Hi Neighbour!
Monday evening, I could not watch the news and felt a growing pit in my stomach as I considered the outcome of the American elections. Here are a few reasons for my anxiety:
Respectful dialogue is increasingly difficult, if not impossible. The last time President Trump took office, it seemed to set a new lower bar on political discourse that has extended into Canada. I understand there is a lot of anxiety and frustration with the direction of many challenges that surround us - but using fear and anger to stir people up is not constructive and doesn’t solve problems. I’m afraid of how this new Presidency could spill over into our Canadian political context.
Character does not seem to matter in politics anymore. We now have someone who is the elected leader of the world’s most dominant economic and military power who has boasted about grabbing a woman’s crotch, who is a convicted felon, and was found liable for sexual abuse by a jury. When we choose our leaders, are we picking the platform or the person? For me, good character is more important than any political promise someone can put on the table because we know these promises can change with context and as issues evolve. Principles must be prioritized over power.
President Trump boasts about his friendship with Putin. I worry about the trajectory of the Ukrainian war and the greater impact on democracy and the world's security.
As we hold our breath and await the impacts of this election, let us all commit to doing our part to strengthen our democracy and the civility of our political discourse.
IMPORTANT DATES!
SEE YOU TONIGHT (Nov. 7)! TTC Consultation at the North York Central Library from 6:30-8pm
THIS SATURDAY, Nov. 9 Join me for the Silk Road Celebration at Lansing Church. The ancient Silk Road heritage, where Eastern and Western cultures have intertwined for centuries, serves as the backdrop for the upcoming Silk Road Celebration. In collaboration with the local artist who created Orkid Gallery and Provia, this event promises to be a grand showcase of art, music, and the legendary Silk Road’s profound impact on global culture.
More than just a gathering, it will be a symphony of art in all its forms. Together with artists from across the Silk Road, the event will weave a tapestry of visual arts, music, and dance, telling the story of cultural exchange and timeless beauty. Throughout the day, workshops for adults and children will inspire creativity, artistic performances will stir the soul, and the art café will offer a space for reflection and conversation. As the sun sets, the evening will unfold into a concert featuring Silk Road musicians, with dancers gracing the stage in a mesmerizing finale. Click Here for tickets and more information.
Monday, November 11, 10:45AM - Remembrance Day Ceremony at
York Cemetery Cenotaph, 160 Beecroft Rd. -
Almost 10,000 Torontonians gave their lives in service to Canada in times of war,
while many returned with injuries, both physical and physiological – few returned
unscarred. We remember and honour their courage and sacrifice. Attend a Remembrance Day ceremony near you or watch a livestream of the
City of Toronto Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11, starting at 10:45 a.m.
Visit toronto.ca/Remembrance for more information.
Saturday, November 16 - Parkland & Recreation Facilities Strategies: Community Engagement at North York Central Library, 12-3pm. As our community continues to grow, so too should our parks and recreation facilities. For example, the Avondale community with over 24K residents squeezed into an area of high density does not have a walkable community centre. As the city looks to update our Facilities Master Plan, they need our community input! I hope you will come out and advocate for the needs of our community. Your participation can strengthen my advocacy for greater investment in our community.
Monday, November 18 - Community Consultation: 104 to 114 Finch Ave E. This development is proposing an 11-storey development that is a 700m walk to the nearest subway entrance. A large group of residents from the area signed a petition to fight this development which they feel would change their neighbourhood.
Heroic Rescue Amidst Loss in Willowdale
We are grateful to the emergency responders who risked their lives to save 2 workers who were buried under the soil that had collapsed on them during a water pipe camera inspection north of Bayview and Finch. The responders made a personal choice to put their lives at risk. One additional worker died at the scene. Our thoughts are with the emergency responders for whom this must have been an intense experience and to the family of the worker who lost their life. The Ministry of Labour has taken over the investigation.
HELP WANTED: READ SOME REPORTS
My team and I are reading through some important documents and would like to hear community input on the following:
Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025-2035). This is a vision for how culture will be supported in the next ten years in our city. I invite your feedback on how this could strengthen culture in Willowdale as well as any ideas of how to strengthen this report.
Sidewalks to Skylines: A 10-Year Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy (2025 – 2035). Would love to hear your thoughts on how this could impact economic growth in Willowdale.
North York at the Centre Secondary Plan Review. Most of the reports for Phase 1 are now complete. Please click on “Information & Reports” to see all the reports which include: Phase 1 Background Report and chapters:
North York at the Centre Secondary Plan
I received an update from staff who shared highlights of their policy work as they approach the completion of phase 1. My biggest concern is that planning policies do not automatically speak into capital investments in our community. A policy for more parks and community amenities can look good on paper but is meaningless without a pathway to fund and sustainably operate new infrastructure. I have requested further divisional meetings to discuss how this plan will be incorporated into capital and operation plans to ensure good-on-paper ideas have a pathway to being accomplished.
Meeting with Superintendent Jackson of 32 Division
This past week, my team and I met with Superintendent Jackson from 32 Division, the Toronto Police Service division that serves our ward. We discussed how our offices can work together and how we can strengthen the information shared with the community through her division. I noticed in a vintage community newspaper that the local division lead used to share a statement with the community. In the coming weeks, she will share a local update through this newsletter to help us keep apprised of their efforts to build a safe community.
We are grateful for all the efforts of our local division. They make great efforts to be present in our community, to support local engagement and to protect our community.
West Lansing Homeowners’ Association (WLHA) AGM
Many thanks to the community members who give their time and passion to strengthen our neighbourhoods. The WLHA does a phenomenal job ensuring the community is safe, beautiful and welcoming. They are the only neighbourhood in Willowdale that has their own neighbourhood signs with garden beds which are maintained by volunteers.
We would like to congratulate Andrew Zalvin who is the newly elected President of the WLHA! Many neighbourhood associations often struggle with succession. I was grateful to meet Andrew and hear of his passion and vision for this new role. I look forward to working with him.
During the meeting, we talked about one of Willowale’s favourite topics - traffic calming. The West Lansing community feels many people are speeding through the neighbourhood as they try to cut towards Yonge Street. Dimos Zarkadas is a board member that has put together a proposal on roads within the West Lansing area where speed humps could help bring some much-needed traffic calming. We will be working with him to design a survey which will be distributed to the community after which we will bring our requests to city staff. Dimos is a great leader in our community and his efforts show the benefits of having a neighbourhood association to strengthen community advocacy towards community-based solutions.
North York General Capacity
Last week I attended a meeting held by the North York Toronto Health Partners Primary Care Network where I met with several leaders from North York General. I brought up a concern I often hear from constituents who wonder if the hospital’s capacity is growing at the same rate as the population of North York. I shared these thoughts with CEO Everton Gooden and a few staff members. They said while larger capital projects will take some time to build out, they are looking at setting up hubs outside of the hospital. I suggested planting one in Willowdale with such a large concentration of density. It would be great if a community hospital hub could be co-located with other community organizations and services. The hospital will be launching some community town halls next year to discuss their services. I offered the support of my office for any Willowdale town halls.
Tenant Meeting No. 2 for 150-160 Cactus
The Developer has a demolition application that came to North York Community Council last week where I moved without recommendation because a couple of residents made deputations that made me feel there were still a lot of questions residents wanted to ask. Although it is not required, I requested an additional meeting to take place before this comes to Council next week. Thankfully the applicant has been very cooperative and agreed to another tenant meeting for which they flyered and booked space.
The room was full and emotions were high. The thought of moving is stressful, especially for those who have lived there for 20-30 years. All of the 55 tenants are eligible for the Rental Replacement program required by the city when developers are going to demolish affordable rental housing for a new development. This means all tenants are provided with a rent gap subsidy as they look for temporary housing while new housing is being constructed.
We are grateful for 2 of the tenants who put together a slide deck and a comprehensive concerns list that helped to focus the conversation. We will be working on some of their concerns with the developer before next week’s Council meeting to bring greater clarity and potentially some additional compensation. I will share an update after this motion is passed.
Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins!
The artistry of our neighbourhood was on display at our 2 neighbourhood Pumpkin Parades. I was amazed by some of the carvings. Many thanks to the Edithvale Yonge Community Association and Sunnyside Up Camp for stepping up to make these parades possible. Watching children and adults toss pumpkins in the organic bin was also lots of fun. We hope our Willowdale Pumpkin Parades can continue to grow in the coming years.
Thank you to all who joined us for the Willowdale East Spaghetti Town Hall! We will share some highlights in our Connected Community email coming this weekend.
Warmest Regards,
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