Councillor Matlow's Community Update: August 2025

Join Us for Our Community Events

In September and October, I'm organizing our annual fairs and ice cream socials across our ward, bringing our community together for free ice cream, raffles, and more!

COMMUNITY FAIRS                       ICE CREAM POP UPS
Cedarvale Community Fair           Hillcrest Park Ice Cream Pop Up 
Saturday, September 6th                 Sunday, September 21st 
Noon to 4pm                                    1pm to 3pm
Cedarvale Park                                Hillcrest Park - 950 Davenport Rd  - 443 Arlington Ave       

Oriole Park Community Fair        Raccoon Park Ice Cream Pop Up 
Saturday, September 20th              Sunday, October 5th 
Noon to 4pm                                   1pm to 3pm
Oriole Park - 201 Oriole Pkwy         Raccoon Park - 86 Soudan Ave

Davisville Village Community Fair 
Saturday, October 4th
Noon to 4pm
June Rowlands Park - 220 Davisville Ave

Fighting For Fare Capping at the TTC

Torontonians deserve a transit system that’s safe, reliable and affordable. Right now, the TTC is evaluating a proposal for fare capping- meaning that after a certain number of rides per month, you get to ride for free. It would finally replace the outdated monthly pass system.

I’m calling for fare capping because it’s an important way to make life more affordable for Torontonians - and to help your monthly budget be more predictable. No penalty for an extra trip to the grocery store or if an appointment runs long.

Fare capping would also dramatically increase ridership - a cap at 40 trips would boost ridership by an estimated 16.8 million annually. It will save you money, decrease traffic congestion and ensure we get the most value out of our transit infrastructure.

I’ve asked the TTC to focus on safety, reliability and affordability. Fare capping is a critical part of achieving these priorities and will be considered by the TTC Board in the coming months. I’m asking you to write to your local councillor & the Mayor to express your support.

Protecting Local Grocers From Redevelopment

There are so many people who rely on the small fruit markets at Yonge and Davisville- really good prices for what you get there. We’ve made a point of reaching out to them directly to support their ability to remain in our community. The focus is often solely on height and density when it comes to development. But we can’t lose sight of the things that make our lives better, including housing, social services, parks, infrastructure and the fine grain retail that create vibrant, more affordable and successful main streets.

Keeping Mabel's Fables in our Community

Mabel’s Fables is Canada’s most beloved independent children’s bookstore. When I learned a developer had purchased the property, I approached them about relocating the bookstore nearby. They worked with us in good faith. And while this will be a change, we were able to proactively protect a very special place that our community deeply values. Mabel’s fables will be reopening at Mount Pleasant and Belsize!

New Details on Therme’s Finances Re-Ignites Ontario Place Scandal

The Ford Government is facing mounting public scrutiny over its sweetheart deal with Theme, over new information about the company’s finances. Despite this, the corrupt and incompetent Doug Ford government failed to do basic due diligence, handing your public waterfront to a company that may not even be able to complete this wrong headed fiasco. This deal needs to be cancelled now. To read more, click here.

Follow the Friends of Old City Hall!

Save Our School Pools

While I agree that water safety should absolutely be part of the curriculum, the tragic drowning that occurred in Dryden, Ontario should also be a wake up call to the province to finally fund our school pools and keep them open. Please support our petition here: joshmatlow.ca/saveourpools

 

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Toronto Pan Afrikan Film Festival

Jay Douglas is a pioneer of Little Jamaica and his legacy of reggae, and Jamaican culture, continues with a new generation. Lori Beazer is a leader of Little Jamaica’s renaissance who I love and admire. It was an honor to celebrate them at this year's Toronto Pan Afrikan Film Festival.

 

        

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Event From OVCO

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Toronto Council on Aging Grand Parade

The Toronto Council on Aging (TCA) is thrilled to participate in the Grand Parade for the first time. We would really appreciate your support in helping us create a Toronto where seniors are visible, respected, connected, influential, and celebrated! Join the TCA and Councillor Josh Matlow on Saturday, September 20th, 10am-1pm at David Pecaut Square for a day of celebration, getting active, refreshments, and fun!
 
The Grand Parade is a fabulous opportunity for Seniors (and anyone who supports them) to "STRUT THEIR STUFF" in this 2.5 or 5km "roll and stroll". Our Vision is Celebrating and Enhancing the Strengths and Contributions of Seniors and Older Adults.  It’s time for us to combat ageism by “strutting our stuff” and showing the city of Toronto what older adults contribute and how we have influence. We want a mob of seniors and friends of seniors showing Toronto that older adults are vibrant, active, engaged, and, most of all, fun, as we walk, roll, stroll, and maybe even dance in downtown Toronto.

TCA is a volunteer charitable organization committed to aiding in the development of an age-inclusive city by building collaborative networks dedicated to empowering and celebrating the strengths and contributions of Toronto’s seniors and showcasing their influence and experiences.

For more information and to register or support, visit: https://thegrandparade.org/location/torontokingwest

Celebrating RentSafe Improvements with ACORN

I really appreciated speaking with tenants from across our city with Toronto Acorn this month about our recent victories on RentSafe at city council and the hard work we have in front of us to protect renters’ health, safety and affordability.

Message From Toronto Community Housing:
Tenant Council Elections and Survey

"We are pleased to announce that the nomination period for the upcoming Tenant Council Elections has officially launched and will run until September 4, 2025. During this time, tenants across Toronto Community Housing will have the opportunity to nominate themselves to represent their communities on Tenant Councils. The Councils play a crucial role in tenant engagement and community building by representing tenant voices, collaborating with staff and local leaders, and strengthening communication and decision-making in TCHC communities across the city.

Nomination Process
TCHC has developed an election guide to assist tenants who are interested in running to represent their communities. The election guide and tenant nomination forms are available on our website at the links below.

• Nomination form
• Election guide

Our Tenant Participation Coordinators (TPCs) will be the point of contact for collecting completed nomination forms and supporting tenants through the nomination process.

Key election details:
• Nomination period: Tuesday, August 5 – Thursday, September 4
• Advance voting: October 2 – 9
• Election days (one per region):
 • East Region – Tuesday, October 14
 • West Region – Wednesday, October 15
 • Central Region – Thursday, October 16

For more information about eligibility, roles, responsibilities, or volunteering during the elections, tenants can visit the Tenant Council Elections page on our website or contact [email protected].
 

Toronto Community Housing’s 2025 Tenant Survey will commence next week, on Wednesday September 10, 2025.

The survey is conducted approximately every two years and covers a range of different topics, such as safety and security, maintenance, communication and overall tenant experience. The survey gives tenants an opportunity to tell us what matters most to them in their communities, and what areas need improvement. The survey results inform work planning and resource allocation, and help drive improvements in service delivery, community programming, building maintenance and more. TCHC uses an independent research company to conduct the survey, and to collect and analyze the data. Individual responses are kept anonymous, and tenants’ personal information always remains confidential.
 
Key updated dates:

• Tenants can take the survey online or by phone starting on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
• Tenants will also receive a paper copy of the survey by mail by Wednesday, September 10.
• Tenants have until Wednesday, October 15 to mail back a completed paper copy.
• Tenants have until Wednesday, October 22 to take the survey online or phone survey

• Online:  Visit fmrch.com/toh4 (external link) on or after Wednesday, September 10, 2025. Tenants can choose their building from a drop-down list and are asked to enter their unit number to get started.
• By phone: Call Forum Research Inc. at 416-960-3255. A representative will ask for the tenant’s building address and unit number to complete the survey.
• Complete the paper copy: Return the Tenant Survey in the addressed and prepaid envelope.

 
The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete. Translations and alternate formats are available online or over the phone. More information is available on the Toronto Community Housing website at: https://torontohousing.ca/news-and-updates/next-tenant-survey-happening-fall-2025

Celebrate Yellow Oasis with Us!

STEPS Public Art, artist Yasaman Mehrsa, along with the City of Toronto’s StreetARToronto program, EightForty local condo residents, Councillor Josh Matlow, Hillcrest Village BIA, Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts, Bulmash-Siegel Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, Goodbye Graffiti, and TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment, warmly invite you to join us in celebrating the unveiling of Yellow Oasis, a new mural that honours the cultural and environmental heritage of Hillcrest Village.

 Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025
 Time: 5:00–6:00 PM
 Location: 840 St. Clair West

Come experience this vibrant new community landmark with:

• Live DJ set
• Refreshments by Aviv Immigrant Kitchen
• Remarks from project collaborators
• Photo opportunities with the artists and the mural

RSVP for the mural launch here

Share your voice!
We’d love to hear what Yellow Oasis means to you and the neighbourhood. Please take a few minutes to complete our Community Impact Survey — your feedback helps support more projects like this in the future: www.stepspublicart.org/YellowOasisSurvey

Movie Night with Mount Pleasant Village BIA

This is magical and a true feeling of community. Thank you to the Mount Pleasant Village BIA for hosting “Movie Night in the Park”. It’s always my heartfelt pleasure to support your remarkable events.

Parks and Recreation Survey

The St. Clair Avenue West and Bathurst Street Area Planning Framework and Forest Hill Village Urban Design Guidelines Review will update the existing Forest Hill Village Urban Design Guidelines (2015) and St. Clair Avenue West and Bathurst Street Planning Framework (2019) with consideration of recent changes to Provincial legislation and policies, updated Official Plan policies, and active development, to guide future growth in the St. Clair Avenue West and Bathurst Street, and Forest Hill Village areas.
 
Please see the project page for additional information: St. Clair Avenue West & Bathurst Street Area Planning Framework Review (An Update) – City of Toronto
 
Phase 2 Consultation
 
A virtual consultation meeting and drop-in events have been scheduled to provide an update on the study, review what we heard during phase 1 consultation and provide an overview of proposed updates to the Planning Framework and Urban Design Guidelines. The same information will be presented at the virtual meeting and drop-in events. The drop-in events will allow more time for City staff to gather community input and answer questions.
 
Upcoming Virtual Meeting
Register for September 11, 2025, 6 to 8 p.m. 
(Information on how to participate in City virtual public engagement events can be found through the following link: Participate in City Virtual Engagement Events – City of Toronto)
 
Upcoming Public Drop-in Events

1. September 15
   • Location: Suydam Park
   • Time: 4 to 7 p.m.
2. September 18
   • Location: Wells Hill Park
   • Time: 4 to 7 p.m.