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The approval of the 2024 Budget by Toronto's City Council holds particular importance for communities like Regent Park. The additional funding allocated for community safety, violence prevention, wellbeing programs, and essential housing support initiatives underscores the council's commitment to addressing the diverse needs and challenges faced by residents in Regent Park and ensuring their overall welfare and security. Toronto's City Council has approved the largest property tax increase in over 25 years, including a substantial $20 million surge in the police budget. At a special session convened on Wednesday February 14th, 2024 council members endorsed a 9.5% residential property tax hike, a measure championed by Mayor Olivia Chow. Defending the increase, Chow emphasized its affordability, assuring citizens that programs for tax deferral and cancellation would be available to assist those facing financial hardship. The tax hike itself is composed of an 8% increase in pr...

For the past 11 years, Toronto has embraced a transformative approach to policing through its Neighbourhood Officer program, inspired by the successful model pioneered in Regent Park. At the heart of this initiative are officers like Kumar Shanmuganathat, who has dedicated the last three years to serving as a neighbourhood officer in St. Jamestown. Through his insights and experiences, viewers gain a deeper understanding of the program's impact and significance. What sets Neighbourhood Officers apart from their counterparts in the police force is their unparalleled dedication to community engagement. Unlike regular police officers, Neighbourhood Officers prioritize spending extensive time interacting with residents. This hands-on approach fosters a profound understanding of the unique challenges and concerns present within the neighbourhood. One of the hallmarks of the Neighbourhood Officer program is its emphasis on post-incident follow-up. Kumar highlights the importance of this ...

A remarkable tale of compassion and solidarity within our community emerged this holiday season as Project Hope, led by the Toronto Police Service officers and community volunteers, extended a heartwarming welcome to more than 500 newcomer and refugee families arriving to Canada. Their efforts brought not just essentials but also immeasurable joy to those in dire need. Starting with helping refugees from Afghanistan, Project Hope continues to grow as a beacon of the community's open arms towards refugees, embracing newcomers from various corners of the world. Led by the steadfast commitment of Regent Park Constables Farzad Ghotbi and Mustafa Popalzai, both refugees from Afghanistan and Iran, the project has gathered truckloads of essentials since August 2021, now totaling more than $1 million in donations. With the collaboration of 35 police officers, 40 volunteers, and generous contributions from corporate sponsors, Project Hope has woven a tapestry of compassion. Recently, on Dec...

Regent Park, is a vibrant and diverse community in Toronto, and has long been a focal point for initiatives addressing social issues and promoting unity. The annual event held on December 6th, 2023, to commemorate the National Day of Remembrance & Action against violence towards women, exemplifies the community's commitment to creating positive change. As the event unfolded, the traditional opening by Kevin Myron from the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre showcased the community's rich cultural tapestry. Athena Tomes' traditional Hoop Dance further underscored the importance of cultural expression in fostering resilience. Councillor Lily Cheng, serving as the keynote speaker, brought attention to key issues. Her address not only highlighted the challenges but also emphasized the community's collective strength in combating Gender-Based Violence, Human Trafficking, and the Opioid Crisis, particularly in marginalized communities. The Spoken Word performance ...

Muhammad Muzhural Haque is a local artist who has lived in Regent Park for the past 22 years and is deeply engaged in his community. His fascination with the diverse cultures and positive changes within the neighbourhood has inspired his artistic journey. Born and raised in Bangladesh, he cultivated his passion for art there and continued to pursue it as a career after immigrating to Canada. His creations primarily involve mixed media and digital printing, allowing him to bring his ideas and thoughts to vibrant life.   Once Muhammad and his family came to Canada, his passion for art only grew. As a local artist and resident of Regent Park, he began creating many paintings and artworks for the community. This allowed him to exhibit his work in gallery settings, such as the Rotating Regent Park Art Gallery hosted in the Daniels Presentation Centre in 2018. He also got the opportunity to display his artworks in many of Regent Park's structures, including the Paintbox, the 170 Sumach c...

In Regent Park, where people who are living in social housing are facing a renewed sense of urgency surrounding discussions of affordable housing - due in part to the rise in food prices, transportation and health care - keeping those discussions alive and current in the minds of policy makers becomes even more vital. In a November 21, 2023 Ontario Legislature meeting of the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy, Regent Park resident Walied Khogali Ali, Co-Chair Community Working Group , Co-Chair Regent Park Stakeholders Table SDP, and Resident Co-Chair Community Benefits Oversight Working Group (CBOWG), delivered a deputation on behalf of the Federation of South Toronto Residents Association. Walied addressed members of the provincial Parliament in support of Bill 134, the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act. FOSTRA, representing 25 residents associations in downtown Toronto, supports defining affordable rent based on a percentage of household income but is...

 Regent Park, a vibrant community in downtown Toronto, has a long-standing tradition of celebrating its cultural diversity and artistic talents through the annual "Sunday in the Park" festival. In 2023, this beloved event marked its 32nd year, bringing together residents and visitors to celebrate the neighbourhood's strengths and unity. Hosted by the Neighbourhood Information Post in collaboration with the Community Building Working Group of the Social Development Plan, Sunday in the Park marks its second in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic. Key partners include the City of Toronto, Toronto Community Housing, Tridel Builders, Focus Media Arts Centre, Regent Park Neighbourhood Association (RPNA), Daniels, Artscape, TNG Community Services, Fred Victor, Young Street Mission (YSM), Scotia Bank and others. The event's co-hosts, Samir Abdella and Walied Khogali, along with Master of Ceremonies(MC) Kishka, ensured the festival's energy and spirit remained high th...

City Councillor Chris Moise is no stranger to being in the public view and is someone who has dedicated his life to public service. As councillor for Ward 13, which he has himself described as “complex” - it  encompasses the neighbourhoods of Church Wellesley, St Jamestown, Cabbagetown, Regent Park, Moss Park, and Cork Town. The ward has populations of both high income residents and low income residents, and a proportionately large number who are homeless and living in shelters, and of late, in encampments. Many also face complex health and mental issues, and may also be dealing with substance abuse issues. In an interview with RPTV reporter, they spoke about a wide range of issues in Toronto's East Side. First, they spoke of the next stages of the multi-year revitalization of Regent Park. Many of those in Regent Park are concerned that this next phase may cause displacement of residents, barriers to accessing new facilities, and loss of the many cultural communities that are part ...

I had moved into Regent Park only a few days before I saw the pink, fuchsia, strawberry, indigo, yellow, green, neck streamers and sparkling robes worn by children, parents, aunts, uncles, and elders as they marched passed my kitchen door. Soon, the nearby Athletic Grounds was blazing with colour. Although it was the first time I heard them, the intonations on the microphone were recognizable, even to me, as prayers. It was Eid, the concluding celebration after Ramadan. It was a beautiful sight. I am a White Jewish senior and I hunted for a stairless condo for years before I chose to live in Regent Park and then only because a relative did business with the new seniors’ building there. “Regent Park?” a friend exclaimed. “You are going to have ethnic problems.”  “Not I.  I come from a long line of fiery leftie activists.” I replied. Stage four and five of revitalizing this post-war subsidized development into a multi-income community was just beginning and I ju...

On May 10, 2023, the Regent Park Social Development Plan network will be holding a community meeting reporting on the work and achievements over the past year. For those of you who are unaware, the Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP) is a community wide initiative aimed at bringing all residents and groups together to stimulate positive social change around four priority areas, each represented by a working group (community safety, community building, employment and economic development and communication). These working groups meet monthly. In addition to the working groups, there are also four standing committees (Evaluation and Benchmark, the Funding Committee, the Community Benefits Oversight Working Group and the Planning Committee). Some of these committees meet monthly, some bi-weekly and some, like the Planning Committee, meet every single week! As if all these meetings were not enough, almost all the workgroups and committees have task groups or sub-committees that meet i...