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Celebrating Black History Month in Regent Park

By Regent Park Focus - March 17, 2026

On February 21, residents, youth, families, agencies, and community partners gathered at Ada Slaight Hall inside Daniel Spectrum for the BGC Toronto Kiwanis Black History Month Community Celebration — a youth-led event grounded in recognition, connection, and visibility. Participants moved through engagement tables, youth-run businesses, mentorship spaces, and cultural programming, strengthening ties across Regent Park, Cabbagetown, St. James Town, and the broader Downtown East. #blackhistorymonth #toronto #2026 #regentpark #youth #culture #excellence

Regent Park SDP Planning Committee Discusses Conflict Resolution Role and Communication Policy

By Regent Park Focus - March 17, 2026

On February 19, 2026, the Planning Committee of the Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP) Network met to discuss key governance matters related to how the network manages internal conflicts and communication among its members. Facilitated by Adonis Huggins, the meeting focused on two major agenda items: the formalization of a new Conflict Resolution Administrator role and a review of the SDP Network’s Email Use and Letters Violation Policy. The first discussion centred on the creation of the Conflict Resolution Administrator position, a role developed as part of the network’s broader Shaping Culture policy. The initiative is intended to strengthen internal accountability and ensure disputes within the network are addressed through a clear and transparent process. Huggins opened the conversation by outlining the background of the policy and the need for a structured approach to resolving conflicts within the network. Long-time SDP member Michael Rosenberg then provided a detailed ov...

Regent Park Tower Breaks Ground as Community Watches Affordability and Return Rights

By Regent Park Focus - March 17, 2026

A new chapter in the redevelopment of Regent Park began on March 2, 2026, as government officials and Toronto Community Housing broke ground on a new affordable housing tower at the southeast corner of Gerrard Street East and Dreamers Way. The 26-storey building will bring 271 affordable rental homes to the neighbourhood as part of Phase 4 of the Regent Park Revitalization. According to project details, the development will include 136 replacement rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units for residents displaced during earlier phases of redevelopment, along with 135 new affordable rental homes intended to expand the supply of lower-cost housing in the community. The building will also include indoor and outdoor community spaces and a mix of unit sizes, with an emphasis on family housing. If construction proceeds as planned, tenant occupancy is expected in 2029. The project represents more than $219 million in public investment, including $50.7 million from the City of Toronto, $86 million from...

February 12th SDP Meeting, 2026

By Regent Park Focus - March 03, 2026

The Planning Committee is advancing efforts to strengthen coordination, transparency, and shared decision-making across the SDP Stakeholders Table, as members reviewed a series of updates aimed at aligning priorities and improving how the initiative operates across its working groups and community partners.

Regent Park Celebrates Black Excellence

By Regent Park Focus - March 03, 2026

Residents, youth, and community leaders gathered at the Regent Park Centre for Excellence on February 7 for the Black Excellence Panel, hosted by Chris Moise as part of Black History Month programming in Ward 13, Toronto Centre. The event brought together senior leaders from across Toronto’s public and non-profit sectors to reflect on leadership, representation, and opportunity — themes that remain central to Black History Month and to communities navigating systemic inequities. Moderated by Deputy City Manager Denise Campbell, the panel featured Nadia Gouveia, Chief Operating Officer at Toronto Community Housing Corporation; Dr. Na-Koshi Lamptey, Medical Officer of Health at Toronto Public Health; and Nigel Barriffe, President of Urban Alliance on Race Relations and Vice President of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto. Panelists shared personal journeys of advancement into senior leadership roles, speaking candidly about challenges, mentorship, and the responsibility of creating pathw...

Anansi Stories: A Night of Storytelling, Culture, and Black History

By Regent Park Focus - March 03, 2026

On February 24, 2026, residents gathered to celebrate Black History Month through one of humanity’s oldest and most powerful cultural traditions: storytelling. Hosted by Radio Regent's own Murphy Brown, the evening featured Anansi folktales. Brown, a journalist, radio host, storyteller, and activist, framed the stories not as simple entertainment but as living history. Drawing on her African-centred upbringing in South America, she describes storytelling as a lineage shaped by elders and ancestral knowledge. Her work carries forward the role of elders as knowledge-keepers and culture-bearers, ensuring that cultural memory remains active within community life.

Regent Park SDP Planning Committee Advances Funding Advocacy and Governance Discussions

By Regent Park Focus - February 24, 2026

As Regent Park continues to be reshaped through large-scale redevelopment, conversations about strengthening the neighbourhood’s social infrastructure remain central to residents and stakeholders. On January 29, 2026, the Planning Committee of the Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP) met to address funding advocacy, governance processes, and community culture policies shaping the network’s future. The meeting opened with a brief overview of the history and purpose of the Social Development Plan, presented by facilitator Walied Khogali Ali. Members were reminded that City Council approved $2.5 million in funding beginning in 2019 — allocated at $500,000 annually — to support social development initiatives aligned with community priorities. Participants were encouraged to review previous Regent Park TV coverage documenting SDP activities and milestones. During discussions, members received updates regarding the anticipated $26.8 million in community benefits connected to ongoing red...

Regent Park Social Development Plan Faces Funding Uncertainty in 2026 City Budget

By Regent Park Focus - February 02, 2026

The Planning Committee of the Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP) met on January 22, 2026, to address funding concerns and internal governance matters as the neighbourhood continues to undergo large-scale physical redevelopment. The meeting opened with a discussion of an email from City of Toronto staff member Zenia Wadhwani, sent in response to questions raised by Planning Committee member Walied Khogali Ali during a recent City Town Hall meeting on the 2026 municipal budget. The email indicated that the City’s proposed 2026 budget does not include funding for Regent Park SDP projects, marking a significant shift from previous years when $500,000 was allocated annually to SDP initiatives over a five-year period. Committee members reflected on what the absence of City funding could mean for Regent Park residents, particularly as many families continue to face affordability pressures and increased demand for social supports. Members emphasized that while physical redevelopment con...

Toronto Launches 2026 Budget Process, Opening Public Hearings Citywide

By Regent Park Focus - January 29, 2026

Toronto’s 2026 budget process formally began on January 8, when the City’s Budget Committee met at City Hall to launch the 2026 Operating Budget and the 2026–2035 Capital Budget and Plan. Chaired by Councillor Shelley Carroll, the meeting marked the first step in determining how public funds will be allocated across municipal services, infrastructure projects, and community supports over the coming year and beyond. For neighbourhoods like Regent Park—where residents rely heavily on publicly funded housing, transit, recreation, and social services—the budget process plays a critical role in shaping everyday life. The committee’s first agenda item was a presentation from City staff, including the City Manager and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. The presentation outlined the City’s overall financial outlook for 2026, key budget pressures facing municipal services, and long-term capital planning extending through 2035. City officials also highlighted the balance the City must st...