COVID-19 June 24 Update

The past few months have been challenging with respect to the pandemic but as a City and a province we have made great strides in just the last little while. We now have well over three million doses administered to residents of our City. There are also almost 840,000 vaccinations booked at City clinics and more than thirty per cent of Torontonians are fully vaccinated. This past weekend I was pleased to join with the Davenport Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre for our second targeted vaccination clinic. This clinic target Spanish speakers and was a wonderful success and I would like to thank all of those involved and particularly the volunteers who gave of their time to support the clinic.

This coming weekend, the City will be hosting a special one day campaign, "Our Winning Shot," at the Scotiabank Arena. With 25,000 appointments, the "Our Winning Shot" will set a Canadian record for the most people vaccinated at a one-day clinic.

Whether you get your shot, first or second, at the one-day clinic or through other sites please ensure you do get your vaccination. More than ever, with new variants, it is critical that all of us get vaccinated to protect our health and that of others and to move our City back to normal as soon as possible. And, of course next week, on June 30th, the province and our City will be moving to step two of the provincial re-opening plan which will include personal care services and indoor malls. Like most of you I'm looking forward to safely getting a haircut and supporting our local businesses.

This week, many residents have contacted my office with regard to the City's actions at Trinity Bellwoods Park. Let me be clear that I believe we all need to continue to work harder to build the trust needed to bring people inside. That is why I moved the motion at the last City Council meeting to develop housing plans for individuals in a collaborative and respectful manner. The motion reads: "City Council direct staff to work with encampment residents to develop and activate individual and culturally appropriate housing plans on an accelerated basis regardless of whether an encampment resident accepts a placement in an “indoor space.”

The link to the full item can be found here: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2021.CC34.1

The City continues to reach out to encampment residents. Over 20,000 visits already taken place to offer spaces that are available both at hotels, shelters and in many cases supportive housing locations. Encampments are not safe – we need to do better.

Our main goal needs to be to ensure that our shelter system is truly an emergency and short term solution and that the supportive housing needed to end chronic homeless is being built and supported by all three orders of government. Residents in encampments need to be able to live in safe, comfortable and stable housing with the supports they need.

That is why I have been working hard to create supportive housing in our city – with one of the first two modular housing sites in our ward and several others currently under development; in the last year the City moved over 5800 people into permanent housing from our shelter system. Since December 2020 we have opened 244 new supportive homes and currently 82 projects in the City's affordable rental development pipeline will create 10,676 new permanently affordable rental homes. Over the next 12 months the City is aiming to make available at least 1,248 new permanent affordable and supportive housing opportunities.

Some of this work will be at next week's Planning and Housing Committee of which I am chair. Our focus continues to be advancing our City's housing agenda with a focus on affordable housing. In this agenda there is also another important report dealing with housing – multi-tenant housing across the City. This is some of the most affordable stock in our City and in many areas of the City we don’t have zoning in place that allows for this option, it leaving many tenants living in fear as well as in unsafe conditions. The full agenda for the upcoming Planning and Housing Committee meeting can be found here:

So, while there is much work that remains to be done much has been achieved and is being realized on an ongoing basis. We must work together to support those who are most vulnerable in our communities ensuring that we provide them the safe, stable and comfortable housing they deserve.

Finally, we have once again heard today about further discoveries of unmarked graves at residential schools where indigenous children who were taken from their families were forced to attend and where they lost their lives. There are simply no words that can adequately express our feelings about this tragic, horrendous and distressing news. We all share the pain and sorrow of indigenous people as more discoveries are made. We must all work together to support indigenous people and to ensure that the full truth is brought forward about this terrible time in Canada's history. We must also fully commit ourselves to working with indigenous people to identify, where possible, who these children were. We as a country and a society owe that to them as we do to ensure that we fully address the inequities faced by indigenous people in this country.

Our office continues to work to serve you remotely. If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at 416.392.7012.

In community,

Ana

Table of Contents

Key Updates
1. Toronto and East York Community Council
2. Vaccination Clinic for Hispanic Speaking Communities held at Davenport Perth on June 19th
3. Keele-St. Clair Local Area Study - Community Consultation Meeting #3 on July 8th
4. City of Toronto Vaccination Update
5. Call for Art Proposals in College Promenade Business Improvement Area
6. Call for Art Submission - Bloorcourt Neighbourhood Murals 2021
7. Regal Heights Residents' Association Giveaway and Yard Sale - June 26th
8. Diabetes Prevention & Management Events
Recent Announcements

Key Updates

Toronto and East York Community Council

Bloor St W Planning Study - St Helens to Perth

Significant development pressures have begun showing up in the area, so in order to ensure there is a comprehensive plan, and that growth occurs in a well-planned and coordinated manner, I initiated an area review to develop a planning framework for this area. The first phase has concluded and a report was tabled at Toronto and East York Community. Council today included an evaluation of the appropriate built form, transportation and pedestrian networks, an overall public realm strategy including parks and open spaces and potential heritage sites as the first phase of the Study. The deliverables are a Vision Statement, Street and Character Areas, Public Realm Network Plan, General Built Form Objectives and a Final Staff Report on the Planning Framework.

The second phase will be to implement the findings of the planning framework through an Official Plan Amendment or a Site and Area Specific Policy (SASP), Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment, and Urban Design Guidelines as potential deliverables later this year.

Traffic Control Signals and No Turning - Dufferin and Lindsey

We have approved a traffic light at the intersection of Dufferin Street and Lindsey Avenue. My office worked closely with City Staff and community members to expedite this safety related intervention, which is vitally important because it forms a safe crossing for pedestrians as well as for cyclists using the Lindsey counter flow bike lane. The implementation of this traffic control signal will be one of several initiatives stemming from my motion for improved safety for cyclists and pedestrians on Dufferin Street.

386-394 Symington - Directions Report (Final)

A revised application was endorsed by Community Council today. The development, containing a total of 375 dwelling units and 185 parking spaces, is a combination of an 8-storey building facing Symington Avenue, a 17-storey tower at the south end Perth Avenue, and a 4-storey component with townhouse style units along the east side of Perth Avenue. The proposal represents a refined version of a planned development previously approved by the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal in December 2018. As part of the revised plan, I secured an additional section 37 contribution of $300,000 for community facility improvements in the area.

316-336 Campbell Ave - Preliminary Report

The City has received a development application for a proposed 28-storey building, inclusive of a 6-storey podium, having a residential gross floor area of 21,678 square metres. 310 residential dwelling units are proposed, of which, 7 will be dedicated live-work units. 101 underground parking stalls and two car share stalls. This project is still early in the process and now that the preliminary report has been issued by staff and a community consultation meeting has been held (June 15th) the City will work with the applicant to refine the proposal based on community and staff feedback.

1423-1437 Bloor St W. - Preliminary Report

The City has received a development application for a proposed 18-storey building, inclusive of a 6-storey podium, mixed-use building. A total of 204 residential dwelling units are proposed, of which, 15 will be rental units in order to replace the rental onsite. 65 vehicular parking spaces are proposed at 208 bike parking spaces. In addition, a 160sqm community space is proposed. This project is still early in the process and now that the preliminary report has been issued by staff a community consultation meeting will be scheduled to seek feedback from the community.

Vaccination Clinic for Hispanic Speaking Communities held at Davenport Perth on June 19th

On Saturday, June 19th, I supported a successful vaccination clinic at Davenport Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre where more than 800 people received a jab. These vaccination clinics serving particular linguistic communities are critically important in Team Toronto’s mission to provide the vaccine to all Torontonians, regardless of status or whether someone has an OHIP card. I want to thank the amazing group of health care workers, volunteers and Radio Voces Latinas CHHA1610am who broadcast live from the event and provided music for the day.

Keele-St. Clair Local Area Study - Community Consultation Meeting #3 on July 8th

[click either image above to open a PDF copy of the notice]

City of Toronto Vaccination Update

This week, the City of Toronto reached a huge milestone in our vaccination effort. Over three million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Toronto. These numbers will continue to climb as more Torontonians receive their second dose appointments. As we move forward, it is critical that every Torontonian knows that the best and most effective vaccine is the first one you are offered. No matter which vaccine you are offered, it is important that you take it when offered. Additionally, if you or somebody you know does not have an OHIP card, COVID-19 vaccine appointments can still be booked, to learn more see here.

Call for Art Proposals from the College Promenade BIA

The College Promenade Business Improvement Area is seeking art proposals for three projects spread evenly throughout the BIA. The boundaries of the BIA are along College Street between Havelock St and Shaw St. For any artists interested, you may find additional details, as well as a signup sheet here.

Call for Art Submission - Bloorcourt Neighbourhood Murals 2021

Artists are invited to submit an application to paint a mural on Bell Canada outdoor utility boxes in the Bloorcourt Neighbourhood this summer as part of the 2021 Bell Box Murals Project. Deadline is Monday June 28th at 5:00pm.

Regal Heights Residents' Association Giveaway and Yard Sale - June 26th

On Saturday June 26th. the Regal Heights Residents' Association will be hosting their second annual Alberta Avenue Giveaway and Yard Sale from 9:00am until 5:00pm.

Diabetes Prevention & Management Events

The Toronto Intergenerational Partnerships in Community (TIGP) in partnership with the Flemingdon Health Centre will be hosting sessions about Diabetes Prevention & Management, that begin on August 9. This is a 4 week virtual program geared to helping manage, and to prevent, symptoms of diabetes. Registration is now open, limited to 15 participants, and will end on July 30.

Recent Announcements

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