As many of you know, reviving the Historic Queen East BIA is a key priority since it will play a key role in the revitalization and development of
the area.
Our City has been working with the local Indigenous community to develop the Indigenous Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Canada’s largest incubator supporting First Nations (status and non-status), Inuit and Métis entrepreneurs and innovators.
An important part of the City’s legacy from the pandemic is the current conversion of several former hotels into affordable and supportive housing.
In 2023, over 50% of rental units approved for demolition and replacement across the city were in Toronto Centre.
A common complaint is that City bylaws are not sufficiently responsive to climate change and encourage landlords to keep the heat on unnecessarily.
Since the end of the pandemic, residents have had real concerns about the condition of our Downtown East, including public drug use, encampments, homelessness, unclean laneways and sidewalks, graffiti, broken windows, break-ins, public intoxication, used needles, and a noticeable lack of visible enforcement.
Spanning Downtown, the Financial District, Queens Quay, and the Jarvis corridor, gridlock can be at its most acute in our Ward, especially at intersections near the Gardiner on- and off-ramps at rush hour.
We have come a long way since the summer of 2023 when Allan Gardens was the largest encampment in the city.
I'm proud to once again be coming back to our community for this year's Neighbourhood Town Hall series!
Over the course of the summer we have seen encampments pop up in parks across Toronto Centre. I wanted to provide an update in response to the concerns I have heard and the questions about what can be done to make our parks accessible to everyone.