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On January 16th, 2025, Councillor Chris Moise of Ward 13 and Deputy Mayor Councillor Ausma Malik of Ward 10 co-hosted the annual Budget Town Hall Meeting at Toronto City Hall. The event featured key speakers, including Mayor Olivia Chow and Budget Chief Councillor Shelley Carroll, providing residents with a comprehensive overview of the city’s 2025 budget. Fred Alvarado – Local Journalism Initiative Anthony Ng, Director of Financial Planning and Management, and Mervyn Mendoza, Manager of Financial Planning, led the staff presentation, detailing the fiscal strategies behind the $18.8 billion operating plan and the record-setting $59.6 billion capital investment. This ambitious budget includes a proposed 6.9% tax increase aimed at enhancing transit, housing, and critical infrastructure projects. Throughout the two-hour session, residents from Wards 10 and 13 engaged in a lively Q&A session, voicing their concerns about how the budget's focus on affordability, publi...

On January 16, 2025, Social Planning Toronto hosted a virtual Budget Town Hall, offering a platform for community leaders and residents to dissect the 2025 City Budget and its implications. The event featured prominent voices like Sara Beyer from the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, Diana Chan McNally of The Shift, Daniella Leacock from the Toronto Drop-In Network, and Stephen Mensah of the Toronto Youth Cabinet. Fred Alvarado – Local Journalism Initiative Beth Wilson from Social Planning Toronto opened with a detailed "City Budget 101" presentation, illuminating the 2025 budget's core elements. Subsequent speakers delivered critical insights, advocating for budget priorities that address housing affordability, bolster community services, and enhance youth programs. A significant point of contention was the proposed $46.2 million budget increase for the Toronto Police Service. Community members strongly opposed this allocation, arguing that the funds s...

 At Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park, the community gathered to celebrate the launch of Niizh, a play by award-winning Anishinaabe playwright Joelle Peters. Hosted as part of the Toronto Lit Up program by Playwrights Canada Press, the event spotlighted Indigenous storytelling in an intimate setting filled with connection, creativity, and community spirit. Dawar Naeem – Local Journalism Initiative Niizh tells the heartwarming story of Lenna, a young woman from a reserve preparing for her first year of college, and her meet-cute with Sam, who has recently returned to the community after years away.The play captures the bittersweet highs and lows of a rural teenage upbringing, filled with Indigenous humor, small-town charm, and dream-like interludes. It’s a coming-of-age love letter to community,exploring themes of love, identity, and the complexities of leaving home. The Toronto Lit Up program, led by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and the Toronto Arts ...

On December 18th, 2024, Toronto City Council approved the Shelter Safety Action Plan, a three-year initiative aimed at improving safety and services in city shelters, particularly for asylum seekers and refugees. The plan includes increased funding for community organizations providing temporary shelterand expanded housing options tailored for refugees. Fred Alvarado – Local Journalism Initiative The plan includes 14 actions based on a CAMH study, addressing issues like violence and harassment by tackling underlying causes and enhancing support for staff and clients. Amendments to existing contracts were also approved to enhance lodging and community safetyservices, ensuring better support for asylum seekers. The council's decision reflects its commitment toproviding equitable access to shelter services, regardless of immigration status. The motion to adopt the Shelter Safety Action Plan was moved by Councillor Alejandra Bravo, Chair of the Economic and...

Pastor Eddie Jjumba of Crisis in our City Network Calls for Immediate Action to Address Discriminationand Inequities in Shelter Access Fred Alvarado – Local Journalism Initiative Toronto's shelter system is failing refugees, especially those from African countries, as they facesystemic discrimination and exclusion. Despite the Ombudsman Toronto Housing Unit Status Report 2024 highlighting these issues, little progress has been made. The Crisis in our City Network, co-chaired by Pastor Eddie Jjumba, is demanding the city take immediate action to address these barriers.Pastor Jjumba recently shared his thoughts with Regent Park TV journalist Fred Alvarado, emphasizing the urgent need for reform. "The system isn’t just broken, it’s discriminatory, especially against African refugees," he explained. "Refugees are being denied basic dignity and access to the resources they need."The network is calling for full implementation of the Ombudsm...

Paul Tobias’ journey from growing up in Regent Park to becoming a published author and community leader is a testament to resilience and the power of generational change. His life story, shaped by the challenges of public housing, systemic inequities, and racial discrimination, speaks to larger societal issues that demand collective attention. Dimitrije Martinovic – Local Journalism Initiative Paul’s book, written as a reflection on his struggles and triumphs, challenges social stigmas often attached to public housing residents and immigrants. By sharing his personal narrative, Paul highlights the persistence required to rise above systemic barriers while calling for reforms in housing policies and social service accountability. His experience also underscores the need for equitable access to education as a means of breaking cycles of poverty. Education played a central role in Paul’s life and became the legacy he passed on to his children. Through his deter...

By Gabriel Meissner Gabriel is a Community Journalist at Focus Media Arts Centre Premier Doug Ford’s government has announced plans to close 10 of Ontario’s 23 supervised drug consumption sites by March 2025, targeting those located near schools and childcare centers. Ford asserts that the closures are necessary to protect children from exposure to drug use and the potential dangers of discarded needles in public spaces. Additionally, he argues that these sites have not demonstrated a significant impact on improving addiction outcomes and may contribute to issues in surrounding neighbourhoods. As an alternative, the government will introduce 19 new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs, which aim to provide a broader spectrum of addiction and homelessness services but will not include supervised drug consumption. The government’s decision has sparked widespread debate, with public health advocates, community leaders, and harm reduction workers voicing ...

RPTV Weekly News Show Episode 101 (November 24th to December 1st.) - in this weekly news show hosted by RPTV reporters Gabriel Meissner, Kedar Ahmed, Marcelo Ramirez, and Jabin Haque, we present news that impacts on Toronto's Regent Park and the surrounding areas. In this episode we present the following news: 0:00 Intro; 0:56 Report of the SPD Stakeholders Table Meeting on November 27th, 2024; 21:29 Man Charged in Violent Carjacking That Left Victim Shot in Regent Park; 23:57 Covenant House Toronto Expands Winter Care for Youth Experiencing Homelessness; 25:52 Ontario Passes Bill Allowing Removal of Toronto Bike Lanes; 26:36 Local Ice Rinks Are Now Open! 27:21 Events in the Community.

At a recent TCHC update meeting, Daniels Corporation shared progress on Regent Park’s revitalization. Allison Platt, Director of Development, detailed plans for Block One at Gerrard and Parliament. The project includes a 10-story mid-rise, a 25-story tower, and 12 retail units, with occupancy expected in fall 2025. Heela Markhail highlighted Daniels’ $5 million affordable homeownership program, allowing 12 Regent Park residents to purchase homes while contributing community service hours. Social procurement initiatives have reinvested $200,000 locally, commissioning community artists to create public amenities like benches and bike racks. Recent commercial additions include Ultra Pilates and restaurants like Tahini and Sushi 96, reflecting Daniels’ commitment to enhancing the neighborhood.

On December 18, 2024, the City of Toronto Community Funding Unit announced the recipients of the 2024 Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP) Grant. The Regent Park Social Development Plan, also known as the SDP, is a community wide network that engages in projects that create a sense of belonging, inclusion and cohesion to bring Regent Park together as one community and improve the social environment in Regent Park. The 2024 City of Toronto's SDP Grant supports organizations, grassroots groups, Toronto Community Housing tenants, and community members who are advancing one or more of the plan's key focus areas: Community Safety Communication Employment & Economic Development Community Building