Thank you to everyone who’s been vaccinated against COVID-19. You’re the reason we can reopen and rebuild! Now it’s time to ShowLoveTO small businesses in your community to help them thrive again.
As the economy continues to reopen, the City of Toronto and partners have worked on a number of resources and supports local businesses can access! Businesses can learn how to successfully market products or services using easy, affordable tactics. Local businesses can register for free webinars at www.toronto.ca/seminars.
Restaurant owners and operators can now register for the City of Toronto’s DineTOgether program to ShowLoveTO local restaurants. DineTOgether will take place from September 17 to October 3, 2021, showcasing the diversity of Toronto’s restaurants while encouraging residents to patronize local eateries through a DineTOgether feature menu available through takeout, deliver, patio and/or indoor dining.
Registration is open at www.toronto.ca/dinetogether until August 31. This program is funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Small businesses can also speak virtually with a City of Toronto business advisor and get help accessing safe reopening and recovery resources. Schedule your free virtual session at www.toronto.ca/businessto.
The City has also prepared Operational Support and Guidelines for Businesses and a Business Reopening Checklist with documents, resources and links for businesses and community organizations to safely reopen in compliance with health and workplace regulations.
I would like to thank all Team Toronto partners for making getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as easy as possible and thank you Toronto for rolling up your sleeves and getting vaccinated. If you haven’t booked your first or second COVID-19 dose, you can now walk-in to any of the City-run vaccination clinics. Details are available at www.toronto.ca/covid19.
*NEW* Ontario makes COVID-19 vaccination policies mandatory for high-risk settings – News Release. The provincial government is taking action to increase protection for our most vulnerable. Vaccination policies will be required for settings such as hospitals, home and community care service providers, and must be effective no later than September 7, 2021. These policies will require individuals to provide proof of full vaccination, a medical reason for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 or completion of a COVID-19 vaccination education session.
Vaccination policies will also be implemented in other high-risk settings such as post-secondary institutions, licensed retirement homes, women’s shelters, congregate group homes and day programs for adults, and children’s treatment centres.
The government has also announced that it is pausing the province’s exit from the Roadmap to Reopen, and will continue to monitor the data to determine when it is safe to exit the Roadmap and lift the majority of public health measures currently in place.
The province will begin offering third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to those at highest-risk, providing them with an extra layer of protection against the Delta variant. This includes transplant recipients, patients with hematological cancers, recipients of an anti-CD20 agent and residents of high-risk congregate settings.
In addition, to further support a safer return to school, as of Wednesday, August 18, 2021, all children turning 12 years old before the end of 2021 will be eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and can book their appointment through the provincial booking system, their public health unit, pharmacies or walk-in to a vaccination clinic.
*NEW* Toronto Public Health reporting more than 98 per cent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients not fully vaccinated – News Release. Since, May 1, 98.7 per cent of hospitalized COVID-19 cases with known vaccination status were not fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated people have greater protection against COVID-19 than unvaccinated people, including against the Delta variant.
*NEW* Toronto Public Health launches #VaxTOCampus campaign to promote vaccination in post-secondary settings – News Release. To enable the safest return to campus for staff, students and faculty of post-secondary education institutions and student residences, TPH and local health partners are working towards achieving the highest possible vaccinations as quickly as possible. This #VaxTOCampus campaign is in an effort to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake in post-secondary settings.
City of Toronto COVID-19 Case & Vaccination Update: (Data as of August 17, 2021)Case status and vaccination dose data can be found on the City’s reporting platform.
128 – Newly Reported COVID-19 Cases 1,215 – Total number of Active COVID-19 Cases 20 – Hospitalized Cases (Cumulative) 172,353 – Number of COVID-19 Cases in Toronto (Cumulative)
167,521 – Number of Recovered COVID-19 Cases in Toronto 3,617 – Number of COVID-19 Fatal Cases in Toronto 4,460,534 COVID-19 – Vaccine doses administered in Toronto
Scarborough Health Network One-Day Pop-Ups – 1st and 2nd Dose. These clinics will be vaccinating individuals for 1st Dose: Ages 12+; for Pfizer 2nd Dose: 1st dose of Pfizer 21+ days ago or AstraZeneca 8+ weeks ago; for Moderna 2nd Dose: 1st dose of Moderna 28+ days ago or Pfizer 21+ days ago or AstraZeneca 8+ weeks ago.
Aug 20 | 1pm to 8pm | Agincourt Mall, 3850 Sheppard Ave E
Aug 20 & 21 | 12pm to 6pm | Bridlewood Mall, 2900 Warden Ave
Aug 20 & 21 | 12pm to 6pm | Golden Mile Shopping Centre, 1880 Eglinton Ave E
Aug 20 & 21 | 12pm to 6pm | Cedarbrae Mall, 3495 Lawrence Ave E
Aug 20 & 21 | 12pm to 6pm | Parkway Mall, 85 Ellesmere Rd
Tickets will be provided for same-day appointments on a first come, first served basis. Please bring ID or document with your address or proof of employment, a health card if you have one and your first dose vaccination receipt. Full details at www.scarbvaccine.ca
Scarborough Health Network Community Vaccine Clinic & Eligibility: Eligible individuals can book now at www.scarbvaccine.ca
COVID-19 Pharmacy Vaccine Locations & Eligibility: Full details on eligibility and pharmacy locations administering the COVID-19 vaccine can be found here.
YouthLink LGBTQ2S+ Scarborough Needs Assessment Survey – Scarborough Youth (aged 12-29) and community service providers are encouraged to provide their feedback about their experiences on what’s working, what’s not working, and how you feel the 2SLGBTQ+ experience in Scarborough could improve. For the Youth Survey . For the Service Provider Survey .
Parents Engaged in Education is collecting School Supplies to send 1000 low-income students back to school! On August 21 and 22, volunteers from Parents Engaged in Education will be outside the Toronto Zoo Entrance collecting donations of school supplies to send to kids before the school year starts. Backpacks and lunch bags are needed most. See their flyer here.
Church of the Holy Trinity, Guildwood – Operation Backpack! Youth attending The Native Learning Centre East located at Sir Wilfrid Laurier CI are in need of donated school supplies such as backpacks, water bottles, lunch containers, binders, calculators, glue sticks, pencil crayons, duo tangs, folders, rulers, erasers, loose leaf paper, pencils, tape, masks and more. Please bring the donated items to the Church lobby, 85 Livingston Rd by August 22, 2021.
Register for the DineTOgether! Running from September 17 to October 3, DineTOgether will showcase a diversity of Toronto’s restaurants offering two course feature menus for $15 to $50 in $5 increments. Interested restaurant owners/operators can register until August 31 online here. Restaurant listings and menus will be available in September here.
Community Events
Backpack Giveaway by Scarborough Compassion Ministry & Metro East Regional Youth Association
August 19, 2021 | 3pm-6pm | Scarborough Seventh Day Adventist Church – 4350 Lawrence Ave East.
Parents must bring their children with them in order to receive bags
Please click here for a list of food banks and soup kitchens in 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.
I am continuously updating my social media platforms and my website:
I would like to thank all Team Toronto partners for making getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as easy as possible and thank you Toronto for rolling up your sleeves and getting vaccinated. If you haven’t booked your first or second COVID-19 dose, you can now walk-in to any of the City-run vaccination clinics. Details are available at www.toronto.ca/covid19.
*NEW* Ontario working with public health units to run COVID-19 vaccination clinics in schools – News Release. The Ontario government is working with public health units and publicly funded school boards to plan and host vaccination clinics in or nearby schools to continue to fight COVID-19. Clinics are expected to run before school starts and during the first few weeks of school.
City of Toronto COVID-19 Case & Vaccination Update: (Data as of August 16, 2021)Case status and vaccination dose data can be found on the City’s reporting platform.
371 – Newly Reported COVID-19 Cases 1,182 – Total number of Active COVID-19 Cases 17 – Hospitalized Cases (Cumulative) 172,243 – Number of COVID-19 Cases in Toronto (Cumulative)
167,445 – Number of Recovered COVID-19 Cases in Toronto 3,616 – Number of COVID-19 Fatal Cases in Toronto 4,459,788 COVID-19 – Vaccine doses administered in Toronto
*NEW* Scarborough Health Network One-Day Pop-Ups – 1st and 2nd Dose. These clinics will be vaccinating individuals for 1st Dose: Ages 12+; for Pfizer 2nd Dose: 1st dose of Pfizer 21+ days ago or AstraZeneca 8+ weeks ago; for Moderna 2nd Dose: 1st dose of Moderna 28+ days ago or Pfizer 21+ days ago or AstraZeneca 8+ weeks ago.
Aug 17 | 10am to 2pm | Boys & Girls Club of East Scarborough, 100 Galloway Rd
Aug 20 | 1pm to 8pm | Agincourt Mall, 3850 Sheppard Ave E
Aug 20 & 21 | 12pm to 6pm | Bridlewood Mall, 2900 Warden Ave
Aug 20 & 21 | 12pm to 6pm | Golden Mile Shopping Centre, 1880 Eglinton Ave E
Aug 20 & 21 | 12pm to 6pm | Cedarbrae Mall, 3495 Lawrence Ave E
Aug 20 & 21 | 12pm to 6pm | Parkway Mall, 85 Ellesmere Rd
Tickets will be provided for same-day appointments on a first come, first served basis. Please bring ID or document with your address or proof of employment, a health card if you have one and your first dose vaccination receipt. Full details at www.scarbvaccine.ca
Scarborough Health Network Community Vaccine Clinic & Eligibility: Eligible individuals can book now at www.scarbvaccine.ca
COVID-19 Pharmacy Vaccine Locations & Eligibility: Full details on eligibility and pharmacy locations administering the COVID-19 vaccine can be found here.
*NEW* Community Free Throw Competition Happening Today, August 16th from 5pm to 7pm at the East Scarborough Storefront! The East Scarborough Storefront and United Play Canada are bringing fun to an outdoor community space! The free throw competition categories include: Boys Under 12/Over 12 and Girls Under 12/Over 12. See this post for more details!
*NEW* Toronto Zoo Welcomes New Durham Region Transit Bus Route! Your Toronto Zoo is excited to welcome buses and passengers travelling on the new Durham Region Transit (DRT) bus route, DRT Route 917Z, providing service directly to the Zoo until September 6, 2021. DRT implemented a series of service enhancements to support access to public transit as the province continues to re-open; and residents begin to return to work, shopping and more. Plan your visit to the Toronto Zoo here.
YouthLink LGBTQ2S+ Scarborough Needs Assessment Survey – Scarborough Youth (aged 12-29) and community service providers are encouraged to provide their feedback about their experiences on what’s working, what’s not working, and how you feel the 2SLGBTQ+ experience in Scarborough could improve. For the Youth Survey . For the Service Provider Survey .
Parents Engaged in Education is collecting School Supplies to send 1000 low-income students back to school! On August 21 and 22, volunteers from Parents Engaged in Education will be outside the Toronto Zoo Entrance collecting donations of school supplies to send to kids before the school year starts. Backpacks and lunch bags are needed most. See their flyer here.
Church of the Holy Trinity, Guildwood – Operation Backpack! Youth attending The Native Learning Centre East located at Sir Wilfrid Laurier CI are in need of donated school supplies such as backpacks, water bottles, lunch containers, binders, calculators, glue sticks, pencil crayons, duo tangs, folders, rulers, erasers, loose leaf paper, pencils, tape, masks and more. Please bring the donated items to the Church lobby, 85 Livingston Rd by August 22, 2021.
Register for the DineTOgether! Running from September 17 to October 3, DineTOgether will showcase a diversity of Toronto’s restaurants offering two course feature menus for $15 to $50 in $5 increments. Interested restaurant owners/operators can register until August 31 online here. Restaurant listings and menus will be available in September here.
Community Events
Backpack Giveaway by Scarborough Compassion Ministry & Metro East Regional Youth Association
August 19, 2021 | 3pm-6pm | Scarborough Seventh Day Adventist Church – 4350 Lawrence Ave East.
Parents must bring their children with them in order to receive bags
Tuesday, August 17 – 7:00 To 8:30pm – Art for Self-Care w/ Ms. Swosti Adhikari
Wednesday, August 25 – 2:30 To 4:00pm – Body Positivity w/ Ms. Nadya Lim-Douglas
Tuesday, September 14 – 2:30 To 4:00pm – The 3M’s To A Happier State of Mind w/ Ms. Cindy
Review the webinar schedule and registration details here.
Please click here for a list of food banks and soup kitchens in 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.
I am continuously updating my social media platforms and my website:
With back to school just around the corner, I am sure many students, parents and families are concerned and curious about the 2021-2022 back to school plan. Last week, the Ministry of Education released the COVID-19: health, safety and operational guidance for schools (2021-2022) that will guide the safe return to classrooms. The class of 2021-2022 students will be returning to classrooms full-time in September, with remote learning as an option. Staff and students grade 1 and up are required to wear non-medical or cloth masks indoors, including hallways and during classes and on school vehicles.
The Ministry of Education also announced that team sports, field trips and extracurricular activities will be permitted along with assemblies and recess. For more information please review the COVID-19 guide: health and safety measures at schools.
As we continue to enjoy the outdoors this summer, I would like to remind dog owners to keep dogs on leash in public, unless you are in a designated dogs off-leash area. Please, ensure that you pick up after your dogs and dispose of doggy bags in a Green Bin. The City has Green Bins for organic waste in all dog off-leash areas in parks. Also, please respect the natural environment in parks and trails. Dog owners can learn more at www.toronto.ca/DogsInTheCity.
This summer I rode my bike throughout Ward 24 admiring the many beautiful gardens in our community. This year nearly 3,700 garden awards were delivered across Scarborough-Guildwood! I would like to thank everyone again for their contribution in making Scarborough a more beautiful place to live!
With summer coming close to an end, I would like to remind everyone when enjoying City parks and public spaces to please keep them clean and safe. The City has placed garbage and recycling bins in public spaces for you to place litter where it belongs. Let us all do our part and help keep Toronto’s streets, sidewalks, beaches and parks safe and clean! Learn more on what you can do at www.toronto.ca/litter.
As of today, more than 2,000,000 Toronto residents are now fully vaccinated! I would like to thank all Team Toronto partners for making getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as easy as possible and thank you Toronto for rolling up your sleeves and getting vaccinated. If you haven’t booked your first or second COVID-19 dose, you can now walk-in to any of the City-run vaccination clinics. Details are available at www.toronto.ca/covid19.
*NEW* Toronto Parks Forestry and Recreation is recruiting! Attend a virtual Job Information Session from today to August 11 to learn about fall 2021 opportunities, get resume advice and much more here.
*NEW* Support local restaurants through DineTOgether running from September 17 to October 3! DineTOgether will showcase the diversity of Toronto’s restaurants and encourage residents to patronize local eateries. Participating restaurants can offer one or more two-course feature menus for $15 to $50 in $5 increments. To ensure the program benefits as many restaurants as possible, there is no participation fee and registrants must meet minimal eligibility criteria. Interested owners/operators can register between August 4 to 31. Visit this site for more details on how to register.
The Toronto Police Service continue to request the public’s assistance in locating a missing boy, Douvou Ellis, 14 years old. Ellis was last seen on Monday, July 26 at 1:30am in the Galloway Road and Kingston Road area. He is described to be 5’7”, with a thin build and short black hair. Police are concerned for his safety.
Scarborough Health Network One-Day Pop-Ups – 1st and 2nd Dose. These clinics will be vaccinating individuals who live/work/go to school in Scarborough in these eligibility groups: Pfizer 1st Dose: ages 12+; Pfizer 2nd Dose: ages 12+ AND received their 1st dose of Pfizer at least 21 days ago or AstraZeneca at least 8 weeks ago.
August 4 | 4pm to 9 pm | West Hill Public School, 299 Morningside Ave
August 5 | 4pm to 9pm | Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute, 2450 Birchmount Rd
Tickets will be provided for same-day appointments on a first come, first served basis. Please bring ID or document with your address or proof of employment, a health card if you have one and your first dose vaccination receipt. Full details at www.scarbvaccine.ca
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto COVID-19 Vaccine Opportunity! This clinic will be vaccinating FNIM/Indigenous Community Members and their immediate household members aged 12 years and older.
August 4 | Malvern Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, 31 Tapscott Rd Unit 76B
Toronto East Health Network Mobile & Pop-Up Vaccine Clinic: Open to all individuals 12+ who live/work/attend school in any “M” postal code, with priority access for select populations. Visit the pop-up vaccine page for more details: www.tehn.ca/VaccinePopUps
City of Toronto Immunization Clinics & Eligibility: Eligibility criteria and booking for first and second dose appointments can be found online at www.toronto.ca/covid19 or by calling 1-833-943-3900.
Scarborough Health Network Community Vaccine Clinic & Eligibility: Eligible individuals can book now at www.scarbvaccine.ca
COVID-19 Pharmacy Vaccine Locations & Eligibility: Full details on eligibility and pharmacy locations administering the COVID-19 vaccine can be found here.
City of Toronto COVID-19 Case & Vaccination Update: (Data as of August 3, 2021)Case status and vaccination dose data can be found on the City’s reporting platform.
181 – Newly Reported COVID-19 Cases 463 – Total number of Active COVID-19 Cases 20 – Hospitalized Cases (Cumulative) 170,928 – Number of COVID-19 Cases in Toronto (Cumulative)
166,856 – Number of Recovered COVID-19 Cases in Toronto 3,609 – Number of COVID-19 Fatal Cases in Toronto 4,320,309 COVID-19 – Vaccine doses administered in Toronto
*NEW* Church of the Holy Trinity, Guildwood – Operation Backpack! Youth attending The Native Learning Centre East located at Sir Wilfred Laurier CI are in need of donated school supplies such as backpacks, water bottles, lunch containers, binders, calculators, glue sticks, pencil crayons, duo tangs, folders, rulers, erasers, loose leaf paper, pencils, tape, masks and more. Please bring the donated items to the Church lobby, 85 Livingston Rd by August 22, 2021.
Scarborough Arts – Scarborough Sounds by the Spoken Soul Collective. Calling all Scarborough musician! Scarborough Sounds is your opportunity to have your music that speaks to Scarborough play at Town Centre as part of ArtworxTO. Submit your music to djlewyv@gmail.com by August 8th!
Access, Equity and Human Rights Awards! Nominate a member of your community for the City of Toronto’s Access, Equity and Human Rights Awards. Full details on eligibility and how to submit a nomination are available at www.toronto.ca/awards. Nominations have been extended to August 27, 2021.
PollinateTO is growing and wants to hear what you think! The City of Toronto wants to expand the PollinateTO grants program to include more garden types and greening projects. Fill out the survey and be entered to win great prizes.
Community Events
Cycle Toronto Pop-Up Bike Safety Station
August 11, 2021 | 5pm to 7pm | Morningside Park
This safety station will provide people with safety checks and minor repairs for those who may not have access to a bike shop but that to get riding.
Boys & Girls Club of East Scarborough’s Back 2 Books
Please click here for a list of food banks and soup kitchens in 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.
I am continuously updating my social media platforms and my website:
