211 is your community connection. It is the number to call for information about human services – health, social and community services. 211 connects you with an information specialist who can provide information and referrals 24 hours a day. For example, you can call 211 if you are a newcomer to Canada and are looking for employment training or you are concerned about a family member with an addiction and need information about available programs. You can call 211 if you’ve lost your wallet and don’t know where to replace your identification or you’re looking for marriage counselling or even need to know where the nearest after-hours medical clinic is located. You can also visit the 211 Toronto website.
311 is a simple, three-digit phone number that you can use to get information about City of Toronto services or programs, or to make a request for service. Residents, visitors and businesses no longer have to try to find the right division or individual at the City to get information or help. Callers can get information about everything from Toronto Public Library hours of operation, to reporting a missed garbage pick-up, to finding out where the closest flu clinic is located.
Customer service representatives are available to answer your questions or fill a service request 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you can also email 311@toronto.ca or visit toronto.ca/311 for assistance.
Accessibility barriers impact everyone from seniors and people with disabilities to families with young children using strollers. I am committed to working closely with residents to address accessibility issues within Ward 22 and the City of Toronto as a whole.
I believe that greater awareness of accessibility barriers is a great first step towards improving quality of life for people with disabilities and their families. It is important that landlords, tenants, and business owners are aware of the issues and legislation surrounding disability accommodation.
The following websites and contact information will be helpful to residents seeking more information about accessibility and the rights of people with disabilities. Most accessibility legislation is provincial, but the City of Toronto can assist residents with accessible transit and other services. Please feel free to contact my office for assistance with municipal accessibility issues.
To inquire about City of Toronto bylaws relating to accessibility, call 311 or email 311@toronto.ca.
City of Toronto – Office of Equity, Diversity and Human Rights:
http://www.toronto.ca/diversity/index.htm
416-392-8592
TTY: 416-338-0889
Multilingual Services, call: 311
Centre for Independent Living in Toronto:
Phone: (416) 599-2458
Direct Funding Hotline: 1-800-354-9950
Fax: (416) 599-3555
TTY: (416) 599-5077
Email: cilt@cilt.ca
Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations: (416) 921-9494
http://www.torontotenants.org/
Ministry of Community and Social Services – Accessibility Directorate of Ontario:
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/index.aspx
General Inquiry: 416-326-0207
TTY: 416-326-0148
Toll Free: 888-520-5828
TTY Toll Free: 800-335-6611
Fax: 416-325-9620
Human Rights in Housing: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/human-rights-housing-overview-landlords
Toronto Transit Commission – Accessibility: http://ttc.ca/TTC_Accessibility/index.jsp
Toronto Star: Transit debate continues to rumble before Toronto digs in on digging down
Could taking the one-stop subway plan for Scarborough above ground save the city cash?
January 29, 2016
Jennifer Pagliaro
The Toronto Star
The Bloor Viaduct stretch over the Don Valley is among the numerous areas where the Toronto subway already travels in the open air. Photo: TARA WALTON / TORONTO STAR
To bury it or not to bury it? That’s the next big question for the Scarborough subway.
As the city faces ongoing budget pressures, experts and councillors say the city should study whether running the subway above ground instead of below could save significant cash for the same level of service.
“There’s no need to put the whole thing underground,” said senior transportation consultant Edward Levy of the new plan for a one-stop tunneled subway along McCowan Rd.
Post City: City purchases defunct Davisville bowling club from developer
Historic green space to become public park after two years of battles.
January 28, 2016
Samantha Peksa
Post City Toronto
Councillor Josh Matlow and local resident Derek Tilley stand on what remains of the lawn bowling club
The fate of the 92-year-old Glebe Manor Lawn Bowling Club has finally been decided, following two years of battles arduously fought by its shareholders, the Davisville community and the local councillor. But some questions surrounding the validity of the sale may remain.
The now defunct lawn bowling club was originally founded in 1923, but due to a dwindling membership, club members, led by president Phillip Foubert, resolved to sell its land in 2013.
Now, Ward 22 councillor Josh Matlow has announced that the city has purchased a parcel of the land at 196 Manor Rd. E. from developer Michael Volpentesta, who allegedly beat the city to the punch in a bid to purchase the property in 2014.
CP24: Toronto residents examine power of OMB at town hall meeting
January 26, 2016
Paul Johnston
CP24
A view of the city of Toronto's waterfront is seen from Lake Ontario on Sunday, June 25, 2000. (The Canadian Press/Kevin Frayer)
A town hall meeting looking to end the Ontario Municipal Board’s stranglehold on development decisions was held in Toronto Tuesday night.
Organized by Coun. Josh Matlow, the meeting held at North Toronto Collegiate Institute brought together area residents to examine the functions of the board, and whether it should be reformed or eliminated altogether.
The OMB is an unelected provincial body that currently has the final word on all development-related projects across the province, including Toronto. Many contentious development projects initially rejected by the city have later been greenlit by the board, overruling the city’s Official Plan and angering residents and councillors alike.
Globe and Mail: Scarborough subway would shrink under plan to extend Eglinton Crosstown
January 20
Oliver Moore and Marcus Gee
The Globe and Mail
One of the most controversial transit debates in Toronto is heating up again with a new plan to radically revamp the $3.5-billion Scarborough subway heading to city council.
The plan by city staff, which is expected to be released Thursday morning, involves cutting short the subway and using the extra money to add a 12-kilometre extension of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail line, taking it to the University of Toronto campus in Scarborough.
Mayor John Tory was refusing to comment on the specifics of the report, a copy of which was obtained Wednesday by The Globe and Mail, other than to say that a plan that would better serve the east end of the city was coming. But some councillors who had fought tooth and nail over whether the original project should be subway or LRT were lining up to praise the new proposal.
Toronto Sun: Councillors predict the budget fights ahead
January 9, 2016
Shawn Jeffords
Toronto Sun
Group portrait of Toronto city council 2014-18 at City Hall in Toronto on Thursday December 11, 2014. (Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun)
TORONTO - When Toronto’s 2016 budget hits the council floor in February councillors will have to duke it out to make sure their priorities get the cash.
The Sun asked four councillors what they predict will be the biggest budget battles next month.
Toronto Star: Councillor takes on Toronto’s chief planner over ‘flawed’ subway numbers
Emails reveal conflict between Josh Matlow and Jennifer Keesmaat over seemingly inflated Scarborough ridership projections.
December 17
Jennifer Pagliaro
Toronto Star
Toronto's chief planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, has acknowledged the figures produced by city staff before council did a flip-flop on a Scarborough subway were produced in a rushed process. Photo: CARLOS OSORIO / TORONTO STAR
As the public debate over the Scarborough subway continues, behind the scenes, the city’s chief planner and the most vocal opponent of the project on city council have been sparring over “flawed” numbers.
The war of words between Ward 22 (St. Paul’s) Councillor Josh Matlow and chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat escalated last month, during a back-and-forth obtained by the Star.
Their letters highlight continuing criticism over the justification for a three-stop, $3.56-billion subway. But they also draw attention to concerns over the part senior staff played in seeing a seven-stop, fully funded, $1.48-billion LRT cancelled.
Matlow first sent a public letter to Keesmaat on Sept. 18 about the numbers that influenced council’s 2013 subway decision, which followed on a memo sent by Keesmaat to all councillors about upcoming public consultations.
“I am writing you in advance of these meetings to request that Toronto residents and council are provided with accurate, reliable information with which to assess these transit projects,” Matlow wrote.
The City has introduced a new parking ticket dispute process for parking meter and/or pay-and-display machine offences. It’s now easier to dispute your parking ticket if you have a valid receipt. Click here for more information.
The Toronto Meeting Management Information System (TMMIS) is your online window into the activities of City Council and its committees. Here, you can get up-to-date information including meeting schedules, agendas, minutes, and reports.
You can watch each Council meeting live online with Rogers TV.
- If you are a homebound person receiving care through a Primary Care Provider, Family Health Team, Home or Community Care or Community Support Services or Agencies, please contact your provider to learn whether they are able to offer in-home vaccination. Many teams are beginning to organize or being supported to offer in-home vaccination and will begin to reach out to their patients and/or clients in the coming weeks. If your provider is not able to offer at-home vaccination, they will place your name onto a list for at-home vaccination.
- If you are a homebound person who does not have a Primary Care Provider, Family Health Team, Home or Community Care or Community Support Services, please contact the Toronto Seniors Helpline. The Toronto Seniors Helpline will be available to support homebound people who are 18-65 years old, as well as seniors. They can be contacted at 416-217-2077 or by web chat following instruction at https://torontoseniorshelpline.ca/web-chat/
Each member of Council is deemed to be a commissioner for taking affidavits. The associated duties and powers are set out in the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.17. Section 2(3) of the Act gives members of Council, by virtue of office, the authority to take affidavits on any matter within the geographic limits of the City of Toronto. A commissioner for taking affidavits is not a notary public or guarantor.
The following are examples of the types of requests that are typically presented to members of Council and which they may sign if they wish:
Adult or child change of name application (Change of Name Act) Insurance documents affidavits:
- Motor vehicle transfer
- Lost cheque or savings bond affidavits
- Affidavit of service
- Affidavit on land transfer tax form
- Affidavit of Responsibility (sponsoring family visiting Canada)
- Passport – Statutory Declaration in lieu of guarantor
- Permanent Residency Card
Please contact our office by phone at 416-392-7906 or email councillor_matlow@toronto.ca if you are is need of this service.
To rapidly expand screening and ease pressures on hospital emergency departments, a number of dedicated COVID-19 testing centres have been established across Toronto. Please click here to learn more about who should visit these centres and where they are located.
To review the daily status of cases in Toronto from Toronto Public Health, please click here. Kindly note that the data shown here may differ from other sources, as data are extracted at different times.
If you want to make your views known about a matter being considered by a committee of Council you can submit comments or request to speak. Your comments will become a part of the public record on that matter and will be made available for everyone to see.
Emergency Services
Call If You’re Having Difficulty Breathing or Experiencing Other Severe Symptoms
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 911
Telehealth Ontario
Call If You Develop Symptoms
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 1-866-797-0000
Toronto Public Health Hotline
8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Telephone: 416-338-7600
TTY: 416-392-0658
Email: PublicHealth@toronto.ca
311 Toronto
Outside City limits: 416-392-2489
Call if You Have Questions About City Services.
Telephone: 311
TTY: 416-338-0889
Email: 311@toronto.ca
211 Toronto
Helpline and Online Database of Ontario’s Community and Social Services
Telephone: 211
TTY:1-888-340-1001
Text: 21166
Email: 211@toronto.ca
Toronto Seniors Helpline
Interpretation Services Available
Mon-Fri: 9:00am-8:00pm
Sat-Sun-Statutory Holidays-9:00am-6:00pm
Telephone: 416-217-2077
Long Distance: 1-877-621-2077
Gerstein Crisis Centre
Adults 16+ Experiencing Mental Health & Substance Abuse
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 416-929-5200
Distress Centre of GTA
Anyone in Distress or Need of Emotional Support
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 416-408-4357
Text: 45645
Connex Ontario
Addiction, Mental Health & Problem Gambling
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 1-866-531-2600
https://www.connexontario.ca/
Kids Help Phone
Free & Confidential Counselling for Youth
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone:1-800-668-6868
Toronto Emergency Central Intake for Shelters
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 416-338-4766
Email: cfi@toronto.ca
https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/
Grocery Gateway
Order Groceries Online from Longos
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 1-877-447-8778
https://www.grocerygateway.com/store/groceryGateway/en/
Instacart
Order Groceries Online
24 hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 1-888-246-7822
https://www.instacart.com/
Inabuggy
Order Groceries Online
24-hours, 7 days a week
Telephone: 1-844-41-BUGGY (28449)
Email: support@inabuggy.com
https://www.inabuggy.com/
COVID-19 Youth Mental Health Resource Hub
Before the pandemic, we were advocating together for programs to help our youth. Now, during the COVID-19 crisis, we want our community’s youth to get through this physically, and mentally, well. Here’s a helpful COVID-19 Youth Mental Health Resource Hub that youth can access virtually.
Unison Health Telephone Counselling and Support
For the safety of community members and our clients and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Unison Health is now offering the following services over the phone:
mental health counselling: Call Amanda Costa, Mental Health OutreachWorker at 416-645-7575 ext. 2050 or send an email to amanda.costa@unisonhcs.org
help to apply for income benefits, such as CERB: Call 416-787-1661 ext. 3240, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm Leave a voice mail message with your name and phone number.
help to get food: Call 416-787-1661 ext. 3341, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm Leave a voice mail message with your name and phone number.
If you are worried, sad, or scared, you are not alone. Unison’s counsellors are here to help you. Connect with Unison by using one of the phone numbers listed above. Someone will return your call as soon as possible. Note: staff are working from home and your call may be returned from a blocked number.
The City of Toronto has created a Family Wellbeing Plan which helps to support those that may be experiencing domestic violence and/or child abuse during this time. The best resource for services and supports is the City of Toronto Webpage, which can be found here: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/health-programs-advice/violence-at-home/.
On this page you will be able to find a few things:
- Agencies that are available 24/7 (and virtually) that can support those experiencing intimate partner violence or child abuse. It lists all of their contact information as well as links to their respective organization’s website
- Links to resources around legal support, housing, shelter, mental health, and financial support for those that are leaving their abusive situation
- Information and strategies for how to identify if intimate partner violence is taking place, safety tips, and ways you can support if you know someone that is experiencing abuse.
Please note that options in other languages are available by clicking the “Translate” button at the bottom of the page.
