Gord Perks City Councillor, Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park

Pride Toronto is looking to work with a minimum of four (4) installation artists to create visual programming during the 2021 Pride Festival. Submissions must be received by 11:59 pm EST, March 31, 2021.

Please see this 3-page document below for more information.

Toronto ACORN is hosting a virtual tenant rights information session on Saturday March 27 at 2PM, as well as a virtual resist renovictions workshop on Monday March 29th at 6PM.

We will cover details around renovictions, rent increases, evictions, maintenance and repair issues, and more.

There will be time for questions and discussion afterward. We will also have an information flyer to send to those who attended with more resources and links to topics covered.

Those who are interested will need to register beforehand using this link:  bit.ly/TenantsRightsInfoSessions for the session on Saturday and bit.ly/ResistRenovictionsWorkshop for the session on Monday.

There are also event pages on Facebook:
Tenant Information Session – https://www.facebook.com/events/843308743194706

Resist Renovictions – https://www.facebook.com/events/263297812115963

Those who are interested can RSVP by emailing torontoadmin@acorncanada.org or by calling 416 461 9233.

Residents and stakeholders can start to participate in the consultation process by way of the Garden + Suites Survey. Virtual community meetings to present the Garden + Suites study and to gather input from a variety of residents and stakeholders will begin in April 2021. Further information regarding the community consultation meetings will be provided once dates have been confirmed.

The Garden Suites Study is one of several studies that the City Planning Division is leading to expand housing options in Neighbourhoods. A Garden Suite is an accessory housing unit, usually located in the rear yard, and is separate, or detached from the main house. Garden Suites, like Laneway Suites, are generally smaller than the main house on the lot and function as a rental housing unit.

The Garden Suites Study will review important matters which include privacy and shadowing, protecting trees, sustainability, fire access, parking, and appropriate standards given a variety of residential lot characteristics across the City, among many others.

Additional information about the Garden + Suites study is available at the study website.

The West Toronto Ontario Health Team (OHT), in collaboration with Toronto Public Health,  will be presenting a one hour Zoom Town Hall meeting on March 24, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines. Our speakers are recognized members of the medical community; Dr. Mark Downing, Associate Medical Director, Infection Control at St. Joseph’s Health Centre and Dr. Herveen Sachdeva, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health.

West Toronto OHT Vaccine Town Hall

March 24, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Register here: http://bit.ly/WTOHTVaccine

Cooper Mills-Gooch Community Food Bank, located at 4020 Dundas Street West, is proud to announce its opening of public services on March 25th, 2021. This initiative will provide the Jane/Dundas area with food support in the form of fresh produce, fruit and other food essentials. Clients will be able to access the food bank every Thursday, from 2-6 PM.

Cooper Mills-Gooch Food Bank is operated in partnership with College-Montrose Children’s Place, United Way GT, Daily Bread, Toronto Community Housing, 4 Villages Community Health Centre, Access Alliance, Runnymede Presbyterian Church and St. Giles Kingsway Presbyterian Church. These organizations collaborate with volunteers and community members in order to offer services and are committed to empowering the neighbourhoods they serve.

For more information, please call 416-358-0031.

The Junction Residents Association (JRA) is a group of volunteers who live in and love this neighbourhood.

Their purpose is to make the Junction an even greater place to live by uniting their skills and passions to improve their community.

Together, they want to plan community events, and join their voices to help shape the neighbourhood, support local businesses, drive environmental stewardship and so much more.

There are a number of ways to get involved!

• Sign yourself and your family up for a membership* – BONUS! The kind folks at the West End Phoenix have offered members a 15% discount on their newspaper subscription! Discount will be available until April 30, 2021.
• Attend a meeting and lend your voice
• Join one of the committees
• Apply for a board position
• Lend your skills and talents where/when you can

JRA hopes to make the Junction an even more vibrant, inclusive, and liveable neighbourhood and they would love for you to join them!

Visit the JRA website to learn more and get in touch: www.torontojra.com

*Membership cost is a sliding scale to be as inclusive to all residents as possible.

The Sacred Practice of Caregiving
March 25, 12:30 p.m. Via Zoom and Facebook Live.

Join us for a conversation with Professor John Swinton on the key role spirituality can play in caregiving. Professor Swinton is a sought-after speaker on issues of healthcare and spirituality, building on years of practical experience and theological reflection.

This talk will be of special interest to caregivers, particularly those who love and care for people with dementia or mental health challenges. Let your family and friends know.

Register for the Zoom link at bit.ly/SwintonMar25

Or watch via Facebook Live at Facebook.com/WindermereUC

EASTER FOOD DRIVE – Help us fill baskets with more than just chocolates this year. Please bring your non-perishable items to our side door on Mayfield Ave, Saturday April 3^rd, from 10am-4pm.

Neighbours Helping Neighbours (NHN) is a program organized by Windemere United Church that connects local people who require help with neighbours who can help. We pull together supplies, practical information on community services, food security,  and, most important, volunteers. And then, make the connections. If a person requires specialized assistance, their situation is referred to an appropriate resource. If we can help, please reach out through this form or call us at (416) 769-5611. If you want to volunteer, we’d love to hear from you, here.

Joint Statement in Support of Pathway Inside

“Today, the City of Toronto is launching a prioritized program to provide safe indoor accommodation and support for people experiencing homelessness, staying in encampments at Moss Park, Lamport Stadium, Alexandra Park and Trinity-Bellwoods.

https://www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-supporting-people-living-in-encampments-with-safe-supportive-indoor-space/

The City’s Pathway Inside program was developed through hard work and consultations with encampment residents and supportive community agencies. This new and enhanced service will provide private, well-maintained and secure rooms to singles and couples, along with necessary health and living supports. These new housing options respond to what encampment residents have been asking for: private rooms in the downtown that keep them close to their community and support networks.

As City Councillors, we understand that the crisis of homelessness during the pandemic requires that we take every measure possible to care for Torontonians. We believe that this enhanced program is a critical step towards permanently housing people, and ensuring the health and safety of entire communities.  Governments, community workers, and all Torontonians need to continue to work together to create  safe and compassionate pathways to housing for those in our communities who are without a home. We will continue to fight tirelessly for more affordable housing, including pushing the province for operating funds to create the 2000 supportive units.  http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2021.EX21.2

We are encouraged by this initiative and support this continued work. Together, we believe that we can – with political will, resources, and support – end chronic homelessness. And, we are going to continue working to achieve that goal. ”

Councillor Gord Perks

Councillor Joe Cressy

Councillor Mile Layton

Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam

I am happy to share that the City of Toronto with our healthcare partners and Toronto Public Health have administered 217,579 COVID-19 vaccine doses to date.

Starting tomorrow, Friday, March 12, approximately 133,000 individual COVID-19 vaccination appointments for Torontonians born in 1941 and earlier will be available to book online through the City of Toronto’s website, toronto.ca/covid-19. The 133,000 bookings will be for appointments between March 17 and April 11 at three City-operated mass immunization clinics.

• • Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W.
  • Scarborough Town Centre, 300 Borough Dr.
  • Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd.

Here’s a video tour on the City’s YouTube channel to show what residents can expect at these clinics.

Answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination booking for residents are available here.

As the City continues to make progress in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the community, protect the healthcare system and save lives, I urge you to stay home as much as possible.

The City is also developing Vaccine Engagement Teams to support vaccination efforts, particularly in communities hardest hit by COVID-19. Funding will be made available for not-for-profit organizations and Indigenous leaders and communities. More information on this is available here.

If you have any other questions or comments regarding the vaccine rollout, my office is available at Councillor_Perks@toronto.ca .

Gord

The City is developing Vaccine Engagement Teams to support vaccination efforts, particularly in communities hardest hit by COVID-19.

Through the City’s Community Coordination Plan clusters, the City will invite community agencies, grassroots groups, resident-led groups and faith–based organizations to form vaccine engagement teams.

The City is providing funding to not-for-profit organizations to act as Vaccine Engagement Partner Leads from April 2021 to March 2022.

An additional dedicated funding will be provided for Indigenous leaders and communities to self-determine their approach to community engagement and vaccine mobilization in their communities.

This Expression of Interest are open and applications are due on March 29, 2021. Once agencies are selected they will work with the City to co-design their engagement plans, co-ordinate their efforts and leverage City communications.

Please see below for the Expression of Interest for the grant.