Priority to Strengthen Neighbourhoods
Challenges
Dateline March 2004 - Community Safety Plans- City Council adopted community safety plans for at-risk neighbourhoods, with a focus on job training and employment opportunities for youth. The action plans includes efforts to combat the culture of gangs and guns that undermines communities' quality of life.
More
Dateline 2004-2005 – Supportive Partnerships - City Council entered into a partnership agreement with senior levels of government and private funding sources to support 85 projects that address the needs of at-risk youth, food and hunger issues in neighbourhoods, and build community safety. Increased economic opportunities for youth, improved access to internet resources for community safety, improved supports to homeless teen parents, and upgraded kitchen facilities in priority City recreation centres are just some of the expected project results.
Dateline April 2004 – Building Safe Communities - The Mayor's Advisory Panel on Community Safety, chaired by Chief Justice Roy McMurtry, held their first meeting with a mandate to guide the City in building safe communities and bring together public, private and community-based civic and community leaders to focus on solutions to combat violence.
More
Dateline June 2004 - Community Safety Secretariat – A secretariat was established to support the work of the Community Safety Panel and co-ordinate the implementation of the Community Safety Plan. The Secretariat works with community members, local agencies, City staff and councillors to support the establishment of programs and services and to co-ordinate neighbourhood action plans in at-risk neighbourhoods. To increase co-ordination with the Toronto Police Service, the Chief of Police has designated two senior officers to provide liaison with the office.
More
Dateline June 2004 – Support to Community and Health Services - City Council approved allocations of about $1 million divided among 501 projects in the City's 2004 Community Services Grants Program. An additional $655,000 was approved for Breaking the Cycle of Violence programs. City Council also allocated $810,000 among about 60 projects addressing the use of harmful drugs and related problems. Fifty one community projects will receive funding through the City's AIDS Prevention Program, which is receiving $1.36 million this year.
More
Dateline June 2004 - Recreation Allocations - Almost 150 community organizations received funds totaling $1.4 million to help them provide recreational programs and activities that improve local residents' quality of life.
Dateline July 2004 – Our Common Grounds - City Council approved a 15-year action plan for Toronto Parks and Recreation called Our Common Grounds, with 53 goals for environmental stewardship, development of children and youth, and lifelong active living.
More
Dateline December 2004 - Recreational Partnership With School Board - City Council endorsed an agreement between the City's Parks and Recreation division and the Toronto Catholic District School Board giving the school board daytime access to City-operated ice rinks in exchange for space in schools for Parks and Recreation programs.
Dateline February 2005 - Action Plan For Social Assistance - City Council supported the development of a comprehensive plan to improve support for residents living in poverty, assisting vulnerable Toronto residents, notably single parents, to obtain jobs that will move them out of poverty.
Dateline February 2005 - Regent Park Redevelopment - City Council adopted plans for the redevelopment of Regent Park, built in the 1950s and 1960s with more than 2,000 rent-geared-to-income apartments set out in blocks of buildings without public through streets. City Council’s plan will create a mixed-income community in housing built on a traditional street grid.
More
Dateline October 2005 – Making Neighbourhoods Stronger - City Council adopted a Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy to strengthen priority neighbourhoods through targeted investment. The strategy encompasses the learnings of the Community Safety Plan and other City initiatives as well as the directions proposed by the Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force. The strategy contained the following elements: (a) designating 13 identified neighbourhoods as having priority for infrastructure investment; (b) establishing a neighbourhoods investment board to guide implementation and expanding Neighbourhood Action processes at the local level; and (c) using appropriate monitoring tools to identify existing infrastructure gaps and determine which neighbourhoods will be most in need of future investment.
More
Dateline December 2005 - Drug Strategy for Toronto - City Council endorsed a co-ordinate approach to municipal drug-related prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement programs. Toronto Public Health and Community & Neighbourhood Services staff worked with a Council Reference Group and community and institutional stakeholders to develop the strategy. City Council established a committee and a secretariat to oversee implementation of the Toronto Drug Strategy. Implementation will be co-ordinated with the goals and initiatives of the Community Safety Plan, the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy, the Toronto Youth Strategy and the Streets to Homes Initiative.
More
|
The Community Safety Plan takes a preventive approach to maintaining safety in communities through nine interrelated elements: 
"Toronto’s community safety plan focuses on striking a critical balance between law enforcement and crime prevention to put an end to gun violence in this city…"
Fact: In addition to its service management responsibilities for child care, the City’s Children's Services Division also directly operates 57 child care sites.