Toronto residents have less than two weeks to vote in the upcoming provincial election, but what exactly are the main priorities for residents?
Some would say that housing is the most important item on the agenda, as housing prices and rents are rising and the demand for more supply is strong.
Others would argue that the health care system needs the full attention of the government, as workers in this area are overwhelmed two years after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, Toronto Mayor John Torrey issued a letter to the party leaders of the Progressive Conservatives, Liberals, NDP and Greens, outlining what he said were the city’s top priorities, including housing, economic recovery, community security, expanding transit and mental health.
“The continued support of the province, in partnership with the federal government, is critical to Toronto’s continued success. “I am confident that Toronto will continue to be the driving force behind Ontario’s economy and our economic recovery,” Tori said in a statement on May 12. .
CP24.com took a closer look at some of the top priorities in the minds of Toronto residents, talking to public figures and advocates about what action provincial parties need to take to address them.
HOUSING
Deputy Mayor and District Councilor 9 Anna Bailao told CP24 that housing is one of the most pressing, if not the most pressing, problems facing Toronto residents right now, especially in terms of maintenance housing, housing at affordable prices and affordability of housing.
“I think people are experiencing a collapse in living costs that are rising and one of those costs is definitely housing, people are finding it harder to pay their rent and it’s getting harder for them to even think about buying a home.” she said.
The average selling price of a home in the Toronto area was $ 1,254,436 in April, up 15 percent from April 2021. Meanwhile, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment reached $ 2,145 in the first quarter of 2022. ., 17.8 percent increase on an annual basis.
Baylan says that if the parties do not commit themselves deeply to these issues, they will “threaten the economic and social prosperity of this province.”
Toronto has a 10-year action plan for housing that aims to build 40,000 affordable housing by 2030, along with providing operational funding for sustainable housing.
To date, Torrey says the city has set aside $ 7.1 billion for the strategy and requires an additional $ 7 billion commitment from the province by 2030.
“We have a commitment to have 1,800 units a year and we have managed to produce many units, but it is imperative that we receive operational funds from the province. So just before the last day before we enter the campaign, the provincial government is committed to operational funds for this year, but this must be continuous support, “Bailao said.
Although housing is a key theme on the platforms of all major provincial parties, Bailão says it lacks a commitment to supportive housing for vulnerable residents.
“I think the support and funding for more affordable housing needs a little more attention. We have heard many actions and problems that are talked about dealing with the market at an affordable price. I would like to see a little more focus and commitment, as well as on supportive housing. “
TRANSIT
As Toronto residents continue to face housing problems, transit is another huge problem in the minds of many voters.
TTC service levels and accessibility are a persistent problem, which is particularly common as the transit agency has suffered a huge blow to its revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Before the pandemic, the TTC relied mostly on transit tariffs to fund operating budget costs, such as bus management, system management. And we never thought that was fair, but the pandemic really showed how unreliable and unsuccessful this transit financing model was because there were fewer riders traveling during the pandemic, the TTC faced a huge budget deficit and we haven’t gone out into the woods yet, “TTCriders CEO Shelag Pizzi-Allen told CP24.
Pizzi-Allen says provincial parties need to commit to providing stable operational funding for transit to improve service, lower tariffs and attract more riders.
As residents cope with the challenges of the TTC, problems and delays with transit construction also remain a constant battle.
Construction is underway on the Eglinton Crosstown line and the Scarborough RT will be decommissioned next year, prompting residents to rely on buses in the area until construction is completed on the Metro Line 2 extension in approximately 2030.
In March, the Ontario government made transit free for many GTHA customers who connect to and from GO Transit on a number of municipal transportation systems, except Toronto.
Pizzy-Allen says the flat rate should also apply to TTC riders, especially Scarborough travelers, who will need more transit resources next year.
“This is something that the current government has announced for a number of municipalities outside Toronto, but not for the TTC, and this will unlock access to all GO stations in Scarborough,” she said.
MENTAL HEALTH
Not surprisingly, health care is a key element that worries many, as the city’s health system is trying to recover from the blow it suffered during the pandemic.
In his letters to party leaders, Mayor Tori called on them to commit to building a more robust mental health system to tackle homelessness, substance use and the rise in opioid-related deaths.
Michael Anhorn, chief executive of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Toronto branch, says the parties recognize that more support is needed for mental health and a commitment to more funding is needed.
“I think we are in a crisis in the mental health and addiction sector and part of that is because we are not spending a fair amount of our health budget on mental health and addictions. Thus, in the United Kingdom, they spend about 13% of their health budget on mental health and addictions. In Ontario, we spend about 5% of our health budget on mental health and addictions, “Anhorn told CP24.
“Even if the size of the health budget does not change, if we manage to get our fair share, we could make transformative changes in the system,” he added.
These changes include more income and structured activities for patients, combined with psychiatric care, increased pay for mental health staff, collection and reporting of relevant data, and prevention work to help people develop a diagnosed mental illness.
“Right now we are really struggling to react to the sickest people and we are not able to do this preventive work to prevent serious diseases. “I think we could do that if we get the funding to be fair to mental health and addictions,” Anhorn said.
SMALL BUSINESS
After being forced to close at various times in the last two years, small businesses have suffered greatly during the pandemic, and they certainly hope the next government will support their recovery.
“We are just asking the government, especially this election, to make some commitments to continue to support small business. “You know, they’re the biggest employers in the country, they’re the engine that drives local economies,” John Kiru, executive director of the Association for Business Improvement in Toronto, told CP24.
Speaking of the election, Kiru says small businesses have a number of concerns that need to be addressed, including property tax reform, access to affordable internet, a focus on tourism and more support for those experiencing homelessness.
“People are scared, unfortunately. When they walk down the street and there are gangsters, homeless people, etc. This is a challenge and as the business begins its recovery, in terms of activation and trying to engage people to come to the city, as long as we have such a problem … this is something that needs to be addressed. ”
Kiru says a pandemic preparedness plan is also essential to avoid prolonged business shutdowns during a future public health crisis.
“We really need a book that will indicate when certain things will happen,” Kiru told CP24.
“There are many companies that are still open today because of some of the support programs that were there. Others felt they had not received support. And therefore we have seen some of these consequences in terms of job vacancies, etc., “he added.
TORONTO CUTTER VIEW
Population – 2,731,571 people
Riding: 25
What happened in 2018 – The Liberals entered the last election with a majority, but faced a crushing defeat when the RS won 76 seats and the Liberals won only seven.
Watching Race: Eglinton-Lawrence – PC Robin Martin took this long-running liberal ride from Mike Cole with less than 1,000 votes in 2018. Before 2018, Cole won five consecutive choices in riding in downtown Toronto. Community defender Arlena Hebert will try to win the Liberals this time.
Senior Candidates – Two Toronto councilors will fight for a seat in Queen’s Park. Former Toronto councilor Christine Wong-Tam left the council earlier this month to run as an NDP candidate for the Toronto Center. Michael Ford, a nephew of Ontario PC leader Doug Ford, is also running and seeking victory in York’s South Weston. Ford donated his salary from the Toronto City Council to local community organizations while campaigning, but did not take leave.
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