Catch da Flava Online

This month, as communities mark Truth and Reconciliation, attention turns to the daily realities Indigenous children and families face in Toronto. The legacy of residential schools and child welfare policies continues to leave trauma, displacement, and barriers to culturally safe supports. In Regent Park and across downtown east Toronto, many families live with these challenges every day. Native Child and Family Services of Toronto is one agency responding to these challenges. Founded in the 1980s by First Nations and Métis leaders, it is child-centered, family-focused, and community-driven. Its programs are rooted in culture, respect, and grounded in self-determination. At their recent open house, families gathered at 30 College Street and 185 Carlton Street to explore services, enjoy Indian tacos, and visit the Mooka’am art show, themed Strength in Our Ancestors. Senior clinician Adrian Cocking explained how art has become a pathway to reclaim identity and healing, while Charlene Ava...

Community members gathered at Queen’s Park on Saturday, September 14, for a rally against gun violence, honoring victims and families while continuing the legacy of community leader Louis March, founder of the Zero Gun Violence Movement, who passed away in July 2024. The event marked the conclusion of the Peace March 2025, bringing together mothers, survivors, advocates, and community organizations to share stories, call for action, and highlight the importance of healing. The rally was not only a response to recent tragedies but a collective remembrance of all victims, including 8-year-old JahVai Roy, killed by a stray bullet in North York last month. His mother, Holly Roy, delivered a moving speech about her grief and the urgent need for community support. Gun violence disproportionately affects Black communities and other marginalized groups, including Indigenous residents, with deep social and emotional consequences for families. Youth in particular face heightened risks, as povert...

This month marks five years since Samuel Kisitu arrived from Uganda in September 2019, fleeing political persecution under President Museveni’s 40-year dictatorship. In exile, he named himself “Freeman” and put on the red beret of the People Power Movement, inspired by Bobi Wine’s call for democratic change. He is now a proud member of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and the National Unity Platform – People Power Movement, Canada Chapter. His journey in Toronto has carried him from nights at Dominion Church’s temporary shelter to reuniting with his family and welcoming a new child. Before finally securing affordable housing in December 2023, he was among more than 15,000 people experiencing homelessness in the city. Along the way, he became a contributing voice in Toronto’s Downtown East, helping organize during last year’s refugee housing emergency, when African-led groups and churches stepped in to shelter asylum seekers as the city’s system buckled under pressure. Samuel’s c...

As the new school year approaches, families, students, and educators in Toronto face uncertainty over proposed changes under Bill 33, which would mandate police in schools, including the School Resource Officer program. Advocates warn the bill distracts from the real need: a chronically underfunded education system and community-based supports. On August 27, Policing-Free Schools and supporters held a back-to-school teach-in and protest at Queen’s Park. The event featured speeches from youth organizers, local advocates, and community leaders, alongside campaign activities like petition signing. Attendees emphasized the bill could disproportionately impact racialized, Indigenous, and newcomer students in neighborhoods like Regent Park, Moss Park, and St. James Town. TDSB Trustee Deborah Williams, representing Ward 10, explained that elected trustees have been stripped of decision-making powers, limiting families’ ability to advocate for their schools. Bill 33 would centralize control pr...

Every August, Toronto gathers to mark International Overdose Awareness Day — a time to remember lives lost and reflect on the urgent need for compassion and change. At the corner of Queen Street East and Sherbourne, Moss Park has long been a gathering place for Toronto’s First Nations community and harm reduction advocates. In 2022, ceremonies, healing circles, and community celebrations were held here to honour those lost to overdose — guided by Indigenous leaders who cared deeply for their people, as First Nations remain among the most impacted by the ongoing drug poisoning crisis. Today, as construction for the new Ontario Line reshapes the area, the memories and teachings rooted in Moss Park continue to endure. International Overdose Awareness Day comes amid a worsening crisis. Since the Ontario government began closing supervised consumption sites in March 2025, overdoses have surged. According to the Toronto Drop-In Network, June 2025 alone saw a 288% increase in overdoses, leavi...

Overdoses are climbing sharply in Toronto, and frontline workers say the March closure of several supervised consumption sites is a key driver. In Regent Park, the Bevel Up harm reduction site once offered a critical safety net. Now, staff at local drop-ins are on the front lines of a crisis that is growing by the month. According to the Toronto Drop-In Network—representing more than 50 organizations—overdoses inside drop-in spaces have nearly tripled in just three months. The numbers tell a grim story: in April, overdoses rose 75%. By May, the increase reached 175%. In June, the spike hit 288%—all within centres meant to offer food, warmth, and community support. Drop-in staff are doing everything they can: administering naloxone, calling paramedics, and working to keep people alive. But advocates stress these spaces were never designed to replace the medical oversight and harm reduction services provided by supervised consumption sites. The province’s new HART hub model, intended as ...

At Queen’s Park, community leaders, students, and education advocates gathered to voice strong opposition to Bill 33—a proposed provincial law that would mandate School Resource Officer (SRO) programs in Ontario schools. Recently, Policing-Free Schools hosted a press conference on the South Lawn, warning that the legislation could override local school board decisions and reintroduce police into classrooms across the province. Before the press event, Regent Park TV’s Fred Alvarado interviewed Toronto Centre MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam, who has been outspoken against the bill. “Our schools need care, not criminalization,” Wong-Tam stressed. Toronto Police say they have no plans to revive the SRO program, which was ended in 2017 after students—particularly Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth—reported feeling unsafe and targeted. But with Bill 33 advancing, those protections could be rolled back. As the school year approaches, advocates are calling for investments in guidance counsellors, me...

Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) has released an update on the Regent Park Revitalization, marking a pivotal moment in one of Canada’s largest community redevelopment projects. The report, presented to the Board of Directors on July 18, 2025, covers progress across all five phases, outlines construction timelines, and highlights a community-wide vote on how to allocate $26.8 million in community benefits. Since the project began in 2006, the revitalization has transformed much of the neighbourhood into a mixed-use, mixed-income community. The first three phases, completed with the Daniels Corporation, delivered over 1,400 rent-geared-to-income units, 427 affordable rentals, and new parks, retail, and community spaces. Tridel Inc. is now the development partner for the final two phases. Phase 4 and 5 will deliver hundreds of new homes and civic amenities. Building 4A, a 271-unit TCHC rental at Gerrard and Dreamers Way, is set to start construction in September 2025 after del...

The grounds of Queen’s Park became the final stop in a youth-led movement that stretched 700 kilometres from Timmins to Toronto. The 7th Fire Youth: Call to Action rally, held on August 8, marked the culmination of a three-week ceremonial walk organized by Tristan Ashishkeesh and guided by Mahmo Inninuwuk Wiibuseego-Stamok. Walking beside him were Sage Iahtail and Todd Spence, who set out on July 15 to challenge Ontario’s Bill 5 and Canada’s Bill C-5—laws they say threaten First Nations rights, lands, and futures. Craig Koostachin also began the journey but was forced to withdraw after doctors warned of severe health risks. At each stop, the walkers carried their message to communities, building momentum for the Toronto rally, where more than 80 people gathered in ceremony, song, and solidarity. Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Leo Friday, Deputy Grand Chief Amos Wesley, and Chief Sylvia Koostachin-Metatawabin joined the call, emphasizing the urgency of protecting Indigenous voices in d...

This unwavering resilience was on full display at the upcoming Moss Park Safety Meeting, led by the City of Toronto’s Identify IMPACT Program. Safety in Moss Park is not just a policy issue—it is a lived reality, shaped by those who experience it daily. Residents are gathering not just to voice concerns, but to demand meaningful action and create solutions on their own terms. This meeting is about more than just crime or city services—it is about reclaiming power in a neighbourhood that has long been shaped by decisions made elsewhere. Today, the people of Moss Park take another step toward defining their own future. The meeting closed with a moment of recognition—awards were given to outstanding community members for their contributions, underscoring the critical role these gatherings play in fostering unity. By celebrating the work of local leaders, the event reinforced a simple truth: lasting change begins with those who care enough to take action.