Response to WPSQ August 1 Letter

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

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.