Forging a Path to a More Just Society
Every part of my platform, and eventual mandate, will have a distinct focus on groups who have been historically underserved and marginalized from the political discourse. This includes Black and Indigenous persons, people of colour, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations.
Toronto has been a leader in this regard, especially during the pandemic. One example of this is the collection, analysis, use, and ethical governance of demographic data to promote health and service-equity, related to COVID-19.
I will continue this work to ensure a more equitable and inclusive city. As one of the biggest employers in Toronto, the City of Toronto plays a significant role in ensuring equity internally, in addition to its work to improve programs and services more broadly. As mayor, I will:
- Work with businesses and other partners to ensure that digital inequity does not continue to negatively impact the most vulnerable in our city.
- Access to the internet is not only important for safety on the TTC, it is important for everyone, everywhere. We saw this during the pandemic, when access to health information was critical.
- I will work with funders, businesses, and other levels of government to ensure access for those who have been impacted by the digital divide. This divide limits job and education opportunities, as well as access to digital literacy and training.
- I will work with these same groups to support lending libraries, to increase access to hardware and software for those that need extra support.
2. Work with current policy to ensure that parks, public, and third spaces not only have equitable access for all, but have the amenities (public water fountains and washrooms) that support their use. Current park policy is rigid and restrictive. If we want people in local communities to have access to recovery, to heal, to get outside, and into public spaces, we need to be more responsive. Broader access and greater use of these spaces, facilitates community-based healing, repairs social networks, and injects capital in communities.
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- While some groups have excellent programs in the parks, we must unlock policies such that friends, families, and neighbours can have larger spaces to convene. If we want our City to heal, this must be prioritized. The application process for permits must be as responsive, accessible, and flexible for parents, non-English speaking immigrant communities, or seniors, as it is for large organizations.
- Some parks are more policed than others, and this is an unfair practice that needs to be addressed. This impacts low income areas and unhoused persons, and disproportionately impacts Black and Indigenous people.
3. Continue to promote and support the Toronto For All education initiative. Prioritization of this initiative will underscore the need for a more just Toronto, while committing to stand firmly against racism, anti-Black racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination based on age, ability, gender, class or immigration status.
4. Prioritize plans for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community beyond the Trans Youth of Colour educational program. This includes working closely with communities to bolster supports for:
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- Access to health and community services, and
- Job opportunities
5. Get a status update on the nine interventions and 80 related actions of the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism. Working closely with the members of the Anti-Black Racism Partnership & Accountability Circle to prioritize:
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- Children and youth development,
- Access to health and community services, and
- Job opportunities
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within my first year. These areas are critical during the pandemic recovery period to ensure that Black children are supported and loved during these challenging times, that the community most impacted by COVID 19 has the support they need to heal, and that those who are often overlooked for employment are given a fair and equitable opportunity to succeed.
6. Toronto’s first Reconciliation Plan, provides a comprehensive plan to build truth and achieve justice. I will commit to supporting the bi-annual review, leveraging existing resources and providing new investments to bolster the required actions to achieve truth, justice, and reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
7. Build on Toronto’s Senior’s Strategy v.2, to continue the work of supporting and protecting seniors in Toronto. I will prioritize action items that are partially implemented and continue to support ongoing ones. This includes:
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- Continuing to support the work with the province to expand access to dental care for seniors
- Work with remaining wards to implement Active Living Fairs
- Continue to consult and work with seniors to ensure the Growth Plan is inclusive and accessible, and includes age-friendly principles.
8. Assess and support the City of Toronto Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. This includes prioritizing:
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- governance around the Plan, including the establishment of an accountability and compliance framework to ensure accessibility goals are achieved, follow-up with those who are responsible and identify areas that require more support.
- accessible design – ensuring access to City procurement opportunities, goods, services, events, meetings and facilities for all employees, residents and visitors with disabilities.
- innovation and adaptability to ensure processes for receiving and responding to feedback are accessible by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports.
- collaboration and engagement that incorporates an intersectional approach to identify methods to improve accessibility on City streets, sidewalks and public spaces.
