Dear Community, 

I'd like to begin today's newsletter by thanking each and every volunteer who has joined me on the Toronto—St. Paul's  summer festival circuit so far. We've spoken to thousands of community members and gathered hundreds and hundreds of petition signatures that I will be presenting to Doug Ford in the legislature upon its return this October. To each and every volunteer, your hard work is seen and deeply appreciated. 

This Saturday, July 20th (TODAY!), I'll be at the first-ever MYBIA Summer Fest with my incredible team! Stop by our booth and say hi, sign a petition, and take home some free merch. While you're there, be sure to support the many local Midtown Yonge businesses who will be participating. The festival runs along Yonge St between the Kay Gardner Beltline and Soudan Avenue from 12 PM to 7 PM. You won't miss our bright orange tent!

I look forward once again to seeing so many of you this weekend!

Party in the Park

What a terrific evening we had at Cy Townsend Park!

I am grateful for this time spent visiting with you all and discussing the issues that matter deeply to you here in St. Paul's. I hope everyone who came out had a wonderful time, and that many of you were able to enjoy an ice cream and a slice of pizza. 

AND shout out to the ALL the kids for bringing the St. Paul's ENERGY! Thank you to Sunny Bunny Face Painting for making these kids look FABULOUS! I was blown away by Sunny's talent. Go book her for all your events! Thank you also to the Ice Queen Ice Cream Truck once again for the OUSTANDING service and Oakwood Pizzeria for the DELICIOUS pizza. Seriously, if you haven't tried our local Oakwood Pizzeria, you're missing out!

Lastly, thank you to our friends at Graze Oasis for stopping by with some INCREDIBLE food at the end of the night. Your generosity is SO appreciated! Go show them some love! Folks, the St. Paul's community spirit was on FULL display tonight.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll see you ALL again very soon!

Non-Binary Awareness Week

This week is Non-Binary Awareness Week! To all my non-binary siblings, I see you, I celebrate you, and I am proud to stand with you. At a time when Trans and Non-Binary folks are under attack by hateful politicians, it more important than ever to recommit to fighting against hatred and work towards a world that is safe and inclusive for all.

A study conducted by Egale Canada, revealed that Trans and Non-Binary folks often experience anxiety, fear, and stress about accessing care in a healthcare system that does not take diversity into account. I was proud to co-sponsor The Gender Affirming Health Care Act alongside my ONDP colleagues calling for the creation of a Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee to address the barriers that Non-Binary, Trans and Gender Non-Confirming community members face when accessing the life-saving care they deserve. 

Intimate Partner Violence Study

This week, the Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) sub-committee began its hearings. I'd like to extend my gratitude to each of the presenters and subject experts for their participation.

News this week that the government has chosen to use this Intimate Partner Violence as a fundraising opportunity is deeply disturbing. We are in this committee because, unlike our call to IMMEDIATELY declare Intimate Partner Violence an EPIDEMIC, the government has chosen to drag their feet with another study all while FUNDRAISING on victims backs!

Click here to read more. 

A Slap in the Face for Workers

ACTRA Toronto commercial performers have been locked out for OVER two years. While they've been locked out, guess what!? The Ford government and Minister of Labour (yes, you read that right) put out want ads for non-union actors in a recent job callout. Since yesterday, I've heard of course that the government is now trying to disassociate themselves since getting caught. 

This is the HEIGHT of disrespect for these workers, who like everyone else in Ontario, are just trying to make ends meet. Many actors during this lockout have not been able to pay rent, have fallen behind on bills, can't afford the basics, and are visiting food banks. Ford says he's "working for workers." Well, he's lying. This doesn't work for workers. 

Click here to read more. 

Little Jamaica Festival

I had a BLAST last weekend at the inaugural Little Jamaica Festival along Eglinton West!

I'd like to express my deep gratitude to the York Eglinton BIA for ALL their work in bringing this festival to our community. Eglinton West is open for BUSINESS! It was great to see so many friends, community members and elected folks from far and wide come out to support our Little Jamaica community. 

It was an incredibly honour to be invited to introduce the BIA executive during the opening ceremony and to help unveil the new BIA sign alongside Consul General of Jamaica, Kurt Davis, and BIA executive members. Thank you to the Consul General and VM Group for their hospitality. 

Thank you to the York Eglinton Business Improvement Area for ALL your work in bringing this festival to Eglinton West. Eglinton West is open for BUSINESS! Stop by today until 7 pm to support our local Little Jamaica businesses, listen to the music, dance, eat and have fun! It was so great to see so many friends, community members, elected folks from far and wide come to #tostpauls to celebrate Jamaican culture in the HEART of Little Jamaica. It was also wonderful to see the newly elected MP for Toronto-St. Paul's Don Stewart and other dignitaries enjoying the festival!

Hillcrest Village Community Players Summer Party

I had a great time last Friday at the Hillcrest Village Community Players' Summer Party! We were treated to the very special announcement of their Season 4 production — Little Women!

Hats off to the awesome artists—on stage and behind the scenes—who makes these productions possible. From performers to the production team, their incredible dedication and love of the arts and live performance is powerful. I can hardly wait to see the creative designs they will dream up for audiences this time!

Community and friends near and far: come out and AUDITIONS! Visit their website for dates and details.

Brentwood Towers Summer BBQ

On Wednesday, I had a wonderful time chatting with so many old and new friends at the Brentwood Towers summer barbecue. Thank you so much for inviting me!

Woodgreen Community Services Homeward Bound Program

Yesterday, I visited the Woodgreen Community Services Homeward Bound Program Toronto campus. The Homeward Bound Program offers safe housing, childcare, and education and employment opportunities to support low-income women-led families. This program is transformative for so many single mothers across Ontario, including in our own Toronto—St. Paul' community. 

I was grateful for the opportunity to tour one of their sites and learn from the staff and caring individuals who make this program possible. Program graduates achieve incredible success. 92% of participants who were living in a shelter when beginning the program now live in long-term, stable housing. Thank you for inviting me to visit the space. I will continue to for meaningful government investment to allow this vital program to grow and expand to service more Ontarians. 

Tarragon Village Community Theatre

We are truly lucky to have this nationally recognized theatre in our community! Tarragon Theatre has been at the heart of generations of theatre goers for 53 years and counting. They are always striving for artistic excellence and community engagement. They are best known for creating new work that promotes Canadian playwrights AND every thespian worth their salt knows that when Tarragon produces your work you’ve arrived!

I want to thank Mike Payette, Artistic Director and the new Executive Director Lisa Li for inviting me back to their theatre home again!

From the stage, to the production spaces, a sartorial ‘museum’ of super cool wardrobe and accessories from their productions past and present, to a library of theatre plays and production scripts community can borrow (and more!) it’s quite the gem!

Stop by and visit. Check out their 2024/25 season and don’t be a stranger! I’m eyeing Interior Design and Goblin Macbeth among others! Click here for the full program. 

What are you planning to see? 

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD 📌

Yonge + St Clair BIA Community Consultations

The Yonge + St Clair BIA is inviting you to provide feedback on the BIA's efforts to make Yonge + St Clair more beautiful, accessible and economically vibrant. 
Location: 55 St Clair Ave West

Session 1: 12:00pm to 2:00pm on Wednesday, July 24th
Session 2: 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Wednesday, July 24th
Session 3: 1:00pm to 3:00pm on Saturday, July 27th

Light refreshments will be provided.

Forest Hill BIA Music in Suydam Parl

Forest Hill Village BIA's much-loved acoustic concert series, Music in Suydam Park is back for another season!

Concerts take place every Saturday afternoon from 1-3 pm throughout July, August and September. Weather permitting.

Click here for their full concert schedule!

James Rottman Fine Art Exhibition

Check out the new exhibition at James Rottman Fine Art!

John Eric Laford: OJIBWE LEGENDS
Exhibition Dates: July 13 - September 14, 2024
Location: 830 St Clair Avenue West
Tues to Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm and/or by appointment.

Born on the West Bay of Manitoulin Island in Ontario, John Eric Laford was a celebrated Anishinaabe Canadian artist who passed away in 2021. Laford was inspired by the Ojibwe legends and stories of his elders on Manitoulin Island. Laford was the grandson of hereditary chief Dominic Migwans and Ann Commando.

In this exhibition visitors to the gallery will enjoy Laford's interpreted visions, stories and legends of his elders through the artist's dynamic and visually striking paintings. Laford used various materials including paper, birch bark, canvas, pine, cedar and pipestone as surfaces to depict his stories in paint. The artist's works are poignant studies of all creation, including the spirits, elders, animals, birds and plants.

Laford's paintings have been collected and exhibited by The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, The Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, British Columbia, The Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and several other public art museums worldwide.

Sprint Senior Care

I would like to share this appeal for volunteers from Sprint Senior Care. Volunteers are needed to:

• Deliver healthy and affordable meals to seniors
• Provide security checks
• Reduce Isolation

You will need to have a car and a valid driver's license to help, but gas reimbursements are available. To volunteer call 416-481-0669 ext. 8723 or e-mail [email protected]

Local Farmers Markets

Wychwood Barns Farmers' Market

• Every Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM at the Wychwood Barns

Davisville Farmers' Market

• Every Tuesday from 3 PM to 7 PM in June Rowlands Park

The Eglinton Way Farmers' Market

• Every Sunday from 8 AM to 1 PM at 125 Burnaby Blvd. 

Afro-Caribbean Farmers' Market

• From 11 AM to 3 PM on July 7th, 21st and 28th and August 11th and 25th, and September 8th, 22nd and 29th at Reggae Lane (1531 Eglinton Ave W - Green P Parking Lot)

The BFBG Awards

The Black Fashion & Beauty Gala is making its return September 29th, 2024. This year's theme is The Awakening of Black Fashion: A Journey of Resilience and Creativity. 

Click here to learn more about this year's event. 

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.

In Solidarity, 

Dr. Jill Andrew, Ph.D

MPP, Toronto-St. Paul's