| Dear Neighbours, I want to thank everyone for their efforts during these difficult times. Let us all remember COVID-19 will hopefully be stopped, but we all must continue to keep following the mandated rules. We also need to remember, our mental health is paramount, and it is important we take care of ourselves and seek support if needed. For information on COVID-19 community supports please visit this link. COMING SOON: Please join me, Hon. John McKay MP and Mitzie Hunter MPP for another Scarborough Guildwood Live Town Hall on Thursday December 3 at 7pm. Please submit your questions by November 30 at 4:00pm, please click here. To join at the time of the meeting, please click . For more information please visit this link. Toronto has now entered the Grey-Lockdown level of restrictions in the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework. Please stay home as much as possible, except for essential trips for groceries, healthcare, child care, school and work. Remember to practicephysical distancing, washing your hands as often as possible and wear a mask or face covering. Residents are asked to limit contact with people not in the same household and to remain at home when ill. I encourage you to read the Grey-Lockdown level guidelines and the province’s news release for more information. City of Toronto COVID-19 Case Update: (Data as of November 23, 2020) There has been an increase of 547 COVID-19 cases in the City of Toronto. There are 173 people currently hospitalized. Through the pandemic the City of Toronto has seen a total of 38,656 cases of COVID-19, of these, 32,537 cases have recovered. To this date, there have been 1,546 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto, an increase of 3 deaths from the day before. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform. Province of Ontario status of COVID-19 Cases can be found here. Getting a flu shot is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from the flu. It is especially important this year to help protect our healthcare system during the fight against COVID-19. Learn more about the flu online at www.toronto.ca/flu and book your flu shot appointment at www.tphbookings.ca The City of Toronto has announced an updated and enhanced set of targeted COVID-19 measures to help with the city’s most vulnerable residents during the lockdown. Based on data collected by Toronto Public Health many neighbourhoods experiencing higher COVID-19 case rates are in the northwest and northeast of the city. These targeted COVID-19 equity measures, which build on protections already implemented, include sharing public health information, improving access to COVID-19 testing and providing critical supports to individuals and their families during this lockdown. More information on these new initiatives can be read here. Knights of Columbus is hosting a Christmas Community Food Drive on Saturday December 12th from 9am to 12pm at St. Martin de Porres Church (Parking Lot), located at 4179 Lawrence Ave E. This will be a drive-through food drive with appropriate COVID-19 protocols in place. Community members are invited to bring non-perishable food items, much needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the Knights of Columbus will take donations from the trunk of your car. The food items will then be delivered to community Food Banks, who will support over 1700 families this Christmas season. Join Social Assistance Coalition of Scarborough (SACS) for a follow-up virtual Q & A on government benefits during COVID for recipients of Ontario Works and ODSP on Thursday December 10, 2020 from 6pm to 8pm. You can send in your questions to sacs.communitygroup@gmail.com by December 1, 2020. Register here. Toronto Police Service Hosts Four Community Conversations: Race-based Data Collection starting Wednesday November 25 from 6:30pm to 8pm. The conversation will be available on WebEx, YouTube, and can be followed via #TPSRaceData on Twitter. To participate in the session by asking questions: join via WebEx. To watch the session, view the livestream on YouTube. More information and details on the following conversations can be found here. Scarborough Business Association will be hosting its Annual General Meeting & 5th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday November 25th from 6:30pm to 8pm. The event will be opened by Mayor John Tory. Join to network with fellow business leaders, connect, share and engage without leaving th comfort of your own home. To register please visit this link. December 1st is Giving Tuesday! Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is an important time for us to come together, empower each other and rally for favourite causes. Join Scarborough Health Network Foundation – and other causes from across Canada and around the world – on December 1 and give a gift that will help shape the future of care for patients and their families. More information and how to make your gift early, please visit this link. For Giving Tuesday this year, Parents Engaged in Education are raising funds to establish Canada’s First Education Bank to service the West Hill/Guildwood and Malvern areas of Scarborough. This Education Bank will give low income students and families in Scarborough access to art supplies, curriculum support, amenities for self-care for teens, books and more. See this flyer for more details. Visit www.parentsengagedineducation.ca to donate! The Boys’ and Girls’ Club of East Scarborough Holiday Help Program is now accepting various forms of donations. Donate essential daily items, toys, non-perishables, and/or monetary donations. All donations are asked to be dropped off at their main site, 100 Galloway Rd, no later than Friday December 4th, 2020. More information on how to participate in the Holiday Help Program can be found here. If you have any questions please contact 416-281-0262 or email info@esbgc.ca. Durham-Scarborough Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Public Information Centre #3. The purpose of the Public Information Centre is to present and seek feedback on the preliminary design and results of the technical studies, including potential impacts and proposed mitigation measures. The Public Information Centre #3 will run until Friday December 18, 2020, please view the dedicated page and participate by using the Ask-A-Question box, please visit this link. People facing hunger in Toronto need our help! Toronto Miracle is inviting Toronto residents to leave a non-perishable food item on their doorstep (marked for Toronto Miracle) on December 5th at 10am. Volunteers will collect these donations and redistribute to those in need in the community. More information on how to donate or volunteer can be found at www.torontomiracle.org Toronto District School Board Open Houses and Information Sessions will be hosted virtually for parents, guardians and students between November and January. Learn everything you need to know about an incredible variety of schools, programs and courses. Sessions are held live or pre-recorded. Details on TDSB schools, open houses and information sessions can be found here. The Toronto BIA Office is now accepting applications for Stream 6 of the BIA Innovation Fund. Awards range from $5000 to $25000. Finding is Limited. Descriptions of projects previously funded under the program can be found here, along with feature stories. Special consideration will be given to projects that address economic support and recovery in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Deadline to apply is Thursday December 10th, 2020 4:30pm. Apply NOW. Create a pollinator garden and help native pollinators from the threats of climate change, habitat loss, and other stressors. Grants of up to $5,000 are available to support community-led initiatives that result in the creation or expansion of pollinator habitat on public and private lands in Toronto. The deadline to apply for the City’s PollinateTO Community Grant is January 8, 2021. The gardens will be planted in 2021. More information about the PollinateTO Community Grants is available at www.toronto.ca/PollinateTO 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 Scarborough-Guildwood’s past Live Town Meetings on my YouTube channel – like and subscribe for more meetings and videos! Scarborough-Guildwood’s Live Town Halls provide the community with up to date information, supports and resources throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Boys’ and Girls’ Club of East Scarborough Scoop Check out the ESBGC latest Bi-Weekly Scoop HERE. Subscribe HERE. 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. TransformTO Update: Climate action for a healthy, equitable, prosperous Toronto. Check out their latest update HERE. Subscribe HERE. What’s On at the Library: Home Edition Check out the latest copy HERE. Subscribe HERE. Fall TPL live and online programming is available online. Our KGO Updates: East Scarborough Storefront’s crowd-sourced e-newsletter Check out their latest issue HERE. Subscribe HERE. Toronto District School Board Update Check out the latest issue HERE. 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. City of Toronto Waste Wizard. The City of Toronto’s Waste Wizard helps you find out what waste items go where! You can visit the Waste Wizard online or download the TOwaste app. 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 If you need info on COVID-19, please visit the following websites: City of Toronto Province of Ontario Government of Canada World Health Organization 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 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: 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 |
Stories And Pictures About Life in Toronto From A City Councillor
