Dear Neighbours,
I hope that you and your families are safe and healthy during these challenging times. Let’s continue to protect each other and reduce the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated, limiting in-person contacts, maintaining physical distancing, wearing a mask and staying home when ill.
I would like to remind everyone that self-care is key, and it is important to prioritize your wellbeing. Make sure to stay active, drink water, connect with loved ones for support over the phone or virtually and reflect on your thoughts and feelings. Remember local Mental Health supports and services can be accessed online here.
Given the threat posed by the COVID-19 Omicron variant, there is a critical need for all eligible residents to get their first, second and third “booster” doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Learn about why, how, and where to get vaccinated on the City’s COVID-19: How to Get Vaccinated webpage.
City of Toronto update on City services following winter storm
Yesterday, Toronto experienced a significant amount of snowfall throughout the day which impacted some City of Toronto services. As the City continues its snow clearing efforts, emergency services continue to be prioritized for the safety of Toronto residents.
The City’s emergency services are directly connected with Transportation Services Road Operations via the Emergency Operations Centre to ensure each emergency service has direct and timely access to snow clearing support to facilitate the response of ambulances, fire trucks and police vehicles.
Snow Clearing Update:
The City continues to clear snow from roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, multi-use trails, bus stops and pedestrian crossovers. Crews completed multiple rounds of plowing and salting overnight on expressways, major roads and local roads. Crews continue to plow all local roads. The City’s snow clearing operations will continue throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.
Solid Waste Management Services:
Crews are out today working to collect waste as regularly scheduled; however, due to the snow, delays are expected. Please put your waste out on your regularly scheduled collection day and leave it out until it’s collected. Please clear snow around bins, do not place bins behind or on snowbanks and ensure a clear path from your bin to the road. if possible, please hold onto any oversized and metal items until your next collection.
Parks, Forestry & Recreation:
Community centres that support child care, immunization clinics or social services will open, but all other centres remain closed today. Snow has been cleared from many outdoor rinks and this work will continue throughout the day. Earl Bales and Centennial Ski and Snowboard Centres are open today. Skaters can check the status of their rink online before heading out. Permit holders for outdoor ice rinks with bookings today should check the status of their rinks online or contact 416-396-7378.
Toronto Employment & Social Services (TESS):
In-person services are back to normal today. All three locations (Metro Hall, Scarborough Village and York Humber) are open today and operating at regular business hours 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Toronto Transit Commission:
The TTC continues to monitor the special weather statement issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada for the city of Toronto. The TTC has increased staff where available to accommodate additional service and are monitoring surface route disruptions. Follow @TTCNotices on Twitter for service updates or www.ttc.ca.
Libraries:
All Toronto Public Library branches remain closed today. More information is available on the Toronto Public Library website.
COVID-19 Update
NEW: Team Toronto has now administered third doses to more than 1.2 million Torontonians. This exciting milestone comes exactly one year after opening the first City of Toronto operated proof-of-concept immunization clinic on January 18, 2021. Team Toronto has also now administered a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to 89.9 per cent of eligible Torontonians age 12 and older, with 87 per cent already having received two doses, and 51 per cent of eligible children age five to 11 receiving their first dose. This work is continuing with Team Toronto delivering first, second and third doses at City-run clinics, mobile clinics, hospital partner clinics and more than 525 local pharmacies and doctors’ offices.
NEW: Team Toronto Kids continues to vaccinate five- to 11-year-old Torontonians as quickly as possible. As of January 17, at 8:30 a.m., 133,630 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to residents between five and 11 years old. In less than two months, approximately 51 per cent of Toronto children in this age group have received at least one dose.
Toronto Public Health continues to work with health care partners and school boards to provide as many vaccination opportunities as possible for residents five to 11 years old and their families. To date, there have been more than 520 school-based clinics held as part of the data-driven and needs-based plan to provide COVID-19 vaccines to children and youth between the ages of five and 17 years old.
NEW: City of Toronto to distribute COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits to community-based child care providers. The City of Toronto is working with the Province of Ontario to distribute rapid antigen tests to licensed child care programs in the community for use where a staff member, child care provider or child in care is showing symptoms of COVID-19.
Beginning today, the City will support this provincial initiative by helping to ensure that rapid antigen test kits are distributed as quickly as possible to community-based child care programs, including licensed home child care agencies. Child care programs that are located in schools will receive rapid antigen test kits directly from their school or school board.
UPDATE: Team Toronto’s latest mass vaccination event, Vax The North West on Sunday, January 23 – News Release! Appointments for the clinic opened at 8 a.m. today in the provincial vaccine booking system, available by calling 1-833-943-3900 or by booking online.
UPDATE: FH Health x Toronto Zoo Mass Vaccination Clinic is now OPEN! Book your booster appointment today! You will need an email address and your health card (valid or expired) to book an appointment. Book now at www.fhvax.com
UPDATE: Scarborough Health Network Vaccine Pop-ups – By Appointment Only – Book now at www.scarbvaccine.ca
UPDATE: Toronto Public Health (TPH) approach to monitoring and reporting COVID-19 in schools. The Ministry of Education will be requiring schools to monitor their own absenteeism rates and report on student and staff absences, and school closures, daily through the absence reporting tool (ART) to support ongoing monitoring and transparency related to COVID-19 impacts on schools. When a school’s absenteeism rate increases sharply (e.g., 30% above their baseline), schools are required to notify TPH.
TPH will continue to meet with school boards and provide public health guidance to keep the school environment as safe as possible. TPH is working with school boards on how best to implement the new provincial directions, including those regarding monitoring and reporting of COVID-19 in schools. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
For additional school-specific information please visit the COVID-19 Guidance: Educational Institutions & Instructional Services webpage.
The City of Toronto remains in a modified Step Two of the Province’s Roadmap to Reopen until at east January 26, 2022. The City has updated its website to reflect the changes in City services, residents can review the changes here.
City of Toronto COVID-19 Case & Vaccination Update: (Data as of January 18, 2022) Case status and vaccination dose data can be found on the City’s reporting platform.
Book your 1st, 2nd or Booster (3rd) COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment TODAY:
Where to get accurate COVID-19 information:
Community Update
NEW: City of Toronto opens CaféTO registration for local restaurant and bar operators! Restaurant and bar operators interested in expanding their outdoor dining space into a curb lane and onto sidewalks in 2022 can now register for the CaféTO program. Visit www.toronto.ca/cafeto to learn more about the program and to register before the April 2nd deadline.
NEW: Online applications for the new Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program are now open. The provincial government program provides eligible businesses that are required to close or reduce capacity with rebate payments for up to 100 per cent of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to public health measures in response to the Omicron variant. To receive the grant, a small business must be required to close due to public health orders that took effect on January 5 and have fewer than 100 employees. Apply today.
NEW: 360˚ Stories Online Book Launch! The Reading Partnership is pleased to announce the launch of “Great Stories Through the Eyes of Kids”, an anthology written and illustrated by 14 kids (ages 9-12) from East Scarborough. The official book launch will take place on Thursday, January 27, 2022. Learn more about 360 Stores Online and the book launch here.
NEW: Councillor Ainslie’s Community Survey is now open! Submit your feedback on the 2022 City Budget, City services and projects. Take the survey online here today!
Share your feedback on the City of Toronto’s 2022 tax-supported budget! The budgets will be reviewed and debated by Budget and Executive Committees before being finalized and approved by City Council at its meeting on February 17. You can share your feedback on the staff-recommended budget with the Budget Committee by registering to speak at its meeting on January 24 and 25, or by submitting comments by email or mail.
Speakers are asked to register by 4:30 p.m. on January 21. More information about ways to provide feedback is available at www.toronto.ca/budget.
Arts funding for youth with Toronto Arts Council, ArtReach! Are you a youth artist or part of a youth-led group/ collective/ organization that serves youth from equity-deserving populations in Toronto? Looking for funding for your next art project? Supported by Toronto Arts Council, ArtReach offers funding to community-based arts programming geared to youth who face systemic barriers to accessing high-quality arts opportunities. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2022. Visit: www.artreach.org/grants
Applications are now being accepted for the City of Toronto’s Cultural Festivals Funding Program! These funding programs represent a form of partnership with community-based organizations that contribute significantly to the goals in relation to community capacity, equitable access, well being, diversity, civic participation and civic cohesion. Applications for all streams will close February 11, 2022. Program information, eligibility and applications is available online at www.toronto.ca/culturegrants.
Applications are being accepted for the City of Toronto’s Retail Accelerator Program. Part of the Toronto Main Street Recovery and Rebuild Initiative, the new program provides access to retail training, advisory services and mentoring opportunities, as well as a micro grant of $10,000 to help retail businesses develop and expand. Apply by March 31, 2022.
Community Events
The East Scarborough Storefront’s Academic Upgrading & Financial Literacy Information Session
January 20, 2022 | 9:30am to 12:30pm
Register by calling 416-208-9889 or email info@thestorefront.org.
SBA Cyber Breakfast: The Impact: Reintroducing Business Restrictions & Lockdown
January 20, 2022 | 9:15am to 10:00am
Register here.
Open House – Ontario Line & Scarborough Subway Extension Zoning By-law Amendments
January 25, 2022 | 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Register here.
I am continuously updating my social media platforms and my website:
You can also reach me by telephone at 416-396-7222 or email me at councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca
All my Best,
PaulSUBSCRIBE | UNSBSCRIBE
