May 27, 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!
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that there are now over 45,000 jobs available for young people on https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/home.
Toronto City Council meeting to occur virtually May 28
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Toronto City Council will meet virtually tomorrow, May 28 at 9:30 a.m. The first virtual Council Meeting was held on April 30.
City Council will meet using an online video conferencing platform. The public can view the live stream of the meeting at youtube.com/TorontoCityCouncilLive. The full agenda, which includes urgent items only, can be found online at toronto.ca/council.
As part of our phased approach to resuming services, 311 will now begin taking requests for waste bin exchanges, which were initially suspended as part of the City’s COVID-19 response. Requests to upsize or downsize a recycling or garbage bin can now be made by calling 311. Requests for a new garbage, recycling or green bin, additional bin or bin repair can also be made by calling 311.
Reopening of all closed waste Drop-Off Depots
As part of the City’s COVID-19 response, waste Drop-Off Depots (Transfer Stations) were closed to the general public. Recently, three of the City’s Drop-Off Depots (Transfer Stations) were reopened to the public on Saturday mornings and two Drop-Off Depots were also opened on weeknights.
Beginning Monday, June 1, all Drop-Off Depots will reopen to the general public. They will operate on regular hours, with the exception of Bermondsey and Ingram Drop-Off Depots, which will only be open to the public on weeknights and Saturday mornings.
The hours for these will remain as follows:
Bermondsey: Monday to Thursday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. with a half-hour closure from 11:30 pm to midnight, Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Ingram: Monday to Friday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. with a half-hour closure from 11:30 p.m. to midnight, Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Registered account holders can continue to bring material at any time during operating hours. All locations will accept the regular list of materials including household hazardous waste. Compost pickup will not be available at any Drop-Off Depot. Please keep in mind: wait times may occur, cash will not be accepted. Face mask/covering is recommended, and practice physical distancing.
PPE and community-based agencies
The City’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has received numerous inquiries over the last number of weeks with respect to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), requests for community-based agencies. In response to these requests and the dynamic status of donations, the City, in partnership with the United Way, has developed a community coordination plan –ten geographic clusters and three additional clusters have been established and are supported by cluster coordinators.
The EOC asks that any community agencies in need of supplies and/or services, including PPE, communicate those needs to their established cluster coordinator. The requests will be shared with the Toronto Office of Partnerships to identify potential donation matches and coordinate delivery of any available supplies.
Digital Main Street program
The City of Toronto has expanded the Digital Main Street program to help local businesses develop or expand their online services during COVID-19 pandemic. Digital Main Street offers online tools, connections to trusted digital vendors, structured online learning and a Digital Service Squad who provide one-on-one assistance to help businesses grow and manage their operations through technology.
Local businesses can complete the Digital Main Street onboarding process and receive their free Digital Assessment and recommended to-do list at https://digitalmainstreet.ca/toronto/
City of Toronto opens eighth emergency child care centre for essential and critical service workers
Today, Mayor John Tory announced that the City of Toronto has received authorization from the Province of Ontario to open another licensed child care centre to provide care for the children of essential and critical service workers. Like the first seven centres, this new centre is in an existing City-run licensed child care facility and staffed by City of Toronto child care workers. The new child care centre is now open and is located at Blake Street Early Learning & Child Care Centre, 84 Blake St. in the East York community.
Gardiner closure, accelerated road construction and ActiveTO this weekend
This weekend, the Gardiner Expressway will be fully closed from the Don Valley Parkway to Hwy 427 for annual maintenance and improvement activities, the intersection of Richmond Street East and Church Street is fully closed for construction, and there will be closures in place for people to practise physical distancing while being physically active on Bayview Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East.
The Gardiner Expressway will be fully closed starting at 11 p.m. on Friday, May 29 until 5 a.m. on Monday, June 1 for important annual maintenance and improvements. More information at toronto.ca/gardiner
Access to public washrooms and showers
The City has opened a number of facilities with showers, washrooms, and drinking water for all individuals in need of these services.
Starting at the end of day Thursday, May 28, Commander Recreation Centre/Arena and Malvern Recreation Centre/Arena will be transitioned out and staff from these centres will begin preparation to open the Amesbury Arena. This facility will open on May 31 and will offer access to washrooms, showers and water. For up-to-date locations, operating hours and amenities, please visit this site.
City of Toronto releases geographic information on local COVID-19 cases
Today, the City released geographic information on COVID-19 cases in Toronto to help fight the spread of this virus in the city. By knowing where those impacted by COVID-19 live, and by assessing other important risk factors, Toronto Public Health is better able to inform preventive actions, identify where proactive testing can be helpful and take action to reduce virus spread.
The maps reflect where individuals live, and do not necessarily reflect where they were initially exposed to this virus. Areas with lower rates of COVID-19 cases are not necessarily safer and do not pose less of a risk of infection. Case status data and geographic maps can be found on the City’s reporting platform here.
City of Toronto update on COVID-19
The City of Toronto continues to respond to COVID-19. There are 10,525 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 152 cases since yesterday. There are 356 cases in hospital, with 84 in ICU. In total, 7,814 people have recovered from COVID-19, an increase of 187 cases since yesterday. To date, there have been 780 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform here.
The COVID-19 enforcement team continues to respond to complaints and proactively patrol parks and other public spaces, in an effort to ensure public understanding of the need to maintain physical distancing. Ensuring compliance through education and awareness remains the preferred method of engagement, but enforcement continues to take place as necessary.
Yesterday, the City received 217 complaints involving people using outdoor amenities that remain closed or not practising physical distancing in parks or squares. Police and bylaw officers issued 17 tickets. Enforcement officers have spoken to nearly 6,000 people in City parks about the closures and public health measures. The City also received 64 complaints about gatherings and police issued 13 gathering-related tickets.
GlobalMedic is assisting where needed in Canada’s response to COVID-19 pandemic. GlobalMedic will be packing hygiene kits and emergency food nearly every weekday to support vulnerable people and front-line healthcare workers across Canada. The University of Toronto Scarborough and the City of Toronto are supporting the recruitment of volunteers who are able to be a part of these events and support GlobalMedic in addressing food insecurity issues for those in the Greater Toronto Area during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information and to sign up to volunteer with GlobalMedic visit this link.
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.
Our KGO Update
Read about East Scarborough’s latest roundup of key neighbourhood resources, virtual results, and up to date information through The East Scarborough Storefront’s crowd-sourced e-newsletter “Our KGO Updates.” Check out their latest issue HERE. SUBSCRIBE 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.
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