The Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy (TSNS) is the City of Toronto’s action plan for building partnerships in Toronto’s neighbourhoods so they can succeed and thrive. The strategy supports community well-being by partnering with residents, community agencies and businesses to invest in people, services, programs and facilities in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIA’s). The strategy strengthens the social, economic and physical conditions and delivers local impact for city-wide change.

TSNS Mission

To achieve equitable opportunities across all Toronto neighbourhoods by:

  • Activating people
  • Activating resources
  • Activating neighbourhood friendly policies

TSNS Vision

No matter what neighbourhood Torontonians call home, there are equitable opportunities for well-being.

TSNS: Then & Now

In 2005, City Council identified 13 Priority Neighbourhoods as part of the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy. In 2011, residents, businesses and agencies from across Toronto helped review the Strategy and suggested ways to improve it. The Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy (TSNS)  included their suggestions and reflects how neighbourhoods are doing now, with an updated list of Neighbourhood Improvement Areas.

Throughout 2019, City staff partnered with residents, agencies and businesses to begin the TSNS evaluation process. Feedback was collected through online surveys, focus groups, and at a Neighbourhood Summit event.

In March 2020, Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy activities were paused in order for City staff to support the emergency needs of vulnerable residents, families and communities through the TO Supports: COVID-19 Equity Action Plan. City staff and United Way of Greater Toronto developed the Community Coordination Plan to inform and collaborate with local community agencies to connect residents to resources, services, programs, and partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic. City staff continue to work with local agencies across the City to operate the Community Coordination Plan to support issues management, donations, and service coordination for the City’s most vulnerable individuals and families.

Beginning in spring 2022, City staff will begin a process to reconnect and reengage local residents and community-led groups with ongoing opportunities to participate in City strategies and action plans, including the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy.

Key engagement activities will include:

  • A spring relaunch, in partnership with Social Planning Toronto, of the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy Advisory Group to ensure resident input on Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy resident engagement and priority setting.
  • An online survey for local residents and community-led groups and a series of Community Information Meetings for that includes an update on the structure of Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy engagement.
  • A fall start-up of networking opportunities for local resident and community-led groups to reconnect to resources, information and skill building opportunities.

The City of Toronto now has 158 social planning neighbourhoods. Neighbourhood designations help City staff collect data, plan, analyze and forecast City services. While these neighbourhoods may not fully encompass every historical, cultural, ethnic or economic neighbourhood area, they do provide a way for planners and researchers to track information about them over time.  Learn more about updates to Toronto’s social planning neighbourhoods.

Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (HEART) Domains

In 2014, the City used the Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool to score neighbourhoods under five domains of neighbourhood well-being.  The five domains were:

  1. Economic Opportunities: The Economic Opportunities theme is about the economic status that neighbourhood residents can achieve; it includes income levels and quality job opportunities.
  2. Social Development: The Social Development theme is about the opportunities and connections that help residents reach their full potential; it includes education, literacy, and access to social, recreation, and cultural services.
  3. Participation in Decision Making: The Participation in Decision Making theme is about the opportunities for neighbourhood residents to get involved in making local and city-wide decisions; it includes voting in elections and working with neighbourhoods to make plans and priorities.
  4. Healthy Lives: The Healthy Lives theme is about the physical and mental health of neighbourhood residents; it includes medical care, disabilities and illnesses that residents live with, and the number of years that residents live in good health.
  5. Physical Surroundings: The Physical Environment theme is about the natural and built environment in the neighbourhood, community, or workplace; it includes access to transportation, parks and green spaces, public meeting spaces, and air quality.

The Urban HEART scores helped the City identify 31 Neighbourhoods Improvement Areas for additional investment through the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy.

The following action plans outline the structure of Toronto Strategy Neighbourhood Strategy 2020, and highlights the work that happened in the 31 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs), as well as the actions developed by residents, community agencies and City Divisions at 15 Neighbourhood Planning Tables:

The City worked with residents, community agencies and businesses in 31 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs) to make changes that strengthened neighbourhoods. 15 Neighbourhood Planning Tables represented the 31 NIAs and Neighbourhood Action Plans were developed by each Neighbourhood Planning Table to track investments in the neighbourhood.

Learn more about each Neighbourhood Planning Table.

The Resident Advisory Committee was made up of one resident volunteer and one resident alternate from each of the City’s 31 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs) and 8 Emerging Neighbourhoods (ENs). The Committee’s work is guided by the TSNS vision and mission, with a primary focus on activating people, resources, and neighbourhood friendly policies.

Learn more about the TSNS 2020 Resident Advisory Committee.

2022 Engagement

The City of Toronto is working with Social Planning Toronto to create a Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will be made up of residents from 33 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas and 10 Emerging Neighbourhoods.

The Advisory Group will provide input on:

  • City-wide networking
  • Priority setting and implementation that is responsive to the priorities of advisory members
  • An equitable approach to neighbourhood wellbeing and resiliency to address challenges that have surfaced and/or been exacerbated due to COVID-19
  • Neighbourhood-level strategic planning and coordination
  • Succession planning for community leadership
  • Strengthening the connection between systems-level coordination, strategic planning at the CCP clusters, and locally determined community priorities
  • Engagement of equity-deserving groups, including but not limited to Persons with Disabilities and Indigenous, Black, Racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities

From 2017 to 2021, the Neighbourhood Grants program offered grants of $1,000-$3,000 to resident-led groups to help them animate their neighbourhoods with events or activities. A maximum of $5,000 was available for each of the 39 identified neighbourhoods (31 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas and 8 Emerging Neighbourhoods).

Toronto Strong Neighbourhood Strategy 2020 Community Development Officers and Social Planning Toronto worked with residents and their Neighbourhood Planning Tables to support resident-led groups through the application process.

2022 Neighbourhood Grants

City Staff are in the process of redeveloping the Neighbourhoods Grants program. More information will be available in summer 2022.

The Local Champions Network is a dynamic group of grassroots leaders that worked together to build the capacity of resident leaders to create local impact for city-wide change. The network continues to collaborate on an ongoing basis.

The Centre for Connected Communities supported the Network by providing:

  • Connections to ongoing capacity building opportunities, people, resources and tools that help members meet their individual and collective goals
  • Facilitation of annual event and collective priority setting processes 
  • Referrals to relevant potential employment opportunities

The Partnership Opportunities Legacy Fund (POL) provided investments starting at $50,000 to improve city owned or leased spaces within Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs).  POL funds support small capital projects, such as new or updated sports pads, parks, activity rooms and/or gardens. The application process was led by resident groups from NIAs and supported by Neighbourhood Planning Tables, as well as City Agencies and Divisions. 

The impact of POL projects has been felt through communities in the following ways:

  • Residents and community groups were supported to participate in the improvement of their neighbourhood’s physical surroundings
  • Project applications were collaboratively developed by local groups, City Agencies or divisions, service providers and City Councillors
  • Projects added to the quality of life of residents and improvements made to community spaces are long lasting
Year Project Name

(Address & NIA)

Operating Agency/Division Project Description & $ Invested Status
POL Funded Projects, 2015-Present
2015 Mornelle Court Hub

  • 90 Mornelle Court
    Mornelle Court (Morningside)
Toronto Community Housing
  • Renovations to space at 90 Mornelle Court to develop a community hub and computer lab
  • $380,000
Completed
2016 1021 Birchmount Hub

  • 1021 Birchmount Road
    Birchmount Eglinton East (Ionview)
Toronto Community Housing
  • Develop a youth space at 1021 Birchmount
  • Basketball Court Revitalization: replace basketball court that was previously removed
  • $450,000
Completed
2016 Gilder Drive Recreational Rejuvenation

  • 31 Gilder Drive
    Eglinton East
Toronto Community Housing
  • Repair community garden
  • Complete playground equipment upgrades
  • New basketball court
  • $450,000
Completed
2016 2585 Jane Street Basketball Refurbishment

  • 2585 Jane Street
    Downsview-Roding-CFB
Toronto Community Housing
  • Refurbish the recreation area with a half basketball court, field and a seating area with benches/picnic tables
  • $50,000
Completed
2016 Allied Neighbourhoods Community Kitchen

  • 2467 Eglinton Avenue East
    Kennedy Park
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Update kitchen at Don Montgomery Community Recreation Centre into an accessible, industrial kitchen
  • $365,000
Completed
2016 Youth Friendly Space

  • 23 Grandravine Drive
    York University Heights
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Develop youth space at Grandravine Community Centre with 10 computers with applicable software, couches, TVs, video game consoles, audio system, and projectors
  • $80,000
Completed
2016 Elm Park Splash Pad

  • Elm Park/Gosford Avenue
    Black Creek
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Build a new splash pad in Elm Park
  • $50,000
Completed
2016 Driftwood Outdoor Basketball Pad Revitalization

  • 4401 Jane Street
    Black Creek
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Revitalize the outdoor basketball pad located at the Driftwood Community Centre
  • $150,000
Completed
2016 Community Revitalization Ionview Park

  • 90 Ionview Road
    Birchmount Eglinton East (Ionview)
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Build a new playground for Ionview Park
  • $221,862
Completed
2016 Spenvalley Park Splash Pad

  • 130 Spenvalley Park
    Glenfield Jane-Heights
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Build a splash pad in Spenvalley Park
  • $450,000
Completed
2016 Dawes Road Hub

  • 416 Dawes Road
    Taylor Massey
Toronto Public Library
  • Design and development of hub space on the second floor of the Dawes Road Library
  • $1,200,000
In Progress
2017 Kingston Galloway Partnership Opportunities

  • 4301 Kingston Road
    Kingston Road Orton Park (West Hill)
Toronto Community Housing
  • Update indoor and outdoor recreation spaces
  • $400,000 (anticipated for 2019)
Completed
2017 Lawrence Galloway Community Project

  • 4100/4110 Lawrence Avenue East
    Kingston Road Orton Park (West Hill)
Toronto Community Housing
  • Update outdoor spaces with play areas
  • $250,000 (anticipated for 2019)
Completed
2017 Lawrence Orton Splash Pad and Outdoor Area Revitalization

  • 3945 Lawrence Avenue East
    Woburn
Toronto Community Housing
  • Update outdoor spaces with play areas
  • $184,000 (anticipated for 2019)
Completed
2017 Rec Room Rejuvenation/ Markham and Eglinton

  • 3171 and 3181 Eglinton Avenue East
    Scarborough Village
Toronto Community Housing
  • Renovate community rooms at 3171 and 3181 Eglinton Avenue East
  • $170,000
Completed
2017 415 Resident Space Accessibility Redesign

  • 415 Driftwood Avenue 1st Floor, South Space
    Black Creek
Toronto Community Housing
  • Renovate the resident space on the main floor of 415 Driftwood Avenue including: Kitchen installation, upgrade washrooms, flooring and entrance
  • $126,000
Completed
2017 Gordonridge Community Grow

  • 10, 20, 30, and 40,  Gordonridge Place
    Kennedy Park
Toronto Community Housing
  • Kitchen retro-fit in community room
  • $105,110
Completed
2017 The Roding Park Refresh Project

  • 600 Roding park
    Downsview-Roding-CFB
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Build stage, new playground, adult exercise area and butterfly and pollinator gardens
  • $600,000
Completed
2017 Revitalization of Friends of Angela James Arena Project

  • 165 Grenoble Drive
    Flemingdon Park
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Build heated viewing area with rubber flooring extending around the Angela James Arena apron
  • $520,000
Completed
2017 Gaffney Park Improvements

  • 73 Terry Drive
    Rockcliffe Smythe
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Installation of Senior Playground, Junior Playground, Armour Stone Seating Wall, Chess Tables, Exercise Equipment, LED Pole Lighting, Heritage Plaque and New Benches
  • $438,000
Completed
2017 1652 Keele Alliance Welcoming Initiative

  • 1652 Keele Street
    Keelesdale Eglinton
Facilities
  • Upgrade of first floor including: Lobby area, upgrades to hallways and floors and new multipurpose room with audio and video equipment
  • $884,791
Completed
2018 Islington St. Andrews Common Area Revitalization

  • 2063, 2067 Islington Avenue
    Kingsview Village
Toronto Community Housing
  • Upgrade to community kitchen and common room
  • $200,000
Completed
2018 Agnes Macphail Community Kitchens Upgrade Project

  • 444 Lumsden Avenue
    Taylor Massey
Toronto Community Housing
  • Upgrade of two community kitchens
  • $100,000
Completed
2018 Bring on the Shade at Oakdale Park

  • 350 Grandravine Drive
    Glenfield Jane-Heights
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Build a shade structure with picnic tables, lighting, and an extended concrete pad
  • $240,000
Completed
2018 Fairhaven Renewal

  • 100 Golfwood Heights
    Kingsview Village the Westway
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Upgrades to park area including new seating options, lighting along pathways and play/social gathering area, the replacement of dilapidated spray features for the wading area
  • $240,000
Completed
2018 Fountainhead Park Enhancements

  • 445 Sentinel Road
    York University Heights
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Park enhancements including additional gathering space area with shade shelters, games tables, picnic tables, water bottle filling station, Tree planting, walkways, benches and play areas
  • $290,000
Completed
2018 Henrietta Park Activation Project

  • 1A Henrietta Street
    Rockcliffe Smythe
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Build new playground, new lighting standards, Soccer pitch, butterfly garden, new trees planted to the east of the playground, and two new benches, with Stone amphitheater with seating (community movies)
  • $360,000
Completed
2018

 

Thorncliffe Park Hub

  • 45 Overlea Boulevard
    Thorncliffe Park
Social Development Finance Administration & The Neighbourhood Office
  • Hub space development at the East York Mall
  • $1,000,000
Planned
2018 Don Montgomery Allied Neighbourhoods Community Kitchen

  • 2467 Eglinton Ave E
Social Development Finance Administration & Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • Upgrade of kitchen
  • $250,000
Completed
2019 Pelham Garden Community Kitchen & Park Improvement

  • 61 Pelham Garden
Social Development Finance Administration & Toronto Community Housing
  • Upgrade of Kitchen and Park
  • $300,000
In Progress
2019 Project Susan/Residents of Susan

  • 3847 Lawrence Ave East
Social Development Finance Administration & Toronto Community Housing
  • $210,000
In Progress
2020 UrbanArts Eco-Rejuvenation & Innovation Garden Project

  • 5 Bartonville Ave East
Social Development Finance Administration
  • $300,000
Planned
2020 Vibrant Park Space Project

  • 116 Close Ave Parkette
Social Development Finance Administration & Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • $270,000
In progress
2020 Dentonia Park Enhancements/Youth Awoken

  • 80 Thyra Ave
Social Development Finance Administration & Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • $135,000
In Progress
2020 Runnymede Park Animation Plan

  • 221 Ryding Ave
Social Development Finance Administration & Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  • $94,000
In progress

City of Toronto Community Hubs are designed to house City services, non-profit partner services and offer community space to local community groups in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

You can find a wide range of programs, services and community space all available in a single location.

For information regarding specific programs, services and available space in your area please contact the Community Hub you are interested in directly.

Hub Name Address Programs & Services Contact Information
Keele Community Hub 1652 Keele Street

Toronto, Ontario, M6M 3W3

  • 5 Non-Profit Community Organizations & The City of Toronto’s Social Development Finance and Administration, Community Development Unit
  • Agencies that provide on site programs and services include:
    • For Youth Initiative
    • Woman Abuse Council of Toronto
    • Midaynta Community Services
    • York Hispanic Centre
Community Hub Coordinator: Melodie Anderson

E-mail: melodie.anderson@toronto.ca

Phone: 416-392-2981

Dawes Road Library & Community Hub 416 Dawes Road

Toronto, Ontario,
M4B 2E8

  • The entire Dawes Road library branch will be reconstructed at its current location and expanded to also include a Community Hub run by the City of Toronto. All public spaces will be revitalized to ensure that they meet the needs of our vibrant community.
Email drstaff@tpl.ca anytime with your suggestions or questions.