Month: February 2026

Here are the comments from my monthly Town Hall Meeting. The one last night was in the Cedar Brook Community Centre:

Good evening, everyone, and thank you for joining us tonight.
It’s always a pleasure to meet with residents, hear your questions, and share what’s happening both at City Hall and right here in our community.

I also want to welcome our guests this evening:
• Louise O’Neill from the Friends of Cedarbrook & Thomson Memorial Parks
• Our Neighbourhood Community Officers from 43 Division
Thank you for your partnership and the work you do every day.

Community Updates
We have a number of local updates to share:

New BIA
Our newest Business Improvement Area — the Cedarbrae Markham Lawrence BIA — is now officially underway, and I’m looking forward to seeing this great team strengthen the local business community.

Speed Hump Feedback: Eastpark Boulevard
We’ve heard concerns about possible traffic diversion once speed humps are installed on Crusader Street.
If you live on Eastpark Boulevard, I’m asking for your feedback on whether speed humps should also be considered for your street.
Please email my office — your input will guide next steps.

Road Work Coming Up
Starting Spring 2026 through Spring 2027, Banmoor Boulevard, Hillock Place, and Landfair Crescent will see road resurfacing.
Sewer rehabilitation is also planned for Alpaca Drive, Eastpark Boulevard, and Landfair Crescent.

New FIFA Standard Soccer Pitch – Scarborough Village Park
Standard Soccer Pitch – Scarborough Village Park standard mini pitch at Scarborough Village Park.
• Scarborough–Guildwood is getting a new FIFA minipitch at Scarborough Village Park.
• It will include artificial turf, enclosed fencing, seating, and accessible entrances, with construction finishing this spring and an opening event planned for early June.
• This is a major win for our community and part of Toronto’s preparations as a World Cup host city.

Community Safety & Winter Response
• Community safety remains a priority.
• Over the past weeks, we’ve expanded 311 support, accelerated snow removal on residential streets, and continued to advocate strongly for additional shelter and warming spaces.
• The City recently opened 50 new shelter spaces to support residents during the coldest period of the year.
• You’ll also hear from our 43 Division officers tonight, who continue to support safety initiatives across the area.

Budget 2026 – Thank You
• Thank you to everyone who took part in the Budget 2026 consultations.
• Your feedback directly shapes decisions on transit, recreation, emergency services, libraries, and local programs.
• Council will finalize the budget in the coming days, and your input has been invaluable.

Transit, Transportation & Local Roads
• Strengthening transit continues to be a major focus.
• Council recently adopted my motion urging Metrolinx to reinstate the Lakeshore–Midtown rapid transit line, and I’m continuing to advocate for Toronto’s inclusion in planning for High-Speed Rail.
• Locally, speed hump installations are progressing, road resurfacing and hydro upgrades continue, and the new traffic lights at Guildwood Parkway and Rowatson are on track to be activated this spring.
• Slow Down signs are also available from my office—just give us a call.

Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities
• Early Local Registration is expanding in our ward.
o This program is very important to me. Several residents approached me, asking that they have early access to programming close to their residents. I drove this initiative with a request to City Council to implement this program.
o Centennial and Scarborough Village Recreation Centres were the first to be added, and now Cedarbrook Community Centre will join the list for CampTO 2026.

• Grant Faulkner Park
o I worked with the City and family of Grant Faulker, who is very supportive of this initiative, to have the park named in honour of him, a Toronto resident who tragically died in 2015 while experiencing homelessness.
o The name not only commemorates his life but also serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals and addressing homelessness in the community.
o Construction begins this summer on a new park named in honour of Grant Faulkner. The park will include a playground, soccer fields, a cricket cage, accessible seating, and shaded areas.

Planning, Development & Housing
• Last fall, Council approved new zoning changes for major streets like Lawrence, Eglinton, Markham Road, and Bellamy Road North—allowing more small local services that bring vibrancy to our main roads.
• At the same time, I strongly opposed extending these changes to quiet residential streets, and I’m pleased to share that those “Neighbourhood Interiors” amendments did not move forward.
Over 90% of residents opposed them, and I heard you clearly.
• I’ve also called for a proper review of Toronto’s outdated “major streets” map and continue to press the Province for more local control over pot shops and alcohol serving establishments to better protect neighbourhoods. serving establishments to better protect neighbourhoods.
________________________________________
CityWide Information Wide Information
A few quick reminders:
• Interim property tax instalments are due March 2, April 1, and May 1
• Relief programs are available for eligible seniors and residents with disabilities
• Vacant Home Tax declarations are due April 30
• Tree Maintenance Review survey is open until February 28
• Toronto hosts its first FIFA World Cup match on June 12
________________________________________

Regional Work
• In recent months, I’ve represented Scarborough–Guildwood as Deputy Mayor and TRCA Chair, hosting the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Forum, and at the ROMA Conference as Chair of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries.
• These discussions directly support our work on climate resilience, water systems, and community programs.
I look forward to your questions and hearing what matters most to you and your families.

Thank you again for being here.

Welcome Louise O’Neill to share her presentation on Friends of Cedarbrook and Thomson Memorial Parks Group
Welcome NCO’s to speak on community safety and answer any questions residents may have.


Closing (after guests and Q & A)
Scarborough–Guildwood continues to grow, evolve, and strengthen — and it’s your involvement that drives this progress.
Thank you for your continued participation, your advocacy, and your support.
Tonight is about continuing the conversation.
Please visit the table for information that you can take home.
Thank you again for being here.

• Good afternoon, everyone. It is truly a pleasure to be here. 

• I’ve often been called a champion for Open Data at the City, and honestly, it’s a title I wear with pride.  

• My involvement started well before the program officially launched in 2009.  

• Back then, the idea of making our data sets available to the public was a radical concept for some, but I saw the potential for a more transparent, efficient, and innovative Toronto. 

• Since those early days, I’ve made it a priority to keep up that momentum.  

• Whether it’s pushing for Ward-level survey data or my recent motion to enhance public reporting on service performance and standards, I am always looking for ways to get more City data into your hands.  
  

• The goal remains the same: the data belongs to the people. 

• Toronto should be immensely proud of what we’ve built.  

• We aren’t just participants in this space; we are unquestioned leaders. 

• In fact, I happen to know that not one, but two other governments nominated our Toronto team for the Canadian Open Data Awards this year.  

• They cited our work as a direct inspiration for their own transparency efforts. 

• When other jurisdictions look to Toronto as the gold standard for empowering their citizens, you know we’re doing something right. 

• Speaking at last year’s inaugural awards was a personal highlight for me. 

• The energy in that room was electric. Meeting the users, hearing about your niche projects, and having the chance to congratulate the dedicated public servants who work behind the scenes was incredibly moving. 

• Being back this year is even more special.  

• The fact that we have enough high-impact, world-class work to host a full awards show every single year is evidence of open data’s lasting impact in Toronto. 

• While open data certainly fosters transparency in government, it’s that impact that matters most.  

• While Open Data is valuable, we have to remember Its true potential is in by how it is used. It matters when it leads to new tools, better services, and tangible, positive impacts. 

• We see it in projects such as the Transit Headway Management Platform, which uses TTC data to fix bus bunching and get Toronto moving!  

• We see it in youth-led apps that help students improve their own neighborhoods, or in tools that help our city’s most vulnerable residents access the services they deserve.  

• That is where the ‘magic’ of the data happens. 

• To the staff who do the hard work of making City data available: thank you. Your commitment to transparency and public engagement is second to none. 

• And to our winners and everyone across the city who has made use of open data: thank you for your curiosity and your brilliance. Your efforts make Toronto a better city—one spreadsheet at a time. 

• Congratulations to you all! 

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release

February 10, 2026

Snowstorm declarations ending, drivers still reminded not to park where temporary orange “Snow Removal” signs are posted

The Major Snowstorm Condition and Significant Weather Event declarations, which came into effect on Sunday, January 25, will end today at 5 p.m.

The declarations helped to expedite plowing and snow removal after Toronto received approximately 90 cm of snow in two snowstorms in January, which opened up access for emergency and transit vehicles and improved accessibility of residential streets, sidewalks, bike lanes and school bus loading zones.

From January 16 to this morning, crews have hauled almost 300,000 tonnes of snow to designated snow storage sites as part of ongoing snow removal operations. Of this, nearly 240,000 tonnes were hauled away since these declarations came into effect.

Targeted snow removal will continue across the city with a focus on narrow streets, sidewalks and bike lanes. Drivers are reminded not to park where temporary orange “No Parking – Snow Removal” signs are posted in snowbanks as snow removal will take place on these streets within 24 to 48 hours. Vehicles left parked in these locations may be ticketed $100 or towed at the owner’s expense as they can interfere with snow removal operations.

Drivers should consider off-street parking whenever possible to help crews remove snow more quickly and effectively.

Residents can continue to report areas that need extra attention to 311.

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As an Official Host City for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation and climate action and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information, visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on X at www.x.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityoft or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto. 

– 30 –

Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca

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February 10, 2026

Dear Scarborough-Guildwood Residents,

Here is a summary of the municipal budget presented to Toronto City Council by Mayor Chow today:

City of Toronto’s 2026 Budget now final — focuses on affordability, service stability and financial sustainability

Today, Toronto City Council considered the 2026 rate- and tax-supported operating and capital budgets proposed by Mayor Olivia Chow. The 2026 Budget prioritizes affordability for residents, strengthens community safety, keeps the city moving, and maintains reliable frontline services while continuing the City’s multi-year approach to long-term financial sustainability. The budget includes a combined residential property tax increase and City Building Fund levy increase of 2.2 per cent.

Mayor Chow has issued a Mayoral Decision indicating she will not exercise her veto and has shortened the 10-day period for the Mayor to veto any amendments. As a result, the 2026 Budget is now deemed adopted. A Mayoral Decision outlining this has been issued and is available on the City’s Mayoral Decision webpage: www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/council-committee-meetings/mayoral-decisions.

The 2026 Budget is comprised of an $18.9 billion operating budget ($16.61 billion tax supported; $2.25 billion rate supported) and an historic $63.1 billion 10-year capital budget and plan (2026–2035), the largest 10-year capital plan in the City’s history.

The operating budget includes $788 million in efficiencies, reductions and offsets to address financial pressures.

To help inform the 2026 Budget, input was received from more than 25,000 residents through consultations held in October, as well as telephone town halls, speakers to Budget Committee and written submissions in January.

Key investments in the 2026 Budget

Making life more affordable:
– Freezes TTC fares for a third consecutive year and expands service
– Introduces monthly fare capping after 47 paid trips, starting in September, providing 2.1 million free rides
– Provides more weekday hours at Toronto Public Library branches, opening all 100 library branches seven days a week, year-round, starting this summer
– Continues the Rent Bank, helping 2,800 households stay housed
– Expands the Student Nutrition Program, providing nutritious food to approximately 330,000 students per day in 841 schools
– Supports food programming at City-run camps, providing nutritious snacks to approximately 115,000 children per day at 185 camp locations city-wide
– Supports new rental housing supply through a continued 15 per cent property tax discount for new multi-residential properties
– Supports 27,000 new rental homes this year, including 9,700 rent-controlled and affordable units
– Maintains a new multi-residential property tax subclass for newly built purpose-built rental housing, providing a 15 per cent property tax reduction

Supporting community safety:
– Adds 258 new emergency positions (police and paramedics)
– Expands crisis support on the TTC through Toronto Community Crisis Services
– Hires 16,000 young people for jobs in recreation, special events and museums, helping youth build skills and gain job experience

Keeping Toronto moving:
– Hires 27 additional Traffic Agents to improve traffic management and reduce travel times
– Continues investment in smart street signal technology to keep people moving

Providing excellent community services:
– Supports low-income vulnerable residents with 1,000 air conditioning units
– Enhances the basement flooding protection subsidy program and introduces a new furnace replacement program to help homeowners
– Strengthens renter protections through RentSafeTO, including colour-coded ratings for 3,600 buildings
– Increases the property tax reduction for small businesses by five per cent, for a total reduction of 20 per cent, benefiting more than 28,000 small businesses and supporting local jobs and vibrant communities

Building on progress made over the past two budgets, the 2026 Budget reflects ongoing financial stability measures, including $1.23 billion in operating support through the Ontario-Toronto New Deal and the City’s recent credit rating upgrade to AA+.

Despite these actions, the City continues to face significant financial challenges including revenue softening in key areas, emergency services and transit pressures, inflationary increases and limited municipal revenue tools.

Property taxes and relief programs
The tax-supported operating budget is supported by a 0.7 per cent operating levy increase for residential and industrial properties and a 0.35 per cent increase for multi-residential and commercial properties.

A dedicated 1.5 per cent levy increase for the City Building Fund continues to support transit and housing investments.

In total, the combined residential property tax increase and City Building Fund levy represent an increase of 2.2 per cent, or $91.53 per year ($7.63 per month), based on the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s average current value assessment of a Toronto home ($692,140).

Property tax relief programs remain available for eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities, supporting an anticipated 11,500 households this year. More information is available on the City’s Tax and Utility Relief webpage: www.toronto.ca/services-payments/property-taxes-utilities/property-tax/property-tax-water-solid-waste-relief-and-rebate-programs/property-tax-and-utility-relief-program.

Capital Renewal
The 2026–2035 capital budget and plan totals $63.1 billion ($42.6 billion tax supported and $20.5 billion rate supported). The 10-year plan focuses on fixing and maintaining aging infrastructure, with 53 per cent dedicated to state-of-good-repair projects. Major investments continue in transit and mobility, housing and community improvements, and stormwater management and basement-flood mitigation.

Toronto Water and Solid Waste rates
To support critical services such as waste management and water treatment, the 2026 Budget maintains the interim rates approved by City Council in December, including:
– A 3.75 per cent increase to Toronto Water and Solid Waste Management Services rates and fees
– A 1.25 per cent increase for participants in the Industrial Water Rate Program

More information is available in the City’s news release: www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-approves-2026-interim-rates-and-fees-for-toronto-water-and-solid-waste-management-services.

Additional information
More information about the 2026 Budget, including Budget Notes, Briefing Notes and presentations, is available on the City’s 2026 Budget webpage: www.toronto.ca/budget.

Additional details about the process are outlined in the 2026 Budget backgrounder: www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-2026-budget-process.

The Major Snowstorm Condition and Significant Weather Event declarations remain in effect to assist crews in removing snow as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Snow piles can create challenges for safe travel, parking and businesses, and the parking restrictions help expedite cleanup efforts.

Snow removal operations continue around the clock and today and overnight crews will continue to remove snow from popular cycling routes on Bloor Street, Davenport Road, Yonge Street, Danforth Avenue and Huntingwood Drive.

The City has completed clearing more than 95 per cent of Toronto’s school bus loading zones, with the remainder in downtown and East York to be cleared over the next few nights. Snow removal in school locations can only be done overnight for student safety.

Since January 15, snow removal has been completed on 812 kilometers of roads, sidewalks and bike lanes, which has resulted in 188,120 tonnes of snow moved to snow storage sites.

Approximately 150 surge staff are assisting with snow removal operations today.

With snowfall in the forecast later this week, crews are preparing equipment and materials for salting and plowing.

⚠️ Top 311 service requests

311 answered approximately 4,400 calls yesterday, achieving a 72% service level, with call volumes down 31% from the prior week. Winter-related issues dominated demand, representing 54% of service requests, led by sidewalk snow clearing. Urgent winter requests (136) primarily impacted residents with mobility challenges, while snow clearing for bus stops and bike lanes continued to trend upward.

Today at 9:30 a.m.:
• 610 calls answered with a service level of 50%
• High volume on Tax, Utility Billing and VHT is impacting the Service Level due to the automatic phone calls by Revenue Services /tax calls. Average time to answer under 2 minutes.

Responsiveness and Service Levels – February 3 end of day
• ~4,400 calls answered at 311 with a service level of 72% on the main line
o ~3,400 calls on the main line (~31% decrease from the previous week)
o ~1,000 Tax, Utility Billing and VHT calls answered yesterday
o Average Speed to Answer of 42 seconds and Average Handle Time of 5:18 minutes

Service Requests, Inquires & Trends – February 3 end of day
• ~2,600 service requests created and ~3,100 general inquires
o ~1,400 (54%) winter-related requests being sidewalk snow clearing still at the top with 563 requests. Most impacted wards continue to be Davenport (166 Winter SRs), Beaches-East York (163 Winter SRs) and Toronto-Danforth (130Winter SRs).
o 136 winter SRs were tagged as urgent, mainly from residents who cannot use their mobility device due to snow.
o 36 bus stops snow clearing were created. ~400 created since January 25, 66% already completed.
o 126 bike lane winter maintenance requests were created yesterday being the top 3. ~570 created since January 25
o Tax, Utility Billing and VHT related inquires were at the top.