Dear Neighbours,
Congratulations to Mayor Olivia Chow on her re-election. Toronto’s municipal election saw voter turnout rise to 46% with nearly 990,000 ballots cast. Mayor Chow received the most votes of any mayor and the most direct votes of any Canadian politician in history – 532,000.
While we had a robust democratic turnout in Toronto, at the provincial level our democratic rights are being eroded. Premier Ford has cancelled the elections of regional chairs in Durham, Halton, Muskoka, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo, York, and Simcoe and will instead be appointing them. These appointed chairs will be able to make decisions with only one third of the votes of elected councillors, violating the democratic principle of majority vote decision making.
As well as electing our mayor and councillors, we also elected school board trustees. Initially, the Minister of Education Paul Calandra said that he would be ignoring our votes and not swearing in the trustees. Now he has said that he will allow them to be sworn in, but will not allow them to assume the positions we elected them for.
Download and print my petition to respect our democratic rights and restore our trustees.
The Legislature also resumed this week and again the government is dealing with scandals. In 2003, government staff, the Private Career Colleges Association, and the federal government began warning the government that some career colleges were potentially defrauding OSAP. The government ignored the warnings while the amount of tax dollars flowing to the private career colleges rose to $1 billion annually – more than all of Ontario’s public colleges and universities combined.
Last spring, Premier Ford converted OSAP grants to loans arguing that the system was “unsustainable” making all students take on more debt, without acknowledging the alleged $1 billion dollar fraud being committed by some private career colleges. During this period, the Trillium reports that private executives at the private career colleges involved in the alleged fraud donated $15,000 to the Conservative party. Finally, the Minister of Colleges and Universities has taken legal and enforcement actions against private career colleges most heavily involved for the alleged fraud.
The Fall Economic Statement was released on Thursday. Here’s a breakdown of some of the numbers:
Total Revenue
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Total Deficit: $16.9 billion (increase of $3.1 billion from budget)
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Debt to GDP: 37.4% (0.3% lower than budget)
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Contingency: top up of $3.8 billion, total appears to be $4.942 B (capital: $123.1M; operating $4.818,9B)
Economic Indicators 2026
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Inflation: 2.3
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Employment Growth: 0.4
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Unemployment: 7.2
See more on the Fall Economic Statement below.
On October 22, my colleagues and I held a press conference to declare the addictions crisis a public emergency. We are pushing the government to provide treatment for those suffering with mental health and addiction. The crisis is spiralling out of control in communities across Ontario, including here is Spadina-Fort York. See more on this below.
Ken Greenberg, Paul Bedford and me with moderator Julie Breen
Thanks to the York Quay Neighbourhood Association for organizing a panel discussion on protecting our waterfront. I joined international urban designer Ken Greenberg and former chief planner Paul Bedford for an in-depth conversation. Watch the discussion here.
On November 11, the Fort York National Historic Site in Spadina-Fort York will host its annual Remembrance Day service that will double as a milestone tribute to the 100th anniversary of The Royal Canadian Legion. I am honoured to participate once again and will be laying a wreath as the provincial representative. The City of Toronto is also looking for feedback to help shape the future of Fort York. More on this below. See the list of Toronto Remembrance Day ceremonies here.
Following an almost two-year effort, I’m pleased that Ontario will finally fly a Lest We Forget flag at Queen’s Park on Remembrance Day. Thanks to my colleague MPP Catherine Fife, Shadow Minister for Solicitor General with responsibility for Veterans, Legions and Military Affairs, for her work on this.
Be sure to visit my staff and me at the CityPlace Halloween Crawl tomorrow from 5-8 pm along Fort York Blvd. from Bathurst to Spadina. There’s lots to do this Halloween weekend in Spadina-Fort York! Check out my updated list of Fun Things to Do.
Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour on Sunday!
Sincerely,
Latest News
Fall Economic Statement Reveals Fiscal and Housing Failures
The Ontario government released its latest fiscal update and it raises some important concerns. Ontario’s projected 2026-27 deficit has grown to $16.9 billion, an increase of $3.1 billion from the 2026 Budget forecast. The timeline for balancing the province’s books has also been pushed back to 2029-30.
Premier Ford blames tariffs for this, but he continues to waste our tax dollars:
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$1 billion on private nursing agency
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$800 million to donors through the Skills Development Fund
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$2.2 billion taxpayer subsidy for the Therme spa at Ontario Place
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$30 billion for the Ontario Line (doubled this year)
Meanwhile, there is little new support to address the affordability challenges facing families. Funding for public services remains under pressure, housing construction forecasts have declined, and significant new investments in health care, education and childcare are lacking.
Ontarians need practical solutions that make a real difference in their daily lives. My colleagues and I in the Official Opposition Ontario NDP will continue to push for measures that help improve access to health care and ensure more affordable housing is available for families.
Declaring the Addictions Crisis a Public Emergency
My office continues to meet with local community organizations, and it is deeply distressing to hear about the growing number of overdoses in our neighbourhood. Between June 9 and September 18, 2026, frontline teams responded to 162 overdose events, compared to 40 during the same period in 2025 — a staggering 305% increase. Between September 20 and October 10, another 34 overdoses were reported at Queen and Bathurst.
Our frontline workers are doing everything they can, but sidewalks and alleyways should not be serving as emergency rooms, and community members should not have to act as first responders.
Last week, my colleagues MPP Marit Stiles (Davenport) and MPP Robin Lennox (Hamilton Centre) and I called on the Ford government to declare the addictions crisis a public emergency and invest in a coordinated response. People need timely access to treatment when they ask for help, not weeks or months on waiting lists.
We are calling on the Ford government to:
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Guarantee timely access to high-quality substance use treatment, including same-day treatment in emergency departments and hospitals, access to outpatient programs and detox within 24 hours, and access to bed-based residential treatment within 14 days.
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Expand community-based treatment, including supportive housing integrated with high-intensity mental health and substance use treatment, helping reduce emergency visits and pressure on our hospitals.
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Implement access to a province-wide treatment line, guaranteeing both patients and clinicians have in-the-moment expert advice on how to start treatment, when and where they need it.
Background:
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The average wait for an initial substance use treatment assessment is 17 days, while the average wait for bed-based treatment is 96 days.
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According to the Chief Coroner’s office, there were 389 opioid-related deaths in Q1 2026, which represents a 19% increase from Q2 2025.
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There were 207 suspect drug-related deaths reported in September 2026 in Ontario according to the Ontario Drug Research Policy Network.
More OSAP Cuts Leaving Students Behind
Access to affordable post-secondary education is becoming increasingly challenging for Ontario students and their families. Changes to OSAP have left many students facing greater financial uncertainty as they try to plan for tuition, living expenses and other education costs. At the same time, the recent pause in funding to private career colleges has raised further questions for thousands of people relying on these programs to access training and employment opportunities.
Concerns have also emerged about the government’s oversight of private career colleges. Reports indicate that more than 220 tips and complaints were received about three colleges over two and a half years, raising questions about why action was not taken sooner to protect students and ensure public funds were being used responsibly. Tax dollars that could have gone to our public institutions struggling under the weight of chronic underfunding.
Students deserve clear answers, reliable financial support and confidence that the institutions they attend meet appropriate standards. We need to ensure post-secondary education remains affordable and accessible, strengthen oversight of private career colleges, and provide our public colleges and universities with the support they need to help students succeed.
Fighting for Affordable and Accessible Community Sports
At the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy, I raised several important concerns during our review of Ontario’s 2026-27 Ministry of Sport estimates. My focus was on making sure that sport remains affordable and accessible to everyone, that public money is spent responsibly, and that investments in major sporting events translate into lasting benefits for our communities.
One of my biggest concerns is the dramatic increase in fees charged to community sports organizations to use school gyms and fields. Drawing on my eight years as chair of the TDSB’s Community Use of Schools Advisory Committee, I highlighted examples of permit fees increasing from $715 to $5,400 at one school board and from $3,400 to $9,800 at the TDSB. These increases risk pricing volunteer-run community organizations out of facilities that were built and paid for by taxpayers.
I urged the Minister of Sport to work with the Minister of Education to investigate these increases, determine whether they are justified and find ways to keep school facilities affordable for community use. We should be maximizing the use of our publicly funded gyms and fields, not putting up financial barriers that prevent children and families from participating in sports.
I also raised questions about accountability and transparency in the distribution of public funding. The Ministry of Sport provided $17-million to provincial sport organizations in 2025-26. I asked what safeguards are in place to ensure that these funds are being used appropriately, including whether audits are conducted when concerns about spending arise. I also sought clarification about how applications to the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund are evaluated and successful projects selected.
With the FIFA World Cup in Toronto, I sought greater transparency around Ontario’s $97-million contribution, the division of costs among the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and the financial return on this investment. I recognize the tremendous opportunity to showcase Toronto, Ontario and Canada to the world, but we also have a responsibility to ensure that public investments deliver value for taxpayers.
There must be a balance between funding major sporting events and supporting everyday participation in community recreation. The Minister confirmed that much of the $40-million increase in the sports events and initiatives budget was attributable to FIFA. It’s important to ensure that grassroots sports and inclusive recreation also receive adequate support.
Publicly funded sports facilities should be accessible, affordable and fully utilized. Every child, family and community organization should have the opportunity to participate in sport, regardless of their ability to pay.
Province Raises Speed Limit on 400-Series Highways
The Ontario government has completed its latest round of speed limit increases, raising the maximum speed from 100 km/h to 110 km/h on nine additional sections of provincial highways.
The changes are part of the government’s plan to increase speed limits on nearly 90% of the provincial highway network. Over the summer, the increases were gradually introduced on several major routes, including Highways 400, 401, 403, 407 and 417.
I’m concerned that increasing highway speed limits could compromise road safety, particularly when combined with reduced OPP resources for enforcement. My colleagues and I are calling for investments in safer infrastructure, improved winter driving training for truck drivers, and better support for municipal connecting links.
Help Shape the Future of Fort York National Historic Site
Fort York National Historic Site is one of Toronto’s most significant heritage landmarks and archaeological sites. Owned and operated by the City of Toronto, it is an important destination for historical learning, public programming and community activities, and one of 10 sites featured under the Toronto History Museums banner.
The City of Toronto is inviting residents to help shape the future of Fort York by sharing their views on heritage preservation, programming, public access and community use. Your feedback is an important part of ensuring Fort York remains a valued heritage site and community resource for generations to come.
Ways to get involved:
Complete the Online Survey
The survey is open for feedback until November 30 at 4:00 pm.
Attend a Community Engagement Session
Join one of the following sessions to share your ideas and perspectives.
In-Person Session 1
November 19, 2026
6:00 – 8:30 pm
Fort York Visitor Centre, 250 Fort York Blvd
In-Person Session 2
November 20, 2026
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Fort York Visitor Centre, 250 Fort York Blvd
Register for an in-person session here.
Virtual Community Engagement Event
November 24, 2026
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Register for the virtual event here.
Legislative Page Program Spring 2027 Recruitment
The recruitment period for the Spring 2027 session of the Legislative Page Program is now open until November 15, 2026. Each year, high-achieving, community-oriented Grade 7 and 8 students from across Ontario are selected to serve as Legislative Pages. This unique opportunity in Toronto allows selected students to become involved in Ontario’s parliamentary process, meet key figures, and make lifelong friendships with like-minded peers. Details here.
AI and Skilled Trades Survey
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to emerge across workplaces in Ontario, it is important that skilled trades workers have a voice in shaping how these technologies are introduced and how they may impact jobs, training, health and safety, working conditions, and the future of skilled trades work.
This survey from the Ontario Federation of Labour is an opportunity for workers to share their experiences, perspectives, opportunities, concerns, and expectations regarding the growing role of AI in their workplaces and across the skilled trades sector.
Remix Project Applications Open
The Remix Project is welcoming a new cohort of emerging creatives, and applications are now open! Young people interested in Recording Arts, Creative Arts, or Business Arts are encouraged to apply and explore the opportunities available.
Visit the links below to learn more and apply. Applications close December 31, 2026.
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.
