Community News Update - August 23, 2023
Dear Community,
It's that time of year again, and our School Supply Drive is back!
Please come on down to Cy Townsend Park on Saturday, September 2nd from 10AM - 1PM to LEAVE WHAT YOU CAN & TAKE WHAT YOU NEED!
If you'd like to donate but are unavailable on the 2nd, please reply to this email and my staff will coordinate the delivery of your donations!
If you're available to volunteer (especially if you have a car!) please reply to this email!
We're so excited to show our community of young learners just how much St. Paul's believes in their potential!
This afternoon, workers, leaders in labour, and allies came together once again to tell the Ford government to #FundTVOLikeItMatters. With a packed sidewalk, outpouring with worker solidarity, #HotLabourSummer shows no signs of cooling down for fall.
Hot or cold. Rain or shine. Workers have had it. “I’m taking what’s mine.”
After years of Ford bending to the one percent’s favor, they’re out here demanding the fruits of THEIR labor.
So he will quickly find out, as word spreads across town, workers are who build our province.
And they too, can shut it all down.
The Metro strike continues and the pickets are as lively as ever! I stopped by the Metro at Bayview & Eglinton yesterday and chatted with a number of workers. If you have a free moment - go on down and join the strike! Solidarity is for EVERYONE!
Yesterday, I reconnected with tenant advocates at 55 Brownlow alongside our City Councillor Josh Matlow to join their meeting with the developer and discuss some novel ideas toward the goal of affordable housing. We love to see folks working together on the issue of housing accessibility!
Exciting news out of the City of Toronto's Cultural Hotspot! The 2023 program returns to Little Jamaica for its second year, showcasing 15 new art projects and public events from August to October. The program will support and deliver 43 mentorship and 35 employment opportunities for youth in our community, building connections with local artists and organizations and working towards their future.
Programming include the Toronto Pan Afrikan Film Festival, “A Love Letter to Little Jamaica” festival, and the “DiverCITY on the Hill” community art exhibition, to name just a few.
To learn more, click here.
Women in Film and Television (WIFT) has launched their Indigenous Writing program. Tailored to Indigenous content creators, the opportunity looks to amplify Indigenous stories and voices in supporting them to strengthen their craft, connect with peers, and receive guidance from experienced mentors.
Indigenous art, storytelling, and culture is a vital part to Ontario's heritage, present, and future; a part that goes untold all too often. Thank you, WIFT for seeing this gap and working to fill it through this program.
Applications are open now until September 6th. For more information or to apply, click here.
If you have donations to spare, please consider bringing them down to Marian Engel Park on Saturday between 11AM - 1PM! If you need some extra groceries, come on down no questions asked (we have tote bags)!
Mark your calendars! Bloom Bar Studio is hosting a COMEDY CABARET on Thursday, September 28. Tickets are $20 and include one drink.
See below for more information!
Each year across Ontario, thousands of lives are lost to overdoses. We need every level of government to prioritize implementing harm reduction strategies to combat these senseless deaths, and you can help.
As many of you know, Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and these kits are FREE with training at participating pharmacies across the city. Together, we can prevent unnecessary deaths and work toward a more compassionate society that is safe safe for everyone.
Find a pharmacy with Naloxone kits near you, and make sure you can recognize the signs of an overdose.
In Solidarity,
Jill Andrew
Toronto-St. Paul's