September 14, 2020
Dear Neighbours,
I want to thank everyone for your efforts during these difficult times. It is very important that we all follow the mandatory physical distancing bylaw and the new mandatory mask or face covering bylaw! Please take a moment to complete my COVID-19 Information Survey.
September 14 has been proclaimed Champions of Care Day. Today we honour and thank all front-line health care workers for the commitment to saving lives, keeping our community safe and for their heroic response during the COVID-19 pandemic in our city.
Every day, thousands of front-line health workers play a crucial role in keeping our communities healthy and as safe as possible by providing life-saving service in clinics, centres and hospitals across the city. Their support has been vital during this pandemic. Their efforts, collectively with the efforts of all Torontonians, allowed our city to experience a limited strain on the health-care system during this first wave of the pandemic. Health care workers will continue to play a crucial role in keeping Torontonians save as the City readies for a possible COVID-19 resurgence
To show their appreciation, Toronto residents have rallied in support of health care workers since the onset of the pandemic. As the City thanks all health care workers on the front lines for keeping Torontonians safe, residents are encouraged to show their gratitude in their local communities and online with a hashtag #championsofcare. For more information please read the news release.
City of Toronto launches #ShowLoveTO to help Toronto businesses, neighbourhoods and residents safely recover and rebuild
ShowLoveTO is a local initiative that will encourage residents to show their love for Toronto by safely connecting with neighbours, supporting local businesses and artists, and exploring their city neighbourhoods to help rebuild the social and economic fabric of Toronto.
The following ShowLoveTO initiatives will engage Toronto residents this fall:
- , a city-wide temporary public art initiative involving large-scale projections in each of the City’s 25 wards, will animate Toronto neighbourhoods. Starting September 16, BigArtTO will provide opportunities for local artists and set the stage for ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021.
- will feature self-guided itineraries for each of the City’s 25 wards to motivate residents to actively discover the unexplored shops, stops, places and spaces on their local main streets, starting September 18. Residents will become tourists as they stroll Toronto’s unique neighbourhoods.
- , a partnership between Destination Toronto and the City, will celebrate Toronto’s culinary community and support the industry’s economic recovery. The city-wide promotion will showcase Toronto’s diverse food culture through a digital platform offering content, special offers and unique culinary experiences from September 23 to October 30. Restaurants can register for free online at www.splash-toronto.simpleviewcms.com/add-your-restaurant/.
- time-ticketed, guided neighbourhood walking tours anchored at Toronto History Museums, connects Toronto’s communities by providing equitable and inclusive access to local history, heritage and land-based learnings. Pay-what-you-can tickets are available now until October 18 and must be booked in advance at www.toronto.ca/museums.
- launched this summer to provide more outdoor dining areas to help eligible restaurants and bars create physical distancing for patio patrons. The program currently supports 760 restaurants and bars in 58 Business Improvement Areas (BIAs). More information is available at www.toronto.ca/cafeto.
The ShowLoveTO promotional video is available at www.youtube.com/culture_to. More information about ShowLoveTO is available at www.toronto.ca/showloveTO. For more information please read the news release.
City of Toronto bylaws prohibit cormorant hunting in Toronto
On July 31, 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources announced that hunting season for double-crested cormorants could take place in Ontario starting September 15. Cormorant hunting, like all hunting, is not permitted in Toronto under City of Toronto bylaws.
The bylaws prohibiting the discharge of firearms in the City of Toronto are listed in Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 463, Firearms. This includes using a firearm while in a boat for the purposes of hunting. Possession or use of a weapon in a park or on a beach is also prohibited under Municipal Code Chapter 608, Parks. The City’s boundaries extend into Lake Ontario to the United States border and east and west to the borders of neighbouring municipalities. For more information please read the news release.
City of Toronto update on COVID-19 cases
As of September 13, 2020, there have been 16,873 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city and 14,999 recovered cases. To date, there have been 1,177 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. COVID-19 case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform.
Best in GrowTO Contest Scarborough
Join the Scarborough Village Community Garden Harvest Festival to see the Best in GrowTO urban-style agriculture contest live and in person on September 19, 2020 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. More information on the GrowTO Contest Scarborough can be found here.
Toronto and Region Conversation Authority’s Humber by Canoe Event
Join TRCA and follow along as they share the Humber River over the next 5 days. Today TRCA CEO, John MacKenzie, discusses the Humber by Canoe event and paddles a popular canoe route along the lower Humber River. More details can be found here.
Survey: Eglinton East RapidTO Corridor and Priority Bus Lanes
The TTC is currently working on the RapidTO program which will move people more efficiently on transit by improving reliability, speed and capacity on some of the busiest surface transit routes in the city through implementation of priority bus-only lanes.
The TTC is asking for your input on potential service concepts for the Eglinton East corridor, along Eglinton Avenue East, Kingston Road and Morningside Avenue and will launch in Fall 2020. The service concepts include: Option 1 – Maintain Existing Express Stops; Option 2 – All Stops Served by All Major Bus Routes; Option 3 – Reduced Stops on 905 Eglinton East Express; Option 4 – 986 Scarborough Express Diverted to Lawrence Avenue. Please visit this LINK to fill out the survey before September 30, 2020.
Please note: If you have any questions regarding this project please contact my office at councillor_ainslie_co@toronto.ca
TDSB Connects App now available for Secondary Students
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has launched a new online app to help high school students stay connected and organized. By logging in with their TDSB school ID, their timetable is automatically populated allowing them to easily add notes, goals and details to each course. Download the app now at the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
City of Toronto Vision Zero Please Slow Down Signs
A friendly reminder to stay safe on the roads, especially while in school and residential areas. If you would like a City of Toronto Vision Zero Please Slow Down sign, please contact my office at 416-392-7222 or councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca to arrange to pick them up from my constituency office (150 Borough Drive). For more information please visit this website.
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.
Check out all of Scarborough-Guildwood’s past Live Town Meetings on my YouTube channel!
Scarborough-Guildwood’s Live Town Halls provide the community with up to date information, supports and resources throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
insidehousing: News from Toronto Community Housing
Check out their latest issue HERE. Subscribe HERE.
BusinessTO Newsletter: BusinessTO’s upcoming webinars and online events
Check out their latest newsletter HERE. Subscribe HERE.
What’s On at the Library: Home Edition
Check out the latest copy HERE. Subscribe HERE.
Our KGO Updates: East Scarborough Storefront’s crowd-sourced e-newsletter
Check out their latest issue HERE. Subscribe HERE. Please take a moment to fill out this Community Check-In Survey!
TDSB Trustee Update by Ward 19 Scarborough-Guildwood Trustee Zakir Patel
Check out the latest issue HERE. Subscribe HERE.
Toronto Zoo Press Releases
Latest issue HERE. Contact achambers@torontozoo.ca to subscribe.
Confronting Anti-Black Racism Summer Newsletter 2020
To read the latest news from the City’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit please click here.
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.
The City of Toronto’s website can be translated into many languages using the GoogleTM Translate tool. This tool gives residents and visitors who speak other languages a way of accessing City information featured on the website. To change languages on the City of Toronto website, please click here: https://www.toronto.ca/home/translate/
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