Chris Glover MPP, Spadina–Fort York

Dear Neighbours,

There is so much to celebrate in this country. In the midst of this global pandemic, so many people have reached out to help their neighbours and to build a stronger Canadian community.

The pandemic has also exposed how much needs to be done and the many people who do not share in our country’s opportunities and prosperity. To help develop a better understanding of the changes that need to be made, I am hosting “From Support to Action” with Black and Indigenous leaders to find out how we as a community can pool our resources to fight for an end to racism and move toward real reconciliation. See Anti-Racism Town Hall below.

The City of Toronto is now asking everyone to wear a mask indoors. With numbers rising in the wake of reopening our economy, research shows that wearing masks, particularly indoors, will help reduce the spread.

The continuing seriousness of COVID-19 cannot be overemphasized. Some of you will remember that at the beginning of the pandemic I asked for thoughts and prayers for Stewart Nanibush who had contracted COVID-19 and was in the hospital. I am sad to report that after a long struggle he passed last week. His obituary can be found here. His wife Sylvia has been thankful for the support that she has been offered by community members and by CUPE Local 416 of which Stewart was a member.

In spite of the challenges, our city is moving ahead. There are new bicycle lanes on University Avenue and Bloor Street, with more to come. Also, our patios, which are the lifeblood of our neighbourhoods in the summertime, are thankfully open again.

Wishing you a safe and happy Canada Day!

Anti-Racism Town Hall

Join me on Thursday, July 9 for this important discussion.

Click on this link to join the meeting: megaphone.site/live/mpp-glover-anti-racism-town-hall

Latest Developments

Masks:

• Toronto City Council has approved a report from the city’s medical officer of health to make masks and face coverings mandatory in enclosed public places. Dr. Eileen de Villa made the announcement during a news conference at City Hall this morning, noting that in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 the city needs “as many people as possible wearing cloth masks or face coverings.” The bylaw will take effect on July 7.
• GTHA mayors and chairs released a joint statement to request that the Government of Ontario implement a mandatory face-covering measure for large municipalities. Any such order should apply to indoor public settings and would include appropriate exceptions for age and health. In the statement, they also call on the government to implement a regional approach for Stage 3 of re-opening the province.

Reopening Plan:

• The Ontario government has extended all emergency orders currently in force that were made under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until July 10, 2020. In addition, the government has removed certain restrictions for Stage 2 indoor sports and recreational fitness activities facilities.
• In an effort to help large industrial and commercial companies return to full levels of operation without the fear of electricity costs spiking, the Ontario government will provide more stable electricity pricing for two years. Effective immediately, companies that participate in the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI) will not be required to reduce their electricity usage during peak hours, as their proportion of Global Adjustment (GA) charges for these companies will be frozen.
• Premier Ford said that he expects to use the same region-by-region approach when it comes time to move to the final stage of Ontario’s three-stage reopening plan.

Childcare Reopening:

• Yesterday, 11 of the 47 City of Toronto-operated Toronto Early Learning and Child Care Centres (TELCCC) reopened to support parents returning to work and to help with the restart of the economy.
• Toronto Councillors Mike Layton and Joe Cressy are warning that tens of thousands of families in Toronto may not have access to childcare due to new provincial regulations that limit the size of groups within centres to 10 people. They have tabled a motion for next week’s city council meeting that asks the province to commit to “locating additional child care spaces” for families who aren’t able to return to their usual centres due to the new regulations. The motion also calls on the province to ensure funding for all centres forced to operate at reduced capacity “so that they can remain viable.”

Support for Youth:

• The Ontario government is investing more than $13 million to support community-driven and youth-led projects to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families facing economic and social barriers. The funding will flow through the 2020 Youth Opportunities Fund that will provide financial support to 43 community organizations that will benefit youth aged 12 to 25, and their families.
• The Government of Canada has created the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG), a program that will provide thousands of qualified post-secondary students with learning and volunteer opportunities to address relevant COVID-19 challenges at Canadian not-for-profit schools during summer 2020. Students participating will be eligible to apply for a grant, which will provide up to $5,000 to be used towards post-secondary education costs. The grant is based on the number of validated volunteer hours completed between June 15 and September 15, 2020. Student volunteers receiving the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) ($1,250 monthly) are also eligible to apply for a CSSG.
• The Prime Minister said yesterday that the WE Charity is the only organization capable of administering more than $900 million in grants for students this summer. Trudeau said federal public servants identified WE as the organization with the best nationwide network for connecting young people to paid volunteer positions this summer.

Seniors’ Support:

• The Ontario government is providing up to $4 million for the Seniors Community Grant Program. This funding will help non-profit organizations, local services boards, or Indigenous groups develop programs for seniors that focus on combating social isolation, promoting seniors' safety and well-being, improving financial security and making communities age-friendly.

COVID Hotspots:

• New federal models in Canada show progress in the fight to curb the spread of COVID-19, but that significant hotspots remain, including Toronto. Other remaining hotspots for COVID-19 in Canada are among agri-farm migrant workers outside Windsor, where nearly 200 new cases occurred over the weekend. Health Minister Christine Elliott confirmed that of yesterday’s 257 new cases reported, 177 were temporary farmworkers in Windsor-Essex. The Official Opposition has been urging the government to better protect migrant workers by ensuring PPE, paid sick days for workers, and alternate accommodations in which to self-isolate.

Construction Noise & Consultation:

• Yesterday, Councillors Joe Cressy and Kristyn Wong-Tam requested that the Province rescind the provincial regulation overriding Toronto’s Construction Noise By-Law. The Garment District Neighbourhood Association (GDNA), along with 13 other downtown resident associations, asked that this regulation be rescinded. The expansion of hours has had a profound effect on residents. Already anxious about COVID-19, stressed about employment/income insecurities, and spending endless hours sheltering in place, this ongoing noise adds an additional stressor without any perceptible benefit. Click on this link to sign our petition.
• Municipalities, Construction and Building will be the next sector considered during the Finance Committee’s review of the impact of COVID-19 on Ontario’s economy. The deadline to request to appear is Monday, July 5 at 5:00 pm. The link to the signup page is here: https://www.ola.org/en/apply-committees (choose “Yes”, then, on the dropdown menu, select “Study of the recommendations relating to the Economic and Fiscal Update Act 2020 and the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on certain sectors of the economy” and follow the prompts.)

Towing Industry:

• In response to concerns raised about incidents of criminal activity and violence in the towing industry, the Ontario government is establishing a task force to improve provincial oversight of the industry.

 City News:

• Yesterday, Toronto City Council passed a motion seeking reform of the city's police department but rejected a 10% cut to the force’s budget. Mayor John Tory put forth a motion proposing a number of changes to policing that includes overhauling the response to those in crisis along with anti-racism measures and the implementation of body-worn cameras.
• The City of Toronto announced that the CaféTO report, which directs the City to take quick action and make way for additional safe outdoor dining spaces for local restaurants and bars, was unanimously approved with amendments by Toronto City Council. It’s expected the first CaféTO locations will be in place on July 1.
• Starting Thursday, the permit parking program will begin accepting and issuing new and renewed parking permits. While the office will be closed to the public, it can be accessed in the short-term by phone at 416-392-7873 and by email at [email protected] from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Existing permit holders can renew using the online renewal system at or by mail. Permit parking enforcement was paused due to COVID-19. Enforcement is expected to begin again starting August 14 at midnight.
• Torontonians can cool off at all of the city’s 140 splash pads and 56 outdoor swimming pools that will be open on Canada Day, with the exception of Summerville, Alexandra Park and Kiwanis outdoor pools which are undergoing repairs. The city’s 100 wading pools will begin to open on July 1st on a location-by-location basis. Toronto beaches are open, and lifeguards will supervise swim areas from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm. The four Toronto Island Park beaches will open for swimming on July 1st.

Construction & Road Closures:

• Beginning, Monday, July 6th to Friday, July 10th, Metrolinx East Track enhancement work crews will be in the south corridor at Lower Jarvis Street, overnight from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am. Two poles, one on the west and the other on the east side of the Jarvis Street bridge, and concrete foundation on the east side of the bridge must be removed to clear the vicinity for south-side bridge extension. The south-side extensions at both Lower Jarvis and Lower Sherbourne Streets will accommodate future tracks, E7 and E8 servicing the Don/Wilson Yard facility expansion. This work can be disruptive to nearby residents and can expect noise in the area caused by construction equipment. If you have any questions, call: 416-202-6911 or email [email protected]. We encourage all residents to subscribe to the weekly eBulletin by clicking the link below: https://metrolinx.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e3e2dcbefa63d1ca424de38bb&id=d003ab5b57
• The City of Toronto is planning to deliver a number of construction projects on Bathurst Street between Fort York Boulevard and Dundas Street West in 2020. The projects include:

1. Bridge rehabilitation between Fort York Boulevard and Front Street West (May to December 2020)
2. Watermain replacement between Front Street West and Queen Street West (June to November 2020)
3. TTC track replacement between Wolseley Street and Dundas Street West (September to October 2020)

        Due to the nature of the work taking place on the bridge, Bathurst Street will be CLOSED to ALL vehicles between Front Street West and Fort York Boulevard. This closure will take place from mid-May to December 2020.

Federal Announcements: 

• On Saturday, the Government of Canada announced a commitment of $120 million in support of the activities of the Access to COVID-19 (ACT) Accelerator – with $20 million of that total for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Canada will also invest an additional $180 million to address the immediate humanitarian and development impacts of this crisis, helping communities in developing countries mitigate and address the challenges they are facing right now. This funding will support programming aligned with international response plans on priorities, such as essential food security, nutrition, and education initiatives.
• The federal government released new Canada-wide modeling projections (view the slides here) for COVID-19. Cumulative COVID-19 cases by July 12 could range from 103,940 to 108,130 — Canada is already at 103,250. Cumulative deaths by July 12 could range from 8,545 to 8,865 — Canada is already at 8,522. The modeling shows that while there has been a steep decline in transmission among older age groups, there has been a relative increase in Canadians aged 20-39 contracting COVID-19 since late May.
• On March 27, the Government of Canada announced that it would allow businesses, including self-employed individuals, to defer all Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) payments, as well as customs duty payments owed for imports, until the end of June. Yesterday, the government confirmed that GST/HST and customs duty payment deferral is ending as planned on June 30.
• Air Canada has indefinitely suspended direct flights between Ottawa and five other Canadian destinations due to the pandemic.
• Ottawa has extended the travel ban until July 31 for public health reasons. The ban bars entry to all travellers who are not Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or U.S. residents classified as essential.

Fun Things To Do

• Art Gallery of Ontario will be reopening its doors on July 2nd to members and annual pass holders who book timed-entry tickets in advance. Members can book tickets starting June 25 and annual pass holders can book starting June 26. Memberships can be purchased online, or those ages 25 and under can sign up for free. The AGO will be open every Thursday to Sunday, from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. Visit www.AGO.ca for more information.
• Canada’s Ballet Jörgen is offering a free travelling in-person Ballet 101 program designed especially for children and youth and introduces the audience to ballet through a combination of performance and participation. Sponsored by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
• Canada Day 2020: The City of Toronto will mark Canada’s 153rd birthday virtually through a live stream show that will engage local residents, connect diverse communities, and honour COVID-19 frontline workers. The show will offer a mixture of live and pre-recorded performances streamed on YouTube. Performers include Haviah Mighty, Gordon Lightfoot, Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall, Choir! Choir! Choir!, Ali Hassan, Cris Derksen, The Next Generation Leahy, and more.
• Canada Day Weekend Celebration at Harbourfront: Hear the stories of Canada from coast to coast, told through the Canadian Songbook: past, present, and future. View the lineup here.
• CN Tower Canada Day Light Show: The CN Tower will salute Canada Day with an extraordinary 15-minute light show beginning at 10:00 pm July 1, broadcast live on YouTube.
• Immersive Van Gogh: Experience the world’s first drive-in art exhibit where you can actually drive into the gallery, park your car, and experience the show from inside your vehicle. The exhibit was re-imagined in response to COVID-19. 

Facts and Figures

ONTARIO

Cases: 

As of 4:00 pm June 28:

Hospital: 

•   Hospitalized: 232 (+18)
•   ICU: 46 (-5)
•   Ventilated: 35 (-1)

Chief Medical Officer of Health: 

•       53.5% of cases are female
•       35.8% are aged 60+
•       5,954 (-5) healthcare workers total have tested positive (17.1% of total cases)

Congregate Settings Summary: 

Retirement Homes: 16 (-1) active outbreaks, and 152 (=) outbreaks in total

Hospitals: 3 (-1) active outbreaks, and 91 (=) outbreaks in total