Month: March 2019

March 30, 2019

Dear Curran Hall Neighbours,

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy Easter!

Spring brings community clean-ups as well as readying our yards for gardening. I will be joining volunteers across Scarborough-Guildwood to participate in the Clean Toronto Together Community Cleanup Day. I encourage everyone to join the Curran Hall community clean up at Botany Hill Park on April 27, 2019 -9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

Looking ahead to Father’s Day weekend you will have an opportunity to attend two events at the Curran Hall Community Centre and Botany Hill Park. I will be hosting my Annual Curran Hall Compost Day on Saturday, June 15, while City of Toronto Urban Forestry staff will be hosting a Community Tree Planting on Sunday, June 16, with a focus on increasing the urban forest canopy cover, creating a habitat and reducing storm water flow.

A staff report coming to Scarborough Community Council

U-Turn at the May 2019, Scarborough

Community Council will prohibit u-turn on Orton Park Road by Henry Hudson Sr. P.S. as well as the area fronting

Botany Hill Park and the off leash dog park. It was observed motorists were making u-turns in these areas causing unsafe condition in a School Safety Zone and vehicular conflicts on the road.

Please contact my office for details or if you would like to speak or send in comments to the committee as I will ensure you receive the instructions to file with the Committee Clerk.

Curran Hall Community Centre (Located at 277 Orton Park Road)

Join local programs offered for all ages: Yoga, Pilates, dance, cooking classes, marital arts, visual arts, adventure camps, youth leadership programs and much more. Drop in programs for youth 9yrs-12yrs – Saturdays: 1:30 PM – 3:30PM.

Contact the Centre for details: 416 396-5156.

Community Events:

– Councillor Ainslie’s Annual Curran Hall Compost Day

Curran Hall Community Centre, 277 Orton Park Road (Parking Lot)

Saturday June 15, 2019 – 10:30 AM

– Botany Hill Park Tree Planting – Celebrate Father’s Day by planting trees and shrubs.

Urban Forestry invites you to join in for a morning of planting native trees and shrubs in

Botany Hill Park! The details of the public planting event are as follows.

Location: Botany Hill Park.

The event site is located next to the parking lot by Curran Hall Community Centre

Sunday June 16, 2019 – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

– Councillor Ainslie’s Annual Curran Hall Community Picnic

Botany Hill Park, 277 Orton Park Road

Wednesday July 10, 2019 – 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

All my Best,

Paul

Dear Ward 24 Neighbours

At the General Government and Licensing Committee meeting, on April 1, 2019, I will be requesting of my fellow committee members to consider the creation of a Startup in Residence (STIR) pilot project for the City of Toronto dealing with procurement and e-procurement.

Startup in Residence is a program that connects governments with startups to solve government-led civic challenges. The STIR program aims to bridge public-sector agencies directly with technology entrepreneurs to seed product development in the public sector.

The Startup in Residence pilot project hopes to serves the following purposes:

• To act as a lead for procurement reform
• To introduce City agencies, departments, commissions and boards to new innovation and technologies
• To serve as an incubator to introduce the necessary procurement reforms needed to allow increased innovation to continue for the long term
• To enhance government productivity, efficiencies, and help improve the resident experience with municipal government

The STIR program solicits proposals from startups for technology-based solutions to address procurement and e-procurement challenges facing City agencies, departments, commissions and boards.

The STIR program includes educational component during the residence period for the selected participants and corresponding City agencies consisting of in-person and web sessions with leaders in business, legal, finance, investment and consulting sectors as well as government executives, innovators, academics and researchers.

I am requesting the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, the Chief Information officer, and the Chief Purchasing Officer, in consultation with the Chief Transformation Officer, and the Director, Civic Innovation Office, to consider adopting a Startup in Residence (STIR) program, similar to those implemented by the City of Guelph and the Municipal Innovation Exchange, and whether the City of Toronto should:

• Join an existing STIR network, such as the Municipal Innovation Exchange which was founded recently by Guelph, London, and Barrie;
• Operate its own STIR program, as seen in some US cities; or
• Operate its own STIR program, in alliance with other cities and/or government agencies in the Greater Toronto Area.

Stay tuned for the Monday’s, April 1, meeting of the General Government and Licensing Committee. The meeting can be watched live here.

All my best,

Paul

Dear Ward 24 Neighbours,

At the March 5^th General Government and Licensing Committee meeting the Chief of Information Officer, Rob Meikle, gave a presentation on “Delivering Digital Government to Toronto”.

What is Digital Government?

A Digital Government has core capabilities supported by organizational enablers. Capabilities are customer and business facing innovations such as:

• Services that digitize touchpoints and consolidate online access platforms
• The automation of transactional processes
• More accurate and intelligent decisions through advanced predictive analytics
• Data Sharing for greater transparency and strengthening public trust

While enablers are innovations across government systems such as:

• Strategy focus and attention on the needs of populations
• Government and Organization funding mechanism for collaboration, innovation and efficiency
• Leadership and Talent commitment and awareness of trends and opportunities
• Technology and analytic platforms that support efforts in big data and open data

What does Digital Government Deliver?

Digital Government delivers City business modernization and innovation to enhance City Services delivery to the citizens of Toronto.

Digital Government enhances the city’s business process and systems with a focus on opportunities to streamline and integrate.

Moreover, Digital Government also drives improvements with a focus on social and economic benefits through the following examples: 

Open Data

By empowering citizens with access to city information at their fingertips

Vision Zero

Enhancing road safety through technology: enabling motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to make safe routing choices based on reliable road safety instruction

Wellbeing Toronto

Fostering neighbourhood development: empowering citizens to access neighbourhood information through self-serve windows of engagement using the Wellbeing Toronto web application

Equity Lens

Advanced local outcomes: embedding access, equity, diversity and human rights practices into all aspects of the City’s business will lead to greater equitable outcomes for staff and residents

In 2018, the City of Toronto has delivered enhanced City Services through technological innovation through the following examples: 

• 2018 Municipal election results delivered to the public within 15 minutes of closing
• Improve Commuter Safety with the decline in public injuries with quicker reporting and resolution of sidewalk repairs with Vision Zero
• Advancing Social Outcomes through Equity Lens online tool to identify and address equity barriers
• Enhanced Online Self-Service licensing system that enables online application of business licenses and permits

Digital Government drives City business modernization and innovation, focus on opportunities to streamline and integrate the City’s business systems and ensures secure, reliable technology environment.

Please let me know your thoughts and concerns!

All my best,

Paul

Dear Ward 24 Neighbours,

During the January 14^th General Government and Licensing Committee meeting a comprehensive review of business licences was adopted across the City of Toronto. This review is due to the changing nature and number of existing businesses and licence categories.

This review includes the review of Vehicles-for-Hire bylaw, Payday lending, licensing requirements for Bars, Restaurants and Nightclubs, Body Rub Parlours (BRP) and Holistic Centres bylaw.

At this moment the City of Toronto would like to hear from its residents regarding the Vehicles-for-Hire Bylaw and Body Rub Parlours and Holistic Centres Bylaw.

Vehicles-for-Hire

The Current Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire Bylaw provides regulations for taxicabs, limousines and private transportation companies (PTCs), such as Facedrive, Lyft and Uber.

There are a number of ways you can be involved and help shape policy:

Attend public consultations

There will be nine public consultations held between March 4 and March 19. Each meeting will focus on a particular area of the Vehicle-for-Hire Bylaw. See the Public Consultation Schedule here. Each meeting will focus on a different area of the Vehicle-for-Hire Bylaw, such as the following:

• Accessibility
• Vehicle equipment
• Public safety

Submit feedback by email

Contact vehicleforhirereview@toronto.ca by April 30, 2019.

Subscribe to receive email updates

Visit E-updates to sign up. Click open the Get Involved in Your Community Section, type in your email address and scroll down to select Vehicle-for-Hire Review.

Body Rube Parlours (BRP) and Holistic Centres

The Body Rub Parlours (BRP) and Holistic Centres Bylaw Review is to update the licensing bylaw, to promote public health and safety. Provide the City with your feedback and help shape policy by:

Attend Public Consultations

There will be four public consultations held between March 5 and March 19. The first will be held for the general public, second for Etobicoke, third for Scarborough-Agincourt and fourth for University Rosedale. Find the Public Consultation Schedule here.

Witten Consultations

Submit feedback to mlsconsultations@toronto.ca by March 20, 2019

Stakeholder Meetings

There will also be five stakeholder meetings held between March 4 and March 14 to consult different stakeholders governed by the bylaw. The stakeholders include:

• Body Rub Parlours
• Body Rubbers
• Holistic Centres
• Professional Holistic Associations
• Holistic Practitioners

Find the Stakeholder Meeting schedule here.

Your feedback will be used to recommend updates in a report to be discussed at the General Government and Licensing Committee in June 2019.

Follow @GetInvolvedTO for more opportunities to have your say and shape policy in the City of Toronto. Visit the Get Involved page for more public consultations, volunteer opportunities, community initiatives, public appointments and more.

All my best,

Paul