Webinars, Conferences, Consultations, Town Halls
Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan
In partnership with the City of Toronto, The Bentway is developing a new vision for how the spaces below the Gardiner Expressway can better serve our city. Work is underway on the Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan: a collaborative effort to guide further development of the parks, open spaces, paths, and intersections under and adjacent-to the Gardiner Expressway. From now until June 30, learn more about this ongoing work and contribute your thoughts, ideas, and feedback at undergardinerPRP.ca to inform the next stage of the planning process. More here.
Park Survey in St. Lawrence Neighbourhood
Take the online survey to share your ideas for the two new parks coming to the north St. Lawrence neighbourhood: one Richmond Street East and another on King Street East. The feedback collected in this survey will help develop a draft design for each park. The survey results will be posted on this page. If you would like to provide feedback on behalf of an organization or community group, please complete this version of the survey. Deadline is June 30, 2022.
Electric Vehicle Survey
Electric vehicles (EVs) are part of the solution to climate and other city goals. The demand for EVs is growing as residents look for alternatives to the rising cost of fossil fuels, but access to charging is an issue. The Atmospheric Fund is trying to understand the barriers to EVs in Toronto. See the results of the survey here.
Community Environment Days
Wellington Work Yard (677 Wellington St. W.)
June 28, 4-8 pm
- Help reduce the amount of reusable or recyclable waste going to landfill and allow for safe disposal of household hazardous waste. Learn more at Toronto.ca/Environment_Days
Skills Ontario Competition 2022
The 2022 Skills Ontario Competition will once again be hosted in a remote, virtual format this year. The competition is the largest skilled trades and technologies competition in the country that offers a unique opportunity for top students to demonstrate skills in their field. The last in-person competition hosted in 2019 attracted over 38,000 visitors.
In addition to contests, the Skills Ontario Competition has a number of components, including: the Career Exploration Showcase, the Young Women's Conference, the First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Conference, and the Closing Ceremonies.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. Full details are available here.
Province Seeking Advice on Expanding Health and Wellness Benefits
The Ontario government is seeking advice on designing a plan that provides workers with benefits such as health, dental and vision care, even if they change jobs. Currently, millions of people, including those working in retail, the gig economy and hospitality have limited or no benefits coverage. To start, the government intends to create and appoint an advisory panel that will look at how benefits could reside with the worker and will provide recommendations on how best to administer the new program. More information available here.
Condominium Authority Tribunal Consultation
The Condominium Authority of Ontario has created a survey to consult on upcoming expansion of the Condominium Authority Tribunal’s (CAT) jurisdiction. The key questions are related to:
- Further expanding the CAT’s jurisdiction to encompass additional types of disputes
- Feedback on the CAT’s current processes and any potential best practices the CAT could consider
The survey should take between 15-30 minutes to complete, and can be completed anonymously. Click here to complete the CAO’s Consultation Feedback Survey.
The riding of Spadina-Fort York has more condos than anywhere else in Canada. Thousands of residents live in condo apartments along the waterfront and throughout downtown Toronto. I have heard from constituents complaining about many issues related to condo board governance, fees and other problems arising for condo dwellers. I encourage you to write to my office at [email protected] to share your experience and help us advocate for solutions.
Waterfront Strategic Review
The City of Toronto has released a report on its Waterfront Strategic Review Update. The review includes a public consultation and engagement on what a renewed vision of the City’s 43 kilometers of waterfront would be.
First Parliament Site Heading to Toronto Executive Committee
Two significant staff reports relating to the First Parliament Site (FPS) are heading to Executive Committee at Toronto Council. It is important for the Executive Committee to have letters and deputations from organizations and individuals with an interest in the future of the site.
The City of Toronto is currently in negotiations with Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario related to the expropriation of the FPS and their proposal for a transit-oriented community development on the site. The recommendations in these reports will have an impact on the ability of the City to advocate for the important civic features that were planned for the site.
The First Parliament Master Plan, which was finalized earlier this year, needs Council approval before it is official City policy. In the negotiations with Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario over the development of this site, it is crucial that a Council approved Master Plan be part of the official planning context.
Letters and requests to depute can be sent to [email protected].
This staff report answers a number of questions posed by Councillors Wong-Tam and Cressy and confirms that negotiations with the province are putting forward city priorities for the site based on the FP Master Plan.
It is important that decision makers recognize the 20-year history of trying to get the FPS into public ownership, including the various land swaps, library lands and the long-standing commitment to using the lands for much-needed parkland and open space.
Ontario Digital Privacy Consultation
The Ontario Government released a white paper outlining proposals to strengthen privacy protections across the province. The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services is seeking to address gaps in Ontario's legislative privacy framework and to establish comprehensive, updated rules to protect privacy rights and support innovation. There has been some concern around the move from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce - read more here. I urge you to review the white paper, and send in your comments to the Government, as well as a copy to my office at [email protected] so we can advocate for your recommendations. More information is available here.
Ontario Place Virtual Rally Event Recording
The Future of Ontario Place Project, along with Ontario Place for All and Architectural Conservancy Ontario hosted a virtual rally on Thursday, May 13, 2021 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ontario Place. I spoke at this rally to reiterate that Ontario Place must remain a public space, and the Ontario government should consult with the owners of this valuable waterfront land (public taxpayers) before making any development decisions.
Watch the recording of the virtual rally here, and hear the statement I made in the legislature here.
Sign our petition calling on this government to respect local planning.
The Schools We Need Recording
Thank you to everyone who joined me for the Schools We Need discussion on March 29. If you were not able to attend, watch the recording below:
The Schools We Need Discussion
Black History Month Speaker Series
Zanana Akande
- In 1990, Zanana was the first woman of African descent to be elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. In her appointment as Minister of Community and Social Services, she made history by becoming the first Black woman to hold a cabinet position in all of Canada. She helped shape public policy for marginalized women and led social welfare reform. Her efforts enabled the passing of Ontario’s first mandatory Employment Equity Legislation bringing protection to women in the workplace. Prior to that, Zanana served as a Toronto public school teacher and principal. After retirement, she served as a volunteer on boards and committees including Harbourfront Centre, the YWCA and Centennial College. Watch the interview here.
Olive Senior
- Olive is the award-winning author of 18 books of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature and other published work. Her many awards include Canada’s Writers Trust Matt Cohen Award for Lifetime Achievement, the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, the Commonwealth Writers Prize, an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies and the Gold Medal of the Institute of Jamaica. Her work has been taught internationally and is widely translated. Olive Senior is from Jamaica and lives in Toronto. Watch the interview here.
Donna Harrow
- For the past 40 years, Donna has been building the Alexandra Park community, first at Ryerson Public School, then as the Director of the Alexandra Park Community Centre. In her roles, she has created a centre that is a constant hive of activity with culinary programs, children’s camps, after-school programs, student mentoring, seniors’ dance classes, and an EarlyON drop-in centre for moms and tots. She also created black heritage classes for black students who did not see themselves, their history and experiences reflected in the school curriculum. The city is currently revitalizing the Alexandra Park area and the young leaders Donna helped mentor have given the community a voice in determining the criteria for the revitalization. Watch the interview here.
Jill Andrew
- Jill is the Member for Provincial Parliament for the riding of Toronto-St. Paul’s and serves as the Ontario NDP Culture Critic and Women’s Issues Critic. She is also a member of the Ontario NDP Black Caucus, the first of its kind in Ontario legislative history. Jill is the first Black, Queer person elected to the Ontario Legislature. Since then, Jill has been a leading voice on issues of gender, race and social justice, the housing crisis, healthcare inequities, education and the immeasurable benefit of arts and culture to our communities and to physical, mental and social health.
Community Recognition Ceremony 2022 Recording
Thank you to everyone who joined my virtual Community Recognition Ceremony recognizing individuals and groups for their outstanding efforts in the community. You can watch the recording here.
Below is the list of this year’s recipients:
COVID HEROES
- Dr. Nabila Nashid
- Dimitri Hughes-Panou
- Evangel Hall Mission
SENIORS ADVOCATES
- Bruce Weber
- Ruth Williams
- Sylvia Grady
ENVIRONMENT ADVOCATE
- Alessandra Cannito
ARTS & CULTURE ADVOCATES
- Ron Hawkins
- Ruth Howard
- Charlotte Duffy
BUSINESS LEADERS
- Djanka Gajdel, West Queen West BIA
- Project Recover
- Hazel Rivera, CityPlace Residents Association
YOUTH LEADERS
- Ocean Ruel
- Aditi Soin
- Norman Osokin
- Javon Samuel
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY LEADER
- Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction
COMMUNITY LEADERS
- Kim Curry, Seeds of Hope
- Darren Pereira
- David Chan
- Gillian Cullen
- Ulla Colgrass
- Aaron Weiss
- Hans G. Bathija
- Nicole Sparks-Barnes
- Anna Baranowski
- Phylis Coles
- Alice Norton
- Heather Gardner
- Julia Rigato, Liberty Village BIA
- Ed Hore
- College Montrose Children’s Place
Holipalooza 2021 Recording
Thank you to everyone who joined my Holipalooza virtual event on Saturday, December 11. It was a fun way to end a very hectic year!
You can watch the full recording here.
Newchoir team Scott and Alison join “Santa” for some holiday fun!
Condo Town Hall Recording
Do you own or rent a condo?
Are you getting what you paid for?
MPP Glover will be introducing new legislation to increase transparency in the condo industry. Condo experts will be available to take your questions.
A draft of the motion that MPP Glover will be proposing in the Legislature can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/Glovercondomotion
If you missed the event, watch the full discussion here.
The Fentanyl Epidemic Panel Discussion Recording
I was joined by Dr. Leslie Buckley, Chief of the Addictions Division at CAMH, Kim Curry of Seeds of Hope, and Marcell Wilson from One by One Movement for an intimate and enlightening discussion on the opioid crisis.
Watch full discussion here or read the Minutes.
Call on the Ontario government to declare the opioid overdose crisis a public health emergency: Sign our petition here.
The following article was written by a journalism student who attended the panel discussion:
Community leaders meet to address Toronto’s fentanyl epidemic
“Using fentanyl, it’s often like Russian roulette,” says executive director of the Seeds of Hope Foundation
November 4, 2021
Aloysius Wong
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A panel of community leaders met to discuss Toronto’s fentanyl epidemic Wednesday evening, hosted and moderated by Chris Glover, the MPP of Spadina-Fort York.
The event was held virtually, with over 50 people in attendance on Zoom, YouTube and Facebook Live.
In 2020, the opioid crisis was responsible for more than 2,400 deaths in Ontario alone. Fentanyl has been a particularly deadly contributor to this. According to CAMH, it is up to 100 times stronger than morphine—even a small amount can cause an overdose or death.
“Fentanyl also acts as easy access to suicide,” said Kimberly Curry, the executive director of the Seeds of Hope Foundation. “There’s also been a lot of people using fentanyl to kill one another.”
“There’s so many accidental overdoses it’s easy to hide a murder using an overdose of fentanyl,” said Tony , a community member with lived experience of the crisis.
“In some cases that I know for a fact, it was obviously a murder—everyone in the hotel knows this person was murdered. There’s no investigation, and it always comes up as an accidental overdose on the coroner’s report.”
Joanne is a community member and advocate who has personally struggled with an opioid addiction. Her biggest fear is that her family will think that she died of an accidental overdose if she happens to touch or breathe in fentanyl second-hand.
She described how she’s previously “had to run away from someone casually smoking it by the door” of one shelter.
“Some of the time there’s children in these areas,” she said. “I don’t feel like Toronto is really realizing that we need to help the addicts use in safe spaces, instead of having someone slink around the corner.”
“Using fentanyl, it’s often like Russian roulette.” Curry added. “Unbelievably we talk about, and people talk about how many times they’ve died and come back to life. And it’s pretty scary being on top of someone with blue lips and wondering if that naloxone is gonna work.
“The human impact of this is devastating.”
Curry describes the “devastating” human impact of the opioid crisis.
“Most of the users I know from my time end up penniless and homeless,” said Marcell Wilson, the founder and president of the One by One Movement. “Users and clientele in some cases can’t pay debts, and this leads to violence.”
“At one point every user will hit rock bottom and try to get help, and actually find that there are very little resources.”
Many of the advocates criticized safe injection sites for not being open in the late nights to early mornings when the need is greatest. They also described a shortage of medical detox beds, and stressed the need for safe supply.
“It’s the only way to go,” Tony said. “And it’s the only way to get the money and the violence and the gangs out of the picture.”
“90% of the deaths could be avoided right there.”
There are also challenges in providing the necessary “patchwork” of care to help someone recover, as CAMH’s chief of addictions Dr. Leslie Buckley described.
“It’s really hard to fix something with just a medication that’s been so powerful, like trauma,” she explained. “Therapy is needed too and sometimes it’s hard to find enough therapists and get someone the kind of one-on-one support that they might need.”
But advocates say that getting the government resources needed to adequately address this crisis has proven difficult.
“In the street culture, the usage of fentanyl is overly normalized,” said Joanne. “In the boardroom, it’s almost ignored.”
“We absolutely need to make sure that governments are aware of what’s happening,” said Glover. “We will keep pushing on this issue because this is an absolute crisis that is taking, you know, in Canada, taking more lives than the pandemic, and we need to bring an end to this.
“And it is solvable. We have the solutions. We need to build the political will to actually implement and fund those solutions.”
A petition calling on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to declare the opioid overdose crisis in Ontario a public health emergency was created by Glover’s office and shared at the event.
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Sources:
Toronto Board of Health Meeting, Nov. 16, 2020. Agenda and Notes. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2020.HL23.2
The Fentanyl Epidemic: A Panel Discussion. Hosted by MPP Chris Glover. Replay available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lCZipSzLIY
CAMH Pamphlet on Street Fentanyl. https://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/guides-and-publications/straight-talk-fentanyl.pdf
Stop Overdose Deaths - Petition. https://www.chrisglovermpp.ca/stop_overdose_deaths
One by One Movement website. https://www.theonebyonemovement.com/about
Seeds of Hope Foundation website. https://www.seedsofhope.ca/overview
Aloysius Wong is currently a freelance journalist and Master of Journalism student at X (formerly Ryerson) University. You can contact him or pitch him news tips at [email protected]
Community Recognition Ceremony 2021 Recording
On Saturday February 6, 2021, I hosted my virtual Community Recognition Ceremony and was joined by more than 120 community members via Zoom and social media. It was a wonderful opportunity to recognize and celebrate the amazing things that people are doing in the riding. Thanks to all of you who attended and to Phusion and Newchoir for their uplifting performances!
For those of you who were not able to join, you can view the recording here.
Congratulations to all the award recipients:
Outstanding Youth Leadership:
Dante Wellington
Disability Advocacy:
Ipek Kabatos
Seniors Advocacy:
Karen Langill
Environmental Advocacy:
Angela Bischoff, Director, Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Community Building through Arts and Culture:
Isorine Marc, Executive Director, Jamii
Business Leadership:
Rob Sysak, Neighbourhood Director, West Queen West
Sri Selvarasa, Manager, Little India
Community Leadership:
Angelo Bertolas, Co-chair, York Quay Neighbourhood Association
Eli Brown, Founder, Shine the Light On
Richard Dunwoody, Executive Director, Project Recover
Bill Dyck, Toronto Alliance Church
Nichole Edwards
Jen Evans
Carolyn Johnson, Co-chair, York Quay Neighbourhood Association
Suzanne Kavanagh, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association, West Don Lands Committee
Alicia Liebregts, Liberty Village Cares
Jacqueline McLaughlin
Mark Petierre
Curtis Priest, Garment District Neighbourhood Association
Joan Prowse, Chair, Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Association
Eric Shedden
Humera Siddiqui
Nicole Sparks
Cynthia Wilkey, West Don Lands Committee
Outstanding Community Service from a Group:
Alexandra Park Volunteer Cooking Team
Spadina-Fort York Community Care Program Volunteers
Outstanding Leadership in the Chinese Community:
Simon Zhong, Executive Director, Toronto Community & Culture Centre
Outstanding Community Leadership:
Mohsin Khattak, Director, Scadding Court Community Centre
Lifetime Achievement:
Donna Harrow, Executive Director, Alexandra Park Community Centre
Kevin Lee, Executive Director, Scadding Court Community Centre
Community Town Hall 2020 Recording
Thank you to Olivia Chow and to everyone who joined me for the Community Town Hall. Most of the conversation focused on the issue of homelessness. If you weren’t able to participate, you can listen to the recording here.
Ontario Line Town Hall 2020 Recording
Thank you to everyone who joined me last week for this very informative discussion with Metrolinx representatives. If you missed the meetings, you can view both recordings on my Youtube channel here and here. I have included some helpful links about the project below:
- Ontario Line – Environmental Assessment Process Overview here
- Draft Ontario Line Environmental Conditions Report here
- Ontario Line Initial Business Case here (includes information on ridership projections)
More information about the Ontario Line can also be found here including an option to sign up for e-newsletter updates from Metrolinx here. The Metrolinx Engage website here also hosts detailed information about the project including neighbourhood-specific updates on the “Get Engaged” page here. You can also submit questions directly to Metrolinx here or post comments or questions on the public forum here.
Anti-Racism Town Hall 2020 Recording
Click this link to watch our discussion as we answered questions from a live audience submitted via chat, and we discussed how Ontarians can take part in the growing anti-racism movement.
Support Chinatown Town Hall 2020 Recording
If you missed this event, the full video is available here.
