2015

About this Report

About the Toronto Foundation
Established in 1981, the Toronto Foundation is one of 191 Community Foundations in Canada.
We are a leading independent charitable foundation that connects philanthropy to community
needs and opportunities. Our individual and family Fundholders support causes they care
about in Toronto and across Canada, through grants to any registered Canadian charity. We
currently have more than 500 active Funds, including endowments and assets under
administration of more than $400 million. A growing number of Torontonians support the Vital
Toronto Fund, our community fund that helps mobilize people and resources to tackle
community challenges in innovative and inspiring ways. To find out more, please visit
www.torontofoundation.ca.

About the Report

The Foundation partners with many researchers to produce the Torontos Vital Signs Report.
The Report is compiled from current statistics and studies, identifying progress we should be
proud of and challenges that need to be addressed. It is a consolidated snapshot of the trends
and issues affecting the quality of life in our city and each of the interconnected issue areas is
critical to the wellbeing of Toronto and its residents. Citations at the end of each issue area
section, and live web links throughout, will take you directly to the sources used in this years
Report.
The Report aims to inspire civic engagement and provide focus for public debate in our
communities and around the world. It is used by residents, businesses, community
organizations, universities and colleges, and government departments. In addition, the Report
is a model now being used by cities around the world.

Your Guide for Discussion and Action

As you read through this Report, consider the Vital Questions posed throughout. We have lots
to be proud of, but there are also things we need to think about in order to shift some
troubling trends.
Ask yourself:
What issues do I care about?
What data surprises me?
How can I get involved to make a difference?

About the Community Knowledge Centre

At www.ckc.torontofoundation.ca you will find an online showcase of more than 260
organizations working on solutions to the issues identified in this Report. Through video and
prose, it presents stories of innovations taking place in our city and provides you with an
opportunity to get involved.
At the end of each issue area section in this Report, you will find lists and descriptions of
groups that are addressing the trends and data reported through their innovative communitybased programs. Live web links connect you to their profiles on the Community Knowledge
Centre.

About Community Foundations

Community Foundations are independent public foundations that strengthen their
communities by partnering with donors to build permanent endowments and other funds,
which support community projects, and by providing leadership on issues of broad community
concern.
Vital Signs is a national program led by community foundations and coordinated by
Community Foundations of Canada that leverages local knowledge to measure the vitality of
our communities and supports action towards improving our quality of life. Started by the
Toronto Foundation in 2001, today 75 communities across Canada and around the world
use Vital Signs to mobilize the power of community knowledge for greater local impact.

ii

ONE PLACE, ONE PEACE: IN IT TOGETHER

For Toronto, this was a record-breaking year.
We hosted the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, a spectacular series of events around the GTHA
and beyond. The Games were a big win for Canada: our athletes won 385 medals. And a big
win for Toronto, too: a civic aha! moment when we realized what can happen when we work
together toward a common goal.
The Games gave us a chance to see our city through others eyes. Visitors and international
media gave us top marks for our quality of life. At a time when the environment is paramount,
Torontos green spaces got the nod. At 445 hectares per 100,000 people, our parks, ravines,
backyards, and green roofs keep us 4 degrees cooler on average and remove airborne
particulate matter equivalent to the output of one million cars.
For those tuned into global culture, Torontos concerts and museums, galleries and festivals
won ovations. And residents seconded that emotion in record numbers. Attendance at Cityfunded or -programmed events reached 19 million and 71% of us regularly attended an artsrelated event, program, or place.
And the Games built on last years tourism records. The Region drew the highest-ever number
of overnight visitors. This city is also a beacon for immigrants: just over half of Torontonians are
foreign-born, with one-third of Torontonians having arrived in the last 25 years.
All of this international attention adds up: Torontos economy continues to grow. Overall
employment was up 1.5% from 2013 to 2014, with 20,850 new jobs and more than 5,000 new

iii

businesses. Were building more high- and mid-rise buildings than any other North American
city. On-location filming hit a new high of $1.23 billion, and the 2014 World Pride Festival
contributed $313 million to Torontos GDP. Plus, we continue to win accolades. For the
seventh year running, the Economist has declared Toronto as the fourth most liveable city in
the world.
Yet, as gratifying as these numbers are, they dont tell the whole story. Almost twenty years
after amalgamation, Toronto remains tenaciously divided. The gap between the richest and the
rest in our Region is the second largest in Canada (next only to Calgary) and, after 25 years of
steady growth, the income inequality gap in our city is increasing at twice the national average.
Were becoming more polarized geographically, too, as illustrated by City Hall debates on the
Gardiner, carding, and subway-versus-LRT.
The question on everyones mind is how do we transcend these destructive divisions and move
forward?
By wholeheartedly rejecting the divided city and embracing a new vision. By seeing ourselves
as one city. A city where 140 diverse neighbourhoods pull together as one. Where Toronto is
the driver of a thriving global city region.
We must become One place.
One place is a new way of thinking, working, and living together. As One place we will
devise city-wide solutions to city-wide problems.
Like traffic. The Regions congestion crisis continues, boasting the second longest round-trip
commute 66 minutes of any North American city.
Like affordable housing. Torontos house purchase prices have tripled since the 1970s. We are
the 13th least affordable major housing market in the world.
And like our health. Just under half of our young people are active and 50% of adults are
overweight or obese. And while most residents (70.5%) report very good or excellent mental
health, 262 people took their own lives in 2013 (thats more than four times the number of
homicides and quadruple the incidence of auto accident deaths).
As One place we will deliver a more effective response to those most at risk.
Like seniors. One in five Torontonians 55-plus lives alone; for those 85 and older, its 44%. And
the numbers are rising: today, 14.76% of us are seniors; by 2036, one in four Canadians will be.
Like the precariat. Last year, 22.7% of us depended on temporary and contract work. Two
working parents with two young children must each earn at least $18.52 an hour to make ends
meet. The impact? Close to 80,000 on the active waiting list for affordable housing. More than
890,000 visits to food banks. Lowest-income men are 50% more likely to die before 75 than
those with the highest income, while the poorest women are 85% more likely to have diabetes
than their wealthiest counterparts. And 29% of Torontos children live in poverty.

iv

Like the next generation. In 2014, youth unemployment was almost 22% in Toronto, and young
people were the fastest growing homeless segment in Canada. Is it any wonder young adults
dont feel connected to their city or arent politically engaged? Just 39% of 18 to 24-year-olds
voted in the 2011 federal election a startling contrast to the 80% of their parents generation
who did so at the same age.
How will we know when Toronto is getting it right? When One place leads to One peace
for this citys residents.
When we have the peace of mind that comes from knowing our youth feel optimistic about the
future. The peace that comes from knowing you can make a good life for your family. And that
you can age with dignity.
In fact, Toronto is already getting it right in many ways, and the 2015 Games are a case in
point. They provided a platform for people to come together to do something good for the
entire city. The physical and social legacies created will endure long after this summer. Even
better, we now have solid proof of what we can achieve by thinking and working together.
The need for cities to get it right has never been greater. By the middle of this century, twothirds of the worlds population will live in urban areas. Toronto is one of the fastest-growing
regions in Canada, so the challenges we face will only intensify.
Toronto is uniquely positioned to build the inclusive and sustainable city of the future. A great
place for people to live. And a model for cities everywhere.
And who will build the One place of the future that will offer One peace to its residents?
People like you.
From this day forward, you are the One.

John Barford
Chair
Board of Directors

Rahul K. Bhardwaj
President & CEO
Toronto Foundation

Table of Contents
Understanding this Report. ............................................................................................ ..1
Torontos Demographics .................................................................................................. 5
How much is Torontos population growing, and which demographic is growing the
fastest?
Are immigrants and their families still choosing Toronto to live, work, and play?
Can the city keep up with the demands on infrastructure and services, and create a
sustainable urban core?

Toronto on the World Stage .......................................................................................... 14

Health and Wellness ....................................................................................................... 17
What are some of the biggest health challenges we face?
What do we know about suicide rates in Toronto and what are we doing about it?
How can we improve outcomes for women experiencing intimate partner violence?
How do inequities impact health and wellbeing?
How healthy are the citys adults and children and what strategies are being proposed
to promote active, healthy lifestyles?
How can sport and recreation contribute to the citys health and wellbeing?

Safety .............................................................................................................................. 37
Just how safe is Toronto?
How safe are members of minority and other vulnerable populations in the Toronto
Region?
As the cost of policing grows, how can we measure police staffing efficiency and
effectiveness?

Economic Health ............................................................................................................ 49

Does equal opportunity make good business sense?
How does the city balance its revenues and ensure it can deliver all of its services?
What creative mechanisms are emerging in Toronto to fund capital enhancements to
our urban environment?
How well is Toronto performing on indicators of economic vitality?
How is Toronto faring in terms of a key indicator of economic vitalityconstruction
activity?

Work ............................................................................................................................... 63
Where is job growth happening in Toronto, and what kinds of jobs are being created?
Who is working in Toronto and who isnt?
vi

How are young workers, immigrants, and women affected by workforce trends in
Toronto?

Gap Between Rich and Poor .......................................................................................... 84

How big is the gap in Canada, and in Toronto, between the richest and the rest?
In what ways does income affect opportunities to get ahead in the city?
Should we be worried about rising inequality and increasing socio-spatial and ethnocultural divisions in the city?
How are Torontos children and youth and their families faring, and are we making any
progress in reducing poverty?
What does food insecurity look like in Toronto?

Housing ........................................................................................................................ 110

How much does it cost to call Toronto home?
Are people saving money by choosing the suburbs?
How well can the average family afford to live in Toronto?
What about the people without housing options?
In what ways are other cities doing better with housing issues similar to Toronto?
Where are there bright spots in Torontos housing landscape?

Getting Around ............................................................................................................ 139

How congested is Torontos traffic and what can be done?
How are Torontonians experiencing our public transportation system?
How are Torontonians doing on the active transportation front?
How are our transportation choices impacting health in Toronto?

Environment ................................................................................................................. 160

How is Toronto faring with measures of environmental progress and sustainability?
How well-equipped is the city to mitigate the effects of extreme weather and
environmental changes?
How concerned are we about flooding, water usage, and the Citys management of
water issues and infrastructure?
Torontos air quality has improved, but does that mean we have nothing to be
concerned about?
How do Torontos green spaces contribute to residents wellbeing and social capital,
and how do we ensure that all residents have access to this vital resource as Toronto
grows?

Learning........................................................................................................................ 181
How are Torontos public schools faring, and how are underutilized schools affecting
communities?
vii

What successes and challenges has full-day kindergarten (FDK) brought?

How do socio-economic inequities affect access to learning?
How diverse are Toronto schools, and is diversity reflected in curricula and teacher
staffing?
How well are Torontos post-secondary institutions preparing students for the future?

Arts and Culture ........................................................................................................... 206

Is the City funding Torontos cultural liveliness?
How do Torontonians contribute to, and benefit from the citys exciting cultural
environment?
How well does our world-class library system serve the city, and how is usage changing
in the 21st century?
How do the arts and culture contribute to the citys economic health?

Leadership, Civic Engagement and Belonging ............................................................ 221

Do Torontonians feel connected to their communities, and are they satisfied in life?
What are some of the barriers to civic participation and sense of belonging in the
community?
How can we turn the tide of voter apathy, especially among our youth, immigrants, and
visible minorities?
How representative are our political leaders of our communities?
How strong is Torontos charitable sector?

Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 238

Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... 248
Endnotes .................................................................................................................. 24856

viii

Understanding this Report

1. The following definitions are used frequently throughout the Report (also see the
Glossary at the back of this document for a complete list of definitions).
Toronto or the city refers to the formal boundaries of the city of Toronto,
consisting of the former municipalities of Toronto, Etobicoke, North York,
Scarborough, York and the Borough of East York. The City of Toronto or City
refers to the municipal government. The Province refers to the Ontario provincial
government.
The Toronto Region or Region refers to the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area
(CMA), the largest metropolitan area in Canada, stretching from Ajax and Pickering on
the east, to Milton on the west and Tecumseth and Georgina on the north. Almost
half the population of the Toronto Region resides in the city of Toronto.
The Toronto Region is an area slightly smaller than the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
and is comprised of the city of Toronto plus 23 other municipalities: Ajax, Aurora,
Bradford-West Gwillimbury, Brampton, Caledon, East Gwillimbury, Georgina,
Georgina Island, Halton Hills, King Township, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Mono
Township, Newmarket, Tecumseth, Oakville, Orangeville, Pickering, Richmond Hill,
Uxbridge, Whitchurch-Stouffville and Vaughan.
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) refers to the entire area covered by the Region of
Halton, Region of Peel, Region of York, Region of Durham and city of Toronto. The
area is slightly larger than the Toronto CMA.

Census Metropolitan Area (Toronto Region) and the Greater Toronto Area

Source: City of Toronto, Toronto Economic Development and Culture. Prepared by Toronto Urban
Planning and Development Services, Presentation Graphics 1997

2. The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) refers to the GTA region and the City
of Hamilton. It is increasingly becoming a dominant unit of planning in Southern
Ontario, particularly with regard to transit.

The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)

3. The Report is divided into 13 chapters for ease of reference. However, each issue area
is intimately connected to all the others. Readers will discover a plethora of examples,
such as socio-economic indicators in the Learning section, illustrating the connection
between poverty and the presence of necessary supports to learning, as well as
employment data in the chapter on Leadership, Civic Engagement and Belonging,
pointing to linkages between the security of ones employment and their likelihood to
vote or volunteer.
4.

Throughout the Report, there are a number of Vital Questions raised. These questions
are intended to stimulate your own questions, and act as a catalyst for reflection,
conversation, and action.

5.

Links to organizations directly cited are included in text. Citations are listed at the end
of each indicator (which may contain several bulleted points).

6.

This Report occasionally uses data from the Statistics Canada 2011 National Household
Survey (NHS). The NHS excludes a portion of the 2006 (and earlier) census population,
and data were collected in a voluntary survey, making the results vulnerable to nonresponse bias. As a result, NHS data cannot be compared reliably with those from
earlier Census releases. Comparisons with previous census periods should be
considered with caution.

7.

In this years Torontos Vital Signs Report, we have included a prcis at the start of each
issue area. They list some of the key indicators we look to year after year to help us

understand where Toronto is making progress and where there has been decline, along
with summary comments that speak to why the data is important, and what some of the
key trends and new findings are. Further detail is provided in the text that follows, along
with indicators from relevant recent research and occasional reports.
8.

To ensure clarity and accuracy of the data being presented, we have opted to use the
same terminology used in the research and studies referenced. As a result, there may
be instances throughout the Report where inconsistent terminology is used to describe
concepts that are the same or that overlap (e.g. visible minority versus racialized, or
LGBTQ* versus LGBTTIQ).

9.

Ideas and Innovations that point the way forward for Toronto are identified with the
following icon:

10. Data, or ideas and innovations that come from outside Canada are included to help
provide international context for interpreting Torontos experience. Throughout the
Report, data or ideas and innovations that speak to an international context are
identified with the following icon:

11. The Torontos Vital Signs Report 2015 includes data and studies that speak to
anticipated projections based on past trends and future implications. These narratives
allow us to make considerations for future actions and interventions. Narratives that
incorporate future projections are signified by the following icon:

12. In Torontos Vital Signs Report 2015 we have included several neighbourhood
snapshots related to the issue areas (identified by the graphic below) to give you a
sense of the statistics at the level of some of Torontos 140 neighbourhoods. We used
data garnered from the City of Torontos award-winning website Wellbeing Toronto, as
well as other sources, as cited in the text. It will be accommodated by this icon:

The Wellbeing Toronto website contains a wealth of data across 11 different issue
areas. The sites maps also allow you to locate services and public institutions across
Toronto such as libraries, shelters, settlement agencies and community gardens.
To access data for your own neighbourhood or to compare neighbourhoods across the city,
just follow the link (www.toronto.ca/wellbeing/).

Torontos Demographics
Why is this important?
The size and makeup of the citys population has major implications for city planners, school
boards, businesses, health care institutions, and community organizationsin fact, for
everybody.

What are the trends?

The Toronto Regions population base is one of the fastest growing in Canada; growth
between 2001 and 2014 equaled 83% of the total population of Calgary in 2014. More than
half of the global population (54%) now lives in cities, and by 2050 it is expected to grow to
66%. Toronto has more than twice the proportion of recent immigrants (8.4%) as Canada
(3.5%) Torontos population continues to age. Seniors represent almost 15% of the citys
residents, and it has been projected that the GTA will absorb more than half the provincial
increase in the over-75 population between 2011 and 2016.

Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

2,777,208

2,808,5071

12.97%

12.92%2

3. Share of the population who are seniors (65 years 14.21%

and over)

14.5%

14.76%3

4. Number of new permanent residents (Toronto

Region)

77,398

81,702

75,8214

5. Percentage population growth

1.36%
1.31%
1.13%
(2011-2012) (2012-2013) (20132014)5

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless otherwise noted.

1. Population of the city of Toronto
2,741,281
2. Share of the population who are youth (15-24)

13.05%

Whats new?
As in other major North American cities, transit infrastructure in Toronto is being overwhelmed
by the numbers of people who are increasingly choosing to live and work downtown. But
progress on critical transit improvements in the GTA has been hindered by a lack of
governmental consensus on how to fund the $50B Big Move plan and by debates over
subways versus LRT lines in Toronto. Although immigration has been one of the citys main
sources of growth, its share as a source of population growth declined by almost a fifth from
2011 to 2013. Meanwhile, the loss of the long-form census is affecting the ability of city leaders
to plan.

How much is Torontos population growing, and which demographic is growing the
fastest?
The GTA (2014 population estimate: accounted for 72% of total Ontario population growth
between 2006 and 2011:6
A projection based on the 2011 National Household Survey estimates that the Region
will grow an average 1.6% (or 108,766 persons) annually between 2014 and 2019,
bringing the population to almost 7.1 million.7
One estimate puts the 2014 GTA population at 6,546,519.8
The number of people who have come to the Region since 2001 is almost the same number of
people who lived in Vancouver in 2014:
The Toronto Regions population base is one of the fastest growing in Canada.
The Regions population in 2014 was 6,055,724, up 1.61% from 5,959,950 in 2013
(versus a 1.42% increase across the province). Between 1996 and 2014, the population
increased by an average of 2.1% per year (versus 1.33% at the provincial level).
Between 2001 (when the population was 4,882,782) and 2014 the Region added
1,172,942 people, or 83% of the population of Calgary in 2014 (1,406,721).9
More than 40% (42.9%) of the Regions population in 2014 lived within the city of
Toronto.10
Almost 1 in 5 Canadians (18.1% of the total population) lived in the Greater Toronto
Area (GTA) in 2011.11
Canadas Top 10 CMAs Ranked by Population and
Projected Population Growth, 20142019:12

The City of Torontos population grew by 5.5% between 2006 and 2011 (from 2,610,578 to
2,753,131).13
In 2014, Torontos population was 2,808,507, up 1.13% from 2,777,208 in 2013. Growth
was slightly higher between 2011 and 2012 (+1.36%) and between 2012 and 2013
(+1.31%).14

 These urbanization trends reflect similar shifts occurring the world over more than half
(54%) of the global population now lives in urban areas, and the proportion of the
worlds population living in urban areas is expected to increase to 66 per cent by
2050.15
Latest census figures illustrate an ongoing demographic shift that will see the number of
seniors grow from 1 in 7 Canadians in 2011 to about 1 in 4 by 2036 16:
The fastest-growing population segments in 2011 were 60-64 year-olds and those over
85.
Across the GTA, the over-65 and over-75 age groups grew by 16.5% between 2006 and
2011, and the GTA is projected to absorb more than half the provincial increase in the
over-75 group between 2011 and 2016 (more than 60,000 people).17
Long-term care homes are dealing with residents who are older, more frail, and have
more complex care needs (as of 2010, only seniors with high or very high care needs
are eligible for long-term care).18
According to estimates since the 2011 census, seniors (65+) made up 14.76% of the
Toronto population in 2014, up from 14.5% in 2013 and 14.21% in 2012.19
o 72% of Torontos seniors (65 and older) are women.20
o Seniors made up 13.6% of the population of the Region in 2014, slightly below
the provincial rate (15.6%). Between 2001 and 2014 the proportion of seniors in
the Regions population increased by 24.8% (versus 25% province wide).21
Population Change in Older Adult Population 55+, Toronto, 2001-2011:22

The number of adults 55 years and older has increased in all but one of Torontos neighbourhoods over a 10-year
period. Source: Statistics Canada Census, 2001 and 2011. Map prepared by City of Toronto Social Development
Finance and Administration.

 2011 Census data indicate that over one in five Torontonians (22%) 55 years and older
live alone. The percentage doubles for Torontos oldest citizens44% of those 85 and
older live alone.
Multiple estimates forecast significant growth in Torontos older adult population.23
Forecasted Percentage of Older Adults in Torontos Total Population:24

Source: Statistics Canada 2011 Census. Prepared by Hemson Consulting, 2012.

The share of the citys population who are youth aged 15-24 has remained relatively
stable in the last decade. Youth accounted for 12.7% of the population in the 2006
Census, 12.8% in the 2011 NHS25, 13.05% in 2012, 12.97% in 2013, and 12.92% in
2014.26
o Children (under 15) made up 14.36% of the citys population in 2014 (slightly
down from 14.52% in 2013 and 14.71% in 2012),27 and 16.3% of the Regions
population, slightly below the provincial rate of 16%. Between 2001 and 2014
the Regions share of children dropped by 15.9% (versus 17.5% province wide).28

Are immigrants and their families still choosing Toronto to live, work, and play?
Almost one-third of Torontonians arrived in the city between 1991 and 2011:

 30.7% of the citys 2011 population790,895 (including non-permanent residents) of a

total population of 2,576,025arrived in the two decades before the 2011 NHS.29
One of every six immigrants to Canada in the five years before the last census chose to settle in
Toronto:30
In 2013 Toronto had a total of 81,691 new permanent residents.31
The city of Toronto became home to 216,520 new residents from all over the world
between 2006 and 2011.
In 2011, 51% of Toronto residents were born outside of Canada, and one in 12 had
arrived in the country in the previous five years. One-third of the total population of
immigrants in Toronto had arrived in Canada within the previous 10 years. Toronto has
more than twice the proportion of recent immigrants as Canada (8.4% compared to
3.5% nationally).
o 14% of Toronto residents dont yet hold Canadian citizenship (compared to 6%
for all of Canada).32
Number of New Permanent Residents, Toronto, 19982013:33

Three thriving ethnoburbs (ethnic suburbs) are emerging in the Toronto Region:
Many of the immigrants coming to the Toronto Region in the last decades have settled
directly in the suburbs, drawn by more affordable housing and open spaces, and jobs in
suburban business and industrial parks. They have created distinct ethnic suburbs
(complete multi-ethnic communities of residences, businesses and cultural institutions,
with a high concentration of one ethnic group).
o One study found that by 2006, more than one-third of the Toronto Regions
neighbourhoods (35%) were made up of half or more visible minority residents.
More than half of North Yorks neighbourhoods and 76% of Scarboroughs had
over 50% visible minority populations. Some of these richly diverse communities
have evolved into ethnoburbs.
o The study identified three distinct ethnoburbs in the Region: one that includes
Brampton, most of Mississauga, north Etobicoke and western North York and is

predominantly South Asian; a second that includes most of Markham,

Scarborough, eastern North York and part of Richmond Hill, with a
predominantly Chinese visible minority population; and a third emerging in
Pickering and Ajax, with a high South Asian population.
o In Torontos ethnoburbs, local residents own, or have a stake in a large
percentage of local businesses and have developed a full range of cultural
institutions.
By July 2011, there were 57 Chinese supermarkets and 66 Chinese
shopping centres in the Toronto Region to serve 500,000 Chinese ethnic
minority residents.
The first South Asian shopping centre opened in Scarborough in 2008
and three new centres will add 540,000 sq. ft. of commercial space in
Brampton and Scarborough.34
Distribution of South Asian Temples and Chinese Shopping Centres, Toronto Region, 2011
(shaded areas are ethnoburbs):35

Nonetheless, immigration has declined as a source of Torontos population growth over the
last couple of years:

10

 The age structure of the population, natural increase (the difference between the
number of births and the number of deaths in a year), and migratory movement in and
out of the city are the main determinants of Torontos population growth.
In the last decade the rate of natural increase has remained relatively flat, but net
migration has been more variable, mostly due to swings in interprovincial migration and
international immigration.
Immigration as a share of Torontos population has been high and one of the main
sources of its growth. Its share as a source of population growth declined, however, by
19% from 2011 to 2013.36
Components of Torontos Population Change, 2002-2013:37

From July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014, the population of the Region grew by 89,385
people, due to:
o a net gain of 79,528 people from international migration,
o a net loss of 4,562 people to interprovincial migration,
o a net loss of 21,095 people from intraprovincial migration, and
o a natural increase of 35,514 people.38
Despite immigration, a growing percentage of the city speaks only one of Canadas official
languages:
As of the 2011 NHS, 87.9% of Torontos population spoke English only, up from 87.4%
in the 2006 Census and 85.7% in the 2001 Census.
Only 0.1% of Torontos population spoke French in 2011 (the same percentage as in
2001).
7.7% had knowledge of both official languages in 2011, a decline from 8.5% in 2001.39

11

Can the city keep up with the demands on infrastructure and services, and create a
sustainable urban core?
The population in Torontos downtown core grew dramatically in the five years before the last
census:
The population growth rate in downtown Toronto more than tripled between 2006 and
2011 compared with the three previous census periods, as the children of baby
boomersthe echo boomerssought access to jobs, transit, and downtown attractions
over housing size and space (and a long commute) in the suburbs. The downtown core
also outpaced growth in the suburbs for the first time since the early 70s. Suburban
population growth dropped from 18.6% to 13.7% over five years, as downtown growth
went from 4.6% to 16.2% over the same period.
o In 2011, nearly half (47%) of the downtown population was between 20 and 39
years old (compared to 25.8% across the GTA suburbs of York, Peel, Halton and
Durham). The median age in the city core has dropped to the mid-30s.40
In major cities across North America, millennials are contributing to urban renewal but
overwhelming transit infrastructure with their desire to work and live downtown:
A report from global commercial real-estate firm Cushman & Wakefield examines the
consequences to public transit and gridlock of rapid population growth in 10 major
North American urban centres (Atlanta, Washington D.C., Miami, Mexico City, Boston,
San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Toronto).
Millennials (born between early 1980s and 1990s) have fueled an explosion of living and
work space development in downtown cores across North America, including here in
Toronto.41
Empty nesters are also attracted to urban living.
o Over 46,000 high-rise condominium units were under construction at the time of
the reports release in fall 2014. Companies are following the workers; 4.5
million ft2 of office space was built between 2009 and 2011, and 5.1 million ft2
were estimated to go up between 2014 and 2017. 42
The migration of workers and residents into the core has increased commuter congestion:
City governments, developers, and businesses must work to reduce commute times if
growth is to be sustainable. However, critical transit improvements are hindered by red
tape, impact studies, NIMBYism, and a lack of funding.43
Progress on congestion in the GTA has been plagued by a lack of governmental
consensus on how to fund the Big Move plan (currently only $16B of the required $50B
has been raised since the plans inception in 2008) and by debates over subways versus
LRT lines in the city of Toronto.44
Cities across Canada have been affected by the cancellation of the mandatory long-form
census questionnaire and move to a short-form census and voluntary National Household
Survey (NHS):
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities says the loss of information is hindering local
governments abilities to effectively understand, monitor, and plan for the changing
needs of communities.
Torontos manager of social research says the change has also increased planning costs.

12

o Staff resources and money must now be spent to source and purchase
supplementary sources of data.
o Extra staff hours are also going into checking whether data from disparate
sources is comparable over time like data from the long-form censuses was.
Torontos most vulnerable residents will pay the biggest price, though, as the loss of
the census data makes it difficult to determine which communities are most in need of
services and long-term investment.45
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released the first standardised set
of indicators for cities. ISO 37120 will allow cities to measure indicators such as energy,
environment, finance, recreation, telecommunications and innovation, and more against other
global cities:
The standardized measurements will allow for learning across cities and more
innovation in city decision-making and global benchmarking.46
The Toronto-based World Council on City Data (WCCD) hosts a network of innovative cities
committed to improving city services and quality of life with globally standardized city data and
provides a consistent and comprehensive platform for standardized urban metrics:
Comparable city data is critical for building more sustainable, resilient, smart,
prosperous and inclusive cities. As a global leader on standardized metrics, the WCCD
is operationalising ISO 37120 Sustainable Development of Communities: Indicators for
City Services and Quality of Life, the first international standard for sustainable and
resilient cities.
The WCCD has also developed the first ISO 37120 certification system and the Global
Cities Registry. In May 2015 the WCCD Open City Data Portal was launched. This
innovative and highly visual tool allows for comparative analytics across the WCCD
cities, while fostering global learning and the creation of data-driven solutions for cities.

13

Toronto on the World Stage

Numerous studies appear each year, ranking global metropolitan regions on measures such as
prosperity, economic strength, competitiveness, and liveability. Although researchers
sometimes question the methodologies used to compare cities in such studies, the following
studies outlined in this section illustrate what the world is saying about Toronto in 2014 and
2015.
Toronto is a Youthful City:
Toronto is the sixth most Youthful City in the world according to the 2015 YouthfulCities
Index, after having placed first in 2014.
o In its second index, YouthfulCities, a global initiative to rank the worlds top 100
cities from a youth perspective and lead a unique urban regeneration in the
process, analysed data from 55 global cities, using 101 indicators across 20
categories (such as diversity, music, film, safety, health, civic engagement, and
transit) deemed important for life, work, and play by 9,000 surveyed youth.
New York, London, and Berlin placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively. Other North
American cities in the top 10 included San Francisco at 4th, Chicago at 7th, and Los
Angeles at 8th.47
Toronto is one of the safest cities in the world, and the worlds most liveable city:
Our city ranks eighth out of 20 across the globe on The Economist Intelligence Unit
(EIU)s Safe Cities Index 2015, which assesses urban security in the digital age.
o Toronto and New York (in 10th place) are the only North American cities to
make the top 10. Montral was the only other Canadian city on the list at 14th.
San Francisco placed 12th, Chicago 16th, Los Angeles 17th, and Washington
DC 19th.
o The safest cities are in Asia: Tokyo, Singapore, and Osaka in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
respectively.
Cities were ranked based on their levels of digital security, health security, infrastructure
safety, and personal safety.
o Toronto ranks 11th in digital security, 21st in health security, 8th in infrastructure
safety, and seventh in personal safety.48
This years Safe Cities Index included an index of indexes compiled from six rankings
by The EconomistSafe Cities, Liveability, Cost of Living, Business Environment,
Democracy, and Global Food Securityto determine the most liveable cities in the
world. Toronto came out on top of 50 global cities.
o Montral and Stockholm followed Toronto in 2nd and 3rd respectively.49
Toronto is one of the worlds most liveable cities:
Toronto again places high on The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)s 2015 Global
Liveability Ranking, placing fourth againa position it has held since 2009, when it
moved up from its sixth place standing in 2008.
The annual index ranks 140 global cities on over 30 indicators across stability,
infrastructure, education, healthcare, and culture and environment categories.

14

 Melbourne tops the list, and Vienna places second. Two other Canadian cities round
out the top five, on either side of Toronto: Vancouver is third, and Calgary ties with
Adelaide for fifth place.50
Toronto is the most liveable location for employees living in North America as assignees:
ECA International, a global consulting firm that provides data and technology to help
companies assign and manage employees around the world, says Toronto is the most
liveable location for North American assignees.
ECAs Location Ratings are updated annually, and in 2014 the overall quality of living of
over 450 locations worldwide was evaluated.
o Factors assessed included political tensions, personal safety, climate, air quality,
infrastructure, availability of health services, housing and utilities, and social
considerations including risk of isolation and access to a social network and
leisure facilities.
Torontos good air quality, solid infrastructure, decent medical facilities, low crime and
health risks contributed to its topping the global ranking.
o Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montral also made the top 20.51
According to MoneySense magazine, however, Toronto is only the 35th best place to live in
Canada:
While crediting Toronto for its low taxes, ease of walking, biking and using transit, good
weather and strong arts and sports communities, the Canadas Best Places to Live 2015
ranking from MoneySense nudged Toronto from 32nd place in 2014 to 35th this year.
o The magazine evaluated 209 cities using metrics related to household income,
employment, housing prices, weather, crime, and healthcare access.
Two GTA cities, Burlington and Oakville, did manage to place among the top 10, in 3rd
and 6th respectively.
o Boucherville, QC and Ottawa were 1st and 2nd.
Toronto itself did not make the top 10 Best Places for New Immigrants.
Toronto is ranked the second-best place in Canada to retire, with an average property
tax of $1,710, a ratio of 2.03 doctors per 1,000 people, and 264 days a year with a
temperature above 0 C. Ottawa ranked 1st (with the respective stats of $2,498,
2.53/1,000, and 216).
Seven of the 10 richest cities in Canada are within the GTA: Oakville placed 4th with an
average household net worth of $1,069,469, Whitchurch-Stouffville 5th ($1,037,252),
Vaughan 6th ($1,014,562), Richmond Hill 7th ($946,615), Aurora 8th ($935,067),
Caledon 9th ($926,552), and Markham 10th ($918,633).
o The three richest cities were West Vancouver ($3,152,364), North Vancouver
($1,149,991), and Canmore, AB ($1,099,001).
o These rankings are further indication of growing income inequality. In 2014 only
two cities had an average household net worth over $1M and in 2015, six do.52
The Toronto Region dropped to 5th place (from 3rd in 2014) among the dozen North American
cities included in a ranking of 24 global metropolitan areas:
The 2014 Toronto Region Board of Trade Scorecard on Prosperity assesses the
strengths of the Region through the lenses of economy and labour attractiveness (socioeconomic and environmental factors) against other global cities.

15

 Calgary beat out Toronto again this year, placing 3rd (down from 2nd last year).
o Paris placed 1st again, Stockholm 2nd, and Oslo 4th.
While Toronto scores high overall, its economy has traditionally been an
underperformer.
o Toronto fell two spots to 14th on the overall economy ranking with a C grade.
Nonetheless, the Region is crucial to the economy of Ontario as well as to that
of Canada. Toronto is home to half of Ontarios labour force and businesses,
and industry here accounts for nearly 50% of the provinces GDP and 20% of
Canadas. By comparison, New York produces about 9% of the US GDP.
o Many North American cities populate this rankings top 10, with San Francisco in
1st with an A grade, Boston 2nd (A), Seattle 3rd (A), Dallas 4th (B), Calgary 7th
(B), and New York in 10th (B).
In labour attractiveness, Toronto ranks 3rd with a B grade. Paris and London take 1st
and 2nd respectively.
o Toronto earned an A in six of the 15 indicators, including measures of
immigrant population, teachers per 1,000 school-aged children, and air quality.
o Transportation continues to be Torontos area for improvement, showing a rare
combination of both a low percentage of people who commute by means other
than automobile (29%, ranking us 14th) and a long commuting time (66 minutes,
good for 15th place).
o Toronto performed quite well on environment indicators, with a grade of A in
air quality (ranking 7th), A in domestic water usage (3rd), and a B in the
comfortable climate index (although our ranking is quite low at 18th).53

16

Health and Wellness

Why is this important?
Good physical and mental health are vitally linked to, and affected by, virtually all the issues
raised in the Torontos Vital Signs Report. Adequate income, stable and appropriate housing, a
safe and walkable neighbourhood, strong social networks, and a high level of education all
enhance the health of Torontonians. The absence of some or all of those factors contributes to
the likelihood of a city resident experiencing, for example, diabetes, depression, or obesity.

What are the trends?

The percentage of Toronto residents reporting good health remains relatively stable, but it isnt
improving (4 in 10 dont report good health). Diabetes rates continue to be a major concern,
and half of adult Torontonians now report being overweight or obese. The level of youth
inactivity is troubling (and likely even worse than the data show, because the figures are selfreported and therefore generally under-reported). And while most Torontonians are satisfied
with life and believe their mental health is good, numbers are decreasing over time, and almost
a quarter of the population experiences high levels of stress.
Some Key Trends
Data refer to the city of Toronto unless otherwise noted.
1. Percentage (12 and older) reporting good or excellent
health
2. Percentage (12 and older) reporting being diagnosed
with diabetes
3. Percentage of Torontonians (12 and older) reporting
being at least moderately active during leisure time
4. Percentage (18 years old and older) who report being
overweight or obese
5. Percentage who report very good or excellent mental
health

2012

2013

2014

59.5%

58.8%

58.2%54

6.0%

6.2%

7.0%55

46.2%

52.6%

46.1%56

43.8%

46.2%

50.7%.57

69.3%

67.4%

70.5%58

Whats new?
A new Toronto Public Health report has analysed, for the first time, how the relationship
between income and health in Toronto has changed over time. Low-income groups had worse
health on a majority of indicators when compared to high-income groups. Meanwhile, a
comprehensive snapshot of the wellbeing of the citys youth has shown troubling inequities
based on gender, ethno-cultural identity, socio-economic access, and sexual orientation. And a
new study from Ryerson University explores the positive effects on childrens physical health of
being given freedom to explore places within their neighbourhoods without adult supervision.

17

What are some of the biggest health challenges we face?

Although the majority of Torontonians report very good or excellent physical health in 2014,
many are making some unhealthy lifestyle choices, and diabetes and obesity rates are growing
alarmingly:
Almost six in 10 (58.2%) Toronto residents aged 12 and over say they are in very good
or excellent physical health, and 66.8% of youth (aged 12 to 19) say the same.59
Nonetheless, although there were approximately 4.3 million visits to more than 5,700
City drop-in recreation programs in 2014,60 less than half (46.1%) of Torontonians 12
and over report being at least moderately active during their leisure time (down from a
high of 52.6% in 2013).61
o And although there were more than 406,300 children and youth registrations in
City recreation programs in 2014,62 the percentage of youth (12-19) who are
active during their leisure time is down seven percentage points from 2003 (from
67.2% to 60.2% in 2014) and lower than the national (70.4%) and provincial
(68.0%) averages.63 (It should also be noted that Statistics Canada research
shows that childrens self-reported activity levels tend to be over-estimated.)
o 14.5% of the population is limited in activity by pain or discomfort.64
14.0% of Torontonians 12 and over reported heavy drinking (for men, that means
having five or more drinks, and for women four or more, on one occasion, at least once
a month in the previous year).65 The rate represents a 22.8% increase since 2003 (from
11.4%), although it is lower than both the national (17.9%) and provincial (16.2%)
averages.66
While the percentage of smokers has decreased from 19.9% in 2003, 15.6% of
Torontonians still smoke (compared to 18.1% of Canadians and 17.4% of Ontarians).67
Only 38.3% of Torontonians 12 and over reported eating at least five servings of fruit
and vegetables daily (down from 39.7% in 2013 and 42.5% in 2012).68 Even fewer youth
ate the required servings dailyjust 36.8%, down from 40.8% in 2013 and 45.9% in
2012.69
Influenza immunization rates have risen 2.1 percentage points since 2003 (reaching their
highest at 42.6% in 2005), but only 35.7% of Torontos population 12 and over were
immunized against influenza in 2014 (similar to the provincial average of 35.4% but
higher than the national average of 32.5%).70
Half (50.7%) of Toronto adults (18 years and older) report being overweight or obese,
up from 43.8% in 2012 and 46.2% in 2013.71
o The rate of adult obesity (self-reported body mass index of 30.0 or higher)
increased 32.2% between 2003 and 2014, from 11.8% to 15.6% (although
Torontos rate remains below the national and provincial averages of 20.2% and
20.4% respectively).72
Youth (ages 12 to 17) obesity is a greater problem in Toronto than it is nationally and
provincially. Torontos rate was 27.0% in 2014, having risen 7.5 percentage points since
2005 (when data were first collected) from 19.5% (national and provincial averages were
23.1% and 23.3% respectively in 2014).73
Diabetes rates have increased by almost 43.0% since 2003. In 2014, 7.0% of Torontos
population (aged 12 and older) had been diagnosed with the disease, up from 4.9% in
2003. Torontos diabetes rate is higher than the national average (6.7%) but lower than
the provincial average (7.4%).74

18

In the Toronto Central LHIN (Local Health Integration Network) unit, which serves much of the
city of Toronto, or approximately 1.15 million Torontonians, for every 100,000 residents, there
is more than double the number of physicians than there are nationally and provincially:
The number of family physicians per 100,000 residents increased by 20.8% between
2002 and 2013, reaching 174 (up from 144). Comparatively, there are 111 physicians
per 100,000 nationally, and only 103 provincially.75
There were 317 specialists per 100,000 residents in 2013 (an increase of 14% from 278
in 2002). In Ontario as a whole there were 106 specialists per 100,000.76
Nonetheless, 10.8% of this population was without a regular medical doctor in 2014,
above the provincial rate of 7.5% (although lower than the 12.2% of 2005).77

According to Wellbeing Toronto, in 2011 the Annex had the most health
providers (doctor and dentist offices, pharmacies, and clinics) with 198, and
Elms-Old Rexdale had the least with just one.

Most Torontonians are satisfied with life and believe their mental health is good. But numbers
are decreasing over time, and almost a quarter of the population experiences high levels of
stress:
Almost nine in 10 Torontonians aged 12 and over (88.7%) self-reported in 2014 that
they are satisfied or very satisfied with life.78 This is lower than the national (92.2%) and
provincial (91.2%) averages, and not much higher than a decade ago (it was 87.8% in
2003).79
Seven in 10 (70.5%) said they are in very good or excellent mental health.
o Over time, however, Torontonians self-reported mental health has decreased,
by 1.2 percentage points between 2003 and 2014. It was at its highest in 2008
at 77.5% and lowest in 2013 at 67.4%.
o Self-reported very good to excellent mental health in Toronto is currently lower
than the national average (71.1%) and lower than the provincial average
(70.4%).80
o Nonetheless, only 7.3% report fair or poor mental health.81
The mental health of Torontos youth (12-19) has also declined. 70.9% perceived their
mental health as being very good or excellent in 2014, a decrease of 6.4 percentage
points since 2003 and lower than the national (73.9%) and provincial (72.3%) averages.82
22.8% of the population (15 years and over) reported in 2014 that most days in their life
were quite a bit or extremely stressful, down from 27.4% in 2013 but above the rate
provincially (22.3%). The rate is, however, slightly lower than the national rate (23%).83
22.8% reported high levels of stress.84

What do we know about suicide rates in Toronto and what are we doing about it?
One of the most important yet least talked about population health issuessuicideis being
tackled by Toronto Public Health:
A review of available evidence on suicide in Toronto found that it is a growing cause of
premature death.
19

 6% of Torontoniansover 150,000have self-reported that they have considered

suicide in their lifetime.
In 2009, suicide was the 17th leading cause of death in the city. There were 243 suicide
deaths that year, more than four times the number of homicide deaths, and three times
the number of motor vehicle crash deaths.85
In 2013, that rate increased as 262 Torontonians took their own lives that year.86

Top 20 Leading Causes of Death, Toronto, 2009:87

About 25% of those who took their own lives in 2009 had attempted suicide previously,
and the majority (83% of the females and 73% of the males) had an identified history of
mental illness.
Age-specific mortality rates from 2005-2009 show higher rates of suicide for males than
females at all ages (although the difference is not significant at 10-19 years).
o At 80 years and older, the suicide rate for males is more than four times higher
than for females. The report authors are unsure, however, whether this is a true
difference or whether female suicides in this age group are misidentified as
dying from some other cause.88

20

Age-Specific Mortality Rates from Suicide per 100,000 Population by Sex,

Toronto, 2005-2009 (Combined):89

After undertaking a review of suicide prevention strategies from jurisdictions across

Canada and worldwide along with a scan of multiple national, provincial, and
community prevention policies, Toronto Public Health has identified gaps and
opportunities for prevention initiatives in Toronto.
Current and emerging initiatives and services in Toronto related to suicide prevention
include:
o mental health promotion, suicide prevention policies and interventions, and a
call for the City to address suicide prevention in priority populations including
older adults;
o 24-hour crisis servicesintegral to suicide prevention, intervention, and postinterventionranging from hospital-based to community-based services;
o bridge barriers such as the Luminous Veil on the Prince Edward Viaduct System
(Bloor Viaduct), which has successfully prevented suicides at the site since its
installation in 2003;
o reporting guidelines for media from the Canadian Association for Suicide
Prevention to discourage copycat suicides (which research has linked to public
presentation of suicide); they recommend including resources for getting help
and warning signs of suicide while avoiding the disclosure of specific details; and
o the Registered Nurses Association of Ontarios Assessment and Care of Adults
at Risk for Suicidal Ideation and Behaviour best practice guidelines.90

21

In 2014, suicide attempts on Torontos subway system reached their highest level since 2000:
As Council debated spending over $1B on platform edge doors (PEDs) to prevent
suicide attempts and deaths on the subway system, the Toronto Transit Commission
(TTC) released disquieting 2014 suicide statistics.
o 30 suicide attempts were made in 2014 (almost double the 17 in 2013 and more
than the annual average of 23.4). One-third were fatal.
PEDs have been proven effective at deterring suicides in Hong Kong, Singapore, and
Paris. They also prevent delays from debris on subway tracks and allow for more
efficient passenger boarding. They are however, expensive and would require the TTC
to convert to automatic train control.
o The cost of erecting PEDs has been estimated at $551M on the YongeUniversity-Spadina line and $614M on the Bloor-Danforth line.
o Trains need to align perfectly with PEDs, requiring control by computers rather
than human drivers. The TTC has already begun converting the YongeUniversity-Spadina line to automatic control, but it will still be another several
years before PEDs could be in use.
Council voted 35-4 to request that the TTC consider PEDs in the design of new
extensions or lines and retrofit existing stations with them.
In the meantime, the TTC has measures in place to help prevent suicide attempts
including the Crisis Link program, which connects people with a Distress Centre
counsellor via a direct-dial button on a payphone on the platform, and a Gatekeeper
program, which trains employees to notice and report suicidal behaviour.91 The Crisis
Link program received 218 calls between its introduction in June 2011 and June 2013.92

How can we improve outcomes for women experiencing intimate partner violence?
The Centre for Research on Inner City Health (CRICH) at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto is
calling on policy makers, researchers, and healthcare administrators to make intimate partner
violence screening a public health priority:
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is pervasive. The Department of Justice has estimated its
cost nationally (in healthcare and other related costs) at $7.4B annually.
Healthcare settings provide a great avenue for screening women for IPV, but a Torontobased CRICH study involving interviews with healthcare providers, administrative staff,
and scientists from eight teaching hospitals across the city found that screening
practices vary widely between hospitals and departments.
The study found a number of barriers to IPV screening, including lack of knowledge of
IPV or training on how to screen for it, lack of time or prioritization compared to other
aspects of patient treatment, and a fear of harming patients further (by not being
tactful) or violating their privacy.
The researchers concluded that policy makers should make IPV screening a public
health priority to improve health outcomes for women and to lessen the burden on the
healthcare system through earlier identification and intervention.
o Universal screening, in which healthcare providers routinely ask women about
their experiences with IPV, has proven more effective at uncovering it than
case-finding, in which healthcare workers ask women only if they see signs of
abuse.93

How do inequities impact health and wellbeing?

22

Lower-income Torontonians have poorer health, and the situation has not improved in recent
years:
Extensive evidence has shown a clear link between income and health. Socio-economic
circumstances account for 50% of a persons health.94
What Shapes Canadians Health?:95

Source: The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.

In 2008, Toronto Public Health released The Unequal City: Income and Health
Inequalities in Toronto, which showed that there were differences in health between
income groups in the city, and that low-income groups had worse health on a majority
of indicators.
A 2015 follow-up report describes the current relationship between income and health
in Toronto and analysed, for the first time, how the relationship has changed over time.
o For the most recent years of data analysed, 20 of 34 assessed health status
indicators showed significant inequitiesi.e., low-income groups had worse
health. For example, when the health status of the lowest-income group is
compared to that of the highest-income group:
men are 50% more likely to die before age 75,
women are 85% more likely to have diabetes,
young women (aged 15 to 24) are twice as likely to be infected with
chlamydia, and
babies are 40% more likely to be born at a low weight.
o High-income groups had worse health status in four indicators (including, of
note, unhealthy alcohol use). The remaining 10 indicators (including childhood
injury, overweight and obesity, and colorectal cancer) showed no differences
across income groups.
o Overall, inequities have not improved. For the first years of data analysed, lowincome groups had worse health for 21 of the 34 indicators, and over
approximately 10 years inequities persisted for 16, became worse for four, and
improved for just one.
The relationship between low income and diabetes, for example, has
increased in strength over time. While diabetes was more prevalent in
23

2012 than in 2003 across income groups, its prevalence had increased
much more in low-income groups.96
Male Diabetes Prevalence Over Time in Relation to
Health Status and Income, 2003, 2012:97

Female Diabetes Prevalence Over Time in Relation to

Health Status and Income, 2003, 2012:98

The report estimates that, if all income groups in Toronto had the same health status
and inequities were erased, it would result in:
o 932 fewer premature deaths per year,
o 62,111 fewer diabetics,
o 1,720 fewer chlamydia cases among youth per year, and
o 611 fewer low-weight births per year.99
St. Michaels Hospital has begun to treat poverty as a contributing factor to illness and poor
health outcomes that can be cured:
The hospital has started screening patients income levels and offering non-medical
services to increase the efficacy of medical treatment. For some patients, for example,
staff at the clinic assist by acting as advocates for them with all levels of government,
assisting them with applications for access to their Canadian Pension Plan funds or
Ontario Disability Support Program income, and providing public transit passes.100

24

A comprehensive snapshot of the wellbeing of the citys youth has shown troubling inequities
based on gender, ethno-cultural identity, socio-economic access, and sexual orientation:
A 2014 Toronto Public Health survey assessed the sexual, mental, and physical health,
along with health behaviours of more than 6,000 students in grades 7 to 12.
Compared to Ontario averages, Toronto students smoke and drink less, but they are
less active. Only 10% are meeting Canadas physical activity guidelines for youth (at
least one hour of exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity daily).
o Males were more likely to meet the guidelines (13% versus 6% female), as were
white students (14%, compared to just 5% of East Asians, for example).101
Meeting the Guidelines for Physical Activity
by Gender, Toronto, 2014:102

Meeting the Guidelines for Physical Activity

by Ethno-Racial Identity Group, Toronto, 2014:103

While 92% of students reported good or better general health, those with higher
socio-economic accessi.e., their familys access to a variety of goods and services
and those who identified as heterosexual were more likely to rate their health as
excellent, very good, or good.

25

Good or Better General Health

by Socio-Economic Access, Toronto, 2014:104

Good or Better General Health

by Sexual Orientation, Toronto, 2014:105

Bullying affects not only immediate but long-term mental health:

One in five students reported experiencing bullying in the previous 12 months. Bullying
was more commonly reported by students in lower grades, by females, and by students
who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, another sexual orientation or unsure
about their sexual orientation.
Bullied Once per Month or More in the Past 12 Months
by Grade and Sex, Toronto, 2014:106

Bullied Once per Month or More in the Past

12 Months by Sexual Orientation, Toronto,
2014:107

Girls are not faring as well as boys when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.
o While one in 10 students reported purposely hurting themselves (11%) and
seriously considering suicide (12%) in the past year, girls reported self-harm and
suicidal thoughts more often than boys. 2% of students reported that they had
attempted suicide in the past year.
On a more positive note, school connectedness was relatively high and there were no
noted differences between groups of students. 85% agreed or strongly agreed that I
feel close to people at my school, and 90% agreed or strongly agreed that In
general, I like the way that I am.
26

o Students who feel connected to their school are less likely to engage in risky
health behaviours such as violence and early sexual initiation.108

How safe is our water and what are the risks to our health?
Although progress has been made in upgrading water infrastructure, issues around affordability
and access to information still place vulnerable Toronto households at risk of exposure to lead
in their drinking water:
A report from Torontos Medical Officer of Health to the Board of Health shows that
action by both the City and the public to mitigate exposure has had some success.
o Between 2007 and 2014, the percentage of the 475,000 residential water
service connections in Toronto assumed to be made of lead dropped by about
46% (from 65,000 in 2007 to 35,000 in 2014).
Nonetheless, tests of drinking water in 2011-2013 found dangerous levels of lead in
about 15% of samples. Toronto Water offers residents free testing for lead in their
drinking water. In 2011-2013 the majority of samples tested were low in lead, but about
15% showed 10 parts per billion or greater. 109

Residential Drinking Water Sample Results, Toronto, 2011-2013:110

Lead components may exist in both the public and private side of the drinking water
system, and the cost of replacing them is a barrier to some homeowners.
o Research has shown that cost is the greatest barrier to full replacement. Other
municipalitiesOttawa, Hamilton, London, Brantford, Welland, and Guelph
offer residents financial assistance as incentive.111

27

o The City pays to replace the portion of City-owned lead pipes connected to
houses up to the property line, but homeowners are responsible for replacing
the portion of pipes on their own propertyat a typical cost of about $3,000.
A 2011 City report estimated that 70% of Toronto property owners whose services were
upgraded on the Citys side did not upgrade their portion.112
The Medical Officer of Health also notes that although the City has a variety of risk
mitigation strategies, including a free filter program, a filter rebate program, and the
Toronto Water testing program, awareness of many of theseas well as awareness of
the risks associated with lead in drinking wateris not high enough. Vulnerable
subpopulations and tenants in particular may experience barriers to accessing
information and taking action.113
Exposure to lead can affect the brain and nervous system. In adults, symptoms include
hypertension and kidney failure. Lead exposure is most dangerous, however, to fetuses,
infants and children under six. In young children, symptoms include shortened attention
span, reduced IQ, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and behavioural
problems.
Health Canada considers lead levels below 10 parts per billion safe. Many medical
researchers disagree, saying that any level of lead in drinking water is unsafe.114

How healthy are the citys adults and children and what strategies are being proposed
to promote active, healthy lifestyles?
Children arent getting enough exercise, and parental fears, lifestyle choices and social
pressures may contribute to the problem:
A 2014 study out of Ryerson University explores the effect on childrens physical health
of being given freedom to explore places within their neighbourhoods without adult
supervision.
o The researchers surveyed more than 1,000 parents and caregivers of students in
Grades 5 and 6 in 16 Toronto public elementary schools, while the students
wore an accelerometer for seven days.115
o The study found that parents or caregivers perceptions of the social
environment influenced childrens physical activityfor example, if parents
were afraid for childrens safety, they would be less willing to let them out on
their own without supervision, and the longer the parents lived in same
residence, the more likely they were to allow more unsupervised time outside of
the residence.
Children who were allowed at least some time to go out and explore on
their own or with friends were 14 to 19% more physically active than kids
who were always supervised.116 Yet only 16% of parents reported that
they either frequently or always allow children to travel independently.
About 35% of parents reported that they never allow children to go out
on their own or with friends. Parents who preferred active modes of
transport were more likely to do so.117
Children in playgrounds tended to be more active when their parents
weren't around.118
The physical activity report card released by ParticipACTION shows that only 14% of 5to 11-year-old and 5% of 12- to 17-year-old Canadian children are meeting the
28

recommended 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous activity. Toronto kids

accumulated, on average, only about 30 minutes a day.119
o The organization says that keeping kids indoors is a bigger risk than giving kids
access to active, self-directed play outdoors, which is essential for healthy child
development.120
Sedentary behaviours in children (such as prolonged sitting, using motorized
transportation, watching television, and playing passive video games) continue to be
associated with poor health outcomes including disordered sleeping and obesityrelated measures such as higher body-fat percentages, waist-to-hip ratios, and body
mass index (BMI) measures.121
o Childrens sedentary behaviour is linked to parents income and education.
University-educated parents with annual household incomes of $100,000 or
more are generally less likely to report that their child engages in sedentary
pursuits for at least two hours during the after-school period than are parents
without a university education and with lower household incomes.122
o The Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines of the Canadian Society for Exercise
Physiology offer suggestions to decrease sedentary behaviour in youth:
encourage active transportation to school,
encourage active play after school,
become active as a family in the evenings, and
encourage teens to visit friends instead of texting them.123
The Province, meanwhile, mandates 20 minutes of daily physical activity within
instructional time in elementary schools. 82% of Torontos elementary schools have a
Health and Physical Education teacher, and 63% employ one full time.
o The Province announced in November 2014 that it would work with the Active at
School coalition (of private, public, and not-for-profit organizations) and the
Ontario Physical and Health Education Association to implement programs to
ensure that young people get 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
o Research shows that early exposure to comprehensive health programs has a
positive impact on students short- and long-term health and may help to reduce
the prevalence of chronic diseases in adulthood.124
With eight of the top 10 causes of death in 2009 in Toronto being chronic diseases, a City of
Toronto report outlines design principles that would allow residents of all ages and abilities to
incorporate physical activity into their daily routines:
Physical activity and obesity can be factors in a variety of chronic diseases.
Active City: Designing for Health presents principles to guide changes to our built
environment (our neighbourhoods, streets, and buildings) to encourage active living.125

29

Top 10 Causes of Death in

Toronto, 2009:126

10 Principles for an Active City:127

Small Money Can Make a Big Difference in Teens Lives:

With only 4% of Canadian teens aged 12-17 getting enough daily physical activity,
ParticipACTION is empowering 13- to 19-year-olds to make a difference by actively
identifying and hosting creative new physical activity events in their communities.
While many factors can inhibit a childs access or ability to engage in physical activity,
an obvious barrier is cost. The 10-year, $10M ParticipACTION Teen Challenge provides
microgrants of $250 to $500 to teens who organize physical activity events.
A study found that the microgrants were sufficient to enhance communities capacities
to provide opportunities for adolescents to engage in physical activity.
The program operates via a network 13 provincial/territorial coordinating organizations
that support communities at the local level.128

How can sport and recreation contribute to the citys health and wellbeing?
The City of Toronto spends $778 per household on recreation and culture, for a total
expenditure of $861,716,000 or 0.09% of total household expenditures:
Comparatively, Calgary spends $474 per household (for a total expenditure of
$211,142,000 or 0.22% of total household expenditures), and Regina spends $736
($61,196,000 or 1.2%).129
30

Despite criticisms of major international sporting events in other cities, there is optimism that
the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games will create a lasting and positive legacy of health:
Now that the Games are over, local municipalities and universities that invested in new
facilities for them (such as the Back Campus Fields on the University of Torontos St.
George campus) will be motivated to promote sport for all.
o 44% of funding for new facilities came from these financial stakeholders (with the
other 56% coming from the Federal government).
Improvements to the citys parks and trails for the Games have created greater usability
and wayfinding for users.130
Friends of the Pan Am Path was at the heart of a movement to link up some of Torontos
underused green spaces and connect neighbourhoods across the city:
The Pan Am Path is a multi-use recreational pathway that will connect Torontos trails
and create for walkers, runners, and bikers an active-living legacy of the Toronto 2015
Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.
Made up of over 80km of continuous trail across the city, the Path will connect the citys
residents, local organizations, artists and businesses to create truly vibrant public spaces
that reflect the communities along the route.131
o From May 16 to August 15, 2015, the Pan Am Path came alive with an Art Relay
festival of art installations and events. Each week, the festival travelled across
Toronto to celebrate the citys diversity, nature, and arts.132
The City expects that once the Path is complete in 2017 it will be used by thousands of
residents every year. It has the potential to become a high profile tourist attraction in its
own right.133
To date, Pan Am Path arts programming and cross-city community building has led to:
o 14 activations and local festivals on the Path,
o The engagement of over 100 organizations from across city,
o 24 permanent or semi-permanent art installations,
o 84 performances (dance, music, etc.), and
o 2 new permanent exhibition/art/gallery spaces.134

31

Toronto Pan Am Path Route135:

The following groups are addressing issues relating to health and wellness through their
innovative community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services - Improving health outcomes for
the most vulnerable and their communities
Alzheimer Society of Toronto - Alleviating personal and social consequences of dementia
Art Starts Creating social change through community art projects
Arthritis Research Foundation Working to beat arthritis and autoimmune diseases
Alliance for South Asian Aids Prevention (ASAAP) Providing HIV/AIDS sexual health and
support services
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto Mentoring young people across the nation
Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre - Offering recreational, social and capacity building
programs
Boost Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Working to eliminate abuse and violence
towards children and youth
Broad Reach Foundation for Youth Leaders Increasing leadership skills for underserved teens
through sailing
Camp Oochigeas - Providing kids with cancer a unique, enriching and magical experience
Canadian Diabetes Association - Fighting diabetes by helping people live healthy lives while
finding a cure
32

Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund - Improving the mental, physical and emotional health of
Canadians
CANES Community Care Assisting seniors to take part in the life of their community
Carefirst Seniors & Community Services Association - Ensuring that Chinese seniors live a
quality & enriched life
Casey House - Providing support for those affected by HIV/Aids
Central Toronto Youth Services - Serving youth who have a range of mental health needs
Centennial Infant and Child Centre Foundation Educating young children with developmental
challenges
Centre for Spanish Speaking People - Serving new immigrants from 22 Spanish-speaking
countries
Charlies FreeWheels - Teaching bicycle mechanics, safety and leadership skills to youth
Child Development Institute - Leading childrens mental health programming in Toronto
Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie Presenting professional dance performances in Toronto and
around the world
Community Association for Riding for the Disabled (CARD) Improving lives through quality
therapeutic riding programs
Community Bicycle Network - Providing access, training, and support for all cyclists
Covenant House - Serving youth experiencing homelessness
Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre Supporting their neighbours
Delta Family Resource Centre - Enhancing the potential of families and children
Distress Centres Creating an emotional safety net for the vulnerable and at risk
The Dorothy Ley Hospice - Fostering hope and dignity for individuals living with life-limiting
illness or loss
Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club - Providing a safe, supportive place for children and youth
Earthroots Fund - Dedicated to the preservation of Ontarios wilderness, wildlife, and
watersheds
Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre Serving a low-income, ethnically and socially
diverse community
Elizabeth Fry Toronto - Supporting women have been or are at risk of being in conflict with the
law
Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth - Working locally and nationally to prevent, reduce, and
end youth homelessness
Evergreen Solving the most pressing urban environmental issues
Family Service Toronto - Strengthening communities through counselling, education, social
action and development
FoodShare - Working towards a sustainable and accessible food system
Fred Victor - Providing accessible housing to people experiencing homelessness and poverty
FutureWatch Environment and Development Education Partners - Fostering the creation of
sustainable communities
The Gardiner Museum Leading arts education and therapy through clay and ceramics
Geneva Centre for Autism Empowering and supporting individuals with an Autism Spectrum
Disorder
Gilda's Club Greater Toronto - Empowering, strengthening and sustaining people impacted by
cancer
Green Thumbs Growing Kids Engaging young people with nature and food through
gardening
Greenest City - Building healthy neighbourhoods through gardening and the celebration of
food
33

The Gatehouse Child Abuse Investigation & Support Site Building courage and hope in those
touched by child abuse
The George Hull Centre for Children and Families Serving children and youth by providing
mental health services
The Good Neighbours' Club Welcoming homeless men into a safe space through a drop-in
centre
High Park Nature Centre Promoting awareness and respect for nature through outdoor
education
Hospice Toronto - Facilitating access to compassionate care
Interval House - Enabling abused women and children to have access to safe shelter and
responsive services
John Howard Society Supporting rehabilitation and re-integration of those in conflict with the
law
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper - Working to restore swimmability, drinkability and fishability to Lake
Ontario
Lakeshore Area Multi-Service Project (LAMP) - Partnering with the community to address
emerging needs
LGBT Youth Line - Providing anonymous peer support for youth in a queer-positive context
LOFT Community Services - Helping people with challenges including mental health and
addiction issues
Lumacare Providing essential programs and services for the support of seniors
MABELLEarts - Bringing together local communities to make art, tell stories, and creatively
transform their public space
Make-A-Wish Foundation - Granting the wishes of children living with life-threatening medical
conditions
March of Dimes Canada Creating a society inclusive of people with physical disabilities
Mentoring Junior Kids Organization (MJKO) - Promoting healthy and active lifestyles for youth
METRAC - Focusing on education and prevention to build safety, justice and equity
The Massey Centre for Women - Striving to achieve healthy outcomes for all young mothers
and families
National Ballet of Canada - Performing the masterworks of classical and contemporary
Native Women's Resource Centre of Toronto Building the collective capacity of Aboriginal
women
Neighbourhood Information Post (NIP) - Empowering marginalized and socially isolated people
Nellie's Women's Shelter - Operating services for women and children who have experienced
and are experiencing violence, poverty and homelessness.
New Leaf Yoga Foundation - Supporting the well-being of youth by making mindfulness and
yoga accessible
New Visions Toronto - Providing services for individuals with developmental and/or physical
disabilities
Newcomer Women's Services Toronto Delivering educational and employment opportunities
for immigrant women and their children
North York Harvest Food Bank - Creating community where all members can meet their food
needs
North York Women's Centre (NYWC) Supporting and empowering women and effect positive
change
Not Far From The Tree - Putting Torontos fruit to good use by picking and sharing the bounty
Oolagen - Empowering youth and their families to enhance their wellbeing and mental health
Ophea Championing healthy, active living in schools and communities
34

Outward Bound Canada - Cultivating resilience and compassion through challenging journeys
in nature
Parasport Ontario - Developing and promoting Paralympic and ParaSports in Ontario
Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC) - Working with members of the Parkdale
community on issues of poverty and mental health
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario - Championing childhood cancer care
The Peer Project - Youth Assisting Youth - Promoting the healthy growth and development of
young people
Planned Parenthood Toronto - Serving youth with a focus on sexual and reproductive health
Project Canoe - Using the outdoors and wilderness canoe trips to help youth develop life skills
The Psychology Foundation of Canada - Translating psychological research into state-of-the-art
programs
Regeneration Community Services - Promoting self-determination and a higher quality of life
for people living with mental health issues
Renascent Foundation Inc. - Facilitating recovery, education and prevention relating to alcohol
and drug addictions
Ronald McDonald House Toronto - Providing a home away from home for ill children and
their families
Roots of Empathy - Reducing bullying among school children while raising emotional
competence
Scadding Court Community Centre - Providing opportunities for inclusive recreation,
education, and community participation
Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities Cultivating vital and connected communities
Second Harvest - Feeding hungry people by picking up, preparing and delivering excess fresh
food to social agencies
Seeds of Hope Foundation Building sustainable communities with resource centres that
encourage learning, recovery, and enterprise
Seed to Table - Cultivating the conditions for community change by building local capacity
Sheena's Place - Supporting individuals, families and friends affected by eating disorders
Sherbourne Health Centre Corporation Providing healthcare and transformative support to
those experiencing systemic barriers
Sistering: A Women's Place - Offering emotional and practical supports enabling women to
take greater control over their lives
SKETCH Working Arts Creating a safe space for arts and creativity for young, marginalized
people
SkyWorks Charitable Foundation Advocating and participating in social change through
community film making
South Riverdale Community Health Centre - Improving the lives of people that face barriers to
physical, mental, and social well-being
Springboard Helping people develop the skills they need to overcome barriers and achieve
their full potential
SPRINT Senior Care - Caring for seniors and enabling seniors to care for themselves
St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre - Providing programs and services for seniors and older adults
St. Stephens Community House Programming for newcomer and low-income residents
Street Health Community Nursing Foundation - Improving the wellbeing of homeless and
under housed individuals
The Stop Community Food Centre - Increasing access to healthy food by building community
and challenging inequality
Toronto Youth Development - Assisting and fostering underprivileged youth in Toronto
35

The 519 - Enhancing the vibrant downtown and LGBTQ* community

Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office - Building a safe and healthy community
Toronto Foundation for Student Success Initiating innovative anti-poverty programs for
students
Toronto Lords Providing recreation through basketball for young people in marginalized
communities
Toronto Public Library Foundation - Providing essential resources for the enhancement of the
Toronto Public Library
Trails Youth Initiatives Inc. - Challenging and equipping youth from the inner city of Toronto
Tropicana Community Services - Providing opportunities to youth, newcomers, and people of
Black and Caribbean heritage in Scarborough
Unison Health Community Services - Delivering accessible and high quality health and
community services
Variety Village - Promoting appreciation, interaction, empowerment and inclusion
Vermont Square Parent-Child Mother Goose Program - Fostering parent-child bonding and
literacy through a rich oral language experience
Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation Supporting individuals and families living with cancer
White Ribbon - Working to end violence against women and girls by engaging men and boys
Words In Motion - Using the arts to help children and their families achieve their full potential
Workman Arts Project of Ontario - Developing and supporting artists with mental illness and
addiction issues
YMCA of Greater Toronto - Offering opportunities for community involvement and leadership
YouthLink Providing a range mental health services to improve the life outcome for youth at
risk

36

Safety
Why is this important?
The city can prosper only if its residents feel safe in their neighbourhoods, engage with one
another, and trust their institutions. The majority of Torontonians do feel safe (almost 80% feel
at least somewhat comfortable walking in their community at night).136 However, tracking
indicators like perceptions of safety, as well as violent and non-violent crime, allows us to both
test the basis of that confidence, and also to better understand the places and situations where
vulnerable residents dont experience safety.

What are the trends?

Toronto continues to be among the safest metropolitan areas in the country. Most indicators of
safety confirm a continuing long-term downward trend. Others show little change over time
(hate/bias crimes, for example, have averaged approximately 143 a year over the past 10
years). The Regions youth crime rate continued to decrease. The number of homicides in the
city, which rose in 2012 and 2013 after a four-year decline, remained stable in 2014.

Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless

otherwise noted.
1. Total Criminal Code offences (per
100,000 population)

130,754
(4,551.1)

122,005
(4,246.6)

108,307
(3,769.8)137

2. Number of known homicides

56

57

57138

3. Crime Severity Index (Toronto Region)

52.1

47.1

44.9139

4. Number of reported sexual assaults per

100,000 population

62.4

59.4

66.8140

5. Violent Crime Severity Index (Toronto

Region)

78.4141

68.2142

63.5143

Whats new?
On many indicators, crime is trending downwards, but some acts of violence are up. Total
criminal code offences are down, along with the rate of crime severity. But reported sexual
assaults have increased by 12.5% (higher than the provincial and national averages). Incidents
of stabbings jumped dramatically in 2014to 815, a 36% increase from 2013and stabbing
homicide numbers increased by 7.1%, reaching a four-year high of 15. The city is especially not
safe for some vulnerable populations. Toronto is a hub for human trafficking, and on any given
night, approximately 2,000 homeless youth in this city are vulnerable to being trafficked.

37

Just how safe is Toronto?

For the eighth straight year, the Toronto Region had the lowest rate of police-reported crime in
2014 among the 33 Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas:
The crime rate in the Region dropped by 3% in 2014 from 2013, to 2,844 per 100,000
population, lower than the national crime rate of 5,046 per 100,000 and much lower,
comparatively, than Ottawa (3,424), Montral (3,728), Calgary (4,205), and Vancouver
(7,425).144 The Regions crime rate declined by 38% between 2004 and 2014.
o On the Overall Crime Severity Index, the Region decreased 4% from 2013
(versus a 10% decrease from 2012 to 2013) to 44.9 per 100,000 population, the
second lowest score of the large Canadian metros and well below the Canadian
average of 66.7. Only Barrie placed lower on the Index (at 43.6). Ottawa (45.3),
Calgary (59.9), Montral (60.2), and Vancouver (96.7) had much higher scores.145
The rate of violent crime across the Toronto Region declined in 2014 from 2013:
Among the 33 metropolitan regions in Canada, there were only three (St. CatharinesNiagara, Ottawa, and Guelph) with a lower violent crime rate in 2014 than the Toronto
Regions rate of 718 violent crimes per 100,000 population (down 3.4% from 749 per
100,000 in 2013). Comparatively, Ottawa had 624 violent crimes per 100,000, Calgary
740, Montreal 882, and Vancouver 962.146 The Regions rate is lower than the national
(1,039) and provincial (786) rates.147
On the Violent Crime Severity Index (measuring the seriousness of crimes by the
sentences handed down by the courts), the Region is not among the lowest scoring
metropolitan areas, at 63.5 per 100,000 persons in 2014 (a 6.8% decrease from 68.2 in
2013) but falls below the Canadian average of 70.2. Comparatively, Ottawa had a score
of 49.6, Calgary 63.0, Montral 72.5, and Vancouver 78.2.148
The homicide rate (per 100,000 population) in the Region was also lower than it was
nationally at 1.38 per 100,000 (versus 1.45 nationally).149

According to Wellbeing Toronto, the Church-Yonge Corridor and the Bay

Street Corridor tied for the highest number of robberies of all Toronto
neighbourhoods in 2011 at 124 each

The violent crime rate also declined in the city of Toronto in 2014, and the number of
homicides in the city remained unchanged from 2013 at 57. But firearm and stabbing homicide
numbers and reported sexual assaults increased:
In 2014, the violent crime rate in Toronto was at 987 per 100,000 population, a
decrease of 1.8% from the 2013 rate.150
Firearm homicides in 2014 increased by 22.7% over the previous year to 27 from 22 in
2013, but were still lower than in 2012 and 2011, when there were 33 and 28
respectively.
Stabbing homicide numbers, meanwhile, increased by 7.1%, reaching 15 in 2014, a four
year high, compared to 14 in 2013 (there were 9 stabbing homicides in 2012 and 7 in
2011).151
38

 In 2014, Torontos reported sexual assault rate was 66.8 per 100,000 population, an
increase of 12.5% over 2013 and higher than the provincial (55.7 per 100,000
population, and national (58.5) averages.152
The New York Police Department has introduced an additional two female plain clothes
officers into each public transit squad to help fight sexual assaults:
The hope is that having more presence will not only help victims (who are mostly
female) give statements right away, but it will also lead to more perpetrators being
apprehended (incidents of sexual assault often go unreported).153
Despite a long-term declining trend in violent crimes in Toronto, the homicide rate in other
global cities such as London fares much better, while the rates of other cities more than triple
that of Toronto:
As reported to the World Council on City Data (WCCD) in 2014, the number of
homicides per 100,000 in the city of Toronto was 2.13, while in London it was just 1.32.
Los Angeles, Melbourne, and Boston, however, all reported rates much higher than
Toronto, at 6.69, 6.87, and 9.25 respectively.154
Number of Homicides per 100,000 Population, as Reported to the WCCD in 2014:155
London
Amsterdam
Toronto
Los Angeles
Melbourne
Boston
0

10

Number of Homicides per 100 000 Population

Incidents of stabbings in Toronto jumped dramatically in 2014 (according to numbers obtained

by CBC News), although all crimes involving knives increased only slightly:
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that there were 815 stabbings in
Toronto in 2014a 36% increase from the 599 in 2013.
Although the increase in stabbings is significant, the number of overall crimes involving
knives (such as using a knife as a threat) increased only slightly (from 1,391 in 2013 to
1,438 in 2014).
Incidents involving knives were down 25% by the end of January 2015.156

39

Stabbings in 2013 vs. 2014:157

Stabbings vs. Shootings, 2014:158

40

The Regions youth crime rate continues to decrease:

In 2013, the youth crime rate (total charged per 100,000 youths) in the Region was
1,496 per 100,000, down 15.4% from 2012 (when it was 1,769 per 100,000) and 38.9%
lower than the national average (2,447 per 100,000) and 21.8% lower than the
provincial average (1,912 per 100,000).
The youth crime rate decreased 44.9% between 2004 and 2013 (from 2,714 per
100,000).159

How safe are members of minority and other vulnerable populations in the Toronto
Region?
Hate per bias crimes are up after a drop in 2013:
146 hate per bias crimes were reported to Toronto Police Services Hate Crime Unit in
2014, up approximately 11% (from 131) the previous year. Hate per bias crimes have
averaged approximately 143 a year over the past 10 years (between 2005 and 2014).
o The Jewish, LGBTQ* (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning,
and the entire spectrum of gender and sexuality outside of heterosexual), and
the black communities remain the three most frequently targeted.
o In 2014 there were no reported hate crimes motivated by age, language,
disability, or similar factors (in similar factors occurrences, hatred focuses on
members of a groupe.g., a particular ancestry, citizenship, or professionwho
have significant points in common and share a trait often integral to their
dignity). Stigma may cause under-reporting, however.160
Proportion of Reported Hate per Bias Crimes, based on Toronto Police Service Statistics:
by Motive:161

Note: Based on the total number of hate/bias crimes

reported in 2014.

by Victimized Community:162

Note: Victim groups with five or more occurrences are

represented in the graph.

41

After years of public consultation, the police practice of carding - stopping people arbitrarily
to question them, record their personal information, and enter it into an investigative database
- is under review in Toronto:
In Known to Police (a 2013 follow-up to a 2010 series of the same name), the Toronto
Star investigated race, policing, and crime and found that 25% of those carded in 2013
were black163 (the 2011 NHS reported that less than 10% of Torontonians identified as
black)164. A black person was 17 times more likely than a white person to be carded in
the downtown core.165
In April 2014 the Toronto Police Services (TPS) Board approved a new Community
Engagement policy requiring officers to define a specific public safety purpose when
stopping citizens and to advise them that their participation in the engagement was
voluntary.
o The policy was developed from the 31 recommendations of TPS internal review
of carding (the Police and Community Engagement Review or PACER, released
near the end of 2013). Although the PACER reports recommendations were
approved by Police Chief Bill Blair, he refused to operationalize the new
policy.166
A summer 2014 community-based research project assessing policing in 31 Division
found widespread dissatisfaction with citizen-police interaction among residents
surveyed and a low level of trust in police. 40% of those surveyed felt the relationship
between police and the community was poor.
In January 2015, under pressure from newly elected Mayor John Tory and the Board,
Chief Bill Blair suspended carding.167
The Police Services Board, activists, lawyers and youth advocates have called for a
transparent and educational approach (i.e., advising citizens of their right to walk away
from an engagement) for any new community engagement procedures.168 After much
debate, analysis, criticism, and media attention (including an April 2015 Toronto Life
cover story by journalist Desmond Cole, who reported having been interrogated by
police more than 50 times due to his skin colour169), Mayor John Tory has made the
following recommendations in a June 2015 report to the Toronto Police Services Board:
o that the Board support permanently cancelling carding (defined here as the
random stopping of citizens not engaged in or suspected of criminal activity to
gather, record, and retain information);
o that new Chief Mark Saunders decision to continue the suspension of carding
(after being named Chief in April 2015) be extended indefinitely, or until a new
policy is approved and put into practice;
o that the Board work closely with the Province and submit guiding principles for
consideration as it develops new regulations regarding police-community
engagements;
o that the Chair report back to the Board with a draft policy that aligns with any
regulatory changes, no later than two months after legislative approval;
o that the Board work with the Chief, the PACER Advisory Committee, community
representatives, the Toronto Police Association, the Senior Officers Association,
and other stakeholders to establish the new policy; and
o that the Chief provide the Board information on questions about the historical
data, which concern:
legal and practical implications for purging historical data, and for
42

purging data not related to any past or pending criminal investigation,

the rationale for purging the Master Names Index system on a monthly
basis of all carding information older than one year and one month
prior to 2008,
the legal and technical process of transferring all historical information to
an independent third-party agency such as the Office of the Information
and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) to keep it secure but not
purge it, and
the legal, financial and technical implications of developing a system that
would allow Service members to apply to search the database, if it were
held by an independent third-party, for a public safety purpose.170
The Toronto Star is starting a project to gather as much data on carding as possible through
individual and specific-to-police service Freedom of Information Requests:
In August 2015, ahead of the provincial hearings on carding in Brampton, the Star
released data pertaining to the Region of Peel that was obtained through a freedom of
information request:
o 159,303 street checks were conducted between 2009 and 2014, which
averages to one check for every 46 Peel residents, each year.
o For comparison, in Toronto in 2014 there was an average of 1 contact card filled
out for every 232 residents, and in 2012, 1 for every 6.5 residents.171
On any given night in this city, approximately 2,000 homeless youth are vulnerable to being
trafficked172:
Youth homelessness is an escalating concern nation-wide. People under 24 comprise
about a third of Canadas homeless (or approximately 65,000 individuals) and are the
fastest-growing segment of the homeless population.173
In 2013, Toronto had 10 youth shelters with 398 beds. The number of shelter beds for
youth had remained stable since 2010.174
Toronto is a hub for human trafficking:
Researchers of one study have found that the GTA is the most common destination of
human trafficking in Ontario, and that the city of Toronto is a hub for larger interprovincial and international trafficking routes.
o 551 cases (for the period between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013) that
involved Ontario as a source, transit or destination point were reported to the
researchers of a study on the incidence of human trafficking in Ontario.
o Victims trafficked to, through or from Ontario were mostly young (63% between
the ages of 15 and 24; the most common age was 17), female (90%), and
Canadian citizens (62.9%).
o Victims were trafficked predominantly for sexual exploitation (68.5%). Forced
labour accounted for 24.5%, while forced marriage and petty crime accounted
for 7.7% and 6.3% respectively.
o 96.5% of victims experienced some or multiple forms of violence.
o The four biggest challenges for organizations who work with victims of trafficking
were organizational funding (46.9%), lack of housing (46.2%), difficulty providing
financial support (42.7%) and difficulty finding counselling (37.1%).

43

o The researchers call for urgent investment including a province-wide plan to

combat trafficking, a long-term task force to carry it out, funding of shelters, and
changes to Ontarios child welfare laws, specifically to increase the child welfare
mandate to 18 years of age, and allow child welfare workers to intervene when
third-party offenders are abusing children (other provinces have made both
changes).175
A 2013 report from the Citys Affordable Housing Office acknowledges that Toronto is a
known principle destination or transit point for human trafficking in Canada, and
yet, there are no targeted supports like housing for youth subjected to such trauma in
Toronto.
o The report examines established models across North America that assist youths
targeted by traffickers with the housing and supports that are critical to their
escape and in preventing youth from becoming victims in the first place. 176
In Vancouver, The Servants Anonymous Foundation offers residential programs and
services to help youth (ages 16-29) victims of the sex trade and trafficking industry achieve
independent living.177

As the cost of policing grows, how can we measure police staffing efficiency and
effectiveness?
The cost of policing continues to increase, while crime rates decrease:
A Fraser Institute study analysing trends in police resources and crime rates in Canada
and the relationship between the two has found that since 1999 police compensation
has grown faster than the rate of inflation.
o The costs of pensions, benefits, and overtime are significant contributors to this.
A large proportion of Torontos police officers (and those in many other Ontario cities)
now make the Provinces Sunshine List, which discloses the salaries of public sector
employees earning more than $100,000 a year. In 2013, about 37.2% of Torontos
police force workers (2,983 of 8,000 workers) earned more than $100,000 annually.
The Globe and Mail reported in August 2014 that the per capita cost of policing had
increased 14% in the past four years, to $387 per residenttwice the rate of inflation.178
The report estimates the efficiency of police staffing across Canadian CMAs using a
determinants approach that first estimates the relationship between the number of
police officers per 100,000 in population and the crime rate.
o 23 of 24 CMAs saw a drop in police-reported crime rates between 2001 and
2012 (St. Johns saw a 10.1% increase), but the biggest drops were seen in
Toronto (to 2,844 per 100,000 population), Winnipeg, and Regina. Toronto had
the fourth-lowest 2001 crime rate to begin with.
o Nonetheless, of the 32 CMAs included in the report, Toronto is ranked 11th
most efficient. Moncton, Kelowna, and Ottawa-Gatineau place 1st, 2nd, and
3rd respectively.179

44

Police-Reported Crime Rates: Criminal Code Incidents* Per 100,000 Population,

Selected Canadian CMAs, 2001 and 2012:180

*Excludes traffic and drug offences

Toronto has fewer police than many other global cities:

As reported to the World Council on City Data (WCCD) in 2014, per 100,000
population there were 201.89 police officers in the city of Toronto, compared to 254.07
in Los Angeles, 332.54 in Boston, 368.38 in London, 446.84 in Melbourne, and 706.00
in Amsterdam.181
45

Number of Police Officers per 100,000 Population, as Reported to the WCCD in 2014:182
Toronto
Los Angeles
Boston
London
Melbourne
Amsterdam
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Number of Police Officers per 100 000 Population

Safety and law enforcement go hand-in-hand, but more police officers do not always
necessarily correspond with less violence:
The Gateway Cities project of the Institute Without Boundaries at George Brown
College evaluated quality of life indicators and data in the New York-Chicago-Toronto
gateway to better understand how the regions are faring and how they impact each
other.
Looking at rate of violent crime, number of police officers, and other factors, the study
showed that while Toronto and Chicago are comparable in size in terms of population,
in 2012 Chicago employed more than twice the number of police officers, but had the
same violent crime to population ratio, and almost 10 times as many homicides as
Toronto.
New York had a ratio of police officers to population more than double that of
Torontos in 2012 and experienced close to double (1.8 times) the number of violent
crimes.183

46

Police and Violent Crime in New York, Toronto, and Chicago, 2012:184

The following groups are addressing issues relating to safety through their innovative
community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic Providing services for women who have experienced
violence
Boost Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Working to eliminate abuse and violence
towards children and youth
CANES Community Care Assisting seniors to take part in the life of their community
Carefirst Seniors & Community Services Association - Ensuring that Chinese seniors live a
quality & enriched life
Cycle Toronto - Advocating for a healthy, safe, cycling-friendly city for all
Family Service Toronto - Strengthening communities through counselling, education, social
action and development
The Gatehouse Child Abuse Investigation & Support Site Building courage and hope in those
touched by child abuse
Interval House Offering safe shelter and responsive services for women and children who
have experienced abuse
Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre - Gathering community together in a place focused
on social justice
Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS) Engaging high school students through education in the
legal profession
Leave Out Violence (LOVE) - Reducing violence in the lives of Toronto youth

47

The Massey Centre for Women - Striving to achieve healthy outcomes for all young mothers
and families
Mentoring Junior Kids Organization (MJKO) - Promoting healthy and active lifestyles for youth
METRAC - Focusing on education and prevention to build safety, justice and equity
Nellie's Women's Shelter - Operating services for women and children who have experienced
and are experiencing violence, poverty and homelessness.
North York Women's Centre (NYWC) Supporting and empowering women and effect positive
change
Ontario Justice Education Network - Promoting public understanding to support a responsive
and inclusive justice system
The PACT Urban Peace Program - Empowering underserved youth and youth already in
conflict with the law
Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC) - Working with members of the Parkdale
community on issues of poverty and mental health
Peacebuilders International Using restorative justice peacebuilding circles to help youth
manage conflict
San Romanoway Revitalization Fostering a sense of belonging in residents of all ages and
backgrounds
Seeds of Hope Foundation Building sustainable communities with resource centres that
encourage learning, recovery, and enterprise
Springboard Helping people develop the skills they need to overcome barriers and achieve
their full potential
SPRINT Senior Care - Caring for seniors and enabling seniors to care for themselves
St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre - Providing programs and services for seniors and older adults
St. Stephens Community House Programming for newcomer and low-income residents
Street Health Community Nursing Foundation - Improving the wellbeing of homeless and
under housed individuals
Teen Legal Helpline Giving free and confidential online legal advice for youth
UrbanArts - Engaging youth in community development through the arts
White Ribbon - Working to end violence against women and girls by engaging men and boys

48

Economic Health
Why is this important?
The Report tracks a number of important indicators of Torontos economic strength or
weakness. Beyond large aggregated statistics like growth in GDP (which may mask underlying
problems such as environmental degradation and income inequality), factors such as
construction activity, tourism, and bankruptcy rates are important indicators that point to levels
of investment, confidence, and economic stress.

What are the trends?

Torontos construction activity, considered a key indicator of economic vitality, was down in
2014, although major building construction remains a strong area for Toronto. The Region
continues to attract visitors; it smashed two tourism records in 2014, for number of overnight
visitors (including overseas visitors) and hotel room nights sold. The City urgently needs more
revenue to meet major capital demands for transit and other aging infrastructure. Like other
municipalities, Toronto receives just about 8 cents of each tax dollar paid in Canada (and the
federal-municipal fiscal imbalance is growing).

Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless

otherwise noted
1. GDP (millions of constant 2007 dollars)

$158,647

$161,614

$166,663185

2. Annual real GDP growth

1.8%

1.9%186

3.12%187

3. Total annual value of building permits

(unadjusted for inflation)

$6.51B

$7.90B

$6.98B188

4. High-rises under construction (on May 1)

173

147

133189

5. Number of personal bankruptcies

(business bankruptcies)
(Toronto Region)

7,203
(488)

6,714
(466)

6,032190
(368)191

Whats new?
Toronto has come into its own as a global business centre, with a downtown class A office
market in one of the longest development cycles in its history, projecting to adding almost 10
million square feet of prestigious commercial real estate between 2009 and 2017. Meanwhile,
as the Citys 10-year capital budget grows to $31.71B, a new report examines how
governments facing budgetary constraints can pay for the public spaces that enhance quality
of life and attract skilled workers and investment. And the Toronto Region Board of Trade and
the United Way propose that more revenue for municipal programs and services as well as
more spending will follow from equitable access to prosperity. Equity, they say, is good for
business.

49

Does equal opportunity make good business sense?

Equity is good for business:
A collaboration between the Toronto Region Board of Trade and the United Way (part
of the Boards Think Twice, Vote Once campaign) proposes solutions for a more
liveable city Region in light of an increasing prosperity gap, as evidenced by:
o A projected increase in high-income jobs, but also in low-income, insecure jobs.
Projections for the Region to 2019 show that manufacturing will continue to
decline (by 13,791 jobs), and information/culture is projected to shed 3,968
jobs, perhaps a result of significant changes within the more traditional sections
(e.g., publishing and media) of this industry.192
Projected Employment by Industry Growth, Toronto Region, 2014-2019:193

Projected Greatest Demand Growth by Major Group Occupational Groupings,

Toronto Region, 2014-2019:194

50

Youth (Ages 15-24) Unemployment Rate, Toronto vs. Ontario, and Canada, 2005-2014:195

o A high youth unemployment rateit reached close to 22% in 2014.196

o High rates of new immigrant unemployment. Unemployment rates are higher,
and incomes lower, for new immigrants than Canadian-born workers. In a 2010
report, the Board estimated that failing to recognize the qualifications and
experience of newcomers costs the region approximately $1.5B to $2.25B a
year.197
o An increasing geographic divide between high- and low-income
neighbourhoods, as revealed by the Three Cities research (see below).
The report stresses the well-established link between social progress (equity, inclusion,
and access), social cohesion, and economic prosperity.
Ensuring that all residents, especially struggling youth and newcomers, have access to
better opportunities and outcomes makes good long- and short-term business sense
i.e., more spending, more revenue for municipal programs and services, and reduced
reliance on remedial systems such as healthcare and criminal justice.
Proposed solutions include:
o closing the Regions prosperity gap through private sector leadership,
collaboration among clusters to support productivity and attract good jobs, and
modernising public policy for a changing labour market;
o closing the prosperity gap between neighbourhoods through multi-sectoral
collaborations and innovative public policy as a vehicle for change, social
procurement, and the opportunity to integrate social and economic goals;

51

o economic inclusion of youth and newcomers through an enhanced municipal

role in workforce development planning, collaboration across sectors, and a
strong community services sector; and
o developing a better understanding of the Regions labour market dynamics by
collecting labour market data, supporting the use of this information, and
projecting labour demand by occupation and industry analysis.198

How does the city balance its revenues and ensure it can deliver all of its services?
Municipalities collect just 8 cents of every tax dollar paid in Canada:
A significant fiscal imbalance remains between
federal revenues (which have been increasing as their
expenditures have been declining) and municipal
revenues, which have not been keeping up with
expenditures.199
o Torontos tax revenues come from four
sources: property taxes, the land transfer tax,
the billboard tax, and a now permanent gas
tax. Other international cities have far more
revenue sources. Berlins revenue tools
include a beer tax and taxes on lotteries, and
New York Citys include sales, income, cigarette, and many more taxes.200
The Citys operating budget for 2015 is $11.5B, a 19.8% increase over 2014s $9.6B.201
Overall, the total 2015 budget tax increase after assessment growth is 1.5%. Residential
properties will see a 2.25% increase but, in keeping with Councils strategy to enhance
the citys business climate by reducing business taxes, non-residential properties will
see an increase of 0.75%.
o The total municipal tax increase for residential properties is 3.2%, which includes
0.5% to fund the new subway extension in Scarborough. The average house
assessed at $524,833 will pay $2,679 in 2015.
o The total tax increase for non-residential properties, including rental apartments,
is 0.48%.202
o The property tax increase was kept below the rate of inflation by an 8% water
rate increase and a 3% garbage collection increase.203
The budget maintained all current programs and services and provided funding for new
and enhanced services, including:
o $39M in transit service improvements (funded by a 10-cent fare increase)
including eliminating fares for children aged 2-12, 50 new buses to implement
new express routes and reduce overcrowding, improved subway services, and
expanded overnight bus and streetcar service;
o $25M for poverty reduction including new shelter beds, increases to the student
nutrition program, additional funding for childcare subsidies, enhanced shelter
warming centres during extreme weather events, and expansion of priority
centres;
o 56 new paramedics and 25 more fire prevention officers;
o additional positions in City Planning to carry out heritage and area studies; and
52

o increased funding for tree planting.204

City of Toronto 2015 Total Operating Revenues of $11.5B:205

53

City of Toronto 2015 Total Operating Expenditures of $11.5B:206

Toronto needs new revenue sources if it is to build new, or even maintain, its existing
infrastructure:
Income from property taxes funds about 40% of the Citys operating budget. The
remainder comes from user fees and payments from other levels of government.207
Residential property taxes are low and have grown at less than the rate of inflation.
Torontonians (on average) pay lower property taxes than residents of many other
Ontario municipalities.208
The City of Toronto Act (passed in 2006209) gives the City the ability to add its own
taxes to various goods and services, such as a vehicle-registration tax (the City lost
about $60M a year in income when this was repealed in 2010), an entertainment tax
(Chicago, for example, has a 9% entertainment tax), road tolls (a toll on the Don Valley
Parkway could generate up to $120M a year according to one study), or taxes on
parking, tobacco, or alcohol.
New York City has 24 different taxes including a property tax, land transfer tax, sales
tax, income tax, and vehicle tax. It generates a third of its revenue from income and
sales tax.210
A report by the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance at the Munk School of
Global Affairs, University of Toronto, on the state of the Citys finances and recent fiscal
trends predicts that the funding shortfall to even maintain the citys existing assets will
grow to nearly $2.5B by 2020.

54

o Toronto Community Housing alone requires $860M for repairs to social

housing.211
o Transit alone accounts for a significant piece of the annual operating pie, and
ambitious plans for essential new developments will require billions more in
capital funding.212
City of Toronto 2015 Property Tax Revenue Spending:213

Meanwhile, City staff have recommended increasing gambling options at Woodbine

Racetrack, a move that could generate as much as $14M a year in additional revenue
for the City.214
o In 2012 the previous Council, amidst a contentious debate over a proposed
downtown casino, voted 24-20 against expanded gaming at the track.
o Woodbine currently has over 3,000 Ontario Lottery and Game Corporation
(OLG) slot machines.215
91% of the growth in net expenditures since 2006 is due to Emergency Services and the
TTC:216
In 2015, 53% of the portion of the City budget that comes from property taxes goes to
police, fire, and paramedics and the TTC. 25% of all tax revenues that Toronto receives
goes to the Police Service and Board alone.
The cost of Provincially mandated and shared services (Public Health, Childrens
Services, Employment and Social Services, and Housing and Shelter Support), which has
dropped in recent years as expenditures have been uploaded to the Province,
comprises 15% of the total 2015 operating budget.217

55

Cumulative Budgetary Growth Between 2006 and 2015, City of Toronto:218

Two-thirds of the capital budget will be spent on transit and transportation:

The tax-supported capital budget for 2015 is $2B,219 9% less than 2014s $2.2B.
67% ($1.34B) will go to fund transit and transportation projects, including $146M for the
Spadina Subway extension and $37M for the Scarborough Subway.220
City of Toronto 2015 Tax-Supported Capital Budget:221

56

The 10-year capital budget and plan grew by 70% over last year, with 81% being dedicated to
transit, transportation, and water services:
The 10-year (2015-2024) tax- and rate-supported capital budget has increased from
$18.6B in 2014 to $31.71B.222
o Roughly 57% of this will be spent on maintaining and investing in the Citys state
of good repair for aging infrastructure.
o $1.6B in new capital investments will go towards transportation and public
transit, facilities and shelter, and technology.
o The budget plan will also continue to fund the Toronto-York Spadina subway
extension ($592M) and the subway extension in Scarborough ($3.4B).223
Major investments over the next 10 years include:
o $970M for the rehabilitation of the Gardiner Expressway,
o the purchase of 60 new subway cars, 810 new buses, and 195 light rail vehicles
for the TTC,
o the new McNicoll bus garage and completion of the Toronto Rocket Storage
Yard,
o $627M to be used to address the Parks, Forestry and Recreation state-of-goodrepair backlog, and
o the construction of new fire and paramedic services stations.224

City of Toronto 10-Year (2015-2024) Total Capital Expenditures of $31.71B:225

57

What creative mechanisms are emerging in Toronto to fund capital enhancements to

our urban environment?
Torontos Centre for Social Innovation and the Toronto Public Space Initiative are lauded as
examples in a national report on innovation in financing urban spaces:
An Action Canada task force report examines how governments facing budgetary
constraints can pay for the public spaces that enhance cities and communities quality
of life and attract the skilled workers and investment necessary for economic growth.
Community organizations and the public are increasingly playing a role in developing
urban spaces and places (streetscapes, parks, bike paths, green spaces, etc.) using
innovative, emerging tools such as crowdfunding and community bonds.
o Community bonds allow a community organization to provide both financial and
intangible returns to bondholders. The Centre for Social Innovation raised
several million dollars by issuing community bonds, using the funds to buy
buildings to house and support social enterprises.
Policymakers need to better understand these tools and change the law to
accommodate them.
o The task force recommends that local governments identify an internal
champion of innovative finance tools and engage a variety of stakeholders
through user-friendly policies and citizen-centric approaches.
o Recommendations at the provincial and national levels include provincial
governments exploring tax exemptions for municipal bonds, and the federal
government adapting its charity laws to accommodate crowdfunded,
municipality-approved public space projects.226

How well is Toronto performing on indicators of economic vitality?

Torontos economic growth and productivity is modest but growing:
The provincial economy as a whole grew by 2.1% in 2014.227
In millions of constant 2007 dollars, GDP in the city of Toronto in 2014 was $166,663
million (3.1% higher than the $161,614 million in 2013).228 Torontos GDP in 2014 was
18.6% of the national total ($1,637,442 million), and 27.8 % of the provincial total
($600,575 million).229
The growth of annual GDP in 2014 was 2.0 in Canada as a whole (compared to 2.0 in
2013), while Ontarios was 2.8% in 2014 (versus 1.2% in 2013). The growth of annual
GDP in 2014 in the Toronto Region was 3.3% (compared to 1.7% in 2013), while in the
city of Toronto, it was 3.1% in 2014 (versus 1.9% in 2013).230
GDP for the Toronto Region is expected to grow by 2.2% in 2015 and 2.9% in 2016.231
Torontos productivity (measured by GDP per worker) grew by 2.2% in 2014 (better
than the 0.4% in 2013), from $114,208 to $116,673.232
According to the City, the downtown core accounts for only 3% of the land space in
Toronto, but for 50% of GDP and 33% of employment.233

58

GDP (Millions of Constant 2007 Dollars), 2001-2014, City of Toronto234:

180,000
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Business and consumer bankruptcies continue to decline in the Region:

2014 saw 368 business bankruptcies in the Toronto Region, a decrease of 21% from
466 in the previous year and a 66.1% decrease from 1,085 in 2007.235
o The rate of business bankruptcies in 2013 was 1 per 1,000 businesses, equal to
the provincial average but lower than the national average (1.2 per 1,000).236
There were 6,032 consumer bankruptcies in 2014, about half as many as in 2008
(12,208) and down 10.2% from 2013 (6,714).237
o The rate of consumer bankruptcies in 2013 was 1.4 per 1,000 people (18 years
and older), lower than both the national (2.5 per 1000) and the provincial (2.0
per 1,000) averages.238
Cleveland has enacted an anchor mission to harness the citys biggest institutions such as
universities and hospitals to stimulate the local economy.
Anchor institutions are publicly oriented organizations that are unlikely to leave the
community, have a broad employee base, and are key contributors to the communitys
economy.
The Cleveland Foundation is a leading neutral convenor in the city, and as part of this
strategy has made efforts to convince anchor institutions to buy and hire locally, as well
as to impact invest locally.239
The Regions ability to attract visitors smashed two tourism records in 2014, with the highestever number of overnight visitors (including the highest-ever number of overseas visitors) and
hotel room nights sold:

59

 In 2014, 14.3 million overnight visitors chose the Toronto Region for business and
pleasure (up from 13.69 in 2013). Their spending, along with that of same-day trip
visitors, added $6.9B to the Regions economy (up from $6.54B in 2013).
o Toronto is the most-visited Canadian city by other Canadians. In 2014, 10.5
million overnight Canadian guests generated $2.44B.
Tourism Torontos marketing strategy for overnight visitors to the Region is focused on
what it calls high-value visitors from major US cities and key overseas (all countries
other than Canada and the US) markets including the UK, Germany, China, Japan, and
Brazil.
o For the fourth year in a row, Toronto saw an increase in overnight visitors from
the US (2.3 million, a 3.7% increase over 2013). US visitors who fly to Toronto are
more likely to stay longer and spend more, and this year, that higher-value
visitor accounted for 64% of total US visitors, up from 51% in 2009.
o China overtook the UK in 2014 as our biggest overseas market, with 230,485
visitors, an increase of 27% over 2013.
For the fourth year in a row, Toronto Region hotels booked more than 9 million roomnightsin 2014, a record 9.45 million (up 2.5% from 9.22 million in 2013), representing
71.4% hotel occupancy for the year.240
Despite this positive trend, Chicagos tourism budget is half that of Torontos, but they
attract almost five times as many visitors.241

Tourism Expenditure and Profit, Toronto, Chicago, and New York:242

AirBnB, an online business platform for people around the world to list, search, and book
accommodations (often in private homes), released a series of reports in 2014 focusing on
twelve global communities in an effort to tout its positive impact on local economies:
AirBnBs most popular Canadian city is Montral, with 73,800 guests in 2014. Toronto is
second and Vancouver third.243

60

How is Toronto faring in terms of a key indicator of economic vitalityconstruction

activity?
Construction overall was down in 2014, although major building construction remains a strong
area for Toronto:
Housing starts in the city continued their decline, dropping 25% to 11,671 in 2014
(down from 15,618 in 2013, itself a 38% drop from 2012).244
The value of building permits issued in Toronto in 2014 decreased from the previous
year by 11.6% to $6.98B (down from 7.90B in 2013, but up from $6.5B in 2012).
o $4.3B in residential building permits was issued in 2014, down from $4.5B in
2013 (but up from $3.1B in 2012).
The value of commercial permits was down $6.4M ($1.96B in 2014 versus $2.6B in
2013).245
As of April 15, 2015, 133 high- and mid-rise buildings were under construction in the
city, slightly fewer than the 147 reported at the same time the previous year.
According to skyscraperpage.com, Toronto has the most high- and mid-rise buildings
under construction of any city in North America. And although Toronto has slightly
fewer 50+ storey buildings under construction than New York City does, we have
significantly more buildings under 50 stories and are second only (according to another
data source, Emporis) to New York for major buildings under construction.246
The Toronto Region gained an additional 2.1M square feet of office space between Q4 2013
and Q4 2014:
By Q4 2014, the Region boasted 173,788,753 ft2 of office space, a 1.23% increase over
the same period the previous year (up from 171,651,359 ft2).247
o 4.5 million ft2 of office space was built between 2009 and 2011, and 5.1 million
ft2 are estimated to go up between 2014 and 2017.248
Toronto has come into its own as a global business centre, with a downtown class A office
market currently in one of the longest development cycles in its history:
Global commercial real-estate firm Cushman & Wakefield reports that this cycle will see
class A office inventory increase by 25.9% (9.9M ft2) between 2009 and 2017.
Although the new supply means premium office space vacancy will rise (it is expected
to reach 9.6% downtown by 2017), the report predicts that this markets solidity and
explosive growth will sustain its success.249

61

Torontos Downtown Class A Market Dynamics with Projection Forecast, 2008-2017:250

Residents in Torontos Parkdale neighbourhood are measuring and monitoring quality of life in
the community themselves with an eye to developing a long-term neighbourhood plan:
The Parkdale Peoples Economy project attempts to rethink the economy and take a
different and unique approach to local economic development that goes beyond
traditional economic indicators like GDP and is instead based on the principles of
shared ownership, democratic management, and ethics of care.
The project utilizes a participatory planning process and resident engagement for
visioning and shaping the future of Parkdale that the community wants to create
together.
The project was born out of a research project commissioned by local organization
PARC (a non-profit that works with the community on issues of poverty and mental
health) that sought to investigate the impacts of gentrification on food security in the
community. The report recommended policy options and community-based strategies,
and has been serving as a road map for community planning efforts in Parkdale.

62

Work
Why is this important?
Toronto does a great job educating and creating skilled residents, and attracting talented,
eager (and needed) workers from around the globe. But lack of decent employment prospects
for many, especially young workers and recent immigrants, exacts a high toll. For the city, this
means lost opportunities to benefit from this talent and commitment, and individuals and
families experience a myriad of economic, health, and social costs while trying to make ends
meet.

What are the trends?

The unemployment rate remains above pre-recession levels (7.5% in 2008), and grew to 9.5%
in 2014 after improvement in 2013. The average monthly number of Employment Insurance
beneficiaries continued its downward trend, but does not reflect those who have given up
actively looking for work or who are ineligible due to the narrowing of EI criteria. While it is no
longer the case that unemployment rates are higher among landed immigrants than among
the Canadian-born population, unemployment remains a more likely prospect for recent
immigrants. Torontos youth, particularly those in Canada less than five years, continue to face
troubling long-term trends.
Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless otherwise noted

1. Unemployment rate (annual average)

9.6%

8.8%

9.5%251

2. Youth (15-24 year-olds) unemployment rate (annual

average)

20.4%

18.1%

21.65%

3. Recent immigrant youth (15-24 year-olds in Canada less

than 5 years) unemployment rate (annual average)

31.4%

4. Median hourly wage (unadjusted) (Toronto Region)

$20.88

252

28.1%

24.1%
253

$21.00

$21.08
254

5. Number of new business establishments

3,400

255

4,340

256

5,030
257

Whats new?
Ontarios minimum wage will increase for the second time in five years to $11.25 per hour, the
second highest in Canada. But precarious employment continues to rise and take a toll on
workers. Temporary employment increased by 17% in the city between 2011 and 2014, and
less than half of GTHA workers have permanent, full-time employment with benefits.
Meanwhile, some youth face more barriers to employment, education, and training than
others, including those living in poverty. The City is developing an action plan for youth
employment focused on work-based learning, especially for youth recipients of Ontario Works.
A new community-based research project documents the resilience of Torontos
entrepreneurial newcomers during the 2008 global recession, but cautions against selfemployment being seen as the new social safety net.

63

Where is job growth happening in Toronto, and what kinds of jobs are being created?
Torontos overall employment in 2014 was up by 1.5% from 2013, with 20,850 jobs added:
Torontos total employment in 2014 was 10.26% higher than a decade earlier, with
1,384,390 jobs compared to 1,255,600 in 2004.
Of the 1,384,390 jobs counted in Toronto in 2014, 1,063,540 (76.8%) were full time and
320,860 (23.2%) part time.
o Part-time jobs increased by 1.7% over 2013.258
The median hourly wage in Toronto in May 2015 for all professions was $20.77 (versus
$20.67 a year earlier).259
Across the Region, both median and average hourly earnings were greater in 2014 (in
current dollars, $21.08 and $24.90 respectively) than they were in 2013. Average hourly
earnings in 2014 were above both the national and provincial rates, while median
hourly earnings were above the national rate but below the provincial rate.
o The median hourly wage has increased slightly but steadily over the past five
years: $20.10 in 2010, $20.60 in 2011, $20.88 in 2012, $21.00 in 2013, and
$21.08 in 2014.260

According to Wellbeing Toronto, in 2011 the Bay Street Corridor had the
most with 185,891 jobs while the bottom three were Woodbine
Lumsden (558), Rustic (550), and Lambton Baby Point (438).

5,030 new businesses were established in the city in 2014, providing possible places of
employment:
Almost 16% more businesses opened in Toronto in 2014 than in 2013 (5,030 versus
4,340).261
The office sector remains the largest in Toronto, accounting for almost 1 of every 2 jobs:
The City of Torontos annual Employment Survey reports on which sectors grew or
flourished.
o The institutional sector was the fastest growing in 2014, adding 11,010 jobs (an
increase of 4.9%).
o The service sector was next with 3.7% growth, followed by the other (+2.7%)
and office (+1.0%) sectors.
o Other sectors shrank: manufacturing lost 1.3% of its jobs, and the retail sector
followed with a loss of 1.5% of jobs.262
The survey also examined the citys major economic sectors (as defined by the North
American Industry Classification System or NAICS) for employment growth or loss over
2014.
o The largest gains7.6% over the previous yearwere seen in the real estate
and rental and leasing sector, which added 2,710 jobs, and in the construction
sector, which added 2,610 jobs.
o The accommodation and food services sector also experienced a significant rate
of growth, 4.7%.263

64

o The administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

sector, on the other hand, experienced the largest net loss of 3,600 jobs (a loss
of 5.8%).264
Employment in Torontos downtown in 2014 increased by 3.2% or 14,890 jobs. Its growth over
five years (2009-2014) was 14.8%, or 62,250 jobs:
Employment growth between 2013 and 2014 in the citys several dense employment
centres was greatest in Etobicoke Centre, at 7.9%.
Other centres saw negative growth: Yonge-Eglinton, -3.8%; Scarborough Centre, -2.5%;
and North York Centre, -1.5%. In the rest of the city, jobs grew by 0.9%.
o Although the Centres shrank by 1.3% or 1,010 jobs in the last year, they have
grown considerably over the last five, increasing by 7.3% or 5,430 jobs.265

Employment Change in Downtown and Centres, 2009-2014:266

65

Job growth in the Toronto Region is forecast to increase from 0.3% in 2014 to 1.5% in 2015
and 1.7% in 2016:
This growth will be led by retail and wholesale trade, professional, scientific and
managerial services, and health services.
Growth will be much more slow in the finance-insurance-real estate and construction
industries.267

Who is working in Toronto and who isnt?

The unemployment rate in the city of Toronto remains high, and grew in 2014:
Torontos unemployment rate was 9.5% in 2014, up from 8.8% in 2013 (but down
slightly from 9.6% in 2012).268
As shown in the graph below, Torontos unemployment has historically tracked higher
(for the most part) than for, the rest of Ontario, and the rest of Canada:269
City of Toronto Unemployment Rate: January 2008-January 2015:270

The average monthly number of Employment Insurance beneficiaries continued its

downward trend, with 24,549 in 2014, down from 26,469 in 2013 and 26,998 in 2012.271
It should be noted, however, that the declining number of EI beneficiaries does not

66

reflect the number of people who have given up actively looking for work, or those who
are now ineligible due to the narrowing of EI qualifications.
Employment Insurance Beneficiaries, Monthly Averages,
City of Toronto, 2012, 2013, 2014:272

How are young workers, immigrants, and women affected by workforce trends in
Toronto?
When it comes to employment, Torontos youth face troubling long-term trends:
After dropping to 18.12% in 2013, the Toronto youth unemployment rate in 2014 climbed
again, reaching a staggering 21.65%.273

67

Youth (Aged 15-24) Unemployment in the City of Toronto, 1990-2014:274

68

Youth (Aged 1524) Unemployment in Toronto and Across Canada, 2006 and 2013:275

Note: Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole per cent.
Source: Prepared from Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey (2013) -Special Tabulation, provided by the City of
Toronto, Economic Development and Culture Division.

Many youth are not employed, nor in education or training, and the roots of this trend are
complex:
About 10% of youth ages 15-24 in the GTHA, or as many as 83,000 people, were Not in
Education, Employment or Training (or NEET, a Statistics Canada category) in 2011.276
o Many groups are over-represented in this category, including racialized and
newcomer youth, aboriginal youth, youth living in poverty or in conflict with the
law, youth in and leaving care, LGBTQ* youth, and youth with disabilities and
special needs.
o Through extensive consultations with youth on the subject, CivicAction
produced a 2014 report that identified common barriers facing this group of
youth as well as opportunities to help close the gap between youth who are
NEET and those who arent. Four common barriers identified as facing NEET
youth were:
systemic barriers that lead to weakened social networks, such as few
mentors or role models;
lack of opportunities to gain meaningful work-related experience;

69

 lack of accessible and affordable transportation; and

racism and structural discrimination.277
o As of 2009, Canada had the second-lowest total NEET percentage (13.3%) of
15- to 19-year-olds among selected OECD countries. Germany had the lowest
at 11.6%, France and the UK tied with 15.6%, the US had 16.9% and Italy
21.2%.278
The City is developing an action plan for youth employment to connect unemployed youth
with jobs and work-based learning opportunities:
An Economic Development Committee report sets out recommendations and
directions for implementing a Youth Employment Action Plan for Toronto. It focuses on
short-term actions that leverage the Citys role as an employer, capitalize on existing
connections with employer and sector partners, and increase support to youth job
seekers. For example,
o In 2015, about 1,000 youth from Neighbourhood Improvement Areas were
helped to apply for summer jobs with the City.
o The Partnership to Advance Youth Employment, a joint initiative between
private sector employers and the City, has connected hundreds of young people
to job opportunities with employer partners since 2009.
o The Toronto Youth Jobs Corps program, coordinated by Social Development,
Finance and Administration and delivered by three community agencies,
provides youth with a full-time, 21-week, paid employment preparation
program.
The City is also aiming to support Torontos youth who are the most distant from the
labour marketthose on social assistance. A significant percentage of Torontos youth
(15-29) population (approximately 6%) and of the caseload of Toronto Employment and
Social Services (TESS) (24%) are youth recipients of Ontario Works. TESS serves
approximately 33,000 youth through Ontario Works. Administrative data from TESS
provide an interesting profile of these youth:
o almost half are 21 or younger,
o 54% are female,
o approximately 60% have less than high-school education, and
o more than one-third have been receiving assistance for three years or longer.279
The report notes the importance of work-based learning (WBL) in successful responses
to youth unemployment.
o In WBL, learning takes place in a real work environment and through practice,
and ranges from shorter and less formal activities up to more intensive
internships and apprenticeships. The City reports that WBL benefits both youth
and employers by boosting hard and soft skills, instilling positive work habits in
youth, and by addressing the skills gaps and recruitment troubles felt by
employers.280
Unemployment in the Toronto Region remains a more likely prospect for recent immigrants
than for Canadian-born workers:
As of June 2015, 48.4% of workers in the Toronto Region (some 1,659,900 people)
were landed immigrants, while 49.4% (1,694,000 people) were Canadian-born.
The unemployment rate (for workers aged 15 and over) for landed immigrants in the
Region was 6.9% in June 2014, vs 7.3% for those born in Canada.

70

 Recent immigrants were more likely to be unemployed than established immigrants:

o Recent immigrants (those entering the country within the previous five years)
faced a 12.9% unemployment rate, while those in Canada 10 years or more
fared better at 5.4%.281
In the city of Toronto, the unemployment rate for those 15 and over born in Canada
was 9.0% in 2014 (up from 7.9% in 2013), while for recent immigrants (entered Canada
within the last five years) it was 16.2% (up from 15.6% in 2013 and 14.9% in 2012).
Immigrants who had been in the country longer, between five and 10 years, fared
slightly better, with a 12.9% unemployment rate (up from 11.1% in 2013 and 9.7% in
2012).
o Recent immigrant youth (15-24 years old) also faced higher unemployment rates
(24.1% in 2014, down from 28.1% in 2013) than Canadian-born youth (21.5%, up
from 16.4% in 2013).282
During the 2008 global recession, Torontos newcomers showed their resilience by developing
small businesses. But inequities exist based on race, gender, and immigration status:
In 2012, Newcomer Womens Services Toronto and Social Planning Toronto
collaborated on the Economy And Resilience of Newcomers (EARN), a communitybased research project that examined how newcomer entrepreneurs (in Canada 10
years or less) fared throughout the recent recession.
Many personal and economic push and pull factors influence newcomers to pursue
entrepreneurship, including barriers to accessing the Canadian labour market such as
o difficulty having foreign professional and educational credentials recognized,
o language barriers or perceived accent problems,
o employers demanding previous Canadian work experience,
o lack of networks and contacts in their field, and
o discrimination, both overt and covert.283
Examples of Push and Pull Factors in Newcomer Self-Employment:284

71

 Although they have lower rates of self-employment as their main work activity than
established immigrants and Canadian-born residents, Torontos newcomers, especially
couples with children, were more likely to report self-employment income on their 2010
personal tax return.
Most newcomers with self-employment income came to Canada under Family Class and
Skilled Worker Class immigration categories rather than the self-employment,
entrepreneur, or investor categories.285
Percentage of Self-Employed Population in Toronto by Immigration Status, 2006-2012: 286

72

Toronto Residents Reporting Self-Employment Income, 2010 Tax Return:287

73

 Newcomer men are more likely to be self-employed than newcomer women (their selfemployment rates were 15% and 9% respectively in 2012, 17% versus 9% in 2011, and
17% versus 8% in 2010).
The report cautions that self-employment has come to be seen as the new social
safety net, an overly simplistic answer to systemic issues such as precarious
employment and labour market obstacles rather than a choice.
o Between October 2008 and October 2009, self-employment increased 3.9%
while the private and public sectors decreased 4.1% and 1.6% respectively.
o Toronto has had higher rates of self-employment since 2007 than Ontario and
Canada.
o The report recommends programs and services to support newcomers
economic development and labour market access.
Newcomer self-employment rates were down slightly in 2012 (11.9% versus 13.6% in
2011).288

Is Torontos diversity reflected in its entrepreneurship?

The annual venture client survey from MaRS Discovery District provides insights about a sample
of entrepreneurs, mostly from the GTAwho they are, the kinds of tech companies they start,
their funding ecosystem, and who is making money and creating jobs:
Its 2014 survey of 680 ventures shows that founder experience and background
continue to be very diverse in Toronto.
Repeat entrepreneurs are common. Based on responses received from 586
founders, 67% of them reported that they were working on their second or third
venture.

74

Repeat Entrepreneurship, MaRs Discovery District Clients, 2014289

While the number of startups with female executives continues to grow, there is still a
long way to go to achieve gender parity. Based on responses received from 618
founders, only 23% of their ventures have at least one female founder.

75

Gender of Founders, MaRs Discovery District Clients, 2014290

In terms of the nationality of venture founders, based on responses received from 596
founders, the majority of ventures are led by either all-Canadian or a Canadian/foreignborn mix of founders. Only 27% of the ventures were founded exclusively by foreignborn entrepreneurs.

76

Nationality of Founders, MaRs Discovery District Clients, 2014291

Age continues to play a large role in the startup landscape, with older, more
experienced founders leading the majority of ventures. Based on feedback received
from 604 founders, 75% of ventures did not include youth founders (those under the
age of 30).292

77

Youth Founders, MaRs Discovery District Clients, 2014293

How are Torontos vulnerable workers faring in an environment of increasingly

precarious work?
Less than half of the GTHAs workers enjoy the security of the standard employment
relationship of permanent full-time employment with benefits:
Almost half (47%) of respondents in a recent Deloitte poll of Canadian firms planned to
increase their use of contingent, outsourced, contract or part-time workers in the next
three to five years. While the strategy allows firms to scale up or down as business needs
fluctuate, such precarious employment is taking a toll on workers.294
A report released in 2015 from the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario
(PEPSO) research group looks at the impact of rising precarious, or insecure, employment
in the GTHA.295
The Precarity Penalty, which involved a survey and interviews with workers aged 25-65, is a
follow-up to PEPSOs Its More than Poverty report of 2013.
PEPSO has found that in 2011, 18.4% of workers in the GTHA worked in temporary or
contract jobs and for workers in Toronto, the figure was 19.4%. In 2014, the percentage of
those having temporary and contract work in the GTHA had risen to 20.3%, and in Toronto,
22.7%.
In 2014, less than half of the GTHAs workers (48.1%) and Torontos workers (45.7%) had
the most secure form of employment, i.e., the standard employment relationship. Only
Hamiltons workers fared worse (at 40.7%) within the Region.296

78

Employment Categories in the GTHA, 2014:297

Temporary employment increased by 17% in Toronto between 2011 and 2014. It

decreased marginally only in Halton and York.
Forms of the Employment Relationship by Region, 2011 vs. 2014:298

White men have higher rates of permanent full-time employment with benefits than
either women or racialized individuals in the GTHA. Rates have dropped since 2011 for
racialized men and women. They have grown for white women and have dipped slightly
for white men.

79

Standard Employment Relationship by Sex and Race, GTHA, 2011-2014:299

The precariously employed were far more likely to report perceived discrimination as a
barrier. They were:
o more than six times as likely to report discrimination as a barrier to getting work,
o almost 12 times as likely to report it as a barrier to retaining work, and
o more than twice as likely to report it as a barrier to advancing in work.300
Once someone is in precarious employment, it is very hard to climb out of it. And this
does not apply only to low-paying jobsthose in the middle class are struggling to
hang onto their status.301
It is well documented that general health improves as income does. But the relationship
between the two is complex, the report finds.
o Even at middle- and high-income levels, GTHA workers whose employment was
less secure were more likely to report poorer health than those whose work was
more secure.
o Conversely, workers at low-income levels whose jobs were more secure were the
most likely to report poorer health.
In 2014, workers in low-income/less-secure employment were more than twice as likely
to report poorer mental health as those in high-income/more-secure employment
(39.7% and 15.9% respectively). 302
The report authors recommend combatting precarious employment by:
o building a dynamic labour market that better supports the precariously
employed,
o enhancing social and community supports for this new market, and
o ensuring that jobs work as a pathway not only to income but also to
employment security.303
Many Torontonians will be affected by Ontarios minimum wage increase, which is slated to
take effect in late 2015:
Currently $11 an hour, Ontarios general minimum wage (which applies to most
employees) will increase to $11.25, giving the province the second-highest minimum
wage in the country, behind the Northwest Territories $12.50.

80

o Alberta and Saskatchewan tie for the lowest minimum wage at $10.20.304
Minimum Wages Across Canada:305

Minimum wages for students under 18 and workers serving alcohol are not included.
* Indicates change will come into effect later this year.
Toronto Star graphic. Source: Canadian Press.

Commissioned by four of Ontarios biggest pension plans, the Boston Consulting Group
undertook a study to learn more about the relationship between the health of communities and
different kinds of pensions:306
The study found that most money from defined benefit plans is spent locally, and that
seniors who have these plans are more confident consumers.
Plans that are the responsibility of the employee to manage and invest, and that have
no standard disbursement strategy, are unreliable and can cause stress.
The study recommended that workplace pensions be mandatory.307

81

The following groups are addressing issues relating to work through their innovative
community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
ACCES Employment Assisting job seekers from diverse background to integrate into the
Canadian job market
Alzheimer Society of Toronto - Alleviating personal and social consequences of dementia
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Developing and presenting artists voices in the LGBTQ*
community
Canadian Urban Institute Building wisdom and inspiring leadership for healthy urban
development
Common Ground Co-operative - Supporting people with developmental disabilities
Connect Legal - Promoting entrepreneurship in immigrant communities
CTI Canadian Training Institute - Enhancing the effectiveness of client services delivered by
criminal justice and behavioural health services
CultureLink Settlement Services - Developing and delivering settlement services to meet the
needs of diverse communities
Daily Bread Food Bank - Fighting to end hunger
Drum Artz Canada Encouraging creative expression through mentorship, percussion, and
music
Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre Serving a low-income, ethnically and socially
diverse community
First Work - Helping youth find and keep meaningful employment
Fred Victor - Providing accessible housing to people experiencing homelessness and poverty
Frontier College Elevating literacy through a wide range of programming
Interval House - Enabling abused women and children to have access to safe shelter and
responsive services
Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF) Providing holistic and integrated services in York
Region
Local Food Plus/Land Food People Foundation Nurturing regional food economies
Mosaic Institute Harnessing the diversity of Canadas people to build a stronger, more
inclusive nation
New Circles Community Services - Offering volunteer driven services in Torontos Thorncliffe
Park, Flemingdon Park and Victoria Village
Newcomer Women's Services Toronto Delivering educational and employment opportunities
for immigrant women and their children
Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC) - Working with members of the Parkdale
community on issues of poverty and mental health
Scadding Court Community Centre - Providing opportunities for inclusive recreation,
education, and community participation
Scarborough Arts - Developing programming and cultural initiatives in collaboration with the
community
Sistering: A Women's Place - Offering emotional and practical supports enabling women to
take greater control over their lives
Skills for Change of Metro Toronto Creating learning and training opportunities for
immigrants and refugees

82

SkyWorks Charitable Foundation Advocating and participating in social change through

community film making
Springboard Helping people develop the skills they need to overcome barriers and achieve
their full potential
St. Stephens Community House Programming for newcomer and low-income residents
Success Beyond Limits Education Program - Improving educational outcomes and providing
support to youth in Jane and Finch
Tropicana Community Services - Providing opportunities to youth, newcomers, and people of
Black and Caribbean heritage in Scarborough
Windfall - Providing new, donated clothing to 64,000 people in the GTA, more than 21,000 of
which are children
WoodGreen Enhancing self-sufficiency, promoting well-being and reducing poverty
Youth Employment Services (YES) Empowering disadvantaged youth through employment
services
YWCA Toronto - Transforming the lives of women and girls through programs that promote
equality
Workman Arts Project of Ontario - Developing and supporting artists with mental illness and
addiction issues

83

Gap Between Rich and Poor

Why is this important?
Rising income inequality (rising twice as fast in Toronto than in the rest of the country)308 affects
everyone. As median incomes and income mobility stagnate, poor health outcomes among
those with low incomes lead to lost productivity and higher health care costs, and income
polarization creates a widening achievement gap in city schools. The widening gap between
rich and poor has an impact on the health of the economy.

What are the trends?

The median family income of low-income families ($14,930 before taxes in 2013) doesnt come
close to supporting a household. The rising cost of nutritious food is out of reach of these
households2014 saw a significant increase in the monthly cost of a nutritious food basket for
a family of four. In Torontos inner suburbs visits to food banks have increased 45% since 2008.

Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless otherwise noted

1. Percentage of seniors living in poverty in the
Toronto Region

10.5%
(2010)

9.5%
(2011)

11.6%
(2013)309

2. Median total annual family income (before tax) of

low-income families in the Toronto Region
(based on the Low-Income Measure or LIM).

$14,350
(2011)

$14,630
(2012)

$14,930
(2013)310

3. Monthly cost of a nutritious food basket for a

family of four in Toronto

$762.04

$792.82

$835.91311

4. Number of visits to Toronto food banks

937,500

883,900313

890,000314

(April 2012
to March
2013) 312

(April 2013
to March
2014)

(April 2014
to March
2015)

20%315
(GTA)

16%316
(GTA)

16%317

5. Percentage of food bank visitors who are

children who go hungry at least once per week
because of lack of money

Whats new?
Toronto is by most measures Canadas richest city, but access to opportunity is increasingly out
of reach for too many. The Regions gap between the richest 1% and the rest is the second
biggest in Canada, and income inequality among Torontos households is growing at twice the
national average. We now have the dubious distinction of being Canadas capital of working
poverty (moving increasingly into the outer suburbs). Two working parents with two young
children each need to earn at least $18.52 an hour to make ends meet. Meanwhile, with
epidemic levels of child and family poverty in Toronto, the City is developing a Poverty
Reduction Strategy.

84

How big is the gap in Canada, and in Toronto, between the richest and the rest?
Inequality appears to have narrowed in Canada over the past six years, but has it really?
Statistics Canada figures show that the share of income (not adjusted for inflation) going to
the top 1% of income earners in Canada declined between 2006 and 2012, from 12.15% to
10.3%. Median incomes of the other 99% rose nearly 5% (from $28,900 to $30,300) over
the same period, marking the first prolonged period since 1982 where they gained any
ground on the wealthy.
However, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives argues that this slight thinning of the
inequality gap is due less to any structural economic changes to increase income for the
bottom 99% and more to a fluctuation of income in the top 1%.
o Despite the slight gain from 2006-2012, the median income for the bottom 99% of
Canadians has risen by a paltry 3.6% between 1982 and 2012, while the top 1%
have enjoyed an almost 50% increase in theirs.318
Torontos grade on equality of income distribution from the Board of Trade remained
unchanged in 2014, after a year when it had improved:
With a score again of 0.40 on the Gini coefficient, the Toronto Region retained its 11th
place ranking out of 24 global metropolitan centres on the Toronto Region Board of
Trades 2015 Scorecard on Prosperity, unchanged from Scorecard 2014 (when it had
moved up from 14th place).
o The Gini coefficient uses a spectrum to measure income distribution (it does not
consider real levels of poverty or prosperity in society). 0 represents perfect
equality, and 1 represents perfect inequality (or one person has all the income, and
the rest of the population has nothing).
The ranking keeps Toronto ahead of Calgary and Vancouver, and behind Halifax.
o Montral (0.39), Toronto, and Vancouver (0.42) all received B grades, and Calgary
(0.43) a C, while Halifax was the only city outside Europe to earn an A.
The top five cities, and six of the top seven, are European, while US cities continue to
dominate the other end of the rankings, occupying seven of the bottom eight places this
year.319
The gap between the richest 1% in the Region and the rest of the Regions income earners
remains the second biggest in Canada:
In 2012 the top 1% (66,840 people versus 68,230 in 2011) of individual tax filers in the
Toronto Region shared 17.4% of the total declared income.
Although their share has dropped from 18.1% in 2011, their median incomes have
continued to riseto $322,200 in 2012 (up from $314,500 in 2011 and $301,200 in 2010).
Two-thirds of their income (65.2%) came from wages and salaries.
Torontos disparity is second only to Calgary. Although the median income of the top 1% is
lower there at $309,500, the wealth is even more concentrated at the top30,655 people
share 25.1% of declared income. 320

85

Toronto Regions Top 1% vs. other Canadian Cities and Canada, 2012:321

Area
Toronto
Region
Vancouver
Calgary
Regina
Montral
Halifax
Canada

Number
in top 1%
66,840

Income
share
17.4%

Median
income
$322,200

% from
wages/salaries
65.2%

20,355
30,655
1,720
28,875
2,240
261,365

12.3%
25.1%
8.1%
10.4%
7.3%
10.3%

$302,400
$309,500
$295,900
$301,500
$292,800
$299,000

61.4%
77.4%
66.8%
53.3%
56.1%
63.4%

Meanwhile, the Regions top 10% shared 43.1% of total declared income in 2012.322
Their average incomes grew by 1.6% between 2011 and 2012.323

In what ways does income affect opportunities to get ahead in the city?
Two working parents with two young children need to each earn a minimum of $18.52 an hour
just to make ends meet in Toronto:
A new Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report updates Torontos 2008 living wage
by drawing on a national methodological framework (based on a hypothetical two-parent
family with two children, aged 7 and 3).
The Provincially calculated minimum wage of $11 an hour leaves workers far below the
poverty line, especially if they have dependants, because it does not take into account the
expenses necessary for a family to meet its basic needs.
While a living wage counts both employment and government transfer income, it also
recognizes that things like rent, transportation, childcare, food, clothing, internet, and
laundry costs are basics.
o It does not, however, consider any extravagances like saving for childrens postsecondary education, and it does not acknowledge that many working families are
carrying debt.
Since 2008 (when the living wage was estimated at $16.60 per hour), the cost of childcare
in Toronto increased by 30%, rent 13%, and public transit 36%.
To afford just the basics in Toronto in 2013, each parent in the hypothetical four-person
family needed to earn $18.52 per hour (working 37.5 hours per week). Their expenses for
one year totalled $65,870.55 and included (among other things):
o $7,639.29 for food,
o $14,220.00 for rent (two-bedroom apartment),
o $8,189.10 for transport ($6,506.50 for a car and $1,682.50 for public transit),
o $16,999.45 for childcare,
o $1,200.00 for cellphone bills,
o $1,037.16 for laundry,
o $1,036.76 for a family vacation, and
o $2,533.48 in contingency money.
More than 1.5 million people in the Toronto Region earned less than $21 an hour in 2013.

86

o A living wage of $18.52 an hour would make a huge difference particularly in the
lives of families who work in the retail and service sectors, where lower-waged
workers are concentrated. In 2013 the median wage was $12.95 an hour in the retail
sector, $14 an hour in administrative support services, and $11.50 an hour in
accommodation and food services.324
Income inequality among Toronto households is growing at twice the national average, placing
access to opportunity increasingly out of reach for too many who live here, shifting the way our
city works, and compromising our reputation as Toronto the Good:
A United Way Toronto and York Region report examining growing income inequality and
what it means for access to opportunity shows that at 31%, Torontos income inequality
growth over 25 years (1980-2005) was double the national rate (14%) and almost double
the provinces (17%).
o Toronto fares worse than other major Canadian cities. Although Calgary is not far
behind at 28%, Vancouver (17%) and Montral (15%) have much lower rates of
inequality growth.
o Average household incomes in the poorest 10% of neighbourhoods increased by
only 2%, while those in the richest 10% of neighbourhoods rose by 80%.
The concentration of poverty in Toronto is also growing. The income divide between
neighbourhoods has grown by 96% between 1980 and 2010 between 1980 and 2010.
In light of deteriorating job quality, 38% of Torontonians surveyed in 2014 for the report
believe that good opportunities are not available to everyone.
o A third of those surveyed feel worse off relative to the previous generation and to
where they thought they would be 10 years ago.
o Almost 80% believe that many people are disadvantaged because of their
background and have to work much harder than others of equal talent to overcome
the obstacles they face.325
Background has a Real Impact on Life Chances:326

o A majority (73%) believe that hard work and determination are no guarantee that a
person will be successful in Toronto.327

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Hard Work is Not Enough to Get Ahead:328

o Troublingly, inequality is generating pessimism about the future. Only 17.4% of

those surveyed think the next generation will be better off. A majority (52.1%) think
they will be worse off.
Youth are already in trouble: Torontos youth unemployment rate for 2014
was almost 22%,329 significantly higher than the national rate (of about
14%330).
o Despite the pessimism, 95% of respondents believe they can make a difference
where they live24.4% believe they can make a small impact, 40.2% a
moderate impact, and 30.6% a big impact.
The report offers a blueprint for action based on three goals:
o ensuring young people have the opportunities they need to build a good future,
o promoting jobs as a pathway to stability and security, and
o removing barriers to opportunity based on background and circumstances.331
Toronto is now being called the Downton Abbey of Canada, with a growing class of working
poor serving the needs of a well-to-do knowledge class332:
A new report from the Metcalf Foundation finds that while Toronto is by most measures
Canadas richest city, we also have the dubious distinction of being its working poverty
capital.
Between 2006 and 2012, working poverty increased from 9.9% to 10.7% of the workingage population in the city of Toronto, and from 8.2% to 9.1% in the Toronto CMAthe
highest among Canadas 10 largest CMAs.333

88

Percentage of Working Poor Individuals Among the Working-Age Population,

Canada and 10 CMAs, 2006 and 2012:334

Although the rate of increase of working poverty has moderated10.7% in 2006-2012

compared to 39% in 2000-2005the increase is actually still perplexing and troubling
because increasing incomes, declining employment figures, and government interventions
between 2006 and 2010 should have helped offset growth of the working poor:
o the minimum wage increased by 37.6%,
o three new income supplements were introduced (the Working Income Tax Benefit,
the Ontario Child Benefit, and the Universal Child Care Benefit), and
o overall employment rates fell (by 2.7%, from 63.8% in 2006 to 61.1% in 2012) while
the number of individuals collecting welfare increased.
Rising property values, long wait lists for subsidized housing, and higher private market
rents are resulting in the Manhattanization of Toronto, with working poverty moving
northward away from the downtown core and increasingly into the outer suburbs. Mapping
working poverty in the Toronto CMA from 2006 to 2012 shows that:
o North York and Scarborough have the highest levels; and
o While the area south of the Bloor-Danforth corridor saw reductions in working
poverty in 17 census tracts and increases in only four, between Highway 401 and
Steeles Avenue 39 census tracts saw increases and only one saw a reduction.

89

Working poverty grew by 26% in Markham, 22% in Brampton, and 21% in Richmond
Hill.
Change in Percentage of Working Poor Individuals Among Working-Age Population,
After-Tax, Toronto CMA, 20062012:335

The report concludes that higher wages, better job stability, and more effective support
programs are needed to respond to the trend towards working poverty and to create
both the labour market and the society Torontonians want. Toronto could reduce and
even eventually eradicate working poverty.336
Is Toronto on its way to becoming an elite citadel?
Toronto ranks 14th on a list of global cities with the most ultra-high-net-worth
individuals (UHNWIs), defined as those with $30M or more in net assets.
The Wealth Report, published by independent real estate consultancy Knight Frank,
maps the global super-rich and finds Toronto has a total of 1,216 of these individuals
within the city, representing 0.7% of the total global UHNWI population.
Controlling for population, i.e., on a per capita basis of 100,000 residents, Toronto
shifts to 13th place with 20.1 UHNWIs per 100,000 residents.
Toronto has not evolved beyond gentrification to plutocratisation, in which global
citiesare turning into vast gated communities where the one percent reproduces
itself (a phenomenon being experienced by the superstar cities topping the list:

90

London, Singapore, New York, Hong Kong, and Paris). However, as in other global
cities, our growing divide threatens the creativity and diversity that underpin growth.337

Should we be worried about rising inequality and increasing socio-spatial and ethnocultural divisions in the city?
Toronto is an increasingly divided city. Our middle-income neighbourhoods are continuing to
disappear as polarization continues to grow:
Research from the University of Toronto documenting the 40-year pattern of income trends
that transformed the mostly middle-income Toronto of the 1980s into Three Cities was
first highlighted in Torontos Vital Signs Report in 2009.
o The trend was identified as being not limited to Toronto, so since 2012, the
research has continued through a new Neighbourhood Change
Research Partnership (NCRP) at the Universitys Factor-Inwentash Faculty of
Social Work. The researchers continue to examine income inequality and
polarization, spatially expressed at the neighbourhood level (using census tracts
as the units of analysis).338
New analysis of 2012 tax filer data shows the long-term trend saw average incomes
increase significantly in 28% of census tracts (City 1), especially in the core, while they
decreased dramatically in 40% of census tracts, mostly in the inner suburbsparticularly
northwest Etobicoke and northeast Scarborough (City 3).
o In between is a shrinking swath of middle-income earners with no significant
increase or decrease in income (City 2). In 1990 68% of the citys census tracts
had this profile. In 2012 just 32% did.
Just under half of Torontos population lives in neighbourhoods that are low-income, 21%
high-income, and only 30% middle-income.339

91

Neighbourhood Income Change: City of Toronto, 2012 vs. 1970

92

Neighbourhood Income Change in Torontos Three Cities, 1990-2012 vs. 1970:

93

Income Equality Between Census Tracts Using Gini Coefficient, 1970-2012:

Between 1970 and 2012, income inequality between census tracts grew 74% in the
outer suburbs, 61% in the CMA, and an astounding 96% in the city of Toronto.

94

Average Individual Income, City of Toronto, 2012:

95

Changing Income Distribution in the Toronto Metropolitan Area, 1970-2012:

Income inequality is racialized. Whites comprise ever-smaller proportions of Cities 2 and

3, while their numbers have remained relatively stable in City 1, where incomes are
growing.
Three Cities Population by Visible Minority Status, 1996 and 2006:

96

The researchers warn that if nothing changesthat is, if the trends of income equality and
partitioning of urban space and resulting socio-spatial and ethno-cultural divides continueby
2025:
o City 1 (Torontos wealthiest neighbourhoods) will comprise 30% of the city;
o The poorest, City 3, will comprise 60%; and
o City 2, the middle-income neighbourhoods, will have almost disappeared.340
What Torontos Three Increasingly Distinct Cities Could Look Like by 2025:341

Note: Projections dependent on 2005 data and no future policy changes.

How are Torontos children and youth and their families faring, and are we making any
progress in reducing poverty?
Median incomes of low-income families in the Region have risen:
The median total annual family income (before tax) of low-income families in the Region
(based on the Low-Income Measure, or 50% of median family incomes adjusted to
consider family needs) increased to $14,930 in 2013, up 9.2% from 2010 ($13,670), 4%
from 2011 ($14,350), and 2% from 2012 ($14,630).342
o Comparatively, the median total annual family income of all census families in
the Region in 2013 was $72,830 (an increase of 31.7% from $55,300 in 2000 but
4.9% lower than the national level of $76,550) and 4.8% lower than the
provincial level of $76,510).343
Social assistance caseloads in the city of Toronto continue to drop, but they have still not
reached pre-recession levels:
The average monthly social assistance caseload for January to October 2014 was
92,771. As of October 2014 the social assistance caseload totalled 90,202 cases, 5.6%
less than a year earlier, and well below budgeted levels.
97

o Although the trend is positive, the total caseload remains much higher than
before the recession. Cases numbered 76,867 in December 2008.344
Child poverty rates are decreasing nationally and provincially:
Canadas child poverty decreased 2.44% from 2008-2012, placing us 11th out of 41
OECD countries on a UNICEF index measuring change in child poverty levels.
o Child poverty increased in the US and the UK (they ranked 27th and 25th
respectively, with increases of 2.06% and 1.6%).345
Between 2008 and 2011, Ontarios poverty reduction strategy made some headway in
meeting its child poverty reduction goal of 25%, by lifting 47,000 children and their
families out of poverty. It prevented 61,000 children and their families from falling into
poverty in 2011 alone.346
Building on the success of its previous five-year strategy, the Provinces new Poverty Reduction
Strategy has set a long-term goal of ending homelessness in the province, beginning with
examining ways to define and measure homelessness:
The first step in Ontarios Poverty Reduction Strategy 2014-2019 will be to try to
measure the homelessness scenario in the province by working with researchers and
experts, including people with lived experience, to set a baseline and establish a future
homelessness target.
The strategy emphasizes employment and income security by focusing on support
systemsemployment opportunities, income supports, and educationfor those who
are homeless or at high risk of becoming so, including youth and people with
addictions and disabilities. For example,
o Programs targeting youth at risk, such as summer programs that boost learning
and programs that build community in urban high schools, will tackle obstacles
to educational achievement.
o The Province is proposing to index the minimum wage to the Ontario Consumer
Price Index to ensure that it keeps up with the cost of living. Meanwhile, it
invests $1B annually in the Ontario Child Benefit, which makes it easier for
working parents to avoid turning to social assistance (the benefit provides some
support to the families of about a million children in over 500,000 low-tomoderate-income families).
o The strategy also aims to connect more people with employment, especially
vulnerable populations.
Since 2003, the Province has committed over $4B to affordable housing initiatives and
promises to continue the process by working with the federal government to build and
renovate affordable units.
The Province reports that since the first Poverty Reduction Strategy was launched in
2008 its indicators have trended in a positive direction.347
The City is implementing its own Poverty Reduction Strategy:
In April 2014, Toronto City Council voted unanimously to develop a poverty reduction
strategy, and in the Citys 2015 Budget process devoted $24.5M to it.348
In July 2015, Council approved an amended Interim Poverty Strategy (called TOProsperity)
which included a vision, three overarching objectives, six issue areas, 24 recommendations
and 74 actions. Throughout the summer and fall of 2015, City staff will create plans to
implement the three key objectives identified in the strategy:
98

o Address immediate needs: ensure that essential services are effective, well funded,
coordinated, and meet the needs of those living in poverty.
o Create pathways to prosperity: improve the quality of jobs in the city, attract
investments to low income areas, and ensure that City programs and services are
integrated, client-centered, and focused on early intervention.
o Drive Systemic Change: create a more accountable and participatory government,
where reducing poverty and inequality is an integral part of day-to-day business.349
Roadmap to Reducing Poverty in Toronto350

Housing Firstcredited to Canadian psychologist Sam J. Tsemberisis an innovative

approach to end homelessness that is increasingly gaining interest from policy makers and
throughout the service delivery sector:
The concept is premised on the following understandings:
o The majority of people experiencing homelessness have mental health issues
that are often coupled with substance abuse, and thus the only way to eradicate

99

homelessness is to provide all-encompassing mental health and addiction

support services.
o The best way to reach people with services is to go to them, in their own home.
The efficacy of the stabilizing factor of housing works only in an environment
where sobriety is not a requirement (aligned with the best practice of harm
reduction).
o Giving people housing first (Housing first, as advocates like to say, but not
housing only) allows for sobriety and reintegration into society.
Multiple studies have shown that this approach is among the most effective.351
Medicine Hat, Alberta, has become the first city in Canada to claim that it has nearly
eliminated homelessness by using a Housing First strategy. Of course hidden
homelessness, housing precarity, and other critical social challenges continue to plague
many members of that community.352
The Homeless Hub is a leading Toronto-based resource working to address homelessness in
Canada, including youth homelessness:
Along with Covenant House, the Homeless Hub, has created a Youth Transitional
Housing Toolkit as a resource for shelters, housing providers, youth-serving agencies
and others that help at-risk and homeless youth move towards independence.353
The Homeless Hub is also working to develop an in-depth national youth homelessness
survey, the first of its kind in Canada, to gather informative local data from community
agencies and their clients from across the country to better understand the problem
and to design permanent and effective solutions.
A 2014 report from The Alliance for a Poverty-free Toronto and Social Planning Toronto
revealed that Toronto is experiencing a hidden epidemic of child and family poverty that
varies significantly by race and ethnicity:
The number of children living in low-income families increased by over 10,000 between
2010 and 2012, to 145,890almost one third (29%) of Torontos children, the highest rate
in the GTHA. But poverty varies significantly by where in the city these children live, and by
their race and ethnicity.
o People of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and Latin American
backgrounds are much more likely to be living on low incomes. Those of African
and Middle Eastern backgrounds are about three times more likely to
experience poverty than those of European backgrounds, based on calculations
using the After Tax Low-Income Measure (LIM-AT).354

100

The Alliance for a Poverty-free Toronto and Social Planning Toronto report that in
2012, less than 5% of children in Lawrence Park North and South, LeasideBennington, and Kingsway South lived in low-income families. But in some
neighbourhoodsRegent Park, Moss Park, Thorncliffe Park, and Oakridge
poverty was 10 times worse, with over 50% of children living in low-income
families. 355
Percentage of Individuals by Ethnic Origin Living Below the LIM-AT in Toronto:356

101

Percentage of Children (0-17) under the LIM-AT Living in

Torontos Neighbourhoods, 2012:357

Percentage of Children Age 0-17 Living Below the LIM-AT in Selected Canadian Cities:358

102

Canadas Complex,
Interconnected Food Issues:359

What does food insecurity look like in Toronto?

Lack of income and an unsustainable food system
deprive Torontonians of access to the safe, healthy
and affordable food that is their basic right, but
Community Food Centres (CFCs) are changing lives
by bringing people together to grow, cook, share,
and advocate for good food:
Household food insecurity and diet-related
illness disproportionately affect the poor
and have enormous social, economic,
environmental, and health-related costs.360
A report from Community Food Centres
Canada demonstrates the impact of CFCs
by reporting on four established locations
The Stop and the Regent Park Community
Food Centre in Toronto, The Local in
Stratford, and The Table in Perth.
In 2014, these four CFCs alone served
143,419 healthy meals during 1,053 meal
sessions and hosted 136 affordable market
sessions.
o 92% of 348 adult program
participants surveyed said their CFC
was an important source of healthy
food and 82.5% said these
community meals have helped them
eat more fruits and vegetables.
The CFCs also held 414 community kitchen
sessions teaching basic cooking and food
preparation skills and nutrition, and 1,030
community garden sessions (with the
thousands of pounds of produce yielded
shared between participants and programs).
846 children participated in these
educational programs.
o 79.3% of those surveyed said they
had made healthy changes to their
diets, and 82.4% of community
cooking participants said they have
increased confidence in the kitchen.
88.7% of respondents with one or more
health conditions said participating in CFC
programs has helped them manage their
condition, 54.5% said involvement has
contributed to improvements in their health
103

over the past year, and 60.5% of respondents who participated in the community
garden program said they have seen a positive change in their physical fitness level as a
result.
Increased social interaction is a large benefit of CFC programs. 80.8% of people
surveyed said they have made new friends at their CFC, and 87.9% say they feel a
community atmosphere there. 65.4% say they have met at least one person they feel
they can go to for advice and would be able to count on in a time of need.
o 1,217 volunteers contributed 64,394 volunteer hours.361
The monthly cost of a Nutritious Food Basket in 2014 for a family of four in Toronto reached
$835.91, an increase of 5.4% over 2013:362
Food insecurity puts families and individuals at higher risk for many poor health
outcomes including reported poorer physical and mental health and a range of chronic
diseases.
Boards of Health in Ontario are required to monitor food affordability annually, and
calculate the average cost to feed a nutritious diet to households of varying ages and
sizes. The Nutritious Food Basket reflects the lowest prices for 67 basic food items.
Processed, prepared, and snack foods are excluded, as are household items such as
laundry detergent and soap. The actual grocery bill for most households would likely be
higher than the estimate, due to costs not reflected in the nutritious food basket:
o the cost of transporting, storing, and cooking food;
o the cost of convenience foods to households that lack the time or skills to plan
and prepare meals from scratch; and
o the added expense for households of one (it is cheaper to buy food in larger
quantities).363
o Data available for recent years show the cost of the Nutritious Food Basket has
increased steadily: it was $633.78 in 2009, $715.28 in 2010, $748.40 in 2011, $762.04 in
2012, and $792.82 in 2013.364
o The major barriers to accessing nutritious food are low incomes and the high cost of
housing. The chart below shows the situations facing low-income Toronto households,
forced to choose between shelter and healthy food, and funding all of their other daily
needs.

104

Nutritious Food Basket Scenarios, City of Toronto, May 2014:365

Income
Average rent
(may or may not
include hydro)

$2,320.00

Family of Four,
Minimum Wage
Earner
(Full-time/
Full-year)
2,955.63

(3 Bdr.)
$1,444.00

(3 Bdr.)
1,444.00

(2 Bdr.)
1,241.00

(Bachelor)
857.00

(1 Bdr.)
1,050.00

Nutritious food

$703.96

703.96

532.60

236.06

236.06

Total food and rent

$2,147.96

2,147.96

1,773.60

1,093.06

1,286.06

Funds remaining*
% income required
for rent**

172.04

807.67

342.40

(337.06)

(88.06)

62%

49%

59%

113%

88%

Family of Four,
Ontario Works

(monthly)

Single Parent
Household
with 2 Children,
Ontario Works

One Person
Household,
Ontario
Works

One Person
Household,
ODSP

2,116.00

756.00

1,198.00

Adding in the cost per month of one transit pass paints an even harsher picture for lowincome Torontonians.
Nutritious Food Basket Scenarios and Metropass Affordability, May 2014:366

(monthly)
Total food and rent
Cost of TTC
Metropass
Funds remaining

$2,147.96

Family of Four,
Minimum Wage
Earner
(Full-time/
Full-year)
2,147.96

$133.75

133.75

133.75

133.75

133.75

38.29

673.92

208.65

(470.81)

(222.81)

Family of
Four,
Ontario
Works

Single Parent
Household
with 2 Children,
Ontario Works

One Person
Household,
Ontario
Works

One Person
Household,
ODSP

1,773.60

1,093.06

1,286.06

In 2014-2015, visits in Torontos inner suburbs increased 45% since 2008:

The Daily Bread Food Banks 2015 Whos Hungry report showed that there were
896,900 visits to food banks across the city between April 2014 and March 2015.367 This
is an increase from the 883,900 visits between April 2013 and March 2014368 (but still
lower than the 937,500 visits between April 2012 and March 2013369
Heres what hunger looked like in Toronto in 2014-2015:
o 32% of food bank users were children (and of those users who are children, 16% go
hungry at least once per week because of their familys lack of money).
o 48% were from single-person households
o 38% were university or college graduates, and
o 51% were disabled

105

 Food banks in Toronto have seen decreasing numbers of newcomers to food banks
since 2008, in 2014-2015, 25% of users have been in Toronto four years or less (whereas
in 2008, that number was 40%). These trends may be indicative of other data that has
been reported in various issue areas of Torontos Vital Signs Report the last few years
which all suggest that Toronto is becoming less of an arrival city for newcomers.370

The following groups are addressing issues relating to the gap between rich and poor through
their innovative community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
ACCESS Community Capital Fund - Enabling individuals with economic barriers to realize
sustainable self-employment
Arts for Children and Youth Offering hands on, community and school based arts education
Broad Reach Foundation for Youth Leaders Increasing leadership skills for underserved teens
through sailing
Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre - Improving the quality of life in the Christie
Ossington community
Community MicroSkills Development Centre Assisting the unemployed, with priority to
women, racial minorities, immigrants and youth
Connect Legal - Promoting entrepreneurship in immigrant communities
COSTI Immigrant Services Providing educational, social, and employment services to all
immigrants
Covenant House - Serving youth experiencing homelessness
The Childrens Book Bank - Providing free books and literacy support to children in priority
neighbourhoods
Daily Bread Food Bank - Fighting to end hunger
Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre Supporting their neighbours
Dixon Hall - Creating opportunities for people of all ages to dream
The Dorothy Ley Hospice - Fostering hope and dignity for individuals living with life-limiting
illness or loss
Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club -Providing a safe, supportive place for children and youth
Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre Serving a low-income, ethnically and socially
diverse community
Elizabeth Fry Toronto - Supporting women have been or are at risk of being in conflict with the
law
Findhelp Information Services Providing information and referral services in Ontario and
across Canada
FIT Community Services - Friends In Trouble - Bridging the income inequality gap
FoodShare - Working towards a sustainable and accessible food system
For Youth Initiative (FYI) - Creating healthy communities by increasing life-chances of
underserved youth
Fred Victor - Providing accessible housing to people experiencing homelessness and poverty
Frontier College Elevating literacy through a wide range of programming
FutureWatch Environment and Development Education Partners - Fostering the creation of
sustainable communities

106

Greenest City - Building healthy neighbourhoods through gardening and the celebration of
food
The Good Neighbours' Club Welcoming homeless men into a safe space through a drop-in
centre
Habitat for Humanity Toronto - Mobilizing volunteers to build affordable housing
Inner City Angels - Bringing imaginative interdisciplinary arts programs to children in Toronto
Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre - Gathering community together in a place focused
on social justice
John Howard Society Supporting rehabilitation and re-integration of those in conflict with the
law
JUMP Math Encouraging an understanding and a love of math in students and educators
Junior Achievement of Central Ontario - Educating young Canadians to understand business
and economics
Lakeshore Area Multi-Service Project (LAMP) - Partnering with their community to address
emerging needs
Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS) Engaging high school students through education in the
legal profession
Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF) Providing holistic and integrated services in York
Region
Licensed to Learn Inc. - Empowering children to reach their potential through peer-led tutoring
Literature for Life Helping marginalized young moms develop a practice of reading
LOFT Community Services - Helping people with challenges including mental health and
addiction issues
Lost Lyrics Providing alternative education through arts to racialized youth in priority
neighbourhoods
Lumacare Providing essential programs and services for the support of seniors
Macaulay Child Development Centre - Helping all children thrive in caring, responsive families
The Massey Centre for Women - Striving to achieve healthy outcomes for all young mothers
and families
Mentoring Junior Kids Organization (MJKO) - Promoting healthy and active lifestyles for youth
Merry Go Round Children's Foundation - Enabling financially disadvantaged students to
achieve their academic pursuits
Moorelands Community Services - Providing youth affected by poverty fun experiences to
strengthen their confidence
Native Women's Resource Centre of Toronto Building the collective capacity of Aboriginal
women
Neighbourhood Information Post (NIP) - Empowering marginalized and socially isolated people
New Circles Community Services - Offering volunteer driven services in Torontos Thorncliffe
Park, Flemingdon Park and Victoria Village
Newcomer Women's Services Toronto Delivering educational and employment opportunities
for immigrant women and their children
North York Harvest Food Bank - Creating community where all members can meet their food
needs
OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants Helping to integrate immigrants
and refugees
Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC) - Working with members of the Parkdale
community on issues of poverty and mental health

107

Pathways to Education Canada - Helping underserved youth graduate from high school and
transition to further education
PEACH: Promoting Education and Community Health Transforming the lives of young people
through youth-centred, social and educational programs
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario - Championing childhood cancer care
Ralph Thornton Centre - Building the potential of the Riverdale community
The Redwood - Supporting women and their children to live free from domestic abuse
Regent Park Focus - Bringing best practices in training and mentorship of youth to
broadcasting and digital arts
Renascent Foundation Inc. - Facilitating recovery, education and prevention relating to alcohol
and drug addictions
Scadding Court Community Centre - Providing opportunities for inclusive recreation,
education, and community participation
Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities Cultivating vital and connected communities
Second Harvest - Feeding hungry people by picking up, preparing and delivering excess fresh
food to social agencies
Seeds of Hope Foundation Building sustainable communities with resource centres that
encourage learning, recovery, and enterprise
Shakespeare in Action - Enhancing arts and education through exploring and performing
Shakespeare
Sherbourne Health Centre Corporation Providing healthcare and transformative support to
those experiencing systemic barriers
Sistering: A Women's Place - Offering emotional and practical supports enabling women to
take greater control over their lives
SKETCH Working Arts Creating a safe space for arts and creativity for young, marginalized
people
SkyWorks Charitable Foundation Advocating and participating in social change through
community film making
Small Change Fund - Supporting grassroots projects that contribute to social and
environmental change
Social Planning Toronto - Building a civic society by mobilizing community organizations
around specific local issues
Springboard Helping people develop the skills they need to overcome barriers and achieve
their full potential
St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre - Providing programs and services for seniors and older adults
St. Stephens Community House Programming for newcomer and low-income residents
The Stop Community Food Centre - Increasing access to healthy food by building community
and challenging inequality
Teen Legal Helpline Giving free and confidential online legal advice for youth
TIFF - Bringing the power of film to life by providing arts education for all ages and running the
world's largest public film festival
Toronto ACORN - Building community groups in low income areas to establish community
campaigns
Toronto City Mission - Creating lasting change through preventative and transformational
programs
Toronto Foundation for Student Success Initiating innovative anti-poverty programs for
students

108

Toronto Lords Providing recreation through basketball for young people in marginalized
communities
Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs - Providing a safe, supportive place for the young people
of Regent Park, Cabbagetown, and Trinity-Bellwoods
Toronto Public Library Foundation - Providing essential resources for the enhancement of the
Toronto Public Library
Trails Youth Initiatives Inc. - Challenging and equipping youth from the inner city of Toronto
Vermont Square Parent-Child Mother Goose Program - Fostering parent-child bonding and
literacy through a rich oral language experience
Windfall - Providing new, donated clothing to 64,000 people in the GTA, more than 21,000 of
which are children
WoodGreen Enhancing self-sufficiency, promoting well-being and reducing poverty
YMCA of Greater Toronto - Offering opportunities for community involvement and leadership
Youth Employment Services (YES) Empowering disadvantaged youth through employment
services
YouthLink Providing a range mental health services to improve the life outcome for youth at
risk
YWCA Toronto - Transforming the lives of women and girls through programs that promote
equality

109

Housing
Why is this important?
Safe and affordable housing is key to the health and wellbeing of Toronto residents.
Households must spend 30% or less of their income on housing for it to be considered
affordable. Expenditure of 50% or more greatly increases the risk of homelessness.371

What are the trends?

The City is not living up to its commitment to build 1,000 new units of affordable housing
annually between 2010 and 2020. After progress in 2011 and 2012, fewer than 700 new units
(rental and affordable ownership) were opened in 2013 and 2014. There are still close to
80,000 Toronto households on the wait list for social housing, and in 2014, family use of the
citys shelters increased by 7.9%. 2014 also saw an unusually high number of deaths in shelters.
Meanwhile, Toronto housing purchase prices have nearly tripled since the 1970s; the average
price remains over half a million dollars.
Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

1. Number of households on the active waiting list for

social housing (Q4)

72,696

77,109

78,248372

2. Number of households housed from the waiting list

3,890

3,698373

3,118374

3. Emergency shelter use by single people (average

number of individuals per night)

2,917

2,975

3,038375

4. Emergency shelter use by families (average number

of individuals per night)

928

947

1,022376

5. Average market rents (2-bedroom apartment)

(October of the year)

$1,194377

$1,225

$1,264378

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless otherwise noted

Whats new?
A decade-long housing boom brought considerable economic benefits to the GTA, but masks
structural problems that will take a regional policy approach to tackle. The GTHA Growth Plan
failed to strategically direct intensification to areas where it would have the most benefit, a new
study concludes. Three-bedroom condos meant to keep people in the core once they started
families are too expensive and too small for them. There are some bright spots on the housing
horizon, however. Torontos largest social housing provider has a 10-year plan for investment
and revitalization, weve opened Canadas first transitional housing for LGBTQ* youth, and a
zoning change will allow Torontos apartment neighbourhoods to transform into healthy,
vibrant, and more equitable communities.

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How much does it cost to call Toronto home?

Average Toronto Housing Purchase Price by Year,
in 2014 Dollars:379

Toronto housing purchase prices have nearly

tripled since the 1970s:
A Toronto Real Estate Board survey of
Toronto housing prices has found that a
home in 2014 cost almost three times as
much as it did in 1971 (in constant 2014
dollars).
In the 43 years between 1971 and 2014,
prices rose an average of 3% each year
(today they are triple what they were in the
1970s). After a drop in the first half of the
90s, prices have been rising since 1997
(other than a recession-related anomaly in
2008).380
Home sales in Toronto remain below 2011 levels as
the average price remains over half a million
dollars:
In December 2014, the average price for a
home in Toronto was $574,539, up 6% from
$541,771 in 2013 (itself an increase of 9.6%
from December 2012).
Total sales numbered 35,054, compared to
33,143 in 2013, 33,414 in 2012, and 36,771
in 2011.381
In 2013, housing sales in the Toronto
Region accounted for 19.4% of the national
total (457,761) and 44.8% of the provincial
total (198,675).382

What are the housing trends in relation to the

growing gap between rich and poor?
Toronto is the hottest real estate market in the
worldfor the ultra-rich:
In its annual Luxury Defined report,
Christies International Real Estate (owned
by auction house Christies) analyses trends
shaping the luxury residential real estate
market globally.
Toronto was ranked hottest amongst
global cities for its Luxury Temperature.

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o The rating evaluates both growth and demand, and determines which was the
hottest luxury housing market in a particular year (taking into account annual
sales growth, time on market, and other independent city rankings).
o 2014 marked a return to normalcy for most of the worlds top property markets.
Toronto was the only Global Economic Hub city to see a faster year-on-year
pace, with a 37% increase in 2014 in luxury home sales compared to 4% the
previous year.383
o According to the report, the low supply of homes in Toronto has pushed prices
up to $1M to $2M for average homes and up to $2M to $4M for larger homes or
those located in the most desirable parts of the city. Even luxury condo prices
were pushed above $1M in 2014.384
o A weak Canadian dollar also contributed to Toronto topping growth in demand
among more than 80 global markets.
o Toronto is believed to have become attractive to wealthy foreign buyers who
not only want to increase their real estate holdings and park their money, but
also relocate their families here because of quality universities and Canadas
stable government.385
Torontos sales pace was also the fastest. Luxury homes stay on the market for only a
month on average.
Christies also releases a Luxury Index, which evaluates overall prices and the relative
luxuriousness of a market (i.e., top sales prices, high average prices per square foot,
and number of luxury sales). Toronto ranked 10th on this 2015 index (London was first
and New York second).386

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Average Days on the Market for $1M+ Homes, December 2014:387

While the wealthiest find homes at a rapid pace, many cannot afford homes at all:
In its 11th annual International Housing Affordability Survey, Demographia measures
the affordability of 378 metropolitan markets in nine countries by measuring the
median multiple, a measure of median house prices to median household incomes. A
median multiple of 3.0 or less is considered affordable.
Canadas major market (which includes only cities with a population over one million)
in 2014 was seriously unaffordable, with a median multiple of 4.3. In the major market
ranks, Toronto is the 13th least affordable of 86 global cities while Vancouver remains
second least affordable and Hong Kong least.
Canadas market overall had a less severe but still unaffordable median multiple of 3.9.

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 In 2013, Toronto ranked as severely unaffordable, with its worst-ever median multiple
of 6.2. In 2014, it climbed to 6.5a 65% increase over the 11 years of the Demographia
reportwith a median house price of $482,900 and a median household income of
$73,900.
o Toronto is Canadas third least affordable market. The least affordable was
Vancouver with a median multiple of 10.6, far above the second-least affordable
market, Victoria, with a median multiple of 6.9. Canadas most affordable
housing market was Moncton, with a median multiple of 2.2.
Toronto is the 35th least affordable city worldwide. Vancouver remains second-least
affordable after least affordable Hong Kong, which has a staggering median multiplier
of 17.388
Housing Affordability Trend in Canadas Major Markets, 2004-2014:389

Meanwhile the affordability of home ownership continues to worsen. RBCs affordability index
measures the percentage of median pre-tax household income needed to cover the cost of
home ownership (including mortgage, utilities, and property taxes) at current market prices:
Toronto remains the second-most unaffordable housing market in Canada:390
o The affordability for a two-story home in Q2 2015 was 67.5%, an increase of 0.7
percentage points from Q1 2015, 2.8 percentage points from Q2 2014, and 4.9
percentage points over 2013s overall rate of 62.6%.
o The affordability of a bungalow increased 2.1 percentage points to 59.4%, and
that of condos remained the same at 33.8%.391
Compared to Vancouver, however, Toronto is still much more affordable:
o The affordability of a two-story home in Vancouver rose 5.2 percentage points
from Q2 2014 to Q2 2015 to an incredible 90.6% of a households income.

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Affordability of single detached bungalows increased by 6.5 percentage points,

to 88.6% (versus Torontos 59.4%, Montrals 36.0%, Ottawas 35.4%, Calgarys
32.4% and Edmontons 32.5%).
Condos are the most affordable option in Vancouver. Their affordability increased 0.5
percentage points from Q1 2015 and 0.9 percentage points from Q2 2015 to 40.1%.392
Ownership Costs as a Percentage of Household Income, Toronto, 1986-2015:393

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Ownership Costs as a Percentage of Household Income, Vancouver, 1986-2015:394

Toronto is the fifth most expensive of 30 communities across Canada in which to buy a home:
Toronto-based website RentSeeker, which specializes in services for the apartment
industry, has produced an infographic showing what kind of income a person needs to
afford an average-priced home across Canada.
An annual income of $126,530 is needed to afford the average home in Toronto, which
in 2014 cost $630,858. Three Vancouver communities and a GTA city top Torontos
prices:
o In West Vancouver it takes an annual household income of $320,932 to afford
the average home, with a price tag of $1,757,700. In Vancouver, the average
price is $810,600 and required income $152,145. And in North Vancouver,
$133,478 is needed to afford the average home at a price of $704,700.
o Vaughan is the 4th most expensive community, with an average home price of
$717,414 and an annual household income of $140,804 needed to afford it.
Least expensive is Fredericton, where the cost of the average home is $156,000.
British Columbia unsurprisingly has the highest average home price at $562,000,
followed by Ontario at $446,000, and Alberta at $398,000.
o Quebec has the least expensive average home price ($268,000).395

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Salary Needed to Buy a Home in Cities Across Canada, 2014:396

While a decade-long housing boom brought considerable economic benefits to the GTA, it
masks structural problems that will take a regional policy approach to tackle:
As much as a quarter of Torontos job creation over the past 10 years has resulted from
the direct and indirect effects of healthy housing activity and prices. But the GTA faces
serious and growing structural challenges, says a TD Economics report, like
deteriorating affordability, lack of housing choice, and a strained transportation system.
Housing affordability, traditionally an issue for low-income residents in the rental
market, has begun to affect even higher-income residents in the real estate market.397

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GTA Average Home Prices, 1990-2014:398

o While home ownership rates have soared (across all age cohorts) due to
favourable mortgage rates, an estimated 16% of GTA households have debt
service payments in excess of 30% of their income. And an increase to interest
rates of just 2 percentage points would push that proportion of the population
to 20%.

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Share of Households with Debt Service Payments in Excess of 30% of Income:399

Developers continue to favour ever-shrinking condos, and the lack of affordable

townhouses or detached homes is preventing more young people and young families
from eventually moving into larger properties, and pushing more people into the rental
market.
o For the bottom 40% of GTA earners, nearly half of their household income is
spent on rent,400 and their incomes and rental costs are increasingly diverging.401

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GTA Rental Supply:402

Rent Growing Faster than Income for

Low-Income Earners:403

Transit might be compounding the problem. A better transit system and greater transit
equity could help, for example, to direct residents to where costs might be cheaper.404
o Our inadequate regional transit system is contributing to growing congestion
that, by some estimates, could cost the Region $15B in lost productivity by 2031
if nothing is done in the meantime.
During the peak morning rush hour more than two million automobile
trips are made. In a car the average morning commute is about 20
minutes; on public transit its between 50 minutes and an hour.405
o The solution, TD says, is not building along existing corridors but building more
transit corridors.406
A heated housing market is not exclusive to the city of Toronto and its downtown. The outer
suburbs has seen substantial price increases:
A spring survey of homes in the GTA performed by Torontos Realosophy Realty Inc. for
the Globe and Mail found that house prices in the GTA increased 8% overall in the first
quarter of 2015 compared to the first quarter of 2014, while days on market generally
decreased. For example,
o In the Centennial neighbourhood, the average price increased by 26% (from
$275,962 to $347,593) and days on market dropped to 13 from 18.
o In Southwest Ajax, the average price was up 23% (from $300,082 to $370,417)
and days on market dropped to 18 from 26.
o In Dunbarton, the average price increased 38% (from $608,167 to $838,375),
although the days-on-market trend differed (increasing rather than decreasing,
to 30 from 18).
The Globe reports that, according to US-based statistical rating organization Fitch
Ratings, Canadas real estate market is overvalued by about 20% based on long-term
economic fundamentals (such as income growth, population growth, unemployment
rate, and housing starts).

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o According to Fitch, risk factors looming large include the trend towards lower
participation in the labour force (as well as an increase in part-time work), an
overhang in the high-rise condo inventory, and the record 163.6% debt-toincome ratio reached by Canadians in the fourth quarter of 2014.407

Are people saving money by choosing the suburbs?

The sticker price of a house in the suburbs can be significantly less than one downtown, but
the total costs may not be that different once commuting costs are factored in:
In 2012 and 2014 surveys by the Royal Bank of Canada and the Pembina Institute, 82%
of respondents cited price as the primary determinant of where they lived. Many
homeowners found themselves pushed out of the downtown core to the car-dependent
suburbs where homes are cheaper.
But a report from RBC and Pembina considers what happens when location-related
costscar ownership, fuel, and the costs associate with commuting such as time wasted
in congestion and lost wagesare added to the price of a home.408
The analysis used four different Toronto-area buyers as case studies, finding five
housing options for each, all in different locations and with different commuting and
driving considerations.
o A family of five wanting a large home and a big yard closer to Toronto for under
$900,000, for example, could make their dream a reality by sacrificing one
vehicle. The researchers estimate that getting rid of one vehicle could save the
family a minimum of $200,000 over the lifetime of a mortgage.409
The city of Toronto far outstripped the other GTA regions in condo sales:
70% of condo sales in the GTA in the first quarter of 2015 were in Toronto.
o Peel accounts for another 14% of sales and York 11% (the remaining 5% are in
Durham and Halton).
Torontos condo sales increased by 11.1% in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the
same period a year before, with 4,940 units sold (versus 4,447 the year previous).
The average price was also up (3.6%), reaching $363,973 in Q1 2015 compared to
$351,213 in Q1 2014.410

How well can the average family afford to live in Toronto?

Three-bedroom condos meant to keep people in the core once they started having children
are too expensive and too small for families:
The Citys mandate that a certain number of three-bedroom condos be included in
towers under construction was meant to create new downtown dwellings for families.
But high prices and cramped quarters mean these units are instead being bought by
investors who rent them out, often creating student rooming houses in the sky.
As of January 2015, only 29 of the 93 condo projects under construction in the city
included three-bedroom options, and only 45 three-bedroom units were listed on
realtor.caand they ranged in price from $547,500 to $7.9M (for a penthouse).

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o The least expensive three-bedroom unit advertised was only 742 ft2, under the
average condo size of 797 ft2 and well below the 1,200 ft2 common for twobedroom units among the older stock of condos from the 1980s.411
The percentage of condos that are rented out in the GTA is increasing year by year. In
2014 it reached almost 29%, up from about 26% a year earlier.412
o Toronto had the highest percentage (31.3%) of rented condos in the GTA in
October 2014, followed by Peel (25.6%), York (23.8%), Durham (15.5%), and
Halton (13.7%).413
Percentage of GTA Condominiums Rented Out, 2004-2014:414

Strong demand for condominium living outstripped increased supply, driving the vacancy rate
for rented condominium apartments in the GTA below that of purpose-built rental
accommodations:
The vacancy rate for rented condominium apartments in the GTA decreased from 1.7%
in fall 2013 to 1.3% in October 2014.
The vacancy rate in Toronto in Q1 2015 was 1.3% (down 0.4 percentage points from Q1
2014).415
Although the supply of rented condominium apartments increased by more than 17.6%
(13,792 units) between Fall 2013 and October 2014, all new units added to the market
were rented out in 2014.416
Rental condo units tend to have higher rents than purpose-built rental
accommodations, but the low supply of new purpose-built rental units and condos
newer finishes, better amenities, and central locations have put condo rentals in high
demand.417
The average rent for condominium rental apartments (of all sizes) in Toronto was up
0.92% in October 2014 over October 2013, at $1,758.418
Although condos are the only affordable option to many home buyers, it is still much
cheaper to rent than buy or mortgage a condo, keeping many young professionals and

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downsizing baby boomers willing to pay increasingly higher rents for shrinking
spaces.419
Toronto is the most expensive place to rent in Canada, and has the fourth-lowest vacancy
rates.
Toronto-based website RentSeeker, which specializes in services for the apartment
industry, used data from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation to produce
its 2015 rental market infographic showing the average costs of renting and the
percentage of apartments vacant in major Canadian cities.
With an average two-bedroom renting for $1,596 and an average rent (across bachelor,
one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments) of $1,510.25, central Toronto (the former
City of Toronto) 420 is the most expensive place to rent, followed by Vancouver, where
the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,571 and the average across
apartment sizes is $1,403.25.
o Widening the scope from central Toronto to the GTA sees the average twobedroom fall to $1,238 and the overall average to $1,160.25. Comparatively,
neighbouring Hamiltonians pay $884 and $804.75 respectively.
Torontos vacancy rates sit at 1.3% for a bachelor, 1.6% for a one-bedroom, 1.4% for a
two-bedroom and 0.6% for a three-bedroom, which are all slightly lower than GTA
figured which are 1.6%, 1.7%, 1.5% and 1.4%, respectively.421
The vacancy rate for one-bedroom rental apartments in the Toronto Region increased by half a
percentage point in 2014, reaching 2.2%:
Although an improvement over the previous two years (the vacancy rate was 1.7% in
both 2013 and 2012),422 vacancy rates that fall consistently below 3% are generally
linked to increases in rental rates.423
The vacancy rate for two-bedroom apartments increased very slightly to 1.6% (up from
1.5% in 2013), but for three bedrooms it fell from 2% to 1.7%).424
Renting in Toronto is unaffordable for many households and the trends indicate the problem is
getting worse over time:
Almost half of Toronto households rent, and 43.5% of renter households spend more
than 30% of pre-tax income on rent.425
The average monthly rent (across all apartment sizes) in Toronto was $1,166 in October
2014, an increase of 2.82% over October 2013.
Halton Region continues to have the highest average rental rates in the Toronto
Region, at $1,189 in October 2014 (an increase of 4.12%). Rents are lowest in Durham
Region at an average of $1,000 (an increase of 2.04%).426
o The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Region in 2014 took up
42.7% of the average wages of a full-time employed youth (aged 15-24), an
increase of 9.2% (from 39.1%) since 2009.427
o The average market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the city of Toronto in
October 2014 was $1,264 (up from $1,225 in 2013 and $1,194 in 2012).428
To be considered affordable, housing must not exceed 30% of gross household income
(a threshold defined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation).429
41% less purpose-built rental housing was completed by mid-2014 than a year earlier.

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o 1,104 purpose-built rental units were completed in the GTA in the 12 months
prior to June 30, 2014 (the cut-off for a CMHC survey), 41.7% below the 1,896
units recorded in the same period a year earlier.430
Rent for seniors housing has decreased slightly, but remains close to $5,000 a month:
The average monthly rent for a seniors heavy care space (in which the resident receives
1.5 hours or more of care per day) is $4,744 in 2015, a decrease of 3.6% over 2014,
when it was $4,923.431

What about the people without housing options?

The number of homeless remained stable in Toronto from 2009 to 2013:
The Citys 2013 Street Needs Assessment estimates that 5,253 people were homeless
in Toronto on the night of April 17, 2013.
The figure was 1.6% higher than the estimate for 2009 (5,169), and any rise in
homelessness is undesirable. Nonetheless, the number was below the projected
population growth rate (4% to 5%) for the period, leading the City to assess 2013s
homeless number as stable with that of 2009.
The needs assessment counts Torontos homeless population, both those with shelter
and the street population. An estimated 9% of the homeless population (approximately
447 individuals) were estimated to be sleeping outdoors on the night of the count
24% higher than in 2009, but 39% below 2006 levels.432
Although the number of single people accessing emergency shelters remained relatively stable
in 2014, family use increased by 7.9%, and shelter use in general has been rising in recent
years:
An average of 3,038 single people occupied emergency shelter beds in Toronto every
night in 2014, representing a small increase from 2,975 in 2013. In general, their shelter
use has been increasing (2,917 singles used Torontos shelters in 2012, and 2,879 in
2011).
An average of 1,022 members of families used shelters every night in 2014, up from
947 the previous year (and from 928 in 2012 and 856 in 2011).433
Of course, shelter numbers underrepresent homelessness because they do not account
for those who do not access the shelter system (e.g., those who couch surf, sleep
rough, etc.).

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Average Nightly Occupancy by Month,

Toronto Permanent Emergency Shelters, 2013-2015434:

Meanwhile, the numbers of shelters and shelter beds in Toronto have been dropping:
The number of emergency homeless shelters dropped by 9% between March 2009 and
March 2013, when there were 41 shelters. During the same time period, shelters
decreased by 12% across the province, and 21% nationally.435
o The number of shelter beds decreased by 4.7% over the same time period
(versus 0.6% provincially and 7.6% nationally), although they increased between
2012 and 2013, from 3,119 beds to 3,217.436
The number of beds for youth remained stable between 2010 and 2013. In 2013 there
were 10 youth shelters with 398 beds. The number of beds for women declined from
551 in 2011 to 498 in 2012. As of 2013, there were still 498 womens beds, in 10
womens shelters.437
The number of deaths in shelters almost doubled in 2014:
30 people died in Torontos shelters in 2014an increase of 87.5% over 2013, and the
highest number of deaths in a single year between 2007 and 2014 (the second-highest
was 26 in 2008).
o Of those who died, 26 were male and 4 were female. Their average age was
57.3 years.

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 172 people died in shelters between 2007 and 2014, representing a yearly average of
21 deaths.
2014 ends a long trend of downward progression from 21 deaths in 2010 and 2011 to
18 in 2012 and 16 in 2013.438
Homeless people suffer far higher rates of chronic disease and premature death than
those who are housed, and they have more difficulty accessing health services.439
Although the active waiting list grew by only 1.5% in 2014, there are still close to 80,000
Toronto households waiting for affordable housing:
As of Q4 2014, there were 78,248 families and individuals on the active waiting list
(eligible and waiting to move into affordable housing) for social housing in the city,
1,139 more than in 2013.440
3,118 applicants were housed in 2014, 571 fewer than in 2013a decrease of 15% and
the lowest total in the past six years.441
The number affordable rental housing unites opened in 2014 remained low:
The 260 units of affordable rental housing opened in 2013 represented a drop of 77%
from 2012 (and 66% from 2011), and 2014 saw no percentage increase, with another
260 units opened.
The City did improve, however, on units built for affordable ownership, completing 98
in 2014 compared to only 54 made available in 2013 (which was 77% fewer than in
2012).442
Five-year Total Waiting List for Social Housing, City of Toronto, 2014:443

Racialized, immigrant, and newcomer youth are over-represented among the hidden
homeless population, and many feel a sense of shattered expectation:
Language and cultural barriers, and lack of status, personal ties, and history in Canada
make newcomer youth amongst the most vulnerable of homeless youth.
A 2009 survey of 244 homeless youth in the city found that nearly a quarter had been
born outside of Canada. A 2014 report from the Centre for Addiction and Mental

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Health and the Childrens Aid Society of Toronto paints an interesting portrait of
Torontos homeless newcomer youth:
o More than one in three participants identified as LGBTTIQ, compared to one
in five homeless youth in a 2013 City of Toronto study.
o The average age at which they first experienced homelessness was 17.
o Two-thirds cited family conflict as the main reason for their homelessness.
o One in four (25.9%) reported having experienced some form of trauma.444
o One in four are parents.
o Over a quarter held Refugee Claimant status.
o Many experienced a sense of shattered expectation after arriving in Canada
their experiences did not live up to their hopes and their settlement
experiences were not positive.
o Almost half (46.9%) reported Ontario Works as their main source of formal
income, while another third (32.8%) reported income through paid employment.
Homeless Youth Survey Participants History of Abuse,
and Physical and Mental Health History:445

Both newcomer youth and service provider survey participants put forward ways to
prevent and reduce homelessness among newcomer youth:
o help them obtain an insiders perspective on life in Canada,
o make peer-support networks more widely available,
o advocate for their housing needs,
o perform intensive case management and follow-up on their arrival in Canada,
and
o make homeless newcomer and youth a priority service population.446

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What is needed to build and maintain affordable housing, and what are the key
challenges?
The Citys Affordable Housing Office struggles to provide affordable housing as its Federal
Government funding decreases:
Although Canadas population has increased by almost 30% over the past 25 years, the
federal governments annual investment in housing has decreased by over 46% and
their spending on low-income housing (per capita) dropped $115 (adjusted for inflation)
to $60 over the same period.447
The reduction in the investment in, and overall supply of, affordable housing in Canada
(including private sector rental and social housing) is the societal shift that has had the
most profound impact on homelessness.
While government funding for social housing has declined, the private sector has
increased the overall supply of housingbut not rental housing. In fact, particularly in
gentrifying neighbourhoods, many existing rental properties were demolished or
converted into unaffordable condominiums.
The decline in affordable housing, combined with stagnating or declining incomes,
benefit reductions, and economic changes contribute to the creation of Canadas
homelessness problem.
While affordable housing is not the only solution to homelessness, an adequate supply
of it is a vital component in the quest to end homelessness.448
August 2014 saw the extension of the Federal-Provincial Investment in Affordable
Housing agreement to 2020. In December 2014 the Province announced the Citys
funding allocation would be $197M over the six-year term.449
With over a third of its aging properties in poor condition, Torontos largest social housing
provider has come up with a 10-year plan for investment and revitalization:
The citys largest provider of social housing stock is facing some serious challenges.
o Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) provides 61% of Torontos
social housing stock, housing approximately 109,000 people in 59,700 homes
throughout the city.450
o More than three-quarters of TCHC households have total incomes of less than
$20,000 per year. 25% of residents are 59 and older, and 29% of households
have a member living with a disability.451
o As of January 1, 2015, TCHC had an $896M capital repair backlog and needed
$2.6B for capital repairs over 10 years.452
o Only 64% of its properties are in good, or even fair, condition; 35% are in poor
condition, and 1% are in critical condition.
o The Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA) predicts that by 2023,
91% of TCHC properties will be in poor or critical condition, or even closed.453
o In 2014 alone, TCHC completed over 300,000 work orders in response to
service requests.454
TCHC developed a revitalization program to try to fix its buildings, with approximately
$5B worth of projects included. However, these projects cover only a fraction (10% to
12%) of the work that needs to be done.

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 To fund the other 90%, TCHC developed a 10-year capital financing plan with the City
of Toronto involving an investment of $2.6B split between the three levels of
government. TCHC and the City have managed to fund just over one third ($919M).455
Where the Money Will Come From:456

The City of Toronto and TCHC are now requesting $864M from both the provincial and
federal governments through their Close the Housing Gap campaign.457
CANCEA has weighed the socio-economic risks and rewards of TCHCs capital
investment plan and revitalization and found that failing to make the investment would
create significant social, economic, environmental, and financial risks. Its report
concludes that if the provincial and federal governments do not contribute, there will be
significant negative consequences:
o A $4.2B boost to the GDP will be lost, as will 62,700 employment years (roughly
2,000 jobs a year for 30 years).
o Poorer-quality housing will cost $1.55B over 30 years, the result of an estimated
312,000 instances of illness and 1.1 million additional uses of the healthcare system.
o Poor energy efficiency will result in an 11% rise annually in energy costs (about
$240) for each TCHC home and a 10% increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
o The community wealth of Toronto neighbourhoods will drop by an estimated
$5.7B as the value of market-rate rentals near decaying TCHC housing declines.458

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TCHC Housing Conditions in 10 Years, Reward and Risk Scenarios:459

In what ways are other cities doing better with housing issues similar to Toronto?
When it comes to growth, the GTHA has much to learn from Metro Vancouver. Despite its
challenges, its regional planning strategy has proven more effective than the GTHAs Growth
Plan:
The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, released in 2006, required that
40% of all housing development occur in the form of intensification. But a Neptis
Foundation study comparing the growth of the GTHA and Metro Vancouver from 2001
to 2011 concludes that the Growth Plan failed to strategically direct intensification to
areas where it would have the most benefit.
Neptis found three important differences between Metro Vancouver and the GTHA that
the Toronto Region could learn from:
o While Metro Vancouver is intensifying, the GTHA is growing mostly through
greenfield development.
Between 2001 and 2011, 69% of Metro Vancouvers new residents were
accommodated by intensifying existing urban areas, compared to only
14% of GTHA residents. The other 86% were housed in new suburban
subdivisions developed on greenfield sites.
Neighbourhoods in the older established urban areas of the GTHA are
experiencing a loss of population; those in Metro Vancouver are not.
Both regions are running hard to stand stillbuilding more housing
than necessary to accommodate the population. Housing stock has

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continued to grow faster than the population, resulting in a decrease in

household size and an increase in the proportion of one-person
dwellings, a trend fairly consistent across Canada.
o Metro Vancouver is achieving transit-oriented development, while growth in the
GTHA is going to areas without transit.
Only 18% of new residents in the GTHA settled near frequent transit
routes and only 10% within 1 km of a GO station. Comparatively, 50% of
new Metro Vancouver residents are located near a frequent transit route
and 23% are within 0.8 km of a SkyTrain Station.
The report suggests that Metro Vancouvers land use and transportation
planning are more in sync while the GTHAs are on separate tracks
although GTHA municipalities began planning in conformity with the
Growth Plan in 2006, it was two years later before Metrolinxs The Big
Move appeared.
o Metro Vancouver has created a more balanced housing stock over the past 20
years, while the GTHA offers a limited range of housing choices.
Housing stock in the GTHA has remained surprisingly stagnant from 1991
to 2011, negatively affecting both intensification and affordability. In
Metro Vancouver, the housing stock, once dominated by single
detached homes, is now more balanced.460

131

Composition of Housing Stock, GTHA and Metro Vancouver, 1991, 2001, and 2011:461

132

 The study discusses three corresponding implications for policy:

o establishment of a hard urban boundary to manage growth (the GTHA lacks a
policy such as Metro Vancouvers Urban Containment Boundary, which provides
a hard edge for urban sprawl);
o better coordination of planning for land use (the Growth Plan) and
transportation (The Big Move); and
o regional growth management, including co-operation and monitoring.462
The Gateway Cities project of the Institute Without Boundaries at George Brown College
compares Torontos housing challenges to those of New York City and Chicago:
The Institute evaluated quality of life indicators and data in the New York-ChicagoToronto Delta and published the results in its Atlas of One Delta.
The Atlas notes that when it comes to housing, Toronto is experiencing rapidly
increasing prices, diminishing availability, fierce competition in the rental market, and a
booming, but arguably overdeveloped, condo market.
The average price for a home in Toronto has increased by 80% in the past decade,
according to the Atlas.463

Housing Sale Prices and Number of

Homes Sold in 2012, GTA vs. NYC and Chicago:464

133

 While Torontos rental prices are nowhere near NYCs, renters can get more space for
less money in Chicago.465

Average Monthly Home Rental and Average Size for a One-Bedroom Apartment in New York,
Toronto, and Chicago:466

134

 The one thing all three cities have in common is residents without housing options.
o On any given night, over 65,000 people in the three cities are homeless.
6.5% of the population in the city of Toronto is either living in or waiting for affordable
housing. Wait lists for affordable housing are lengthy in both the city and the suburbs of
the GTA, but the situation for those in the suburbs is especially precarious, with far
more people waiting than there are spaces available.
o The total wait list in the suburbs is nearing 26,000 for fewer than 20,000
(currently occupied) units. In some areas, there are almost twice as many
applicants as units.
Emergency shelter is in even worse supply. Only 15% of the GTAs shelter beds (770
beds) are in the suburbs, meaning vulnerable populations may be forced to seek
emergency shelter downtown.
o Shelter beds in Toronto are nearly 10 times more expensive than social
housing.467

Torontos Wait Lists for

Affordable Housing:468

Torontos Costs for Social Housing vs. Shelter Beds:469

Where are there bright spots in Torontos housing landscape?

A zoning change will allow Torontos apartment neighbourhoods to transform into healthy,
vibrant, complete, and more equitable communities:
After nearly two years of research, public consultation, policy development, and
advocacy by the United Way, the City, and Toronto Public Health, Council approved
the proposed Residential Apartment Commercial (RAC) zone in June 2014. The citywide zoning change is the first of its type for Toronto.

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 Toronto contains the second-largest concentration of high-rise buildings in North

America. The RAC zoning will take effect in nearly 500 apartment properties that form
dozens of apartment neighbourhoods in Torontos inner suburbs and across the city.
Additional sites, such as those downtown, will move forward in subsequent phases.
Many of these apartment neighbourhoods were zoned five decades ago, when
Torontos suburbs were planned with a strict separation of residential, commercial, and
institutional land use and with amenities a short car ride away. This worked for the carcentric suburbs of old, but communities needs and aspirations have changed, and the
lack of local services, fresh food, employment opportunities, childcare amenities, and
more has affected health outcomes.
The new bylaws will allow a full range of uses within apartment neighbourhoods,
providing residents better access to things like banks, coffee shops, clothing stores,
drug stores, and places of worshipamenities that most Torontonians take for granted.
Approval of the RAC zone was just a first step. It is now up to landlords, residents, and
communities to bring to life the potential for Toronto.470
Toronto is now home to Canadas first LGBTQ* transitional housing program:
LGBTQ* youth experience higher rates of harassment and violence and are overrepresented in the shelter system.
o Data on the percentage of LGBTQ* youth among Canadas homeless is sparse,
but in a 2000 study, 25-40% identified as queer or trans.
o A 2012 needs assessment conducted for Egale (a national charity promoting
human rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity) with LGBTQ*
youth in Toronto found that challenges at home and at school were the most
common root causes of homelessness.
o In Torontos 2013 Street Needs Assessment, one in five respondents in youth
shelters identified as LGBTQ*. The number may be higher, however, because
stigma may encourage under-reporting.
A 2014 City staff report recommended that Council explore community interest in
operating a standalone emergency shelter or transitional housing for homeless LGBTQ*
youth.471 In March 2015 the City allocated $600,000 of the 2015 budget to fund 54
beds for LGBTQ* homeless youth.
o The second location has yet to be announced, but YMCAs Sprott House will
provide 25 of the beds and transitional programming specifically targeted to
LGBTQ* youthmaking it the first LGBTQ* shelter in Canada.

YMCAs Sprott House in the Annex is slated to be the location of Canadas first
LGBTQ* youth shelter.

Advocates say this is a good start but that more funding is necessary due to a
disproportionate number of LGBTQ* youth attempting to access shelter services and a
deeplyhomophobic and transphobic culture within the shelter system.472

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The following groups are addressing issues relating to housing through their innovative
community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
Artscape Creating shared space for non-profit and arts based orgs through urban
development
Canadian Urban Institute Building wisdom and inspiring leadership for healthy urban
development
Community Living Toronto Providing meaningful ways for those with an intellectual disability
to participate in their community
Covenant House - Serving youth experiencing homelessness
The Dorothy Ley Hospice - Fostering hope and dignity for individuals living with life-limiting
illness or loss
East York East Toronto Family Resources Organization - Increasing the well-being of individuals
and families
Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth - Working locally and nationally to prevent, reduce, and
end youth homelessness
Fred Victor - Providing accessible housing to people experiencing homelessness and poverty
The Good Neighbours' Club Welcoming homeless men into a safe space through a drop-in
centre
Habitat for Humanity Toronto - Mobilizing volunteers to build affordable housing
Homes First Providing affordable stable housing and support services to help people break
the cycle of homelessness
Interval House - Enabling abused women and children to have access to safe shelter and
responsive services
LOFT Community Services - Helping people with challenges including mental health and
addiction issues
The Massey Centre for Women - Striving to achieve healthy outcomes for all young mothers
and families
Neighbourhood Information Post (NIP) - Empowering marginalized and socially isolated people
Nellie's Women's Shelter - Operating services for women and children who have experienced
and are experiencing violence, poverty and homelessness.
New Visions Toronto - Providing services for individuals with developmental and/or physical
disabilities
Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC) - Working with members of the Parkdale
community on issues of poverty and mental health
Regeneration Community Services - Promoting self-determination and a higher quality of life
for people living with mental health issues
The Redwood - Supporting women and their children to live free from domestic abuse
Seeds of Hope Foundation Building sustainable communities with resource centres that
encourage learning, recovery, and enterprise
Sherbourne Health Centre Corporation Providing healthcare and transformative support to
those experiencing systemic barriers
SkyWorks Charitable Foundation Advocating and participating in social change through
community film making

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Small Change Fund - Supporting grassroots projects that contribute to social and
environmental change
Springboard Helping people develop the skills they need to overcome barriers and achieve
their full potential
St. Stephens Community House Programming for newcomer and low-income residents
Street Health Community Nursing Foundation - Improving the wellbeing of homeless and
under housed individuals
Toronto ACORN - Building community groups in low income areas to establish community
campaigns
Unison Health Community Services - Delivering accessible and high quality health and
community services
WoodGreen Enhancing self-sufficiency, promoting well-being and reducing poverty
YWCA Toronto - Transforming the lives of women and girls through programs that promote
equality

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Getting Around
Why is this important?
The ability to move people and goods efficiently is vital to the economic health of the city. The
congestion on regional arteries may be costing the GTHA more than $6B annually in lost
productivity. Focusing on building good, affordable transit and active transportation networks
is also good for our health and for our environment, and ensures that all have the ability to get
from A to B.

What are the trends?

The number of commuters who take transit, walk, or bike to work continues to increase. Still,
the Toronto Region remains rare among the worlds top cities in having both long commute
times and a low percentage of commuters who use something other than a car to get around.
The average Torontonian spends more time getting to work than the average commuter in any
other municipality in the country.
Some Key Trends

2012

2013

44.2%
(2006 census)

47.2%
(2011 NHS)473

514,007,000
(2.8% increase)

525,194,000
(2.2% increase)

534,815,000
(1.8%
increase)474

3. Pedestrian collision fatalities

18
(2011)475

24
(2012)476

40
(2013)477

4. Cyclist collision fatalities

4478

0479

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless

otherwise noted
1. Percentage of commuters who take
transit, walk or bike to work rather
than driving
2. Annual TTC ridership (rate of
increase over previous year)

2014

*As of June 17, 2015,

there were 3 cyclists
killed in 2015.

5. Number of GO Transit passengers

(boardings)

61 M

65.6 M480

68.2 M481

Whats new?
The citys mayor introduced a six-point strategy to fight gridlock, and in February 2015, Council
approved funding to study an accelerated SmartTrack work plan. Council is also moving
towards policies to reduce vehicle speeds to make active transportation safer. New analysis by
Toronto Public Health shows that pedestrians and cyclists are at greater risk of injury or death
in motor vehicle collisions than are people in cars or on transit, and Toronto has been named
the fifth most dangerous city in Canada (out of 10) to ride a bike. Meanwhile, cycling volumes
have tripled and vehicle travel times have been positively impacted on Richmond, Adelaide,
and Simcoe Streets since bike lanes were installed. But barriers to getting around remain for

139

someand the Toronto Transit Commission is in danger of missing its deadline for full
accessibility by 2025.

How congested is Torontos traffic and what can be done?

The Region remains rare among the worlds top cities in having both long commute times and
a low percentage of commuters who use something other than a car to get from A to B:
Transportation continues to be one of the key weaknesses in Torontos labour
attractiveness, the Toronto Region Board of Trade argues. Our low percentage of
commuters who take some form of transit other than the car to work again earned the
Region a 14th place ranking and a C grade on the Boards 2015 Scorecard on
Prosperity.
o Only 29.0% of Torontos employed labour force uses some form of transit other
than the car to get to work. Most of the other ranked North American cities do
not fare any betteronly New York (in 11th with 40.6%) and Montral (in 13th
with 29.3%) bettered Toronto. Vancouver is just behind Toronto (in 15th place
with 27.8%).
Hong Kong placed first, where 88.5% use a mode other than the
automobile to get to work.
The Scorecard also placed Toronto 15th (unchanged from 2014) out of 22 global
metropolitan cities for average round-trip commute time.
o It found that Toronto has the longest round-trip commute time (66 minutes,
earning a B grade) of any North American city in the rankings except New York
(in 18th place with 69.8 minutes). Chicago is 12th with 61.9 minutes and
received an A grade.
Calgary took the top spot, with a shorter commute of 52 minutes.482
o Increasingly longer commute times have a negative effect on health and
intensify the time crunch that one in five Ontarians feels caught in, with less
time for family, leisure, and community.483
The GTHAs congestion crisis continues to threaten the economy of Canadas largest cityregion and the quality of life of its six million residents:
Toronto is the 47th most congested city in the world, the eighth most congested in
North America, and the second most congested in Canada.
The fifth annual traffic index from TomTom, a Dutch company that specializes in
navigation and mapping products, is based on travel times across the day and for peak
versus non-peak periods. Toronto ranks 47th of 146 cities around the world.
o New York, by comparison, is only two spots ahead at 45th. The three most
congested cities in the world are Istanbul, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro in
first, second, and third respectively.
The three most congested cities in North America are Mexico City (55%), Los Angeles
(39%), and Vancouver (35%), which is the most congested city in Canada. Toronto is
close behind Vancouver, however. Torontos congestion level is 31%, with an average
morning and evening peak of 53% and 66% respectively.
Toronto drivers experience a 23-minute delay per half hour driven in peak period
adding up to 87 hours per year. Comparatively, commuters in the most congested city
in the world, Istanbul, are delayed 110 hours per year.

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o Torontos most congested morning of the week is on Thursday and the most
congested evening is also Thursday, when congestion nears 80%.484
Torontos Congestion and Commute-Related Delay Per Day:485

Torontos Congestion and Commute Statistics, 2014:486

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The average Torontonian spends 32.8 minutes getting to work, more than any other
municipality in the country. Soon after Torontos new mayor was elected, he outlined a 6-point
strategy to fight gridlock:
No stopping enforcementas of January 1, 2015, the City implemented a zero
tolerance policy for drivers who block major routes during rush hour, and parking
enforcement officers were reassigned from residential areas to major thoroughfares
during peak hours.
Better road closure reportingupdated methods for reporting road closures to the City
and to residents will be implemented to better coordinate road closures with events in
Toronto.
Increased traffic enforcement teammembers of the Toronto police traffic unit, parking
enforcement, and Transportation Services have been tasked with developing a
comprehensive new plan, including 40 new traffic cameras installed along major routes
with another 80 to be installed in 2016.
Increased traffic signal re-timing350 traffic lights will be re-timed over 2015.
Clampdown on private constructionTransportation Services will prepare a report for
the City on how to handle lane closures caused by private construction contractors.
Speed-up of public constructionpublic construction projects will be permitted to
operate from 6am to 11pm to expedite their completion, and early completion will be
rewarded with cost premiums where financially feasible.487
In February 2015, Council approved $1.65M in funding to study an accelerated SmartTrack
work plan.488
The SmartTrack line would provide service from the Airport Corporate Centre in the
west, southeast to Union Station, and northeast to Markham in the east, with 22 new
stops and five interchanges with the TTCs rapid transit network. The original plan
promised completion in seven years, with service starting in 2021.489
The plan builds on the provincial Regional Express Rail (RER) initiative and the line
would operate on provincially owned GO Transit rail corridors. It will require approval
from both Council and the Province.
Council also adopted a series of recommendations related to the public transit
proposal, addressing finances, design, number of stations, frequency of service,
electrification plans, and public outreach.490
o In particular, it passed a motion to include additional elements on the
Stouffville/Lakeshore East GO corridor from Unionville to Union Station
(including seven additional stations), and on the Kitchener GO corridor from
Mount Dennis to Union Station.
Meanwhile, Metrolinx announced it would work with the City to integrate Regional
Express Rail planning with the SmartTrack plan. A tender was issued in early 2015 to
expand and improve a 17 km section of the Stouffville line between Scarborough
Junction and Unionville Station.
o Metrolinx is moving forward with the construction of a second track on a 5-km
stretch of the Stouffville-Union line. Double-tracking for the remainder of the 17
km and additional station upgrades on the Stouffville line are still in the planning
and design phases, with construction expected to begin in 2016.491
Washington States Commute Trip Reduction program is an innovative approach to reducing
drive-alone commutes.

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 The program targets big employers in heavily populated areas, requiring them to
incentivise reducing single-occupant vehicle commuting at major worksites. The
program was adopted into law in 1991.
Specific incentives that have been offered by Seattle corporations and organizations
have included flexible work hours, the option to work from home, mortgage discounts
to move closer, transit pass programs, and cash to use transportation modes other than
driving.492
Launched in September 2015, StudentMoveTO is a student-led initiative out of four of
Torontos universities (OCADU, University of Toronto, York University, and Ryerson University)
that is collecting data and surveying students about their commutes. Participants from across
the GTHA will provide evidence to compel decision makers that students need improved
transportation options to get to, and from, school and that long-commute times have major
ramifications on quality of life and educational outcomes.

How are Torontonians experiencing our public transportation system?

The number of commuters who take public transit continues to increase:
Over 534 million passenger trips were made on all TTC vehicles in 2014
approximately 9 million more than in 2013.493
o GO Transit boardings numbered 68.2 million in 2014, up from 65.6 million the
previous year.494
The number of public transit trips per capita in the city of Toronto is less than half that of
London, and substantially lower than many other world cities:
As reported to the World Council on City Data (WCCD) in 2014, Torontonians take
almost four times as many public transit trips per capita than people who live in LA
201.11 vs. 53.07. However, Torontos public transit usage pales in comparison to
several other international cities: 217.00 trips per capita were reported in Boston,
294.64 in Rotterdam, 374.80 in Helsinki, and 490.17 in London.495

143

Annual Number of Public Transport Trips per Capita, as reported to the WCCD in 2014:496

Los Angeles
Toronto
Boston
Rotterdam
Helsinki
London
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Annual Number of Public Transport Trips per Capita

The Toronto Transit Commission is in danger of missing its deadline for full accessibility by
2025. In the meantime, those with mobility issues are not getting equal access:
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires full accessibility on
transit systems across the province by 2025. But as of March 2015,
o all TTC buses are fully accessible but 20% of the stops are not;
o only four of the 204 low-floor, accessible streetcars on order from Bombardier
have been delivered (all are slated to be delivered by 2019497) and put in service,
all on the 510 Spadina routenearly 50 should have been in service on this
route and on the 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst routes498; and
o 34 subway and Scarborough Rapid Transit (SRT) stations are equipped with
elevators from platform to street level, but 35 are not.499
The number of stations requiring accessibility improvements jumps to 39
when considering needs in addition to elevators (such as easier-access
fare gates, automatic sliding doors, and signage improvements).500
The TTC says that without additional funding, a $165M funding shortfall for accessibility
and competing capital priorities to ensure the systems state of good repair and
safety requirements of the existing ageing system may compromise its ability to meet
the costly AODA requirements.501
Meanwhile, passengers unable to board streetcars or use stairs or elevators at subway
stations must find other ways to reach their destinations or use Wheel-Trans service.
Torontoist has mapped what the system looks like to a person with accessibility
needs.502

144

What the TTC Looks Like to Those Able to Use Stairs and Escalators, 2015:503

What the TTC Looks Like to Those Unable to Use Stairs and Escalators, 2015:504

Map by Sean Marshall

145

Timelines for Full Rollout of Accessibility Standards:505

The TTC is not the only entity falling behind on AODA compliance. A legislative review
of AODA in February 2015, the half-way mark to the 2025 commitment, warned of
slow and challenging implementation to date.506
The review has prompted the Province to improve its compliance and enforcement
measures with a 10-year action plan that includes an annual compliance review report
including information on complaints and fines.
o Non-compliance fines range from $200 to $2,000 for individuals and $500 to
$15,000 for corporations.507
Station improvements and service improvements are making transit more comfortable and
more reliable:
The TTC is working to not only increase the aesthetics but also the accessibility of a
number of subway stations throughout the system. Enhancements include:
o new elevators and improved signage at Runnymede station;
o automatic sliding doors, an accessible fare gate, and bicycle parking at Dufferin
Station;
o elevators, improved signage, and CCTV security cameras at St. Clair West
Station; and
o new public art installations and 5,000 square metres of green roofs at Victoria
Park Station.508

146

 Service improvements announced in the TTCs 2015 budget (representing an

investment that will annualize to $95M once fully implemented) include:
o restoration of all day, every day bus service (cut in 2011);
o 10-minute or better bus and streetcar service on key routes from 6am to 1am six
days a week;
o reduced wait times and crowding at off-peak times;
o reduced wait times and crowding on 21 of the busiest routes during morning
and afternoon rush hours;
o proof-of-payment and all-door boarding on all streetcar routes;
o 50 new buses and a temporary storage facility in order to add four new routes
on the Express Bus network (which serves 34 million riders annually), to reduce
wait times and crowding on some peak-period routes, and to provide spare
buses during maintenance;
o 12 new routes on the Blue Night Network, which serves 4 million riders annually;
o up to two additional trains on Lines 1 and 2 during morning and afternoon rush
hours;
o route management improvements to reduce short-turns, bunching, and gapping
of buses and streetcars; and
o additional resources to focus on subway reliability around signals, track, and
communications systems.509
Rising transit fares are a very visible cost of transit improvements:
The cost of tokens rose by 10 cents to $2.80 on March 1, 2015, and fares for seniors
(65+) and students (13-19) rose proportionally to $1.95. However, cash fares remained
unchanged (at $3.00 for adults, and $2.00 for seniors and students510). The cost of a
monthly Metropass increased by nearly $8, to $141.50.511
As of March 1, 2015, riding the TTC is free for children 12 and under:
The measure helps to provide financial relief for families, many of whom use the TTC to
take their kids to and from school and daycare so they can work. It also helps to reduce
traffic congestion, pollution and costs for schools and daycares, who need
transportation for excursions. Previously, for each child who used the TTC the charge
was 75 cents.512
The TTC is set to begin phasing out tickets and tokens in favour of the Presto smart card:
The Presto card will provide access to the TTC system when customers tap the card
against a Presto card reader.
o Earlier this year, 26 subway stations began accepting Presto cards. By the end of
2015 every streetcar will have Presto card readers, and the TTC plans to have
them on all of its buses by the end of 2016.
o Every subway station will have vending machines where customers can use cash,
debit cards, and credit cards to top up the balance on a card.
Customers will still be able to purchase a Metropass or quantities of trips, although the
workings of this have not yet been finalized.
The TTC says its old fare media will be sold only until the end of 2016, but will be
accepted until mid-2017.513

How are Torontonians doing on the active transportation front?

147

The number of commuters who walk or bike continues to increase:

According to the 2011 census, 47.2% of Torontonians were choosing transit or active
transportation instead of driving to get to work, an increase from 44.2% in the 2006
census.514
A Share the Road survey conducted in 2014 found that 5.7% of Torontonians, or
158,000, ride their bikes daily.515 And Toronto Cycling Think and Do Tank has noted
dramatic growth in bike ridership since 2009.
o In 2009, the Citys Transportation Department released its Cycling Study, which
showed that 29% of Torontonians were utilitarian cyclists.
o Analysis of 2011 National Household Survey data showed astonishing cycling
mode share levels in some census tractsnearly 20% in Seaton Village and in
Dufferin Grove, with other west-end areas following closely. These data
accounted only for trips to work and school, so total cycling mode share would
be even higher.
o In 2013, the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation and Share the Road
released survey results showing that 7% of Torontonians cycled daily.
o And in September 2013, a Cycle Toronto/Toronto Cycling Think and Do Tank
study showed that (on the two study days) approximately equal numbers of cars
and bikes used College Street during the afternoon rush houra 74% increase
in cycling on the street in just three years.516
Nonetheless, a September 2014 Smart Commute survey of 1,000 GTHA commuters
found that of participants (chosen for having travelled or teleworked at least three times
a week for work, school, or volunteering in the last 12 months), only 4% walked and 2%
biked.
o While 30% reported using public transit, the majority of respondents (55%)
drove alone. Only 7% carpooled.517
Toronto was named the second-most walkable city in Canada in Walk Scores national rankings
in 2015:
Walk Score rates the walkability of various cities (selective sections of cities, not cities
as a whole). Among 22 Canadian cities, Toronto finished behind Vancouver again this
year.
o Toronto received a score of 71.4 out of a possible 100, while Vancouver scored
78 and Montral 70.4, making all of these cities very walkable.
Of 141 cities across the US, Canada, and Australia with populations of 200,000+,
Toronto ranked 11th (New York was first).

Of Torontos neighbourhoods, the Bay Street Corridor, the ChurchYonge Corridor, and Kensington-Chinatown were singled out as
tops in walkability.518
Toronto tied with Saskatoon as the fourth most dangerous city in Canada out of 10 to ride a
bike:

148

 The Seattle-based team that created the Walk Score methodology partnered with a
team at the University of British Columbia to develop a Bike Score for 10 Canadian
cities in 2012.
o Factors used to calculate a citys Bike Score include cycling infrastructure,
topography, desirable amenities, and road connectivity.
Along with Saskatoon, Toronto placed 4th, while Victoria, Vancouver, and Montral
placed first, second, and third respectively.519
While fatalities have declined over the last decade, pedestrians and cyclists are still at greater
risk of injury or death in collisions with motor vehicles than people travelling in cars or using
transitand youth, young adults, and seniors are especially vulnerable:
A new Toronto Public Health report (based on Toronto Police Services collision reports
from 2008-2012) examines how safe active transportation is in the city.
Rates of injuries and fatalities declined from 20 per million walking trips in 2003 to 16
per million in 2012, and from 51 per million cycling trips in 2003 to 33 in 2012. The
report notes that given the population increase in the city over this period, the declines
are particularly encouraging.520
Pedestrian Collision Injuries and Fatalities per 1 Million Trips, Toronto, 2003-2012:521

149

Cyclist Collision Injuries and Fatalities per 1 Million Trips, Toronto, 2003-2012:522

Between 2008 and 2012, an average of 2,074 Toronto pedestrians and 1,097 cyclists
per year were involved in a collision with a vehicle that resulted in injury or death, and
most accidents were not the result of pedestrian or cyclist behaviours.
o 9% of those pedestrian collisions (921 of 10,288) resulted in hospitalization, and
1.2% (120 of 10,288) in a fatality. The numbers for cyclists are slightly better at
4% hospitalizations (222 of 5,384 collisions) and 0.2% fatalities (10 of 5,384).
o In most (67%) of the pedestrian-vehicle collisions, the pedestrian had the right of
way. In only 19% of incidents they did not have the right of way, and in 14% the
right of way was unknown.
o Approximately 3% of pedestrian collision injuries and 1.5% of cyclist injuries
involved a transit vehicle. Pedestrians involved in transit-related collisions are
70% more likely to suffer a severe or fatal injury than if they were involved in a
collision with a car. Cyclists are 2.16 times more likely to suffer a severe or fatal
injury in a transit collision than in a collision with a regular vehicle.
o Only about 13% of pedestrians and 12% of cyclists were deemed inattentive
(e.g., texting or listening to a device with earbuds) at the time of a collision with
a motor vehicle. Pedestrians aged 19 and under and cyclists aged 5-19 and 65+
were the most likely to be inattentive.
o Only about 5% of pedestrians and 3% of cyclists involved in a collision were
under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Young adults and seniors are the most vulnerable to pedestrian injuries and fatalities,
with those aged 15-24 and 75+ experiencing the highest total injuries and fatalities and
those 20-24 and 65+ having the highest rates of major injuries and fatalities.
o Among cyclists, youth are particularly at risk, with 11- to 24-year-olds seeing the
highest rates of injuries and fatalities. Seniors also have one of the highest rates
of major injuries and fatalities.

150

o While most bike-related injuries in children are caused by other factors such as
falling or colliding with another bicycle or pedestrian, collisions with vehicles are
the next most common cause of injury. The high rates of injuries and fatalities of
youth cyclists may be due to their riding bikes for entertainment as well as for
transport.
o For seniors, age-related changes such as those in perceptual and cognitive
functions may have an impact on the rate and severity of their involvement in
pedestrian and cyclist collisions.523
Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities per 100,000 Population, by Age Cohort,
Toronto, 2008-2012:524

Cyclist Injuries and Fatalities per 1 Million Trips, by Age Cohort, Toronto, 2008-2012:525

151

 Most pedestrians and cyclists involved in a motor vehicle collision (69%) are struck in an
intersection (versus 22% struck at mid-block locations), likely because their numbers
increase at intersections and because the turning of motor vehicles here creates
particularly close interactions.
o The least likely place for a pedestrian to be struck is at a pedestrian crossover.
Cyclists are least likely to be struck at a traffic signal.
o Data also show the effectiveness of different types of bikeways in improving
cyclist safety, with off-road pathways being the safest option.526
Cyclist Collisions per Length of Bikeway Lanes, Toronto,
Five-Year Average (2008-2012):527

By mid-June 2015, three cyclists had been killed so far in the year in Toronto (compared
to no deaths by mid-June 2014).
o A Toronto Star analysis of Toronto Police Service statistics show that the worst
month for traffic accidents involving cyclists is July. Thursday is the worst day of
the week, and rush hour, specifically 5-6 pm, is the worst time of day.528
Preliminary research indicates that cycling volumes have tripled, cyclists feel safer, and motor
vehicle travel times have been largely positively impacted since the installation of bike lanes on
Richmond, Adelaide, and Simcoe Streets in 2014:
9,866 people participated in an online Cycle Track feedback survey offered by the
City between December 2014 and May 2015. Of the participants, 8,442 said they were
cyclists and 1,424 said they were not.
The results show that overall cycling volumes on the three streets have tripled since the
cycle tracks were installed.
o Richmond and Adelaide Streets average over 4,200 cyclist trips per weekday,
while Simcoe averages 1,100 trips.
Of those who bike, 94% strongly agreed that the cycle tracks should be made
permanent, with 4% just agreeing, 1% feeling neutral, and 1% strongly disagreeing.
Cyclists feeling of safety on these streets increased from 3.6 out of 10 before the cycle
tracks were installed to 8.3 out of 10 after, although they reported abuses of the tracks,
with construction work and cars blocking them being reported as more serious
problems.
Although the results are very different among those who do not bike, a majority (52%)
still strongly agreed and that the tracks should be made permanent. A quarter (25%),
however, strongly disagreed, while 6% disagreed, 12% agreed, and 5% felt neutral.

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o A majority of drivers noted some level of concern related to the cyclist tracks,
including crossing them while doing a right turn, dropping off and picking up
passengers or deliveries, and cyclists still (legally) using the traffic lanes, either to
make a left turn or to avoid stopped vehicles or construction.
A majority of both drivers and cyclists agreed that some form of physical separation is
needed between the cycle tracks and traffic lanes.
o Over 90% of cyclists voiced this need, with 39% saying flexi-posts are an
effective form of separation and 36% proposing something more concrete, such
as a curb. 60% of drivers agreed there is need for a physical separation, with
roughly half feeling the flexi-posts were effective enough.529
A City evaluation shows mostly positive impacts on vehicular travel times on either
Richmond or Adelaide (vehicular travel times were not assessed on Simcoe).530
Comparison of Average Motor Vehicle Travel Times (Minutes: Seconds), 2014-2015, Richmond
Street, from York to Bathurst: 531

Comparison of Average Motor Vehicle Travel Times (Minutes: Seconds), 2014-2015, Adelaide
Street, from York to Simcoe: 532

Six pedestrian-vehicle collisions within 24 hours in November 2014 prompted the City to
propose actions to keep pedestrians safer, including giving them more time to cross
intersections:
The accidents came days after the Toronto Police Service launched a safety campaign
to remind drivers and pedestrians of the increased dangers typical of November
traditionally the deadliest month for pedestrians as drivers adjust to increasingly dark
and wet conditions.
The Citys transportation services department responded by promising improved road
markings and signs at problem intersections.

153

 Pedestrians will also be given more time to make it through intersections, as the City
has dropped its assumed speed of a pedestrian from 1.3 metres per second to 1.0.533
Since 2013, the worst year for traffic fatalities in nearly a decade, Toronto City Council has
slowly moved towards implementing policies to reduce the speed of vehicles to improve
safety:
A 2015 Toronto Public Health report documents the role that speed plays in both the
occurrence of, and the risk of fatality in, pedestrian and cyclist collisions with motor
vehicles.
o Collisions that result in pedestrian and cyclist injury or death most frequently
occur on roads with higher posted speed limits such as major and minor arterial
roads.
o Pedestrians struck mid-block by motor vehicles are 1.42 times more likely to
suffer a major injury or fatality than those struck in intersections, likely due to the
higher speeds travelled mid-block.
o The risk of pedestrian fatality is estimated to be twice as high at 50 km/h as it is
at 40 km/h and more than five times as high than at 30 km/h.534
Torontos Chief Medical Officer of Health has previously recommended reducing speed
limits on Toronto streets to a maximum of 40 km/h.535
City Council is weighing the merits of different approaches to limiting vehicle speeds:
o With universal speed limit reductions, an entire citys speed limit is lowered.
o Another option, slow zones, designates lower speed limits in specific
neighbourhoods, and typically some changes to infrastructure to support the
transition. In Toronto, streets needed to get speed bumps to have their speeds
reduced to 30 km/h.
In May 2015, Council adopted a 30 km/h Speed Limit Policy that outlines conditions for
having a streets speed limit lowered without requiring any infrastructure changes. The
conditions require first a local petition in favour of reducing the limit, and then that the
street meets three of four criteria:
o that it has no sidewalks,
o that cars are parked on both sides of the street (or one side if the street is
extremely narrow),
o that it has two curves that are unmanageable at more than 30 km/h within 200
metres of each other, and
o that there is a lack of safe stopping distance at two locations.536
The Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC) requested that the City reduce
the posted speed limits on all local roads in the district from 40 km/h to 30 km/h.
o A City staff report estimated the move would need $1.1M in funding that would
have to be secured in the 2016 budget process (to install approximately 4,450
road signs at $225 each and re-time approximately 310 traffic signals at $200
each).
o Analysis of Toronto Police Services accident reports for the Community Council
area for 2009-2013 showed, however, that roads in the 5060 km/h speed limit
range had much higher rates of pedestrian and cyclist collisions and fatalities
than did those in the 3040 km/h range.537

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Number of Pedestrian Collisions by Posted Speed Limit, Toronto, 2009-2013:538

Number of Cyclist Collisions by Posted Speed Limit, Toronto, 2009-2013:539

Outcome of Pedestrian Collisions by Posted Speed Limit, Toronto, 2009-2013:540

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Outcome of Cyclist Collisions by Posted Speed Limit, Toronto, 2009-2013:541

o In addition to improved safety and reduced severity of injury for pedestrians and
cyclists, the report noted many possible benefits to the idea, including:
less motorist confusion (one speed limit on all local streets),
less noise,
more active transportation use,
less fuel consumption, and
fewer polluting emissions.
o However, in addition to the significant implementation cost, the report
acknowledged some possible limitations, including:
the reality that a 30 km/h limit might not be suitable for every local road
(which could cause motorist frustration and non-compliance),
resistance from some residents,
increased travel times for motorists and transit vehicles,
need for increased police services for enforcement, and
need for significant public awareness and education campaigns.
The report concluded that while reducing speed limits is the most elementary way of
reducing risks to pedestrians, cyclists, and even motorists, widespread and arbitrary
reductions would likely not have the desired effect. The report instead recommended
using the 30 km/h Speed Limit Policy.542
In June 2015, TEYCC established a universal 30 km/h speed limit within its
boundaries543, although as of August 2015, it had yet to be implemented.
The Province is also making some strides in tackling road safety for cyclists and pedestrians:
In June 2015, the Highway Traffic Act was amended, and among the changes were:
o increased fines and demerit points for drivers who door cyclists, and requirements
that all drivers maintain a minimum distance of one metre when passing cyclists; and
o a requirement for drivers to wait until pedestrians have completely crossed school
and other pedestrian crossings before proceeding.544
The Province is also considering giving cities the ability to reduce speed limits on
arterial roads from 50 km/h to 40 km/h.545

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How are our transportation choices impacting health in Toronto?

Air pollution still poses a significant burden of illness in Torontoand the biggest local source
of air pollutants is motor vehicle traffic:
Pollution still causes 1,300 premature deaths and 3,550 hospitalizations each year in the
city. 42% (or 280) of those premature deaths and over half (55%) of the hospitalizations
(1,090) can be blamed on motor vehicle emissions.
One way to reduce emissions from traffic, Toronto Public Health notes in an update to
its 2004 Burden of Illness report, is to reduce the number of cars on the road by getting
people to use alternate modes of transportation.
o Compared to other major North American cities, Toronto has the lowest
proportions of people who commute by walking or cycling.
o A shift to more active transportation is feasible, though, as about 55% of all trips
in Toronto are less than 7 km and over 20% are under 2 km. Residents have
expressed strong support for cycling and walking infrastructure in Toronto.546
Active Commuting Mode Shares of North American Cities, 2012:547

For longer trips, transit must be improved so it becomes a viable alternative to driving.
Counts of vehicles travelling between Toronto and Durham, for example, show that the
volume of commuters has grown tremendously between 1985 and 2009.

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Total Vehicles Crossing the Toronto-Durham Border,

Morning and Afternoon, 1985-2009:548

Toronto City Council has adopted a number of Board of Health recommendations to

further reduce emissions including encouraging urgent provincial funding of transit and
active transportation infrastructure.549

The following groups are addressing issues relating to getting around through their innovative
community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
Canadian Urban Institute Building wisdom and inspiring leadership for healthy urban
development
Charlies FreeWheels Teaching bicycle mechanics, safety and leadership skills to youth
Community Bicycle Network - Providing access, training, and support for all cyclists
Community Matters Toronto - Supporting newcomers living in St. James Town
CultureLink Settlement Services - Developing and delivering settlement services to meet the
needs of diverse communities
Cycle Toronto - Advocating for a healthy, safe, cycling-friendly city for all
Dixon Hall - Creating opportunities for people of all ages to dream
Evergreen Solving the most pressing urban environmental issues
Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance - Bringing people together to tackle our regions
toughest challenges
Jane's Walk Creating walkable neighbourhoods and cities planned for and by people
Newcomer Women's Services Toronto Delivering educational and employment opportunities
for immigrant women and their children
The Pollution Probe Foundation - Improving the well-being of Canadians by advancing
environmental change
Springboard Helping people develop the skills they need to overcome barriers and achieve
their full potential

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Toronto Atmospheric Fund - Helping the City achieve the targets set out in the Councilapproved climate plan
Toronto Environmental Alliance - Promoting a greener Toronto
Toronto Public Library Foundation - Providing essential resources for the enhancement of the
Toronto Public Library
WoodGreen Enhancing self-sufficiency, promoting well-being and reducing poverty

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Environment
Why is this important?
Toronto wont be able to handle the effects of changes to our climate (increasing and severe
weather events, etc.) if its natural and built environments arent in good shape. Features such
as abundant tree canopy, stormwater control, and green roofs are key to the citys resilience.
Parks, recreation areas, and walkable neighbourhoods enhance health and quality of life for all
residents. Protection of the rich but threatened farmland that surrounds the city is an important
asset for our food security.

What are the trends?

The percentage of residential waste diverted was the same in 2014 as in 2013, and the City has
still not met its 70% diversion goal. The City will need residents help to restore the damage to
our tree canopy caused by the December 2013 ice storm and meet its ambitious growth goal.
Nonetheless, Toronto is the only municipality in the GTA Clean Air Council that has achieved
all targets associated with a declaration to further municipal clean air and climate change
actions and policies.
Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

1. Percentage of summer days that Torontos

11 beaches are open for swimming

89%

83%550

87%551

2. Residential waste generated, in tonnes

815,450

823,743

804,369552

3. Residential waste diverted, in tonnes

424,188

439,222

423,817553

(52%)

(53%)

(53%554)

4. Number of LEED certified buildings

59

123

186555

5. City revenue from recycling

$19.1M

19.6M

$22.7M556

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless otherwise

noted

(Percentage residential waste diverted)

Whats new?
Although floods overwhelmed the municipal stormwater management system in 2013,
management of water issues is a low priority for Torontonians. The City is working on better
managing future extreme weather events since the December 2013 ice storm tested its ability
to keep vulnerable residents safe. However, we need creative and proactive planning and
investments to ensure that all Torontonians have access to a vital part of urban lifeour parks
and open spaces.

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How is Toronto faring with measures of environmental progress and sustainability?

Our city can celebrate good news on how our beaches are faring:
Eight of the citys beaches were awarded the international Blue Flag designation in
2014. They are: Bluffer's Park Beach, Centre Island Beach, Cherry Beach, Gibraltar Point
Beach, Hanlans Point Beach, Kew-Balmy Beach, Ward's Island Beach, and Woodbine
Beach. 557
The City of Toronto's 11 public beaches were posted as open 87% of the time during
the 2014 beach season, up from 83% of the time in 2013. 558
The number of LEED-certified buildings has increased by about 60 each year for the last two
years:
In 2012 there were 59; the number more than doubled to 123 in 2013 and more than
tripled to 186 in 2014. The 2014 number represents 7.11 buildings per 100,000 people,
above the provincial average of 5.34.559
While there is still room for improvement, Toronto can be proud of its record on waste
management:
After increases over three years in the amount of residential waste generated (from
799,812 tonnes in 2011 to 815,450 in 2012 and 823,743 in 2013), 2014 saw a small
2.3% decrease from 2013 (to 804,369 tonnes).
The percentage of waste diverted remained the same in 2014 as in 2013 (53%).560 The
City has still not met its 2010 goal of 70% diversion (an original goal of 100% by 2010,
set in 2000, was revised in 2007).561
Nonetheless, Torontonians diverted 141,206 tonnes of waste from landfills in 2014
through the Blue Bin program and another 106,040 tonnes by using their Green Bins for
organic waste.562
City revenue from recycling increased for the second year in a row, growing 15.8% to
$22.7M in 2014 (after increasing 2.7% to $19.6M in 2013).563
Torontos rate of waste diversion fares very well compared to other world cities:
As reported to the World Council on City Data (WCCD) in 2014, the city of Torontos
recycled solid waste (this includes all material that goes in the Citys Blue Bin and
Green Bin) was 53.32%. In London, it was just 30.41%, 25.02% in Melbourne, 22.59% in
Rotterdam, and a mere 13.66% in Boston. In LA, the rate was an impressive 76.4%.564

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Percentage of the Citys Solid Waste that is Recycled,

as Reported to the WCCD in 2014:565
Boston
Rotterdam
Melbourne
London
Toronto
Los Angeles
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Percentage of the Citys Solid Waste that is Recycled

On June 1, 2015, Torontos recycling program began accepting soft, stretchy plastics like
sandwich bags in Blue Bins.
This expansion is expected to increase the amount of materials recycled and diverted
from landfill by approximately 3,500 additional tonnes, while bringing in enough
revenues from the sale of the collected material to result in annual net savings of $8,527
per year.566
Toronto has been ranked the worlds 12th most sustainable city:
While no North American city made the top 10 on the Sustainable Cities Index,
compiled by the global design consultancy firm ARCADIS, Toronto was the highest
overall ranked at 12th.
o European cities topped the rankings: Frankfurt was first, followed by London,
Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam. Boston (15th) and Chicago (19th) are
the most sustainable US cities.
The report measures the sustainability of cities overall based on three pillars of
sustainability that cities must balance:
o The People pillar refers to quality of life for the population in areas such as
transport infrastructure, health, education, income inequality, and green spaces.
o The Planet pillar relates to city energy consumption, renewable energy share,
recycling rates, greenhouse gas emissions, natural disaster risks, and air and
water pollutions and qualities.
o The Profit pillar relates to cities from a business perspective and includes
measures such as ease of doing business, property and living costs, GDP, and
energy efficiency.

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 The report notes that cities across the world are performing better in the Profit and
Planet measures and performing poorest at meeting the needs of their People. Toronto
garnered the following rankings:
o 9thour highest rankingin Planet sustainability. The only other North
American city in the top 20 is New York (at 20th). Frankfurt took first place.
o 15th in sustainability for People. Boston overtook us at 13th. In first place is
Rotterdam, followed by Seoul and London in second and third respectively.
o 18thour lowest rankingin Profit sustainability. This is where US cities shine.
San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, and
Philadelphia were all within the top 20.567

How well-equipped is the city to mitigate the effects of extreme weather and
environmental changes?
The past year saw the city hit with more extreme weather, putting vulnerable residents at risk:
After 36 extreme cold alerts over the winter of 2013-2014a record at the timethe
winter of 2014-2015 was even worse.
o There were 39 extreme cold weather alerts in 2014-2015, 59% of which fell in
February, triggering additional services for the homeless. In 2012-2013 there
were only nine cold weather alerts.568
Extreme cold weather alerts are issued by the Medical Officer of Health
when Environment Canada forecasts temperatures of -15 C or colder, or
when, at warmer temperatures, certain factors increase the impact of
cold weather on health (e.g., wind chill, precipitation, low daytime
temperatures, or several days and nights of cold weather in a row).569
o On a more positive note, only one heat alert was necessary in the summer of
2014 (compared to seven the previous year) to help those most at risk of heatrelated illness take appropriate precautions. And there were zero extreme heat
alerts (compared to six in 2013). 570
o In 2015 however, there were eight heat alerts and four extreme heat alerts for
Toronto as of September 25, 2015.571
Heat alerts are called based on the following triggers with a duration
of two days: a forecast high of greater than or equal to (>=) 31 C, a
forecast low of >=20 C, and a forecast humidex of >=40 C. The same
conditions for a duration of three days will trigger an extreme heat
alert.572
In March 2015, more than 250,000 Toronto residents were left without power, due in
large part to freezing rain and a buildup of road salt and ice on hydro poles. By the
following day power had been restored to all but 4,500 affected residents.573
After a December 2013 ice storm damaged as much as 20% of Torontos urban forest and
tested the citys ability to keep its vulnerable residents safe, the City is working on better
preparing for future events:
A year after the ice storm, the City was busy updating its emergency response plans
based on an independent review and Council reports. Actions undertaken to protect
the city in the event of an emergency included:

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o an updated version of the Citys Emergency Plan and updates to various

Emergency Support Function Plans that address how key functions (e.g., waste
management, transportation services, paramedic services, and communications)
can operate during an emergency;
o identification of four City-owned recreation facilities (one in each district, North,
South, East, and West) that can function as emergency reception centres, and of
specific facilities that can be used as warming or cooling centres as needed;
o establishment of an Emergency Social Services Working Group to provide
support during an emergency, comprising staff representatives from 13 City
divisions and two City agencies (including Childrens Services, Employment and
Social Services, Long-Term Care Homes and Services, Toronto Public Health,
Toronto Paramedic Services, 311 Toronto, Toronto Public Library, and Toronto
Community Housing); and
o signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Canadian Red
Cross (in May 2014) demonstrating its agreement to assist the City in providing
emergency social services to residents who may become displaced during an
emergency.
The ice storm cut power for a million residents, and Toronto Hydros phone lines and
operators were unable to keep up with an average 40,000 calls per day. Toronto
Hydros response to the storm was the subject of an independent review. Amongst the
actions it has taken as a result are:
o enhancing the Toronto Hydro website and creating a mobile application to
better keep customers up to date during outages and emergencies;
o undertaking an MOU with 311 Toronto that will enhance communications
between the 311 Toronto and Toronto Hydro call centres (311 Toronto will, for
example, be able to log outage reports for Toronto Hydro customers)574; and
o assessing the potential of putting lines underground in new development areas
or converting overhead lines to underground ones where possible, and working
with Urban Forestry to review line-clearing programs and manage the potential
impact of trees near power lines.575
Tree trimming would help prevent falling wires but conflicts with City
plans to increase the tree canopy to 40% for its environmental benefits.
An easier solution may be revisiting City guidelines that put hydro lines
and front yard trees on the same corridor.
Converting the entire system underground would cost about $15B and
triple rates for customers. It would also not work for all parts of the
system, such as in flood-prone areas.576
During the storm, Parks, Forestry and Recreation worked with Toronto Hydro to remove
trees and tree limbs that were affecting power lines, blocking roads, or posing a safety
hazard, and then to inspect trees to identify and address potential hazards. They
assessed the structural integrity of the citys urban forest, collecting data that will inform
planning for its long-term recovery.577
The Citys ambitious tree canopy growth goal will depend heavily on residents, because 60% of
our trees are on private property:
2013 was a bad year for the urban forest. Almost 20,000 City-owned trees alone were
deemed dead, in a state of decline, or structurally unsound and removed. The ice

164

storm claimed 1,500 of those trees, and another 7,924 were damaged by the Emerald
Ash Borer.
Of Torontos roughly 10 million trees (of at least 116 species) 6% are City-owned street
trees, and 34% are in parks. The rest are on private property.
To meet its canopy goalincreasing coverage from 28% to 40% by 2057the City
needs to add over half a million new trees a year for the next 50 years. Its plan relies not
only on natural regeneration and planting on public property, but on private residents
planting and maintaining trees on their properties.
Another challenge remains. While the City is upping its urban forestry budget to $100M
by 2022, a balance will need to be found between canopy expansion and booming
urban development.578

According to Wellbeing Toronto, the neighbourhoods with the most tree foliage
all corresponded with the location of our river valleys and ravines in 2011. The
Rouge neighbourhood came out on top in this regard, with 12,888,044m2. North
St. James Town had the least tree foliage, with 61,616m.2

How concerned are we about flooding, water usage, and the Citys management of
water issues and infrastructure?
After the year of the urban flood, in which excessive rainfall or snowmelt caused floods that
overwhelmed municipal stormwater management systems in Toronto, Calgary, and elsewhere
in 2013, the Citys management of water issues is a surprisingly low priority for Torontonians:
Toronto Water manages one of the largest drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater
systems in North America, yet the daily cost for the average Toronto household is
among the lowest in the GTHA$2.27 in 2014.579
RBCs seventh annual study measuring the attitudes of urban residents to water issues
finds that only 1% of Torontonians think stormwater management should be the highest
priority infrastructure area for government funding, even though 23% of those surveyed
live in an area they perceive as vulnerable to flooding and 20% had been personally
affected by flooding in the past 12 months.
o Torontonians instead named hospitals (27%), urban/suburban public transit
(17%), and the production of green energy (15%) as highest-priority
infrastructure investments. 12% prioritized the drinking water supply and 4%
sewage collection/treatment.
42% believe that Torontos water treatment and delivery systems are in good condition
and need only minor regular investments for upkeep, 12% believe they are in poor
condition and need major investments now, and almost half (47%) said they had no idea
what condition they are in.
o The responses for the citys stormwater management systems were 33% good,
19% poor, and 47% no idea.

165

o Majorities believe, however, that deteriorating infrastructure for both water

distribution (66%) and sewage (68%) will be much or somewhat more serious
issues in the future.
Majorities reported a change compared to 10 years ago in the frequency of both floods
(57%) and heat waves (52%). 49% noticed a change in the frequency of heavy snowfalls,
48% in ice or hail storms, and 38% in severe thunderstorms.
o Three-quarters believe climate change has increased extreme weather events in
Canada and that they will become more commonplace in the future.
o 69% and 65% respectively predict that emergency preparedness and urban/city
flooding will become much or somewhat more serious issues in the future.
Almost three-quarters (72%) believe that the increasing consumption of water supplies
and the protection of drinking water sources will be much or somewhat more serious
issues in the future.580
Most of Lake Ontario is already highly stressed from the cumulative effects of our economy and
way of life:
Cumulative Stress Map, Lake Ontario:581

Microbeads, tiny pieces of non-biodegradable plastic (added to cosmetic products) are

becoming a huge problem. They clog the intestines and starve fish and fowl who ingest
them, and become more and more concentrated as they work their way up the food
chain.582
o Surveys by the US-based 5 Gyres Institute in the summers of 2012 and 2013
found up to 1.1 million microplastic particles per km2 of surface on Lake Ontario.
o The Province has moved to ban microbeads, with a goal of binding legislation in
place by the end of 2015.583
Water use by Torontonians increased last year after a period of declining use:
Declining water consumption in 2012-2013 led Council to approve, during the 2014
rate-supported budget process, an 8% water rate increase in 2015-2017 to address a
$1B shortfall in capital funding due to reduced water revenue.584

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 As of July 20, 2015, a daily average of 1,488.01 millions of litres had been consumed in
Toronto,585 up from the daily average of 1,133 millions of litres a day as of September 5,
2014.586
Managing the resilience of our infrastructure is a priority for City:
Council approved an 8% increase in the 2015 budget to support more than $8.2B in
spending on state of good repair, basement flooding protection, stormwater
management, and improving extreme weather resiliency.587

How is Toronto providing leadership in the area of food security?

Half of Canadas best farmland is in Ontario, with much of it near Toronto, yet the province
imports almost $20B worth of food every year:
Torontos Rich Foodshed:588

Half of Canadas Class 1 farmlandgood for producing a wide range of field crops due
to its deep, well drained, moisture retaining, and nutrient-rich soilis in Ontario, much of it
in near-urban areas such as surrounding Toronto.589 Nonetheless, a border closure or key
failure in US agriculture would leave Toronto and other nearby urban areas unable to
adequately feed their populations. At any one time Toronto has about three days worth of
food available.590

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 We import nearly double the amount of food that we exportin 2012, Ontario food
imports were valued at $19.8B, and exports at $10.8B. A 2015 report from the Metcalf
Foundation, the McConnell Foundation, and the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation
argues that Ontarios food system has the potential to grow 50% of the food that it
currently imports and better align local production with local consumption. The move
would require more acreage devoted to agriculture, more processing and storage of
perishable fruits and vegetables, diversion of some currently exported foods to local
consumption, and changes from consumers.
o Although the Golden Horseshoe specializes in fruit production and has 57% of
Southern Ontarios fruit acreage, fruits and nuts account for the bulk of food
imports, with a net export of -$2.8B.
o If just 10% of the top 10 fruit and vegetable imports were grown locally, Ontario
would see a roughly $250M increase in GDP and 3,400 new, full-time-equivalent
jobs, as the Greater Golden Horseshoe accounts for:
gross output of $10.8B or 37% of the total in the economy attributed to
farming (the resulting GDP represents 38%, or $5.7B, of Southern Ontarios
level), and
78% of Southern Ontarios direct food processing and manufacturing
employment (74,800 jobs).
o Growing more food locally would also reduce the 70% of agriculture-related carbon
monoxide emissions and 7% of carbon dioxide emissions that are due to
transport.591
The good news is that despite these lost opportunities, food security is a priority for
Torontonians:
33 farmers markets in Toronto bring fresh produce from the farm to the table.592
Toronto places more emphasis than either Chicago or New York City on providing access
to locally grown produce.
o According to the Institute Without Boundaries Atlas of One Delta (published in
2014), there are 445 community-supported agriculture programs in Toronto,
compared to just 93 in NYC and 85 in Chicago.
Community-Supported Agriculture Programs, Toronto vs. Chicago and NYC:593

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Torontos air quality has improved, but does that mean we have nothing to be
concerned about?
Torontos air is healthier than it was 10 years ago, but air pollution still poses a significant
burden of illness in Torontoand vehicular traffic is largely to blame:
Air pollution has been linked to a number of health problems including respiratory and
cardiovascular diseases, adverse birth outcomes, neurodevelopment, cognitive
function, and diabetes. In 2013, the World Health Organization declared air pollution as
carcinogenic to humans.594
A cool summer meant no smog advisories in Toronto or anywhere else in Ontario in
2014. As of September 1, 2015, there had been no smog advisories so far for Toronto
and all of Ontario. There were two smog alert days in 2013, one more than in 2011 but
down from the eight in 2012, when a hot and dry summer resulted in some of the
highest ozone concentrations recorded.
From 2008 to 2011 ozone levels were consistently lower than in previous years.595
Improved air quality has translated into some meaningful public health gains.
Premature deaths and hospitalizations as a result of air pollution have dropped by 23%
and 41% respectively since 2004.596
But the number of Torontonians (12 years and older) suffering from asthma rose in 2014
to 6.8% in 2014. It was 5.3% in 2013, down from 5.8% in 2012 and 6.9% in 2010.597
There is still much work to be done to reduce harmful emissions:
10 years after Toronto Public Health released its Burden of Illness report, it released an
update in 2014 noting that air pollution still causes an average of 1,300 premature
deaths and 3,550 hospitalizations each year in the city (compared to an average of
1,700 premature deaths and 6,000 hospitalizations in 2004).
42% (or 280) of those premature deaths and over half (55%) of the hospitalizations
(1,090) can be blamed on the biggest local source of air pollutantsmotor vehicle
traffic.598

169

Estimated Annual Burden of Illness Attributable to Air Pollution from

Sources Inside and Outside Toronto:599

Note: Totals may not appear to sum correctly as a result of rounding.

o Air pollution from traffic also contributes every year to

800 episodes of acute bronchitis among children,
42,900 asthma symptom days (mostly among children),
43,500 days where respiratory symptoms (such as chest discomfort,
wheezing, or sore throat) are reported, and
128,000 days when people stay in bed or otherwise cut back on normal
activities.600
A recent study finds that while some airborne pollutants have decreased significantly
since 2000, concentrations of ozone persist at levels that violate Canada-wide
standards.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides combine to form ground-level
ozone, a secondary pollutant. Levels of both of these primary pollutants have declined
since 2000 but ozone itself has not, because the primary pollutants are reacting in the
atmosphere more quickly.601
Nonetheless, Toronto is the only municipality in the GTA Clean Air Council that has
achieved all targets associated with a declaration to further municipal clean air and
climate change actions and policies across the Region.
o The Council is a network of 24 municipalities and health units from across the
GTA working collaboratively to develop and implement clean air and climate
change actions.
o Mitigation and adaptation initiatives taken up by the Council address areas
including greening development, energy, air quality, urban forests, food
sustainability, climate change adaptation, transportation, and community
engagement.
o When communities tackle air pollution and climate change challenges they
become more competitive and liveable.602

170

Poor air quality in some Toronto schools could be impairing the learning environment:
Toronto District School Board (TDSB) documents obtained by CTV News show that
many Toronto classrooms have elevated carbon dioxide levels.
Data show that within the past five years over 40% of schools tested in Toronto have
registered above the recommended ceiling for indoor CO2 concentrations. Experts
generally recommend avoiding concentrations above 1,000 parts per million (PPM).
106 of the TDSBs 591 schools (15%) have had an air quality test since 2010, and in 46
of them at least one classroom measured above 1,000 PPM.
o Several had classrooms measuring upwards of 2,000 PPM.
o One classroom measured as high as 2,650 PPM.
The TDSB has responded that no school in the Board has unhealthy or unsafe air and
that the high readings in particular classrooms were usually caused by a minor, easily
fixed problem such as a blocked vent.
o When retested after repairs most classrooms were able to fall below the 1,000
PPM mark, but only about a quarter of the schools undertook repairs and half
(48%) of the schools were tested only once without follow-up.
Even the 1,000 PPM threshold may not be safe. One study has shown drops in certain
cognitive abilities at that threshold.
o A California-based research team measured a significant drop in decisionmaking ability at 2,500 PPM, but effects were noticeable at as low as 1,000 PPM.
The lead researcher cites a large body of evidence linking high CO2 levels to
illness, absence, and reduced work performance.
The main cause of CO2 buildup is simply the breathing of large groups gathering in
close quarters indoors.603

Five Years of Toronto District School Board CO2 Measurements, 2010-2015:604

171

How do Torontos green spaces contribute to residents wellbeing and social capital,
and how do we ensure that all residents have access to this vital resource as Toronto
grows?
Green spaces provide significant health benefits to urban communities by cooling us in times
of extreme heat and reducing air pollution:
A David Suzuki Foundation analysis of 102 recent (published over the past five years)
peer-reviewed studies has found that green spaces filter harmful pollutants from the air
and provide cooling effects during extreme heat. As heat rises, so do the negative
impacts on our health. One Toronto-based study found that, on average, for every 1C
increase in maximum temperature, there was a 29% increase in ambulance response
calls for heat-related distress.
o Parks and green spaces are significantly cooleraccording to one study, 4C
cooler on averagethan other areas of Toronto, and higher concentrations of
green space are associated with greater cooling.605
A 2014 TD Economics report noted that the amount of particulate matter removed
annually by Torontos urban forest (the trees, shrubs and plants that grow in parks,
ravines, our lawns, and at the sides of streets) is equivalent to the amount released by
over one million automobiles or 100,000 single family homes.606

Air Pollution Removed by Torontos Urban Forest, 2014:607

* Refers to the total amount of carbon stored in wood tissues of Torontos urban forest (not an annual value)

The David Suzuki Foundation reports recommendations for urban greening include:
o Exploring diverse strategies to meet green density needs in urban areas, such as
establishing greenbelts, greenways, and other protected green spaces in cities
and suburbs.
Ontarios renowned Greenbelt is currently being expanded to protect
urban river valleys in Toronto and neighbouring cities.

172

o Mandating minimum green densities, including green roofs, for new

developments.
Toronto passed a bylaw in 2009 requiring green roofs on 20% to 60% of
available roof space on all new buildings with a gross floor area of
2,000m2 or more.
o Prioritizing vulnerable areas in planting strategies.
The report stresses, however, that it will take more than greening to mitigate heat and
air pollution. Integrated policies are also needed.608
Simply living near trees might be good for your health:
A team of international scientists conducted a large, comprehensive study based in
Toronto that found that, even when controlling for socio-economic and demographic
factors, people who live in neighbourhoods with a higher density of trees report
considerably better health conditions.
o The study found that just 10 more trees in a city block improves health
perception on average in ways that compare to being 7 years younger, having
an additional $10,000 in annual personal income, or living in a neighbourhood
with a $10,000 higher median income.
o Having 11 more trees in a city block on average improves cardio-metabolic
conditions in ways that compare to a $20,000 increase in annual personal
income, living in a neighbourhood with a $20,000 higher median income, or
being 1.4 years younger.609
o While access to healthcare and systemic issues of poverty are critical issues that
must be addressed to improve health outcomes, the study clearly suggested
that environmental factors are also critically important as well.610
Toronto has over 1,600 parks and more parkland per resident than many other large North
American cities:
Torontos 1,600+ parks cover about 13% of the citys land area.611
Toronto has more parkland per resident (31 square metres) than Montral (23m2),
Vancouver (22), New York City (15), and Chicago (12).612

173

City Within a Park: Torontos Green Space:613

Torontos publicly accessible green area per 100,000 population, however, is not as impressive
compared to some of its European counterparts:
As reported to the World Council on City Data (WCCD) in 2014, Toronto surpasses
London with 445.67 hectares of publicly accessible green area per 100,000 population
compared to 338.88. But in Rotterdam the figure is double that of Toronto at 1,161.32,
and in Helsinki, more than triple at 1,488.70.614

174

Green Area per 100,000 Population (Hectares), as reported to the WCCD in 2014:615

London

Toronto

Rotterdam

Helsinki

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

Green Area per 100 000 Population (Hectares)

Despite this positive news, not everyone in Toronto has equitable access to green space. A
Spacing magazine series called Parks in Crisis notes that residents in high-density
neighbourhoods, especially those that have seen rapid growth due to the condo boom, are
battling their neighboursa corrosive dynamicover what little green space they have.
Some of the reasons for our parks deficit include:
No one expected the population to grow the way it has:
o In the early 2000s, planners estimated the city would add 540,000 people in 30
years. Instead the population jumped by 10%, or 226,000 people, in just over a
decade (2001-2012). Thats almost 42% of the projected 30-year growth.616
The Citys acquisition of parkland has declined dramatically:
o The rate of acquisition has halved since 2009. From 1998 to 2008, the City
added 191.3 ha of parkland or roughly 19 hectares per year (one hectare is
about the size of an average sports field). But from 2009 to 2014, only 9.2 ha per
year were added, for a total of 46 ha in new parkland.
o The 2014-2022 capital budget for Parks, Forestry, and Recreation will see 10
times less spent on land than on park development projects ($10.8M versus
$108M respectively).
o The imbalance is not for lack of money. A reserve fund meant for parkland
acquisition has grown significantly in recent years (thanks to the allocation of half
of all parks levies collected and high-density development in the core). But the
City just cannot compete in a highly speculative downtown real estate market.
An acre of land can cost from $30M to $60M.617
The cash in lieu of parkland practice used with developers is no guarantee that open
spaces near projects will be improved:

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o Under Section 42 of the Ontario Planning Act, municipalities can ask developers
to set aside a part of a property for parkland, but developers can refuse and
instead offer a cash-in-lieu payment to the parkland acquisition reserve
fund.618 Choice of the latter option has increased dramatically over the last
decade.
o The amount of land the City receives from developers decreased from an
average 4.9 ha per year in 2004-2009 to 0.64 ha in 2010-2014.
o Developers prefer to give land only in areas that are not experiencing
population growth or speculative pressure, while areas that are most in need of
green spaces may not get themeven if developers pay cash in lieu, the City
cannot afford the land.619
The City and various organizations are developing strategies to increase access to green
spaces, including:
concrete apartment tower revitalization, which involves opportunities to improve parks
and green spaces for tower residents (the tower renewal initiative is, as of January 2015,
a permanent City program run by a new Tower and Neighbourhood Revitalization Unit);
linear parks, i.e., parks that are far more long than they are wide, enabling the
development of more green space even in dense urban developments;
laneway revitalization, being undertaken by The Laneway Project, a not-for-profit aiming
to develop new green spaces, increase walkability, and provide spaces for community
events by improving the citys laneways;620 and
privately-owned, publicly accessible spaces (POPS), a New York City model. While
advocates look to the success of Seagram Plaza as an example, about half of New
Yorks landlords have not complied with their POPS agreements by allowing garbage to
pile up in the spaces or by making them unwelcoming (by removing seating and locking
gates, for example). Furthermore, few POPS are equally accessible to all, making them
no substitute for public parks.621
Proactive parks and open space planning focused on connections, flexible design, community
involvement, and creative solutions can act as urban acupuncture to help revitalize the city:
A Park People report proposes a connected network of parks and open spaces
including ravines, hydro and rail corridors, streets, laneways, and schoolyards.
The group recommends not only an increase in efforts to identify and purchase
parkland, but also that Torontonians rethink how they view parks and open spaces. It
puts forth these principles to guide Toronto in finding new green space:
o proactively plan central green spaces as the heart of networks that connect
many different forms of open spaces;
o create green connections that become places themselves and can act as links
between larger parks and open spaces;
o be flexible in design and use so that the space we have can be used efficiently
and adapt to changing needs;
o broaden the park to include the space beyond its edges so that parks and green
space spill out into our streets and sidewalks;
o find park space in overlooked, unexpected places such as schoolyards and
under overpasses;
o empower communities by building new partnership models that allow for more
local decision-making and programming to meet diverse needs;
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o experiment and be nimble by employing quick designs to test ideas and gather
feedback; and
o create collaborations and pool funding sources to bring multiple City divisions
on board and find new money for park improvements.
The kind of creative thinking necessary already exists in Toronto, in ideas such as:
o The Green Line proposal to transform a hydro corridor just north of the
downtown into a 5 km linear park that would stretch from Earlscourt Park to
Spadina Road in the Annex;
o revitalizing two downtown commercial laneways (Victoria Lane and OKeefe
Lane) into places for public art, greenery, and seating; and
o transforming College Park into a lively green hub, focusing on its potential as a
central green space in Toronto, akin to New Yorks Bryant Park.
The report also looks at current park and open space planning strategies throughout
North America, including:
o San Franciscos 2014 Green Connections, a partnership between planning,
transportation, public health, and community-based organizations created with
the goal of linking parks together throughout the city via cycling and walking
routes;
o New Yorks PlaNYC that argues for strategies such as reusing streets as parks,
building parks on landfills, and redesigning schoolyards to also serve as
community park spaces; and
o Vancouvers plans for some of its communities to use opportunities like green
linkages in laneways and developing new plazas or park spaces on existing
streets and lots.622

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The Green Line Proposal, Toronto:623

The following groups are addressing issues relating to the environment through their
innovative community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
Bird Studies Canada Conserving wild birds of Canada through public engagement and
advocacy
Charlies FreeWheels Teaching bicycle mechanics, safety and leadership skills to youth
Clean Air Partnership Running the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation, working for a
better cycling and pedestrian environment
Community Bicycle Network - Providing access, training, and support for all cyclists
David Suzuki Foundation Promoting environmental education and conservation
Earthroots Fund - Dedicated to the preservation of Ontarios wilderness, wildlife, and
watersheds
Ecologos - Networking volunteers to inspire others for a more sustainable society

178

EcoSpark Environmental Organization Giving communities the tools for influencing positive
environmental change
Environmental Defence - Challenging and inspiring change in all sectors to ensure a greener
life for all
Evergreen Solving the most pressing urban environmental issues
First Work - Helping youth find and keep meaningful employment
Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada - Safeguarding migratory birds in the urban
environment
FoodShare - Working towards a sustainable and accessible food system
FutureWatch Environment and Development Education Partners - Fostering the creation of
sustainable communities
Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance - Bringing people together to tackle our regions
toughest challenges
Green Thumbs Growing Kids Engaging young people with nature and food through
gardening
Greenest City - Building healthy neighbourhoods through gardening and the celebration of
food
High Park Nature Centre Promoting awareness and respect for nature through outdoor
education
Jane's Walk Creating walkable neighbourhoods and cities planned for and by people
Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre - Gathering community together in a place focused
on social justice
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper - Working to restore swimmability, drinkability and fishability to Lake
Ontario
LEAF (Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests) - Protecting and enhancing our urban
forest
Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) - Promoting, through education, the practices essential
to sustainability
Local Food Plus/Land Food People Foundation Nurturing regional food economies
Moorelands Community Services - Providing youth affected by poverty fun experiences to
strengthen their confidence
No.9: Contemporary Art & the Environment - Using art and design to bring awareness to
environmental concerns
Not Far From The Tree - Putting Torontos fruit to good use by picking and sharing the bounty
Outward Bound Canada - Cultivating resilience and compassion through challenging journeys
in nature
Project Canoe - Using the outdoors and wilderness canoe trips to help youth develop life skills
The Pollution Probe Foundation - Improving the well-being of Canadians by advancing
environmental change
Scadding Court Community Centre - Providing opportunities for inclusive recreation,
education, and community participation
Scarborough Arts - Developing programming and cultural initiatives in collaboration with the
community
Second Harvest - Feeding hungry people by picking up, preparing and delivering excess fresh
food to social agencies
Seed to Table - Cultivating the conditions for community change by building local capacity
Small Change Fund - Supporting grassroots projects that contribute to social and
environmental change

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Sustainability Network - Enriching Canadian environmental leaders and organizations by

supporting them to increase capacity
The Stop Community Food Centre - Increasing access to healthy food by building community
and challenging inequality
Toronto ACORN - Building community groups in low income areas to establish community
campaigns
Toronto Atmospheric Fund - Helping the City achieve the targets set out in the Councilapproved climate plan
Toronto Environmental Alliance - Promoting a greener Toronto
Toronto Park People - Catalyzing better parks across Toronto
Toronto Wildlife Centre Building a healthy community for people and wildlife by raising
awareness about urban wildlife
Wildlands League Working in the public interest to protect public lands and resources in
Ontario
Words In Motion - Using the arts to help children and their families achieve their full potential

180

Learning
Why is this important?
An educated labour force is more critical than ever as the labour market shifts to a focus on
knowledge work. But learning is affected by many factors (poverty, mental and physical health,
safety and the presence of necessary supports). Schools with librarians and daycares, arts
programs, and robust physical education give children lifelong advantages.

What are the trends?

Torontos schools have an improving teacher/student ratio, but special education students are
not always receiving the supports they need. Both the availability and affordability of childcare
in Toronto are challenges.

Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

68.0%

67.3%

66.2%624

67.8/1,000
(2011)625
80%

87.7/1,000
(2012)626
86%

91.2/1,000
(2013) 627
82%628

(Percentage of those schools that employ

these teachers full-time)
4. Children on the waiting list for a childcare
subsidy (March of the year)

(46%)

(57%)

(63%629)

18,839

16,873630

12,792631

5. Number of licensed childcare spaces (in

childcare centres and private homes
managed by agencies)

59,000
(winter
2013)632

61,000
(January
2014)633

64,700
(January
2015)634

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless

otherwise noted
1. Percentage of Toronto labour force with
post-secondary education
2. Teacher/student ratio in public schools
(Toronto Region)
3. Percentage of Toronto public elementary
schools with a health and physical
education teacher

Whats new?
Now that full-day kindergarten is fully implemented, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)
is reporting a shortage in funding from the Province, and teachers are reporting challenges in
the classroom. The TDSB is weighing what to do with underutilized schools, but a poll finds
that over half of Torontonians support a property tax increase for the City to purchase and
convert them into community centres. Schools reliance on fundraising is creating inequities,
and a report on black educators shows that Torontos teachers are less diverse than the
communities they teach in.

181

How are Torontos public schools faring, and how are underutilized schools affecting
communities?
The number of Toronto students graduating is increasing each year:
The Toronto District School Boards five-year graduation rate was 80% in 2014 (down
from 83% in 2013).635 Graduation rates have increased by 11 percentage points (from
69% of students) since the TDSB began tracking them in 2000.636
The Toronto Catholic District School Boards four- and five-year graduation rates are
80% and 86% respectively.637
The number of Ontarios students graduating in four, rather than five, years has
increased slightly, to 76% in 2014, up from 75% in 2013 and 74% in 2012.638 Ontarios
five-year graduation rates have remained stable in the last several years. In 2014 84% of
students graduated in five years, up from 68% a decade earlier.639
It should be noted that school boards and the Ministry of Education use different
methods to calculate graduation rates. According to the Ministry, the TDSBs published
rates should be lower, while the Board disputes the accuracy of the Ministrys
method.640
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) presented a balanced 201516 operating budget in
March 2015, its second since being created 17 years ago:
TDSB has an annual operating budget of approximately $3.0B,641 $2.8B of which comes
from Provincial grants. Staff salaries and benefits represent approximately 83% of total
expenses. TDSBs capital budget totals $137M.642
There are a number of areas across the Board where significant gaps exist between
actual costs and funding received from the Province. To help offset these, the Board
uses revenues (like fees from international students and lease revenues) and funding
sources (where there is flexibility in how they are spent).643
To help balance the 201516 budget and save an estimated $10.3M, the TDSB
proposed options including establishing Toronto Parking Authority parking lots on
school sites in key areas within the downtown core, a review of student transportation
costs, and a Special Education staffing reduction (due to a reduction in funding from
the Ontario Ministry of Education), among other measures.644
o The TDSB notes that school-based staff allocation decisions were based
primarily on enrollment, and that staff would not necessarily lose their jobs as
efforts would be made to place them in positions opened by retirements or
other resignations.645

While there are disparities among funds raised by schools across Toronto, in
2012-2013, Northlea Public School (which raised $284.60 per student that year)
donated $4,700 of its funds raised to support a snack program at nearby
Thorncliffe Park Public School (Thorncliffe Park only raised $34.31 per student in
2012-2013).646

School principals are struggling to balance instructional leadershipto better the classroom
learning experiencewith challenging administrative duties:

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 In People for Educations annual school survey of publicly funded elementary and
secondary schools (including 244 participating Toronto Catholic, public, and French
schools), Toronto principals reported spending most of their time managing employee
and safety issues and responding to system or Ministry initiatives.647
The teacher/student ratio in the Toronto Regions public schools continues to improve, and
more schools have specialist teachers:
There were 91.2 teachers for every 1,000 students in 2013648, compared to 87.7 per
1,000 in 2012649 and just 67.8 in 2011.650
The percentage of Toronto elementary schools with teacher-librarians increased to 87%
in the 2014-15 school year, up from 80% the previous year (but still below the 98% in
2011-2012).
17% of elementary schools employed a teacher-librarian full time, up from 15% the
previous year but below the rates seen pre-recession (24% in 2008-09).
66% of elementary schools reported having a music teacher in 2014-15 (up from 58%
the previous year); 43% had a full-time music teacher (up from 37%).
29% of elementary schools had a visual arts teacher, and 18% had a drama teacher.
82% of elementary schools had a health and physical education teacher; 63% of those
schools employed these teachers full time.651
Special education students, on the other hand, are not always receiving the supports they
need:
15% of Torontos elementary students and 23% of secondary school students receive
special education services and supports, proportions that have increased steadily over
the last decade.
o Special education needs vary widely, from students who need only minor
accommodations such as use of a laptop or additional time to take tests to those
who need significant help to communicate or participate in school life.
Toronto schools are more likely to have special education teachers than schools in the
rest of the province, but changes to funding for special education have meant
reductions for some Toronto boards. According to People for Educations annual school
survey, 17% of elementary schools and 9% of secondary schools in Toronto report that
not all special education students are receiving their recommended supports.
o The average special education student to special education teacher ratio in
Torontos elementary schools is 26:1. In secondary schools that average ratio
jumps to 78:1.
On average, six elementary students and six secondary school students per school are
waiting to be assessed for special education supports, but 29% of elementary schools
and 44% of secondary schools report that there is a restriction on the number of
students that can be assessed.652
TDSB suspensions and expulsions for drugs and illegal substances in the 2013-14 school year
were slightly below the average of the previous six years:
An average of 557 students per year are expelled for incidents involving drugs and
illegal substances. According to the most recent data available, between the fall of
2013 and spring of 2014 there were 552 suspensions and expulsions.

183

o Three-quarters of these (76.5%) were for possessing alcohol or illegal drugs on

school property (203 suspensions) and for being under the influence of illegal
drugs while at school (224 suspensions).653
Between 2008 and 2014, 39.8% of suspensions were related to students possessing
alcohol or illegal drugs, 36.7% were related to being under the influence of drugs,
13.8% were related to the possession/misuse of other substances, 7.3% were related to
other drug-related acts against the TDSB code of conduct, and the remainder were
related to trafficking or weapons or drugs.654
Reason for Suspension or Expulsion from TDSB, 2008-2014:655

Declining enrollment in TDSB schools continued in 2014. There were 246,000 students across
589 schools, compared to 248,000 students in 588 schools the previous year.656
While the 2014-15 school year saw 552 fewer elementary students than the previous
year (a loss of 0.32%), TDSB has projected enrollment of 224 more elementary students
for the 2015-2016 school year than in 2014-15 (up to 172,137 from 171,913) and
another 675 in 2016-17, to reach a total of 172,812.
Secondary school enrollment continues to decline year-over-year, although the decline
appears to be slowing and is projected to continue doing so. In the 2014-15 school
year, secondary school enrollment fell 3.8% (from 78,019 in 2013-14 to 75,054) versus
4.53% the previous school year. The TDSB is projecting a 2.58% decrease for the
2015-16 school year (to 73,119 students), and a 2.14% decrease for 2016-17 (to
71,557).657

184

TDSB Enrollment Trends:658

The TDSB is weighing what to do with underutilized schools:

The TDSB needs $2B just to maintain a state of good repair, and this figure is estimated
to reach $6B by 2019. Meanwhile, declining enrollment means 130 schools are
underutilized (according to the TDSB, using less than 65% of their capacity).
The TDSB could sell some underused properties, but the Board and its trustees argue
that the idea is short-sighted, and that Canadas largest school board should not have
to sell off schools to fill gaps in its operating and capital budgetsit should instead be
given the funding it needs.
Nonetheless, up to nine of 60 candidate schools face closure and sale, and 68% of
the 48 candidate elementary schools are located in Torontos priority
neighbourhoods.659

185

TDSB Secondary and Elementary Schools Under Review for Closure, 2015:660

Map by Sean Marshall

School closures would affect not only students, but also those in surrounding
communities that access various services offered at many of these school buildings and
properties, including daycares and adult programs (such as English as a Second
Language) and after-school uses by local community organizations and sports teams.
None of these uses are factored into the Boards calculation of a schools utilization.
Under Ontario law, if any TDSB properties do become available, other school boards
serving Toronto would have the first opportunity to purchase them, followed by the
City, then private investors. It is unlikely, however, that the City would be able to
purchase them within the 90 days allowed.661
o A February 2015 Mainstreet Technologies poll found that a majority of
Torontonians (53%) approve of a dedicated property tax increase that would
allow the City to purchase surplus TDSB properties and convert them into
community centres and parks. 24% disapproved and another 22% were not
sure.662

What successes and challenges has full-day kindergarten (FDK) brought?

FDK has now been fully implemented across Ontario after a five year roll-out that began in
2010:
Ontario schools are required to have extended day programs (both before and after
school and during school breaks) for students in FDK if there is sufficient demand. 663

186

 Research has demonstrated that children who attend Ontarios FDK programs are
better prepared for Grade 1, and exhibit higher outcomes in social competence,
communication skills, and cognitive development. 664
Yet with approximately 36,500 students in the FDK system, the TDSB is reporting an
almost $15M shortage in funding from the Province.
o The provincial government provides $1,669.96 per student, but the TDSB has
reported that the program, taught by a teacher and early childhood educator, is
costing 24% more than that to deliver$2,066.97 per student. 665
The implementation of FDK has also been challenging for elementary teachers.
Teachers are reporting that more distracted classrooms, caused by larger class sizes, are
affecting their ability to teach. As a result, more class time is being wasted as teachers
are trying to control four- and five-year-old children who are fighting, running, and
leaving the classroom. 666
Toronto is falling behind in family support programs:
In addition to phasing in FDK, the Province allocates $90M per year to support Best
Start Child and Family Centres.
o The universally accessible programs, services, and resourcessuch as Ontario
Early Years Centres, Child Care/Family Resource Centres, and Parenting and
Family Literacy Centresare meant to build on FDK.
However, only 27% of schools in Toronto report having family support programs, 13
percentage points below the provincial average.667

How do socio-economic inequities affect access to learning?

While the numbers of licensed childcare spaces are increasing, there are still not enough to
meet the needs of families:
The number of licensed spaces located in childcare centres and private homes
managed by home child care agencies reported by the City in January 2015 was
64,700.668 In January 2013, the number was 61,000669 and in winter 2013, it was 59,000.
670

However, Torontos licensed and regulated childcare spaces can accommodate fewer
than 20% of the newborn to 12-year-old children in the city.671
The City recognizes this discrepancy and in 2016, the City will be undertaking a study to
determine the demand. 672
For preschool children, Torontos licensed childcare system, has only:
1 space for every 13 infants (newborn to 18 months)
1 space for every 3 toddlers (18 months to 2.5 years)
1 space for every 2 preschoolers (2.5 years to entry into kindergarten). 673
There arent enough licensed spaces to accommodate school-aged children either:
According to the City, there are 393 licensed kindergarten before- and after-school
programs and 573 middle childhood Grades 1 to 6) before- and after-school programs.

187

o Middle childhood programs include licensed childcare, Parks, Forestry and

Recreation department programs, and community organization programs. Many
are located in locals schools, and others in community facilities.
Of Torontos publicly funded elementary schools,
o 43% have before- and after-school programs for both kindergarten and middle
childhood children,
o 27% have before- and after-school programs for only kindergarten or only
middle childhood children, and
o 30% have no before- and after-school programs at all. 674
Even when space is available, childcare is unaffordable for many Toronto families:
The median yearly costs for a full day of childcare for a young child are:
o $21,431 for an infant (newborn to 18 months),
o $16,704 for a toddler (18 months to 2.5 years), and
o $12,424 for a preschooler (2.5 to 4 years).
o While the median cost of a licensed before- and after-school program for a
school-aged child is less expensive (at $32 per day for kindergarten and $25 per
day for a middle childhood program), it is still out of reach for many families.
The City added 184 new subsidized childcare spaces in its 2015 budgetincreasing
spaces from 24,932 to 25,116but the parents of over 12,792 children are still waiting
for a subsidy. The 2014 number includes 4,343 infants, 1,498 toddlers, 2,116
preschoolers, 1,939 kindergarten-aged children, and 2,896 school-aged children).
o This is down almost 25% from last year (parents of 16,873 children were waiting
for spaces in March 2014). With the introduction of Full-Day Kindergarten, the
system of childcare has shifted towards more before and after school spaces,
which are less expensive than a full day space, allowing the City to place more
children within the same, council-approved budget. 675
According to Toronto Childrens Services service plan for 2015-2019, there are 346,320
newborn to 12-year-old children in the city.676

188

Childcare Spaces vs. Need:677

Schools reliance on fundraising is causing inequities, with some able to accumulate huge
amounts and others looking for handouts for breakfast programs:
Data obtained by the Toronto Star through a Freedom of Information request show a
widening disparity in the amount of money that public schools across Toronto are
fundraising.
The 475 elementary and middle schools in the TDSB raised $19.2M in 2012-13
(counting both fundraising and revenues generated from fees), an average of $118 per
student. But an increasing percentage of elementary schools58% in 2012, up from
47% in 2008are able to raise less than $100 per student while some institutions in
wealthier areas continue to raise huge sums.
o The top 20 elementary schools (mostly in wealthier neighbourhoods) raised a
total of $3.9M in 2012-13, compared to just $43,249 for the bottom 20
schools.678

189

The Widening Fundraising Gap in TDSB Elementary Schools, 2008 vs. 2012*:679

*Includes only schools still open in 2012-13

The fundraising ability of some communities means that some schools are able to fund
things like school trips and improvements to libraries and playgrounds, freeing up the
funds received from the Province for more basic educational needs. Students from
neighbourhoods comprised of families without the financial base, skillset or time for
fundraising, on the other hand, face a more stark educational experience.
A map comparing average neighbourhood incomes with average funds raised per
student is telling, and mirrors the divided city documented by the Three Cities
research based at the University of Torontos Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.680

190

Fundraising in TDSB Elementary Schools, 2014:681

Source: Toronto Star. Mapbox OpenStreetMap

The pattern is also reflected in TDSBs Learning Opportunities Index (LOI) for
elementary schools in 2014.
o The LOI ranks each TDSB school from most needy to least needy, based on
external challenge indicators including income (median income, proportion of
low-income families, and proportion of families receiving social assistance) as
well as education of adults and proportion of one-parent families.682

191

TDSBs Learning Opportunities Index, Elementary Schools, 2014:683

High school streaming may be exacerbating achievement gaps in secondary schools, and
there is a strong relationship between the courses students choose and their socio-economic
status:
Requiring Grade 8 students to choose between taking applied and academic courses in
their first two years of high school impacts students chances for success throughout
high school and influences their post-secondary options and career opportunities.
There is also evidence that the system itself may perpetuate current economic and
educational disparities.
o In 2013 the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) reported a 40%
gap in test performance between students in academic and applied courses.
The percentage of students in applied English who passed the Ontario
Secondary School Literacy Test has declined from 62% to 51% over the past five
years.
o A TDSB study found that only 40% of students who took applied courses in
Grade 9 had graduated after five years, compared to 86% of those who took
academic courses.
The income polarization among Toronto neighbourhoods that has created Three
Cities (documented by research based at the University of Torontos Factor-Inwentash
Faculty of Social Work) is reflected in students course choices.
o Demographic data from EQAO and 2006 Census data show that schools with
higher percentages of students from low-income families have higher
proportions of students in applied mathematics.
o The TDSB study found a number of racial categories over-represented in the
applied program of study. Most significantly, while (self-identified) black

192

students represent approximately 13% of the student population in Grades 9

and 10, they comprise 23% of students in the applied program.
o Another TDSB study found that in the highest-income neighbourhoods, 92% of
students took the majority of their courses in the academic stream, compared to
only 56% of students from the lowest-income neighborhoods.
Only 6% of students in the highest-income neighbourhoods took the
majority of their courses in the applied stream, while 33% of students in
the lowest-income neighbourhoods did.
People for Educations annual school survey shows that students rarely transfer from the
applied to academic stream, and that they may not receive sufficient support when
initially making the choice between the two.
o 30% of Torontos secondary schools report that students never or do not
often transfer from applied to academic courses.
o While 85% of schools offering Grade 8 report having a guidance counsellor, only
10% of schools use one-on-one counselling as a main source of information for
students and parents regarding course choices.
Applied and academic courses were introduced in 1999 when the Ministry of Education
implemented the Ontario Secondary Schools policy, which was intended to end
streaming and create a system that kept options open for students. In most cases,
however, students in applied courses are in different classrooms, have different
teachers, and follow a different curriculum.684
Almost 60% of the Regions population over the age of 15 has completed post-secondary
education, but some Toronto neighbourhoods are falling behind:
In 2014, 56.7% of the population in the Toronto Region aged 15 and older had a postsecondary degree, diploma or certificate, the same as in 2013 and up slightly from 2012
(56.3%). It is greater than both the provincial (54.1%) and national (54.2%) averages.
The Toronto Region figure represents an increase of 10.7 percentage points since
2000.685
In the city of Toronto in 2014, 66.2% of the labour force had a post-secondary diploma
or degree.686

193

Percentage of Labour Force with Post-Secondary Education, Toronto, 1990-2013:687

o In one-third (32.9%) of Torontos 140 neighbourhoods, however, 61% or fewer

residents between 25 and 64 have completed post-secondary education.688
In 2014, the average cost of undergraduate tuition in the Toronto Region was $7,880
for Canadian students and $20,231 for international students.689
o In 2014, 160,450 full-time students and 33,930 part-time students were enrolled
in the Regions post-secondary schools.690

How diverse are Toronto schools, and is diversity reflected in curricula and teacher
staffing?
All students in Canada would benefit from a deeper understanding of the history of the many
nations that have influenced and comprise this country and a better understanding of
aboriginal cultures, perspectives, and experiences. Despite this, only 26% of secondary schools
and 11% of Torontos elementary schools offer relevant professional development
opportunities for teachers, and just 19% of secondary schools and 4% of elementary schools
courses in Native Studies:
Ninety-six per cent of secondary schools and 92% of elementary schools in Ontario
have at least some aboriginal students enrolled, yet the majority do not offer aboriginal
education opportunities.
While proportions of First Nations, Mtis and Inuit (FNMI) students are higher in schools
in Northern Ontario, most schools in Toronto have FNMI students. The vast majority of
them (82%) attend provincially funded schools. People for Educations annual school

194

survey shows that in Toronto 21% of provincially funded secondary schools report that
students transfer from on-reserve schools.
81% of elementary schools and 53% of secondary schools do not offer any Aboriginal
education opportunities, despite the fact that most have Aboriginal students.691
In 2011, 80.9% of Torontos aboriginal population aged 25 to 64 years had at least one
certificate, diploma or degree, an increase of 10.7 percentage points from 2001, 3.4
percentage points higher than the provincial average, and 9.8 percentage points higher
than the national average for the same population group.692
Although three-quarters of students in the TDSB are Canadian born, they represent a
remarkable diversity of ethno-racial backgrounds and regions of birth:
The 2013-2014 Environmental Scan of the Toronto District School Board (based on data
from its 2011-2012 Student and Parent Census) finds that the four largest ethno-racial
backgrounds of the student population (as self-identified by students) are White
(29%), South Asian (24%), East Asian (15%), and Black (12%).
76% (190,647 students in 2014, an increase of 2,734 since 2007) are Canadian-born.
o The only other regions of birth showing large increases between 2007 and 2014
were the US with 4,152 students (up from 2,918 in 2007) and Southeast Asia
with 3,385 students (up from 2,649).
For 67% of TDSB students, both parents were born outside of Canada; for 21% both
were born in Canada; and for 11% one parent was born in Canada and the other
outside.
The ratio of male to female students has not changed since statistics were first collected
in 1859: 52% male and 48% female (128,755 and 120,795 students respectively).693

195

Most Common Region of Birth for TDSB Students Born Outside Canada,
2007 and 2014:694

196

Parents of TDSB Students Place of Birth, 2011-2012:695

Teachers in the Toronto Region are far less diverse than the communities they teach in:
A report on the experiences of black educators in Ontario from the Ontario Alliance of
Black School Educators shows a diversity gap between the percentage of teachers who
are racialized and the percentage of the population that is racialized.
In the Region, where the majority of the provinces racialized population lives, racialized
people represented 47% of the population in 2011 but made up only 25% of its
secondary school teachers and 24% of its elementary school and kindergarten teachers.
The Region fares better than Ontario as a whole, however. Ontario has a Teacher
Diversity Gap of .50, meaning that there is a large divide between racialized teachers
and the racialized population.
o In 2011, while racialized people represented 26% of Ontarios population, they
made up only 13% of the provinces 76,030 secondary school teachers and
129,105 elementary school and kindergarten teachers.696

197

Teacher Diversity Gap, Toronto Region (CMA) vs. Ontario and the US697:

How well are Torontos post-secondary institutions preparing students for the future?
Toronto is home to one of the worlds top universities according to Times Higher Educations
World University Rankings 2014-2015:
The University of Toronto (U of T) ranks 20th of 400 global universities, with a score of
79.3/100 based on 13 performance indicators across teaching (scoring 74.4 here),
international outlook (71.2), industry income (46.1), research (85.1), and citations (83.0).
o The top 20 is dominated by the United States. U of T is the sole representative
from Canada, and only four European universities are represented.
Three other Canadian universities made the top 100: McGill ranked 39th (down from
35th last year) with a score of 69.6, University of British Columbia 32nd (down from 31st)
with 71.8, and McMaster 94th (down from 92nd) with 55.3. Torontos York University
ranked between 226th and 250th (the ranking was not broken down further), up from
between 276th and 300th last year. Ryerson University did not make the list.
Within just North America, U of T ranks 16th and is still the only Canadian university in
the top 20.698

198

U of T grads are the 13th most employable in the world:

The Global Employability University Ranking is a survey of 4,500 international recruiters
in 20 countries conducted by French human resources group Emerging Associates and
a German research group called Trendence. U of T grads were rated the 13th most
employable in the world in 2014, up from 14th in 2013.
o Cambridge, Harvard, and Yale grads ranked first, second, and third respectively.
Other Canadian universities on the list are McGill (28th, up from 30th last year),
Universit de Montral (47, up from 59), University of British Columbia (55, down from
51), McMaster (80, down from 73), and Waterloo (119, down from 114). 699
Compared to other global cities, Torontos population is highly educated:
With a rate of 45,875.02 per 100,000 population (as reported to the World Council on
City Data or WCCD in 2014), Torontonians possess more higher education degrees per
100,000 population than residents of LA (24,100.00), London (31,698.00), Boston
(34,544.23), and Amsterdam (42,030.13).
Melbourne is ahead of Toronto with a rate of 46,628.94.700

Number of Higher Education Degrees per 100,000 Population,

as Reported to WCCD in 2014:701

Los Angeles

London

Boston

Amsterdam

Toronto

Melbourne
0

5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000
Number of Higher Education Degrees per 100 000 Population

199

GTHA universities are not only preparing students for career and life success, but also teaching
them how to be responsible citizens:
From innovations that solve global issues, to free medical services for at-risk
populations, to culturally sensitive health outreach, a Council of Ontario Universities
report demonstrates how university students, faculty, and staff are change agents
improving their communities and peoples lives.
The University of Toronto, for example, contributes $15.7B to the Canadian economy
every year through its research and innovation.
o U of T attracts $1.1B in research funding each year and generates $83M in
research and development through industry collaborations.
o It has produced 152 research institutes and centres and 252 licensed inventions.
For almost 10 years the IMANI Academic Mentorship Program at the University of
Toronto Scarborough has reached out to black youth in east Scarborough to offer
academic and social support to middle- and high-school students.
o A partnership between the universitys Black Students Alliance and the Boys &
Girls Club of East Scarborough, the program pairs university student mentors
with youth participants for weekly tutoring, post-secondary preparation, and
leadership development.
83% of high-school students who participated in the program reported
having higher expectations for themselves and saw more options for
their futures.
92% said they are interested in pursuing post-secondary education.
IMAGINE (Interprofessional Medical and Allied Groups for Improving Neighbourhood
Environments) is a U of T student-led, weekly clinic that since 2010 has been offering
free and anonymous treatment to homeless and disadvantaged Toronto residents.
o IMAGINE offers treatment by doctors, pharmacists, social workers,
physiotherapists and nurses, and by students who are fully supervised by these
professionals.
o Every year, IMAGINE treats over 200 of our citys most vulnerable community
members.
Ryerson Universitys new Mattamy Athletic Centre is benefitting more than just varsity
athletes. It houses a free learning program for Regent Park youth (grades seven to 10).
o Rams-in-Training fosters relationships between university athletes and the
younger students by teaching them how to play hockey and about postsecondary options in sessions led by student athletes, police officers, and
nutrition students.
o The program, a partnership between the university, Toronto Police Services,
Loblaws and Regent Parks Pathways to Education program, is meant to give
youth from the social housing neighbourhood a competitive edge.
A student initiative at McMaster University is bringing culturally sensitive health
information to Muslim organizations from Hamilton to Toronto.
o The Healthy Active Living groups outreach to audiences of new Canadians
educates them of their options for treatment in a context that is comfortable to
them. The newcomers also learn about nutrition, fitness, and mental health from
people who understand their cultural and religious circumstances.702

200

The following groups are addressing issues relating to learning through their innovative
community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
ACCES Employment Assisting job seekers from diverse background to integrate into the
Canadian job market
Agincourt Community Services Association - Multi-service agency addressing needs and
empowering under-served
Applegrove Community Complex Fostering community through neighbourhood partnerships
Alliance for South Asian Aids Prevention (ASAAP) Providing HIV/Aids sexual health and
support services
Art City in St. James Town Providing free and accessible multidisciplinary arts programming
Art Gallery of Ontario - Bringing people together with art to experience and understand the
world in new ways
Art Starts Creating social change through community art projects
Arthritis Research Foundation Working to beat arthritis and autoimmune diseases
ArtReach Toronto Giving young artists access to resources, mentorship and skill building
opportunities
Arts Etobicoke Creating space for the arts through a community arts council located in a
beautiful storefront gallery
Arts for Children and Youth Offering hands on, community and school based arts education
Ashoka Canada Fostering powerful emergent ideas led by social entrepreneurs
Bata Shoe Museum Sharing compelling cultural stories by using footwear as the point of
entry to cultures of the world
Boundless Adventures Association - Improving the lives of underserved youth through outdoor
leadership
Broad Reach Foundation for Youth Leaders Increasing leadership skills for underserved teens
through sailing
Camp Oochigeas - Providing kids with cancer a unique, enriching and magical experience
Canadian Diabetes Association - Fighting diabetes by helping people live healthy lives while
finding a cure
Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund - Improving the mental, physical and emotional health of
Canadians
Canadian Urban Institute Building wisdom and inspiring leadership for healthy urban
development
Centennial Infant and Child Centre Foundation Educating young children with developmental
challenges
Child Development Institute - Leading childrens mental health programming in Toronto
The Childrens Book Bank - Providing free books and literacy support to children in priority
neighbourhoods
Clean Air Partnership Running the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation, working for a
better cycling and pedestrian environment
Common Ground Co-operative - Supporting people with developmental disabilities
Community Association for Riding for the Disabled (CARD) Improving lives through quality
therapeutic riding programs
Community Bicycle Network - Providing access, training, and support for all cyclists

201

Community Matters Toronto - Supporting newcomers living in St. James Town

Community MicroSkills Development Centre Assisting the unemployed, with priority to
women, racial minorities, immigrants and youth
Connect Legal - Promoting entrepreneurship in immigrant communities
CultureLink Settlement Services - Developing and delivering settlement services to meet the
needs of diverse communities
Delta Family Resource Centre - Enhancing the potential of families and children
Dixon Hall - Creating opportunities for people of all ages to dream
Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club - Providing a safe, supportive place for children and youth
East Scarborough Storefront - Building community through collaborations and shared spaces
East York East Toronto Family Resources Organization - Increasing the well-being of individuals
and families
Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre Serving a low-income, ethnically and socially
diverse community
Ecologos - Networking volunteers to inspire others for a more sustainable society
EcoSpark Environmental Organization Giving communities the tools for influencing positive
environmental change
Environmental Defence - Challenging and inspiring change in all sectors to ensure a greener
life for all
Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth - Working locally and nationally to prevent, reduce, and
end youth homelessness
Findhelp Information Services Providing information and referral services in Ontario and
across Canada
Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada - Safeguarding migratory birds in the urban
environment
FIT Community Services - Friends In Trouble - Bridging the income inequality gap
FoodShare - Working towards a sustainable and accessible food system
For Youth Initiative (FYI) - Creating healthy communities by increasing life-chances of
underserved youth
Framework Delivering high-quality volunteer engagement events (Timeraiser)
Frontier College Elevating literacy through a wide range of programming
Future Possibilities Canada Inc. Empowering children from diverse Canadian communities
Geneva Centre for Autism Empowering and supporting individuals with an Autism Spectrum
Disorder
The George Hull Centre for Children and Families Serving children and youth by providing
mental health services
Harbourfront Centre - Nurturing the growth of new cultural expression and artistic cultural
exchange
Harmony Movement / Harmony Education Foundation - Promoting equity, diversity, and
inclusion in Canada
High Park Nature Centre Promoting awareness and respect for nature through outdoor
education
Hot Docs Advancing the creative imprint of documentary film
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Celebrating the latest works by Indigenous
peoples
Inner City Angels - Bringing imaginative interdisciplinary arts programs to children in Toronto
Inside Out LGBT Film Festival Changing lives through the promotion, production and
exhibition of film by and about LGBT people

202

Interval House - Enabling abused women and children to have access to safe shelter and
responsive services
Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre - Gathering community together in a place focused
on social justice
JUMP Math Encouraging an understanding and a love of math in students and educators
Junior Achievement of Central Ontario - Educating young Canadians to understand business
and economics
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper - Working to restore swimmability, drinkability and fishability to Lake
Ontario
Lakeshore Area Multi-Service Project (LAMP) Partnering with the community to address
emerging needs
Law In Action Within Schools Engaging youth in legal education and the justice system
Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF) Providing holistic and integrated services in York
Region
Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) - Promoting, through education, the practices essential
to sustainability
LGBT Youth Line - Providing anonymous peer support for youth in a queer-positive context
Licensed to Learn Inc. - Empowering children to reach their potential through peer-led tutoring
Literature for Life Helping marginalized young moms develop a practice of reading
Lost Lyrics Providing alternative education through arts to racialized youth in priority
neighbourhoods
Macaulay Child Development Centre - Helping all children thrive in caring, responsive families
Manifesto Community Projects - Uniting and empowering diverse young people through hiphop culture
The Massey Centre for Women - Striving to achieve healthy outcomes for all young mothers
and families
Mentoring Junior Kids Organization (MJKO) - Promoting healthy and active lifestyles for youth
Merry Go Round Children's Foundation - Enabling financially disadvantaged students to
achieve their academic pursuits
Moorelands Community Services - Providing youth affected by poverty fun experiences to
strengthen their confidence
Mosaic Institute Harnessing the diversity of Canadas people to build a stronger, more
inclusive nation
Newcomer Women's Services Toronto Delivering educational and employment opportunities
for immigrant women and their children
New Circles Community Services - Offering volunteer driven services in Torontos Thorncliffe
Park, Flemingdon Park and Victoria Village
North York Community House - Enhancing the strength and resilience of their neighbourhood
North York Women's Centre (NYWC) Supporting and empowering women and effect positive
change
Ontario Justice Education Network - Promoting public understanding to support a responsive
and inclusive justice system
Outward Bound Canada - Cultivating resilience and compassion through challenging journeys
in nature
The PACT Urban Peace Program - Empowering underserved youth and youth already in
conflict with the law
Pathways to Education Canada - Helping underserved youth graduate from high school and
transition to further education

203

PEACH: Promoting Education and Community Health Transforming the lives of young people
through youth-centred, social and educational programs
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario - Championing childhood cancer care
The Peer Project - Youth Assisting Youth - Promoting the healthy growth and development of
young people
People for Education Engaging parents to become active participants in their children's
education
The Pollution Probe Foundation - Improving the well-being of Canadians by advancing
environmental change
The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery - Offering professional support to diverse living
artists
Regent Park School of Music - Providing quality, affordable music education to underprivileged
youth
Right To Play - Using the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing
adversity
Roots of Empathy - Reducing bullying among school children while raising emotional
competence
Regent Park Focus - Bringing best practices in training and mentorship of youth to
broadcasting and digital arts
The Redwood - Supporting women and their children to live free from domestic abuse
The Remix Project - Levelling the playing field in creative industries for youth from marginalized
and under-served communities
Second Harvest - Feeding hungry people by picking up, preparing and delivering excess fresh
food to social agencies
Seed to Table - Cultivating the conditions for community change by building local capacity
Shakespeare in Action - Enhancing arts and education through exploring and performing
Shakespeare
Sheena's Place - Supporting individuals, families and friends affected by eating disorders
SKETCH Working Arts Creating a safe space for arts and creativity for young, marginalized
people
Skills for Change of Metro Toronto Creating learning and training opportunities for
immigrants and refugees
Social Planning Toronto - Building a civic society by mobilizing community organizations
around specific local issues
Springboard Helping people develop the skills they need to overcome barriers and achieve
their full potential
St. Stephens Community House Programming for newcomer and low-income residents
Story Planet Encouraging young people to tell their stories through workshops at a story
making centre
Success Beyond Limits Education Program - Improving educational outcomes and providing
support to youth in Jane and Finch
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir Preserving and performing period music
for generations to come
TIFF - Bringing the power of film to life by providing arts education for all ages and running the
world's largest public film festival
Toronto Centre for Community Learning & Development - Creating a strong culture of
community engagement

204

Toronto City Mission - Creating lasting change through preventative and transformational
programs
Toronto Foundation for Student Success Initiating innovative anti-poverty programs for
students
Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs - Providing a safe, supportive place for the young people
of Regent Park, Cabbagetown, and Trinity-Bellwoods
Toronto Public Library Foundation - Providing essential resources for the enhancement of the
Toronto Public Library
Toronto Youth Development - Assisting and fostering underprivileged youth in Toronto
UrbanArts - Engaging youth in community development through the arts
Variety Village - Promoting appreciation, interaction, empowerment and inclusion
Vermont Square Parent-Child Mother Goose Program - Fostering parent-child bonding and
literacy through a rich oral language experience
WoodGreen Enhancing self-sufficiency, promoting well-being and reducing poverty
Words In Motion - Using the arts to help children and their families achieve their full potential
Working Skills Centre- Empowering immigrants by providing skills training and orientation to
Canada
Youth Empowering Parents (YEP) - Empowering youth to become leaders within their own
community

205

Arts and Culture

Why is this important?
A thriving arts and cultural community is a sign of a citys ability to innovate, to solve problems,
to attract visitors, and to entice talented new residents from around the world. Torontos lively
arts environment helps to welcome and integrate newcomers, celebrate our heritage, and
imagine a better city. It is also a key sector that contributes to our local, provincial and national
economies.

What are the trends?

The Citys 2015 budget upheld Councils commitment to reaching $25 per capita arts funding
by 2017. But even at that amount, Torontos spending on arts and culture will remain outshone
by many other Canadian cities. Although professional employment in arts and culture in
Toronto declined slightly in 2014, it remained higher than in 2012, and film, television, and
other screen-based media production spending exceeded $1B for the fourth year in a row.
Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

City budget for culture

$54,790,00
(2013)

$55,420,000
(2014)

$62,580,500
(2015)703

Per capita municipal cultural

investment

$19.62
(2013)

$22.07
(2014)

$22.51
(2015)704

Professional employment in arts and

culture (excluding self-employed)
Film, television and other screen-based
media production spending
Percentage of work force employed in
cultural industries (Toronto Region)

32,330

34,660

32,970705

$1.2B

$1.19B

$1.23B706

3.12% (2011)

2.94% (2012)

2.62% (2013)707

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless

otherwise noted

Whats new?
Torontos public library system, among the worlds largest and busiest, saw its busiest year
since 2005 and opened its 100th branch in 2014. In-library use has fallen by 15% since 2010,
but electronic circulation has increased by more than 1,000%. Attendance at cultural events
reflects our engagement in arts and culture and brings significant economic benefit to the city.
At World Pride in 2014 attendees spent an estimated $719 million on Pride related purchases
over the course of the ten-day festival.

206

Is the City funding Torontos cultural liveliness?

The Citys 2015 budget saw Council uphold its commitment to reaching $25 per capita arts
funding by 2017:
In 2014, Toronto spent $22.51 per capita on arts, culture and heritage.708
The Citys 2015 operating budget allocated $62,580,500 to make possible arts and
cultural services including:
o The PANAMANIA festival: meant to showcase the Toronto 2015 Pan
Am/Parapan Am Games, the complementary PANAMANIA festival featured 22
days of free, accessible cultural entertainment and activities (such as victory
celebrations, concerts, dance performances, art exhibits, and nightly fireworks)
throughout the Games.
o The 10th edition of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche: the reputation of this free and
highly valued Toronto event continues to grow, as does its coverage of the citys
neighbourhoods.709

The Luminous Veil, an installation of LED lights that illuminate the Prince Edward
Viaduct between Bloor St. E. and Danforth Ave., was one of many projects supported
by City of Torontos 2015 Operating budget for arts and cultural services. From dusk
till dawn the lights transform the bridge, changing in hue and intensity in response to
the wind velocity and temperature and subways passing underneath.

The Toronto Arts Council (TAC) had requested an additional $1M in grants funding for
2015 to build on its priorities of growth and sustainability, community connections, and
innovation and partnerships, but City staff instead recommended a $2M increase to
fund arts and culture projects associated with the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.
o TAC believes its $1M request may be met in 2016 following the Games
completion. Meanwhile its grants budget remains at just over $16M.710
o In 2013, TAC funded arts organizations through 1,014 grants totalling
$14.31M38% more than the $10.3M awarded in 2012 (in 686 grants).711

207

TAC Grant Programs, Applications Received and Funded, 2011-2013:712

208

 Even at $25 per capita, Torontos spending on arts and culture will remain outshone by
Montral (with $55 per capita spending in 2009), Vancouver ($47), Calgary ($42) and
Ottawa ($28).713
City-Approved Phase-In of the $25 Per Capita Arts Funding Increase:714

How do Torontonians contribute to, and benefit from the citys exciting cultural
environment?
Attendance at cultural events reflects Torontonians deep engagement in arts, culture, and
heritage and brings significant economic benefit to the city:
Over 19 million people attended City-funded or City-programmed cultural events in
2014.
More than half a million people visit the 21 City-operated museums, historic sites,
cultural centres and art galleries every year.715
Arts and culture contribute $11.3B annually to Torontos GDP.716
Torontonians see the arts as having a positive influence in the neighbourhoods they live in,
their individual lives, and the city they call home:
Toronto Art Stats 2015 compiled by the Toronto Arts Foundation and Leger share
results from an online survey of just over 500 Toronto residents conducted in January
2015 and three focus groups in January and February 2015.
On a regular basis, 71% of Torontonians attend arts-related programs or events or visit
cultural locations. Those under the age of 54 are more likely to attend than those 55
and up (81% versus 61%).
Concerts (53%), museums (52%) and film showings and festivals (both at 47%) are the
top three events attended on a regular basis. Dance (19%) and readings (6%) are the
only events to fall under the 40% mark.
A quarter (26%) of Torontonians go beyond attendance with their engagement in the
arts. The most popular contribution is donating to an arts organization (9%), followed by
being a member of an amateur arts group (7%), and being a student in arts classes or
lessons (6%).717

209

Engagement Beyond Attendance in the Arts, Toronto, 2015:718

69% of Torontonians appreciate the contribution that local artists make to the city and
43% reported they would like to get more involved in the arts.
The overwhelming majority of Torontonians (97%) see at least one benefit that the arts
provide to the city, such as:
o attracting tourists, 79%;
o making the city a better place to live, 63%;
o creating employment, 59%; and

210

o attracting people to move here, 33%.

Benefits of the Arts to Toronto, 2015:719

89% of Torontonians see at least one benefit that the arts provide to themselves. 66%,
for example, report that the arts expose them to new ideas, and 46% say they make
them feel proud of their city.
Over half (52%) of Torontonians are very likely to take an out-of-town visitor to an artsrelated activity, with top picks including museums, galleries, and festivals.
Top Five Arts Activities for Out-of-Town Guests, 2015:720

211

 68% of Torontonians say that local artists add value to our society and therefore should
be appropriately compensated, and 57% say that the arts should be a priority for local
government.
Despite these high levels of interest and engagement, a significant majority (87%) of
GTA residents face at least one barrier to attending arts programming.
o Cost (63%) and lack of time (40%) are the biggest factors that make it difficult for
people to attend arts events, visit arts locations, or participate in arts activities.
Others include:
distance from home, 30%;
unawareness of whats going on, 15%; and
inaccessibility of venues to those with mobility issues, 6%.721
2009 American research found that people who attended art galleries or live
performances, or read literature, were more likely to vote, volunteer, and take part in
community events, and that 58% of adults who visited an art museum or gallery
volunteered in their communities, compared to only 24% of those who did not.722
Toronto elementary schools offer better access to arts education than many Ontario schools,
although access to some specialist teachers is still very low:
Exposure to arts education for young people can build capacity for imaginative and
critical thinking along with open-mindedness, which are all important skills for living
productive lives as adults.
Two-thirds (66%) of Toronto elementary schools report having a music teacher; 43%
employ a full-time music teacher.
Far fewer elementary schools report having a visual arts (29%) or drama (18%)
teacher.723

How engaged are Torontonians by major sporting events?

Data analysts have quantified that feeling of hopelessness that many Toronto sports fans feel
by naming us the second most miserable sports city in North America:
Compiling statistics on US and Canadian cities having three or more major league
basketball, baseball, football, or hockey teams, and using metrics including playoff
appearances, playoff series wins, and championship wins (favouring more recent wins),
The 10 and 3 determined a misery score for each city. Only Cleveland fared worse
than Toronto.
Torontos misery is based primarily on the losing seasons of its three teams. The Maple
Leafs have seen only one playoff season (2013) since they won in 1967, and the Blue
Jays none since they won in 1993 (though as of this Reports publication, 2015 looks
promising). The Raptors, meanwhile, so far display unfulfilled promise.724
The Leafs saw their lowest attendance in 16 years and ended a 13-year sellout streak
this past season when only 18,366 fans attended a March 23 game.725

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Torontos Sports Fan Misery Score, 2015: 726

Toronto has much to be proud of in terms of some preliminary metrics pertaining to the
outcome of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, which were hosted by the city and
neighbouring municipalities in July and August 2015:
Supported by more than 20,000 volunteers, the Games were the largest multi-sport
event in Canadian history in terms of athletes competingover 7,000.
Over all, Canada earned 385 medals during both Pan Am and Parapan Am Games
events. 727
o Canada placed second in the Parapan Am medal count with a total of 217 (78
gold, 69 silver, and 60 bronze), behind the US, which earned 265 medals. 728
o More than 5,500 Pan Am athletes competed in in 36 sports.729
o The Parapan Am Games component of the event were the largest ever in its
history, with 1,608 athletes from 28 countries competing in 15 parasports, all of
which are Paralympic qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.730

How well does our world-class library system serve the city, and how is usage changing
in the 21st century?
The Toronto Public Library (TPL) continues to be among the worlds largest and busiest public
library systems offering services in complex, diverse, urban environments:
2014 was a banner year for the TPL.
o It opened its 100th branch, in the Scarborough Civic Centre.731
o It increased the number of programs offered by 9.3%.
o And, despite the closures of eight branches for part of the year for renovations,
TPL saw its busiest year since 2005. Driven by increases in e-circulation, wireless
usage, virtual visits, and program attendance, total uses surpassed 100 million,
up 18.7% from 2007.732

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10-Year Trends in Toronto Public Library Usage, 2005-2014:733

While browsing and borrowing books continue to be key drivers of library activity,
Torontonians also visit branches to use computers and access wireless internet, to study
and to work, to network and to attend programs and community events.
o Although total visits were down in 2014, by 0.8% (18,335,910 compared to
18,485,372 in 2013), they were up 7.5% over 2005.
In-library use of materials is rapidly falling in favour of electronic circulation.
o In-library use of materials fell 1.2% in 2014 (from 6,709,668 in 2013 to
6,631,255), while electronic circulation rose 65.7% (to 3,488,252, up from
2,105,515 in 2013).
o Since 2010 in-library use has fallen 15.1%, but electronic circulation has
increased by 1,253.5%.734
Other notable increases in library usage in 2014 included:
o 28.9% increase in wireless sessions (to 2,328,664), reinforcing the librarys vital
role in bridging the digital divide, as participating in school, work, and lifelong
learning or accessing government information and services increasingly requires
a computer with access to large bandwidth;

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o 5.2% increase in program attendance, with a 10.1% increase for programs for
school-age children (almost double the 5.8% increase the previous year) and a
27.6% increase for preschool programs;
Over the past five years the number of programs offered has increased
by 17.7% and attendance has increased by 7.4%.
o 116.4% increase in the use of the Book a Librarian service, which allows
patrons to meet with a librarian for help (with research, library information,
career information, or homework, for example); and
o 11.8% increase in virtual visits (reaching 29,966,097), reflecting the importance
of online access to information, services, and collections.
Total virtual visitsvisits to TPLs main site and specialized sites (e.g.,
Kids Space), e-content sites (including e-books and e-magazines),
licensed databases, and the librarys online and social media channels
have increased 11% over the last five years.735

Five-Year Trend in TPL Virtual Visits, 2010-2014:736

In 2013 (the latest year for which comparative data is available) TPL again ranked first in
North America in circulation and visits per capita among libraries serving populations of
2 million or more.
o Among these large urban systems TPL had the greatest number of branches in
2013 and tied with Chicago for highest square footage of library space per
capita.
Among Canadian libraries serving a population over 500,000, TPL had the highest
overall circulation and visits, and per capita, ranked sixth in circulation, third in visits,
and second in square footage of library space.
Of the nine municipal libraries voluntarily participating in the 2013 Ontario Municipal
Benchmarking Initiative, TPL placed second in library use per capita, and ranked third in
operating cost per use ($2.04, above the median of $1.83; in 2012 it was just above the
median at $1.96).737

215

Total Operating Cost per Use, TPL vs. 9 Municipal Libraries, 2013:738

Every dollar invested in the library generates a significant return for the city:
A 2013 report from the Martin Prosperity Institute (at the Rotman School of
Management, University of Toronto) put dollar values on the librarys economic benefit
to the city. The economic impact study, the first of its kind in Canada and requested by
the TPL Board and City Council, clearly demonstrated that TPL delivers a strong return
on investment.
o For every $1 invested in the library, Torontonians received almost six times the
value: $5.63.
o The direct benefits of a library membership made it worth $502 for the 72% of
Torontonians who used it.
44% of the adult population were frequent or heavy users of library
branches (defined by 11 or more visits in the previous year).
o The average value of each open hour at a branch was almost four times its
average cost: the average open hour generated $2,515 in direct benefits while
costing approximately $653. 739

How do the arts and culture contribute to the citys economic health?
Arts and culture provide employment and professional development, marketing, and advocacy
opportunities for creatives:
Although professional employment in arts and culture in Toronto declined 4.9% in 2014
to 32,970 people (down from 34,660 in 2013), it remains 2% higher than in 2012.
When the self-employed are included, the number of professionals in arts and culture
almost doubles, to 65,170 in 2014 (down from 65,670 in 2013 but also higher than
2012s 61,780).740
Employment in cultural industries in the Region was 83,800 in 2013 or 2.68% of total
industries, from 93,900 or 3.12% of total industries in 2011. 741 But overall employment
in cultural industries as a percent of total industries was higher in the Region than at the
provincial level for 20102013.742
On-location filming in Toronto exceeded $1B for the fourth straight year:

216

 Toronto's screen-based industry (film, television, commercials, and animation)

continued its success in 2014, with domestic and international production companies
investing a record $1.23B in on-location filming in the city, a 4.3% increase over 2013s
$1.18B.
Television series continued to dominate, accounting for over two-thirds (79.4%) of total
investment (or $757.4M).
o The growth in domestic TV series spending accounted for an unprecedented
21% increase over 2013 in investment in major domestic productions, which
exceeded $500M for the second consecutive year, reaching $652.25M.
Also unprecedented was the level of growth in the city in commercial production
investment$195M in 2014, a 48% increase from the previous year.
On-location shooting days also increased over 2013, by a healthy 19%.743
In addition to its impressive film, television, and digital media production, Toronto is now
home to over 80 film festivals, including TIFF, which draws big stars and big spending:
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has grown from a small 10-day event with
an audience of 35,000 in 1976 into a cultural institution that contributes significantly to
Toronto's international reputation.
o The third largest film festival in the world, and the largest public film festival in
the world, TIFF annually attracts well over a million attendees (including more
than 1,100 media) from over 130 countries across all its activities.744
o In 2014, 1.83 million people attended all TIFF activities.745
According to Moneris, Canadas largest credit and debit card processor, Toronto saw a
12.1% gain in overall consumer spending during TIFF 2014 (in comparison to a 10-day
non-festival period in August). This represents a 7.8% increase over TIFF 2013.
o The biggest week-over-week spending increases were in the apparel category,
with an 18.3% increase in dollars spent, specialty retail with a 14.7% increase,
and travel with a 12.1% increase.
o The Entertainment District saw the highest increase in spending week-over-week
and year-over-year at 13.1% and 16.3% respectively. The Fashion District
showed 7.7% and 3.9% growth for the same periods, and the Bloor/Yorkville
area only 1.4% and 6.0%, a shift in spending that reflects the move of TIFF
operations from Yorkville to the downtown core.746
Torontos Pride festival had major impacts and achievements in 2014:
Celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQ* community, Toronto hosts the largest pride
festival in North America, and is consistently ranked in the top 10 biggest and best
pride celebrations globally.747
Alongside Torontos own 34th annual Pride Festival, the fourth World Pride festival was
held in Toronto in 2014 - the first time World Pride has been held in North America.
o Pride Toronto estimates that in 2014 there were 2 million visits to Pride related
events, and that Pride attendees spent an estimated $719 million on Pride
related purchases over the course of the ten-day festival, and directly
contributed almost $313 million to Torontos GDP. 748

217

The following groups are addressing issues relating to arts and culture through their innovative
community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
Art City in St. James Town Providing free and accessible multidisciplinary arts programming
Art Gallery of Ontario - Bringing people together with art to experience and understand the
world in new ways
Art Starts Creating social change through community art projects
Arts Access Fund Providing opportunities for arts engagement to young people
ArtReach Toronto Giving young artists access to resources, mentorship and skill building
opportunities
Arts Etobicoke Creating space for the arts through a community arts council located in a
beautiful storefront gallery
Arts for Children and Youth Offering hands on, community and school based arts education
Artscape Creating shared space for non-profit and arts based orgs through urban
development
Bata Shoe Museum Sharing compelling cultural stories by using footwear as the point of
entry to cultures of the world
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Developing and presenting artists voices in the LGBTQ*
community
Cahoots Theatre Projects - Interdisciplinary arts investigating the intersections of Canadas
diversity.
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression - Championing the rights of journalists and media
professionals
Canadian Stage - One of the countrys leading not-for-profit contemporary theatre companies
Children's Peace Theatre - Creating a culture of peace and transformative justice by engaging
children
Clay & Paper Theatre - Bringing neighbourhoods together by producing community-driven
plays, pageants and parades in public spaces
Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie - Professional dance organization that presents locally and
globally
Creative Trust - Building the financial health and resilience of Toronto's creative performing arts
CUE - A radical, arts initiative enabling young marginalized artists to develop art exhibitions
Diaspora Dialogues Charitable Society - Supporting creative writing that reflects our citys
diversity
Drum Artz Canada Mentorship and creative expression through percussion and music
Dusk Dances - Curates high quality contemporary and traditional dance events in public parks.
Framework Delivering high-quality volunteer engagement events (Timeraiser)
The Gardiner Museum Leading arts education and therapy through clay and ceramics
Harbourfront Centre - Nurturing the growth of new cultural expression and artistic cultural
exchange
Hot Docs Advancing the creative imprint of documentary film
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Celebrating the latest works by Indigenous
peoples
Inner City Angels - Bringing imaginative interdisciplinary arts programs to children in Toronto

218

Inside Out LGBT Film Festival Changing lives through the promotion, production and
exhibition of film by and about LGBT people
Jumblies Theatre Makes art in everyday places with and about the people and stories found
there
Lost Lyrics Providing alternative education through arts to racialized youth in priority
neighbourhoods
Luminato Festival - Reflecting the diverse character of Toronto through n annual, multidisciplinary arts festival
MABELLEarts - Bringing together local communities to make art, tell stories, and creatively
transform their public space
Mammalian Diving Reflex - Interactive performances that occur beyond the walls of the theatre
Manifesto Community Projects - Uniting and empowering diverse young people through hiphop culture
National Ballet of Canada - Performs the masterworks of classical and contemporary
Native Women's Resource Centre of Toronto Building the collective capacity of Aboriginal
women
Newcomer Women's Services Toronto Delivering educational and employment opportunities
for immigrant women and their children
Nightwood Theatre Propelling women to the top of their craft in Canadian Theatre
No. 9: Contemporary Art & the Environment - Uses art and design to bring awareness to
environmental concerns
Regent Park Focus - bringing best practices in training and mentorship of youth to
broadcasting and digital arts
Regent Park School of Music - Providing quality, affordable music education to underprivileged
youth
The Remix Project - Levelling the playing field in creative industries for youth from marginalized
and underserved communities
San Romanoway Revitalization Fostering a sense of belonging in residents of all ages and
backgrounds
Scarborough Arts - Developing programming and cultural initiatives in collaboration with the
community
Shakespeare in Action - Enhancing arts and education through exploring and performing
Shakespeare
Sistema Toronto - Inspiring children to realize their full potential through free, ensemble-based
music lessons
SKETCH Working Arts Creating a safe space for arts and creativity for young, marginalized
people
Soulpepper Theatre Company - Creating a home in Toronto for the great dramatic works of
our collective cultural inheritance
Story Planet Encouraging young people to tell their stories through workshops at a story
making centre
Toronto Public Library Foundation - Providing essential resources for the enhancement of the
Toronto Public Library
UNITY Charity - Empowering youth to use artistic self-expression to make positive life
UrbanArts - Engaging youth in community development through the arts
UforChange - Inspiring newcomer and Canadian youth through arts-based community-building
Vermont Square Parent-Child Mother Goose Program - Fostering parent-child bonding and
literacy through a rich oral language experience

219

Words In Motion - Using the arts to help children and their families achieve their full potential
Workman Arts Project of Ontario - Developing and supporting artists with mental illness and
addiction issues

220

Leadership, Civic Engagement and Belonging

Why is this important?
Vibrant cities are those where residents are engaged and feel that they belong, where civic
institutions reflect the diversity of the population, and where strong social connections unite
people to one another and to their neighbourhoods (research consistently links a sense of
belonging with good physical and mental health). Tracking these indicators helps us to see
how well we are doing at building an inclusive city, and where some residents may be left on
the margins.

What are the trends?

Torontonians overall and youth aged 12-19 continue to feel a strong sense of belonging to
their community, but only half of young adults feel the same. The number of people who make
charitable donations in the Region has been slowly declining for a number of years, and
dropped to under 22% in 2013, but the median donation has increased. Representation on
City Council still does not reflect the population; despite comprising more than 40% of the
population, visible minorities made up just over 13% of Council in 2013, the same as they did
prior to the 2014 municipal election.
Some Key Trends

2012

2013

2014

1. Percentage of women on Toronto City Council

34%
(2010)

34%

32%749

2. Charitable donors as a proportion of tax filers (Toronto

Region)

22.7%
(2011)

22.1%
(2012)

21.6%
(2013)750

3. Median annual charitable donation (Toronto Region)

$350
(2011)

$360
(2012)

$370
(2013)751

4. Percentage who report a strong sense of belonging to

their local community

69.1%

66.8%

68.9%752

5. Percentage of youth (12-19 year-olds) who report a

strong sense of belonging to their local community

85.5%

78.7%

80.5%753

Data refer to the city of Toronto unless otherwise noted

Whats new?
Torontonians have the lowest average life satisfaction amongst Canadas cities, workers who
earn less and are precariously employed are less likely to always vote than those who earn
more and are more secure, and black children are over-represented in Torontos child
protection system. But City investments in the community services delivered by hundreds of
non-profit organizations across Toronto are supporting the non-profit sector in building the city
and improving communities.

221

Do Torontonians feel connected to their communities, and are they satisfied in life?
Almost seven in 10 Torontonians and 8 in 10 youth feel a strong sense of belonging to their
local communitybut only half of young adults feel the same:
The percentage of city youth (1219 years old) who report a strong or somewhat strong
sense of community belonging on the Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health
Survey rose to 80.5% in 2014 (after an 8% dip from 85.5% to 78.7% between 2012 and
2013). 754
68.9% of Torontonians aged 12 and over reported feeling a strong or somewhat strong
sense of belonging, a big improvement from 55.9% in 2003 and higher than the
national (66.4%), and provincial (68.2%) averages.755
Only 56.6% of young adults age 20 to 34, on the other hand, feel a sense of
belonging.756
Research shows a high correlation of sense of community belonging with physical and
mental health.757

Of all 140 Toronto neighbourhoods, Moss Park has the most community meeting
places within a 10-minute walk, such as community centres and places of worship,
out of all 140 neighbourhoods in the city.758

In an effort to increase the supply of donated blood, and to help donors feel more connected
to the community of
people they are helping,
blood donors in Sweden
are now being thanked
for and informed of the
personal impact of their
efforts:
Donors receive a
thank you text
from the national
blood services
agency when they
give blood. When
their blood has
actually been used
and makes it into
somebody elses
body, they get
another
message.759
Source: https://twitter.com/robertlenne/status/607901970733658112/photo/1

Torontonians have low average life satisfaction compared to other Canadian cities:

222

 After several years of asking about life satisfaction on the Canadian Community Health
Survey and the General Social Survey, Statistics Canada has almost 340,000 individual
responsesenough to allow, for the first time, comparable community-level measures
of life satisfaction for 33 CMAs and 58 economic regions (ERs) across the country.
While average life satisfaction was 8.0 out of 10 across Canada, in Toronto it was lower
at 7.8 out of 10, placing the city last (tied with Vancouver and Windsor).
The people of St. Johns, Saguenay, Trois-Rivieres, and Greater Sudbury are most
satisfied; average life satisfaction in these communities was 8.2 out of 10.
When considering only people who rank their life satisfaction as a 9 or 10, Toronto
again falls near the bottom, with 34.3% ranking their satisfaction this highly. Only
Vancouver fares worse, at 33.6%.
o In this ranking, Greater Sudbury tops the list with 44.9%, followed by Thunder
Bay with 43.9%.
When considering only people who rank their life satisfaction as a 6 or less, Toronto,
Windsor, and Abbotsford-Mission tie for first place with 17.1% of people in each of
these communities ranking their satisfaction this low.
o In Saguenay, Quebec City, and Trois-Rivieres only 8.6%, 9.3% and 9.8%
respectively ranked their satisfaction this low. In all other regions, 10% or more
ranked their satisfaction this low.760

What are some of the barriers to civic participation and sense of belonging in the
community?
Research of GTHA workers has found that rising precarious, or insecure, employment affects
health and mental health. But it also affects civic engagement and belonging:
The Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario (PEPSO) research group
surveyed and interviewed workers aged 25-65 in 2014. Its report documents
relationships between employment security and income and volunteering, voting
patterns, and social interaction. It found that:
o Volunteering is more common among less securely employed workers. These
workers motives for volunteering differ, however. They are more likely to
volunteer for networking opportunities than for a communitys good.
o Workers who are low income/less secure are less likely to report that they always
vote than those who are high income/more secure (56.5% versus 87.6%).761

223

Always Votes, by Employment Security and Household Income (Percentage),

GTHA, 2014:762

o Less secure employment also has an impact on whether workers report

having a close friend to talk to. Low income/less secure workers are most
likely to report that they do not have such a friend.763
Does Not Have a Close Friend to Talk to, by Employment Security
and Household Income (Percentage), GTHA, 2014:764

224

Although Canada is ranked second amongst all nations for its tolerance and inclusion in the
Social Progress Index, a Macleans Magazine article negatively compares Aboriginal living
conditions in Canada to those of African-Americans, pointing out that Canada also has a race
problem:
Prompted by events in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, where an unarmed black teenager
was killed by police, sparking worldwide demonstrations against racism, Macleans
analysed several indicators and compared Canadas Aboriginal population with the
African-American population.
Macleans cites the remoteness of the Aboriginal population as the reason for Canadas
hidden racial problem. 49% of First Nations members live on remote reserves rather
than in urban centres.765
While the methodologies of the Macleans study have been questioned, and the pitting
of two racialized communities against each other is problematic, the article prompted
much attention in Canada regarding the way racialized people and communities
experience life in Canada.
Black children are over-represented in the child protection system, and the Childrens Aid
Society (CAS) has launched a pilot project to address the issue by connecting black families at
risk with counselling services:
A Toronto Star investigation analysed data collected by the Childrens Aid Society of
Toronto and found that:
o while only 8.2% of Torontos population under the age of 18 is black, black
children and youth comprise 41% of kids in the care of CAS.
o By contrast, more than half of the citys population under the age of 18 is white
but only 37% of the children in care are white.
o 31% of children in care in Toronto had black parents and another 9.8% had one
black parent.
o Misunderstanding and cultural divides can often land children in care, especially
where young and inexperienced front-line CAS workers are involved.
While spanking is more commonly used and more socially acceptable as
discipline for children in Africa and the Caribbean, for example, Toronto
parents who use it may find themselves charged with assault.
Parents who question care intervention by a CAS worker may be branded
as uncooperative.
Toronto CAS has launched a pilot program that teaches parenting skills and anger
management, and connects black families to culturally specific community services for
mental health and addiction issues. Less than 10% of the 100 families counselled
through this program have had a child taken into care.
Figures obtained by The Star indicate that over-representation of black children in care
is province-wide.
o There are roughly 23,300 Ontario children and youth in care. Those who arent
returned to their parents within a year become Crown wards, of which there
were 7,000 in Ontario in 2013-14.766
Although most CASs in the province do not collect race-based data on children in care,
the Province is considering it, along with a new CAS exclusively for black children, which
community leaders have argued might be the only way to overcome systemic biases.767

225

City leaders across sectors, including the vice-principal from Regent Parks Nelson Mandela
Park Public School, are delivering an initiative aimed at connecting positive black role models
with boys who come from areas where there may be few:
In April 2015, more than 200 Grade 8 boys from across Toronto came together for the
6th annual Young Mens Stand Up conference. More than 50 men at the top of their
game, including Torontos new police chief, participated in the conference to offer
positive influence.768
Canadian Roots Exchange builds bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth by
facilitating dialogue and strengthening relationships through leadership programming:
Piloted in 2012, the Youth Reconciliation Initiative is a youth-led program that engages
young leaders (ages 18-30) from across the country, to be trained to lead programming
in their own communities, while being supported by Canadian Roots Exchange staff.
Youth leaders then act as mentors, engaging younger Indigenous and non-Indigenous
youth (aged 12-18) in an eight-month leadership program.

How can we turn the tide of voter apathy, especially among our youth, immigrants, and
visible minorities?
Recent federal elections have seen dismal voter turnout rates, particularly among first-time
voters and 18- to 24-year-olds:
Voter turnout in the 2011 federal election was a near-record low of 61.1% (and turnout
from Torontos voters, at 60.3%, was even lower than the national average and the
provincial average of 61.5%).769
The most common reason Canadians gave for not voting in the election was that they
were not interested (27.7%). Another 22.9% said that they were too busy. 3.8% said
they forgot.
Only one-third of first-time eligible voters in Canada actually votedhalf as many as a
generation ago.770
o A 2011 study for Elections Canada found that each new cohort of first-time
voters participates in fewer numbers than the one before.771
Only 39% of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the 2011 federal election,772 a startling
contrast to the trends from the 1970s and 80s when the vast majority (70-80% and
higher) of young people that same age voted.773
o A People for Education report posits that one of the reasons for the dismal state
of civic engagement and our lacklustre political representativeness in terms of
diversity is the weak and fragmented state of citizenship education in our
schools.
o Citizenship education matters if we are going to turn around growing youth
disengagement. Developing clearer goals and success measures for citizenship
education would help, the report argues.774
Voter turnout was up for the first time in almost two-and-a-half decades in the Ontario 2014
election, but a record number of people chose to decline their ballots:
52.1% of voters cast a ballot (unofficial count), up a bit from the provinces 2011 historic
low of 48.2%.775

226

 While some other provinces voter turnout rates are falling, many are still higher than
those of Ontario:
o 71.4% in Qubec in April 2014,
o 59% in Nova Scotia in 2013, and
o 57% in Alberta in 2012.776
In Prince Edward Island, 76.2% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2011 election, and
a whopping 85.9% did in 2015.777
Voter turnout in Ontario elections has gone down steadily since 1990, when 64% of
voters went to the polls.778
2014 saw the highest total ever of declined ballots, up from 2,335 in 2011 to 31,399 (or
0.64% of total ballots cast)an increase of 1,245%.779
Torontos municipal voter turnout has been slowly improving over the past several years, and
the 2014 municipal election attracted a record turnout:
54.7% of eligible voters (991,754 of 1,813,915) cast a ballot in the 2014 municipal
electiona record since amalgamation.
This marks a big improvement (59.2%) over the approximately 36% who voted in the
2000 election. In 2003, voter turnout was 38.3%, in 2006 39.3%, and in 2010, it jumped
to 50.55% of eligible voters.780
The Ranked Ballot Initiative (or RaBit) is a Toronto-based, non-partisan advocacy project
seeking to transform local elections into a more relevant and inclusive experience for voters:
Ranked ballot or runoff voting is a small and simple change that would require no
amendments to the current ward boundaries or structures of City Council. Using this
method, voters mark their choices on the ballot, ranking the candidates in order of
preference.
This voting system ensures that no one can win with less than a majority of the vote
and, as a result, eliminates the risk of vote splitting, where two or more candidates
split the votes of a certain group. It also means that candidates are not pressured to
drop out of a race to prevent vote splitting, and encourages more potential candidates
to run.
In June 2013, Toronto City Council passed a motion to ask the Province for permission
to use ranked ballots for local elections. In spring 2014, a bill to introduce ranked
ballots in Ontario passed second reading. The bill died when the fall 2014 provincial
election was called, but the Province has pledged to put ranked ballots into place
across Ontario.781
A local barber in Philadelphia is working with media partners and 50 other local barbers to
create an initiative that uses the hours black men spend in their local barbershops to increase
voter turnout among the citys black community, particularly among young men.
The plan calls for barbers to be trained through Philadelphias Youth Outreach
Adolescent Community Awareness Program (YOACAP), which will provide information
and training about how to answer questions about who is eligible to vote, as well as to
provide facts about upcoming elections.
Barbers are considered leaders in many communities, and their barber chairs are
frequently the location of many long discussions among local residents about social
issues.

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 The programs goal is help build trust and understanding of the system, and increase
voter participation.782
100In1Day, co-presented by Evergreen and United Way Toronto and York Region, is a festival
of civic engagement that encourages community groups, organizations and individuals to share
their vision for a better city. The annual event unites people across the city to make Toronto a
better place by creating acts of urban change. Residents lead interventions that help raise
awareness of urban and social issues, motivate new approaches to old problems, and inspire
leaders and their fellow citizens.
In 2015, Toronto Foundation provided funding to Evergreen for three Vital Innovation
awards of $10,000 each to support organizations in scaling up their interventions:
o The Bowery Project: Milk Crate Farms creates mobile urban farms in downtown
Toronto through the temporary use of vacant lots;
o Homegrown National Park Project: Rain Gardens of Danforth East Village
beautifies front yards throughout the neighbourhood while helping to build local
resilience to better cope with the effects of climate change; and
o Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre: Positive
Messaging combats social isolation and the need for more neighbourliness by
engaging the community in writing and delivering handwritten notes to
neighbours, installing positive messages in public spaces, and building
community programming.
Samara Canadas Everyday Political Citizen project celebrates positive political role models and
is building a culture of positive politics in Canada.
Conducted coast to coast to coast, the project aims to recognize the diversity of politics
and democracy in Canada, crowdsourcing hundreds of nominations for political citizens
and celebrating some of the many thousands of ordinary people engaging in big and
small ways in this countrys rich political culture.
Each year, adult and youth winners and finalists are chosen by a diverse jury of
prominent Canadians.

How representative are our political leaders of our communities?

Representation on City Council still does not reflect the population:
Visible minorities make up 49% of Torontos population, but they are not adequately
represented in our citys municipal government.
In both the 2010 and 2014 elections, visible minorities were elected to six of the 45 City
Councillor and Mayoral positions, comprising only 14% of Torontos elected officials.783
Recent research has shown that if people do not see themselves in the candidates, they
are less likely to vote. One study reports that the strongest predictor of low voter
turnout in Torontos ridings is a high concentration of immigrants and visible
minorities.784

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Visible Minorities as a Percentage of the Population and in City Hall:785

In general, visible minorities are best represented at the federal and provincial levels
and least represented on municipal councils.
o An October 2013 Institute for Research on Public Policy report shows that in the
GTA, visible minorities made up 17% of the areas MPs, and 26% of MPPs, but
only 7% of municipal councillors at the time.
Diversity in elected representatives not only sends a powerful message of inclusion
to minority groups, but it may also lead to different policy outcomes, as minority
group representatives bring unique perspectives.786
Proponents of ranked ballots (currently being examined by the Province for
municipalities use in 2018 elections) argue that they will allow for governments
more representative of ethnic and gender diversity.787
While they make up 52% of Torontos population, women comprise only one in three elected
city councillors, although progress has been made in their representation on Councils
executive committee.
Women as a Percentage of the Population and in City Hall:788

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 In 2014, women were elected in 14 of 44 wards,789 and as of June 2015 their

proportion of Council (32%) was mirrored on the executive committee, with four of
its 13 members (31%) female.790

How strong is Torontos charitable sector?

The percentage of Torontonians claiming a charitable donation on their income tax return
decreased in 2013, but the median donation increased:
21.6% of Torontonian taxfilers declared a donation, a decrease of 0.8% from 2012 and
placing us 24th of 33 CMAs.791 The percentage of charitable givers in the Region has
remained relatively stable since 2009, although between 2010 and 2013 the rate
declined marginally year over year.792
Winnipeg (26.6%), Guelph (26.5%), and Regina (25.1%) saw higher percentages of
donors.
While donors were fewer, the median charitable donation was up 3.7% nationally, to
$280 (from $270 in 2012 and $260 in 2011), and total donations increased 3.5% to
$8.6B. Some provincesNunavut ($500), Alberta ($420), and BC and PEI ($400 each)
were well above the median.
o Ontario had the fourth-lowest median donation of $340 (up 2.0% over 2012).
Only Nova Scotia ($320), New Brunswick ($310), and Quebec ($130) were lower.
o The Toronto Region had the ninth-highest median donation of $370, $90 more
than the national average and $30 more than the provincial average (and up
3.4% over 2012). Abbotsford-Mission ($740, down 11.6% from 2012 but still
impressive), Vancouver ($420), Calgary ($420), and Saskatoon ($410) had the
highest median donations.793
Since 1997, median charitable donations in the Region have risen 85%,
from $200.794
Donations by Region tax filers totalled $1,956,695,000 (and $3,763,040,000 for all of
Ontario and $8,600,755,000 for all of Canada).795
The Citys investments in the community services delivered by hundreds of non-profit
organizations across Toronto support the non-profit sector in building the city and improving
communities:
A Social Planning Toronto report documents the Citys investment in non-profit
community services, with impacts including improved resident health and wellbeing and
safer communities.
Through its Community Partnership and Investment Program (CPIP), the City invests
almost $50M annually in non-profit community services and arts and cultural programs.
Organizations use the Citys investments to transform communities. For example:
o Toronto has a network of at least 49 drop-in centres across the city working with
people who are homeless, precariously housed, and socially isolated. As nongovernment agencies, they are able to apply a less bureaucratic approach.
Centres are able to build community by engaging those who access
services in helping out in daily operations and structured activities,
improving their health and wellbeing and helping the centres leverage
scarce resources.

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o A 2010 cost-benefit analysis for the John Howard Society of Toronto on

transitional housing and supports (THS) for two groups of ex-prisoners showed
that THS have a dramatic impact on public safety and save public money.
42.5% of sexual offenders with release conditions under Section 810
peace bonds who did not receive THS re-offended, often violently,
compared to only 2.2% who received THS.
THS are also far cheaper than incarceration$350,000 per homeless exprisoner and $109,000 per Section 810.
The City invests in other vital, and often unrecognized, ways that allow organizations to
direct more of their resources to critical services.
o For decades the City has rented its municipal-owned properties to non-profit
community organizations at below-market rates.
o It has provided free solid waste collection for many years to approximately 1,000
charities and non-profit organizations.
o It has a 40% property tax rebate policy for registered charities. In each years
budget process, Council sets aside enough money to cover the estimated value
of the rebate. In the 2014 budget, it was over $6.5M for charities in the
commercial and industrial property classes.
o As the lead partner in Torontos local data consortium, the City is the local
administrator and capacity builder for the Canadian Council on Social
Developments Community Data Program, which supports decision-making
around social development programs by providing access to socio-economic
data to both municipalities and community sector organizations.796
Domains of Wellbeing Supported by Community Groups, Toronto, 2013:797

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In late 2014, Copenhagens city council approved funding for Denmarks first LGBTQ* home
for the elderly:
LGBTQ* seniors will be provided the opportunity to move into the
regnbueplejehjem (rainbow elderly home) as vacancies become available (as
opposed to providing a separate section of the home).798

The following groups are addressing issues relating to leadership, civic engagement and
belonging through their innovative community-based programs.

Click on the name of the group to be directed to their profile on the Community Knowledge
Centre to learn more about how.
ACCES Employment Assisting job seekers from diverse background to integrate into the
Canadian job market
Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services - Improving health outcomes for
the most vulnerable and their communities
ACCESS Community Capital Fund - Enabling individuals with economic barriers to realize
sustainable self-employment
Agincourt Community Services Association - Multi-service agency addressing needs and
empowering under-served
Applegrove Community Complex Fostering community through neighbourhood partnerships
Art Starts Creating social change through community art projects
ArtReach Toronto Giving young artists access to resources, mentorship and skill building
opportunities
Artscape Creating shared space for non-profit and arts based orgs through urban
development
Alliance for South Asian Aids Prevention (ASAAP) Providing HIV/Aids sexual health and
support services
Ashoka Canada Fostering powerful emergent ideas led by social entrepreneurs
Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic - Services for women who have experienced violence
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto - Canada's leading mentoring charity
Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre - Offering recreational, social and capacity building
programs
Bird Studies Canada Conserving wild birds of Canada through public engagement and
advocacy
Boundless Adventures Association - Improving the lives of underserved youth through outdoor
leadership
Broad Reach Foundation for Youth Leaders Increasing leadership skills for underserved teens
through sailing
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Developing and presenting artists voices in the LGBTQ*
community
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression - Championing the rights of journalists and media
professionals
Canadian Stage - One of the countrys leading not-for-profit contemporary theatre companies
CANES Community Care Assisting seniors to take part in the life of their community

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Casey House - A specialty hospital with community programming for those affected by HIV or
Aids
Central Toronto Youth Services - Serving youth who have a range of mental health needs.
Centre for City Ecology - Generating constructive conversations on Toronto's architecture and
planning
Centre for Spanish Speaking People - Serving new immigrants from 22 Spanish-speaking
countries
Charlies FreeWheels - Teaching bicycle mechanics, safety and leadership skills to youth
Children's Peace Theatre - Creating a culture of peace and transformative justice by engaging
children
Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre - Improving the quality of life in the Christie
Ossington community
Clay & Paper Theatre - Bringing neighbourhoods together by producing community-driven
plays, pageants and parades in public spaces
Common Ground Co-operative - Supporting people with developmental disabilities
Community Living Toronto Providing meaningful ways for those with an intellectual disability
to participate in their community
Community Matters Toronto - Supporting newcomers living in St. James Town
Community MicroSkills Development Centre Assisting the unemployed, with priority to
women, racial minorities, immigrants and youth
Creative Trust - Building the financial health and resilience of Toronto's creative performing arts
CTI Canadian Training Institute - Enhancing the effectiveness of client services delivered by
criminal justice and behavioural health services
CUE - A radical, arts initiative enabling young marginalized artists to develop art exhibitions
CultureLink Settlement Services - Developing and delivering settlement services to meet the
needs of diverse communities
David Suzuki Foundation - Promoting environmental education and conservation
Delta Family Resource Centre - Enhancing the potential of families and children
Diaspora Dialogues Charitable Society - Supporting creative writing that reflects our citys
diversity
Distress Centres Creating an emotional safety net for the vulnerable and at risk in our
community
Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club - Providing a safe, supportive place for children and youth
Drum Artz Canada Mentorship and creative expression through percussion and music
Earthroots Fund - Dedicated to the preservation of Ontarios wilderness, wildlife, and
watersheds
Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre Serving a low-income, ethnically and socially
diverse community
East Scarborough Storefront - Building community through collaborations and shared spaces
Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth - Working locally and nationally to prevent, reduce, and
end youth homelessness
Findhelp Information Services Providing information and referral services in Ontario and
across Canada
FIT Community Services - Friends In Trouble - Bridging the income inequality gap
FoodShare - Working towards a sustainable and accessible food system
For Youth Initiative (FYI) - Creating healthy communities by increasing life-chances of
underserved youth
Framework Delivering high-quality volunteer engagement events (Timeraiser)

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Frontier College Elevating literacy through a wide range of programming

Future Possibilities Canada Inc. Empowering children from diverse Canadian communities
FutureWatch Environment and Development Education Partners - Fostering the creation of
sustainable communities
Geneva Centre for Autism Empowering and supporting individuals with an Autism Spectrum
Disorder
The Good Neighbours' Club Welcoming homeless men into a safe space through a drop-in
centre
Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance - Bringing people together to tackle our regions
toughest challenges
Greenest City - Building healthy neighbourhoods through gardening and the celebration of
food
Habitat for Humanity Toronto - Mobilizing volunteers to build affordable housing
Harbourfront Centre - Nurturing the growth of new cultural expression and artistic cultural
exchange.
Harmony Movement / Harmony Education Foundation - Promoting equity, diversity, and
inclusion in Canada
High Park Nature Centre Promoting awareness and respect for nature through outdoor
education
Hospice Toronto - Facilitating access to compassionate care
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Celebrating the latest works by Indigenous
peoples
Inner City Angels - Bringing imaginative interdisciplinary arts programs to children in Toronto
Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre - Gathering community together in a place focused
on social justice
Jane's Walk Creating walkable neighbourhoods and cities planned for and by people
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper - Working to restore swimmability, drinkability and fishability to Lake
Ontario
Lakeshore Area Multi-Service Project (LAMP) - Partnering with the community to address
emerging needs
Law In Action Within Schools Engaging youth in legal education and the justice system
LEAF (Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests) - Protecting and enhances our urban
forest
Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) - Promoting, through education, the practices essential
to sustainability
Leave Out Violence (LOVE) - Reducing violence in the lives of Toronto youth
LGBT Youth Line - Providing anonymous peer support for youth in a queer-positive context
Licensed to Learn Inc. - Empowering children to reach their potential through peer-led tutoring
Lost Lyrics Providing alternative education through arts to racialized youth in priority
neighbourhoods
Lumacare Providing essential programs and services for the support of seniors
Luminato Festival - Reflecting the diverse character of Toronto through n annual, multidisciplinary arts festival
Make-A-Wish Foundation - Granting the wishes of children living with life-threatening medical
conditions
Mammalian Diving Reflex - Interactive performances that occur beyond the walls of the theatre
Manifesto Community Projects - Uniting and empowering diverse young people through hiphop culture

234

March of Dimes Canada Creating a society inclusive of people with physical disabilities
Mentoring Junior Kids Organization (MJKO) - Promoting healthy and active lifestyles for youth
Merry Go Round Children's Foundation - Enabling financially disadvantaged students to
achieve their academic pursuits
METRAC - Focusing on education and prevention to build safety, justice and equity
Moorelands Community Services - Providing youth affected by poverty fun experiences to
strengthen their confidence
Mosaic Institute Harnessing the diversity of Canadas people to build a stronger, more
inclusive nation
Native Women's Resource Centre of Toronto Building the collective capacity of Aboriginal
women
New Leaf Yoga - Supporting the well-being of youth by making mindfulness and yoga
accessible
New Visions Toronto - Providing residential services for individuals with developmental and/or
physical disabilities
Newcomer Women's Services Toronto Delivering educational and employment opportunities
for immigrant women and their children
Nightwood Theatre Propelling women to the top of their craft in Canadian Theatre
No.9: Contemporary Art & the Environment - Using art and design to bring awareness to
environmental concerns
North York Community House - Enhancing the strength and resilience of their neighbourhood
North York Harvest Food Bank - Creating community where all members can meet their food
needs
North York Women's Centre (NYWC) Supporting and empowering women and effect positive
change
Not Far From The Tree - Putting Torontos fruit to good use by picking and sharing the bounty
OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants Helping to integrate immigrants
and refugees
Ontario Justice Education Network - Promoting public understanding to support a responsive
and inclusive justice system
Oolagen - Empowering youth and their families to enhance their wellbeing and mental health
Ophea - Championing healthy, active living in schools and communities
Outward Bound Canada - Cultivating resilience and compassion through challenging journeys
in nature
Parasport Ontario - Developing and promoting Paralympic and Parasport in Ontario
Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC) - Working with members of the Parkdale
community on issues of poverty and mental health
Pathways to Education Canada - Helping underserved youth graduate from high school and
transition to further education
The PACT Urban Peace Program - Empowering underserved youth and youth already in
conflict with the law
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario - Championing childhood cancer care
The Peer Project - Youth Assisting Youth - Promoting the healthy growth and development of
young people
People for Education Engaging parents to become active participants in their children's
education
The Pollution Probe Foundation - Improving the well-being of Canadians by advancing
environmental change

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Project Canoe - Using the outdoors and wilderness canoe trips to help youth develop life skills
Vermont Square Parent-Child Mother Goose Program - Fostering parent-child bonding and
literacy through a rich oral language experience
Ralph Thornton Centre - Building the potential of the Riverdale community
The Redwood - Supporting women and their children to live free from domestic abuse
Regent Park Focus - Bringing best practices in training and mentorship of youth to
broadcasting and digital arts
Right To Play - Using the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing
adversity
Roots of Empathy - Reducing bullying among school children while raising emotional
competence
San Romanoway Revitalization Fostering a sense of belonging in residents of all ages and
backgrounds
Scadding Court Community Centre - Providing opportunities for inclusive recreation,
education, and community participation
Scarborough Arts - Developing programming and cultural initiatives in collaboration with the
community
Second Harvest - Feeding hungry people by picking up, preparing and delivering excess fresh
food to social agencies
Seed to Table - Cultivating the conditions for community change by building local capacity
Seeds of Hope Foundation Building sustainable communities with resource centres that
encourage learning, recovery, and enterprise
Shakespeare in Action - Enhancing arts and education through exploring and performing
Shakespeare
Sheena's Place - Supporting individuals, families and friends affected by eating disorders
Sistema Toronto - Inspiring children to realize their full potential through free, ensemble-based
music lessons
SKETCH Working Arts Creating a safe space for arts and creativity for young, marginalized
people
Skills for Change of Metro Toronto Creating learning and training opportunities for
immigrants and refugees
SkyWorks Charitable Foundation Advocating and participating in social change through
community film making
Small Change Fund - Supporting grassroots projects that contribute to social and
environmental change
Soulpepper Theatre Company - Creating a home in Toronto for the great dramatic works of
our collective cultural inheritance
South Riverdale Community Health Centre - Improving the lives of people that face barriers to
physical, mental, and social well-being
Springboard Helping people develop the skills they need to overcome barriers and achieve
their full potential
St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre - Providing programs and services for seniors and older adults
St. Stephens Community House Programming for newcomer and low-income residents
The Stop Community Food Centre - Increasing access to healthy food by building community
and challenging inequality
Story Planet Encouraging young people to tell their stories through workshops at a story
making centre

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Sustainability Network - Enriching Canadian environmental leaders and organizations by

supporting them to increase capacity
The 519 - Enhancing the vibrant downtown and LGBTQ* community
Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office - Building a safe and healthy community
Toronto Centre for Community Learning & Development - Creating a strong culture of
community engagement
Toronto City Mission - Creating lasting change through preventative and transformational
programs
Toronto Environmental Alliance - Promoting a greener Toronto
Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs - Providing a safe, supportive place for the young people
of Regent Park, Cabbagetown, and Trinity-Bellwoods
Toronto Park People - Catalyzing better parks across Toronto
Toronto Public Library Foundation - Providing essential resources for the enhancement of the
Toronto Public Library
Toronto Wildlife Centre Building a healthy community for people and wildlife by raising
awareness about urban wildlife
Toronto Youth Development - Assisting and fostering underprivileged youth in Toronto
Trails Youth Initiatives Inc. - Challenging and equipping youth from the inner city of Toronto
UforChange - Inspiring newcomer and Canadian youth through arts-based community-building
Unison Health Community Services - Delivering accessible and high quality health and
community services
UNITY Charity - Empowering youth to use artistic self-expression to make positive life
UrbanArts - Engaging youth in community development through the arts
White Ribbon - Working to end violence against women and girls by engaging men and boys
WoodGreen Enhancing self-sufficiency, promoting well-being and reducing poverty
Words In Motion - Using the arts to help children and their families achieve their full potential
Workman Arts Project of Ontario - Developing and supporting artists with mental illness and
addiction issues
YMCA of Greater Toronto - Offering opportunities for community involvement and leadership
Youth Empowering Parents (YEP) - Empowering youth to become leaders within their own
community

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Glossary
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA): The AODA is the Provinces legislation,
enacted in 2005, with a goal of making Ontario accessible by 2025. To ensure that Ontarios
1.8 million people with disabilities can participate fully in their communities, it set mandatory,
province-wide accessibility standards in five areas of daily life: customer service, employment,
information and communications, transportation, and design of public spaces.
Affordable housing: Affordable housing is defined as housing costs that do not exceed 30% of
household income, in contrast to other definitions based on the housing marketfor example,
affordable housing defined as rental housing that is 80% or less than gross market rents.
Arts and Culture Professional Occupations: The Statistics Canada National Index of
Occupations lists the following Professional Occupations in Art and Culture:
Librarians, archivists, conservators and curators
o Librarians
o Conservators and curators
o Archivists
Writing, translating and related communications professionals
o Authors and writers
o Editors
o Journalists
o Translators, terminologists and interpreters
Creative and performing artists
o Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
o Conductors, composers and arrangers
o Musicians and singers
o Dancers
o Actors and comedians
o Painters, sculptors, and other visual artists
Average: The average equals the sum of all the values, divided by the number of values being
studied. For example, in a population of 10 people, if one person earns $1 million and nine
earn $30,000, the average income would be $127,000, whereas the median income in the
sample would be $30,000.

Also see: Median.

Business establishment: An establishment refers to any business or firm location. Some
businesses, such as a restaurant chain, may have a number of establishments at different
locations.
Capital budget: The City of Torontos capital budget sets aside future funding for the
construction and repair of transit, roads, bridges, public buildings (such as libraries, community
centres and fire stations), water and sewer facilities, parks and other major infrastructure
projects. The City of Toronto updates and presents a new 10-year Capital Budget and Plan
each year as part of the annual budget process. The capital budget is primarily funded by

Glossary

238

property taxes. Other funds come from reserves, development charges, other levels of
government and by borrowing funds or taking on debt.
Also see: Operating budget.
Census family: A census family is defined as a married couple and the children, if any, of either
or both spouses; a couple living common law and the children, if any, of either or both
partners; or, a lone parent of any marital status with at least one child living in the same
dwelling as that child or those children. All members of a particular census family live in the
same dwelling. A couple may be of opposite or same sex. Children may be children by birth,
marriage or adoption regardless of their age or marital status as long as they live in the
dwelling and do not have their own spouse or child living in the dwelling. Grandchildren living
with their grandparent(s) but with no parents present also constitute a census family (Statistics
Canada definition).

Also see: Economic family.

Census metropolitan area (CMA): Statistics Canada defines a CMA as an area consisting of one
or more neighbouring municipalities situated around a core. A CMA must have a total
population of at least 100,000, 50,000 or more of whom live in the core. The Toronto CMA
(also known as the Toronto Region or Region) is the largest metropolitan area in Canada,
stretching from Ajax and Pickering in the east, to Milton in the west and Tecumseth and
Georgina in the north. Almost half the population of the Toronto Region resides in the city of
Toronto.
Census tract: Census tracts are small, relatively stable geographic areas that usually have a
population between 2,500 and 8,000 persons. They are located in census metropolitan areas
and in other population areas that had a core population of 50,000 or more in the previous
census.
Child poverty: Children are defined as living in poverty when they are a part of low-income
families. The definition of low income varies by the measure being used, and there is
currently no consensus among anti-poverty advocates, researchers, decision-makers or media
as to the best measure.

For a discussion of poverty measures, see Richard Shillington and John Stapleton (2010),
Cutting Through the Fog: Why is it So Hard to Make Sense of Poverty Measures?
Also see: Low-Income Measure, Low Income Cut Off, and Gini coefficient.
Crime Severity Index: The police-reported Crime Severity Index (CSI) was introduced in the
spring of 2009 to enable Canadians to track changes in the severity of police-reported crime
from year to year. Each type of offence is assigned a weight derived from actual sentences
handed down by courts in all provinces and territories. Weights are calculated using the five
most recent years of available sentencing data. More serious crimes are assigned higher
weights; less serious offenses lower weights. As a result, when all crimes are included, more
serious offenses have a greater impact on changes in the Index.

Glossary

239

Cultural industries: There is no standard definition of this cluster of occupations in Canada. For
the purposes of this Report, cultural industries refers to the following sub-industries from the
Labour Force Survey: Information and Cultural Industries, and Arts, Entertainment and
Recreation. Sub-industries that are excluded are publishing industries, telecommunications,
internet providers and other information, and amusement, gambling and recreation industries,
as well as those industries with less than 1,500 workers in Ontario. Note that this is not the
same as the definition of the Cultural Labour Force used in From the Ground Up: Growing
Torontos Cultural Sector.
Diversity: For the purposes of this Report, diversity within a group is measured in terms of race
and ethnicity, rather than a broader range of diverse characteristics.
Downtown core: For the purposes of this Report, Torontos downtown core refers to the area
bounded on the north by Bloor Street, on the west by Spadina Avenue, on the east by Jarvis
Street, and on the south by Queens Quay.
Established immigrant: Established immigrants refer to those who have resided in Canada 10
years or more.

Also see: Recent immigrant.

Food insecurity: The UN defines food security as access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food
to meet dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life. Food insecurity has been
monitored in Canada since 2004. On the basis of an 18-question survey of the experience of
household members, households are judged to be:
Marginally food insecure: Worry about running out of food and/or limit food selection
because of lack of money for food;
Moderately food insecure: Compromise in quality and/or quantity of food because of
lack of money for food; or
Severely food insecure: Miss meals, reduce food intake and, at the extreme, go day(s)
without food.
Food system: Food systems are chains of commercial and non-commercial actorsfrom
suppliers to consumers, regulators to advocates for system changewho collectively
determine how we grow, process, distribute, acquire and dispose of food (Municipal Food
Policy Entrepreneurs definition).
Gini coefficient: Named after the Italian statistician Corrado Gini, the Gini coefficient is a
simple, relative measure of income inequality. It calculates the extent to which income
distribution varies from a perfectly equal distribution. A Gini coefficient of 0 represents
complete equality (all people have the same income), and a coefficient of 1 represents
complete inequality (one person has all the income, and the rest of the population has
nothing). Its focus is on relative income distribution, rather than real levels of poverty and
prosperity in society.

For a discussion of poverty measures, see Richard Shillington and John Stapleton (2010),
Cutting Through the Fog: Why is it So Hard to Make Sense of Poverty Measures?

Glossary

240

Also see: Low-Income Measure and Low Income Cut Off.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): GDP is a measure of a jurisdictions annual official economic
output. The most direct way of determining GDP is to add up the value of production in all
categories of economic enterprise. To bring the Canadian System of National Economic
Accounts into line with international standards, the valuation of production is now calculated
according to basic prices. GDP at basic prices (as opposed to GDP at factor costs or at market
prices) includes indirect taxes (for example property taxes, capital taxes and payroll taxes) but
excludes taxes and subsidies attached to the factors of production (for example sales taxes,
fuel taxes, duties and taxes on imports, excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol products and
subsidies paid on agricultural commodities, transportation services and energy).799 It should be
noted, however, that GDP is seen by some as a deeply flawed measure, as it excludes the
value of work that is not performed for money, nor does it consider the costs associated with
the economic output, such as future economic costs or environmental costs.800
Hidden homelessness: The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (formerly the Canadian
Homelessness Research Network) defines the hidden homeless, often referred to as couch
surfers, as those left with little choice other than to temporarily stay (whether in their current
hometown or a new community) with friends, family, or even strangers. They do so because
they do not immediately have the means to secure their own permanent housing; typically,
they are not paying rent. The hidden homeless differ from those who choose to stay with
others while waiting for pre-arranged accommodation. People accessing short-term, temporary
rental accommodations (in motels, hostels, rooming houses, etc.) that do not offer the
possibility of permanency are also often considered among the hidden homeless population.801
Homelessness: The Canadian Definition of Homelessness, by the Canadian Observatory on
Homelessness (formerly the Canadian Homelessness Research Network), describes a range of
housing and shelter circumstances, with people without any shelter at one end, and those
insecurely housed at the other. Homelessness encompasses a range of physical living
situations, organized here in a typology that includes:
Unsheltered, or absolutely homeless and living on the streets or in places not intended
for human habitation;
Emergency Sheltered, including those staying in overnight shelters for people who are
homeless, as well as shelters for those impacted by family violence;
Provisionally Accommodated, referring to those whose accommodation is temporary or
lacks security of tenure; and
At Risk of Homelessness, referring to people who are not homeless, but whose current
economic and/or housing situation is precarious or does not meet public health and
safety standards. It should be noted that for many people homelessness is not a static
state but rather a fluid experience, where ones shelter circumstances change. Although
many included in the category will not end up in shelters, their housing situation is
defined as such because it is insecure or unstable.802
Human trafficking: In Canada and elsewhere, there is no overall consensus on the definition of
human trafficking. Law enforcement bodies in Canada are mandated to adhere to sections
279.01 to 279.04 of the Criminal Code of Canada, which contain four indictable offences that
specifically address human trafficking, and section 118 of the Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act. The working definition of human trafficking of the City of Toronto is: An act by

Glossary

241

a person, or group of people that involves recruiting, transporting or receiving a person,

harbouring, luring, exercising control over a person by means of a threat, use of force or other
forms of coercion or influence for the purpose of exploitation, including sexual exploitation,
forced labour and/or forced marriages.803
Intimate partner violence (IPV): IPV is the systematic use of tacticssuch as intimidation,
isolation, and threats, as well as emotional, financial, physical, and sexual abuseto induce
fear and/or dependency in order to gain power and control over anothers thoughts, beliefs,
and conduct (Registered Nurses Association of Ontario definition).
LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a set of rating systems
regulated by national bodies like the Canada Green Building Council and the World Green
Building Council for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings,
homes and neighbourhoods. Green buildings can have advanced air ventilation systems, utilize
for more natural daylight, produce less waste, conserve energy, and/or decrease water
consumption. Criteria for certification continue to evolve as emerging green building
technologies advance.
LGBTQ*: LGBTQ is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer or
Questioning and is used to designate a marginalized community of people who self-identify
within a spectrum/kaleidoscope of gender identity and sexual orientations.
Low Income Cut Off (LICO): The LICO is defined as the income levels at which 70% or more of
a familys before tax income is spent on food, shelter and clothing. It takes into account the
total family income, the number of people supported by that income, and the population size
of the municipality where they live. For example:

Family Unit Size

1 person
2 persons
3 persons
4 persons

Census Metropolitan Area (500,000 inhabitants or more)

2013 After Tax Low income Cut-off (1992 base)804
$ 19,774
$ 24,066
$ 29,968
$ 37,387

The LICO has been criticized for not reflecting regional differences, and because it has not
been updated to reflect changes in spending patterns since 1992. The LICO can be calculated
both before and after taxes.
For a discussion of poverty measures, see Richard Shillington and John Stapleton (2010),
Cutting Through the Fog: Why is it So Hard to Make Sense of Poverty Measures?
Also see: Low-Income Measure and Gini coefficient.
Low-Income Measure (LIM): The LIM is used for international comparisons and is increasingly
being adopted by the anti-poverty movement in Canada. It is a relative measure of low
income. LIM is a fixed percentage (50%) of median family income adjusted based on a
consideration of family needs. The family size adjustment reflects the precept that family needs
increase with family size. For the LIM, each additional adult, first child (regardless of age) in a

Glossary

242

lone-parent family, or child over 15 years of age is assumed to increase the familys needs by
40% of the needs of the first adult. Each child less than 16 years of age (other than the first
child in a lone-parent family) is assumed to increase the familys needs by 30% of the first adult.
A family is considered to be low income when their income is below the Low-Income Measure
(LIM) for their family type and size. The LIM has been criticized for defining poverty in relative
rather than absolute terms, as it incorporates contemporary living standards and is adjusted in
some way to maintain this relationship, rather than being indexed to prices only. The LIM can
be calculated both before and after taxes.
For a discussion of poverty measures, see Richard Shillington and John Stapleton (2010),
Cutting Through the Fog: Why is it So Hard to Make Sense of Poverty Measures?
Also see: Low Income Cut Off and Gini coefficient.
Median: The median equals the mid-point in distribution of a number of values being studied,
where one half is above and the other half below. For example, in a population of 10 people, if
one person earns $1 million and nine earn $30,000, the median income in the sample would be
$30,000, whereas the average income would be $127,000.

Also see: Average.

Mode share: Mode share is an indicator that measures the share of various modes of
transportation, most often walking, bicycling, public transit, and driving. Municipalities are
increasingly encouraging the more healthy and sustainable active transportation (walking and
cycling) and public transit modes as a shift away from motorized transport.
Office sector: Employment activity in the city of Toronto is categorized by sector. The broadest
breakdown is into six sectors: manufacturing, retail, office, service, institutions (education,
health, religious and other institutions) and other. The office sector includes:
mining, manufacturing, transportation, utilities, construction and resource production
(office workers);
finance, insurance and real estate;
business and technical services;
communications and media;
trade and personal services;
health service offices;
government; and
associations.
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP): ODSP is a provincial program of income and
employment support to those in Ontario with a physical or mental disability of long duration
(more than one year). Income support is available to those in financial need who also face
substantial restrictions that prevent them from working, taking care of themselves, or
participating in community life.
Ontario Works: Ontario Works is the name of the Provincial social assistance program that
provides eligible Ontario residents with financial assistance to help cover the costs of basic

Glossary

243

needs (e.g., food and housing costs), and employment assistance to assist in preparing for and
finding employment.
Operating budget: The City of Torontos operating budget covers day-to-day spending on
services such as recreational programs, parks maintenance, beaches, city roads, garbage
collection, delivery of safe drinking water, and police and other emergency services. Some of
the funds for the operating budget come from property tax. The remainder comes from
Provincial transfers and user fees.

Also see: Capital budget.

Police Reported Crime Rate (PRCR): The PRCR is a rate per 100,000 population measuring
changes in the volume of reported crime, and counts each criminal incident equally. As a
result, the rate is dominated by high-volume, less-serious offenses.

Also see: Violent Crime Severity Index.

Precarious employment (or employment precarity): Precarious employment is employment that
is uncertain, insecure and lacks the benefits associated with conventional full-time, permanent
work. Those in precarious employment are more likely to receive no benefits, face irregular
hours and shifts, be paid minimum wage (sometimes in cash), have to pay for their own
training, and face limited career prospects.
Priority neighbourhoods: In 2005, the Citys Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force recommended
the designation of 22 areas of Toronto (commonly reported as 13, as some adjacent
communities are grouped and counted as one) that faced particular economic and social
challenges for particular attention and investment. Some of these challenges included low
income, high levels of unemployment, and high numbers of recent immigrants. These 13
Priority Neighbourhoods (sometimes referred to as Priority Areas) were:
Jamestown
Jane-Finch
Malvern
Kingston-Galloway
Lawrence Heights
Steeles-L'Amoreaux
Eglinton East-Kennedy Park
Crescent Town
Weston-Mt. Dennis
Dorset Park
Scarborough Village
Flemingdon Park-Victoria Village
Westminster-Branson

In April 2014 Toronto City Council approved a recommendation by Social Development,

Finance and Administration staff to increase the number of priority neighbourhoods from 13 to
31. A name change occurred as well, with these neighbourhoods now being called
Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (or NIAs). Of the original 22 neighbourhoods, eight no

Glossary

244

longer qualify as neighbourhoods requiring targeted investment: Westminster-Branson,

Malvern, Dorset Park, LAmoreaux, Yorkdale-Glen Park, Steeles, Englemount-Lawrence and
Humber Heights-Westmount.
The 31 NIAs are:
Beechborough-Greenbrook
Birchmount-Eglinton East (BEE) (previously Ionview)
Black Creek
Downsview-Roding-CFB
Eglinton East
Elms-Old Rexdale
Flemingdon Park
Glenfield-Jane Heights
Humber Summit
Humbermede
Keelesdale-Eglinton West
Kennedy Park
Kingston Road/Galloway Road/Orton Park Road (previously West Hill)
Kingsview Village-The Westway
Mornelle Court (previously Morningside)
Mount Dennis
Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown
Oakridge
Regent Park
Rockcliffe-Smythe
Rustic
Scarborough Village
South Parkdale
Taylor-Massey (previously Crescent Town)
Thistletown-Beaumond Heights
Thorncliffe Park
Victoria Village
Weston
Weston-Pellam Park
Woburn
York University Heights
For more information, including description of the 15 indicators of neighbourhood inequity
used to choose the NIAs, see the Citys Neighbourhood equity index: Methodological
documentation.
Professional Employment in Arts and Culture: Using the National Occupational Codes defined
by Statistics Canada, professional occupations in art and culture include:
librarians, archivists, conservators, and curators;
writing, translating and related communications professionals; and
creative and performing artists.

Glossary

245

Racialized: Racialized is a term that is increasingly used in place of visible minority or racial
minority. It affirms that race is a social construct imposed upon people and used to
discriminate against those people on the basis of generalizations and stereotypes that are
perceived to be associated with particular physical and cultural characteristics.

Also see: Visible minority.

Recent immigrant: Recent immigrants refer to those who arrived in Canada in the five years
prior to a particular census. The most recent immigrants are those who arrived in Canada
between January 1, 2006, and Census Day, May 16, 2011.

Also see: Established immigrant.

Refugee claimant: A refugee claimant (the term used in Canadian law) is a person who has
fled their country in fear for their life and is asking for protection in another countryunlike an
immigrant, who chooses to move to another country. We dont know whether a claimant is a
refugee or not until their case has been decided (Canadian Council for Refugees definition).
Refugee claimants have temporary resident status but have no access to federal programs or
provincial programs such as Ontario Works and OHIP.
Resilience: Resilience is the ability of a system, entity, community, or person to withstand
shocks while still maintaining its essential functions and to recover quickly and effectively
(Rockefeller Foundation definition).
Self-reported data: Self-reported data is information reported by study participants themselves
rather than measured independently. Self-reported data is subject to bias, as respondents may
over- or under-report. Activity levels, for example, tend to be over-estimated, while obesity
tends to be under-reported.
Social capital: Social capital refers to networks of social relationships between individuals and
groups with shared values and assets that benefit those individuals, groups and communities,
and the larger society. Examples of social capital include networks of social support,
membership in voluntary organizations and associations, civic participation, and levels of trust
and sense of belonging to the community. By investing in and leveraging social networks,
social capital can be developed to help communities build and create together.
Social housing: Sometimes called subsidized housing, social housing is housing that receives
some form of government or not-for-profit subsidy. Forms of social housing include some
housing co-ops (with rent geared to income for low-income residents, or housing geared to
specific low-income groups such as seniors or artists), public housing (where the government
directly manages the property), and rent supplements (paid to landlords). Tenants must
generally meet eligibility requirements for social housing.
Unemployed: The unemployment rate expresses the number of unemployed persons as a
percentage of the labour force (the labour force is the population aged 15 and over who were
either employed or unemployed; it does not include those who were not working nor
anticipating a return to work within four weeks, nor does it include those not available nor
looking for work). Unemployed persons are defined as those who are available for work but

Glossary

246

without it, and either on temporary layoff, had looked for work in the past four weeks, or had a
job to start within the next four weeks (from Employment and Social Development Canada,
using Statistics Canada definitions from the Guide to the Labour Force Survey).
Violent Crime Severity Index: In addition to the overall police-reported Crime Severity Index,
the Violent Crime Severity Index measures only violent crime. It is also available for crimes
committed by youth.

Also see: Crime Severity Index.

Visible minority: Visible minority refers to whether or not a person, under criteria established by
the Employment Equity Act, is non-Caucasian or non-white. Under the Act, an Aboriginal
person is not considered to be a visible minority. The term is controversial and deemed by
many to be problematic for a number of reasons. It is vague and subject to confusion. In some
instances it is used to refer to ethnicity or nationality, which may include both white and nonwhite people; in others to sub-regions of entire continents (East Asia, for example), which
comprise multiple ethnic and racial groups.805
Throughout this Report, the term is used when original source material uses the term.

Also see: Racialized.

Working poor: For the purposes of this Report, a member of the working poor is an
independent adult between the ages of 18 and 64, and not a student, with earnings of at least
$3,000 per year, but an income below the median Low-Income Measure (LIM) (Metcalf
Foundation definition).

Glossary

247

Acknowledgements
The Torontos Vital Signs Report is a collaborative effort led by Toronto Foundation. We
specially thank George Brown College, our lead research partner, and the 97 Vital Toronto Fund
donors who support this aspect of our city building work. Our special thanks is also extended to
Community Foundations of Canada, which co-ordinates the national and international
replication of Vital Signs.
In addition, Toronto Foundation thanks the more than 300 individuals, institutions, and
organizations who provide information, statistics, and advice for the Torontos Vital Signs
Report, including:
* Advisory Group
Lyndsey Adams
Masooma Amarsi
Laurie Ashby
Lauren Baker
Kyle Baptista
Paul Bedford*
Vassiliki Bednar
Matt Bentley
Rahul Bhardwaj*
Gillian Booth
Erin Boudreau
Mike Brady
Rupen Brahmbhatt
Shauna Brail*
Marcy Burchfield
David Cameron
James Chan*
Margo Charlton
Steven Clow
Kara Collins
Isaac Coplan
Liz Corson
Charles H. Davis
Kim Dayman
Adrienne De Francesco
Blair Dimock*
Suzanne Dwyer (GBC Lead Researcher)*
Lisa Ferguson (Lead, Writing Team)*
Ben Freeman
Stephen Gaetz
Kelly Gallagher-Mackay
Nadien Godkewitsch*
Rick Goldsmith*

248
Acknowledgements

Ilja Green*
Jennifer Green
Joe Greenwood
Daniel Hamlin
Sally Han
Jane Hilderman
Kelly Hill
Leanne Holt
J. David Hulchanski
Roger Keil*
Gracia Dyer Jalea
Steve Johnston
Annie Kidder
Marianne Kingsley
Sara Krynitzki*
Julia Langer
Daniel Liadsky
Julia Lo
Beth Lorimer
Harvey Low
Robert Luke*
Richard Maaranen
Ellen MacLean
Keisha Mair
Romina Mari
Sean Marshall
Patricia McCarney*
Andrew McConnachie
Ken McGuffin
Nuala Meagher
James Meers
Tanzeel Merchant*
Jo Michaels
Alex Morosovskiy
Rosalyn Morrison (Chair)*
Keith Neuman*
Kim Nguyen
Christina Palassio
Christopher Pandolfi
James Patava
Mahesh Patel
Mary Pickering
Ann Rosenfield
Michael Salem*
Jordan Scantlebury
Michael Shapcott
Konrad Skorupa
Jo Snyder

249
Acknowledgements

John Stapleton
Heather Steel
Andrew Stephen
Jacqui Strachan
Valerie Tarasuk
Lorne Turner (fondly remembered)
Lisa Wolf
Ted Wong
Nick Yeo
Linda Yuval
5 Gyres Institute
Access Alliance
ACCES Employment
Action Canada
Alliance Against Modern Slavery
Alliance for a Poverty-Free Toronto
AMNewYork
ARCADIS
ArtReach
Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
BeautifulCity
BlogTO
BOOST for Kids
Business Wire
Campaign 2000
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA)
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Canadian Council on Social Development
Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
Canadian Homeless Research Network
Canadian Index of Wellbeing
Canadian International Television Festival
Canadian Roots Exchange
Canadian Screen Awards
Canadian Training Institute
Canadian Urban Institute
Canadian Urban Transit Association
CareerBuilder.ca
CBRE Canada
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Centre for Research on Inner City Health
Centre for Social Innovation
CERIS The Ontario Metropolis Centre
Charlies Free Wheels
Child Development Institute

250
Acknowledgements

Childrens Aid Society of Toronto

Christies International Real Estate
CIBC
Citizens for Public Justice
City Lab
City of Toronto:
Affordable Housing Office
Childrens Services
City Clerks Office
City Managers Office
Community Development and Recreation Committee
Corporate Finance
Cultural Services
Economic Development and Culture
Election Services
Film and Television Office
Finance & Administration Communications
Medical Officer of Health
Parks and Environment Committee
Parks, Forestry and Recreation
Pedestrian and Cycling
Planning Division
Shelter, Support and Housing Administration
Social Development, Finance and Administration
Solid Waste Management Services
Strategic and Corporate Policy
Toronto Food Policy Council
Toronto Public Health
Toronto Water
Traffic Safety Unit
Transportation Services
Urban Forestry Services
Waterfront Toronto
Wellbeing Toronto
CivicAction
Clean Air Partnership
Colour of Poverty Colour of Change
Community Food Centres of Canada
Community Foundations of Canada
Covenant House
Crisis Link
CTV News
Cushman & Wakefield
Cycle Toronto
Daily Bread Food Bank
David Suzuki Foundation
Deloitte
Democracy Watch

251
Acknowledgements

Demographia
Diabetes Care
East Scarborough Storefront
Egale Canada Human Rights Trust
Elections Canada
Emporis
Environmental Defence
FarmStart
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Fitch Ratings
FoodShare Toronto
Fraser Institute
Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation
Friends of the Pan Am Path
George Brown College (Lead Research Partner)
Institute Without Boundaries
Global News
GO Transit
Government of Canada:
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Parks Canada
Statistics Canada
Government of Ontario:
Office of the Chief Coroner
Local Health Integration Networks
Ministry of Children and Youth Services
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
Ministry of Labour
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
Newsroom
Greenest City
Green Thumbs Growing Kids
Grosvenor
Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
Hill Strategies Research
Homes First
Housing Connections
Huffington Post
Imagine Canada
Inside Out LGBT Film Festival
InsideToronto.com
Institute for Canadian Citizenship
Institute for Research on Public Policy
International Institute for Sustainable Development (National Research Partner)
International Standards Organization
Ipsos Reid

252
Acknowledgements

John Howard Society of Toronto

KPMG
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
Leger
LGBT Youthline
MABELLEarts
Macleans Magazine
MaRS Discovery District
Maytree
McConnell Foundation
McMaster University
Metcalf Foundation
Metro News
Metrolinx
Moneris
Mowat Centre
National Crime Prevention Centre
Neptis Foundation
Newcomer Womens Services Toronto
New Leaf Yoga Foundation
NOW Magazine
Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators
Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Service for Seniors
Ontario Campaign 2000
Ontario Long Term Care Association
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association
Ontario Physician Human Resource Data Centre
Open Streets TO
OPENCities
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Ottawa Citizen
Park People
Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC)
ParticipACTION
Pathways to Education
Pembina Institute
People for Education
PinkNews.co.uk
Playing for Keeps
Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario (PEPSO)
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Pride Toronto
Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto (RaBIT)
Realosophy Realty Inc.
Regent Park Focus
Region of Peel
Royal Bank of Canada
Ryerson University

253
Acknowledgements

City Building Institute

Samara Canada
Skyscraperpage.com
Social Planning Toronto
Social Progress Imperative
Solid Waste and Recycling Magazine
Spacing Magazine
Springboard
St. Michaels Hospital
Centre for Research on Inner City Health
TakePart.com
TD Economics
The Canadian Press
The Economist
The Globe and Mail
The Guardian
The Homeless Hub
The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids)
The Independent
TheScore.com
TIFF
Times Higher Education
TomTom
Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games
Toronto Arts Council
Toronto Arts Foundation
Toronto Centre for Active Transportation
Toronto Community Housing Corporation
Toronto Cycling Think & Do Tank
Toronto District School Board
Toronto Environmental Alliance
Toronto Life
Toronto Police Service
Toronto Public Library
Toronto Raptors
Toronto Real Estate Board
Toronto Region Board of Trade
Toronto Star
Toronto Sun
Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto.com
Torontoist.ca
Tourism Toronto
United Nations
Economic and Social Affairs
UNICEF
World Health Organization
United Way Toronto and York Region

254
Acknowledgements

University of British Columbia

University of Toronto:
Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance
Neighbourhood Change Research Partnership
Martin Prosperity Institute
UofT News
University of Waterloo
Walk Score
West End Food Co-op
Wheels.ca
Wildlands League
WoodGreen Community Services
World Council on City Data
Yahoo News
Yonge Street Media
YouthfulCities

Producing Torontos Vital Signs Report would not have been possible without the staff team at
Toronto Foundation:
Denise Arsenault
Rahul Bhardwaj
Anne Brayley
Sarah Chiddy
Marianna Ciappa
Ann Clark
Tyler Demers
Nadien Godkewitsch
Aneil Gokhale
Miranda Hassell
Emma Jenkin
Torey Kehoe
Sara Krynitzki
Theresa Malley
Rosalyn Morrison
Tory Robertson
Michael Salem
Thiviyaa Sehasothy
Marya Syed
Georgy Thomas

255
Acknowledgements

Endnotes
1

Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 109-5345. Geography limited to City of
Toronto Health Unit, Ontario [3595-G].
http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=1095345&pattern=&csid=.
2
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 109-5345. Geography limited to City of
Toronto Health Unit, Ontario [3595-G], Age Group limited to 15 to 19 years and 20 to 24 years.
http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=1095345&pattern=&csid=.
3
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 109-5345. Geography limited to City of
Toronto Health Unit, Ontario [3595-G], Age Group limited to 65 to 69 years, 70 to 74 years, 75 to
79 years, 80 to 84 years, 85 to 89 years and 90 years and over.
http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=1095345&pattern=&csid=.
4
Citizenship and Immigration Canada. (2015). Facts and figures 2014: Immigration Overview: Permanent
residents. Last accessed September 22, 2015 from: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/2014-FactsPermanent.pdf.
5
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 109-5345. Geography limited to City of
Toronto Health Unit, Ontario [3595-G].
http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=1095345&pattern=&csid=.
6
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2012). Seniors Housing Report Ontario. Last accessed
July 21, 2015, from http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/esub/65981/65981_2012_A01.pdf.
7
Toronto Region Board of Trade. (2014). Closing the Prosperity Gap: Solutions for a More Liveable City
Region. Last accessed July 4, 2015 from: http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/document.doc?id=253.
8
City of Toronto Backgrounder. (2012). 2011 Census: Population and Dwelling Counts.
http://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/social_development_finance__administration/files/pdf/2011cens
us-backgrounder.pdf.
9
NVS Table XI-1-b: Post-Censal Estimates of Population in Vital Signs Communities on July 1, 1996, and
2000-2014.
10
City of Toronto, Economic Development and Culture. (2014). Economic Indicators July 2015. Last
accessed September 17, 2015 from:
http://www1.toronto.ca/static_files/economic_development_and_culture/docs/Economic%20indicators/e
conomic_indicators.pdf.
11
Government of Ontario, Ministry of Finance. (2013). Greater Toronto Area and its census divisions,
population by five-year age group, 20132041 reference scenario. Last accessed July 21, 2015, from:
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/economy/demographics/projections/table10.html.
12
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/document.doc?id=253.
13
NVS Table XI-1-b: Post-Censal Estimates of Population in Vital Signs Communities on July 1, 1996,
and 2000-2014.
14
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 109-5345. Geography limited to City of
Toronto Health Unit, Ontario [3595-G].
http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=1095345&pattern=&csid=.
15
United Nations, Economic and Social Affairs. (2014). World Urbanization Prospects: the 2014 Revision,
Highlights. Last accessed September 11, 2015 from: http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/Highlights/WUP2014Highlights.pdf.
16
Federation of Canadian Municipalities. (2013). Canadas Aging Population: The Municipal Role in
Canadas Demographic Shift. Last accessed June 25, 2015, from:
http://www.fcm.ca/Documents/reports/FCM/canadas_aging_population_the_municipal_role_in_Canadas
_demographic_shift_en.pdf.
17
Federation of Canadian Municipalities. (2013). Canadas Aging Population: The Municipal Role in
Canadas Demographic Shift. Last accessed July 19, 2015, from:
http://www.fcm.ca/Documents/reports/FCM/canadas_aging_population_the_municipal_role_in_Canadas
_demographic_shift_en.pdf; CMHC Housing Market Information. (2012). Seniors, Housing Report:

256
Endnotes

Ontario. Last accessed July 19, 2015, from: http://www.cmhcschl.gc.ca/odpub/esub/65981/65981_2012_A01.pdf; City of Toronto. (2013). Toronto Seniors Strategy
2013: Towards an Age-Friendly City. Last accessed August 4, 2013, from:
http://www.toronto.ca/seniors/strategy.htm.
18
Ontario Long Term Care Association. (2015). Building resident-centered long-term care, now and for
the Future. Pre-Budget Submission to the Ontario Government 2015/2016.
http://www.oltca.com/oltca/Documents/Reports/PreBudgetSubmission2015-2016.pdf.
19
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Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 105-0501. Geography limited to City of
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58
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 105-0501, Geography limited to City of
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259
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Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 105-0501. Geography limited to City of
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60
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Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 105-0501. Geography limited to City of
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62
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65
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 105-0501. Geography limited to City of
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NVS Table III-12: Heavy Drinking (Percent of Population, 12 and over Who Consume 5 or More Drinks
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NVS Table III-5: Smoking Rates (Percent) for Current Smokers (Population 12 and over) for Vital Signs
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68
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 105-0501. Geography limited to City of
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69
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 105-0501. Geography limited to City of
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Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. CANSIM Table 105-0501. Geography limited to City of
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72
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73
NVS Table III-13: Self-Reported Overweight and Obesity Rate (Percent) for Youth (12 to 17 years),
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74
NVS Table III-14: Diabetes Rate (Percent of Population 12 and over), 2003, 2005 and 2007-2014.
75
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76
NVS Table III-2-iii: Specialist Physicians per 100,000 Population for Vital Sign Communities by Health
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77
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