April 16 - Update

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

The City will continue yard waste collection for another two weeks from April 20 - May 1. After that, the City will assess if it can continue the service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please put out your yard waste before 7:00 AM on your regularly scheduled yard waste collection day. If you are not sure when that is, please check here. If possible, please use a yard waste bag. Otherwise, a rigid open-top container can be used. Brush and branches should be secured in bundles no longer than 4 feet, no wider than 2 feet, and no heavier than 44lbs.

There has been an increase in reported scams conducted by email, phone, and text that purport to be contacting you on behalf of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Please be cautious of these messages and remember that the CRA will never ask you for banking or credit card information. More information on how to help protect yourself from these types of scams is available on the CRA website.

Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) is also warning of a reported food delivery scam. If you get a call from a ‘volunteer’ offering to deliver groceries who asks for your banking of credit card information, please hang up right away. If you have been a victim of fraud, report it to the Community Safety Unit at 416-921-2323.

An application has been submitted to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) by Scrawny Ronny's Sports Bar and Grill at 2011 Lawrence Ave W for a new Liquor Licence Sales Application. The application is open to public comment and any objections can be submitted to the AGCO by clicking here. The File Number is 988472. The deadline for objections is May 12.

Sincerely,

Frances Nunziata

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Here's the key information you need to know today:

City of Toronto expands Digital Main Street program to help local businesses

The City is expanding its Digital Main Street program to help local businesses develop or expand their online services during this unprecedented time. The program includes 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. The expansion of the Digital Main Street program is a part of the Mayor's Economic Support and Recovery Task Force's short-term economic support and recovery plan for Toronto's businesses. Local businesses can complete the Digital Main Street onboarding process and receive a free Digital Assessment and recommended to-do list at https://digitalmainstreet.ca/toronto/.

New Toronto Public Health data system enhances local COVID-19 response

Today, Toronto Public Health (TPH) launched a new technology solution, CORES, to enhance case and contact tracing work. Case and contact tracing are critical components of TPH’s COVID-19 response and work to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Case and contact tracing information provides insight into how COVID-19 spreads from one person to another, the extent of community spread and how long the virus can incubate. CORES will allow TPH to quickly and easily document each individual case investigation efficiently and share data with the provincial Ministry of Health. It will allow TPH to better keep up with the volume of new reports and prioritize individual cases that require urgent follow-up, such as healthcare workers, as the local COVID-19 evolves.

City of Toronto continues to protect staff, residents in its long-term care homes

The City of Toronto began measures when COVID-19 was first identified to protect staff and residents in its long-term care homes. Despite best efforts and proven measures to contain outbreaks, this virus has had a devastating impact on those who work and reside in long-term care homes, nursing homes and other institutions where our most vulnerable receive care. The City of Toronto operates just 10 of the more than 80 long-term care homes in Toronto, providing care for approximately 2,600 residents. To date, there are outbreaks in three of the 10 homes operated by the City.

In mid-March, the City of Toronto’s Seniors Services and Long-Term Care (SSLTC) division asked staff to choose the City as their primary employer in order to limit work locations and, therefore, minimize COVID-19 exposure for both themselves and residents. SSLTC also stopped all non-essential services and redirected resources to the essential long-term care operations, maximizing part-time frontline staff and using overtime to meet staffing needs during outbreaks. The City has also hired 50 nursing students and Personal Support Worker-certified individuals to support and backfill positions. More than 80 City employees from across the organization have been redeployed to SSLTC, and another 80 will be starting soon, with additional staffing support requested from the Emergency Operations Centre.

City Hall Live Online

City Hall Live Online, a showcase of Toronto musicians, kicked off-off today at noon and featured a performance by The Weather Station, introduced by Mayor John Tory. The series will run Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m., with two shows per day until the end of June. This series will directly compensate more than 100 local artists for 30-minute performances from their homes, livestreamed via Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/City-Hall-Live-106149534367134/. Toronto-based musicians can apply for City Hall Live and other City of Toronto Music Office programs at http://www.toronto.ca/music.

City of Toronto to continue yard waste collection for another two weeks

The City of Toronto will continue yard waste collection for another two weeks from April 20 to May 1 to accommodate residents. The start of seasonal yard waste collection was suspended in March as part of the City’s COVID-19 response to ensure adequate staffing levels to continue the core collection of garbage, blue bin (recycling) and green bin (organics). The City recently resumed yard waste collection for a two-week trial period from April 6 to 17 and has determined that it can continue to provide the service for an additional two weeks.

Post your volunteer opportunities at SPARKONTARIO.CA

SPARK Ontario is partnering with the Ontario government to connect volunteers with opportunities to support seniors, people with disabilities and other Ontarians requiring assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All not-for-profit organizations supporting the response to COVID-19 can post volunteer opportunities at sparkontario.ca so potential volunteers can be put to work quickly. SPARK Ontario is a free, bilingual online platform that connects your organization with potential volunteers. Almost 20,000 volunteers have already reached out looking for ways to help!

Need help posting your opportunities? Click here. Interested in volunteering? Sign up at sparkontario.ca

For the latest updates from the City of Toronto, please clickhere.

For the latest updates from the Federal Government, please click here. 

For the latest updates from the Province of Ontario, please click here.