City Update E-Newsletter
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Toronto at Your Service
budgetTO 2019
The City budget determines how much money the City will raise and spend within a year. The City’s 2019 staff-recommended budget will be presented for consideration by the City’s Executive Committee on March 4 and Toronto City Council at a special meeting on March 7. Learn more about the 2019 budget at toronto.ca/budget and follow along on social media at #budgetTO.
City cycle tracks made permanent
More than 6,100 daily cyclists now travel along the east-west cycle tracks on Richmond and Adelaide streets, making them the most-travelled bike routes in the city. Last month, City Council voted to make them and the north-south cycle tracks on Simcoe and Peter streets permanent. The Adelaide St. track will also be made safer as it moves from the south side of the street to the north side. The City’s Ten Year Cycling Network Plan is giving cyclists in Toronto access to the largest concentration of workplaces in the country, as well as to housing, culture, entertainment and retail destinations. Learn more about cycling in Toronto.
School crossing guards wanted
School crossing guards play an important role in keeping our kids safe as they travel to and from school. If you or someone you know is interested in serving the community in a paid position as a school crossing guard, please email SchoolCrossingGuard@toronto.ca for information on how to apply.
Indigenous Affairs Office web pages
Toronto has the largest Indigenous population in Ontario and the fourth largest in Canada. The City of Toronto’s new Indigenous Affairs Office (IAO) supports City divisions in their work with First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, strengthening the City’s relationship with Indigenous communities and advancing reconciliation. The IAO web pages feature information about Toronto’s Indigenous Peoples, resources, related policies and programs, and events that support the City’s commitment to Indigenous Peoples.
City employees raise $1.69 million for United Way Greater Toronto
The Toronto Public Service exceeded its 2018 employee campaign fundraising goal and raised $1.69 million to benefit the United Way Greater Toronto, which will help build stronger communities and improve the lives of those who need it most. The annual campaign raises funds for more than 200 United Way member agencies. It’s one important way that City of Toronto staff give back to the community.
PATH extension
There’s good news for those who use the PATH to get around. An extension under York Street – scheduled to open in June 2020 – will add another connection to Union Station and the waterfront, as well as replace aging below-ground infrastructure. For everyone’s safety during the 16-month construction period, York Street between Bremner Blvd. and Lake Shore Blvd. has been reduced to a single northbound lane and a single southbound lane. You may want to plan your driving route accordingly to avoid delays. Learn more about this private project.
Your Toronto
Celebrate Family Day across the city
The City of Toronto is offering fun, fabulous Family Day programs and activities – most of them free – throughout the city on February 18. Whether you’re seeking indoor or outdoor fun, there’s something for everyone from Family Winter Fun Day at Fort York and Nathan Phillips Square Family Day Skating to swimming, skiing and skating to family cooking and fitness classes. Want to learn to drum or dance? We’ve got lessons! Or stop by the High Park Zoo and Riverdale Farm (both free) or settle in to play some board games with your family. Check out the City’s Family Day activities online. Children must be accompanied by an adult for all activities.
Welcome to winter TO!
Winter doesn’t need to mean hibernation when the City has so much winter fun to offer. Were you aware that Toronto has 113 indoor and outdoor ice pads, natural rinks and trails, two skiing and snowboarding centres and plenty of locations that are great for tobogganing and snowshoeing? Discover the many ways to enjoy winter in Toronto.
Spotlight on StART (StreetARToronto)
The City’s StreetARToronto (StART) program showcases vibrant, colourful, community-engaged street art.
Apply now for 2019 StART funding
Toronto artists, collectives, not-for-profit organizations and independent cultural producers can apply for funding through the StART 2019 Partnership Program quickly and easily via a new online portal. The portal marks another exciting innovation resulting from the collaboration between StART and Civic Hall Toronto. The deadline to apply is this Friday, February 15.
New online map showcases street art
Toronto is home to some of the best mural, street and graffiti artists and artwork in the world. These artists and their works have transformed our streets, laneways and parks into a city-wide art gallery. The City of Toronto and Civic Hall Toronto recently released StreetARToronto – The Map! to help residents and visitors find and explore street art throughout the city. This app includes filters to help you search by year the street art was created and/or ward. The map will be updated regularly to add more artwork and options.
Award-winning short film Pushing StART
Created by Toronto filmmaker Karl Man, Pushing StART is a fascinating and intimate short film featuring street artists Alexander Bacon and Que Rockford as they create the StART mural on the Dupont Street Underpass at Dundas West. Man received the Award of Distinction from the 2018 Canada Shorts Film Festival for his work.
Dream of owning your own street art?
StreetARToronto and Artusiasm Gallery are collaborating on the first StART photography exhibit and sale. The photo exhibit of StART artwork, curated by Carlos Rodrigues and Tanzina Amin, runs until February 24 at Artusiasm Gallery (1684 St Clair Ave. W.). Photographs of street art work will be for sale. All profits go to the artist and photographer.
Save the date
The fifth annual Toronto Newcomer Day will be held on May 16 at Nathan Phillips Square from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Be sure to mark it in your calendar. More details to follow in the April edition of City Update.
Toronto Through the Eyes of Women Artists
The Market Gallery exhibit Toronto Through the Eyes of Women Artists highlights how Canadian women artists have depicted and engaged with Toronto over the past 160 years. The exhibit runs until April 27 and features 56 works from 37 nationally acclaimed artists, including Marion Long, Paraskeva Clark and Doris McCarthy. All of the works are part of the City’s art collection. This is the first time the Market Gallery has presented a group exhibit of women artists from that collection.
Bringing joy to long-term care residents
Residents at the City’s long-term care home Castleview Wychwood Towers received a visit from Santa and his elves this past December. Children from Hillcrest Community School helped distribute gifts to residents and sang songs and did crafts with them as part of the Be a Santa to a Senior program. If you’d like to help brighten the day of the City’s long-term care home residents, there are lots of volunteer opportunities available.
Environmental Initiatives
Know before you throw! Ask Waste Wizard
Got an old clown wig or a bunch of paper airplanes that just wouldn’t fly? Not sure what to do with them? Ask the Waste Wizard, the City of Toronto’s online search tool. Quick and easy to use, the Waste Wizard provides information on how to properly dispose of more than 2,000 items. Access the Waste Wizard online or on your phone or tablet through the new TOwaste app.
Take steps to prevent frozen pipes
The pipes in your home can freeze in cold weather. This can leave you with no water or cause pipes to burst, leading to expensive property damage. If your pipes are prone to freezing, you may want to contact a plumber for advice. Visit the City’s website for tips to help protect your home.
Awards and Accolades
Toronto recognized for circular economy efforts
A circular economy aims to reduce waste and maximize resources by moving from a take-make-and-dispose approach to an innovative system that focuses on product longevity, renewability, reuse and repair. The City of Toronto was recently recognized as runner up in the Public Sector Category of the 2019 Circulars Awards, presented at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The City is working towards an aspirational goal of zero waste and becoming the first municipality in Ontario with a circular economy.
