festival prioritizes stories that reflect social justice, community, and the realities of those living in underrepresented spaces.

Dear friend,

The Ontario Legislature resumes this upcoming Monday after five long months and a general election. I’m eager to return to Queen’s Park alongside the ONDP caucus to fight for the issues that matter to you!

This week, I was reappointed by Official Opposition Leader Marit Stiles as the Shadow Attorney General, with responsibility for 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. These are the same roles I held in the last session of the legislature, and I am grateful for the Leader’s confidence in me to take up these important portfolios again. This means I will continue to hold the Ministry of the Attorney General accountable for decisions, call out when things are broken, such as our court and tribunal systems, and propose solutions on how to improve the legal system to better serve Ontarians. I also have the privilege and responsibility of amplifying concerns affecting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. I will do this by listening to and partnering with our community groups to bring their voices to Queen’s Park, something that is more important than ever as Queer and Trans communities are scapegoated by conservative politicians and far-right groups. 

I will take on my shadow ministerial appointments with the energy and focus that you deserve and expect from your Member of Provincial Parliament. I am excited to build on my existing knowledge, stand up for justice, and ensure that Ontarians from every corner of our province, from survivors of violence to tenants, will get their day in court and the Landlord Tenant Board. 

This Legislative session will be unlike any other, as the ever-evolving tariff situation south of the border keeps us on our toes. Ontarians need an even-handed, transparent, and accountable government now more than ever. 

The Ontario NDP caucus is ready to take a Team Ontario approach to protecting jobs and insulating the province from the worst effects of Donald Trump’s tariffs while holding this government accountable and pushing for the strong public services we need. 

Yesterday, Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office released a report showing decades of decline in services for key social programs – including healthcare, long-term care, post-secondary education, and social assistance. 

Under consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments, long-term care beds per capita have plummeted by 45 percent, from 99 to 62 beds per 1,000 seniors. The growth in our aging population should come as no surprise to any government as the sector has been forecasting for years the need for public investment to expand long-term care beds to meet the “silver tsunami.” Any intelligent and responsive government would have proactively built these homes in anticipation of these needs. 

Similarly, there has been a steady decline in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 people – from 478 in 1990-91 to 222 in 2023-24. The previous Liberal government purposefully downsized hospitals in the 1990s, cutting the number of hospital beds by half. The Ford government has significantly made this worse by creating less than one bed per 100,000 Ontarians during their terms, further growing our hallway medicine crisis. 

We are all also seeing the results of the chronic underfunding of our post-secondary education system in real time. Colleges and universities have been forced to rely on lucrative international student fees to make up budget shortfalls, only to see these student visas capped by the federal Liberal government, causing post-secondary institutions to make head-turning program cuts. On a real per-student basis, postsecondary education spending in Ontario has decreased from $14,183 per student annually in 1990-91 to $12,994 in 2023-24, adjusted for inflation. Raiding reserves, taking on new debt, selling assets, and even terminating courses and staff will not sustain the post-secondary education sector. Without smart government intervention, they are heading towards financial collapse.

In the face of record-high housing costs and a rise in homelessness, inflation-adjusted social assistance rates are even lower today than they were 20 years ago. Nobody wants to see their neighbours made homeless, yet Liberal and Conservative governments have insisted on maintaining sub-poverty social assistance rates for the most vulnerable among us. Now, heading into what appears to be a drawn-out trade war, we should be lifting people up, not sending them deeper into poverty when they are sick and unable to work or unable to find work.

We need to make sure Ontarians can weather the storm of financial uncertainty. We must protect Ontarian families for whatever changes there are to come. That means we need a government that invests in the services that matter most – reliable health care, affordable homes, and great schools. I will never back down in the face of adversity. I will continue pushing this government to make the critical investments to grow our economy and support our communities amid international uncertainty.

I am excited to return to the Legislature, where I will push for new and stronger legislation that takes care of people and strengthens Toronto and the province we call home.

Yours in community service, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP, Toronto Centre

• Marit Stiles’ Meeting with US Consulate General
• Greenbelt Scandal: More Lies out of Ford’s Office
• Toronto Centre Supporters Appreciation Party
• Co-hosting the Small Business Workgroup
• $200 Cheques - are you still waiting?
• Metrolinx Construction - Noise and Disruption
• Day of Pink 2025
• This Week’s Headlines
• Local Community Events

Last week, ONDP Leader Marit Stiles met with U.S. Consul General Baxter Hunt. Marit told me that they had a focused and productive discussion, where she reminded him that Ontario is the United States’ third-largest trading partner and that our prosperity is tied together.

From auto and steel to agriculture and lumber, Ontario is part of one of the most integrated trade relationships in the world—supporting millions of jobs and hundreds of billions in cross-border investment.  We all know that tariffs will stall that progress. They won’t just hurt us—they will hurt American families too. At the checkout line, on the factory floor, and across the supply chains that keep our economies running.  

Marit shared with the U.S. Consul General what MPPs have been hearing across Ontario: Canadians are united, and we will defend what we have built together. We all want to lower the temperature, but we cannot ignore the economic uncertainty caused by one man’s threats, which seem to change every single day. 

Until those threats are off the table, we will not back down. We will look after each other and build a stronger economy and a more resilient, tariff-proof Ontario. This is the work that I am focused on every day. 

Doug Ford may have a new mandate, but he has not been able to run away from the skeletons in his closet. Last week, we learned – through the diligent work of Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner – that one of Ford’s former political aides-turned-lobbyists failed to meet ethical lobbying standards. Mr. Fidani-Diker failed to register as a lobbyist, knowingly created a conflict of interest for two public officials by offering them hockey tickets in what ought to be known as a bribe, and in the course of his work for another client, failed to disclose details of the change he was lobbying for. 

Despite these egregious contraventions of lobbying rules, Mr. Fidani-Diker has only received a slap on the wrist and is free to continue his work as a professional lobbyist.

Ontario’s Office of the Integrity Commissioner is full of extremely skilled and principled people who uncover acts of wrongdoing and rulebreaking within public offices every day. However, they have very little power to actually hand down consequences, especially to elected officials. One would hope that the pubic shame would be enough for people to change their ways, but as we have seen with Ford and his buddies, many simply don’t care. We need to give the Integrity Commissioner more tools to deliver real consequences. Public officials should be held to a high standard, and it is maddening to see this government fail to uphold even basic standards of decency. I promise to continue to share this truth with you through my newsletter and to hold myself to the highest ethical standards. It is what you all deserve in an elected official.

On Sunday, I was thrilled to host a post-election Supporters Appreciation Party to thank all of the volunteers, donors, staff, and friends who put in the hard work to ensure my re-election as the MPP for Toronto Centre. 

We had a great turnout, and it was wonderful to enjoy delicious food, great music, and conversation with so many supporters. Celebrating wins is so important, especially now, when being a progressive feels difficult. Thank you so much to everyone who attended and to those who were not able to join us – we missed you! 

Yesterday, I was so happy to reconnect with amazing small business owners and supporters through our Small Business Workgroup, cohosted by MPP Chris Glover and myself. We were joined by the Bloor-Yorkville BIA, Better Way Alliance, Bloorcourt BIA, Cabbagetown BIA, and so many business owners! 

All of the attendees provided thoughtful input. What they shared about the challenges they are facing, especially around tariffs, was invaluable. I am committed to addressing these issues and making sure our small businesses not only survive but thrive in Ontario.

Most Ontarians received their $200 bribe cheque from the Ontario government earlier this year. However, NDP MPPs have been hearing from a small number of people across the province that their cheques have yet to arrive despite being eligible. 

If you meet the eligibility requirements but have not received your cheque, please contact me (or your local MPP if you live in another riding), and we will do our best to rectify the situation. NDP MPPs plan to reach out to the Minister of Finance collectively with our constituents’ stories to ensure that the government acts and sends people the money they promised. 

If you live near or work near one of the new under-construction Ontario Line subway stations or the Union Station Rail Corridor, you know that crews are working long hours. While I am pleased that efforts are being made to complete construction quickly, my office has also received many reasonable complaints about dust, noise, and vibration during sleeping hours. Metrolinx is exempt from all City of Toronto noise bylaws, but that doesn’t mean they should not be good neighbours. Please continue to reach out to my office with these concerns, and I will pass them on to Metrolinx. 

Overnight construction is currently happening around Lower Jarvis and Lower Sherbourne. This work is essential, as it will create the capacity for frequent, all-day, two-way GO transit service to more destinations along the GO rail system. However, this work is causing additional local disturbances. 

I encourage residents to attend local Metrolinx community update meetings, share concerns, and learn more about why this overnight work is sometimes necessary. We all want to be riding the Ontario line and all-day GO as soon as possible, but we also need quality sleep in the meantime!

On Wednesday, we celebrated the Day of Pink, a powerful day when people stand up against 2SLGBTQIA+ focused bullying. 

I had the honour of celebrating at the Day of Pink Gala with my friends MOlivia Chow, Fred Hahn, Jill Andrew, and Cheri Di Novo. The evening reminded us of the power of love, acceptance and the incredible progress we’ve made in Ontario. It’s not just a celebration of our vibrant 2SLGBTQIA+ communities but also a crucial fundraiser supporting programs that are making a difference in schools and communities across the country. 

Toronto's University Health Network launches scientist recruitment campaign amid U.S. health cuts, layoffs

Ontario measles case count tops 800, 155 new infections since last week

Ontario open to collaborating with Toronto on bike lane removals: Ministry of Transport

TTC says damaged signal cable near Union Station fixed

Inquest into jail death called as data shows record number of people dying in Ontario jails

TNG Community Services and St. James Town Community Corner invite community members to a Free Repair Café on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 12:00 to 4:00 PM (registration closes at 3:00 PM). The event takes place at 349 Ontario Street, Toronto, and is wheelchair accessible.

Skilled volunteers will help repair broken household items, including:

• Computers
• Small appliances
• Home electronics
• General housewares
• Clothing and jewelry
• Bikes and toys
• Books and paper items
  (One item per person)

Volunteers with repair skills are also welcome to participate.

For more information, contact:

• Touhida Choudhury: 416-925-4363 x2521 or [email protected]
• Alaa: 416-964-6657 x240 or [email protected]

TransCare+ invites community members to the Trans Care Fair 2025, a full afternoon dedicated to trans wellbeing, empowerment, and connection.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025
• Time: 12 – 5 PM
• Location: The 519 Community Centre (519 Church Street, Toronto)
• RSVP here

Allies are welcome in solidarity. Admission is free, and the space is fully accessible.

Shop Cabbagetown 2 Win – Support Local and Win Prizes
The Cabbagetown BIA invites community members to take part in Shop Cabbagetown 2 Win, a neighbourhood-wide local shop campaign running April 14 to May 25, 2025.

• What it is: Shop at participating Cabbagetown businesses and enter to win weekly prizes.
  
  
• How to enter: Spend $25 or more at any participating business, then upload the receipt to the campaign website.
  
  
• Prizes: Weekly gift cards from local shops and restaurants.
  
  
• Final draw: All entries are eligible for a grand prize gift card bundle.
  

This initiative celebrates and supports small businesses while offering a fun way to connect with the Cabbagetown community.

More details and a list of participating businesses are available at shopcabbagetown2win.com.

School boards receive most of their funding from the provincial government. Every spring, the Ministry announces Core Education Funding, which determines the amount of funding school boards will receive for the coming year. Before provincial funding is announced, the TDSB wants to hear from students, staff, and families during the 2025-26 budget process.

TDSB’s Budget Town Hall Community Consultations provide community members with the opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and share feedback about the budget.

Visit the TDSB Budget webpage for details on how to attend in person or online, or learn how to delegate to a committee. To ensure enough space is available at the town halls, please register through this form if you plan to attend in person.

Downtown Budget Town Hall
Tuesday, April 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
In-person at Harbord Collegiate Institute (286 Harbord Street, Toronto)
(* hosted by Trustee Deborah Williams)

Student Budget Town Hall
Thursday, April 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Hybrid (in-person and/or virtual) at 5050 Yonge Street, North York
Click here to join online (for virtual option on evening of event)

Neighbourhood Information Post invites young artists to a free art class with renowned Toronto-based artist Benny Bing! This is a great opportunity for youth to explore creativity and learn from a celebrated contemporary artist.

📅 Wednesday, April 23, 2025
🕟 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
📍 Benny Bing Studio, 35 Tubman Ave, Suite 103, Toronto, ON M5A 0T1
👩‍🎨 For youth ages 10 to 16

• Learn from Benny Bing, known for his bold use of colour and artwork exploring Black identity, gender, and humanity
• Hands-on creative experience in an inspiring studio environment
• Free to attend, registration required

📩 Register here
📞 For more information, contact 416-924-2543 ext. 224 or email [email protected].

People's Assembly on Housing Justice — a time to connect, learn, and build collective action for housing rights.

🗓️ Friday, April 25th, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Panel Discussion: Financialization of Housing and Low-Income Communities
Featuring:

• John Clarke (230 Fightback)
  
  
• Walied Khogali Ali (Regent Park Residents Association)
  
  
• Chiara Padovani (York South Weston Tenant Union)
  
  
• Lorrain Lam (Shelter Housing Justice Network)
  

🗓️ Saturday, April 26th, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Full-Day Assembly

• 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM: Working Together
  Speakers from Climate Justice Toronto, Migrant Workers Alliance, No Demovictions, Toronto Underhoused and Homeless Union/Shelter Housing Justice Network, Friends of Chinatown, and Parkdale Housing Justice.
  
  
• 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch (provided onsite)
  
  
• 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Workshops on Organizing and Tactics
  
  
• 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Mobilizing Communities
  Panel speakers: Gaetan Heroux (230 Fightback) and Bruno Dobrusin (York South Weston Tenant Union)
  
  
• 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Final Comments and Closing Reflections

📍 Location: Toronto PWA Foundation, 4th Floor, 163 Queen St E, Toronto

🆓 This is a free event. Registration is optional and not required to attend.
🍽️ Lunch will be served on Saturday.

For more information, reach out to [email protected].

 A family friendly and entertaining outdoor event which will link defending our right to choose our own future – a future that eliminates carbon emissions - a better future that provides the necessities of life, (clean air, clean water, good health, affordable housing and a job that pays a living wage) and a future with justice for Indigenous People. Come on out and enjoy speakers, music, street theatre, and a kids table!

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025

Time: 1 P.M. to 4 P.M.

Location: Allan Gardens – Jarvis at Carlton (North-West section) 160 Gerrard Street East, Toronto.

The City of Toronto's Local Leadership Grant is now open! 

As a part of the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy (TSNS), the Local Leadership Grant of $5,000 supports resident-led projects that support local activation and focus on the five domains of TSNS – economic opportunities, healthy lives, participation in civic-decision making, physical surroundings, and social development - across all neighbourhoods. The Local Leadership Grant prioritizes the leadership and participation of Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups within Neighbourhood Improvement Areas, Emerging Neighbourhoods, and other communities of focus. 

Applicants must be a resident-led group consisting of at least 3 members who live in Toronto but do not live in the same household

Group projects must offer community-based activities related to at least one of the five domains of TSNS (i.e., economic opportunities, healthy lives, participation in decision-making, social development and physical surroundings) of the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy

• Grant Opens: Monday March 17, 2025 at 12 PM
• Grant Closes: Monday April 28, 2025 at 12 PM

Click Here to submit your online application

Click here to learn about the online information sessions and grant office hours to support you with your application. 

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]