Community Services and Engagement (including day care, Library, seniors’ services, parks, forestry & recreation, and many other areas)
Toronto Public Library's Wychwood Branch, circa 1916
Toronto is the leading provider of social services in the country. Outside of Quebec, Toronto is the single largest day care operator in Canada. Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation division is critical to the health, enjoyment of life, education and welfare of Toronto’s residents of all ages. As both a funder and provider of emergency shelters and supportive housing, as well as nutrition programs for youth, Toronto is on the front lines of combating and responding to the crisis of poverty. We have worked very hard on these areas in recent years, by opening and new parks and community centres and, renovating and upgrading out libraries, tackling homelessness and poverty, and focusing efforts around Toronto’s “priority neighbourhoods.”
This discussion thread is to articulate what we’re doing right and wrong in terms of social services. What comes next? What can we do better? What are the threats to Toronto’s social infrastructure? Where do we need more programming and where should the City be more collaborative with the community sector? As noted in the introduction, I will create new threads for discussion as they are needed.
November 17, 2009 at 9:38 am |
Where does Arts and Culture fit into Agenda 2010?
November 17, 2009 at 12:20 pm |
We have a wealth of infratructure that is idle in the city: schools! Instead of closing them, revovate them into city community centers, space for non-profits (like food banks, community gardens, etc). Schools should also be an integral part of any disaster response scenarios and can also be used as cooling/warming centers. Make schools a ‘Community Mall’ with services citizens will actually use, eg. flu clinics, meeting spaces, etc.
November 17, 2009 at 12:24 pm |
Arts and Culture: Personal opinion is that Toronto is overstocked in this area. This is a vibrant and growing area that private enterprise should sponsor. The priorities in running a city are not ‘sexy’ or awe-inspiring; they are the tiny nuts and bolts details of the basics: Clean air, clean water, security, shelter, food security, connecting people through roads and transit, etc. Arts is a frill when we are in tight times.
November 17, 2009 at 1:22 pm |
Ken – respectfully disagree – in tight times, art is needed more than ever.
During the Second World War, Winston Churchill’s finance minister said Britain should cut arts funding to support the war effort.
Churchill’s response: ‘Then what are we fighting for?’
Given that in today’s economy and landscape of bailouts, the arts are one of a few that are an actual growth industry, pumping $$ into local economies as well as creating jobs both directly and by proxy.
November 17, 2009 at 5:18 pm |
“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” – Winston Chuchill
who was a wannabe artist suffering from chronic depression. He also said:
“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.”
November 26, 2009 at 1:12 pm |
Since ‘the Arts’ can be expected to include events like TIFF, Nuit Blnache, celebrations (including new years) in Nathan Phillips square, it seems that the topic has a place at the table in municipal issues.
It’s not MY place. I tend to be more interested in nuts & bolts as well.
But let’s let those who wish to do so, discuss them. BTW, ‘wannabe artist suffering from chronic depression’ sounds like a description of the species versus an individual thereof.
November 17, 2009 at 12:35 pm |
Parks, Forestry: Toronto is a city that has a difficult relationship with nature. On the one hand, we try to preserve foliage (mostly private property homes), yet when it comes to construction or development, we destroy it in favour of creating a new tax base. We ignore the crisis of wildlife and domestic pets. We destroy natural habitats, then find coyotes, raccoons a ‘problem’. We destroy their food sources as an unintended consequence of garbage and recycling. There is a feral and stray cat overpopulation crisis in the city that is completely being ignored by the city (except for the tax grab of cat licencing). Unless we want to continue on the road to a concrete jungle, we need to find innovative ways to preserve and allow citizens to interact with nature.
November 17, 2009 at 12:38 pm |
Seniors: It seems very little thought has been given to the fact that our country’s population is going through an aging boom. More elderly living longer. Yet Toronto is unfriendly to elderly people: few benches, rest stops, traffic lights that demand you cross within the prescribed number of nano-seconds (we love our cars too much), lack of community gathering places for seniors. More need to be consciously thought about and done.
November 17, 2009 at 1:52 pm |
Your reply funtion does not seem to work. Anyhow
Ken – respectfully disagree – in tight times, art is more important than ever. When did “talking pictures” explode with attendees? The Great Depression.
In today’s economy, against a backdrop of cutoffs, layoffs and bailouts, the arts is one of a very few growth industries, pumping millions of dollars into local economies – not just directly through artistic endeavours, but proxy industries such as hotels, restaurants, printers – the list goes on.
I’m sure you’re familiar with Winston Churchill’s response to an advisor suggesting cutting arts funding to pay for the war.
“Then what are we fighting for?”
November 17, 2009 at 3:24 pm |
Discussion of Arts and Culture is now on the “Arts and Culture” page.
November 17, 2009 at 5:08 pm |
Missing a key topic here: CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT in the political process. From addressing why voter turnout is so abysmally low (under 30%), to how citizens can become informed and have regular consultations on key issues, to how effective community councils are. Might include better use of technology (like what is being done here) all the way to internet voting. Finding ways to having people motivated to participate in democracy is what gives a city its life.
November 18, 2009 at 11:53 am |
I’ve said up a page called Youth Issues where some elements of the civc engagement issues.
November 17, 2009 at 5:33 pm |
On Recreation Centres:
Before we build more (and we’re committed to building something like 8 more right now)…
We need to get some other issues straightened out.
First, we need service-level harmonization. And an increase in the process of so-doing.
I find it mind blowing that 1/2 the Rec. Centres in Toronto have NO Saturday evening service or Sunday Evening service at all.
Forget more facilities, let’s open and operate the ones we have.
Another pool or gym is no good if its closed!
Once we get the hours straightened out, we have to sort out the fees.
AS the current system is unfair, arbitrary and and any change will alter demand levels.
In some areas the entire Rec Centre waives all fees (including those of people who can afford to pay); while facilities in other areas charge everyone for use, irrespective of whether they can afford it.
Time to clean-up this hodgepodge. I would personally like to see, no fees for drop-in, self-use programs (ie. weight rooms, drop-in basketball for kids and lane or leisure swims) and charges for organized, lesson-based or supervised programs for adults. With fees the same across all facilities. That said, this would probably result in a net loss of fees, it may be more than is politically feasible. Any which way, we need to deliver the same programs at the same fee-levels to all areas; and do-so in a manner that ensure everyone, but particularly youth, have a place to go keep busy, fit and out of trouble, 7 nights a week.
****
For parks we need to stop mowing lawns that serve no purpose (ie. not sportfields or tobaggan runs or picnic areas, and let them return to forests and meadows, its more attractive, better for the environment and cheaper.
November 17, 2009 at 11:41 pm |
Affordable housing; supportive housing; alternative housing; Aboriginal housing; supports and services for people who are homeless or inadequately housed…
All absolutely critical areas. Toronto already has some ‘good practices’ a number of these areas, and some critical city initiatives that need substantial improvement – including additional funding. The City of Toronto’s 10-year housing plan – Housing Opportunities Toronto – is framed by a municipal housing charter. Excellent! But the targets and timelines in the plan fall far short of the real needs of the people of Toronto.
November 18, 2009 at 6:14 am |
I agree that our schools,particularly those slated for closure can be used. Keep in mind rennovations green retro-fits , roof top gardens and a myriad of child and adult learning opportunities as well a pricless gym facilities must be given budgetary heft. Perhaps some ever growing policing dollars could be diverted as these community hubs would inevitably increase safety and engagement for youth and keep neighbourhoods busy and motivated.
November 18, 2009 at 7:21 am |
Although we have made some progress for our dogs, we are still curtailed in how we use these facilities.
People who own dogs are every day people who enjoy going out with their dogs and children. This .Population is exploding as empty nesters get dogs to fill their lives and as a wonderful way to socialize with other dog owners. Quite a few of us have found life partners in this environment, I am one of then, who met my husband of sixteen years walking our dogs, While sadly, those two dogs have passed on, we have now got new dogs to continue our exercise together, which is healthy for us. As our dogs became older, we exercised less.
At the barns we waited excitedly for our new fenced park to open. Now the hours are cut, and there is a sign to keep our dogs from barking while they are playing. What children’s playground would have such a sign??? There is a field next to our enclosure which is not used by anyone. Why is this denied us, and at Cedarvale are extended enclosure, does not join our fenced area? We have no water as yet at Cedarvale.
These areas are for us humans too as we walk around in them, but nothing has been done to make them comfortable for us to spend time with our dogs and our old and new friends. We are a community of people who really enjoy spending time talking about all topics, and for single people these are safe and happy places to make friends and fall in love.
I am not the only one who has married from meeting my husband at the park, quite a few couples have met like this. I came to this city not knowing anyone and everyone I know came from meeting them at the park. If you don’t have children in school here, this is the best way to meet people. It is a very important component of our society, and very important to many people.
Why is it so impossible for you to make this into a more important project for the thousands of us who have a great time together? We are not a hard drinking group who make a mess. We don’t want a mess for our dogs to run around in. We are the ones who are picking up the mess our children make with garbage thrown all over the place, and broken bottles.
I tried to have the chance to do dog training in one of the barns, but this was denied to me. So this is not for our community, but for certain groups. So it is not open to us, a huge voter base, and people with dogs are more likely to be home owners, so we are paying more taxes on the whole than others. We shrink from causing problems, but what if we one day joined together out of frustration. We would be a very large group, who could change the voting in this community, and be the big swing vote to elect, or to not elect anyone running for office, and I think we are a group of nearly one million in our community alone, and most of them home owners with families. We are also an active group of voters.
We have asked politely often for more space. Our numbers are growing every day. The pet industry has not suffered with this recession, in fact it is a fast growing industry, supporting thousands of jobs. I regularly spend two hundred a week on my dogs, in food, toys Etc.. Now there is a special Airline, that just takes dogs. Air Canada, who stopped transporting dogs, has been forced to carry them again, because of the huge demand. I spend at least two thousand a year in health insurance for them and $800 in liability Insurance, which has nothing to do with my homeowners insurance. We buy cars to transport them. So we fund many, many industries. I have children and five grand children, but they are grown up. So my dogs are my babies as they are to thousands of people in Toronto, and in Toronto we are millions. I am not alone. Some people spend $40,000 a year to have their dogs walked and boarded and groomed and clothed and fed. And they all have toys and leads and crates and water bowels and they go to the vet and they carry health insurance. They use shampoo and have special food and treats and beds and blankets. Breeders sell them the dogs that can cost thousands.
This group of empty nesters have money to spend, and they spend it without thought as the dogs make their lives infinitely better and healthier. What if all these industries and people joined together? We would be able to vote as a huge block.
I think that this alone should be an incentive to give us more money and more space, and stop these fringe dog haters from always getting their way. Who are these dog haters? We have endured road works for months starting at 7-730 every day with jack hammers, but God, forbid, our dogs from playing and barking! Does this not sound ridiculous. We can’t complain about the noise of construction, or loud music, or parties until 3 in the morning, and garbage spread all over the park, or children’s playgrounds. Children can scream all they want. No one dares to ask them to play quietly! The children are fenced in to stop sex maniacs from stealing them and killing them, we are fenced in to stop us from doing what exactly? Hardly anyone is bitten from dogs in the park, it is the dogs in the street, or next door. Dogs who go to the park are all good dogs.!
November 18, 2009 at 11:19 am |
[...] to show you how small things can make a difference – questions were being posted about arts and culture on http://settingtheagenda2010.com/community-services [...]
November 18, 2009 at 11:47 am |
More and more cities are creating ‘Youth Councils’ to their municipal structures which is a great idea. But, the fact is that we are living at a time when its in fact our elders who are often shut out even though they represent a larger and larger percentage of our citizenry.
We must begin to prepare now for the looming challenges of an aging population – what better way to do so, then to hear from those who are being impacted already by poor city planning, poor transit, poor accessibility, and poor housing options.
As has been put forward by planning groups, I recommend that ‘Elder Councils’ be created for the city of Toronto and all municipalities across our country to provide a voice for our older, often silenced and marginalized, citizens.
November 18, 2009 at 11:54 am |
I’ve set up a page called “Youth Issues” for discussion of issues facing youth and youth engagement.
November 20, 2009 at 5:52 pm |
Thanks – the comment mentions the Youth Council but it’s actually about engaging seniors with Elders Councils.
November 20, 2009 at 4:26 pm |
I agree that much of our city infrastructure, in particular, schools is underutilized. We need to use the space we have including: classrooms, gyms, auditoriums, computer labs, libraries, pools and sports fields and share use with community organization. It happens on a small scale already, it’s time to scale it up.
The TDSB could consider reducing or eliminating fees for community organizations who want to provide new or expanded programs – such as basketball clinics, art classes and recreational camps – in school facilities.
Consider how Nelson Mandela Public School in Regent Park transformed its’ space and services with funding through the Model Inner City Schools initiative: expanded after-school programs including soccer, violin/piano lessons; new parenting centre, open full-time; start-up funds for new day-care centre; community kitchen; school open after hours for community activities.
We need to look to examples that work and figure out how to replicate them.
November 22, 2009 at 7:56 pm |
This seems to be a discussion between Ken Wood and [lower case] sue [no surname].
I pick up garbage on my street and in Cedarvale nearly every day. [The city provides receptacles but the staff sit in their trucks and do not do it]. It would be nice to have a way to coordinate with other citizens who do the same thing e.g. web site where we could see who is doing which streets, who patrols Cedarvale on which days etc.
November 24, 2009 at 7:32 am |
John – I applaud your efforts in picking up litter (I have done my share of the same!), however I feel we need to work harder to educate those who drop the litter in the first place (often out of car windows).
November 23, 2009 at 4:32 am |
For good reason, the 13 priority communities have received increased attention and investment relative to others since they were announced. The great research that went into identifying the 13 communities in the first place, should be repeated regularely to (a) monitor progress on key outcome indicators, and (b) to continue tracking how other communities are doing. The city’s research arm and partners (e.g. United Way) needs to be sure that the relatively stagnant investment in some other places aren’t resulting in different communities falling back – as ultimately we want to close the gap by raising the floor, not by having other communities meet the 13 part way!