Dear friend,
On Tuesday, this past Remembrance Day, Canadians across the country paused at eleven o'clock to pay our respects to the thousands of veterans and servicepeople who have fought for our freedoms on behalf of Canada, surviving unimaginable horrors in the process. Their sacrifices, strength, and courage, remind us of our collective duty to defend the rights and freedoms of everyone who calls this country home.
As a young boy, my father learned about the bravery of young Canadian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Hong Kong against Imperial Japan. As an adventurous and curious young man, he joined the Royal Navy and traveled the commonwealth. This left a lasting impression on him and in 1975 he chose to immigrate to Canada in an act of gratitude to the country that came to the defence of his birthplace.
As the child of a navy serviceman, Remembrance Day is always particularly emotional – even more so this year as my father passed away this September. Remembering the lives and stories of servicemembers we have lost is such an important ritual. If people in your family have served, I hope you had a chance to remember them and reflect on their legacy. Lest we forget.
This year, I was honoured to attend our local Remembrance Day ceremony, co-hosted by St. James Cemetery and the Cabbagetown BIA, and lay a wreath. After the ceremony, I stayed for the veterans graves tour through the ceremony, which made the day all the more personal as I reflected on the Toronto Centre residents who served our country.
Remembrance Day is also an important time to reflect on the geopolitical situation we find ourselves in currently and the people who are suffering through wars today. During the ceremony, I took time to think of the people affected by war and violence in Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Lebanon, Congo, and beyond. Working for a world beyond war feels like a lofty goal, but one we must reach towards.
Last week, when the house was sitting, I had the opportunity to speak to Bill 60, the government’s new housing bill that seeks to strip tenant protections. The government claims this is a move that will speed up the beleaguered Landlord and Tenant Board, even as they refuse to listen to experts and return to more efficient and equitable in-person hearings. You can watch part of my speech on Bill 60 here where I talk about how renters are also the workers, students, and seniors that build our province. Everyone deserves a dignified home without the stress of worrying about it being taken out from under them.
The government tabling Time Allocation Motions for both Bill 60 and Bill 33 (government education bill), as I discussed in last week’s newsletter. Due to these blatantly undemocratic motions, it is possible that both bills could pass and become law as early as late next week or early the following week. I am not giving up and still need your stories about precarious tenancies, delays at the LTB, and your fears about what Bill 60 passing could mean to you. If you have a story like this, please reply to this email!
Yours in community service,
Kristyn Wong-Tam
MPP, Toronto Centre
| In This Newsletter |
- Transgender Day of Remembrance Flag Raising - You’re Invited
- Fire David Piccini: SDF Funding Awarded to Mismanaged Company
- My Statement on the Combat on Campus Tour
- E-Bike Battery Fire at 140 Carlton Street
- Canada Loses Measles Elimination Status
- Ford’s 401 Fantasy Tunnel Study Wastes Millions
- Ford Fails Again to Deliver $10-A-Day Childcare
- Join My Youth Council
- TCNDP’s Holiday Party - You’re Invited!
- Coffee With Kristyn - January 15th
- Regent Park Tenants Rights Meeting
- CWNA’s Winter Open House
- L’Arche Toronto Visit
- What’s Making Headlines
- Local Community Events
| Transgender Day of Remembrance Flag Raising - You’re Invited |
On Thursday, November 20 we will mark Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) with the raising of the Transgender flag and a moment of silence at Queen’s Park. This year, Friends of Ruby is our co-sponsor and I am so happy to work with them again.
TDoR is a solemn day when we remember the Trans and Gender Diverse people who we have lost to transphobic violence and hatred. It is also an important day to honour the people who are still here and working every day to make our communities more inclusive and loving.
All are welcome to attend the flag raising, which will be at 12:15 PM at the courtesy flag pole on the Queen’s Park south lawn, right outside of the visitors’ entrance.
Please RSVP here. I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.
| Fire Piccini: SDF Funding Awarded to Mismanaged Company |
Doug Ford's Minister of Favours released $37 million to a company whose finances are a mess. Labour Minister Piccini proudly admitted on live radio that he hand-picked Keel Digital Solutions to receive grants despite not meeting the criteria for the funding AND despite the company being referred to the Ontario Provincial Police following a forensic audit.
This news bombshell is more than enough reason for Minister Piccini to be fired. I am proud that NDP Leader Marit Stiles has been calling for the Minister to be fired for the past three weeks and this week, wrote to Ford asking him to fire his Minister.
We have known for weeks that this government is treating the Skills Development Fund as their own personal slush fund, giving millions to their close friends. But this new revelation just reinforced the pattern of preferential treatment. Its almost like the government isn’t trying to hide it anymore.
I will continue to hold the government accountable for their gross mismanagement of millions of taxpayer dollars.
| My Statement on the Combat on Campus Tour |
Over the past two years, Ontarians across the province, including post-secondary students, have been actively speaking out against the genocide in Gaza and the complicity of many of our institutions both in this violence and in anti-Palestinian racism. The images, stories, and reports coming out of Gaza are horrific and heartbreaking to so many of us across our province.
I was deeply troubled to learn that soldiers involved in Israel’s genocide are on a tour across Canada and the United States titled “Combat on Campus”. This tour involved a stop at a post-secondary institution in my riding, Toronto Metropolitan University.
Publicly-funded institutions must not turn a blind eye to genocide, including by welcoming potential participants in genocide. Moreover, the violence students faced during this event was so serious that some required hospitalization afterwards, and it is clear students were aggressed in ways that bear the hallmarks of anti-Palestinian racism.
Our public institutions have moral and social duties of care for students and the public. This includes protecting students from violence and upholding Canadian law.
The Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act gives Canadian authorities the ability to investigate and prosecute international crimes when a suspect is present in Canada. At present, it is unclear if the Canadian Border Services Agency has conducted interviews with the Israeli soldiers involved in the “Combat on Campus” tour across Canada. It is also unclear if Canadian authorities have taken steps to investigate Canadians who might have travelled and served for Israel in its war on Gaza. Failing to take these steps would contravene Canadian law as well as Canada’s duty to uphold our international legal and human rights obligations fairly, consistently, and equally.
I will be writing to the leadership of the Toronto Metropolitan University to express my concerns and their duty to ensure the safety of students on campus. I am also committed to raising these concerns at Queens Park.
| E-Bike Battery Fire at 140 Carlton Street |
On Wednesday morning, there was an explosion on a balcony at 140 Carlton Street. The explosion was likely caused by a charging e-bike battery, joining a string of dangerous and hard to control fires and explosions in our neighbourhoods. My heart goes out to all who are affected and I am extremely glad to have learned that nobody was hurt this time around.
Lithium-ion batteries can be extremely dangerous, especially if exposed to extreme temperature changes or tampered with. Please exercise extreme caution with hot and cold batteries: do not charge them until they come to room temperature and never charge a battery outside in the cold or heat. If you think your battery has been tampered with, is damaged, or is not from the original manufacturer, do not charge it. You can learn more about how to safely charge batteries and how to dispose of them here.
We need a coordinated provincial response to increase battery safety and update fire codes to deal with this new and expanding threat. Sign my petition to keep Ontario battery-safe here: kristynwongtam.ca/safe-batteries
| Canada Loses Measles Elimination Status |
According to the Pan American Health Organization, Measles is no longer eliminated in Canada. Due to uncontrolled spread, especially in Ontario and Alberta, measles cases have skyrocketed. 5,162 have already been reported nationally in 2025. Since 1998, when Canada received measles elimination status, cases have been low, usually under 100, with one spike to 751 cases during an outbreak in 2011.
Ontario must fight the spread of measles. The measles virus can be deadly, especially for young children and can also result in hospitalization. The measles vaccine is extremely safe and effective – it is what has allowed Canada to maintain its measles elimination status for nearly 30 years, saving the lives of countless children and eliminating the suffering associated with the virus. Parents of school aged children needing to be vaccinated can reach out to Toronto Public Health. Adults unsure about their vaccination status should ask their family doctor or other community healthcare provider.
Ford has sat on his hands while measles continues to spread. Lagging investments in public health, the family doctor shortage, and vaccine misinformation have resulted in a perfect storm of conditions for this outbreak. It is a national issue, but public health and healthcare are provincial responsibilities and this government needs to step up and do our part to halt the preventable spread of measles.
Sign my petition to stop measles:
| Ford’s 401 Fantasy Tunnel Study Wastes Millions |
Doug Ford may have his eyes firmly set on his fantasy project of tunneling under Highway 401, but both the Premier and Metrolinx have been silent on what could be predictable, but major, viability concerns with the project.
Internal documents obtained by the Ontario NDP through a Freedom of Information request have revealed Metrolinx covered up major problems with Scarborough Subway Extension tunneling when it reached the 401; including sinking issues that resulted in three weeks of road lane closures, and an eight-month pause for repairs to the tunnel boring machine.
Tunneling crosswise under Highway 401 was risky and complex enough. Ford’s plan to build a three-storey tunnel underneath it amplifies these concerns exponentially. We’re talking about the risk of highway collapse — lives are at stake.
The Ford government confirmed last week that it had awarded the contract for a 401 tunnel feasibility study to WSP Canada Inc., paying them $9.1 million. The PCs have refused, however, to release already completed work on the project’s viability.
Once again, Ontarians had to find out about these concerns through the media, or the Official Opposition. Ford continues to let Metrolinx keep secrets from the public with zero accountability, whether it’s the Eglinton-Crosstown LRT (that turned 15 years old this week without an opening date), or this ridiculous 401 tunnel idea.
We need transparency around these taxpayer-funded projects, especially where safety is concerned.
|
Ford Fails Again to Deliver $10-A-Day Childcare |
$10-a-day childcare should be here already. It should be allowing parents to return to work without financial stress, while providing our little ones with high-quality care and education. Instead, parents and caregivers are paying more than double the promised fees while continuing to worry that even that subsidy could expire.
This week, the Ford government finally came to the table to agree to a one-year extension that freezes fees at an average of $19/day.
Unfortunately, this extension doesn’t move Ontario any closer to real affordability or access. ECEs are still underpaid and overworked, and families still can’t find spaces. The government’s failure to invest in the workforce and create new spaces is putting the entire system at risk.
As a parent whose child was in daycare, I know that families are tired of delays and broken promises. Doug Ford needs to stop stalling and deliver the affordable, not-for-profit child care system families were promised.
|
Join my Youth Council! |
Are you between the age of 17-25 with a passion for politics, policy, and community building? Apply to the Toronto Centre Youth Council to have your voice heard on provincial issues.
Join Our First Session - pizza provided!
Date: November 26, 2025
Time: 4:45-6PM
Location: 120 Carlton St, Unit 401
Apply now: kristyn.ca/youth-council
| Toronto Centre NDP Holiday Party - You’re Invited! |
Get ready for a fabulous Toronto Centre NDP Holiday Park with lunch, prize giveaways, entertainment, festive cheer, and, of course, surprise VIP guests!
Date: December 7, 2025
Time: 1 PM - 4 PM
Location: Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter Street
All are welcome, including Santa’s little helpers. Please register here to reserve your seats.
| Coffee With Kristyn - January 15th |
I’m very excited to host my third Coffee with Kristyn at Good Earth Coffee House on Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM! This is an opportunity for you to come and sit down with me, your Toronto Centre MPP, and share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, while supporting our local small businesses.
I look forward to sitting down with you over a cup of coffee! I will also be hosting a roundtable chat with all attendees for the last 30 minutes so that we can all come together to share ideas.
Sign up for your coffee slot by clicking here.
|
Regent Park Tenants Rights Meeting |
I was so proud to speak at the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association’s Tenant Rights Event this past weekend. The Ford government is pushing through Bill 60, their horrifying bill that erodes tenant rights, speeds up evictions, and potentially privatizes basic human rights like access to drinking water. When we are facing threats like this bill, local events like this become even more important, allowing community members to become more involved and connect one another with the resources and support needed to fight back. I hope there are many more events to come!
| CWNA’s Winter Open House |
The holiday cheer warmed me up last Saturday, when I joined the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association for their Winter Open House! Together we decorated the Mitten Tree with mittens, hats, and scarves, which will be given to community members in need, including students at Church Street Public School.
| L’Arche Toronto Visit |
L’Arche Toronto just opened a new apartment living space in Regent Park! I was lucky to visit them last Friday, connect with residents, and receive the beautiful card above.
L’Arche Toronto provides living support programs, as well as arts and community inclusion initiatives to people with intellectual disabilities with care and dignity. THey have just launched their innovative Trying It on For Size Program, which will allow many more people to gain autonomy and build confidence to create their own independent path and place of belonging!
| This Week's Headlines |
Ontario considering order that would kill hundreds of new rental homes
Ontario's goal of 1.5 million more homes in 10 years now a 'soft' target: finance minister
Ontario launching new home care program in effort to relieve hospital overcrowding
Ministry orders school boards to launch new 'student and family support' offices
Over 260 Quebec doctors apply for Ontario licences in weeks following Bill 2
Ontario's goal of 1.5 million more homes in 10 years now a 'soft' target: finance minister
Toronto community, seniors housing workers vote to strike, citing understaffing, workplace violence
| Upcoming Community Events |
| Regent Park Safety Network Meeting |
Join the Regent Park Safety Network Online Meeting! This is an opportunity to share any concerns you have regarding safety in the community with Toronto Police, the City of Toronto and TCHC.
Date: Monday, November 17
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Location: On Zoom
| Regent Park Financial Literacy Training |
A financial Literacy training will be held in Regent Park to support youth in strengthening their money management skills and planning for the future. The session will share information to support smart financial decisions in everyday life.
Topics include:
- A deep dive into credit systems and strategies to build and maintain a strong credit profile
- The fundamentals of Investing, including different types of investment options and how to asses’ risk
- Practical steps for launching and managing small business
Event Details:
Date: November 20, 2025
Time: 5PM-7PM
Location: Regent Park Community Center, first floor
If you are interested in attending, please email: [email protected] or r[email protected]
| Ontario Legislative Page Program |
The recruitment period for the Spring 2026 session of the Legislative Page Program is now open until November 15, 2025.
Each year, high-achieving, community-oriented Grade 7 and 8 students from across Ontario are chosen to serve as Legislative Pages. This unique opportunity in Toronto allows selected students to become involved in Ontario’s parliamentary process, meet key figures, and make lifelong friendships with like-minded peers.
More information can be found here.
If you have any questions, please contact the Page Program at [email protected] or by phone at (416) 325-7457.
| Little Trinity Christmas Market |
Little Trinity Church invites community members to join in the holiday spirit at the second annual Little Trinity Christmas Market, held in collaboration with the Good Food Market.
Enjoy an evening filled with festive cheer, local treats, and holiday shopping:
- Live Music: Come enjoy seasonal performances by Dr. Ben!
- Free Goodies: Take a load off and enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, apple cider, and yummy treats!
- Unique Gifts: Do your holiday shopping and pick up some unique hand-made gifts for your loved ones!
- Groceries: Stop by our regular produce market, offering high quality fruits and veggies at wholesale prices!
All proceeds will go to Good Shepherd Ministries, a local organization that serves over 1000 meals a day to those in need.
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Location: Little Trinity Church
|
Holiday Tree Lighting at Riverdale Farm |
Join Riverdale Farm as they light their tree. There will be carolers, crafts, cookies and hot chocolate.
Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Riverdale Farm (201 Winchester St.)
Tree Lighting: 7:00 PM
| Regent Park Youth Safety & Well-Being Forum |
The Regent Park Youth Safety & Well-Being Forum is a community-driven initiative that fosters a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for young people in Regent Park to engage in open conversations about safety, security, and mental health.
This forum encourages self-reflection, community connection, and helps youth access real-world support systems to promote overall well-being.
Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: Regent Park Community Centre, 402 Shuter Street
Open to all youth residents of Regent Park.
| Apply for $5,000 to support your community-led project! |
As a part of the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy (TSNS), they are providing the opportunity to apply for a grant that supports resident-led projects. These projects can encourage local activation and focus on the five domains of TSNS – economic opportunities, healthy lives, participation in civic 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.
Find out more by clicking here!
| Rosemary Brown Racial Justice Awards - Nominations Open |
Nominations for the 2026 Rosemary Brown Racial Justice Awards are now open until January 15. If you know a changemaker in your community who deserves recognition, please consider submitting a nomination using this form.
Who Can Be Nominated:
There are four categories: Individual, Group, Women, and Youth (under 25). Any Ontario resident, or Ontario-based organization, group, or initiative may be nominated. This includes educators, writers, community workers, social and political activists, social action groups, trade unions, youth organizations, multicultural organizations, schools, coalitions, professional associations, media, and service clubs.
The award ceremony will be held in March 2026.