To contact Councillor Matlow click here.
A Message from the Hillcrest Village Community Players
Hillcrest Village Players is a local community theatre group, in the heart of Toronto! It is a place to produce high quality performance art, powered by volunteers, and surrounded by a supportive community. That’s correct, powered by volunteers. We are committed to, and very proud, that Hillcrest Village Community Players is an extracurricular for everyone involved. This year we are putting on Footloose, running from February 22nd - March 2nd. Tickets can be purchased through our website!
About Our Season 3 Musical: Footloose!
Footloose is a musical based on the classic 80s film. It tells a story about the importance of community and bonding together through tough times. Set to the backdrop of great 80s pop hits and amazing dance numbers – it is a heartfelt show, but you are sure to end it dancing and singing along with the cast! Get your tickets here: https://www.hillcrestvillageplayers.ca/
Budget 2024 Reinvests in Vital City Services
On February 14th Council considered Mayor Chow’s budget. The last 10 years has seen deteriorating City services as a result of lower than inflation property tax increases. We’ve all experienced overflowing garbage cans, longer wait times for transit, locked park bathrooms and roads in disrepair. That's not good enough for Toronto. Council had a choice this year: allow Toronto’s decline or get our city back on track. The budget was initially proposed by city staff to have a tax rate increase between 10.5% - 16.5%. I was pleased to see that the rate that was ultimately decided on was only 2.5% higher than the previous years budget. This amounts to an increase of $285 annually for the average Toronto home or the equivalent to a monthly increase of $23.75. This rate both recognized what we need to do for our city but also acknowledged the impact the economy is having on so many residents. New investments in the 2024 Budget include:
Affordable Housing and Shelters
• Expanding the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition program (MURA) by $100 million over three years to support the purchase of rental properties to protect low income tenants
• Implement Winter Warming Response Plan to provide emergency shelter and support for homeless Torontonians during inclement weather
• Create 450 new shelter beds to Refugee claimant response
• Additional frontline staff to protect tenants through the Eviction Prevention Program and RentSafeTO
• Increased funding for the Rent Bank, Tenant Support Program, Eviction Prevention in Community Program, Multi-Tenant Housing Program, Homelessness Prevention Program and Community Housing
• Critical funding for 22 City-supported drop-in centres that provide food, training, clothing and other basic supports for homeless TorontoniansImproved Transit Services
• Freezes TTC fares
• Full funding for the Scarborough Busway
• 160 new highly visible TTC workers to improve passenger safety and security
• Implements emissions performance standards for City vehicles
Community Supports
• Expands the Toronto Community Crisis Service city-wide to provide support for mental health emergencies
• Over 100 additional new first responders including firefighters, paramedics, police officers and civilian staff
• Sunday hours at additional Toronto Public Library locations
• New Youth Hubs at Library locations in priority neighbourhoods to serve vulnerable young people
• Increased community grants focused on youth violence prevention
• Enhanced service at Long-Term Care Homes to support seniors
• Additional spaces for EarlyON childcare program
• Almost $1million to support arts and artists
Public Works
• The $50 million Back on Track Fund will leverage capital funding from the Ontario-Toronto New Deal to support urgent state-of-good-repair work such as potholes, address infrastructure deficiencies, and enhance public spaces across the city.