Gleaner

Serving Toronto's most liveable community with the Annex Gleaner

← →

FORUM: Tariffs and election dominate (Mar. 2025)

April 14th, 2025 · No Comments

Parks and affordable housing high on the agenda

By Dianne Saxe

February’s cold and snowy weather has left many of us yearning for spring. While my family is eager for warmer days, we’re still trying to squeeze in one last outing on skis or skates. Snowdrops will emerge soon through the snow drifts, and children are enjoying March break. 

New Roles and Cultural Highlights 

I’m honoured to have two new roles added to my dance card: trustee of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and vice chair of The Atmospheric Fund. These globally significant institutions enhance Toronto’s liveability while strengthening our international connections and reputation. Don’t miss the AGO’s exciting hip hop show The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century running until April 6. I even took a hip hop class! 

2025 City Budget 

The 2025 city budget was finalized on Feb. 11. For many Torontonians struggling with affordability, we know that any tax increase is challenging. (If you are a low-income homeowner, apply for tax or rate relief online or contact our office for assistance.) But costs are rising fast for the city too. This budget is a step in the right direction, but our finances remain fundamentally broken. We’re doing our best to meet the needs of our 21st-century city despite wildly unsuitable financing rules set by the Baldwin Act of 1849. The province has us in a stranglehold and refuses to give us any of the tools we need to address our repair backlog, handle the countless responsibilities they’ve downloaded onto our overburdened systems, or provide the services you deserve. Yet, as I told council, people who pay higher taxes expect better services. We continue to work to make the city more efficient, and I was glad to see the budget fund multiple initiatives that Ward 11 cares about including: 

  • TTC fare freeze and service improvements 
  • Affordable housing 
  • Extended hours for parks, libraries, and youth hubs 
  • Infrastructure repairs

Ford, Trump, and Tariffs 

Doug Ford’s cynical midwinter election wasted nearly a quarter of a billion dollars ($182 million paid directly by taxpayers plus many millions paid by each campaign to garner votes) without changing much or creating a meaningful plan to defend us against Trump and Musk. The city is preparing for turmoil and uncertainty by maintaining our remaining reserves and focusing on local purchasing. We also stopped allowing new Teslas to qualify for taxi purchasing incentives. No more public money should go to Musk. 

Parks and Recreation Updates 

I’m excited to announce progress on some important park projects: 

Ramsden Park Community Recreation Centre: Join the kickoff meeting on March 24 at 6 p.m. at 55 Belmont St. Our ward is one of the city’s most park-deficient and one of the few without a full recreation centre, but this long-awaited centre went nowhere until I blasted through a standoff with Solid Waste. The six-year delay has doubled costs, but at least consultation and design can now begin. What do you want in our recreation centre? 

Pricefield Park: My precedent-setting motion at March council will allow a developer to donate a park design by CCxA, a renowned landscape architecture and design firm which designed beloved parks like Sugar Beach and the Berczy dog fountain. Thank you to the nearby community that kickstarted this redesign in 2023, working with a landscape design class at Toronto Metropolitan University. 

Budd Sugerman Park: Work should begin in April on a new habitat for graceful, endangered chimney swifts. 

Affordable Housing: 

Affordable housing remains a top priority, despite Ford overruling the city and wiping out 5,000 affordable homes. I am working with residents to block the displacement of tenants from affordable rooming houses on St. George Street. Official Plan Amendment 453 gives some protection to rooming house tenants but not enough to keep dozens of our neighbours from losing their homes. I’ll be advocating for better protections for rooming house tenants at council.

For the latest updates and to get involved with Ramsden Park Community Recreation Centre, sign up for my newsletter at: https://diannesaxe.ca/newsletters/  

Dianne Saxe is city councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale.

READ MORE:

Tags: Annex · Columns · Opinion