Community News Update - July 7, 2024

Dear Community, 

This weekend, my office will be busy tabling at the inaugural Little Jamaica Festival hosted by the York-Eglinton BIA. This will be a wonderful opportunity to support our local vendors, try some incredible food, take in the live music and all the fun activities this festival has to offer!

The festival takes place:

• Saturday, July 13th from 11 AM to 10 PM
• Sunday, July 14th from 11 AM to 7 PM

Please stop by and say hi from 11 to 7 PM on both days, sign petitions, pick up a copy of my tenant guide and take home a water bottle and reusable shopping bag. It'll be another hot one this weekend! Please plan ahead, dress for the weather, and stay HYDRATED!

I look forward to seeing many of you this weekend!

Click here for the full festival program.

LCBO Workers Rally at Yonge & Wellesley

Community, I know you're sick and tire of this Ford government putting the interests of mega-corporations over the public good. LCBO workers deserve fair wages and benefits too! Instead, Premier 'Privatization' Ford is out to put profit over the people yet again. I say keep public money public!

I was proud to join OPSEU LCBO workers on the picket line earlier this week to send a clear message to Premier Ford that his privatization plan is unacceptable. The LCBO generates billions of dollars in public revenue. We NEED this money to invest in our crumbling public services, including health care and education. Time and time again, this government prioritizes private interests over the public good. I will continue to fight to ensure these workers get a fair deal and that public revenue STAYS in public hands. 

Thank you to the Chinese, Filipino, Tamil, Somali and Eritrean workers' networkers for joining this week's action. We won't back down!

Click here for a map of picket location near you!

Save Ontario's Science Centre

Yesterday, Premier Ford gave an update on the abrupt closure of the Ontario Science Centre (OSC). After blocking our demand for a special hearing on the Ontario Science Centre, yesterday's update was unsurprising, to say the least. The Premier continues to LIE to the public. 

With every new update it seems like Ford is cherry-picking numbers to suit his own interests. The engineer's report have made it crystal clear that the Science Centre doesn't need to be closed permanently. Yet, Ford seems determined to demolish it! Let me be clear, folks, the reason has nothing to do with your safety. It's to sweeten his deal to build a mega-spa with public dollars. 

What about the kids who had summer camps and special semesters cancelled? What about the families of Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park, who rely on the centre for day trips and summer learning? Who's looking out for them? Not Doug Ford! 

Ontarians see through this scheme. Nearly 80,000 letters sent and rising by hardworking Ontarians who care deeply about this iconic cultural institution. This all could've been avoided if Doug Ford and his politicians had just invested in it all along. It's time for the Premier to smarten up and commit to making the necessary repairs so we can revive the OSC and keep it where it belongs!

Click here to read more. 

Remembering Alex Janvier

Earlier this week we lost a legend. Rest in Power Alex Janvier. Janvier was a renound Indigenous artists and member of the Indian Group of Seven. He passed away earlier ths week at the age of 89. I was deeply saddened to hear of this loss and send my deepest condolences to his loved ones and the many hearts and minds he touched through his revolutionary paintings. 

Click here to read more about Janvier's life. 

Salsa on St Clair

What a weekend it was at the 20th anniversary of Salsa on St Clair! 

I am deeply grateful to everyone who stopped by our booth to chat, sign a petition and take home some free swag. While I was devastated to miss the festival this year, I am thankful for ONDP leader Marit Stiles who visited St. Paul's to celebrate with us. I hear she did an incredible job repping the St. Paul's spirit in the dance off. 

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help out at my booth over the weekend. I am deeply appreciated to each of you for your work in gathering petition signatures and ensuring everything ran smoothly. We left with over a THOUSAND signatures on our petitions! 

Thank you also to TLN Media, Hillcrest Village BIA and everyone involved in planning this year's festival for helping create such incredible memories. 

We were also pleased to give away promotional cards from Seniors for Climate Action Now! (SCAN!) Toronto. Lyba, pictured in image 4, is a SCAN! Toronto member and the writer of SCAN! Toronto's Climate Corner featured regularly in my newsletter. You can read the latest update in today's newsletter. October 1st is the Canada-wide Day for Climate Action. Click here for information about how to get involved. 

60th Anniversary of Meighen Retirement Residence

I had a wonderful time celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Meighen Retirement Residence in our St. Paul's community! Thank you for inviting me to join this momentous occasion and for allowing me to share a few words. Special thank you to the caring staff for all that you do for our seniors. 

Here's to many decades to come!

Climate Corner 🌎 by SCAN! Toronto

The following column was submitted by members of Seniors for Climate Action Now! (SCAN!) Toronto. Inspired by the youth climate movement, SCAN! Toronto works to inform and mobilize seniors in an effort to prevent more climate catastrophes. They support and amplify the voices of young people, and add their own voices to the growing movement for climate action. Thank you Lyba for this week's submission!

Creating a better world
 
We all want a better world, where we share the wealth and riches of our planet.  We want a safe, liveable planet with clean air, water and food. 
 
But people are struggling – to make a living, to find adequate, affordable shelter and feed their families.  For that reason, they may dismiss concerns about the climate.  But the climate crisis affects us all.  Recent heat waves are a good example.  Moreover, dealing with the climate crisis is economically sound, for individuals, as well as for the country.
 
Some politicians appeal to self interest: pay fewer taxes; keep more for yourself.  What if we elected politicians based on the common good?
 
The federal level
 
Each level of government has some responsibility to deal with climate change – a warming planet that causes heat waves, floods, wildfires and droughts.  This Climate Corner has repeatedly stated the need to phase out fossil fuels.
 
Phasing out fossil fuels begins with stopping all exploration for new resources, like oil and gas.  It also means stopping construction of fossil fuel infrastructure, like pipelines.
 
The federal government does have a plan – but it is inadequate.  They need to cap emissions.  With renewable energy on the rise – and a decrease in cost - Canadians could lower their heating and cooling bills.  The federal government should also continue to assist with home audits; and then support homeowners and landlords to retrofit buildings, allowing for alternatives like heat pumps.
 
The federal government should be making a massive investment in clean transportation, bringing back rail and bus lines for intercity travel and public transportation in municipalities.
 
The provincial level
 
The provincial government says they have a plan, but it is not meant to reduce emissions.  They are committed to fossil fuels, as we recently saw with their support for Enbridge’s new gas hook-ups.
 
The Greenbelt scandal indicated their clear support for urban sprawl - and with it - increased dependence on cars. 
 
A provincial government that takes the climate crisis seriously would ramp up renewable energy sources: wind and solar power.  They would create building codes that ensured low carbon developments.  And they would partner with the federal government to expand and maintain public transit.
 
The municipal level
 
Toronto needs to establish a maximum temperature by-law as soon as possible before we lose more of our population to heat related illness.The City does have a good plan to reduce emissions: Transform TO.  However, it is not adequately funded.  If the federal and provincial governments financially supported municipal climate plans, we could make great strides towards a livable city – and a livable planet.   

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD 📌

Return of Randy's!

I'm excited to see the return of Randy's Patties to our Little Jamaica community! This institution sadly shuttered its doors in 2022 due to the ongoing Metrolinx construction and the devastation brought on by the pandemic. 

I'm happy to see them making a return to our neighbourhood. Welcome back! Stay tuned... 👀

Forest Hill BIA Music in Suydam Park

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!

MYBIA Summer Fest

Get read for the biggest event ever hosted by MYBIA!

The MYBIA Summer Fest will a lineup of small businesses and talented artists - an unforgettable celebration of our Midtown-Yonge community! 

SAVE THE DATE:
📆 July 20th, 2024
⏰12 pm - 7 pm
📍 MYBIA area from Kay Gardner Beltline to Soudan Avenue. They'll have a bustling hub at Lolla Road. 

Don't miss out on this fantastic event!

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)

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