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End of Summer Wrap-Up

It’s the first day of school! I want to wish all our Parkdale—High Park students, teachers, and families a fantastic school year filled with learning, discovery and fun.  

This past weekend, my team and I handed out over 300 backpacks and school supply sets at our office’s annual Back to School Fair. Watching kids’ faces light up, I was reminded of the wonderful sense of possibility back to school brings.

It should be a time of excitement, not worry. But the Ford government’s relentless attacks on our public schools are taking away students’ supports and families’ peace of mind. Parents of special needs kids are increasingly frightened to send their kids to schools with inadequate staffing and resources. In our own riding, I’ve heard from many parents distressed by the loss of invaluable EAs and support staff in their kids’ classrooms.

It’s a direct result of Ford’s $6.36 billion cuts to public schools since 2018. And now, instead of funding our schools, the Ford government wants to police them.

In June, the Ministry of Education took over Toronto school boards and shut out our democratically elected trustees, robbing our community of its voice. They’ve placed the Toronto District School board under the full control of Ford-appointed Rohit Gupta, a former Metrolinx advisor who lacks any experience in public education. Meanwhile, our democratically elected school board trustees have been locked out of their TDSB emails and phones and ordered not to engage with families or students. (Add your name to tell the Minister this is not okay.)

It's all part of a larger power grab. Education Minister Paul Calandra has recently said that the government is considering eliminating all democratically elected school board trustees province-wide. The announcement comes as Conservatives gear up to pass Bill 33, Supporting Students and Children Act, which will give them greater power to take over school boards. 

Bill 33 will also mandate school resource officers in schools where local police forces run such programs—forcing police back into schools despite evidence clearly showing it doesn't keep kids safe. (Sign here to say NO to Bill 33.)

Friends, we must fight to defend our schools from Ford’s undemocratic attacks. 

On Monday, September 08, join Leader Marit Stiles and our NDP team for a Virtual Town Hall organizing against Bill 33.
Sign Up Here

Together, we can ensure our kids have safe, supportive classrooms where they can thrive.

With warmth and gratitude,

Alexa

TDSB and TCDSB Contacts 

Now that Ford has removed our 37 elected trustees, you should report any issues at your school to one of the two Toronto supervisors or the Minister. (I hope they’re ready for the work load!):

Rohit Gupta, TDSB: [email protected]

Frank Benedetto, TCDSB: [email protected]

Minister Paul Calandra, Ontario Ministry of Education: [email protected] / [email protected]

News from Queen's Park and Beyond

EMANCIPATION MONTH FLAG RAISING

August is Emancipation Month in Ontario. I was honoured to speak at the Emancipation Month flag raising at Queens Park to honour and celebrate Black history and the emancipators of history. Watch my remarks here:

NDP CALLS FOR EMERGENCY TASK FORCE TO END OVERDOSE CRISIS 

The toxic drug is killing 7 people per day, and the Ford government doesn't have a plan to address it.

With the closure of safe consumption sites around the city the few that remain, including our Parkdale location, have seen a sharp rise in overdoses and safety concerns. The parkette next to the centre has always been a place where people in our community—especially people in need of support—gather. What we’re seeing now is the system straining beyond capacity. It’s not because harm reduction doesn’t work—the Ford government’s own expert advisors recommended keeping the sites open. It’s because the province has dismantled the network that supported these services. Everyone in our community cares deeply about keeping people alive while also wanting safer, cleaner shared spaces.

I spoke with CBC News following the centre’s announcement that they are temporarily closing the parkette. The closing of the parkette is a temporary, imperfect solution. What Parkdale residents want from our government is a compassionate evidence-based solution, and so do I.

For Overdose Awareness Day, I joined MPPs Robin Lennox and Kristyn Wong-Tam and advocates Diana Chan McNally and Hannah Robinson in calling on the government to strike an emergency task force and develop a comprehensive strategy to confront the Overdose Crisis:

BRING BACK RENT CONTROL

A new study has revealed a troubling trend with Canada’s largest private landlord — and other financial firms — nearly tripling the rate of eviction applications right after acquiring buildings to make room for higher-rent tenants. (Read more in The Toronto Star.) 

That means that renovictions and displacement are fueling the existing housing crisis. Not only that, the study also found that the same landlords are driving Toronto rent increases. They are charging monthly rents 44 per cent higher than the average neighbourhood price, with the highest increases in predominantly low-income neighbourhoods. 

Enough is enough. We can't keep letting corporate landlords drive people out of their homes. Sign my petition telling the government to pass my Rent Stabilization Act and bring back real rent control now. 

CELEBRATING UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY & HERITAGE MONTH

I was honoured to speak at the Ukrainian Independence Day festival in Etobicoke alongside my NDP colleague MPP Chris Glover.

As someone who grew up in Swansea, Bloor West Village — home to a vibrant Ukrainian community — I’ve always cherished the treasures our neighbourhood holds: the annual Ukrainian Festival, the Shevchenko Museum, the Berehynya mural, Ukrainian credit unions and beloved Ukrainian bakeries. On Ukrainian Independence Day and every day, we celebrate the beauty of Ukrainian culture while standing firm in our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and self-determination.

I also want to recognize that this September marks Ontario’s first officially recognized Ukrainian Heritage Month, established by the Ukrainian Heritage Month Act, 2024. The month commemorates the anniversary of the first Ukrainian immigrants arriving in Canada on September 7 and the independence of Ukraine in 1991. 

Please join me September 13 and 14 in celebrating Ukrainian Heritage Month and our local Ukrainian community at the Ukrainian Solidarity Parade and Festival in Bloor West Village!  

JACK LAYTON MEMORIAL

I attended the Jack Layton Memorial hosted by the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation. The crowd was full of people echoing Jack's mission of "hope into action." Jack showed us what was possible and inspired us to strive for a better Canada.

When I talked to the other activists, community members and organizers who were there, I couldn't help but feel the contagious optimism. Remembering Jack reminded us to dream big, and now it's time for all of us to put in the work to make those dreams a reality.

Parkdale—High Park Happenings

Nothing beats ice cream in the park to close out the summer! I'm so thankful to have gotten the chance to meet and chat with so many of you at Lithuania Park last weekend.

We had a blast Friday at our Back to School Fair in Parkdale with free school supplies, face painting, games, pizza and ice cream! Many thanks to everyone who came to volunteer and enjoy time together.

On Saturday, it was Back to School x2, as I was invited by the tenant organizers at Cooper Mills-Gooch to give out school supplies at their community BBQ. I met so many great folks and heard concerns about affordability and our education system. The residents here know how to support one another. I learned a lot and was fed, body and soul.

I stopped by the Parkdale Music Crawl and saw THIS CORNER jamming.

I got to chat with Keys to the Studio: a music program designed specifically for people diagnosed with developmental and intellectual disabilities. So cool to have such talented musicians brighten up the streets of Parkdale with their talents.

It was wonderful connecting with our Roncesvalles neighbours and hearing what's top of mind for them as we get ready to head back to the Legislature. Key themes were education, housing, and community services.

I hope you'll join us for one of our future community canvasses! (More info soon.) 

So encouraged by yesterday’s shoulder-to-shoulder march with workers, unions, and community members in Toronto’s Labour Day March.

In Parkdale–High Park, we see the strength of our labour movement every day — from frontline healthcare workers and educators to transit operators, retail staff, and skilled tradespeople — all working to keep our communities thriving.

Latest posts

Celebrating One Year as MPP, International Women's Day Events, Ontario NDP Summer Internship Program, and more

For some, politics is personal – it’s about growing a career. For me it can only be about growing a community.

It’s been almost a year since I was sworn-in as your MPP for Parkdale—High Park. It truly is the honour of a lifetime to serve our riding as your representative in provincial parliament.   

As we near the one-year milestone, I’ve been reflecting on why it is that I decided to run for elected office—and to run as a New Democrat.

The main reason? I believe in abundance.

I know that in a province as wealthy as ours, we have the resources for everyone to thrive.

And yet, in my previous role as a United Church minister, I saw families harmed every day by politicians who pretend there’s not enough to go around—that is, until it comes to payday for their insider buddies.

I was heartbroken by moms who came to my office on school days with their kids in tow because they couldn’t afford to buy them lunch.

By refugees forced to sleep on frozen winter sidewalks because there were no shelter beds in Toronto—one of the largest cities in North America.

By families lined up at food banks, exhausted after working multiple jobs, because they still couldn’t make ends meet.

I knew there needed to a systemic fix, not just the charitable side of things. We needed to bring real solutions.

The Ontario NDP is serious about strengthening our province and making life better and more affordable for all Ontarians.

We’re fighting to double the supply of deeply affordable housing, and to bring in real rent controls, pharmacare, and consumer protections so that no one ever has to choose between essentials like food, housing and medication.  

We’re committed to bolstering the public systems Ontarians rely on and are proud of. We know that to build a more stable and prosperous society we must invest in public health care, education, child care and transit—and double social assistance rates so no one falls through the cracks.

That's how we build community. That's how we make a movement to last.

So thank you for your trust this past year, and for working together for a brighter Parkdale—High Park.

Upcoming Events: Skating, Tenant Town Hall, Lunar New Year, and more!

February is shaping up to be quite a busy month! We have a lot of great events coming up in the riding and at Queen's Park: skating parties, tenant and education town halls, Lunar New Year celebrations and more. I've included all the details below. 👇

As this is the first newsletter of February, I also want to wish everyone a happy Black History Month and recognize the many contributions Black Canadians have made to Parkdale­—High Park and our province! 

I look forward to seeing you in the community in the coming weeks. 

With warmth and gratitude,

Alexa

Won't you be my neighbour?

I hope this message finds you safe and warm. Winter has hit hard these past weeks, and global news has hit even harder.

Between the frigid temperatures and record snowfall, Toronto is still digging itself out from the largest winter storm in our city's history--and the snowiest January to boot! 

It's been a challenge, but as always our community has pulled together: shoveling sidewalks for seniors, helping neighbours dig out cars and laneways, and bringing those in need to warming shelters. It's mutual care and generosity such as this that strengthens our communities and helps builds our resilience.

We see this in the example of our Minnesota neighbours, who have shown up bravely day after day in the depths of winter to protect their communities from the ICE threat. To stand against authoritarianism and white supremacy and try to help one another--as Renée Good and Alex Pretti heroically did--even to their very last breath. 

American journalist Ana Marie Cox wrote last week on how Minnesota's longstanding tradition of mutual aid enabled its rapid mobilization against ICE--building the community connections, response networks and habits of helping that have been essential to their response. As she says, "truly resilient communities don’t arise out of an emergency. They come together before that through a thousand little acts on a regular basis."

So in the weeks and months ahead, let's keep coming together as a community, both in joyful times and times of hardship. Because it's these connections more than anything that will help us protect one another--and our democracy. Click on the video below for my further thoughts on events in the US, their connection to Ontario politics and what we can all be doing to better help our neighbours:

With warmth and gratitude,

Alexa 
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About

Parkdale—High Park NDP

Email:
Address:
137 Roncesvalles Ave, PO Box 97022
Toronto, ON M6R 3B3

Community Office

Email:
Phone: 416-763-5630
Address:
2849 Dundas St W
Toronto, ON M6P 1Y6