Community Wins

Save Our School Pools

Toronto’s school pools are once again under threat due to chronic underfunding by the Province. I co-led a motion at City Council with Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin calling on the Ontario government to protect these essential facilities. Pools provide children with vital swimming skills and offer accessible recreation for residents of all ages. Our communities shouldn’t have to fight every few years to protect something so important—so we’re taking action

You can sign my Save our Pools petition to call on your MPP: https://www.joshmatlow.ca/saveourpools

 

Taking a Stand to Protect Ontario Place and Our City’s Public Waterfront

In response to the provincial government’s controversial deal with Therme spa, I have organized events and brought forward motions to utilize every city resource possible to stop this development. This project has led to the destruction of mature trees and displacement of wildlife, while the only group that benefits is an Austrian private spa. 

My motion responds to troubling findings about Therme's track record, financial instability, and misleading claims. If left unchecked, the development risks turning a cherished waterfront space into a fenced-off construction site. The City is now seeking all possible avenues to preserve Ontario Place as a vibrant, accessible public space. Together, we are defending our public waterfront for future generations

Funding Tenants to Fight Unfair Rent Hikes (AGIs)

In 2019, I helped lead a successful campaign to increase funding for the Toronto Tenant Support Program (TTSP) - formerly the Tenant Defence Fund. This program empowers renters to fight back against Above Guideline Rent Increases (AGIs) and illegal evictions by providing legal support, organizing assistance, and education. By strengthening this fund, we’re giving tenants the tools they need to protect their homes and stand up to exploitative practices. Every Toronto resident deserves a safe, clean, and affordable place to live.

Fighting to Protect Wheel Trans Services From Cuts

I am committed to protecting full door-door Wheel-Trans service for all Torontonians who need it. At the TTC Board meeting in December, I fought alongside disability and transit advocate groups to protect the service and to ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities are represented. TTC has expressed a desire to shift more people to a “Family of Service” (FOS) model that includes trips with both Wheel-Trans and the use of the “conventional system”. I am strongly opposed to forcing mandatory family of service trips on Wheel-Trans users. 

There are many problems with the FOS model that have been highlighted by advocates, most importantly being the inaccessibility of the conventional system. While the City has been investing significantly into station upgrades to make its stations more accessible, many issues remain with elevators and escalators that are frequently out of service. That’s why I moved a motion at TTC Board requesting staff to report back with an equity analysis of the impacts of FOS trips on Wheel-Trans users, which was approved by the board. I remain deeply committed to fighting to protect Wheel Trans service for the people who rely on it.

Creating and Strengthening RentSafe to Protect Tenants

I introduced RentSafe in 2017 to hold landlords accountable for tenants’ health and safety—modeled on the successful DineSafe system for restaurants. But while it was a step forward, the program isn’t as effective as it needs to be. That’s why for years, I pushed for a clear, colour-coded sign system (green/yellow/red) so tenants know the real condition of their building at a glance. Too often, buildings with major issues like mold or infestations still receive high scores under the current system. Working with tenant advocates like ACORN, FMTA, and others, we’re fighting to ensure the City puts tenants’ health and dignity first.

Crisis Looms as Aging Booms: Creating a Path Forward to Age in Place

It is crucial that the City develop a comprehensive plan to support aging in place now. In 2016, Toronto crossed a demographic turning point with more people living in our city over the age of 65 than under 15. Subsequently, the percentage of our population over 65 has only increased—from 15.6 percent in 2016, to 17.1 percent in 2021, to an estimated 21.2 percent in 2041. This will place Toronto in the same category as “super aged” societies like Japan, where one in five people is a senior citizen.

I'm pleased to share that our motion which was co-written by University Health Network's NORC Innovation Centre on creating new paths to allow for more older adults to age in place, passed unanimously. To learn more about my motion, please click here. We owe it to our seniors to take the necessary steps to better support seniors to age in place through a coordinated Naturally Occurring Retirement Community plan.

OASIS Program at 400 Walmer

I was pleased to work with Tai Huynh from the University Health Network's OpenLab, the Landlord, Property Manager, founder of the OASIS program, Christine McMillian, and SPRINT Senior Care to initiate a seniors program within the building located at 400 Walmer. This program is designed to strengthen and sustain healthy communities of older adults by addressing important determinants of healthy aging such as isolation, nutrition, physical fitness, and sense of purpose. More programs like this need to be expanded across our City and I plan to work with City Staff, healthcare partners and local community organizations to make this possible.

Creating Toronto’s Seniors Strategies

During my first year as a City Councillor, I initiated the City of Toronto’s Seniors Strategy: a proactive, holistic, and inclusive initiative that seeks to create a truly accessible, respectful, and age-friendly Toronto.Since 2013, 100% of the recommended actions have been fully implemented.

In this spirit, Toronto Seniors Strategy 2.0 was unanimously adopted by City Council in 2018. Recommendations include the City of Toronto expanding their community paramedicine program in order to better support seniors who are high-volume 911 callers with non-emergency community care and supports, constructing new sidewalks on roads where they are missing to improve walkability, mobility and accessibility of city streets, develop a workplace anti-ageism campaign under Toronto For All, allocating resources to extend the HomeShare Pilot Project, which helps match seniors with extra bedrooms to students in need of living accommodations and much more, develop a new homeless shelter that provides specialized services for seniors.

There is always more work to be done to support seniors, which is why I’m thrilled to announce that Toronto Seniors Strategy 3.0 is currently being co-created as we speak.

CareTO: Changing the Culture of Long-Term Care

I'm proactively working to change the culture in the City's 10 Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes. During 2018, our motion, now known as CareTO, was unanimously adopted by Council to take the first steps toward transforming the level of care delivered in our LTC homes. Through implementing emotion-centred models such as the Butterfly and Greenhouse Project approaches, staff will be able to focus on the emotional well-being of residents with dementia, and all seniors, in their care. This new approach fundamentally increases the attention and support that its residents are given by ensuring the hours of care each resident receives daily, increases from 2.75 to 3.25 hours, has a renewed focus on training to ensure staff have the skills to provide culturally responsive emotion-centered care and creates more home-like environments.

Cracking Down on Curb Hogs to Keep Toronto Moving

Too many transit riders, cyclists, and drivers are delayed by vehicles stopping illegally at the curb just to grab a coffee or make a quick stop. After years of pushing for change, I’m proud to share that the fine for blocking traffic is now $300—a real deterrent to selfish, congestion-causing behaviour. This is a win for commuters and road safety. Councillor Mike Layton and I first introduced this motion in 2011, and we’re glad to finally see real consequences in place.