July 15 - Update

Dear Friends and Neighbours, Today, Ontario reported the lowest number of new COVID-19 infections since March 25, with a total 102 new cases province-wide and 49 new cases in Toronto. I'd like to thank everyone for doing their part over the past several months by practicing physical distancing, wearing a mask in public spaces, and following all guidelines from our public health officials. We will get through this! Today, it was announced that the Province will be opening a pop-up COVID-19 testing facility in northwest Toronto. The mobile clinic will be open this Saturday, July 18 from 10 AM - 2 PM at the Christian Centre Church (4545 Jane Street), north of our Ward boundary.  I have requested for the City to provide an additional curbside waste collection for residents of Cordella Avenue and Hilldale Road next week as these areas were highly impacted by the recent flooding. In addition to being able to set out items this Friday, July 17 on the regularly scheduled collection day, residents on these streets will also have an opportunity to set out items on Monday, July 20. Garbage tags will not be required for the collection of the flood-damaged materials.  To ensure efficient collection: ·         All material must be set out at the curb and be accessible to collectors. ·         Items should be bagged or put in the garbage bin, unless they are oversized. ·         Carpet and other large bulky items should be broken down and bundled. ·         All oversized items should be set out beside the garbage bin. A listing of accepted oversized items is available at: toronto.ca/oversized-metal-items.  ·         Household Hazardous Waste such as paint cans, cleaning supplies or other chemicals must not be put out for regular garbage collection or mixed in with garbage. The City has a curb-side pickup service for Household Hazardous Waste, which can be arranged through 311. ·         Building materials such as drywall, insulation and wood waste should not be set out. These items must be taken to a Transfer Station or collected by a private company. Today is the last day to have your say on how Toronto can recover, rebuild & emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic even stronger. Take the survey by midnight at http://toronto.ca/RecoveryRebuild. Please note the following construction notices for Eglinton Ave W: Lane Reduction for Concrete Pour at Caledonia Station - July 15, 2020 Lane Reduction for U-Fill Pour at Caledonia Station - July 16, 2020 Sincerely, Frances 

City of Toronto community centres and indoor pools to open next week

The City of Toronto’s community centres, recreation centres and indoor pools will be reopening on Monday, July 20. Indoor pools will reopen for drop-in lane and leisure swimming. People will be able to visit community recreation centres and make use of lounges, meeting and multi-purpose rooms, computer labs and washrooms.  When the centres open, the following amenities will not be available:

• gymnasiums

• fitness or active areas (including walking tracks)

• kitchens and studios

• saunas and whirlpools

At this time, the City’s community centres cannot offer or facilitate indoor sports, fitness and wellness activities, singing and dancing programs as well as food preparation, distribution or dining activities where equipment or supplies are passed or shared amongst participants. This includes activities like card games, chess or dominoes. The City anticipates that some of these amenities and activities will resume when Toronto reaches Stage 3 of reopening.

Visitors to the City’s community centres should expect changes similar to those that they have experienced at other City amenities and indoor public spaces. Visitors will be screened upon entry and will be asked for contact information for contact tracing, should it be required. Read the full news release here. 

City of Toronto releases update on financial impacts of COVID-19

The City of Toronto continues to monitor and analyze the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the municipal budget, while at the same time fiscally preparing for recovery and rebuild in the months to come.

As part of this work, City staff will be presenting the five-month variance report to the Executive Committee for consideration next week, about the experienced and anticipated financial impacts of COVID-19, including mitigation options.

The report notes that the City anticipates a financial impact of $1.9 billion by the end of 2020, prior to any offsets through mitigation strategies, including spending and workforce restraints. With these mitigation strategies in place, the City projects a reduced total year-end shortfall of $1.35 billion.

Mayor John Tory and Budget Chief Gary Crawford addressed the report on Tuesday morning, highlighting the $513.7 million in mitigation strategies the City is undertaking and stressing the need for emergency financial support for Toronto and other municipalities from the federal and provincial governments. Read the full news release here.  City of Toronto update on COVID-19 The City of Toronto continues to respond to COVID-19. Today Mayor John Tory and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa today provided an update on the City’s continuing response to COVID-19 and recovery and rebuild progress. Yesterday, only 14 new COVID-19 cases were reported – the smallest number of new cases in quite some time. This shows that the city is continuing to move in the right direction. There are 14,956 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 59 cases since Monday. There are 145 people hospitalized, with 30 in ICU. In total, 13,259 people have recovered from COVID-19, an increase of 111 cases since Monday. To date, there have been 1,126 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto.

For the latest updates from the City of Toronto, please click here.

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

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