The City of Toronto has announced plans to open 5800 Yonge Street as a temporary housing centre for refugees.

Although the City started preparing this site for use as refugee housing, there were no firm plans to open it as such until the middle of October 2019. As soon as I was aware of these plans, I worked with city staff to schedule a community information session, a notice to be delivered by mail to locals living near the residence, and an email notice from my …

Willowdale Youth Council (WYC), a program created by John, is a unique opportunity for youth aged 13-19 who live in Ward 18. Members of the WYC get the opportunity to learn about their local community, discuss city-wide issues with John, and connect with other youth leaders.

Through monthly meetings and collaboration with John’s staff, the WYC will have a chance to discover what goes on in a City Councillor’s office, and voice their opinions about issues and concerns in Willowdale.

The first WYC meeting took place in …

In recent months, we have seen a rise in short-term rental properties being used for events and parties in Willowdale.

Issues related to noise, garbage left on the property, and illegally parked vehicles are just some of the complaints that we have received.

Last year, the City proposed regulations to end Airbnb from listing entire homes for use. However, the room sharing service appealed those rules to the Ontario Municipal Board, now called the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT).

John met with various divisions (ML&S, Toronto Building, Fire …