Hi Neighbour,
Before we get to updates on City Hall and local events, I wanted to take a minute to share about the intense and heavy time that we are currently experiencing.
Over the past two weeks, events in Israel and Gaza have affected the lives of thousands across our ward and around the world.
The despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians have deeply shaken many, in particular members of Toronto’s Jewish community. I shared my support with members of the Chabad of Danforth-Beaches and the thousands of community members who gathered at Mel Lastman Square, and was proud to support motions at Council to support Toronto’s Jewish community, as well as opposing anti-semitism, Islamophobia, and hatred in all its forms.
I have heard from many of you who are devastated at seeing yet another war erupt, with innocent civilians in both Israel and Gaza suffering. This hits hardest for those with family and friends who are directly affected. I share the calls of many for the hostages to be returned, for humanitarian aid to be able to reach Palestinian civilians, for an end to terrorism, and for true peace to be secured.
In the coming weeks and months, I hope that we as Torontonians will commit ourselves to finding common ground with one another, to embracing one another across our cultural and religious differences, and to bettering our community, both for this generation and the next.
As always, my office is here to help you with any questions or concerns you have. Reach out anytime – and read on below for more updates and information on events in the community.
See you out there,
– Brad
EHON Main Street Consultation
I had a chance to drop by the Major Street consultation at City Hall earlier this week. I heard lots of support from participants for the proposal to make it easier to build more midrise apartments in existing neighbourhoods.
Have your say – visit Major Streets Study for a survey and information on virtual consultations.
TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon
As a waterfront Councillor, it was a privilege to be in attendance for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon last weekend.
Whether you ran the full, the half, or the 5K, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon represents a community coming together to inspire, motivate, accomplish, and cross the finish line as one. Congratulations to the runners – including to Kirsten in my office, who ran the half-marathon for the first time – and a big thank you to the organizers and volunteers!
The Art of Gary Crawford Opening Reception
Always happy to support local artists, and this one needs no introduction. It was a real pleasure to attend last night’s gallery opening featuring artwork by former Scarborough Southwest Councillor Gary Crawford. Gary had good taste in choosing the Masterpiece Gallery; part of The Beaches BIA.
Very inspiring and I was more than happy to support and cheer him on.
Check out his artwork by visiting https://garycrawford.ca/
In This Issue
Updates & Announcements from City Hall
- City Hall Updates 🆕
Local Events
- Pumpkin Parades! 🆕
- Small Business Forum 🆕
- Harvest Fest 🆕
- A Taste of Persia 🆕
- Heritage Talk 🆕
- Panel of Professionals from Diverse Fields: Beyond COVID-19
- Harmony Good Food Market
- Big Band Music Night – fundraising for Beach Cares
Community Programs & Employment
- SING Toronto
- SCHC – Fall Bereavement Support Groups
- The Neighbourhood Group – Job Assistance
- Woodgreen’s Meals On Wheels: Volunteers Needed
- Seniors Assistance Home Maintenance (SAHM) Program
- Thorncliffe Park Youth Wellness Hub
Neighbourhood News
- New EV Chargers 🆕
- Back to School – Road Safety
- Coyote Sightings
Work in the Ward
- Storm Sewer Outfall and Pedestrian Bridge Replacement in Taylor Creek Park 🆕
- Construction work on Don Mills Road Bridge to restrict Don Valley Parkway lanes overnightTTC service changes
- Staircase Repair at Coxwell Subway Station
- O’Connor Construction – Updates
- Hydro Work: Danforth Overhead Rebuild Phase 2A
Thanks for taking the time to read my bi-weekly newsletter! If you have any events, news, or ideas to share for our next one – please reach out to my office. Send me an email at [email protected], and we can get you included in our next issue.
Updates & Announcements from City Hall
City Hall Updates 🆕
This past week, the Toronto and East York Community Council met and approved a number of important road safety measures here in Beaches-East York. This includes the approval of traffic calming measures like speed humps on streets like Amroth Avenue and Glebeholme Boulevard. My thanks to everyone in the community who has worked together with my team to help make our streets safer.
City Council also met this month to discuss a number of important issues, including progress towards achieving the City’s HousingTO Action Plan and efforts to deliver free internet to Torontonians. Unfortunately, a debate on reducing GHG emissions on ride-hail vehicles was used to freeze the number of Uber and Lyft vehicles. I remain concerned about the impacts this will have on transit and employment options within Toronto – especially at a time when so many are struggling with affordability. Read more about my thoughts on this important issue here.
Local Events
Pumpkin Parades! 🆕
It’s that time of year again! Community volunteers are organizing Pumpkin Parades for Thursday, November 1st. Bring your artistic Jack-o-Lanterns with a tea light (preferably battery-operated for safety), and admire the artistic collection of our communities. Stay for the final spooktacular lighting or simply drop and go. Pumpkins will be disposed of in a City provided bin.
Parades will be held in:
- Ed McCleverty Playground (a.k.a. Ted Reeve Playground), 7-8pm (use the Gerrard St. entrance)
- East Lynn Park, 6-8 pm
- Moncur Park, 6:30-8pm
For information on any additional parades that get scheduled, follow me on Instagram or Facebook to stay updated.
Small Business Forum 🆕
Are you a small business owner in Toronto? Experience the City’s free full-day, in-person signature event in support of small businesses on October 30, 2023 at the Metro Hall Convention Centre from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Small Business Forum features main stage programming with keynote speakers and expert panels from a wide range of sectors, as well as the Nobellum Pitch Competition, breakout rooms, small group speed mentoring, a vibrant Indigenous Market and a trade show hosting a diverse display of small business services and goods providers.
To learn more and register, visit: Small Business Forum.
Harvest Fest 🆕
Toronto Chinese Mennonite Church (TCMC) is hosting a family friendly Harvest Fest next Sunday, October 29, 2023 between 1-4pm.
Bring non-perishable items to donate to a great cause held by the TCMC.
A Taste of Persia 🆕
Come out and show your support as Kingston Road Village Concert Series presents some great musical talent this upcoming Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 2pm. It is located at the Kingston Road United Church.
For more information, visit: A Taste of Persia, Sayeh-Roshan: Concert and Dinner.
Heritage Talk🆕
There is a Heritage Talk on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 located at the Beaches Sandbox. Scheduled to commemorate Remembrance Day, our speaker David Fuller is a military historian and genealogist. During the question and answer period, his presentation David is encouraging participants with military ancestors to bring their research questions to the event.
Hope to see you there!
Panel of Professionals from Diverse Fields: Beyond COVID
The Membership Committee for Leaside East-York University of Women have planned a special virtual event on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 from 7pm – 8:30pm.
It is a panel discussion from various perspective entitled “Beyond COVID”. The three panelists will be looking at COVID from a sociological, health and financial perspective. Participants are able to register at [email protected].
Dr. Janine McCready, an infectious disease physician who worked closely with East York schools during COVID-19 will be one of the panelists. Dr. McCready is currently a physician at Michael Garron Hospital in Beaches-East York as well. There will be a Q&A period at the end of the session.
Harmony Good Food Market
Harmony Good Food Market is organizing an affordable and fresh produce market from now until October 2023. This great initiative, led by Harmony CFC, is promoting an affordable farmers market to shop for fresh local produce and a space to socialize and meet others in the neighbourhood.
Visit the Harmony Good Food Market on Tuesday afternoons from 3pm-5pm! You definitely do not want to miss it.
Big Band Music Night – Fundraising for Beach Cares
Happening tomorrow night – check out the Eventbrite link to the event here!
The Beach Cares is a church and community organization founded in 2015 to sponsor Syrian Refugees. It is a joint project of Beach United Church, The Anglican Church of St. Aidan and members of the local community.
If you’d like to support Beach Cares financially, please consider making a donation at the St. Aidan’s donation site. TBC welcomes volunteers for the ongoing refugee work.
Community Programs & Employment
SING Toronto
SING! Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival in partnership with the Redwood Theatre will be organizing a singing program with the finest instructors, Randolph Academy’s Jeannie Wyse and Latoya Hall-Downer.
They welcome all who want to learn and sing! The next session will be on November 4th. To learn more, visit: singtoronto.com.
SCHC – Fall Bereavement Support Groups
Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities is a not-for-profit organization that provides a variety of holistic programs to support the health and well-being of the community. One of the programs offered is the Bereavement Peer – Support Groups. They provide several different types of virtual and in-person options.
For more information, please visit: SCHC – Bereavement Care.
The Neighbourhood Group – Job Assistance
The Neighbourhood Group is offering FREE Employment Services to help you prepare for and find work. Whether you’re out of school and looking for a job, new to Canada and want your first Canadian work experience, looking to change your career, or trying to get back into the workforce, they have various training programs, work placements, workshops, online job board, and resource centres.
For more information, visit The Neighbourhood Group.
Woodgreen’s Meals On Wheels: Volunteers Needed
WoodGreen is one of the largest social service agencies in Toronto with a Meals On Wheels program that has operated for over 25 years in Toronto’s east end to residents who reside anywhere from the Don Valley Parkway in the west to Victoria Park Avenue to the east, and south of Danforth Avenue to Lake Ontario.
WoodGreen Community Services is seeking help from local residents for the Meals On Wheels program, a service dedicated to increasing food security and independent living for seniors and adults with disabilities.
They are looking for volunteer drivers, usually with their own vehicles, who transport the Meals from Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital in Riverdale which provides the meals. They are also looking for volunteer runners, who package the Meals on route and deliver them to seniors who may otherwise be left without an accessible source of nutritious food.
For more information on the Meals On Wheels program and to volunteer as a DRIVER or RUNNER, please send an email to [email protected], or call 416-405-5059.
Seniors Assistance Home Maintenance (SAHM) Program
The Seniors Assistance Home Maintenance (SAHM) program has been organized to support the seniors community with services ranging from garden and yard work to light housekeeping.
If you or anyone you know is looking for more assistance around their home, contact Kevin at 416-531-8447 or email [email protected] for more information.
Thorncliffe Park Youth Wellness Hub
We’re thrilled to share that in-person services are available at the Thorncliffe Park Youth Wellness Hub, a new welcoming space at East York Town Centre that provides health, wellness, employment and other services for youth and young adults! To access services, come by the Thorncliffe Park Youth Wellness Hub during its drop-in hours: Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
It is located at East York Town Centre, 45 Overlea Blvd. (Please use mall Entrance 6; the Youth Wellness Hub is located beside Dollarama). All services are free and open to everyone aged 12 to 25. Youth and young adults do not need a health card, family doctor or medical referral. Services include wellness counselling, peer support, employment services, settlement services, food support, primary care and more. No matter what you might be dealing with, their team can help.
For more information, please visit Thorncliffe Youth Club or follow them on Instagram @ThorncliffeYouthHub.
Neighbourhood News
New EV Chargers 🆕
Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) is pleased to announce the installation of six (6) L2 Electric Vehicle chargers in Car Park 183 located at 166 Woodbine Ave. This surface car park facility contains 21 parking spaces and can be accessed off Woodbine Avenue or Boardwalk Drive. The operation of the 6 EV chargers in Car Park 183 commenced today (October 20, 2023) at 12:00 PM. Go check them out!
Coyote Sightings
Seeing more coyotes in your neighbourhood? It’s quite normal to see or encounter more coyotes in parks and green spaces across Toronto. They are typically shy and timid in nature and generally do not pose a danger to people, however they have been known to pose a danger for small pets. Here are a few ways to help keep you and your pets safe:
• Always keep your dog close to you and on a leash, especially in areas where coyotes are known to live.
• Never feed coyotes and do not leave food, including pet food, outside.
• Properly dispose of garbage and waste at home and at parks.
• When encountering a coyote, do not run; instead make a loud noise to scare the coyote away.
• Do not approach coyotes, their dens or their young.
• Do not touch coyotes, even if they appear tame, sick or injured.
Most interactions people have with coyotes are a result of a regular food source, caused by people either intentionally or unintentionally leaving food or garbage behind. Feeding wildlife may seem like the kind thing to do, but it can be very harmful. Letting wildlife forage for themselves is truly the only kindness they need.
The City of Toronto in partnership with Coyote Watch Canada has created an e-learning module that provides a lot of great information about coyote behavior and ways that we can co-exist peacefully with our wild neighbours safely. To learn more, visit toronto.ca/Coyotes.
Work in the Ward
Storm Sewer Outfall and Pedestrian Bridge Replacement in Taylor Creek Park 🆕
The City of Toronto plans to restore sections of Taylor Massey Creek and Ferris Creek that have been damaged due to creek erosion. Work is scheduled to commence this November and expected to end in April 2024.
Sections of the Taylor Creek Trail will be closed, however, a trail detour will be in place during the duration of construction.
Construction work on Don Mills Road Bridge to restrict Don Valley Parkway lanes overnight
Starting Tuesday, September 5, the City of Toronto will undertake overnight planned construction on the Don Mills Road Bridge over the Don Valley Parkway (DVP), to provide structural maintenance of the bridge thereby prolonging its lifespan.
To complete the work safely, there will be nightly traffic restrictions on the DVP near Don Mills Road. The City is committed to planning construction in a way that minimizes the disruption to the public as much as possible and is why work is being done overnight when traffic volumes are lower.
The restrictions will be in place from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday to Friday, and 11 p.m. to 9 a.m., Saturday and Sunday.
From Tuesday, September 5 until Friday, November 3, the following overnight restrictions will be in effect:
- southbound and northbound DVP will be reduced to one or two lanes
- southbound off-ramp to southbound Don Mills Road will be closed
- southbound DVP on-ramp from northbound Don Mills Road will be closed
- northbound DVP off-ramp to northbound Don Mills Road will be closed periodically
This work involves cleaning and coating the structural steel on the bridge, which will help protect the structure from corrosion, prevent costly repairs and extend its service life.
During construction, people travelling in the area should consider alternate routes and allow extra time to get to and from their destinations.
Full details of this work are available on the City’s website: Don Mills Road Bridge Rehabilitation over the Don Valley Parkway.
TTC service changes effective September 3, 2023
Since September 3, 2023, there have been several changes made to streetcar routes in the east-end. There will be a reduction of streetcars using Kingston-Queen Loop as 506 Carlton streetcars return back to Main Street Station. 505 Dundas streetcars will also be extended to Neville Park Loop for a few weeks, between September 3 and 22. See further details below:
501 Queen
The 501 Queen route will generally operate along the following sections until further notice, unless a temporary diversion is required such as upcoming work at Queen and De Grassi (see below).
- West-end: 501 Queen streetcars will operate between Roncesvalles Avenue and McCaul Loop (Queen and McCaul). Once construction along The Queensway is completed, streetcars are anticipated to resume travel as far west as Long Branch Loop.
- Downtown: 501B Queen replacement buses will continue to operate between Queen Street/Bathurst Street and Broadview Avenue/Gerrard Street, diverting around the Queen Street closure due to Ontario Line work.
501D Queen buses are currently operating in the east end on Queen Street between Church Street and Neville Park Loop.
Starting October 8 until further notice, the 501D Queen route will convert into a streetcar service.
503 Kingston Rd
- 503 Kingston Rd bus will continue to operate between Bingham Loop and King and York streets.
505 Dundas
- 505 Dundas streetcars are currently operating between Dundas West Station and Kingston-Queen Loop.
506 Carlton
- 506 Carlton streetcars have returned to Main Street Station, operating through the east-end regularly.
- 506C Carlton replacement buses will no longer be operating due to the resumption of 506 Carlton streetcars to Main Street Station.
Staircase Repair at Coxwell Subway Station
As part of the TTC’s state of good repair program, they will be conducting repairs to one of the staircases at Coxwell Station between July 24, 2023 and October 2023. Coxwell Station has two sets of stairs and an escalator taking customers up to bus platform level/street level. During this work, only one staircase will be closed for repair – the escalator, second set of stairs and elevators will remain open for customers. All work will take place behind construction hoarding.
O’Connor Construction
The sidewalk replacement and road reconstruction project on O’Connor Drive from St Clair Avenue East to Bermondsey Road is ongoing. As part of the work, the contractor will replace sections of damaged sidewalks, excavate the road, and install a new concrete road base. This will see Pedestrian Improvements, Vehicular Traffic Improvements, Sustainability/Green Features, and Underground Infrastructure Improvements.
My office continues to monitor the ongoing construction, which we know has been very disruptive for anyone attempting to travel through the area. We have continued to request additional notice for any closures that are required, and to maintain as many lanes for travel as possible. For the latest updates on the project and any required road closures, please check here.
Hydro Work: Danforth Overhead Rebuild Phase 2A
Toronto Hydro is currently doing some upgrades on Danforth. The boundaries for the project include Dentonia Park Avenue (North), Thyra Avenue (East), Danforth Avenue (South), and Avonlea Boulevard (West).
Thanks for taking the time to read my bi-weekly newsletter! If you have any events, news, or ideas to share for our next one – please reach out to my office! Send me an email at [email protected] and we can get you included in our next issue.
Have questions, comments or concerns? Just hit reply to this email and get in touch with me.
For real-time updates on the local issues that matter to you most, please follow any of my social media accounts!
About Brad Bradford - - -
