There was a host of important updates at our July City Council meeting. A new colour coded rating system for RentSafeTO was adopted, that will help provide transparency to tenants about their buildings and encourage landlords to address systemic property standard issues. This past winter brought out frustrations with City snow removal following significant weather events, and that has led to a review of the City's Winter Maintenance Program. We appointed Dr. Michelle Murti as the City's Medical Officer of Health, and the success of the Downtown Community Outreach Response and Engagement Program has led City Council to continue its good work. There was a lot more that happened, so please check out my full City Council recap.
July also brought an important milestone: for at least a brief period, there were no encampments in any of our major parks, such as Allan Gardens and St. James Park. The pressures that drive people to set up a tent in a park remain are starkly outlined in the recent 2024 Street Needs Assessment, and since my post in July 8 we have (and will continue to see) scattered encampments pop up. It's important that such encampments be reported immediately to 311 so staff can attend and start the process to find indoor space and transition those encamped out of our parks. Related, I have information on Bill 6, the Safer Municipalites Act, 2025 on my website for those wondering what the potential impact on encampments may be.
As parents gear up for back-to-school, I know a question on everyone's mind is what the impact of the Minister of Education's decision to place our school boards under supervision. Your elected Toronto District School Board Trustee, Deborah Williams, has a statement I've put on my website that you can read.
Locally, there are a number of other updates I want to flag:
On the latter, I'm very interested in the future of Old City Hall as a future space for a museum and library, while supporting interim programming. I'm pleased to see a new resident-led advocacy group, Friends of Old City Hall, form to help drive a long-term vision for this incredibly City-owned asset. Please visit their website and come visit Old City Hall!
Finally, I want to flag that there continue to be numerous new cases of Lyme Disease reported in the City. The numbers year over year in Canada are trending upward, and that means more of our children and pets are getting exposed. The City has some great information about prevention; please visit my website for more information.
Your voices shape our community. Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Together, we’re making Toronto Centre a better place for all.
Yours in Service,
Chris Moise
City Councillor
Ward 13 - Toronto Centre
