Hi Neighbour!
Hope to see some of you tomorrow night!
Tomorrow night is our first Christian Heritage Month Celebration at Toronto City Hall. We hope you will join us from 6:30 - 8:30 pm for an ecumenical evening of singing carols, praying, hearing about faith, hope and love along with a great time of fellowship. All are welcome, including those of other faiths.
New Shelter at 68 Sheppard Ave. West
Many of you will have received notice that a new shelter will be built at 68 Sheppard Ave. West, which is currently a Green P parking location. My team and I were notified a few weeks ago of this decision and were embargoed from sharing this information with you until a city-wide announcement was made.
The city has delegated authority to secure shelter locations. This was done to depoliticize decision-making, knowing that few communities would welcome shelters with open arms, resulting in the risk of delays or no shelters being built. It has been announced that 20 shelters will be built across the city over the next 10 years. Six locations have been announced, including 68 Sheppard Ave. West. Click here to see a list of all six locations.
QUICK FACTS
Address: 68 Sheppard Ave. West
Size: planned to be 80 beds
Demographic & Operator: This is undetermined. The city is working through an RFP process and will confirm details sometime next year.
Timeline for Implementation: Expected to open 2028-2030
Number of Existing Shelters in Toronto: 100
I want to be honest; finding out about this new shelter gave me anxiety. I had to take many deep breaths to process this information. My team already has the responsibility to support the reopening of Eva’s Satellite at 25 Canterbury Place, along with the opening of the new supportive housing site at 175 Cummer Ave. Both will require community engagement and communication.
I told Toronto Shelter and Support Services that our community has residual trauma from the sudden pivot of 5800 Yonge St. to a low-barrier shelter for 420+ people during the pandemic. It was the largest congregate shelter of this type in Canada. We saw a significant increase in challenging situations that impacted nearby condos, businesses, and residents. I was deeply grateful when the city agreed to switch the shelter back to a refugee shelter, which restored a measure of calm to our neighbourhood.
I have begun to receive panicked messages from residents who are afraid. They have had bad experiences or heard of the challenges at the Roehampton Shelter and downtown Novotel Shelter, both of which have been closed. I know many in the community are picturing the worst-case scenario.
With this in mind, I went to visit a purpose-built men’s shelter in the Junction a couple of weeks ago. I met a team of passionate staff members who gave me a tour of a very calm and clean facility. If I had imagined a worst-case scenario, this picture was not it. One man shared with me his difficult journey from eviction to living on the streets for over a year and how he persisted in getting a shelter bed.
I also contacted Green P about the parking lot usage. They said that because they pay property taxes based on best use of the land, the revenue does not garner a profit which is why they have surplussed the lot.
I do not want to sugarcoat this news. I have told City Staff they will have to earn the trust of our community. They have told me that even though we cannot choose the location due to the delegated authority, community input will be welcomed for the full journey of implementation.
The city will host an information session at Lansing United Church next Tuesday, December 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This will allow community members to ask questions and share their concerns with staff. I advocated for this session because the city should not make such an announcement without making space for listening to feedback.
As you may know, the city has 12K+ shelter beds, but 250-300 residents are turned away every day because we are over capacity. My team and I have had to share the heartbreaking journey with a senior who was evicted and ended up sleeping outside. At the same time, some of the shelter hotels that were meant to be temporary are exorbitantly expensive and not a sustainable way to support the most vulnerable. Purpose-built shelters function very differently from temporary ones set up to meet an emergency need. Based on my visit to Junction Place House, there can be an implementation that is positive for the surrounding community. But the city will have to prove itself to Willowdale.
I will not be calling anyone opposed to this project a NIMBY. It is fair to have concerns and to have those concerns addressed. My commitment to our community is to make space for honest conversations, advocate where I can, and work with community members to get the best outcome. I, too, share some of your concerns and anxiety about this decision including proximity to two daycares and a seniors centre. At the same time, I also recognize the desperate need for shelter beds in our city and the city’s desire for the 20 new shelters to be spread across the city.
I hope every concerned community member and enthusiastic supporters will attend our informatoin meeting next Tuesday night.
ReNew Sheppard Secondary Plan
Earlier this week, we consulted with community members to discuss adding retail space and fixing parkland in the secondary plan update that is going to City Council next week. This plan will shape the community's next 20-30 years, making it difficult to make decisions that balance current concerns with the community's future shape and needs. In considering the future, I have one firm belief: Every community, especially those of great density, needs a piazza. Children are increasingly being raised in small condos; hence, having nearby green space is important for mental and physical health and making meaningful social connections.
Some residents fear that designating a park in the secondary plan instead of a floating bubble that still suggests an overall location could depreciate the value of their homes compared to houses across the street that are slated for 30-40-storey towers. Understandably, the value of people's homes, which represent their life investment, would be of great concern. Staff have assured me that parkland is never acquired below market value. I also discussed this with a developer to get their opinion on the best way forward, and they, too, assured me that parkland acquisitions are never undervalued and often garner higher prices. It is essential to highlight that no homes will be expropriated for development or parkland for this secondary plan. It is a map to guide future development and could take decades to evolve to the envisioned final condition.
Furthermore, I will work with staff to identify the best places in the area, including first-floor non-residential. I have heard from many members of the Avondale community how they wished there were more walkable amenities without having to go to Yonge Street. The neighbourhood would have had far more walkability and convenience if it had been designed to put more vibrancy on the ground floor of condos in that neighbourhood. As we grow our population, we also need to increase the number of accessible amenities - including doctor offices, tutoring schools, and other businesses that can provide jobs and services.
I know residents in the southwest corner of Yonge and Sheppard who wish this plan could be paused or cancelled. I lost the vote at North York Community Council to try and buy them some time for further consultation on the plan. Willowdale was not afforded the same amount of time and consultation as the adjacent ward. Unfortunately, much of this happened before I was elected. Interestingly, there is a group of residents who look forward to offers from developers to buy their homes.
Haters gonna hate…famously said by Taylor Swift.
It is always disheartening to see people say on social media that I am only interested in attending and organizing events. I can assure you this is far from the case. Here are some of the meetings I have attended or facilitated in the past week:
Meeting with Developers of 120 Sheppard Ave. West
Meeting with Capital Development about new project in our ward
Meeting with City Staff and a developer on calculation for securing affordable housing
Meeting with residents about noise nuisance they are experiencing
Meeting with Toronto Employment Services to learn about upcoming transition due to Employment Ontario changes and changes to our budget and staffing model
Meet & Greet, and Q&A with Grade 5 students from Churchill Public School
ReNew Sheppard Community Consultation on retail and parkland
Meeting with staff about OLT settlement
Meeting with new Integrity Commissioner
Meeting to learn about new Noise Photo Radar devices currently deployed in New York City and learn what provincial legislation has to change to be able to deploy these devices in Toronto
Meeting with Developers of 4800 Yonge Street to discuss their contribution of affordable housing
Meeting with the Mayor about upcoming shuffle on committees and appointments
Meeting with resident to discuss concerns
Meeting to discuss how to use mapped data to inform planning and policy decisions
Meeting with Anti-Racism Advisory Panel of the Toronto Police Service Board to plan Community Consultation on Strategic Plan and a Workplan meeting to define goals and clarify mandate
Meeting with Parking Enforcement to discuss parking issue hot spots in the neighbourhood
Meeting to discuss upcoming agenda for Toronto Police Service Board
Training on new technology for Toronto Police Service Board Agendas
Meeting to discuss options for some city owned land that is wanted by multiple developers
Meeting with City Manager to discuss design process for Mel Lastman Square refresh
Meeting with Corporate Real Estate to confirm next steps for Mel Lastman Square refresh
Meeting with resident to discuss supporting Lunar New Year events
Meeting with United Church representative to discuss preservation of faith spaces in the city for both practicing faith and for community use
Meeting with ProAction Cops & Kids to discuss how to strengthen relationships between police and vulnerable communities as well as their fundraising efforts
Meeting with city staff, community leaders and fellow councillors to discuss options and strategies for the Ontario Science Centre North York location.
Meeting with Parks staff about the replacement of sand surfaces across parks with wood fibre chips and rubber surfaces and the loss of playable sand across the city
There were also several staff meetings and community engagements in addition to the above mentioned items.
To be honest, my team and I are feeling a little winded of late. While we had planned to wind things down towards the holidays after all our spaghetti town halls, we were then informed of a new shelter to be planted in our neighbourhood, the declaration of Christian Heritage Month happened, and ReNew Sheppard Secondary Plan came to North York Community Council—all resulting in substantial additional lift!
I want to thank Derrick Fulton for his Facebook shout-out of gratitude, which was a much-needed boost as I started to run out of steam. It is normal for politicians to be faced with criticism and questions on social media. This glimmer of kindness and encouragement was a much needed vitamin to my day!
I hope you will continue to support Holiday Fair in the Square at Mel Lastman Square and invite your friends and family to visit. They have created a stellar destination in our neighbourhood in support of Epilepsy Toronto.
The LEGO® Brickmas Pop-Up Experience as part of the Holiday Fair will begin THIS FRIDAY! Get transported into a winter wonderland and snap photos with larger-than-life LEGO® builds, enjoy holiday-themed activities, and unleash your creativity with a hands-on brick building. Don’t miss the exclusive pop-up shop – perfect for finding the best gifts for your loved ones! Dates: Dec 13–15 and Dec 19–23.
Don’t forget to stop by on Woof Wednesdays to snap some adorable pics, enjoy the holiday vibes, and treat your pup to a free pup cup at the bar or café!
Warmest Regards,
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