Statements

September 24, 2024

The Honourable David Piccini

Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development

400 University Ave, 14th floor

Toronto, ON   M7A 1T7

RE: Ontario Immigration Nomination Program delayed wait times. 

Dear Minister Piccini, 

Recently my office has received an influx of messages from constituents expressing concerns about the status of their OINP applications due to extreme wait times that well-exceed the ministry’s prescribed average wait times.

In one case, my constituent’s application has been in the decision process for 12 months with only 2 months left on their work permit. You can imagine the distress this is causing and the negative consequence it will bring if they do not receive an outcome soon. 

My question for you is, what is your plan to address the backlog of applications? I urge you to immediately take action to alleviate this issue and support the OINP applicants. 

Thank you for your time and attention to this issue. I look forward to your prompt response that will rectify this problem.

Sincerely,

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP Toronto Centre

Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre

120 Carlton Street. Suite 401

Toronto, Ontario

M5A 4K2

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP TORONTO CENTRE

September 26, 2024

By Email and Post Mail

Samuel Grosz, Owner

Chaim Sachs, General Manager

Owners and Managers of 77 Howard Street 

Wellesley Parliament Square (WPSQ)

Parwell Investments Inc.

c/o 260 Wellesley Street East, Unit 101

Toronto ON M4X 1G6

Dear Owners and Property Managers of WPSQ and Parwell Investments Inc.

Re:  77 Howard Street Power Outage and Financial Support for Tenants

It has been over 50 days since any response was provided regarding the aftermath of the July 16, 2024 flooding at 77 Howard Street in St. James Town. My last letter to you dated August 9, 2024 has gone unanswered. 

As the Toronto Centre MPP representing more than 800 constituents who reside in this high-rise residential complex, I remind you that for many days, your tenants were deprived of electricity, hot water, hot meals and many other essential services. Some tenants even experienced catastrophic electrical fires and water damage due to Parewell Investments/WPSQ’s apparent failure to provide adequate maintenance to the building’s critical infrastructure. This was repeatedly stated by multiple tenants who shared their unanswered service requests with me.

While I am pleased to hear you have honoured existing leases and that the laundry facilities have been fixed, your inaction on the other corrective measures that your tenants have asked for has led to continued and deep frustration.

On behalf of the tenants at 77 Howard Street, I reiterate their fair and reasonable requests below:

1. Rent abatements:  Tenants seek rent abatements to alleviate the physical and financial burden imposed on them. The abatements should be calculated to reflect the physical suffering and emotional anguish caused by extended power outages. Tenants were highly frustrated and physically stressed when they could not walk up or down the stairs when the elevators were inoperable or limited to one. You collected their full rent on time, even when the building was sitting in absolute darkness without any functioning critical life support equipment or working elevators. CPAP machines couldn’t be turned, wheelchairs couldn’t be charged, medical appointments cancelled without elevator access and refrigerated medicine was thrown away. 

1. Reimbursement of all expenses caused by the flooding and power outage: Tenants seek full reimbursement for all expenses incurred, specifically for but not limited to meal replacements, transportation, insurance deductible, credit card or loan debt plus interest and hotel or other accommodation-related costs during this time. Many tenants are on fixed income and under tremendous financial street, they demand full compensation for the expenses related to losing their groceries due to the lack of refrigeration and stove use. 

1. Freeze on Rental Increases for 2025:  Tenants seek a rent freeze including any AGI increases for 2025, as this will support fixed-income and economically stressed households; and provide much-needed financial stability as they work to recover from this vital service disruption. It is unacceptable that tenants have begun to receive rent increases after what they have recently endured. 

Furthermore, ACORN Toronto and tenant members living at 77 Howard Street are asking for an in-person meeting with the owners and managers of WPSQ and Parwell Investments. Yesterday, I accompanied them to your office at 260 Wellesley Street East to deliver their own letter asking for this meeting. They informed me that all other attempts to engage your company representatives have failed and that their service requests remain unanswered. 

Turning a blind eye to the pleas of your tenants is not the answer. I urge you to not ignore your tenants. I look forward to your timely response to this letter by September 25, 2024 or sooner.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.  Should you have additional questions, you can reach my office by email at [email protected] or by phone at (416) 972-7683.

Sincerely,

Kristyn Wong-Tam

Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre

August 20, 2024

The Honourable Sylvia Jones 

Deputy Premier and Minister of Health 

777 Bay Street, 5th Floor 

Toronto, ON M7A 2J3

RE: Expanding Availability of Mpox Vaccine

Dear Minister Jones:

It has come to my attention that amidst the growing concern and awareness campaigns around the mpox virus, Toronto Public Health currently has no vaccine appointments available. 

Toronto Public Health has urged eligible residents to book vaccine appointments as soon as possible after a sharp uptick in cases reported in Toronto in July. However, access to vaccine appointments has not kept pace with increasing local demand. These barriers to vaccine accessibility threaten to undermine our efforts to control the spread of this virus and protect public health.

Ensuring widespread access to mpox vaccines is critical in preventing outbreaks and safeguarding the health of our communities. The current limited availability of these vaccines not only hampers our ability to respond effectively but also instills fear and uncertainty among those at risk.

I urge you, Minister Jones, to take immediate action to address this issue by:

1. Increasing Vaccine Supply: It is critical that your office facilitate the procurement of additional mpox vaccines to meet the growing demand.
2. Improving Distribution: Work with Toronto Public Health and other local health authorities to streamline and enhance the distribution process, ensuring that vaccines are readily available, especially in high-risk communities.
3. Monitoring and Reporting: Establish a robust system for monitoring vaccine distribution and reporting any challenges or gaps in real-time, allowing for swift adjustments and improvements. Restore wastewater surveillance across Ontario. 

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt action and am hopeful that together we can work towards a healthier and safer community.

Sincerely yours,

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP Toronto Centre

Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre

120 Carlton Street. Suite 401

Toronto, Ontario

M5A 4K2

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP TORONTO CENTRE

August 9, 2024

By Email and Post Mail

Samuel Grosz, Owner

Chaim Sachs, General Manager

Owners and Managers of 77 Howard Street 

Wellesley Parliament Square (WPSQ)

c/o 260 Wellesley Street East, Unit 101

Toronto ON M4X 1G6

Dear Owners and Property Managers of WPSQ,

I am writing in response to your agent’s letter dated August 1, 2024, regarding the costs and harm faced by your tenants at 77 Howard Street. While I recognize your crisis communication representative’s detailed account of the events following the power interruption on July 16, I must express my continued concern for the well-being of the tenants and address several points that remain unresolved. I will also be reaching out to the office of Toronto Centre’s local City Councillor and the Mayor of Toronto to share my concerns. 

In your response to me, you asserted that the many of the stories tenants are sharing with my office are untrue. My office and I have independently verified everything that we communicated with you — we have seen tenants’ units ourselves. I will not waste time debating facts when you have not responded in full to your tenants. I am confident that when you prioritize responding to your tenants' requests that you will not make such claims. 

Should you disagree with my perspective, I encourage you to temporarily move into a damaged unit at 77 Howard Street to experience what tenants are enduring. 

First, I want to acknowledge the efforts made by your team to restore essential services in the days following the incident. However, ongoing communication with your tenants since my initial letter has made me aware of ongoing issues that you cannot continue to ignore. 

1. Ongoing Maintenance Concerns: Despite your assertion that the property has undergone recent maintenance, tenants continue to report long-standing issues. One resident has documented leak complaints that date back over ten years. This suggests a pattern of inadequate response to maintenance requests which predates the recent incident. If the catastrophic failures happened because of your negligence, you owe tenants reimbursement through your insurance. 
2. Safety Concerns: A tenant has reported that during a recent power outage (that the tenant was not given notice of in advance), there were no emergency lights in the building, forcing them to use a flashlight to exit. Your high-rise building is home to many tenants living with disabilities. Their experience raises serious safety concerns, particularly for those with accessibility needs and in the event of an emergency evacuation.
3. Persistent Power and Water Issues: Despite your statement that power was fully restored by July 31, we have received reports of subsequent outages that many tenants received no notice of. Another tenant still does not have access to consistent hot water in their unit. You must ensure tenants can anticipate power outages and water cut-offs. All of your tenants deserve consistent access to hot water. 
4. Impact on Vulnerable Residents: The prolonged disruption has had a particularly severe impact on vulnerable tenants. For example, one resident with diabetes reported significant difficulties managing their condition during the outage due to lack of access to refrigeration and proper food storage. This tenant was additionally stressed earlier this week when a power outage happened, which the tenant was not informed of in advance as the tenant had to ensure their diabetes medicine remained cooled within specific temperatures.
5. Financial Burden on Tenants: Many tenants have incurred substantial costs due to these incidents, including hotel stays, replacement of spoiled food, and other out-of-pocket expenses. Some report that their insurance will not cover these costs as the building was deemed "safe to stay" despite internal temperatures reaching 30°C with 70% humidity. Other tenants have not heard back about their requests for the incident report that their insurance companies require them to submit claims to their tenant insurance company. Please do not deflect from your financial obligations, saying that tenants should use their tenant insurance when you do not provide them with the documentation that they need to do this. Furthermore, only a third of the laundry machines in your building are currently working — forcing tenants to use more expensive laundromats that they must travel a longer distance to get to. These costs are continuing to add up. You must prioritize answering all of your tenants in a timely fashion. 

In light of these ongoing concerns, I urge you to reconsider the requests outlined in my previous letter:

1. Provide rent abatements to reflect the hardships endured by tenants.
2. Reimburse tenants for expenses incurred due to the power outage and flooding.
3. Implement a freeze on rental increases for 2025.
4. Honour all existing leases, including for those who had to relocate temporarily.
5. Prioritize repairs and renovations of damaged units.
6. Ensure immediate access to neighbouring buildings’ laundry facilities

Furthermore, I request that you provide a comprehensive plan addressing the following:

1. How you intend to improve the building's electrical infrastructure to prevent future incidents.
2. How you will address the backlog of maintenance requests — particularly requests related to water leakage and electrical issues.
3. How you will ensure the safety of all tenants, especially those with accessibility needs, during any future emergencies.

Your tenants are living with a severe disruption and many have spent thousands of dollars on replacing lost food and belongings, as well as alternative accommodations since your building’s catastrophic incident. I hope that your future communications focus less on attacking their legitimate grievances and that you instead prioritize making them financially whole. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your timely response to this letter by August 13, 2024 or sooner. Should you have additional questions, you can reach my office by email at [email protected] or by phone at (416) 972-7683.

Sincerely,

Kristyn Wong-Tam

Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP TORONTO CENTRE

July 26, 2024

By Email and Post Mail

Samuel Grosz, Owner

Chaim Sachs, General Manager

Owners and Managers of 77 Howard Street 

Wellesley Parliament Square (WPSQ)

c/o 260 Wellesley Street East, Unit 101

Toronto ON M4X 1G6

Dear Owners and Property Managers of WPSQ,

Re:  77 Howard Street Power Outage and Financial Support for Tenants

As the Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre, I am writing on behalf of my constituents, more than 800 tenants, who reside in the high-rise building at 77 Howard Street in St. James Town. For more than a week, my constituents have been without full access to electricity, hot water, food, and other essentials. Some units also experienced catastrophic electrical and water damage from flooding due to inadequate maintenance and a burst pipe. I remind you that the tenants did nothing wrong and did not cause the power outage. 

I spent the past week speaking to residents, many of whom report receiving confusing information during such a volatile time. Every tenant who spoke with me reported that they had to throw away hundreds of dollars worth of food from their refrigerators and freezers. Others shared that without a functioning kitchen, they could not afford to purchase costly prepared meals or dine out as they are on fixed incomes. They had no access to a hot breakfast or lunch before accepting the pizza dinner provided by the property manager in the evening. After two nights of lukewarm pizza, tenants mentioned they couldn't eat it again.

As you know, vulnerable tenants were particularly at risk - families with infants and young children, the elderly, people living with disabilities and those with chronic illnesses were severely impacted by the power outage. One resident with diabetes was unable to refrigerate her medications until it was much too late as her health declined significantly.  Others complained that insurance companies would not reimburse them unless they paid an expensive deductible many could not afford. 

While I am pleased to hear that auxiliary power from external generators has enabled some semblance of everyday life for the tenants, many continue to worry about the building's long-term safety, maintenance, and operations. In consultation with the tenants, I urge you to do more to support them during this hardship. 

Therefore on behalf of my constituents, I am formally asking for the following: 

1. Rent abatements: I seek rent abatements to alleviate the physical and financial burden imposed on residents. The abatements must be calculated to reflect the physical suffering and emotional anguish caused by extended power outages. Many residents were highly frustrated and stressed when they could not walk up or down the stairs or when the elevators were inoperable or were limited in function. 

2. Reimbursement of all expenses caused by the flooding and power outage: I seek full reimbursement for all expenses incurred by residents, specifically but not limited to meal replacements, transportation, insurance deductible, credit card or loan debt plus interest and hotel or other accommodation-related costs during this time. I demand tenant compensation for the expenses related to losing their groceries and replacing all perished food items due to the lack of refrigeration and stove use. 

3. Freeze on Rental Increases for 2025: I seek a rent freeze on any increases for 2025, as this will support fixed-income and economically stressed tenants; and provide much-needed financial stability as they work to recover from this vital service disruption. 

4. Honour existing leases: I demand that all tenants' existing leases be honoured, including those who have to temporarily or permanently relocate to another accommodation or unit during the power outage and subsequent renovation period. 

5. Prioritize repairs and renovations of damaged units: Any renovations needed inside the damaged units caused by the flooding or electrical failure must be carried out in an expedited manner in consultation with the directly affected tenants.  

6. Access to Laundry Facilities: I ask that tenants be allowed to use the laundry rooms in neighbouring buildings that use the same Sparkle system; while they await regular services which must return to normal as soon as possible. If immediate laundry room restoration is not feasible, appropriate accommodations must be made to ensure tenants can access laundry and cleaning facilities. 

The measures I request are necessary to support them during this immense hardship. Your cooperation with my office and the tenants will significantly impact the well-being of all those living at 77 Howard Street. 

I recognize that WPSQ is working hard to fix the electrical system at 77 Howard, and emergency responses have improved since the catastrophic disaster at 650 Parliament and the electrical outage at 280 Wellesley. However, property managers' and owners' responsibilities remain unchanged — more can be done to support the tenants. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your timely response to this letter by August 12, 2024 or sooner.

Should you have additional questions, you can reach my office by email at [email protected] or by phone at (416) 972-7683.

Sincerely,

Kristyn Wong-Tam

Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre

I am full of grief as I share my condolences with the family and loved ones of the 42-year-old Toronto woman who was killed yesterday evening after being struck by a car. My heart breaks for everyone who knew her and is feeling her sudden, tragic, and preventable loss today. 

The woman was struck at around 5:45 PM at a pedestrian crossover at the Sackville and Queen Street East intersection. Local residents have flagged this intersection as unsafe and potentially requiring an upgrade to a full traffic light. I will speak to the City about expediting this process. 

Much more must be done to make our streets safe for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. As a pedestrian and cyclist myself, I know that our streets are sometimes dangerous places to be. Toronto’s Vision Zero strategy is working to address these safety gaps, but expedited action is clearly needed to save lives and prevent tragedies like the one our community is currently experiencing.

Provincial Legislation like the Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act, tabled by my colleague MPP Jessica Bell, must be passed and acted upon to make our streets safer and prevent the next tragedy. 

A pdf of the letter sent to the Minister of Health is available here.                                                                                                    

Kristyn Wong-Tam

MPP TORONTO CENTRE

July 19, 2024

Sent by email

Hon Sylvia Jones

Ministry of Health

RE: Conflicts of Interest And Health Care Privatization

Dear Minister Jones,

I am writing to raise concerns about the lack of safeguards in your government’s creeping privatization of Ontario’s public health care system. As you know, the application deadline for establishing private health care facilities is approaching in August 2024.  Public interest must be at the center of good government. 

When your government passed Bill 60, enabling the privatization of health care to commence, you promised to establish safeguards to ensure that privatization did not remove doctors from our public health care system. The safeguards you promised have failed to materialize. 

Minister, I urge you to address this harmful risk proactively. Please provide a detailed account of the measures implemented to prevent talent drain from public hospitals and clinics. Ontarians must understand and have a chance to evaluate the strategies to retain skilled health care professionals within our public institutions.

Furthermore, as the Official Opposition, we have stated that conflicts of interest will arise when establishing private US-style health care. The administrators positioned to run proposed private clinics already work in public hospitals and clinics. This is a clear conflict of interest and one that should not be permitted to protect public health care in Ontario.

Do you agree that it would be a conflict of interest for individuals on the board of public hospitals or clinics to apply to operate private clinics offering identical services?

After reviewing the application process, I am concerned that your government’s safeguards are wholly inadequate. I note that in your government’s “Call for Applications to License Community Surgical and Diagnostic Centres for MRI and CT Services in Ontario” that applicants are told that “If licensed under the ICHSCA, the Ministry would be relying on the licensee to manage and mitigate any conflicts of interest and uphold its fiduciary duty pursuant to the hospital organization's rules and policies on this issue” (Page 16, Question 50). This means for example, in plain English, that (1) if someone is applying to operate a private clinic that would compete with a hospital's revenue, and (2) they happen to work at that same public hospital, that they are to be trusted with avoiding conflicts of interest. However, there is no specified oversight body, no accountability processes, and no clear place to file a complaint when applicants are not managing their conflicting interests appropriately — this “safeguard” is deeply deficient.  

There is a simple solution to this problem: applicants who have a fiduciary duty to a public hospital should be excluded from being a licensee. A basic requirement should be for licensees to notify the hospital board of their application. The Director of the Integrated Community Health Services Centres could ultimately decide on suitability of the application rather than leaving it to the applicant to manage.  Finally — from a public interest standpoint — all successful licensees should be publicly published by name so that members of the public are aware of who the owners are from a public transparency standpoint.

None of these rudimentary safeguards exist. 

I note that your Ministry has set an application deadline of August 12, 2024. Ontarians are counting on your government to live up to your promises or our health care system will suffer. Please elaborate on the steps your office and ministry have taken to address Ontarians' concerns about likely conflicts of interest and respond answering if you will implement the safeguards I am proposing. 

I look forward to your response as soon as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact my office at [email protected] or 416-209-6322 if you have further questions. 

Yours very truly, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre

Suite 401, 120 Carlton St. 

Toronto, Ontario

M5A 4k2

cc: MPP France Gelinas

July 18, 2024

Catastrophic damage has been inflicted on the electrical system of 77 Howard Street after a pipe burst triggered by the historic rainfall of July 16. This is a high-rise building located in St. James Town and home to more than 800 tenants who will now face a difficult and uncertain future, as they will be forced to go without electricity in their apartments for weeks — or even months.

My immediate concern is for tenants’ safety, some of whom have reached out to my office for additional support. The elderly, residents with chronic illness, comorbidities, those living with disabilities and others have additional vulnerabilities that must be addressed in an immediate and equitable manner to prevent further declines in health.

I am in touch with Councillor Moise and have offered him my assistance in supporting tenants and amplifying their housing, rental abatement, and accommodation requests to the landlord. Tonight, I will be visiting the building to further speak with tenants who have asked for support.

Toronto Fire has recommended that tenants shelter-in-place for the time being while repairs take place. While I have complete confidence that Toronto Fire has issued the right advice, I am acutely aware that they had to weigh competing factors when making this decision. I was a City Councillor when electrical failures at 650 Parliament Street and 260 Wellesley Street East took place and know that this decision was made with immense consideration.

It is incredibly difficult to shelter-in-place without electricity for any extended period of time. Every household at 77 Howard is impacted when they cannot use their refrigerators, electric stoves or microwaves. But those who rely on CPAP machines, chilled medicines or need to charge their mobility devices cannot easily live in a building that has no power. Immuno-compromised individuals will be exposed to greater COVID and health risks having to travel and spend time in public places so that they can charge their phones.

I know that because Toronto’s shelter system is stretched to the breaking point, that Emergency Services cannot readily recommend mass relocation because there is nowhere else for the tenants to go.

77 Howard tenants are actively looking for temporary apartments to relocate to but are faced with absolutely unaffordable rents, often times thousands of dollars more than they are paying today. These are the real effects of the housing and shelter crises in Toronto and they reflect decades of underfunding by all levels of governments.

I also know that while Tuesday’s flooding was unprecedented, these catastrophes have all happened in buildings with poor electrical maintenance owned by the same landlord — Wellesley Parliament Square. My predecessor Suze Morrison tabled the St. James Town Act to address the deplorable lack of safety-related maintenance after the 650 Parliament Street fire, and I will be taking into account new tenant input as I look at retabling this Act following this electrical failure.

March 31, 2024

Yesterday, a peaceful march for Palestine was abruptly halted by Toronto Police at the intersection of Parliament Street and Gerrard Street East. Numerous videos circulating on social media depict marchers and bystanders being obstructed by a significant presence of police officers, some mounted on horses, converging from all directions.

The right to Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Assembly are sacred in our democracy. While these rights are not unlimited, it does not appear that the extraordinarily high bar required to infringe on these fundamental freedoms was met. Torontonians have a right to demonstrate and proclaim their solidarity with civilians in Gaza. These rights do not cease to operate when they are exercised in a largely racialized neighbourhood such as Regent Park. 

Both local residents and march participants were intimidated by the swift escalation initiated by law enforcement, resulting in some individuals being forcefully pushed to the ground. I am informed that the police reportedly issued no audible or repeated warnings to the group of marchers or bystanders before these altercations and subsequent arrests.

Toronto Police have also informed me that enforcement was taken against the leading truck under the Highway Traffic Act. This explanation does not satisfy the concerns brought to me from bystanders in the neighbourhood about why people were caught in a dangerous standstill.

I want to underscore my steadfast opposition to the controversial police tactic known as “kettling”. This method has faced widespread criticism for its indiscriminate containment of crowds, often ensnaring innocent bystanders and journalists. Torontonians never want to see the regrettable events of the G20 Summit in 2010 repeated. 

I have listened to stories of what happened that substantiate how the movement for Palestinian human rights is not being policed equally with other movements. Toronto has a long history of racialized residents facing over-policing and violence. The peaceful marchers, local residents, and all citizens of Toronto deserve transparency regarding yesterday's events. To build community trust, I call on the Toronto Police to promptly provide a detailed account of their actions, including the reasons behind the arrests. Transparency and accountability are needed to begin repairing trust.

March 25 2024

Minister Sylvia Jones

Minister of Health

777 Bay Street, 5th Floor

Toronto, ON. M7A 2J3

Re: Providing Free Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Tests to Ontarians

Dear Minister Jones,

We are asking that you urgently provide COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to Toronto Public Health (TPH). TPH relied on the Province of Ontario to supply the city with free rapid tests since the Province of Ontario made the unfortunate decision to discontinue free widespread rapid test provision in July 2023. The remaining tests that TPH had expired on March 2, 2024, and the TPH website has yet to show any updates since. 

As we continue to navigate through the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic, it has become increasingly evident that access to rapid testing is a valuable tool in our arsenal against the virus, allowing for more timely and targeted interventions to curb its spread. We note that provinces like British Columbia still provide rapid tests for free in hundreds of pharmacies across their less populated province – Ontario should also ensure that tests are widely available.

Simply put, the demand for testing continues to outpace the rapid test supply that the Ontario government is providing. Based on our research, the average cost of a rapid test is $3.50 – $6.00 per test. This average cost is not affordable for families made up of frontline workers, with children in school, and with elders in long-term care, especially since they require frequent testing. If the Government of Ontario wants people to test and stay home when they are sick, tests must be readily available and provided free of charge.

Testing alone might not stop COVID-19 from spreading, but testing remains a useful layer of protection. We continue to see that frontline workers are at the greatest risk of COVID-19 infection – they deserve access to free tests to keep themselves, their co-workers, and their community safe.  By providing rapid tests to Public Health Units across Ontario, we can enhance our ability to detect and contain outbreaks in high-risk settings such as schools, workplaces, and long-term care facilities. While COVID-19 infections are less deadly than they were before widespread vaccination, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in Canada in 2022 – the most recent year for which we have data. 2022 was also the third year in a row where Canada’s life expectancy declined. 

We urge you to prioritize the allocation of new COVID-19 rapid tests to TPH to address the pressing need for expanded testing capacity. Swift action in this regard will not only help to safeguard the health and well-being of our residents but also contribute to our collective efforts to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We trust that you will give due consideration to the urgent request outlined herein and take the necessary steps to ensure that TPH receives the support they deserve as they strive to fulfill their mandate of laying a robust foundation for the public health of all Ontarians.

Respectfully submitted, 

Bhutila Karpoche

Official Opposition Critic for GTA Issues

Member of Provincial Parliament

Parkdale – High Park

Kristyn Wong-Tam

Official Opposition Critic for Small Business Issues                                             

Member of Provincial Parliament 

Toronto Centre 

cc: Hon. Stan Cho, Minister of Long-Term Care                 

March 24, 2024

Sent By Email 

Muge Fikri, Property Manager

Akelius Residential Properties

Re:  Tenants’ Safety During Heating Failure at 16 St Joseph Street

Dear Ms. Muge Fikri at Akelius Residential Properties,

I am writing this letter because your tenants at 16 St Joseph Street need decisive action and urgent accommodation to protect their well-being during the failure of your heating systems in their homes. Please share this letter with Akelius Head of Canada Shelly Lee as I ask that she personally involve herself in this matter to ensure the health and safety of her tenants.

It is unimaginable that Ontario residents have been living in an Akelius rental building without essential heating since March 2, 2024. Winter temperatures in Toronto have remained consistently below levels that are safe. Tenants have an inviolable right to safe dwellings and this includes the vital service of an indoor temperature that is at least 21 degrees Celsius.

It is the responsibility of the property manager and landlord at 16 St Joseph Street to ensure its heating and ventilation systems are maintained and regularly serviced. The failure of the critical heating and ventilation system and any delayed response to adequately address this problem underscores the importance of proactive work to maintain all of your rental properties’ critical infrastructure. I understand from correspondence with involved parties that proactively upgrading the boiler heating system was not prioritized until the boiler failed. 

These failures are not an accident. They happen too regularly in Ontario when landlords allow critical equipment to fail by not regularly maintaining the equipment or proactively planning to replace systems as they near their end-of-use cycle. I unfortunately have extensive experience with misguided landlords deferring costs on these critical infrastructure failures from my time as a City Councillor and now as a Member of Provincial Parliament. It is always more costly and inconvenient to your tenants to let the systems fail. I know that it is your responsibility to keep your tenants safe and to ensure that they have uninterrupted access to their homes. When your critical infrastructure fails, it is also your responsibility to propose immediate and adequate solutions to keep them safe and unharmed.

As you cannot find a way to restore the heating system immediately, I demand that you provide hotel rooms in the vicinity as temporary accommodations for your affected and now vulnerable tenants until adequate heating is restored. It will be your responsibility to ensure that they can access their units, and that their units are secured from an increased risk of break-ins during this time. This is your direct responsibility as a landlord and the tenants should not be punished for the failure of your heating system – something that they had absolutely no control over.

I’m informed Akelius is offering partial rent abatements and space heaters — but your tenants have shared with my office that these measures are wholly inadequate. Fuses are regularly blowing because of the outdated electrical system. Your tenants are cold, tired and getting sicker. Their physical and mental health will be harmed for as long as they go without heat. I believe that providing them with safe and adequately heated hotel rooms or other suitable alternatives while ensuring they can access their homes, would be the least that you can do during this most challenging time for them.

I am not asking for any shortcuts to be taken that might put your tenants at risk. Providing hotel rooms is a reasonable accommodation for this situation. I even imagine that it may be covered by your insurance policy.

I need to hear back from you or Shelly Lee as soon as possible and no later than March 26, 2024.  You can reach my office at any time by emailing [email protected] or calling 416-972-7684. 

Sincerely, 

Kristyn Wong-Tam

Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre

120 Carlton St. Suite 401

Toronto, ON

M5A 2K4

Indigenous and Racialized businesses in the Church-Wellesley Village should be eligible for the Government of Ontario's RAISE Grant, but many are worried that because their businesses acknowledge sexuality and carry products "of a sexual nature," they may be ineligible for the grant. On December 4th, I wrote to Minister Michael Ford to tell him that his Ministry needed to grow up, stop codifying sex-negative attitudes, and open the RAISE grant to all deserving Indigenous and Racialized applicants. I will be keeping you updated with the Minister's response when I receive it. 

December 4, 2023          

Re: Supporting Indigenous and Racialized Entrepreneurs Equitably

To the Honourable MPP Michael Ford

Minister for Citizenship and Multiculturalism

Sent By Email

Dear Hon. Minister MPP Michael Ford,

I am reaching out because of serious equity-related concerns that local business owners in Toronto’s Church-Wellesley Village brought to my attention. 

As you know, your Ministry funds an initiative called the Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) grant. The RAISE grant provides up to $10,000 to facilitate innovation, growth, training, and coaching for sustainable economic development to small business entrepreneurs from racialized or Indigenous backgrounds. This grant represents a potentially life-changing amount of money to entrepreneurs who are racialized or Indigenous in addition to being 2-Spirit, Queer, or Trans in the Church Wellesley Village area. 

Unfortunately, and to the dismay of local small entrepreneurs, the government has added new exclusion criteria to this grant that disproportionately prevents 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs from applying. The website lists that businesses with “displays of a sexual nature” cannot receive this grant. This ambiguous wording created confusion for local entrepreneurs leading them to follow up and learn that:

 “A business with a primary activity related to products, services or displays of a sexual nature would be ineligible for the program. We consider a primary activity as a distinctive and indispensable component of how the business achieves its mandate. If the business has elements which contain products, services or displays of a sexual nature, a main factor for eligibility is whether those elements are a primary activity of the business or not.” 

This definition appears to exclude many 2SLGBTQI+ businesses unduly. 2SLGBTQI+ businesses are going to talk about queer sex ⁠— and this government must grow up and live with this reality. Queer businesses offer many 2LSGBTQI+ Ontarians some of their first experiences seeing who they are and what they desire represented and validated⁠— experiences that heterosexual Ontarians take for granted. I know that this government has not always embraced the importance of inclusive sexual education ⁠— but are adult Ministers afraid of discussing human sexuality? Without understanding why this criterion has been added, I wonder if businesses are being excluded because Ministers are embarrassed to declare that government grants to stimulate our economy sometimes stimulate more than just our economy. 

Codifying sex-negative and shame-based attitudes in Ontario’s economic recovery benefits no one. Pandemic lockdowns uniquely harmed queer businesses in the Church Wellesley Village and across Ontario, because the Pride season festivals that anchor their annual budgets did not happen. These businesses are already struggling to navigate incompetent federal decision-making regarding the Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan forgiveness deadlines failing to be adequately extended. It is demoralizing and distracting for these businesses to have to learn that programs they once could apply to have newly closed their doors for no clearly stated reasons. 

I am further worried that anti-queer signals in this program are already hurting queer businesses. This grant is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. 2SLGTBQI+ businesses are being told that they need not apply, and even if this government changes its position, they will be competing for a reduced pool of funds. Deeper accountability is needed from this government as to how anyone thought these criteria were acceptable in 2023. 

2SLGBTQI+ Ontario business owners deserve answers. I wish to know:

1. When will you amend the criteria so that all Ontario businesses can apply?
2. How will you ensure that 2SLGBTQI+ businesses are not unduly compromised because they must apply later?
3. What steps will your Ministry take to explain how this criteria was added and avoid repeating this exclusionary decision?

If you have additional questions, I would be more than happy to help your Ministers or staff better understand diversity, equity, and inclusion. I can even suggest many 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs who your Ministry might benefit from hiring. You can reach my office at [email protected].

Kristyn Wong-Tam

Member of Provincial Parliament 

Toronto Centre