Josh in the News

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TORONTO – Two years after Doug Ford abruptly closed the Ontario Science Centre, Councillors Josh Matlow and Jon Burnside, Save Ontario's Science Centre, and Moriyama Teshima Architects are releasing a report which proposes next steps toward reopening the building based on the outcomes of community consultations.
 
While the Province closed the Ontario Science Centre site on the premise that its roof is irreparably damaged, the roof withstood the largest single-day snowfall in Toronto's history this past winter. The Province's own engineering consultants said the building can be repaired, and the risks of keeping it closed are significant.
 
The report recognizes that the Province will be moving forward with their plan to build a new $1.4 billion OSC at Ontario Place, and instead of relitigating that decision, the report proposes an exciting opportunity to reimagine the site as a new public space dedicated to learning and discovery.
 
"The people of Toronto never accepted that the Science Centre's story was over, and neither did we," said Councillor Josh Matlow. "Residents from Flemingdon Park, Thorncliffe Park, and across the city have now done the work the Province refused to do. They've offered a real vision for this site's future. All the Ford government has to do is come to the table."
 
Participants in the consultation were consistent in their priorities. They want the site to continue to fulfill its mandate as a public centre for scientific education. They want access to the ravine and surrounding green space protected. They want the building's heritage and architectural significance respected. And they want programming that serves the needs of surrounding communities, the City, and the region.
 
The report recommends a process that brings the Province together with the City, the federal government, the TRCA, community stakeholders, and institutional and philanthropic partners to determine the site's future use, governance, and funding.
 
The success of this initiative requires the Province to come to the table in good faith. This report gives them the opportunity to do so, with a positive, community-grounded vision to support.
 
The consultation findings demonstrate that 770 Don Mills Road is a significant public asset, valued for its learning, landscape, architecture, and community. The use of the site may change, but its public purpose should endure.
 
The full report is available at: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.MM43.73

TORONTO — Councillor Josh Matlow has introduced a motion to the City Council agenda directing the city to finally move forward with an action plan to transform select streets into vibrant, pedestrian spaces for Torontonians to enjoy.

The enormous popularity of street festivals this summer has demonstrated strong public demand for more pedestrian-friendly options. Pedestrian streets deliver significant economic benefits and have been successfully implemented in world class cities like Paris and Copenhagen, and as close to home as Montreal. The Toronto Destination Master Plan, released in April 2026, warns that Toronto is lagging peer cities in walkability and street-level vibrancy, recommending the city expand pedestrianization year-round and invest in vibrant lighting, public art, and event-ready infrastructure. This motion builds on the momentum of the recently approved Church Street pedestrianization pilot, which officially launches today.

City staff have been studying a pedestrianization policy for several years, and a report that was supposed to come in Winter 2025 never did. This motion shifts the focus from more study to action, directing staff to bring forward an implementation plan to roll out pedestrian streets by Summer 2027.

"Many cities around the world, including as close to home as Montreal, already have successful pedestrianized streets. Torontonians have been calling on their city to do the same. These streets make our city more vibrant and fun, and they're a huge draw for tourism that supports local businesses. Reasonable concerns about congestion and safety can be responsibly addressed. It's time to get this done," said Councillor Matlow.

Torontonians have watched with envy as other cities create vibrant pedestrian streets, and they are calling on their city to do the same. That’s why this motion directs staff to create a clear process and action plan for pedestrianization to finally move forward, so that Toronto can open more pedestrian streets by Summer 2027.

TORONTO – Councillor Josh Matlow will be joined by ACORN, the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations, and the Toronto Tenant Union on Monday, June 15th to mark a major milestone for Toronto tenants: the official rollout of colour-coded RentSafe signs, which will finally be mandatory in over 3,600 apartment buildings across the city.

Modelled after Toronto's successful DineSafe program, the colour-coded signs will give tenants and prospective renters clear information about the maintenance and safety conditions of their building. Green, yellow, and red signs will reflect a building's RentSafeTO evaluation score, bringing the same transparency that Torontonians expect when choosing a restaurant to the buildings where people live. Signs must be clearly displayed in building entrances, beginning Monday.

The policy is the result of years of advocacy by Councillor Matlow alongside tenant organizations.

TORONTO – On Thursday, June 11^th at 9am at the Pickleball courts at Yonge-Rosehill, Councillor Josh Matlow, Fairgrounds, and a group of pickleball players will be holding a press conference. They will be joined by Chris Rickett, former Director of Economic Development at the City of Toronto.

They will be calling on the province and MPAC to help address the unfair tax reclassification that triggered an unsustainable tax increase and forced the courts to close. Over 30,000 people use the courts. It is unacceptable that they will sit empty all summer.

The Yonge-Rosehill courts are not an isolated case. Across Ontario, property owners considering community-oriented interim uses on vacant development sites are declining to proceed because of the same financial risk. Toronto City Council has passed a motion directing staff to find a solution, but a lasting fix requires the Province to take action.

It was hardly surprising, even sadly expected, when the Toronto Star recently reported that the Scarborough Subway’s opening date had been delayed by another three years, leaving Scarborough residents using buses for even longer.

The Line 2 subway extension has been politically-driven from the start, with politicians demanding engineers and planners attempt to fit square pegs into round holes. Residents were told that the subway would replace the aging “RT,” and that the transition would be seamless — the day the RT would close, the subway would be waiting.

That didn’t happen.

Long before Premier Doug Ford and Metrolinx took control of the Scarborough subway project from the City of Toronto, transit expansion was being used as a wedge issue by elected representatives at all levels of government, including the Premier’s late brother, Rob, whose very first announcement after being elected mayor in 2010 was to kill the approved “Transit City” LRT network, which included a fully designed and funded 7-stop line in Scarborough.

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Toronto – Studies conducted over more than two decades have identified jet pollution as a risk to public health, including reports which have specifically considered the introduction of jets to Billy Bishop Airport and raise concerns regarding the increased risk of cancer, tumours, respiratory illness, and premature death.

Councillor Josh Matlow is moving a motion at the upcoming city council meeting that calls on Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health to investigate data related to the potential health consequences of introducing jets in close proximity to residential areas, and to conduct its own independent assessment of the potential health consequences to Toronto’s waterfront communities and related costs to our healthcare system.

“Public health and safety cannot be sacrificed for any other interests” said Councillor Matlow; “without provincial leadership, it falls to the City of Toronto to ensure that these health risks are thoroughly investigated, that residents are well-informed and protected, and that Doug Ford is forced to confront the potential consequences of his actions.”

Councillor Chris Moise, Chair of the Board of Health, is seconding the motion, saying "As Chair of the Board of Health I know how important it is for residents to have a clear voice on decisions that will impact their wellbeing. Doug Ford wants to take that away by stripping Toronto of its seat at the table on the future of Billy Bishop. That's unacceptable. We are going to continue to use every tool we have to make sure our residents are heard."

Initial data:

• A 2013 report produced by Toronto Public Health regarding health impacts associated with Billy Bishop Airport expansion includes findings that increased air pollution “increases risk of premature death, and cardiovascular and respiratory health outcomes”, in addition to other health concerns related to traffic and water quality.
• A 2017 environmental assessment commissioned by the Toronto Port Authority, based on a much more limited expansion than is currently being proposed, identifies that emissions associated with jet pollution can cause increased risks of respiratory illness, cardiopulmonary problems, lung cancers, lesions in upper airways, and increased risk of developing respiratory tract tumours.
• In 2024, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine published a study on the health effects of “ultrafine particles”, a form of pollution emitted by jets, which found that 600 non-accidental deaths already occur every year in Toronto at current emission levels.

Toronto – Councillor Josh Matlow and TTC Chair Jamaal Myers are bringing forward a motion that requests the TTC to create an action plan to address mechanical service disruptions, such as fluid leaks and signal failures that have been plaguing the system.
 
The first weeks of April saw several major service disruptions on the TTC, including hydraulic fluid leaks on April 8^th and 10^th, and signal failures impacting service on April 9^th. Each of these incidents led to prolonged subway closures, the dispatch of shuttle busses, and major delays for Torontonians trying to get to work, school, or appointments on time.
 
These delays are unacceptable and cannot become the new normal. Transit needs to be fast and reliable for it to truly be the better way. Right now, transit riders use the TTC with the expectation that their daily commute will be impacted by a delay. Torontonians deserves better.
 
Mechanical failures are the second largest cause of service disruptions, often due to aging infrastructure and delayed capital investments over many years. The TTC’s long term capital plan has unfunded needs of $37 billion, meaning many important priorities remain unfunded. The TTC urgently needs to identify any required capital investments to the TTC’s assets and infrastructure which will reduce the frequency of delays caused by mechanical failures such as hydraulic fluid leaks.
 
This motion requests the TTC to create an action plan to reduce disruptions from mechanical failures. If there are key investment priorities required through future budget processes, these need to be clearly and transparently communicated so that the Board and Council can prioritize these investments and advocate to higher levels of government for long-term, sustainable funding. The status quo of daily delays impacting customers cannot continue.

Councillor Matlow will be available for comment prior to the TTC Board meeting tomorrow morning at A Street Reception.

Toronto – With Toronto in the midst of a housing crisis, Councillor Josh Matlow is calling on the City to carefully examine how a proposed expansion of the flightpath at Billy Bishop Airport to accommodate jets could significantly limit future housing supply on Toronto’s waterfront.

Ahead of next week’s April 14th Planning and Housing Committee meeting, Councillor Matlow has submitted a motion requesting that City Planning staff study the prospective impact that introducing jets at Billy Bishop Airport would have on new housing development, particularly in key growth areas such as the Port Lands and other parts of the waterfront.

Every level of government agrees that we are facing a housing crisis. Before any decision is made that could permanently limit Toronto’s ability to build new homes, we need transparency. We cannot afford to close the door on thousands of future housing opportunities without fully understanding the consequences.

Jets require longer runways and expanded flightpaths, which in turn impose height restrictions on surrounding developments. In areas like the Port Lands where significant residential growth is planned this could mean substantial reductions in allowable height and density. Lower density would also reduce the amount of affordable housing that could be secured through inclusionary zoning and other housing policies.

At a time when Ontario is already falling behind its own housing targets, we should not make decisions that further constrain our ability to build. In 2022, Premier Doug Ford pledged to build 1.5 million homes over ten years. However, Ontario ended 2025 more than 100,000 homes behind its annual target, with similar shortfalls forecast for 2026 through 2028.

While the City might be cut out from this decision, we still have the responsibility to ensure residents have all relevant information. This motion simply asks for the transparent facts, Torontonians deserve to know whether approving jets at Billy Bishop means sacrificing desperately needed housing.