City Hall and Community Update for March 13, 2015
- Eliminating fares for children 12 years and under
- Restoring evening service to some bus routes cut in 2011 (I will advocate to the TTC Commission for Midtown bus routes to be part of this initiative, including the Mt. Pleasant 74)
- Ten-minute or better bus and streetcar service on busy routes during off-peak hours
- Reduced wait times and crowding at off-peak times
- Expanding the Express Bus network, adding 4 new routes to a network that serves 34 million rides annually
- Expanding the Blue Night Network, adding 12 routes to the 22-route network that serves 4 million rides annually
- Adding up to 2 additional subway trains on Lines 1 and 2 during morning and afternoon rush hours to ease overcrowding
- Allocating additional resources to focus on subway reliability around signals, track and communications systems to help address recent service problems
- Initiatives to Support Children and Youth:
- Expanding the Student Nutrition program in up to 27 new schools
- Creating 3 new Youth Spaces to support marginalized young people
- Expanding the Connect2youth employment and training program
- New shelter for LGBTQ youth
- Creating 8 new planning positions, including 4 new Heritage Preservation staff
- Improving emergency response times by adding 56 new paramedics and 25 fire prevention officers
- Purchasing 60 new subway cars which will help expand capacity on the overcrowded Yonge Line, as well as 810 new 40-foot diesel buses and 195 low-floor accessible street cars
- New shelter beds and enhanced warming centres during extreme weather
- Implementing traffic control and traffic congestion management infrastructure at major intersections
I'll be serving Toronto as Chair of City-School Boards and Tenant Issues Committees I want to thank Council's Striking Committee for recommending me as Chair of both the new City-School Boards and Tenant Issues Committees. Mayor Tory supported my motions for the creation of these two important bodies. I look forward to working with the mayor, councillors, trustees and Queen's Park in my new roles on important school board-related issues such as potential school closures, protecting green space, creating community hubs, and for tenants, challenging Above the Guideline Rent Increases, and many others. Ultimately, I'm working to make government work better, smarter, and more comprehensively rather than in silos. I'll be sure to provide you with information through this e-newsletter on meetings of these committees, once dates and agendas are set.
The future of Yonge and Eglinton: The Midtown Secondary Plan Public Meeting
March Break at Toronto's Historic Sites
Spadina Museum and several other historic sites in Toronto will be open all week during the March Break for drop-in activities. For more information on family fun offered by the City during the March Break, please visit the City of Toronto's Arts and Culture website.
2015 Wiesenthal Scholarships
This year, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies will be offering 7 education scholarships for students pursuing post-secondary educations. Each scholarship is worth $3,600 and the application deadline is April 30.
For more information, please visit www.fswc.ca/scholarships.
Free Consultation and Referral Service for Seniors
Senior Care Connect is a free consultation and referral service that can assist seniors and their families in connecting with a suitable care residence. For more information on available care options, please email [email protected] or call 416-645-9960. You may also want to review their Resources page for information on related organizations.
Sharon, Lois & Bram Playground Public Meeting- Let's make it even better!
On Wednesday, March 25 at 7 pm, please join me to discuss your vision for an improved and expandednSharon, Lois & Bram Playground at June Rowlands (Davisville) Park. Parks, Forestry & Recreation staff will be in attendance to present different options for an upgraded playground, including unique musical features. Other improvements to the park will be discussed as well.
The meeting location is in The Lodge at Greenwood College School (443 Mount Pleasant Road). I hope to see you there!
Toronto Community Housing Tenant Representative Elections
Tenant Representative Elections are taking place on March 26 in Toronto Community Housing buildings across the city. Tenant Representatives work to advocate for the interests of tenants in their buildings at Neighbourhood Tenant Councils, to identify issues in their buildings and keep tenants informed about the Neighbourhood Tenant Council.
More information about the elections is available at the TCH elections webpage. If you are a tenant with a suggestion about how TCH can improve their current system, please call 416-981-4072 or email [email protected].
Come Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the Hon. Carolyn Bennett!
On Sunday, March 15th from 4 pm to 6 pm, please join me, my family and our local MP, the Hon. Carolyn Bennett, for her annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the Unicorn Pub (175 Eglinton Avenue East).
This year's event will feature live Irish music by multi-instrumentalist Loretta Reid and guitarist October Browne. Light snacks will be served. We look forward to seeing you there!To ensure that you are informed and engaged about development proposals that are being proposed for sites near your neighbourhood, I've created an interactive webpage with locations, staff reports and public meeting notices. Please click here to learn more about what you can do to help free Toronto from the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).
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.