April 2026 Newsletter
In this issue of my newsletter, you will find information on:
CITY OF TORONTO UPDATES
Declare Your Vacant Home Tax by April 30
Free Air Conditioners for Residents Who Need Them Most
Don't Let Your Kids Fall Behind on Vaccines
All Three Governments Team Up to Build More Homes
City Council: RentSafeTO Update
TTC UPDATES
Your Scarborough Busway Is Coming This September & The Subway Tunnel Under Scarborough Is More Than Halfway Done
Transit Signal Priority in action: Line 5 Eglinton Now Runs Later Into the Night &Line 6 Finch West: More Service, Later Hours
Update on Scarborough East Rapid Transit
Update on Bill 98
Designing Scarborough's Future Subway Stations Right
SCARBOROUGH NORTH UPDATES
Connecting Residents to Jobs: Our Ward 23 Job Fair
Celebrating Vaisakhi and Tamil New Year Across the Ward
Marking Eid with Our Muslim Neighbours
Taking Care of Our Community: Environment Day on April 3
Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers at Lester B. Pearson CI
Upcoming Compost Days in May
Road Work on Steeles: What Residents Need to Know
GET INVOLVED
Garden Awards 2026
Myers Inquires
Bernice Redmon Petition
Help Design a New Grants Program for Black Climate Leaders
Indigenous Arts Festival 2026: Vendor Applications Open
Dear Friends and Neighbours,
April has been a busy month at City Hall, at the TTC Board, and most importantly, out in the community with you.
This month, I was back at Council fighting for the transit Scarborough deserves, including a major push for the Scarborough East Rapid Transit Line and stronger protections for tenants. I also seconded a motion to make sure the new subway stations coming to Scarborough North are designed with our community in mind, not as an afterthought.
Outside of City Hall, it was wonderful to be out celebrating Vaisakhi, Tamil New Year, and Eid, Volunteer Week with so many of you. These are the moments that remind me why this work matters. I also hosted our annual Environment Day on April 3 and our Ward 23 Job Fair in March. If you missed either, there are more opportunities coming up this spring.
There's a lot in this issue, from important deadlines to transit updates to ways to get involved. I hope you find it useful, and as always, my office is here if you need us.
Yours sincerely,
Jamaal Myers
CITY OF TORONTO UPDATES
Declare Your Vacant Home Tax by April 30
If you own a home in Toronto, whether it's your primary residence, a condo, or a rental, you are required by law to declare its occupancy status every year. The deadline for the 2025 declaration is April 30, 2026.
This applies to everyone, not just vacant properties. Even if you live in your home full-time, you still need to declare. If you miss the deadline, the City may assume your property is vacant and charge you accordingly.
You can declare online, by phone through 311, or in person at Scarborough Civic Centre (150 Borough Drive), Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Support is available in over 180 languages. To learn more, please click below:
Free Air Conditioners for Residents Who Need Them Most
Toronto summers are getting hotter, and extreme heat is a real health risk, especially for seniors and low-income residents. The City of Toronto is offering free portable air conditioning units to eligible residents to help keep people safe.
To qualify, you must live in a multi-unit residential building in Toronto, have no existing air conditioning, and meet low-income guidelines. This program builds on a successful pilot that helped nearly 500 seniors last year.
Visit the City's program page to learn more and apply:
Don't Let Your Kids Fall Behind on Vaccines
Toronto Public Health is running free catch-up vaccine clinics for school-aged children who may have missed routine immunizations. These vaccines protect against serious infections like measles, polio, and whooping cough.
Take a moment to check your child's vaccination records — if anything is missing, book an appointment at an upcoming clinic. It's quick, it's free, and it matters.
Contact Toronto Public Health or visit the City's website to find a clinic near you.
All Three Governments Team Up to Build More Homes
In late March, the City of Toronto joined the federal and provincial governments to announce a landmark deal to make it cheaper and faster to build new homes across the city. Development charges, the fees builders pay that often get passed on to buyers and renters, will be cut by up to 50%.
Stronger Protections for Tenants: RentSafeTO Update
A lot of Scarborough North residents live in apartment buildings, and you deserve to know that your building is being maintained properly. At City Council, I voted to strengthen the RentSafeTO program, the City's building standards enforcement system.
Here's what changed:
Some rental high-rise buildings will now display colour-coded signs so you can see at a glance how your building rates. If a landlord fails to make required repairs, the City will step in and do the work, then bill the landlord. Tenants will also be more meaningfully engaged during building audits, and there will be clearer information about how to submit requests.
Importantly, social housing providers, including Toronto Community Housing, are exempt from the new fees.
If you have concerns about your building's maintenance, you can report them to 311, or contact my office and we'll help you follow up. To learn more, click below:
TTC UPDATES
Your Scarborough Busway Is Coming This September And the Subway Tunnel Is More Than Halfway Done
Big pieces of transit news for Scarborough this month. First, the Scarborough Busway is on track to open by the end of September 2026. This dedicated bus corridor will run along the former RT right-of-way from Kennedy Station to Scarborough Town Centre, cutting the trip down to about 15 minutes, saving riders roughly 7 minutes compared to today's on-street buses. As TTC Board Chair and a Scarborough councillor, getting this done faster was one of my priorities, and I'm glad we're on track to deliver.
Second, the tunnel boring machine working on the Scarborough Subway Extension passed the halfway mark in March 2026. More than half of the 7.8-kilometre tunnel has now been excavated, and station construction at Scarborough Centre is also underway. This is the largest-diameter subway tunnel ever built in Canada. It's real progress, and Scarborough residents deserve to know it's happening.
Transit Signal Priority in Action: Increased Service on Line 5 Eglinton & Line 6 Finch West
Since April 5, Line 5 Eglinton trains now run later into the evening, until approximately 1:20 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays. And since March 15, Line 6 Finch West has been running full service until 1 a.m. daily, with better early morning and late evening service on weekends.
These are exactly the kinds of improvements I pushed for at the TTC Board after riding the Finch West LRT and seeing firsthand that we needed stronger transit signal priority and better hours. Later service means more options for shift workers, students, and anyone who relies on transit outside the nine-to-five.
Scarborough East Rapid Transit Line
At City Council this month, I stood up to fight for something Scarborough has needed for a long time, a rapid transit line that actually serves our communities.
Council voted to commit $10 million from the City Building Fund, money specifically set aside for Scarborough transit, to advance the Scarborough East Rapid Transit Line (SERT) to 30% design. This is real planning money that keeps the project moving while we push for provincial and federal commitments.
I also supported renaming the line. It was called the Eglinton East LRT, but that name only describes a small part of the route. This line runs through Scarborough Junction, Morningside, West Hill, UTSC, and Malvern. Nearly 26% of its stops are in Ward 23. It should be named for where it goes and who it serves.
I've been fighting for Scarborough transit for nearly a decade, before I was a councillor, before I was TTC Board Chair. I'm not stopping now.
Bill 98: What It Means for Transit in Toronto
The Province introduced Bill 98 in late March, a sweeping piece of legislation that touches housing, planning, and transit.
But I called a recorded vote at Council because there are provisions in this bill that concern me deeply. Bill 98 would give the Province power to direct transit service in Toronto, taking that authority away from the City and the TTC.
As TTC Board Chair, I cannot overstate how serious that is. Local transit decisions should be made locally, by the people who live and work in these communities.
Torontonians deserve to know where their elected representatives stand.
Designing Scarborough's Future Subway Stations Right
I seconded a motion at Council this month that's about something simple: making sure the new subway stations coming to Scarborough North are actually designed for the people who will use them.
The motion calls for platform edge doors at new stations, the kind you see in Tokyo, Paris, and Singapore. The Ontario Line will have them at all 15 stations. Right now, Metrolinx has not committed to including them on the Scarborough Subway Extension. That's not acceptable, and this motion pushes back directly.
It also calls for washrooms at every new station, basic dignity for families, seniors, shift workers, and anyone travelling at odd hours. And it pushes for housing, community space, and proper surface transit integration above and around stations like Steeles and Sheppard-McCowan.
Scarborough has waited long enough to feel like a priority. These stations should show it.
SCARBOROUGH NORTH UPDATES
Connecting Residents to Jobs: Our Ward 23 Job Fair
On March 3, I hosted my second Ward 23 Job Fair, bringing together local employers and residents looking for work. Whether you were searching for full-time employment, part-time opportunities, or just exploring what's out there, this was a chance to make real connections close to home.
If you missed it, stay tuned, I'll be hosting more opportunities like this throughout the year. Follow me on social media so you don't miss the next one and check my events page at jamaalmyers.com/events.
Celebrating Our Community: Vaisakhi, Tamil New Year & Eid
This month, I had the honour of joining our Sikh and Punjabi communities to celebrate Vaisakhi, our Tamil neighbours to mark Puthandu; Tamil New Year, and Muslim residents across Scarborough North to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr.
Scarborough North is one of the most diverse wards in this city, and these celebrations are a reminder of what makes our community so special. It was a joy to be there with you.
Taking Care of Our Community: Environment Days
Our first Environment Day of the spring took place on April 3, Easter Sunday, a chance for residents to safely dispose of household items and connect with the ward team.
The next Environment Day is coming up on May 3. Keep an eye on my website and social media for location details and what items are accepted.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers at Lester B. Pearson CI
On March 26, City Engineering & Construction Services staff visited Lester B. Pearson Collegiate Institute in Ward 23 for National Engineering Month and the response was incredible. More than 90 students got hands-on with interactive learning labs covering modern engineering, construction, and surveying methods.The next generation of engineers and city-shapers is right here in Scarborough North and events like this are exactly how we nurture that potential.
Free Compost Coming to Your Neighbourhood This May
Our Community Compost Days are back! Meet me and the ward team, and take home free compost for your garden — just bring your own containers. There's a limit of two containers per household, and staff are unable to help with loading, so bring helpers if you can.
May 9 — C.D. Farquharson Jr. PS, 1965 Brimley Rd, 9am–12pm
May 16 — Our Lady of Grace CS, 121 Brimwood Blvd, 9am–12pm
May 23 — St. Elizabeth Seton CS, 25 Havenview Rd, 9am–12pm
May 31 — Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati CS, 8 Seasons Dr, 9am–12pm
All events run until supplies run out. See you there!
Road Work on Steeles: What Residents Need to Know
Road reconstruction is underway on Steeles Avenue East between Midland Avenue and McCowan Road as part of the City's 2026 Capital Works Program. The work includes new protected bike lanes on both sides of the street, intersection safety improvements, tree plantings, and sidewalk replacements.
This is a meaningful investment in our neighbourhood, but it does mean lane impacts while work is ongoing. Please allow extra time when travelling through this area, and if you have concerns or encounter issues, you can report them to 311 or contact my office.
Hosted the inaugural Scarborough Community Leaders Award
This month, I had the honour of hosting the Scarborough Community Leader Awards — and what a night it was. Across both the Excellence and Appreciation categories, 81 residents were recognized for their contributions to Ward 23. These are the neighbours, volunteers, coaches, organizers, and quiet champions who show up every day to make Scarborough North a better place — often without any recognition at all.
To every award recipient: thank you. This community is stronger because of you.
GET INVOLVED
2026 Garden Awards - Nominations Open
Scarborough North is full of passionate gardeners whose hard work brings beauty and pride to our neighbourhoods. As I visit different parts of the ward, I'll be surprising residents with Garden Awards to celebrate the gardens that brighten our streets. Know a garden that deserves recognition? Whether it's your own or a neighbour's, I'd love to hear about it. Contact my office if you need help submitting a nomination.
Myers Inquires
I want to hear from you! Take a second to answer this week's question and let me know what's on your mind.
Bernice Redmon Petition
Bernice Redmon was a trailblazer whose legacy deserves to be honoured in our community. If you haven't already, I encourage you to sign the petition supporting a permanent commemoration in her name.
Indigenous Arts Festival 2026: Vendor Applications Open
Toronto History Museums are looking for Indigenous artisans and food vendors to participate in the Indigenous Arts Festival on June 20, 2026, at Biidaasige Park (51 Commissioners St), 11 am–9 pm. There is no fee to participate as a vendor.
Apply here: [LINK]
Warm regards,
Jamaal Myers