Gwen Bang isn’t opposed to cannabis retailers. But seven shops in a less than 350-metre stretch of Toronto’s Kensington Market is a bit much, she says.
· CBC News ·
Despite opposition from many in the community and from Toronto city councillors, it may be full steam ahead to run the Ontario Line above ground through Leslieville and Riverside.
Phil Verster, the CEO of the province's regional transit agency, Metrolinx, says five options were considered and the benefits of using a portion of the existing Lakeshore East rail corridor outweigh digging a tunnel underneath the two neighbourhoods.
Today, Toronto City Council approved ConnectTO – a City-driven collaborative program that aims to leverage the use of municipal resources and assets to increase digital equity and expand access to affordable, high-speed internet to underserved Toronto residents.
By approving the creation of a City broadband network, ConnectTO will help ensure Torontonians are not being left behind because of the high price of reliable internet service and gaps in the availability of high-speed internet in some areas. Bridging this growing digital divide supports Toronto's most vulnerable and marginalized residents in accessing vital services and resources.
The City of Toronto has issued 2021 interim property tax bills – the first of two tax bills mailed annually.
Payment due dates for the interim tax bills under the regular three-instalment plan are March 1, April 1 and May 3. For property owners enrolled in the Pre-Authorized Tax Payment (PTP) program, the 2021 interim tax due dates are:
Toronto City Council today unanimously approved a bigger and better CaféTO program to help Toronto’s main street restaurants and bars during the City’s ongoing pandemic response.
The first wave of registration for the expanded CaféTO program will begin in late February and, pending public health orders, the first approved CaféTO curb lane closure locations for 2021 would be in installed as soon as May – almost two months earlier than last year.
The Province of Ontario today announced that pet groomers are now permitted to operate in some limited circumstances and under strict conditions. The City of Toronto has informed COVID-19 enforcement officers of the amended direction and conditions for groomers to operate in compliance with provincial regulations.
Under provincial regulations, pet grooming businesses are only permitted to open to provide grooming services that are strictly necessary to prevent an animal from requiring foreseeable and reasonably imminent veterinary care or that the pet owner has been ordered to obtain for their pet under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act. When these limited services are provided, grooming appointments must be scheduled in advance and businesses must use curbside pick-up and drop-off. Only one appointment for one animal at a time is permitted. Guidance for pet groomers and other businesses offering curbside services can be found on the City’s COVID-19 Guidance: Employers, Workplaces & Businesses webpage: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-reopening-recovery-rebuild/covid-19-reopening-guidelines-for-businesses-organizations/covid-19-guidance-employers-workplaces-businesses/.
The City of Toronto continues to respond to COVID-19. Today, Mayor John Tory and Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa provided an update on the City’s measures to combat the virus and the Province of Ontario’s announcement that Toronto students will return to in-person learning on February 16.
Since the start of the pandemic there have now been a total of 87,969 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 444 new cases today. There are 352 people hospitalized. To date, there have been 2,430 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto. Toronto Public Health continues to migrate to the provincial information system for case and contact management, the central repository for COVID-19 data in Ontario. Data reporting has been affected as a result of the ongoing migration and impacts to reporting may continue in the coming days. The project is expected to be completed by next week with a corresponding return to full reporting. Case status data can be found on the City’s reporting platform: www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-latest-city-of-toronto-news/covid-19-status-of-cases-in-toronto/.
Today, Toronto City Council approved the extension of the City of Toronto's temporary mask bylaws until the end of City Council’s June 8 and 9, 2021 meeting. The Mandatory Mask By-law 541-2020, as amended by By-law 664-2020, were both extended, as these bylaws were set to expire at the end of the February 2 and 3, 2021 City Council meetings.
Wearing a mask as part of physical distancing and other public health measures can reduce the spread of COVID-19. Masks should always be worn when physical distancing is difficult. To continue to protect the health and safety of our communities by reducing the spread of COVID-19, By-law 541-2020 requires everyone to wear masks or face coverings in all indoor public settings such as businesses, and By-law 664-2020 requires mask wearing in common areas in multi-residential buildings such as apartments and condominiums. These bylaws will now be in place until 12:01 a.m. on the first day after the City Council meeting currently scheduled for June 8 and 9, 2021.
February 3, 2021 By Jayson Dimaano, Beach Metro News
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many major events were cancelled last year, and that is also the trend so far for 2021.
Last year at this time the East Toronto community was preparing for Lunar New Year celebrations.
However, many of the large gathering had to be cancelled at the last moment as the virus began to spread in Canada and the dangers of COVID-19 became apparent..
February 1, 2021 Jon Woodward, Videojournalist, CTV News Toronto
TORONTO -- A sweeping crackdown by short-term rental platform Airbnb has reduced the number of listings that don’t appear to be in compliance with new City of Toronto rules by the thousands – and a gap in enforcement may explain the hundreds that apparently remain.
An estimated 1,500 Toronto short-term rental listings still display licence codes that don’t match ones given out by city staff – including one code, “STR-1234-ABCDEF,” that Airbnb has now taken direct action against after a CTV News investigation.
