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Storytelling From St. James Town: Murphy Browne on Black History and Local Media

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St. James Town is one of Toronto’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, shaped by migration, resilience, and decades of grassroots organizing. It is also home to Murphy Browne, an educator, broadcaster, and community advocate whose voice has helped document stories often missing from mainstream narratives. RPTV sat down with Browne at the Wellesley Community Centre for a wide-ranging conversation about her work, her journey, and the role of community media in preserving Black history and lived experience. For years, Browne has used storytelling as a civic tool—connecting past and present through radio, music, and local journalism. As the host of Word of Mouth on Radio Regent, Browne curates conversations that blend history, culture, and social commentary. Her approach centres voices that are frequently overlooked, using music and storytelling to create space for reflection, education, and dialogue. She has also brought this perspective to television as a co-host of Regent Park TV’s w...
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Her Memory: Human Trafficking and Digital Awareness

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In December, residents of Regent Park and surrounding neighbourhoods gathered at 349 Ontario Street, the Central Neighbourhood House to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action to Stop Violence Against Women. The event, Her Memory: Human Trafficking and Digital Awareness, focused on education, prevention, and community healing while honouring women and girls impacted by gender-based violence. Organized by The Neighbourhood Group (TNG) and METRAC Action on Violence, with support from local and citywide partners, the gathering brought together community members, frontline workers, youth, elders, and service providers. The event created a space to examine how gender-based violence and human trafficking affect neighbourhoods like Regent Park, where residents continue to navigate redevelopment, migration, economic pressures, and systemic inequities. Discussions throughout the evening emphasized that vulnerability is often shaped by structural conditions rather than individual choices...
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Regent Park SDP Planning Committee Closes 2025 with Focus on Funding, Evaluation, and more

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The Planning Committee of the Regent Park Social Development Plan held its final meeting of 2025 in December, concluding a year focused on strengthening community-led social infrastructure alongside the ongoing physical redevelopment of Regent Park. A central item on the agenda was the urgent need to secure sustainable funding for the Regent Park Social Development Plan as it moves into 2026. Committee members emphasized that social development funding is critical to revitalizing the community’s people, services, and governance structures—complementing the large-scale housing and infrastructure changes that have reshaped the neighbourhood over the past decade. Without stable funding, the long-term social gains achieved through the SDP risk being undermined. The discussion referenced demonstrated outcomes associated with the Regent Park Social Development Plan, including findings outlined in the Federation of South Toronto Residents Associations White Paper. These outcomes include zer...
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New Library Coming to Moss Park in 2028 as Part of St. Lawrence Branch Relocation and Expansion

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The St. Lawrence Branch Relocation and Expansion is set to bring a major new public library to Moss Park, with Toronto Public Library planning to open a new district branch at Queen and Parliament in 2028. As part of this relocation and expansion, TPL has purchased a heritage building at 339 Queen Street East. The new district library will replace the current St. Lawrence branch and serve residents of St. Lawrence, Corktown, and especially Moss Park, where rapid population growth has increased demand for accessible public services and shared community space. For many Moss Park residents—families, newcomers, seniors, youth, people staying in shelters, and rooming-house tenants—the library is an essential daily resource. It provides free internet and computer access, study areas, job-search support, digital literacy programs, and a safe, welcoming place to spend time. TPL says the expanded district branch will offer more space, longer hours, improved technology, expanded collections, and...
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Strengthening Shelter Access Amid Toronto’s Housing Crisis

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Toronto City Council’s Economic and Community Development Committee received an important update on how the City is responding to growing pressure on Toronto’s shelter system, as the housing crisis continues to worsen. Rising rents, a lack of affordable housing, and increasing homelessness have pushed shelters to their limits. For residents in the Downtown East — including Regent Park, Moss Park, and nearby neighbourhoods — access to safe shelter has become an urgent concern. City staff explained how the shelter system is adjusting to higher demand while trying to make access clearer, fairer, and based on human rights. A major focus was the new Access to Shelter Framework. This framework creates a more straightforward and consistent process for deciding who can access shelter services. The goal is to reduce confusion, improve transparency, and make sure decisions consider equity and the real-life needs of individuals and families asking for help. The committee also reviewed updates to ...
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Regent Park Residents Decide on $26.8 Million Community Benefits Investment

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Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) has announced the outcome of a community-wide vote determining how $26.8 million in community benefits funding will be invested as part of Regent Park’s Phase 4–5 revitalization. The funding is secured through a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) between TCHC and its development partner, Tridel. The agreement is designed to ensure that redevelopment in Regent Park delivers long-term social and economic benefits for residents alongside new housing and infrastructure. The CBA was shaped through an extensive community consultation process. Residents and local agencies participated in meetings, workshops, and surveys led by the Community Benefits Oversight Working Group (CBOWG), a body made up of Regent Park community members and organizations. Through this process, three potential investment packages were co-designed, each outlining different priorities for education, employment, community space, and local initiatives. In the summer of 2025...
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Community Leaders Question the State of Ontario’s Democracy

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Community leaders, legal experts, and elected officials gathered for a public panel raising a critical question: is Ontario still functioning as a healthy democracy? Hosted by NDP MPP Chris Glover and moderated by MPP Jessica Bell, the discussion brought together a diverse group of speakers, including Indigenous activists, education organizers, and academic experts. The panel focused on growing concerns that major provincial decisions are increasingly being made with limited transparency and reduced public accountability. More than 100 people attended the event, with a strong turnout from Toronto’s Downtown East communities. A public Q&A allowed residents to share lived experiences and ask how recent policy changes affect their neighbourhoods directly. Panelists pointed to decisions involving public lands, essential services, and billions in public spending that they say are moving forward with less community input and oversight. Speakers warned that concentrating decision-making p...
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City Moves to Break Barriers and Expand Youth Job Opportunities

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Toronto is advancing a major plan to improve youth employment, following a key discussion at the Economic and Community Development Committee chaired by Councillor Alejandra Bravo. With youth unemployment at 19.7%—and even higher among Indigenous, Black, newcomer, and 2SLGBTQ+ youth—the issue is especially urgent in communities like Regent Park, Moss Park, and St. James Town. During the meeting, youth residents, community advocates, and members of the Toronto Youth Cabinet delivered strong deputations outlining long-standing barriers: limited access to quality jobs, unfair wages, lack of mentorship, and unclear pathways into stable careers. Their input helped shape a series of committee recommendations designed to remove systemic barriers and expand opportunities. Key proposals include calls for increased provincial funding for the Focus on Youth Program, inflation-linked investments for youth services, and new citywide employment targets through the Youth Employment Table. Councillors...
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After Bill 60 Passes, Regent Park Tenants Brace for Impact

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Ontario’s newly passed Bill 60 is sparking deep concern among tenant advocates and local leaders, especially in neighbourhoods like Regent Park where many residents already face housing insecurity. The legislation expands landlords’ ability to fast-track evictions and restricts what tenants can argue at Landlord and Tenant Board hearings—changes critics say will disproportionately impact low-income families, newcomers, and vulnerable households. Tensions reached a peak at Queen’s Park during the final vote, when protesters shouted “people over profit” before being escorted from the public gallery. Ontario’s NDP has since introduced a motion calling for Bill 60 to be repealed, warning that it will further erode fairness at the already backlogged Landlord and Tenant Board. In Regent Park, where a large share of residents live in rental units—including Toronto Community Housing buildings—advocates fear the legislation will accelerate displacement. With fewer protections and shorter timeli...
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Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee Highlights 2026 Budget for Social Development Plans

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On November 25th, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee gathered at City Hall to review the proposed 2026 budget allocation for Social Development Plan implementation across Toronto’s priority neighborhoods. The discussion highlighted the plan’s success in Regent Park and its potential to guide equitable development citywide. Chaired by Deputy Mayor Amber Morley, the committee heard from residents, advocates, and city staff about the tangible impact of Regent Park’s plan. Outcomes cited included zero gun-related deaths in 2023, expanded youth employment and leadership programs, and strengthened community cohesion. These results showcase how coordinated, resident-led strategies can make neighborhoods safer and more equitable. Speakers emphasized the ongoing challenges facing priority neighborhoods with significant Black and racialized populations, including housing instability, economic pressures, and systemic inequities. Expanding Social Development Plans citywide would ...
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