May 14, 2020
Dear Neighbours,
I want to thank everyone for your efforts during this very difficult time. It is very important for all of us, to the best of our ability to follow the mandatory physical distancing bylaw!
I, Hon. MP John McKay and MPP Mitzie Hunter held our second Scarborough-Guildwood Live Town Hall last night! I would like to thank everyone who joined us and submitted questions during the stream and in advance. If we didn’t get to your question, please email me at councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca
Province of Ontario announces details of Stage 1 of reopening the economy
Today, Premier Doug Ford announced details of stage 1 of reopening the economy. As of Saturday, May 16 at 12:01am, private parks, campgrounds, boat clubs and golf courses and businesses that board animals can open.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2020 the Province of Ontario will enter Stage 1 of reopening the economy which entails the reopening of the following:
- retail stores with street entrances not located in shopping malls
- sports fields, tennis courts and off leash dog parts
- pet groomers and veterinary services are also allowed to reopen by appointment only
- health services such as non-emergency diagnostic imaging and surgeries
- measures have been taken so that all construction services can resume
Businesses are strongly advised to only reopen if they are ready. Monitoring and tracing numbers and trends is vital in our process to move forward. Full news release can be found here.
Today, a workplace PPE supplier directory webpage has been launched by the Province of Ontario to help businesses find suppliers for PPE, which is vital in the reopening of our economy. The directory can be accessed through www.ontario.ca/PPE. Additional health advice, tips and posters can be found at www.ontario.ca/COVID.
COVID-19 Emergency Benefit for People Receiving Social Assistance
The COVID-19 Emergency Benefit which was introduced as a one-time benefit in April 2020, has been extended and is now available in each month up to and including July 2020. This benefit is available for people receiving assistance from Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) who may have had additional costs related to COVID-19. This benefit will help cover the additional costs of emergency needs such as hygiene and personal protective supplies, cleaning supplies, non-medical transportation, or additional costs for staple foods. The amount is $100 for a single person and $200 for a family. For more information, please see this fact sheet.
City of Toronto partners with Ritual to support Toronto restaurants and food services
Ritual ONE provides restaurants and food services, such as grocers, butchers and bakeries with an easy way to accept digital orders from their own website and social media accounts. Businesses that sign up for Ritual ONE by June 1 will receive the service free for life and will not pay any commission or monthly subscription fees on Ritual ONE orders. Businesses enrolled in the City’s ShopHERE program – which was launched Monday – will also be eligible for Ritual ONE and a lifetime exemption from commission and subscription fees. Toronto independent businesses and artists can sign up for their free online ShopHERE store at digitalmainstreet.ca/shophere. For more information on Ritual ONE please read the news release.
City of Toronto provides update on key construction projects
Over the next couple weeks, the City of Toronto will begin construction on a number of key projects to renew and improve aging infrastructure. With traffic volumes on Toronto’s roads down between 45 and 65 per cent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City recently announced that construction is moving forward this year and work will be accelerated on as many important projects as possible. More information can be found in this news release.
City Hall Live performances move online to support artists
City Hall Live Online, in partnership with Unison Benevolent Fund, is working to support Toronto artists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the music series, which features two performances a day, Monday to Friday from noon to 1 p.m., until June on Facebook Live. More than 100 local artists will be compensated for their 30-minute virtual performances.
City of Toronto statement on collision involving a City vehicle
A pedestrian has died following a collision that involved a City vehicle. The City extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victim that has passed away. A City employee was injured in the incident and has been taken to hospital. The City is fully cooperating with the Toronto Police and Ministry of Labour investigations. It will also conduct its own internal investigation to better understand what took place. The City remains committed to ensuring the safety of the public and its employees.
The Regional Relief and Recover Fund
The federal government released applications for its new Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RFFF), which totals a $962M investment through Canada’s Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). The RRRF provides funding to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are unable to access the government’s existing support measures, and access to capital for rural businesses and communities.
FedDev Ontario
FedDev Ontario is delivering $252.4 million in funding through the RRRF in southern Ontario, including $213 million for SMEs facing financial pressure, and $39.4 million through the Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs). For full eligibility criteria and additional information, please visit FedDev Ontario’s RRRF page.
Canadian Emergency Student Benefit
The Canadian Emergency Student Benefit opens this Friday and will provide $1250 or $1750 if you have a disability and/or dependents. This is to help students and graduates who will not have as many job opportunities this summer. More information on the benefit can be accessed here.
Boys & Girls Club of East Scarborough Drive-thru Lunch: May 15th
Boys & Girls Club of East Scarborough will be giving away free lunch to the members in our community from the ESBGC parking lot this Friday! Drive-Thru or Walk-Thru and grab a warm lunch from 12:30pm-2:30pm. Register here.
Student’s Guide to Navigating COVID-19
A Student’s guide to schooling during COVID-19 to help students understand their rights and expectations during remote earning. See the Student Guide here.
How to Balcony Garden: Grow All You Can Webinar
Brought to you by Park People Sparking Change Program with facilitation by Lara Mrovsky, professional gardener, artist, and author of Grow Without A Garden: 101 Plants for Containers. Thursday, May 14th at 7 pm – Free! — Register here!
S2S Learning Exchange Employment Program
An Accenture developed career training resource called Learning Exchange for youth. It includes good examples of soft skills curriculum that is employer’s recognized / informed / validated. More information on how to participate here.
Youth Employment Services offering pre-employment programs online
The Youth Collaboration program assists youth 15-30 who are not in school, unemployed and not receiving Employment Insurance by providing 3 weeks of paid skills training and a 10 week paid work placement. The program starts on June 1st, more information can be found here.
The Job Central program assists youth 15-30 who are not in school, unemployed and not receiving Employment Insurance by providing 3 weeks of paid skills training and a 10 week paid work placement. The program starts on June 1st, more information can be found here.
The 2020 Annual Human Library
A Human Library is an event where individuals share their stories and experiences with the community. The Mind & Spirit Youth Leadership committee is looking for story tellers to join in a community story telling virtual event! This event will be held online via Zoom. See flyer here.
Harley Owners Group (H.O.G) Ride for Front Line Workers
The Scarborough Chapter of H.O.G to raise money for the Scarborough Health Network (SHN) Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Fund and to express gratitude to the front-line essential workers helping our communities during the coronavirus pandemic. The Front Line Workers Gratitude Ride will take place on Saturday, May 16th departing from the Tam Heather Curling Club (730 Military Trail) and The Corner Bank Sports Bar & Grill (925 Warden Ave.) at 12:00noon. In keeping with social distancing measures, there will be no meetings or stops during or after the ride.
Minimum donations of $25 per rider and $10 per passenger will be collected from participants. Non-riders are welcome to support this cause with a donation to Scarborough Health Network Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund. See full news release here.
Please click here for a list of food banks and soup kitchens in the Ward 24
Please click here for a list of food banks in East Scarborough
Please click here for a list of food banks in Scarborough
Please remember to call ahead to book to ensure they are properly stocked. For those interested in volunteering, food banks are always looking for volunteers, so please feel free to save and share this information.
Essential Government Information for COVID -19
Public Health’s information line & 311 are experiencing high call volumes. Residents can get the information they need online at www.toronto.ca
The City’s website has a tool that can translate pages into 51 different languages.
If you need info on COVID-19, please visit the following websites:
Official Global Travel Advisory
The City’s website is updated daily with the latest health advice, and information about City services and social supports. Check https://www.toronto.ca/covid-19/ for answers to common questions before contacting the Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Hotline or 311.
I am continuously updating my social media platforms and my website with up to date information:
Website: www.paulainslie.com
You can also reach me by: telephone at 416-396-7222 or email me at councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca
All my Best,
Paul