Turn Your Street Into a Playground This Fall – deadline July 1
With so many playgrounds still closed due to COVID-19, children need a place to play outside now more than ever. Consider signing up for Street PLAY, a city program that allows residents to shut down their streets for certain hours, allowing children to play safely and freely right outside their homes. (It has been a popular initiative in Seaton Village: read about the benefits at the Street PLAY site here.)

It’s FREE, but you must act fast: Apply by Wednesday, July 1 to temporarily close off your street to traffic this fall from September 1 through October 31. Learn more here and apply for your permit here.

Parkdale Neighbours – it saddens us to have to draw attention to this incident of racism in our community. Amico’s Pizza is a neighbourhood establishment and they must know we will not overlook or condone their harmful silence, nor the alleged wrongful dismissal of Tyler Daniel. We urge them to take further action to make amends for the damages done and assure the community that customers and employees will be treated with respect. We don’t want to see harmful retaliation against the establishment, we would like to express solidarity in how Parkdale can move forward with meaningful change. Concerned residents can offer support by donating to the Black Legal Action Centre – https://www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/chefboytd/
https://www.instagram.com/amicospizzato/

Parkdale–High Park MP Arif Virani invites you to join him TONIGHT at 7 p.m. for a Facebook Live discussion on Anti-Black Racism – He will be joined by an incredible panel of guests including:

• Shawn Richard, Past President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers and lawyer and partner at Lenkinski, Carr & Richard LLP
• Debbie King, member of the Queen Victoria Public School (QVPS) Black Student Success Committee and athlete/writer/connector
• Alexa Gilmour, Reverend at the Windermere United Church and interfaith advocate

You can follow Arif on his Facebook Page HERE.

You are invited to join our MP Arif Virani’s next Facebook Live Ask Me Anything: special edition for SMALL BUSINESS on Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m.

The event is reserved for small business owners living and/or working in the Parkdale-High Park riding. The hope is to ensure as many small businesses and small business owners here in Parkdale–High Park have the opportunity to participate and ask questions about federal government support programs directly to MP Virani.

You can tune in on MP Virani’s Facebook Page HERE.
Follow MP Virani to receive a notification when he goes Live!

DATE: Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020
TIME: 7 p.m.
PLACE: Facebook

On Tuesday,  June 2 – Councillor Gord Perks will be hosting a Facebook Live Town Hall at 7:00 pm to discuss both the current recovery efforts and what we as a society can do moving forward. I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and questions. As this will be our first virtual Town Hall, there will be some bumps in the road. By working together our community can take an active role in defining what type of city emerges from the recovery effort.

To help start the process, please email a question with the subject line “Town Hall” in advance to ward04@toronto.ca, including your name, and what neighbourhood you live in. Gord hopes to see you on Tuesday, June 2 at facebook.com/GordPerks.

DATE: Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020
TIME: 7 p.m.
PLACE: Facebook

All levels of government and organizations are realizing the importance of independent businesses and artists to the vibrancy and wellbeing of our neighbourhoods.

Here are some useful links to help sustain your business and/or establish your presence on-line.

ShopHERE program gets local businesses and artists selling online fast. ShopHERE, free, quick and easy initiative is helping Toronto’s independent businesses and artists build and promote their very own online stores in a matter of days. Sign up: digitalmainstreet.ca/shophere.

BACK TO BRICKS & MORTAR – Here is a guidebook to help independent retailers re-enter storefronts safely > https://andaccess.com/back-to-brick-mortar

The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic fallout have hit small and medium-sized businesses hard. A growing number of small businesses have closed their doors. The current relief programs from our governments have many businesses falling through the cracks putting the continued existence of our local restaurants, shops and cultural spaces at risk.

On Wednesday, May 13th, Bhutila Karpoche, our local MPP, will be hosting a Facebook Live for a focused discussion on supporting small businesses during this crisis and discuss next steps. Bhutila will be joined by John Kiru, Executive Director of TABIA, and representatives from four of our local Business Improvement Associations.

DATE: Wednesday, May 13th, 2020
TIME: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
PLACE: Facebook

Learn about collective strategies of mutual support and grassroots organizing. This online discussion focuses on our Parkdale neighbourhood, and how people are providing collective care to the most vulnerable members of our community. Looking beyond COVID-19, what can we learn from these strategies, and are they here to stay?

This event is organized by Myseum. To find out more about this online event and to register click HERE.

Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Time: 2:00 pm
Place: Online