Happy April Toronto Centre!
I hope everyone had a wonderful last week of March, and everyone is enjoying the warming temperatures of Spring! We had a long three-day council meeting last week and I'd like to share some highlights for our ward.
We approved the contract for the new streetcar track on Adelaide Street that will minimize the amount of time that the 501 streetcar route needs to be replaced by shuttle busses. I am thankful to have achieved this outcome with Councillor Malik to ensure that the 501 streetcar will have the infrastructure for a route diversion no later than March 2024.
I was also able to allocate $500,000 of section 37 funds to Dixon Hall, so Dixon Hall can continue the great community work they do. I am proud to have amazing service providers like Dixon Hall in Toronto Centre and I will continue to support them as best as I can as City Councillor. We also approved new funding for a new dental clinic at 160 Borough Drive that will help address the City's seniors' dental needs where they are the highest.
As a former healthcare worker and the current Chair of Board of Health, I am extremely disappointed in the Provincial Governments' decision to end the Physician and Hospital Services for Uninsured Persons Program. Health care should be universal and we should not be targeting those who are already at a disadvantage. Everyone deserves to be healthy and lead a life of great quality, with or without insurance.
I'd also like to remind residents, as it is now April, I encourage everyone to make sure they file their taxes. There are several tax clinics in our ward and I encourage everyone to make use of these important community resources. Please see below for more information on tax clinics in Toronto Centre!
I hope this e-newsletter is informative, I encourage you to share it with your neighbours and encourage them to sign up for updates and other notices at www.chrismoise.ca. My team and I have also launched our text messaging service, if you are interested in receiving text updates about road closures or construction notices in our Ward, text us at (647) 424-3257.
Yours in service,
Chris Moise
- Community Environment Day
- Constituency Office Grand Opening
- Tax Clinics
- Moss Park Market
- Park People Grants
- Vaccination Options
- Programs, Grants and Awards
- Upcoming Community Consultations
- Mayoral By-Election
Community Environment Day
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The Ward 13 office is hosting our Community Environment Day on Saturday, April 22nd from 10:00AM to 2:00PM at The Big Park in Regent Park. Come by and pick up leaf compost, donate items in good condition for reuse, and dispose of unwanted items!
Constituency Office Grand Opening
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Great news! The Ward 13 team will have our very own constituency office at 329 Parliament Street. We will be able to connect with residents in the community and host meetings outside of our City Hall office. I’m excited to connect with residents in a more local setting when our office opens. We will host a grand opening on April 29th, 2023 at 1:00PM. Please RSVP below!
St. James Town is offering a Free Income Tax Clinic by appointment only, on Saturday, April 8th and Saturday, April 22nd from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. For in-person appointments, the location is The Corner at 200 Wellesley Street East. To be eligible for the clinic, your postal code must start with one of the following: M4X, M4Y, M5A and M5B. For more details or to book an appointment, please call (416) 964 – 6657 Or you can visit: The Corner @ 200 Wellesley Street, East, Toronto, ON M4X 1G3.
There is also a tax clinic at 40 Oak Street (Fred Victor Centre) operating every two weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00AM to 11:30AM until Thursday, April 27th. Please call Maseeda Majeed at (647) 580-9319 to book an appointment!
Building Roots is an organization in Moss Park that created a market with space for the community, providing fresh fruits and vegetables since 2013. Building Roots was initially founded in response to a lack of access to fresh food and agricultural growing space across Toronto. The Moss Park Market continues to operate every Saturday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at 260 Queen Street East (Queen and Seaton Streets). The market offers fresh, healthy, and accessible food for all through a pay-what-you-can model. I encourage the community to visit and say hello!
You may have noticed the second, brand-new shipping container next to our Moss Park Market. Building Roots call it the Gathering Space – a place where community members can come together to share, learn, and enjoy. The Building Roots team is actively working on planning community programs, events, and workshops for the new season. Stay tuned for future announcements!
Park People is offering micro-grants for different initiatives around Toronto!
In partnership with the City of Toronto, Park People works with grantees to mobilize, activate and explore Toronto’s ravines. Park People and our many ravine park groups also take part in the City of Toronto’s Ravine Days. The $2500 micro grants will help communities host two simple, creative and engaging environmentally-focused events in their local Toronto ravine from June 1 to November 1, 2023. The application deadline for the InTO the Ravines Grants is Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
The Sparking Change program engages hundreds of park leaders in Toronto’s equity-deserving communities. In 2022, Sparking Change awarded 20 grants to BIPOC-led park initiatives in the City of Toronto including 14 groups that led events in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas. In 2023, Sparking Change Toronto's $2,500 grants will help active BIPOC-led resident groups and equity-deserving communities host an outdoor activity in their local park or green space before November 30, 2023. The Sparking Change Toronto Grants application deadline is Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
Toronto Public Health (TPH) provides appointment and walk-in vaccination opportunities for individuals who are yet to be vaccinated or are eligible for a COVID-19 booster dose. Bivalent booster vaccines are available for anyone five years of age and older. Health cards are not required.
All TPH immunization clinics are open Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details are available on the City's COVID-19: City Immunization Clinics webpage.
TPH is also helping Toronto students catch up on lifesaving vaccines they may have missed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and guardians of children from four to 17 years of age can book vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease, pertussis (whooping cough) and varicella (chickenpox) at TPH immunization clinics. Ontario's Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires these nine children's vaccines. Students in grades 7 to 12 can also continue to access vaccines for human papillomavirus, meningococcal and hepatitis B at these clinics. There is no fee for children to receive these vaccines, and a health card is not required.
Appointments are preferred, though walk-ins will be accommodated based on capacity. Appointments can be made online through the TPH appointment booking system.
Mobile clinics continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines for eligible residents ages five and older. Vaccines for children six months and older are also available at select mobile clinics. A health card is not required. Appointments are not necessary to visit a mobile clinic. Book here.
Programs, Grants and Awards
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The City of Toronto’s CaféTO Property Improvement Program provides restaurant, bar, and café owners with a matching grant covering 50%, up to $7,500 towards the cost of improvements to patios in the curb lane, on sidewalks and on private property. Funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for South Ontario, this program is part of the Toronto Main Street Recovery and Rebuild Initiative. Applications are now open and will be accepted until Friday, June 30, or when funds are expended. Priority will be given to applicants with temporary curb lane platforms.
The City of Toronto is accepting applications for the Youth Violence Prevention Grant to support the de-escalation of violence in priority Toronto communities. The Grant, which will be open for applications until Tuesday, April 11 at 12:00p.m., will see $2.2 million in total funding allocated to approved local community agencies in priority community zones that have been identified across Toronto.
The City of Toronto is accepting applications for its capacity-building grants for Indigenous-led grassroots groups and collectives. Groups can apply for one grant each of up to $20,000, with a total of $450,000 available funding in 2023. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis starting today until Thursday, September 21. Applications will be assessed and grant recipients will be selected throughout the application period, on a quarterly basis, with deadlines on Tuesday, March 21, Wednesday, June 21, and September 21. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as funding may be allocated before the final September 21 deadline.
Upcoming Community Consultations
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There is an upcoming Community Consultation Meeting for a new development in our ward, please see below for more details:
Development Address: 295 Jarvis Street
Date: Tuesday, April 11th, 2023
Time: 6:30PM to 8:00PM
Location: 240 Jarvis Street, Toronto Metropolitan University, International Living & Learning Centre, International Room
Development: Regent Park Phases 4 and 5
Date: Tuesday, April 25th, 2023
Time: 6:00PM to 8:00PM
Link to register for attendance: Register Here
The Mayoral By-election Dates are as follows, if you are interested in running for Mayor, nominations have started already! Even if you are not planning to run, I encourage everyone to schedule a day to go vote!
- Nominations will open Monday, April 3 at 8:30 a.m.
- Nominations will close Friday, May 12 at 2 p.m.
- Advance voting will take place Thursday, June 8 to Tuesday, June 13
- By-election will be held Monday, June 26
From now, until 2:00PM on Friday, May 12, a person qualified to hold the office of Mayor can file a nomination to run in Toronto's 2023 mayoral by-election. To run for the office of Mayor, a person must:
- File a nomination paper with original signature
- Provide proof of qualifying address within the city of Toronto
- Pay a $200 nomination filing fee
- Provide at least 25 endorsements of nomination from eligible Toronto voters with original signatures.
Until a nomination is filed, a person cannot raise or spend money on their campaign.
Individuals are strongly encouraged to book a timeslot to file their nomination through the online appointment booking system. Having an appointment will ensure quick service, minimize wait times and reduce crowding. Appointments can be booked on the Toronto Elections webpage here. For more information about the by-election please visit the City's Elections Page.
