Community News Update - January 3, 2025

Dear Community, 

Happy New Year! I hope everyone in our community had a peaceful holiday season and that you were able to celebrate and spend time with loved ones in whatever way is meaningful to you. As we welcome 2025, I want to take a moment to wish you and your loved ones all the best for the year ahead. 

This is a big year. There is a very real possibility that Ford will call an early, unnecessary, and expensive provincial election this year. This could happen at any time. We simply do not know. No matter what 2025 brings, rest assured I'm ready. I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished together and as your MPP, I am committed to continuing to work hard to ensure your voices are heard at Queen's Park. 

This government has a record of failure. The Conservatives have failed to fix the Liberals Eglinton Crosstown disaster. The project is now 13-years-old, long overdue, and over budget. They've underfunded and understaffed our healthcare system, leading to chaos and long wait times. Ontarians shouldn't have to struggle to access the care they deserve. Ford is behind on housing starts, failing to meet HIS OWN targets. In 2018, they slashed rent control, which has driven up the cost of housing in our neighbourhood with no end in sight. He's selling off our public assets to his rich developer friends and is using our taxpayer dollars to build a parking lot for a foreign luxury spa that nobody asked for. The list could go on and on. Community, we cannot afford another four years of failure under Ford and his Conservatives.  

It will take all hands on deck to defeat this government and bring in an ONDP government and the change our communities across Ontario deserve. I, along with my ONDP colleagues, will:

• Make housing affordable by building new homes and bringing back real rent control.
• Fix the chaos in our healthcare system by solving the Conservative’s hospital staffing crisis.
• Protect the Greenbelt and our public spaces like the Science Centre and Ontario Place from Ford’s insider pals and greedy speculators.
• Invest in affordable, reliable, public transit – improving our subways and streetcars; and finishing the Eglinton LRT.

As rumours of an early election continue to spiral, we need to be ready for anything. I am so grateful to each and every one of you who has supported me in getting me to where I am today. It truly takes a village. My team is looking for volunteers who can lend their valuable time over the coming months to help out with foot canvasses and phone banking. If you're interested in volunteering, click the link below to sign up for a shift.

Our first foot canvass of 2025 is this Sunday, January 5th from 12 to 2 PM. All are welcome!

CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER WITH TEAM JILL

In solidarity, 

Dr. Jill Andrew, PhD
MPP, Toronto—St. Paul's

In today's newsletter:

Recognizing that it's impossible to capture a full week of news in a single newsletter, please see the highlights below:

• Tamil Heritage Month
• Jill in Community
• Upcoming events and more!

Days of Significance

January 1st marked the beginning of Tamil Heritage Month! Join me in recognizing the rich cultural history, traditions, and contributions of the Tamil community here in Toronto and beyond. 

JILL IN COMMUNITY

Chanukah Celebrations

It was incredible to join Chanukah celebrations across our midtown community! I am grateful to Chabad Lubavitch on the East Side for their hard work in making these gathering for the lighting of the menorah possible. Thank you also to our local Midtown Yonge and Mount Pleasant Village BIAs, the Yonge Eglinton Centre, and ALL the community members who came out to celebrate. Thank you to Rabbi Grossbaum for inviting me to share greetings!

Kwanzaa Celebrations at Studio M

It was wonderful to stop into Studio M Arts Market on the third day of Kwanzaa! For the entire day, Studio M was hosting live performances and gave community members the opportunity to support the local Black artists and small business owners featured at the market. I had the pleasure of chatting with Unblind Tibbin about his book Afrikan Ancestral Manuscript, and his mother Yvette Elizabeth Stevens who is also an author and a former dignitary in Sierra Leone! Ms. Stevens not only became a scientist but she also had a distinguished career in the United Nations and served as the Sierra Leonean Ambassador in Geneva. She also raised five children as a single mother! 

I want to thank Masani Montague and her entire team for their hard work and commitment to our community here in St. Paul's and beyond! Here's to our ongoing collective work and responsibility as we build better and brighter days for the young minds and hearts looking up to us. 

Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Nativity Pageant

I had a wonderful time spending Christmas Eve at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church! We enjoyed a performance of The Night Before Christmas: A Traditional Nativity Pageant. 

The acting and vocal chops were incredible with special shout outs to Sara (Mary), Adam (Joseph), sweet little Hudson (Baby Jesus), Dayle, Will and Ava (the Wise Men), and all the little angels. Everyone was fantastic! Additional thanks to the sound, light and entire production crew and to ALL the volunteers and congregants who had a hand in making this evening so memorable! Thank you to Dr. Elaine Choi for the invite!

An evening with Jay Smooth at Joey's

How fantastic it was to support saxophonist Jay Smooth at Joey's new 20 King St W location! It was great to celebrate him during the holidays alongside some of our community members and BIA buddies. 

Jay is no stranger to us here in St. Paul's and has blessed our Oakwood Village and Little Jamaica communities with his outstanding sound. Check him out January 16, 23, and 30th at Joey's, where he's enjoying a residency!

COMMUNITY BULLETIN 📌

Send us your event!

Have an event or announcement you'd like featured in Jill's community newsletter? Email submissions to [email protected]. Please include a brief description and a photo to include in the post.

SAVE THE DATE - A Remarkable Assembly 2025

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario's Women's Forum brings together 124 young women and gender diverse individuals from across Ontario each year for a full-day program in Toronto to promote citizenship and public engagement through education and empowerment. The forum will feature a variety of engaging events, including panels, workshops, and networking opportunities. 

This year's forum will take place on Tuesday, March 4th, 2025.

Applications are NOW OPEN. Click here to apply. 

Learn to Prevent an Overdose

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.

#FlashbackFriday to this adorable "twins"!

To submit your pet, click here. 
Please send a photo and a short caption for your pet!