York South Weston NIA Partners

Neighbourhood Improvement Areas:

  • #110 Keelesdale-Eglinton
  • #112 Beechborough Greenbrook West
  • #113 Weston
  • #115 Mount Dennis

Councillor & Ward:

Ward 5, York South-Weston

2018-2019 Priority Actions:

  • Healthy Lives: Developed a Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan to address youth violence and address youth Mental Health issues support victims of violence
  • Economic Opportunities: Explored opportunities to increase employment/self-employment for youth including training, internship, pre- and post-employment supports
  • Social Development: Developed an educational plan to support academic success; access to post-secondary education and trades
  • Participation in Civic Decision-Making:
    • Created opportunities for conversations and support for the development of local plan to address issues around affordable/sustainable and transitional housing
    • Developed a plan to increase participation of seniors in community development conversation and decisions making process
  • Social Development: Provided opportunities to strengthen community-led initiatives to self-organize and foster leadership skills in order to determine their own food growing practices

2017 Priority Actions:

  • Social Development: Conducted an environmental scan to identify opportunities for partnership with governmental, grassroots and nonprofit organizations
  • Participation in Civic Decision-Making: Supported Resident Civic Engagement training to build advocacy capacity
  • Healthy Lives:
    • Created food-friendly neighbourhoods through a network of local organizations involved in healthy living education, food access, area gardens, and market programs
    • Supported local mental health and wellness initiatives, including young women’s yoga and mental health information sessions

Neighbourhood Action Plan

Each Neighbourhood Planning Table created an Action Plan that reflected each of the Neighbourhood Improvement Areas’s (NIA) priority issues identified by residents and other stakeholders. Residents, local agencies, and other stakeholders provided input to ensure actions are prioritized according to the need of the community, and to identify the resources that are needed to complete the actions.

The Action Plan below was categorized by the 5 domains of wellbeing that are central to the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020 (TSNS 2020) and tracked and updated regularly to address changing needs.

Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Supporting Job Search Success: Job search skills for youth seeking employment in the food service sector Employment & Social Services, Toronto Pubic Health – City of Toronto,  UrbanArts/ 3 Partner Organizations 170 $2,500 Completed
Poverty to Prosperity for Youth: Youth conference focused on economic development UrbanArts/ 6 Partner Organizations 40 $3,500 Completed
Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Women’s Health and Wellness: Coordinate and deliver program focusing on women’s health Access Alliance/ 1 Partner Organizations 78 $3,000 Completed
Food Friendly Neighbourhoods: A series of projects focused on creating a Food Friendly neighbourhood Learning Enrichment Foundation/ Partner Organizations 1380 $14,750 Completed
Create opportunity for youth to Connect and participate in games and other fun activities aimed at fostering respect and community Humber Youth group 260 $1,600 Completed
Develop Resource Guides for Fathers: Develop information resource guides specifically for fathers Young and Potential Fathers/ 3 Partner Organizations 10 $3,500 Completed
Talent showcase and panel discussion to bring awareness about mental health issues impacting youth and provide healthy mechanisms to deal with mental health For Youth Initiative and Yantics 58 $1,000 Completed
Foodies of Mount Dennis: Local food entrepreneurs network and meet residents over healthy diverse cooking; demonstration on how to make low fat vegan and gluten free desert Weston King Neighbourhood Services 47 $1,000 Completed
POP-UP Market: Coordinate 2 mobile POP-UP markets to increase food access Food Share 306 $2,000 Completed
Beechborough/Greenbrooke Wellness Day: Coordinate and deliver health information fair and workshop focusing on diabetes WE-Can 34 $3,000 Completed
Weston-FLOW: Interactive, multi day event to start a conversation about menstruation and product/care access for women Weston King Neighbourhood Services 4 $3,000 In Progress
Slam Jam: Basketballl and Music festival for residents in Keelesdale/Eglinton Neighbourhood Improvement Areas For Youth Initiative 150 $4,600 Completed
Fall Festival: A festival for resident of York South Weston aimed at bringing community together to celebrate the end of summer; learn about programs and services in the ward; learn about local culture through the arts, food and music Progress Place Community Hub 700 $3,000 Completed
Emmet Avenue Resident Group: Coordinate a scavenger hunt for children to learn about their community while collecting back to school supplies Emmet Resident Group 5 $2,920 Completed
Keelesdale/Eglinton BBQ in support of Students impacted by the York Memorial fire Keelesdale/Eglinton Resident Group 5 $3,000 Completed
Weston Coalition: Art in the Park-An Arts focus festival for residents of Weston Weston Coalition for Community Success 75 $1,708 Completed
Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Resident Capacity Building: Increase resident participation at decision making tables through volunteerism York South Weston Neighbourhood Improvement Area Network 20 $2,000 In Progress
Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Creating Connections: A service fair for residents UrbanArts/ 6 Partner Organizations 250 $5,700 Completed
Community Learning Report: Track participation and outcome of the York South Weston Neighbourhood Improvement Area Network UrbanArts/ 6 Partner Organizations 40 $3,500 Completed
Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Mapping Youth Support: Conduct youth service scan of York South Weston UrbanArts/ 2 Partner Organizations 103 $3,000 Completed
Emmet Communal Garden: Build raised garden beds and install irrigation system to support seniors access to participating in the garden program Emmet Communal Garden Group 21 $3,000 Completed
1652 Keele Alliance Welcoming Initiative: POL 2 Funding to increase meeting room space for programs and events Social Development, Finance & Administration – City of Toronto/ 5 Partner Organizations 150 $1,000,000 In Progress
Beautificaton Project: focusing on beautifying public spaces, mural, art installation, garden and green spaces UrbanArts 20 $3,000 Completed
Eco-Rejuvenation and Innovation: through resident leadership, revamp an existing garden space at 5 Bartonville to become and inclusive educational space for community UrbanArts 15 $349,000 Planned