Dear Neighbours,
Thanks to everyone who joined me at this year’s Holipalooza! It was an amazing afternoon filled with incredible musical performances from the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, SingTO, Newchoir, and the Brazilian beats of Aline Morales! Thank you to the staff at the East Bayfront Community Recreation Centre and to all the volunteers who helped make the event a success.
Holipalooza fun at the East Bayfront Community Centre
Breaking news this morning: The Minister of Education has fired the TDSB Director. This follows a series of actions affecting school boards, including the firing of Trustees at six school boards, forbidding the broadcast of parent meetings, and now replacing the Directors of Education at both Ottawa-Carleton and the TDSB. Over the past eight years, public and Catholic schools in Ontario have seen inflationary cuts of approximately $1,500 per student per year and an increase in secondary class sizes of about 27%. The government also recently passed Bill 33, which expands the Minister of Education’s authority over school boards, including the ability to sell school properties. More on this below.
This was the last week in the Legislature and it will be adjourned for the winter until March 23. The House typically returns to business mid-January, but the government officially confirmed that the legislative break will once again be extended. This means the Legislature was in session for only 20 weeks in 2025.
Many of the bills passed over the past eight years under the current government give cabinet ministers the ability to override laws and to determine who laws apply to and who is exempt. Bill 5, passed last spring, is an example of this. It gives cabinet ministers the power to declare any part of Ontario a “special economic zone” where they can determine who laws apply to and who is exempt. This violates the democratic principle that laws should apply to everyone equally.
The government came under fire the last few weeks with the latest Auditor General report that outlined failings in healthcare, the environment, and spending on government advertising. The findings from both the Financial Accountability Office and the Ontario Ombudsman were equally critical. See more on this below.
Is Ontario still a democracy? As decisions about public lands, public services, and public funds increasingly happen behind closed doors, concerns are growing about transparency, accountability, and the erosion of democratic norms in Ontario. This week, I tabled Bill 78 to create a Commissioner for Democratic Rights in Ontario. This Commissioner would be an independent officer of the Legislature and act as a watchdog to safeguard, strengthen, and promote democratic rights and institutions in Ontario.
My bill to create a Commissioner of Democratic Rights was debated in the Legislature on Wednesday December 10
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the government voted against the bill on Thursday.
In the last seven years, we’ve watched the provincial government pass legislation that undermines our rights to democratic municipal elections, freedom of speech, an impartial judiciary, and democratically elected school trustees. Read my recent article in The Bridge that provides more details on this.
It was a real pleasure to host the members of my Youth Council at Queen’s Park. The Youth Council provides an opportunity for young people to inform me about possibilities and challenges faced by youth in the community and to work toward solutions. If you’re interested in joining, email my office at [email protected].
Youth Council members at Queen’s Park
Many outdoor skating rinks have officially opened! I invite you to join me in the new year for my annual Skate with Chris on the PA day – Friday, January 16 – at The Bentway skate trail. Details below. Check out this and more fun winter activities in my updated list of Fun Things to Do.
Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season!
Latest News
Skate with Chris Jan 16
Join me on the PA Friday in January for my annual Skate with Chris! Free hot chocolate, cider and treats! Be sure to bring your helmet and skates!
Friday, January 16, 2026 – 12-2 pm
The Bentway Skate Trail, 250 Fort York Blvd.
Register here!
Community Recognition 2026 - NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN!
My Community Recognition Awards will recognize and thank individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts in our community.
This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the amazing things that people are doing to help others and that make the Spadina-Fort York riding such an incredible place.
Nominations are for the following categories:
• Community Leader
• Business Leader
• Youth Leader
• Arts & Culture Leader
• Indigenous Leader
• Disability Advocate
• Seniors Advocate
• Environment Advocate
Deadline for nominations is Saturday, January 31, 2026.
QUESTIONS? Call us at: 416-603-9664
Or email: [email protected]
NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW by clicking here!
AG Report Finds Issues in Healthcare, Environment
The Auditor General of Ontario released its 2025 Annual Report on December 2, 2025, which included performance audits on healthcare, the environment, supply management, and other government operations. The report highlighted several key issues, with a major focus on the health sector.
Key Highlights:
Government Advertising
Government advertising spending reached a record high of $111.9 million in fiscal 2024/25, with 38% of ads used to make the current government look good - which would have been prohibited before the previous government loosened the rules on the use of taxpayer funded advertising.
Education in Family Medicine
The audit found that the government approved two new medical schools without assessing if existing ones could be expanded, and insufficient planning resulted in 44% fewer family medicine seats being rolled out than planned for the 2025/26 academic year due to a lack of training clinics.
Access to Primary Care
The Ministry of Health did not analyze how many seats were needed or whether schools had capacity to meet the growing need for primary care physicians, which contributes to 1-in-4 Ontarians potentially not having a family doctor by 2026.
Environmental Bill of Rights
The report found continued disregard for public participation rights in environmental decision-making, noting that the government exempted major projects like Highway 413 and the Ontario Place redevelopment from mandatory EBR consultation.
Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority
The audit identified that the regulator for batteries, tires, and blue box materials did not have formal processes to address systemic compliance challenges and that the environment ministry made regulatory changes without addressing RPRA's concerns.
Supply Ontario
Supply Ontario is failing on its mandate on personal protective equipment (PPE). The PPE they procure largely can’t be used in hospitals and is purchased just to become expired and destroyed. Annual operating expenses in 2024/25 were $270 million compared to $10.3 million in 2021/22.
FAO Report Shows Ongoing Job Losses in Ontario
The latest economic monitor from the Financial Accountability Office (FAO) shows what Ontario already knows – workers are being left behind. In the report, the FAO confirms Ontario has now seen two straight quarters of job losses, youth unemployment has climbed to its highest level in more than a decade, and manufacturing has fallen to its lowest share of employment since record-keeping began in 1976.
Ontario needs a real plan to protect jobs, rebuild manufacturing, and support young workers facing shrinking opportunities and higher barriers to employment. My colleagues and I will keep fighting for a government that purchases products and services from Ontario companies, that utilizes Ontario lumber and steel to build affordable housing, and the rebuilds our public hospitals, colleges, and universities, because a well educated, health workforce is the foundation of a strong economy.
Key Findings:
- Ontario lost 1,900 jobs in Q3 after losing 38,000 in Q2
- Youth unemployment rose to 16.8%, the second highest in Canada
- Manufacturing real GDP has declined in 7 of the last 8 quarters and is down nearly 10% since 2023
- Manufacturing jobs now account for less than 10% of employment for the first time since 1976
- Long-term unemployment reached its highest share since 1996 outside the pandemic
Ombudsman Report Shows Failure to Support Vulnerable Adults
The Ontario Ombudsman’s new Lost in Transition report exposes the profound harm caused by the government’s ongoing failure to support adults with developmental disabilities.
The investigation reviewed 55 cases in which adults with developmental disabilities remained in hospitals solely because no appropriate housing or supports were available. Many were chemically sedated, restrained, isolated for extended periods, and left to lose essential life skills – all because there was nowhere else for them to go.
The findings also make clear that these tragedies were avoidable. The government ignored key recommendations from the 2016 Ombudsman report, which raised the same concerns about inappropriate hospitalizations and the absence of coordinated planning. Nearly a decade later, the same problems persist.
The long waitlists, the service gaps, the lack of coordinated planning – it’s all interconnected. When children can’t access the supports they need, they grow into adults who continue to be failed by the system. These gaps follow people throughout their lives.
Accepting recommendations isn’t enough. Action is what changes lives. People with developmental disabilities deserve dignity, safety, and stable housing with the supports they need. No one should spend years in a hospital bed simply because the government refuses to invest.
Province Plans to Open Interim Science Centre at Harbourfront
The province announced the Ontario Science Centre will open a temporary home at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre by summer 2026. The 86,000-square-foot interim site will expand on the KidSpark space that opened in 2024, adding exhibition halls, classrooms, outdoor programs, and community event areas. The Sherway Gardens pop-up will stay open until January 4, 2026, before operations shift to Harbourfront.
While I’m happy to see the spaces at Harbourfront Centre used in this way, these stopgap measures fall short of the original Science Centre’s scale and I’m concerned that this may be an indication that the government will not deliver the new permanent site on budget and on time.
The project is already behind schedule and the 2024 Auditor General report found construction costs have jumped by nearly $400 million, bringing the price tag to about $1.4 billion – a site that was closed largely because of a needed $30 million roof repair.
EQAO Results Highlight Years of Underfunding
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is an independent Ontario agency that administers standardized tests, reports on student achievement, and provides data on how well students meet provincial curriculum standards.
After Bill 33 was pushed through, this year’s results were delayed for months. The results make clear the impact of years of reduced funding. They show that roughly half of Grade 6 students and 2 in 5 Grade 9 students are not meeting provincial math standards highlighting the impact of chronic underfunding and insufficient support for schools.
Rather than investing in classrooms, recent policy changes have shifted control of school boards to appointed insiders with limited educational experience. Funding is being redirected from schools to create these positions, rather than supporting initiatives like smaller class sizes and more qualified teachers that directly benefit students.
I am concerned about recent changes to school board governance and funding, which have shifted decision-making away from elected trustees. Ontario’s schools were already underfunded when this government took office in 2018. My own involvement in education advocacy began when a previous government introduced a $700 million private school tax credit while reducing funding for public and Catholic schools by $1.2 billion. I joined the Campaign for Public Education and later ran for Trustee and then MPP, and 25 years later, I continue to advocate for strong public schools.
Since 1995, the province has taken control of locally collected education taxes, and successive governments have provided funding levels that often resulted in staff and service reductions. Since 2018, per-student funding has decreased by approximately $1,500 per year, or 11%.
These trends raise concerns about the long-term sustainability and accessibility of Ontario’s public and Catholic school systems. I have been fighting for our schools for 30 years and will continue to fight for them. Public education has been the foundation of our democracy and economic strength for 150 years and we must fight to protect it.
Infrastructure Ontario Begins Sewer Work in West Channel
The West Channel shown above highlighted in red
The government has confirmed its plans to cut a combined sewer pipe and allow raw sewage to flow inside the breakwater near Sunnyside beach. The government is cutting the sewer pipe to accommodate the construction of the Ontario Place spa. Infrastructure Ontario commenced work on the “interim Combined Sewer Outlet solution” in the West Channel on December 1. Construction is expected to be completed by March 14, 2026.
Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) occur in “combined sewer systems,” where wastewater and stormwater flow through the same pipes. During periods of heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt, these systems can exceed capacity. When this happens, excess water may discharge, untreated, into nearby waterways as an overflow. CSOs are a significant environmental and public health concern, as overflow water can contain bacteria, pollutants, debris, and other contaminants.
You may recall, in January I held a press conference to highlight concerns about the CSO plan, which involves modifying a combined sewage pipe that would discharge behind an existing breakwater, directly into the West Channel adjacent to Sunnyside Beach. The project was previously paused due to inadequacies in the existing sewer system.
I remain concerned that diverting sewage toward the West Toronto waterfront, in close proximity to the shoreline, poses a serious health hazard. My office will continue to keep you informed of any developments.
Celebrating Irish Culture on Toronto’s Waterfront
IMAGE: Kearns Mancini Architects
The Canada Ireland Foundation has signed a lease with the City of Toronto to transform a derelict heritage building on the waterfront into The Corleck, a new arts, cultural, and heritage venue. Ontario has invested $2.2 million to support the launch, alongside contributions from the federal government, the City of Toronto, private donors, and the Government of Ireland.
Construction is underway, with the venue expected to open in spring 2026. The Corleck will feature a main stage and performance space, café, gallery and museum, event spaces, and a rooftop terrace, offering cultural experiences that celebrate Irish heritage and Toronto’s immigration history.
Located beside the silos near Ireland Park and Bathurst Quay Common, The Corleck will complement nearby attractions such as Ontario Place, the Ontario Science Centre, Harbourfront Centre, and Exhibition Place, helping to revitalize this section of Toronto’s waterfront.
EI Rates and Rent Increases in 2026
Here is a look at some changes that will impact workers and tenants across Ontario.
Employment Insurance
EI rates will be increasing on January 1, 2026. People can apply for EI online or at a Service Canada office. Please note that it usually takes more than 4 weeks for Service Canada to review an application and start paying benefits.
|
Type of EI benefit |
2026 highest weekly amount |
2025 highest weekly amount |
|
Regular, sickness, caregiving, maternity, and standard parental benefits |
$729 |
$695 |
|
Extended parental benefits |
$437 |
$417 |
Rent Increases
For tenants protected by the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), the rent increase guideline for 2026 is 2.1%.
Rules for Rent Increases:
- A landlord must wait 12 months after the tenant moves in before raising the rent
- They can raise the rent only once every 12 months after that
- A landlord must give the tenant written notice of the rent increase at least 90 days before the day the rent goes up
- For rents going up on January 1, 2026, tenants should have received their written notice no later than October 3, 2025
- Landlords should use one of the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) rent increase forms, like the N1: Notice of Rent Increase
If you have any questions about rent increases, contact my office at [email protected].
Blue Bin Changes Coming Jan 1
Beginning January 1, 2026, the City of Toronto will no longer handle residential recycling collection. A new provider, Circular Materials, will take over recycling collection and related services. Under provincial regulation (O. Reg. 391/21 – Blue Box), producers of blue box materials are now fully responsible for funding and operating recycling services for residential homes, eligible multi-residential buildings, schools, long-term care facilities, and retirement homes.
The City will continue to manage recycling for its commercial customers, City divisions and agencies, and charities, institutions, and religious organizations. Details here.
What this means for you:
- Until December 31, 2025, your residential recycling routine stays the same. For missed collections or blue bin repairs, continue to contact 311.
- Starting January 1, 2026, for all residential recycling inquiries, including missed collections and bin service requests, please contact Circular Materials at 1-888-921-2686 or visit Circular Materials.
E-Bikes/Scooters Banned on TTC in Winter
Just a reminder that e-bikes and e-scooters are not permitted on TTC vehicles or property between November 15 and April 15 each year. Non-electric folding bikes and non-electric scooters are permitted all days of the week at all times. Details here.
TDSB Elementary International Languages Program
The Toronto District School Board offers the International Languages program that is open to all students from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Students do not have to be enrolled in a TDSB school. The program offers language learning with engaging activities like games and songs. No language background is necessary. Parents can register their children at any time during the school year. Details here.
Laneway coLabs Applications Open
The Laneway Project’s coLabs program brings neighbours together to transform laneways through art, greenery, and design. Selected communities will work with The Laneway Project from May to September 2026 to co-design and implement a revitalized laneway — ending with a community celebration. Applications open until December 30, 2025. Details here.
TOAF65 Call for Artists
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is a juried art fair dedicated to independent artists and original artworks across all disciplines. Artists are selected for artistic excellence, originality, and consistency of ideas and design. If you’re interested in participating in Canada’s largest outdoor art fair, apply here.
MPP Scrolls for Special Occasions
Turning 30, 40, 80, 90 or 100? Celebrate a significant birthday with a certificate from my office.
Is there a new addition to your family? Send the name of your baby, the parents’ names and other relevant information and we’ll send a “Welcome to the World” certificate to celebrate this special event.
