It’s the start of a new year and at City Hall that always means it’s time for our annual budget process. Budgets are about priorities and yesterday, City staff launched their proposed budget, which continues our work to make life more affordable.
The City has launched the proposed 2026 Budget, which aims to make life more affordable. This is the next step of a process that began last year that engaged 11,000 residents from across our City on their priorities.
We wrapped the final City Council session of 2025 this week, signaling the start of the holidays here around City Hall.
This week, I joined many holiday shoppers, Mayor Olivia Chow, and current and past organizers of the One of a Kind Show to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary! For five decades, they’ve celebrated Canadian artisans and encouraged shopping local and Canadian.
Whether we are participating in sports, supporting from the sidelines, or gathering with friends to watch the game, in Toronto we know what it means to play as a team. Here in Spadina-Fort York (Ward 10), our greatest teams are made up of you!
Whether you are getting ready to trick or treat or joining a Blue Jays’ World Series watch party (or both!) there is lots to do in our community.
Next up in our October holidays is Halloween! Join my pre-Halloween party on Friday, October 24 at the new East Bayfront Community Recreation Centre.
This week at Executive Committee I was proud to endorse advancing 550 units of affordable housing at the Quayside site on our eastern waterfront. I’ve worked with City staff, Waterfront Toronto, and government partners to accelerate and increase the implementation of critical affordable housing, alongside purpose-build rental, in this growing waterfront community with construction scheduled to begin in 2026.
It has been so great gathering in community with you over the past few weeks. Just last weekend I caught up with neighbours from all ends of the ward at my Community Environment Day in St Lawrence and at Green Liberty Village’s Eco Fair. As this season comes to a close, I just want to say a very big thank you to all the volunteers who make festival season in Toronto such a success!
This week, I joined all levels of government to cut the ribbon on the newest heat pump plant to provide low-carbon heating to our downtown buildings.
As the weather has cooled down this week, I’m getting ready for September and all that it brings: back to school for kids; the return of our committee and council meetings for me; and our city’s many fall days of recognition, festivals, and events.
The 146th Canadian National Exhibition starts today in Toronto, running to Monday September 1! I know it is a part of so many people’s annual summer tradition - mine included. And it means people will be coming from near and far to Exhibition Place, with additional traffic, road closures, and diversions.
We are now in August and there is still lots of time to make the most of our warm summer evenings and our great public spaces. And to me, there is nothing better on a summer evening than enjoying an outdoor movie night in our parks with my neighbours and friends.
St. Felix Centre, with support from the City of Toronto, has opened a shelter at 629 Adelaide St. W. for people experiencing homelessness. This is a relocation of the original low-barrier respite program operated by St. Felix Centre at 25 Augusta Ave., which closed in July 2023 and has been converted to 31 units of long-term affordable housing for women fleeing violence. The Adelaide site will operate with approximately 50 spaces.
I love Toronto Island Park. With over 1.5 million visitors a year, from near and far, I know this is a shared experience. Improving access to Toronto Island in all seasons is my priority.
The July council meeting is always a busy one and this one was no different! We had many important issues on our agenda this week, focused on making sure we can get around, expanding housing options across the city, and improving our City’s services to serve you better.