Every month, my team and I visit a different neighborhood in Ward 13 to listen and see the concerns residents have shared with me firsthand, as part of my mission to build vibrant and inclusive communities in Toronto Centre.
In August, I had the pleasure of touring the Village and McGill-Granby neighbourhoods along with the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association (CWNA) and The McGiIl-Granby Village Residents’ Association (MGVRA).
Our walk began in Joseph Sheard Parkette, which is in a dire state of maintenance. I heard from my team that with McGill Parkette closed, the antisocial behavior that was present moved to Joseph Sheard Parkette. In the fall, City staff will be adding new landscaping measures to help renew the park. I remain hopeful that the park will be continuously activated by local residents with the improvements to come.
Continuing in the McGill-Granby neighborhood, we explored hotspots pinpointed by my team and the MGVRA, including the walkway from Granby Street to Yonge Street that attracts a significant amount of drug use. As part of our efforts, TTC staff are improving lighting in the walkway to discourage drug activity and to improve safety at the entrance and exit to the subway station. Our office is also advocating for additional attention by 51 Division.
As I walked north along Church Street, we began the Village section of the walk, where I met with staff at The 519. Together, we continue to discuss ways to improve and expand the 519’s 2SLGBTQ+ oriented programs and services.
At Barbara Hall Park, I heard about the safety issues residents are facing, particularly those living on Monteith Street. I also had a frank conversation with the CWNA about the current state of the park. It's disheartening to learn that residents don't feel safe in their own neighborhood. I am optimistic that the future revitalization of Barbara Hall Park will create a safe environment for residents to enjoy. As part of the revitalized Downtown East Action Plan, hotspot areas including Barbara Hall Park will be cleaned twice a day, an increase from the current daily cleaning.
Finally, the last stop at our walk was at Sanctuary on Charles Street East, where I had a tour of the grounds and talked to the leadership team there. Sanctuary is setting up a community liaison committee, which will establish a forum for community members to learn about their work and impact, discuss issues related to the neighbourhood and foster open and ongoing communication between residents, community members and Sanctuary.
Thank you to all my staff, Ian Gemmell from the MGVRA, Connie Langille from the CWNA, Maura Lawless from The 519 and Simon Beck from Sanctuary for accompanying me on this neighbourhood walk. By listening to residents, we can gain valuable insights into the unique challenges that we face in Ward 13.
The Laneway Projects organization is asking you to identify some laneways in Ward 13 that needs love!
We have come a long way since the summer of 2023 when Allan Gardens was the largest encampment in the city.
I'm proud to once again be coming back to our community for this year's Neighbourhood Town Hall series!
