In This E-Newsletter:
Our Community Stands with Tumbler Ridge, BC
My family, and our community, grieve with the residents of Tumbler Ridge, BC. I’m holding my daughter closer this week. Our hearts are with the victims of this horrific tragedy, and with everyone who has suddenly lost someone they love.
At a vigil to remember the victims of the heartbreaking Tumbler Ridge school shooting, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre hold hands & stand together on behalf of Canadians. This is what we can be, and what meeting the moment looks like.
Commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Last month, I commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day by attending the launch of Reflection, a book by 97-year-old Holocaust survivor and educator Hedy Bohm at the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre. Hedy’s story of loss, courage and resilience is deeply inspiring.
I join our city’s Jewish community as we remember the 6 million Jews, along with many others, who were murdered by the Nazis. Let us reflect, learn, educate and, together, take a clear and unequivocal stand against hate.
Celebrating the Beginning of Ramadan
My family and I extend my warmest wishes to everyone in our city's Muslim communities observing Ramadan. I hope this sacred month brings you good health and meaningful moments of reflection. May this special and joyous time of year fill you and your loved ones with happiness and well-being. I look forward to sharing Iftar meals with friends across our city and celebrating together.
Happy Lunar New Year
It was a genuine pleasure to participate in the 2026 Chinatown Lunar New Year Celebration Press Conference as we celebrate the Year of the Horse! Come visit, and shop, in Toronto’s remarkable Chinatown! I hope this new year brings you and your family happiness and prosperity.
Happy Black History Month: Celebrating with the Canada Black Music Archives
I was thrilled to spend the evening with the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine who introduced the motion to create Black History Month 30 years ago and the first Black woman to be elected in the House of Commons. She is a living part of our of history and an inspiring community icon! Thank you to the Canada Black Music Archives (the amazing Phil Vassel and Donna McCurvin) for organizing such a great event, the Toronto Archives for hosting us, and to her Hon. Edith Dumont.
Join Us: Documentary Screening Event on Thursday, February 19th
To celebrate the groundswell of support for neighbourhood retail and to thank you, the public, for your enthusiastic participation in the civic process, Dan Seljak and I are hosting a free screening of the documentary Changing Lanes, right in Toronto’s City Hall chambers! Changing Lanes documents the collision of planning and politics as a grassroots movement to redesign Brooklyn’s notoriously dangerous McGuinness Blvd hits resistance and roadblocks. Despite a different setting and a different issue, the conversations the movie prompts about how we discuss change within urban environments are highly relevant to Toronto; you may just see a reflection of yourself or an issue you care about on screen. Sign up here!
Recycling Privatization Update
I have heard from the community, and seen for myself, the mess that was left in the transition of recycling services to Circular Materials last month. We have met with Circular Materials to express our concerns and to get assurances that the necessary measures are being taken to ensure that these failures don’t continue.
I have also been concerned by reports that Circular Materials would no longer be picking up excess recycling in plastic bags, and that they would no longer be picking up alcohol bottles. I have been given assurances from Circular Materials that this will not be the case in Toronto and that any instances of incomplete pickups will be addressed if they are reported to GFL at 1-888-921-2686.
There will be a report to the next meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on the issues arising from the transition of recycling to Circular Materials. While the City no longer has responsibility for delivering recycling services, I want to ensure that we are still advocating for the interests of Torontonians.
For those reasons, I am requesting that the City:
I will continue to monitor the situation and advocate for transparency and accountability.
FIFA World Cup Update: Calling for a Traffic and Financial Plan That Works
With the FIFA games fast approaching, I am still looking for answers to important questions about how the City is preparing to welcome tourists and cover its costs.
One of my primary concerns has been the impact of this month-long event on Toronto’s traffic. While we are excited to welcome the world to Toronto for these games, it is important that the people who live here can still get where they need to go without excessive delays.
I was concerned to learn that a traffic management plan has not yet been finalized and was not scheduled to be presented to Council until April. If Council were not satisfied with the plan presented in April, we might not have enough time to make the necessary changes.
For these reasons, I submitted an administrative which will be coming forward at the next meeting of the Executive Committee and will give us the chance to assess what progress is being made in the development of these plans, whether the assessment of potential risks has been comprehensive, and whether all potential solutions are being considered.
I am also concerned that the provincial government has not yet come through with its $97 million share of the funding for the games and has suggested that they will be providing considerably less cash investment than was initially agreed upon, which Mayor Chow has said will leave a $40 million shortfall in funding. I am committed to working with the Mayor’s office to determine how to support her in securing this funding and creating any necessary contingency plans.
In the longer term, there are many lessons to be learned about how we ended up in this position under Mayor Tory. The Auditor General has already produced a report with recommendations, and I will be working to ensure that these are implemented for any future “mega events”.
Davisville Aquatic Centre Reaches Major Milestone
Together, we successfully advocated for a new recreation centre for midtown Toronto, and I'm excited to share that construction is on track for the Davisville Community & Aquatic Centre, a project that will give our neighbourhood much needed space for recreation and community. Since the groundbreaking last November, we’ve reached several major milestones:
Construction is currently expected to complete in February 2027, and I’ll continue to keep you updated as we move toward the opening of this long-awaited community space.
Rendering of new Davisville Aquatic Centre
Hodgson Middle School Reopening
I am very happy to share that Hodgson Middle School will officially re-open its doors in Fall 2026. This marks the end of a long and often challenging chapter for our neighbourhood, as our local students will move back home after years of being bussed across town to Vaughan Road Academy – my daughter included. I know first-hand that the daily commute and the displacement put a real strain on families, and I want to thank the entire community for your persistence and patience throughout this process. The renovated school is now updated with modern classrooms and high-quality facilities our kids deserve. I look forward to seeing the "Hodgson Hawks" back in their own halls and watching this school become a neighbourhood hub once again!
Eglinton LRT Finally Opens!
I’m excited that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is finally open. This will be a game changer for communities along Eglinton, for many years to come.
However, even good things can be done badly. That's why it’s critical that Premier Ford allow a public inquiry into the many years of delays, massive cost overruns, problems with contracts and construction, lack of transparency and the impacts on residents and small businesses. It’s about genuine accountability, and to prevent these mistakes from ever being repeated on future projects. Click here to watch my interview from the LRT's opening day.
I’m deeply grateful to, and proud of, Torontonians from every part of our city who came together in the freezing cold to join our rally and poster all 19km of Line 5. Together, we demanded the Ford government allow a public inquiry into the Eglinton LRT fiasco. After years of delays, cost overruns, businesses closed and mismanagement, we are demanding transparency, accountability and that lessons be learned.
Continuing the Fight to Save The Science Centre Property On Don Mills
The Ontario Science Centre’s roof has more integrity than the Doug Ford government. They closed it under false pretenses. There’s a coalition of us working on protecting this special place and bringing it back to life to serve the public again. Click below to watch my interview.
Celebrating Little Jamaica in Eglinton Crosstown Stations
While the Eglinton Crosstown LRT has finally opened to the public, residents quickly noticed that there was no acknowledgement or commemoration of Little Jamaica in any of the new stations or nearby infrastructure. Little Jamaica is one of the communities hardest hit by the years of construction as hundreds of businesses were forced to shut their doors, and residents were never properly compensated for their losses. The least Metrolinx could do is to respect and reflect Little Jamaica in the naming, station art, or other placemaking initiatives along the line.
As Metrolinx owns the LRT stations and infrastructure, I am moving a motion at City Council alongside my colleague Jamaal Myers to request Metrolinx to devise a Cultural Placemaking and Public Art Plan to protect and promote the cultural heritage of Little Jamaica along the Eglinton West corridor, with a focus on Cedarvale, Oakwood, Fairbank, and Keelsdale stations. The motion also requests that Metrolinx, in collaboration with the TTC, establish a Little Jamaica advisory committee comprising local business owners, residents, and representatives from the Afro-Caribbean community to co-design the themes and heritage elements of these stations.
Fighting for Tenants With New Legal Service Supports
I am pleased to share that I was able to secure new funding for the Toronto Tenant Support Program to provide legal services for an estimated 225 households facing illegal evictions.
When bad landlords break the law, they are often counting on the tenant not having the resources to fight them in court. That’s unacceptable. The laws that we create to protect tenants only work if we can enforce them.
That’s why it’s a priority for me to not only pass strong legislation, but also to ensure we’re getting justice for tenants.
Making Progress on Getting a Fair Share of the HST for Toronto
With your support, I moved a motion that was successful at City Council to request the City Manager begin negotiations with the federal and provincial governments for a share of the HST to finally ensure that Toronto has revenue that can grow with the economy and support the services and infrastructure you rely on everyday.
This would represent a historic shift in the way that municipalities are funded and is necessary to ensure that we can cover the growing cost of the infrastructure and services that have been downloaded from provincial and federal governments. These downloads will cost Toronto taxpayers an estimated $1.6 billion in 2026 – approximately 27% of the City’s entire budget – and includes supporting 50% of the province’s shelter capacity.
For the provincial and federal governments, which collected approximately $160 billion and $300 billion respectively in taxes in 2024–25, a $1.6 billion share of the HST would be a rounding error. For Toronto, it would be a lifeline.
Of course, this fight will not be easy. Success will require focus, hard work and collaboration. But it will be worth it if we really want to fix our city. To add your support, you can sign our petition here.
Improving Snow Removal: My Letter To The General Manager of Transportation Services
Following the major snowstorms we experienced throughout January, I want to share my perspective on the City's response, based on what I've heard from our communities and what I've witnessed- along with recommendations on the priorities I believe the City should focus on to provide the service residents’ deserve.
This year's snow response was an improvement from last year’s. The City's 2025 snow response was appalling, with entire streets and neighbourhoods left without snow plowing. This year brought expanded snow clearing along residential streets, more responsive 311 support, and a generally quicker plowing operation thanks to more City staff on the ground.
However, last year's failure shouldn't be the bar we set for success.
The City of Toronto's ability to respond to major weather events remains severely constrained by the snow contracts which were signed in 2023. These agreements force the City to prioritize snow plowing over snow removal. Instead of clearing the snow, the City shoves snow into parking spaces and driveways, making it impossible for residents to move their cars and resume their everyday lives due to giant windrows. I spoke with many neighbours who diligently shoveled their sidewalks, only to have a plow undo their all their hard work.
Though the City did expand sidewalk plowing service, it was still not done as efficiently or quickly as residents expect. Many seniors and people with disabilitieswere forced to stay home over the last three weeks due to the conditions of sidewalks on both major streets and local roads. I also heard from parents with strollers forced to walk in the road in a live lane of traffic while trying to drop their kids off. I understand the delays to sidewalk plowing still largely stem from equipment failure. Though fewer sidewalk plows were taken out of commission this year than last, upgrades are still urgently needed.
Finally, the City also needs to do a better job at communicating the designation of snow routes. Over 21,000 cars were ticketed across the City of Toronto in the last two weeks of January. It is not fair to see such an increase in ticketing, without greater effort by the City to warn residents. As soon as a Major Snowstorm Condition is declared, snow routes should be marked with lawn signs and permit parking holders should be alerted via email. Better communication also needs to occur between Transportation Services and the Toronto Parking Authority. During the clean-up following a storm, it should not be possible to pay for parking on a snow route via a TPA meter or the Green P app. Moreover, when a snow route is finally cleared, many businesses and BIAs hope that parking is returned as quickly as possible.
The real service gaps in the City’s snow response do not overshadow my deep appreciation for the hard work of the City’s crews who worked tirelessly through January to plow our streets and clear our sidewalks. I also want to thank the 311 support personnel who fielded over 2250 winter maintenance request from our Ward, since the storm on January 25th.
While the City remains locked into insufficient major snow contracts until 2029, I am committed to support Transportation Services to ensure that the lessons from this winter translate into meaningful improvements for our residents. This includes accelerating equipment upgrades, improving sidewalk plowing standards, and implementing clearer, more proactive communication when snow routes are declared.
We can, and we must, deliver a better snow response service to ensure that Toronto is safe and accessible for all.
Davisville's Local Fruit Markets: Protecting Our Affordable Food Options
I am very excited to announce that two of our local neighbourhood grocers, Fruit Baskets and Fresh Buy market, will be returning to the Davisville community to continue serving the affordable produce that so many members of our community rely on.
These cherished neighbourhood businesses were impacted by the demolition of their properties due to an upcoming rental development. When notified of the upcoming demolition, my office immediately reached out to the business owners directly to offer our support. We contacted nearby property owners to identify new space opportunities, and advocating to ensure that these businesses were able to remain. Notably, this is not something that is typically within the purview of municipal government but which I fought for because of how important it is to our community.
Thanks to our advocacy and support, the businesses were able to find nearby retail space in the neighbourhood – and in both cases – secure even larger space than before. Fruit Baskets will be located at 1881 Yonge Unit 106-107, right beside the Sobeys. Fresh Buy will be returning to the south-east corner of Yonge-Davisville at the old Wise Mart location.
As our neighbourhood grows, I am strongly focused on ensuring that we are investing in the things that promote our quality of life. This includes new parks and greenspace, community centres like the Davisville Aquatic Centre, a beautiful public realm and streets, and most importantly – affordable food options for our community.
Fresh Buy Market on Yonge St.
Thank You for Joining Us: Community Staking Parties
I enjoyed so many conversations with residents at the Phil White Arena and Casa Loma Rink this month! It was a true pleasure to partner with my local Toronto-St.Paul’s colleagues, MP Leslie Church and MPP Stephanie Smyth, to host skating parties and hear from our constituents over hot chocolate. Cold weather, warm community!
Casa Loma Rink
Phil White Arena
Celebrating Tamil Heritage Month and Pongal
It was a pleasure joining the Tamil Heritage Society in Markham to celebrate the finale of Tamil Heritage Month. Delicious food, beautiful dance performances, cultural exhibits and more - our city and region’s Tamil community are an important part of who we are, together.
Thank you so much to The Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action and the Tamil Heritage Month Council for inviting me to Thamil Vizha in Scarborough North last month. I hope everyone in our city’s Tamil community had a very Happy Pongal!
Community Survey: RentSafeTO Program Updates and Public Consultations
The City works to ensure that tenants live in safe, well-maintained apartment buildings through the RentSafeTO: Apartment Building Standards Program. The program, the first of its kind in Canada, aims to ensure that building owners and operators comply with building maintenance standards and that tenants understand their rights and responsibilities. The program applies to all apartment buildings with three or more storeys and ten or more units. Building owners are required to register with the program and renew annually.
The City is reviewing parts of the RentSafeTO program to better understand how to support tenants, improve building maintenance and compliance, and improve how information is shared.
To support the review, an online survey is available at toronto.ca/RentSafeTO until February 28th. Feedback is being requested on the following program components:
Staff are also meeting with tenants, tenant advocates, building owners and operators, social housing providers, and City staff to consult with them on the program. Feedback from the survey and stakeholder meetings will inform a staff report intended for the Planning and Housing Committee in April 2026.
For more information, please contact Janet Stoeckl, Director, Rental Standards Services, Municipal Licensing and Standards, at [email protected]
Healthy Aging Program in Oakwood Vaughan
Message From Pivot Green: Canadian Youth Climate Action Award
After three successful years, Pivot Green will once again present the Canadian Youth Climate Action Awards in partnership with the Small Change Fund. The awards recognize the extraordinary contribution our younger generation is making in the fight against climate change. Across Canada, youth are organizing, influencing policymakers, and creating impactful programs in their communities.
This year, we are again offering first-place prize money of $7,500 to recognize this contribution and show our support. Two secondary prizes of $3,500 each will be awarded, along with up to eight additional $1,000 prizes. Pivot Green will amplify and share the stories of these successful initiatives with the hope that they can be replicated across the country.
Applications are now being accepted until March 16, 2026. The winners will be announced on April 15, 2026. The guidelines, details, and application form for the award program are available on our site.
About Pivot Green
Pivot Green is a not-for-profit formed by a group of six individuals who helped pilot and launch the first blue box recycling programs in Canada over 40 years ago and haven’t stopped making positive changes since. We share a strong belief that minor lifestyle changes can often blossom into major societal changes. Our goal is to connect and celebrate businesses and communities with stories and ideas to inspire restorative climate action and social justice. There has never been a better time for Canadians to Pivot Green.
About Small Change Fund
Small Change Fund helps people and communities improve the environment, reduce poverty, and support reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. We do this by providing expert advice and an award-winning crowdfunding platform, as well as through our own community and communications projects.
Celebrating New Years With the 400 Walmer Road Community
Every time I visit with the vibrant, smart, beautiful and fun residents of 400 Walmer Road, I feel like I’m coming home to family. Thank you so much for inviting me to your New Years Party last month!
Registration Open: TDSB Learn4Life Spring 2026
🗓 Registration Opened: February 11, 2026
💻 Browse Courses & Register: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/adult-learners/learn4life
For ongoing council and community news, my contact information, along with a calendar of events, please visit www.joshmatlow.ca. Click here to read my previous city hall and community updates.
In This E-Newsletter:
In this E-Newsletter: