City Council met for the final time until September on July 23 and 24. While much time was spent discussing the possibility of accelerating the state of good repair work on the Gardiner Expressway, attention was also given to the City’s housing delivery and flood mitigation.
The Toronto Association of Community Centres (AOCCs) is made up of 10 City-owned, community-operated service spaces. These centres are distinct from the City’s Community Recreation Centres, which are operated by Parks, Forestry and Recreation. The community-centred AOCCs model aims to foster social connectedness, community resilience and health and wellbeing. In Toronto Centre, the 519 operates as part of the AOCCs program.
City Council has adopted the Association of Community Centres Expansion Framework to drive community development outcomes. As the AOCCs portfolio expands for the first time in 30 years, procedural, financial and legal considerations will be made, as well as considerations regarding equity and location. Currently, most of the 10 AOCCs are located within the boundaries of pre-amalgamation City of Toronto. This expansion will allow more communities to benefit from the AOCCs program.
The Toronto Island Park Master Plan has been in development over the past several years and was co-created by the City, Indigenous rights holders, the local community and the public through extensive consultation. City Council has officially adopted the Master Plan, which aims to:
The Heads and Beds Levy on institutions applies to colleges and universities, public hospitals and correctional facilities. Since 1987, the levy has been fixed at $75 per provincially rated hospital bed, full-time student or resident place. City Council has requested that the Province increase the levy annually by the rate of inflation. Such an increase would bolster tax revenue by $27.2 million for 2024.
I was delighted residents from across Ward 13 come together for a festive evening this past December 11 at the St. Lawrence Hall.
The reconstituted Historic Queen East Business Improvement Area (BIA) held its first annual general meeting (AGM) with business owners and commercial property owners between Victoria Street to River Street on December 4, 2024. While the BIA was unable to pass a budget, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our volunteer-based board of management. Their tireless efforts in organizing this event and articulating their visions at the AGM were instrumental in recruiting new board members for its 2025 strategic plans.
The final City Council meeting of 2024 was momentous as we bid farewell to Dr. de Villa as our Medical Officer of Health and attended to items that addressed housing, rental standards and road safety.
