Linking North York: a case for extending the Finch West LRT

Toronto residents likely look at current TTC maps and notice the gap between the northern portions of Line 1 Yonge-University. In its initial planning stage, the Finch West LRT would have linked Finch Station to Humber College’s North Campus instead of its current plan to end at Finch West Station, but constructing the full line was deemed too costly at the time. Since then multiple proposals have been put forth regarding how to best link the two segments of Line 1 operating in North York. Extending the Finch West LRT would be a better allocation of funds over spending money on an inner suburban subway that lacks the density required for a subway line.Some have argued for an extension of Line 4 Sheppard westward from Yonge to Sheppard West station, but this proposal encounters several issues when compared with a LRT extension. Constructing subways are more expensive per kilometer of track built and are more costly to operate in the long run given the cost of maintenance upkeep. Subway stops are also comparatively further apart given their high construction costs which can limit access to transit in less dense regions like North York. Furthermore, while subways can carry the greatest number of passengers more quickly, they require high population densities to support their use. The Sheppard line has two of the TTC’s least used subway stations and the line’s current daily usage rates only place it slightly above the 36 Finch West bus.Conversely, a surface LRT can be built at a lower cost per kilometer on a dedicated right of way with more stops so it is more accessible North York residents. A good comparison here is city council’s decision to go with a $3.4 billion single-stop subway extension to Scarborough Town Center instead of a multi-stop or multi-line LRT network in Scarborough that could have substantially cut commuting times for far more residents.In the TTC’s most recent Corporate Plan for 2018-2022 outlining their envisioned transit network, the Finch West LRT is shown reaching Finch Station. Hopefully, this means that council will make the right decision when the time comes to link the North York segments of Line 1.

Toronto’s Budget update

On March 7, Toronto City Council approved a $13 billion operating budget for 2019. Despite motions from particular councillors to further raise or add new taxes, Council voted in favour of increasing property taxes strictly by the rate of inflation. This means that there will be a 2.55% property tax hike for homeowners.This year’s budget also confirmed $162 million in funding for the TTC to accelerate the construction of the downtown relief subway line by two years, as well as $30 million towards the Toronto Police Service, part of which will be allocated towards hiring 300 new police officers. In addition to property taxes, homeowners will face a 3% increase to their water rates and a 2.2% increase to their garbage costs. Despite pushback from riders, TTC fares will be raised by 10 cents. Toronto will move ahead with a Housing Now plan that is set to build 10,000 more units on 11 surplus, city-owned cites. Toronto Community Housing will also be receiving $195 million towards priority repairs, but with the total repair bill expected to reach $3 billion by 2028, many housing advocates are worried that this year’s allocation simply won’t be enough.While funding is being promised in many areas, much of it is unconfirmed or deemed insufficient. Councillor Perks put forth a motion to increase property taxes by an additional 2% to help boost services for Toronto’s most vulnerable and assist with more investments in crumbling infrastructure, but his motion was voted down. Councillor Layton put forth a motion to bring back the vehicle registration tax to help pay for better transit, road safety and maintenance efforts like snow clearing, but that was also voted down. Devika Shah, Executive Director of Social Planning Toronto said that “it's very, very clear that the city does have a major revenue problem and we need to look at not just small property tax increases on those of us that can afford it, but a number of other creative revenue tools to build a city that works." Debates about revenue tools and taxes continue to divide councillors, but the fact of the matter is, someone needs to pay for the City’s shortfalls. Back in January, the federal government promised $114.7 million in additional funding to help cover the costs associated with housing refugees across the country. While the City’s budget passed, it was only approved based on the assumption that Toronto will receive $45 million out of the proposed $114.7 million from the federal Liberal government. Ultimately, Toronto needs $45 million in funding to balance the budget and house asylum seekers. Supports from other layers of government are necessary in order to move ahead because our city cannot operate on a deficit.Many councillors are concerned about a total of $79 million dollars worth of funding holes in the current budget, so while no cuts are underway, the services that Torontonians rely on are at risk. Unconfirmed funding means that many of the promises that have been made in the 2019 budget might not carry through as expected.With the federal budget unfolding this spring and an imminent federal election taking place this fall, other party leaders in Ottawa will have an opportunity to pitch their funding promises to municipalities, including Toronto. One thing is for sure, Toronto would benefit from sufficient investments at the federal level. The needs are great and low-income earners cannot carry the weight on their shoulders.

Intercultural Cafe

On March 12, 2019, just days before yet another round of violence in our world, a bit of peace happened at York University. It happened because people of four different faith groups decided that unfamiliarity and separation can lead to fear and further isolation. This gathering of people believed there had to be a better way.So on a cold but sunny late afternoon, folks with different belief systems and different cultural experiences gathered at the et. al. Cafe at York University.  The evening was planned by the Intercultural Dialogue Institute, Hillel at York, Hindu Students at York, and Logos Christian Community. It started with plenty of food and opportunity for conversation. There was a little mingling of the groups, but people tended to stay with people they knew.The program for the evening had each group presenting some music that was representative, in some way, of their culture. Windows of understanding were slowly being opened.  People were encouraged to continue eating and drinking coffee and tea. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. Then came the time for discussion, each person present was invited to a table with people they did not know. Fear may have gripped a few at that moment, but organizers quickly helped people find a spot and get to know some new friends. There were envelopes with questions on the tables to spark discussion and that spark was all that was needed. Soon everyone was engaged in free flowing conversation. Some of the questions were simple. They helped everyone understand each other better. People were surprised by the similarities and respectful of the differences. Participants were also allowed to ask difficult questions; things that they may have wondered but never had the opportunity to ask. There was laughter; there was appreciation; there was understanding. Peace happened.In the end, there was an acknowledgement that all of us could very well have been in this cafe on this day or any other day, and we would never have said a word to each other.  There was a recognition that we inhabit the same spaces at York on a regular basis. But we also were aware of the fact that for the most part we stay separate. It took initiative to get to the cafe. Desire to experience something different was needed.Participants were glad that they came. Instead of the fear and isolation that grips much of the world, people experienced peace and friendship. In fact, they had to be encouraged to leave, so the cafe could close. There was agreement that this kind of thing takes effort, but it seemed that the effort was well worth the time and energy.

Students do not consent - how cuts to education are detrimental

On the eve of April 4th, hundreds of students across Ontario made posters and rallied support for when they collectively walked out of their classrooms to protest cuts being made to their education. A few weeks ago, Education Minister Lisa Thompson and Premier Doug Ford announced over $1 billion in cuts to our public education.These cuts will mean 1000 fewer teachers in our classrooms just here in Toronto, class sizes of up to 40 students, inadequate support for children in Special Education programs including those with autism, and 4 compulsory online classes for high school students. Students all over our province will feel the pressure and inadequacy of our public schools as their classroom sizes continue to inflate and their education is used as a means to “balance” the budget.  Minister Thompson justified these cuts by insisting that the lack of resources and help from teachers will make children “more resilien[t].” This argument is neither based in fact nor logic. Students attend school to learn – if teachers do not have the capacity to teach, they will fall through the cracks. The reality is that parents and private services, like tutoring, will have to fill in these gaps in support. However, this asks: who will have access to help?Low-income families and parents who do not have the resources nor time to help their children with homework and who cannot afford tutoring services will experience the most inequitable aspects of our education system. Children who recently immigrated and students whose parents are not familiar with the education system or have English as a Second Language will be at a further disadvantage.Modern Canadian society often identifies education, or access to a good education, as the great equalizer. It is touted as a way for those from marginalized groups to have access to the “middle class.” This dream, or ideal, is getting further and further out of reach. Over the last couple of decades, subsequent governments have grossly underfunded our education system. Cuts to education under the Conservative Harris Government and the funding freezes of the subsequent 15 years of Liberal government have created the conditions for a perfect storm here in Ontario.Classroom sizes were already inflated, and funding freezes have led Ontario schools to have over $15 billion in repair backlog. Minister Thompson and Premier Ford are taking a bad situation and making it worse. Instead of investing more into our education, they want to cut over $1 billion from our schools. What is most disheartening is that some of the same Conservative Caucus members supporting these cuts are the ones who send their children to private schools where the teacher-student ratio is 6:1 – allowing their children to get the help and assistance they need to succeed.Access to good education should not be reserved for those who can afford $25,000 private school tuition.If we truly believe in a just and equitable society, we need to ensure our public education system is funded so teachers and support staff are well-equipped to help any child succeed. Make no mistake – cuts to public education hurt all who attend public school. These cuts will further deepen the divide in our city and province across lines of income and race. We must stand up and speak out against the Ontario Government’s cuts. If you are interested in taking action, please sign Progress Toronto’s petition and send an email to your local MPP, the Minister of Education, and Premier Ford! Check it out here: www.progresstoronto.ca

We deserve a better government - Why you should care about the SNC scandal

A lot has been said in public about the SNC-Lavalin scandal lately, and many Canadians are confused. To make things worse, the message from the Trudeau government has helped make this issue more confusing than it is.First, it’s a good to strip away all the slick political messaging and give a summary of the scandal. Essentially, Prime Minister Trudeau is accused of bending the rules to help a company who has illegally given a huge amount of donations to the Liberals in the past. This company, SNC-Lavalin, was in court for bribing Libyan dictator Gaddafi, and Trudeau pressured Jody Wilson Raybould, Canada's then Attorney General, to drop the charges through an iffy legal instrument that the Liberals recently passed, called a DPA – DPAs or deferred prosecution agreements allow companies to make deals with the government to avoid conviction. When she refused to drop the charges, she was fired by Trudeau as Attorney General. And most recently, MP Wilson Raybould, along with MP Jane Philpott, was kicked out of the Liberal Caucus for not being a “team player.”So why should you care? Well, there are a few reasons. First, you should care because if we, as Canadians, allow this to happen, then we are saying that all people in Canada are not equal before the law. It means that the rich and politically connected get special treatment and bend the rules when they're in trouble, while the rest of us have no choice.Secondly, you should care because the Prime Minister lied. He lied over and over again to Canadians, and then tried to cover it up when he got caught. We know he lied because Jody Wilson Raybould recorded her conversations with Trudeau's office. She has the receipts, and they tell us that Trudeau lied. But most importantly, you should care about SNC-Lavalin because if we don’t then we get the governments we deserve. If we see Trudeau do this and just shrug, then we're telling all politicians that Canadians just don't care, that we deserve bad governments and lying politicians. We're telling them all that we deserve to be lied to, that we deserve to live in a country where the rich get away with their crimes while the rest of us have to play by their rules, that we don't deserve politicians who have integrity.I don't know about you, but I think Canada deserves more than that. We deserve politicians that are afraid to lie to us. We deserve a country where the rich have to play by the same rules as the rest of us. We deserve good governments. If you agree, then you should care about SNC-Lavalin.

Ontario ECE and daycare workers could be looking at a significant pay decrease

Ontario’s Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and daycare workers could be looking at a cut in their wages this Spring. With revisions being made to the provincial budget this month, many fear that the Provincial Wage Enhancement Grant will be dissolved. This grant was established in 2015 by the Ontario government to support childcare professionals and those working in a licensed child care setting. The grant supports an increase of $2 per hour and 17.5% benefits. The average wage for childcare workers in Ontario is $15-$16 per hour and the grant would help close the wage gap between what is close to minimum wage versus livable wage. “It is impossible to live in Toronto on minimum wage,” says local Downsview resident Maria Ojeda who works at a daycare in Richmond Hill. Her commute is longer than average and requires her to pay both TTC and YRT fares. She admits that this pay decrease could heavily impact her budget and the quality of her work-life. The $2 increase makes all the difference for many ECE workers in our community who work hard and deserve livable wages. The Provincial Wage Enhancement Grant for Registered ECEs and child care workers was not only introduced to increase income security but to help close the gender wage gap. Around 1.4% of all ECE workers are men. Meaning that mostly women will be affected by this potential wage cut both directly and indirectly as childcare fees could increase as a result. Ontario’s childcare fees are already some of the highest in Canada. Scrapping the $2 wage grant could mean loss of jobs, underpaid and overqualified staff, and ultimately closures or fewer licensed child-care spaces.  The OCBCC has launched a petition asking the Provincial government to continue the Wage Enhancement Grant, so far it has collected over 12,000 signatures.As of now, the Ford government has not confirmed whether the Provincial Wage Enhancement Grant will continue past March 31, 2019.

Over 1 million students strike for the environment

Skipping school is not something that ought to be encouraged, but that is what 1.4 million students did world wide on Friday, March 15th. Young students from across the world, from New York to Berlin, to Mexico City, across all five continents, came out in the hundreds of thousands last week, in one of the biggest coordinated global demonstrations ever. 100,000 youth in Montreal alone participated. They were taking part in what seems to be an unprecedented civic movement amongst youth. Most of the participants were not yet adults, but they are striking because they think that they do not have the luxury of waiting another 10 years. They are telling us that by then the planet may already be beyond the turning point of environmental salvation.A recent study by the UN recently published gave us a collective deadline of 12 years globe wide to enact changes to our economy or be beyond the threshold of no return. We all know that people are having a significant negative effect on the environment. Some people may not care about it for different reasons. The oil industry wants to continue to burn fossil fuels, some people figure they may not be around for the worse part of the changes, others may not think the changes are serious. The youth participating think otherwise.We hear a lot about millennials and how they vote and think differently than baby boomers. The next generation will have an even bigger contrast in values. Most millennials are actually in their 20s and 30s. The last millennials to enter University will do so this year and then a new group will start to be old enough to vote. The new generation, dubbed “generation Y” will have an even greater concern for the environment, because the facts and science demand it. The reasons for this are clear. Study after study shows that man-made climate change is having a significant effect on our planet. It is the only planet we have. As a young person, feeling like they are not ever going to be able to buy a home may be difficult. It is more difficult now for a person with a median wage to buy a home than it was in the 1980s. It is hard to start a family that way. In fact, young people in significant numbers are starting to delay starting families for environmental reasons too, because they are worried about climate change.We need to create a better future for our youth, and we need to listen. The youth are learning how to make change happen, the rest of us need to do better and catch up fast before it is too late.