As we navigate this heavy winter season, I am reminded how resilient our community is in the face of extreme weather. Thank you to everyone who helped clear snow, report snow and icy sidewalks, shoveled, and otherwise helped make Leaside a better place for seniors and children. In particular – thank you to our school crossing guards, who ensured everyone’s journey around the neighbourhood was safe.
City Hall has been a very busy place since the New Year began, and my office has been hard at work advocating for improvements in our community.
2026 budget
The mayor’s proposed budget was approved with amendments from Toronto City Council on February 10th. Under provincial ‘Strong Mayor’ legislation, city councillors do not vote on whether or not to adopt the mayor’s budget. They can make amendments to the budget if accompanied by corresponding offsets in spending from the mayor’s budget. As part of this process, we secured a number of area-specific improvements for Don Valley West, including:
- -$150,000 for park enhancements
- -funding for improvements on Overlea Boulevard; and
- -additional funding for road resurfacing projects across the ward.
Increased snow removal
When the Major Snow Event Response Plan was triggered in the big January snowstorm, the City initiated a surge crew, equipment, and other resources to help remove snow following this weather event. I know many of you reached out to my office about the Leaside library and Trace Manes Community Centre – which did not receive snow clearing at the outset of the storm response. I am pleased to report that my office worked diligently with Transportation Services to ensure both this parking lot, and adjacent parking spaces, were cleared. It is critical that our community be able to access these important public spaces – especially in the colder months, when indoor activities and space become some of the only locations where residents can get out and find connection.
Eglinton Crosstown LRT
I’m thrilled that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is finally open, bringing long‑awaited, reliable transit to an important corridor that has needed it for years. Opening day showed just how excited residents are – full trains, long lines, and a real sense of momentum after so much waiting. This is an important first step toward better service, easier commutes, and stronger connections from the Leaside neighbourhood to the downtown core. For residents and businesses in Don Valley West, the impacts of construction were significant. That’s why I strongly support the call for a public inquiry. Transparency and accountability are essential to understanding what went wrong, learning from it, and applying those lessons to major projects already underway, including the Ontario Line – which is already impacting transportation, traffic, and well-being in Leaside and beyond.
As with any new transit system, a start‑up period with a few aches and pains is expected, but my office will continue to work with all parties and levels of government to report these issues as they arise. Service will roll out in phases to ensure safety and reliability. While there may be early adjustments, as we’ve seen with recent launches in other cities, the long‑term benefits will be substantial: improved transit access, reduced bus congestion on Eglinton, better traffic flow, and renewed accessibility for local neighbourhoods and businesses.
