- Good afternoon, everyone.
We will get started with the sixth meeting
of the Community and Protective Services
Committee.
To start, we will do a land acknowledgement.
The City of London is situated on the traditional
lands
of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lanapuik, and
Adewandran.
We honor and respect the history, languages,
and culture of the diverse indigenous people
who call this territory home.
The City of London is currently home
to many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit today.
As representatives of the people of the city of
London,
we are grateful to have the opportunity to work
and live in this territory.
I'm joined today in chambers by members of the
committee,
myself, Councilor Perbal, Councilor Trozzo,
Councilor Hopkins, and Councilor Ferreira,
and Mayor Morgan as an ex-ficial member,
and then many members of Councilor joining us
today,
including Councilor Frank and Councilor Cutty,
and I'm sure some may pop online as well.
So with that, we'll go to item one for
disclosures
of pecuniary interest,
and I'm gonna go to Councilor Pervall after that.
Any disclosures of pecuniary interest?
Okay, seeing none, I'm going to go to Councilor
Pervall
for a change of order.
- Thank you, Chair, and as you just stated,
I would like to change, propose the change of
order
on the other agenda, and I would actually like to
start
with the point six, which is the confidential
to start our meeting with, thank you.
- Thank you, I'll look for a seconder.
I have a seconder and Councillor Ferrera, thank
you.
And with that, we'll just get that ready for the
system.
(mumbles)
Okay, so we will open that in the system
for every vote.
- That's a vote, yes.
- We're still.
- I'll vote yes as well.
- You're jumping ahead of us, we're almost there,
hold on.
- Vote is open.
- Closing the vote, the motion carries, 6-0.
- Okay, thank you.
For those in the gallery,
that means we're going to go into confidential
session
before we begin the rest of our meetings.
So I'll ask you to clear the gallery
and once this proceeding is done,
we will call everybody back in, okay?
Thanks for your help.
- Recording in progress.
- Okay, thank you to everyone in the gallery
for your patience, very much appreciated.
I will ask Councilor Perble to report out from in
camera.
- Thank you, Chair, and I would like to report
that this committee went into the closed session
to discuss 6.1 confidential information supplied
by Canada Province Territory Crown Agency of same
,
6.2 land acquisition,
consolidated client privilege, six points free,
security of property, and I would like to report
that progress has been made in all three, thank
you.
- Thank you, that moves us to consent.
I've been asked to pull 2.6,
any others that people would like to have pulled.
Okay, seeing none, I'm looking for a motion by
committee
for all the rest of the items to be put on the
floor
to have a mover and seconder.
Councillor Hopkins, Councillor Ferrera, thank you
.
Any discussion on these items?
Councillor Hopkins.
- Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair.
and figurative staff for these reports,
these consent items.
I do have maybe a comment on,
let me see now.
2.5 broke that to 3,000 affordable housing units.
It was an update that we were given.
I think anything that we can do to save these
units
is what I heard in the report and very supportive
of that.
As it relates to the 2.3, the report back on rank
year
to income, the information update.
I want to thank staff for the information.
It looks like we have made some positive impacts,
given the challenges with funding and the
homelessness
and rising homelessness and affordable housing.
- Maybe through you, Madam Chair,
I would like to ask staff, what next?
Where do we go with this update?
And if you could speak to the pilot project
to that the city's undertaking, thank you.
- Thank you, I will go to Mr. Cooper.
- Thank you and through you, Madam Chair.
The report before committee was an update report
back
as we had indicated from a report in September
2024.
So one piece I think the Councillor asked about
was a pilot project our housing stability
services teams are working with right now and our
life stabilization teams and that project
right now is to support individuals who are on
our wait list and who are in our community
housing system to complete their annual reviews.
And so we have a housing stability worker that is
working and going to be working closely
with our life stabilization team case workers to
ensure that individuals don't lose their
subsidy because of uncompleted paperwork. So that
's one piece that our teams are collaborating
together to ensure that some housing stability
for individuals that are in and on the waitlist
for community housing. Councillor Hopkins. Yeah,
good to hear that there's further work
being undertaken. So thank you. Thank you.
Looking for other speakers, I see Councillor
Palosa online. I'm just looking to members of
committee before I go to visiting Councillors.
Councilor Ferreira. Thank you, Chair. My question
is for 2.5, the road map to 3,000
affordable units update with the response of the
section 37 that was removed by the province.
I wanted to know. So it looks like the report is
focusing on the 191 eligible units. I just
want to confirm that. Is that where this report
is kind of focusing in on? Are we going to be
able
to potentially see something back from staff to
maybe look at the units beyond that for
affordable housing.
Thank you.
Go to Mr. Falpert.
Thank you.
And three, Madam Chair.
That's correct, Councillor.
If you look at the two recommendations that we
have, the first one relates to the 191 units
that would be eligible under the dollars to door
CIP and meet that criteria.
And then there's an additional 173 units that
will work with the individual developers
in the development industry to see what can be
done
to retain those as affordable as well.
- Councillor.
- Okay, thank you for that.
And just a follow up for, I guess the units that
are inactive or on applied for have no
applications
coming in, not the ones that have already been
lost
'cause I'm assuming those are just,
as the report says, have already been lost.
I just wanted to know how many are, I guess,
realistically recoverable, like which are most at
risk
of falling away entirely and which ones or how
many
if staff can answer would be able to be actually
supported
by the dollars for doors.
- Mr. Felberg.
- Madam Chair, Mr. Pease can give a little update
on how the status of some of those projects.
- Mr. Pease.
- Thank you through the chair.
Quite honestly, the inactive site plans are quite
hard
just that they've been inactive for about a year.
Speaking from experience in the past role of that
,
it's hard to determine when those files will come
in
and the reactivated could be market driven,
it could be otherwise.
So this point, given that they've been inactive
for approximately a year, it's hard to speculate.
So providing an incentive, maybe an opportunity
to bring those back and getting them to an active
status.
- Councillor, thank you and a final question.
So I do see that the ones that are eligible
are currently eligible right now under the
roadmap as it is.
So this is a report where staff is gonna actively
engage
with those property owners to see if they're,
I guess is any interest of maintaining those
affordable units
and then connecting them with the program as it
is
to see if we can bring those affordable units
online.
- Mr. Palberg.
- Thank you and through you Madam Chair.
So yes, that's correct.
The current roadmap criteria, those properties,
I'll meet that criteria, but what we'll be
looking to do
is we'll meet with those individual developers
and work with them to bring them on
to see if there's an opportunity to provide them
with the incentive, lock in that affordability
for 25 years and ensure that those projects
are developed and those units are then available.
- Council for Rare.
- Okay, thanks for that.
I guess I would say great work for the report
and kind of just making sure that the owners
who have these approved applications as they are
know that this exists.
I would also say it's a shame that we lost
the bonus provisioning, but in I guess the world
that we're living in, we need to maintain
or actually build more affordable housing as it
is.
So good work on that and I'll be supportive of
that.
- Thank you.
I have Councillor Palazzo next.
- Thank you Madam Chair.
Just wanted to highlight the service agreement
with White Oak Heritage Housing Cooperative.
And I thank you to Mr. Felberg and his staff.
This one as the report says was many meetings
and that was accurate, met with them myself
and then happy to tag team that's one
with Mr. Felberg and his team
the end-of-life transition is a little bit
different once people do pay off their properties
and making sure that these really great mix of
affordable units and RGI's up to 37 of them
stay within our community and this well-
established cooperative housing and what we can do
to support
them through it to make sure that they are
financially strong and viable in offering
high quality residences to Ludgerner. So just
thank you for this one. This one was
behind the scenes, a lot of heavy lifting to
respectfully meet with their board and their
staff to make sure we got to a place that we can
bring this report forward, fully supportive of it
,
and just thank you to the team as I do believe
they went over and above on this one. So thank
you as the word Councillor. Thank you. I will go
to Councillor Frank. Thank you, and I'm coming
coming back to item 2.5, the road map to 3,000.
I'm just wondering if staff could refresh my
memories,
dollars to doors, CIP, is that half funding?
And if yes, is there a deadline to use that
funding?
- Mr. Palberg.
- Thank you and through you Madam Chair.
No, it's actually road map funding.
So not funded through half.
- Councillor?
- Thank you.
And so my math, if there's 191 units
that could potentially get the 45,000,
That could be an upset limit of 8.5 million,
but we imagine probably that not all 191 will
proceed.
Do we have an estimate of what percentage of 191
would proceed?
- Mr. Felper.
- Through you, Madam Chair.
So I'd like to think that all 191 will proceed
as affordable and that's what we'll be targeting.
We are aware that one of the developments is
coming forward
and they're interested in it.
It's up about a third of the units that are in
that 191.
So we're optimistic that we'll be able to
transition
all of them into the dollars to do RCIB.
- Councilor Frank.
- Thank you.
And is there a cap on the roadmap funding?
I'm just, I guess the only concern I have in this
situation
and I'm happy to have.
I like having affordable housing units in mixed
use buildings.
I think that's an incredible use of space
and good for everyone.
But I'm wondering if there is a cap on the
affordable
or then the roadmap funding
if this potential 8.5 million would be better
spent,
you know, increasing the affordable housing CIP,
which I hear from nonprofits say that, you know,
the 45,000 is nice, but it's not enough sometimes
for them to do the math to build the buildings
they want.
And in which case, is it a better use of funds
to use in a different CIP bucket?
And so I guess I'm just wondering from staff,
is there a cap on the roadmap funding?
And if they think that this is the best use of
that money.
- Mr. Felberg.
- Thank you, and through you Madam Chair,
there is currently no cap in the CIP for the
dollars to doors.
So if a hundred units were to come forward,
then we would fund, and they met the criteria
under the guidelines,
then we would fund all hundred units of that.
As far as identifying whether it's a good use or
not,
we are still retaining affordable units in the
community.
And I think there's a significant benefit
for us providing a host of different options
across the housing continuum.
- Councillor Frank.
- Thank you.
- Councillor Hawkins.
- Yeah, thank you.
And maybe just as a follow-up to Councillor Frank
's questions
in the report back,
will we be given all that information to council
so we can understand exactly what these dollars
and what the commitment is
from the development community as well?
Just wanted to know what we can expect with the
framework.
- Mr. Palberg.
- Thank you and to you, Madam Chair.
- So yes, what we'd be looking to report back is
through those conversations with the development
community,
what we've identified as an option for that 173,
we would also highlight that there is the total
budget
for the roadmap, what the funds have been used
for the number of units that we provided,
and generally where they are,
we provided a map in the February 17th update
of where all the affordable projects were across
the city.
So those types of things would be things
that we'd be bringing back to this council.
Thank you, looking for other speakers on these
items.
Seeing none, we'll open the items for consent.
Everything except for 2.6.
Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero.
Thank you, that takes us to item 4.1,
the Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2026 update
preliminary findings.
We have a presentation from staff first,
and then we have a request for delegation.
I'll deal with the presentation and then look for
a request
to hear the delegation, which will be online.
Ms. Stan, thank you so much for joining us today
for presentation, excellent.
- All right, well, good afternoon,
and thank you for the opportunity to present.
Today, I'll be walking you through the
preliminary findings
of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2026
update.
The goal for today's presentation is to summarize
what we heard through the fall
Let's Talk Parks Community Engagement.
Provide an update on emerging directions
and take your questions before releasing this
information
for a second round of public engagement.
London's Parks and Recreation Master Plan serves
strategic roadmap to guide decisions on parks,
recreation facilities and
services, ensuring alignment with evolving
community needs. The city last
updated the plan in 2019 and since then we've
seen notable changes including
continued population growth and increased demand
for parks and green space. The
2026 Parks and Recreation Master Plan update will
guide the city towards 2042
and a population of over 590,000 people. It's
also important to note that this
work has been scoped to build on and refine the
2019 recommendations, strengthening direction
on parks policy development and updating capital
priorities to inform the 2028 development
charges background study. The 2019 plan is
anchored in a clear vision developed in
consultation
with the community through the previous master
plan process. Both the vision and goals which
are aligned with the framework for recreation and
parks in Canada remain consistent in this
update with the specific focus on goal four
supportive environments which addresses parks
and recreation capital needs required to serve
our growing population this update has involved
several city departments led by parks long-range
planning and design and an external consulting
team led by london based montieth brown planning
consultants a great deal of research has gone
into understanding community needs participation
trends best practices leading policy approaches
and growth requirements. We're currently in the
final phase of the project
which includes sharing preliminary findings and
emerging directions for
public review. Throughout March and April we have
been
meeting with advisory committees and during April
and May
we will be inviting residents to share their
thoughts on the preliminary
findings, provide input on emerging directions,
and let us know if there's anything we may have
missed.
This engagement will support bringing forward a
final plan this summer that
reflects community input. Community engagement
has been and will
continue to be a key component of this work. So
far, we've heard from residents and stakeholders
through surveys, open houses, pop-up consultation
, and other input opportunities. Through the
first round of consultation, over 2,200 surveys
were completed, providing a strong foundation
for future planning. The next slides provide a
few highlights about what we've learned from
Londoners. Now it's clear, residents value parks,
trails, pathways with nearly all indicating that
they are important to quality of life. However,
perceptions of safety and inclusion were mixed.
About 65 percent field parks are safe and
welcoming. Key improvement areas identified
include maintenance, addressing encampments, and
increased enforcement. Now residents primarily
use local neighborhoods, highlighting the
importance of proximity and walkability. The
survey results
highlight that the largest gap between
satisfaction and importance is relating to
amenities such as
washrooms, drinking fountains, and other comfort
features. Feedback identifies
suggestions for improved access, cleanliness, and
safety, and with support for
more inclusive options like universal bathrooms.
There's also an interest in
better winter maintenance, including cleared
paths and access to waste
facilities in support of year-round use. There's
a strong interest in making parks
more accessible, inclusive for all ages and
abilities. For example, residents are
looking for more inclusive playgrounds with
accessible surfaces and equipment that appeal
to a wider range of users. There's also clear
support for protecting natural areas with caution
against recreational uses that could compromise
environmental features. And finally, partners
such as school boards and conservation
authorities expressed openness to collaborations
that
expand access to parks and green space. And as
noted, the master plan update provides
focus on supportive environments and growth
related infrastructure. A series of
recommendations
have been prepared and organized into four key
themes. I'll briefly speak to each of these
and share some of our emerging recommendations.
Now the first theme focuses on modernizing how
parks are planned, classified, and delivered.
This includes updating the city's park
classification
system and implying clearer design and service
standards based on park type. There's also a
strong
emphasis on equitable access by prioritizing park
land in growth areas and underserved neighborhoods
and by aligning policies to maximize parkland
dedication. The plan supports a multifaceted
approach to parkland acquisition including
development, partnership, and strategic purchases
along with exploring a future regional park.
Finally it emphasizes creating a more connected
system of parks, trails, and national areas
across the city. This theme focuses on creating
parks that are inclusive, flexible, and
responsive to community needs.
It emphasizes universal design and equitable
access, ensuring parks are welcoming and usable
for people of all ages, abilities, and
backgrounds.
There is also a strong focus on comfort and
safety through thoughtful design elements
like shade, seating, and amenities that support
longer visits.
From an environmental perspective, the plan
promotes sustainable and climate resilient
design, including green infrastructure, and
protecting ecological functions.
And finally, it highlights the importance of
ongoing community involvement and partnerships,
including working with indigenous communities and
supporting local stewardship.
This theme emphasizes planning and investing in
facilities to meet current and future needs.
Key priorities include maintaining service levels
with population growth and addressing
geographic graphs to develop the proposed 2027-20
42 capital program.
There's a strong focus on enhancing unprogrammed
spaces, such as gathering areas, washrooms,
community gardens, and inclusive playgrounds.
The plan also calls for proactive planning for
emerging and specialized facilities, including
off-leash dog areas and sport facilities for
growing activities like pickleball and cricket.
And then finally, using a population-based
provision target approach, the plan promotes
strategic expansion of recreation infrastructure,
including multi-use recreation centers, arenas
and gymnasiums, ensuring capacity aligns with
growth and community demand.
And finally, the fourth theme encourages
collaboration and strategic funding to expand
access to parks
and recreation facilities.
The plan encourages partnerships with school
boards, public agencies, community organizations,
and private sector, such as shared use agreements
and co-located facilities.
On the funding side, it emphasizes financial
sustainability, leveraging development charges
and other tools regularly assessing project
affordability and accelerating investments
to keep pace with growth and rising costs.
Now following today's presentation, we will
incorporate your feedback and launch phase
two of our public engagement, which will seek
resident input on the preliminary findings
of the master plan update through open houses and
online opportunities for feedback.
We're targeting July 13th to be back in front of
this committee to seek approval of the
final master plan.
So thank you for the opportunity to provide an
update, and I welcome many questions or
feedback.
Thank you.
Okay.
So I will entertain questions on the presentation
, and then we will go to our speaker who's joining
us remotely.
Councillor Ferrera.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you for the presentation, Ms. Dan, wherever
you may have gone, issues.
I just, I appreciate the presentation.
I appreciate the report.
I just wanted to ask if there's any consideration
about the, I guess, the Canada, the Canadian
federal government initiative for the National
Urban Parks, if there's any consideration
for that to be part of the Parks and Rec Master
Plan.
Ms. Stan.
Yes, and through the chair, I think we'd be
looking for any sort of opportunities to
be able to partake in any funding or other types
of programs that are federally invited.
One of the things that I mentioned in the
presentation was the potential for a future
regional park, which would be a great opportunity
to take advantage of that type of program.
Councillor Peri.
Okay, that's all.
for the report, thank you for the presentation.
- Thank you, Councillor Hopkins,
and Councillor Troso, and then Councillor Frank.
- Yeah, through you, Madam Chair, to staff,
thank you for the presentation.
I've been looking forward to this report or
update.
So my first question is going to be around dog
parks.
So I represent a ward that is a growing ward,
and for many, many years, dog parks
have always been a conversation.
Yeah, they'll like them or you don't like them,
But I understand we are looking at two dog parts.
We still have not found a site yet.
But as we go through further public engagement,
I'm just wondering what the question
is going to be around dog parks.
Are we looking at other options?
Or are we going to look at the sites
that we know we need with the growing population
that just want to know where we can go?
I think more information that the community has
when it comes to these parks is important.
So thank you.
- Ms. Stan.
- Yes, and through the chair,
we had some really positive feedback,
a lots of information that we received
from the public about dog parks.
What we heard was there was a high level of
satisfaction
with the dog parks that we do have.
But in terms of importance, it was mixed
because we have folks with dogs and folks without
dogs.
We did see that there was a desire
for dog-related supports.
We heard considerable advocacy for enforcement
related to off-leash areas in like off-leash
activities
in undesirable areas.
So that's something to carry forward.
In terms of the preliminary recommendations,
you're correct that based on our provision
targets,
we are showing two additional new dog parks
to be constructed in the 15 year period.
We are also exploring creative approaches
to maybe address increased demand
through our existing park system.
So this could be done through potentially
updating
our off leash dog strategy.
As part of that process,
we would also look at maybe identifying standards
and selection criteria for new sites.
And that would help us determine what are the
best places
to be able to site dog parks going forward.
So I think through that process we'd be able to
come up
with a way of determining the best locations,
geographically based based on those gaps.
And then when it comes time to design any dog
park,
just like any parks project,
we would go through our typical community
engagement process
as part of the design.
- Councillor Hopkins.
- Yeah, that's a follow up.
So we're not exactly there yet.
I know we've got further public engagement.
So you're looking for more options.
So I'm hoping the community will come out
and give their feedback.
I think that's really important.
I understand, and I would like to confirm through
you,
Madam Chair, that our engagement in-person
session,
I think is April 30th at Fleetway is that correct
?
Is that sort of for sure?
And I know we have a virtual as well,
but I do think the conversation in the community
is really important.
And last question, with the final report coming
back,
will we have more information about dog parks?
I don't want to put stuff on the spot,
but I just want to kind of save some questions
that I know I'm going to be asking at the end,
asking them now.
- Ms. Stan.
Yes, who'd the plan public engagement for round
two?
We will be having both an online webinar
and an in-person engagement.
We are doing a little bit of shifting with the
dates,
but we'll be releasing those dates shortly
and doing a media release to promote the
engagement,
make sure people are aware of it,
but that is coming up both in-person
and online opportunities for engagement.
As far as the ultimate report that's gonna be
coming forward
to this committee in July,
we'll be having a detailed section on each of the
areas
where we have a refined or updated
recommendations
going forward for various features.
So you'll see the full input on what we heard
and what we're proposing for dog parks.
- Councillor?
- Yeah, I'm looking forward to that strategy
coming to us
with the off-leash dog parks, thank you.
- Thank you, I'd Councillor Trosto next.
- Thank you very much, this report was very
helpful.
There were a few gaps in it that I'd like to see
Phil doe
and I'm gonna talk about what's not in here,
but I wanna emphasize that I think you've done a
good job
in terms of covering many of the points
that I think members of the public are raising.
I hear a lot of complaints about the lack of
regular picking
up of trash.
And I think that's just simply a matter of us
adjusting our budget to have more trash pickups.
I don't think that is going to require
a lot of capital improvements on your part.
My main concern is accessibility standards.
And in particular, I think that the report
could have talked about AODA requirements
in a little bit more detail.
I think it's a potential weak point of,
and again, I'm raising this by way
of constructive criticism.
I think there is a danger in allowing a public
narrative
to shift into a sort of, we want accessible
trails
and have that be in sort of contradiction
to other types of uses that I'm worried about
that.
But in particular, what I'm worried about
is our inability, and I think our failure up to
now,
to provide adequate public washrooms.
And adequate public washrooms in a way
that are accessible.
Not just the people based on their economic
status,
but based on people's disability status.
And I'm hoping that when this report comes back
to us.
And I know that you're just basing
what you're saying here on the feedback that you
've gotten.
My sense is there is a lot of dissatisfaction
and skepticism in the disability community right
now
about the ability of the city to live up
to its accessibility obligations under the AODA.
And if I don't see a lot of responses,
I always wonder, I always wonder about that.
So what I would like to urge you to do,
and I'm not gonna make any amendments,
I think the recommendation is fine.
But I just wanna talk about my own particular
feeling
that yes, I wanna see more dog parks, I do, I
really do.
I wanna see more dog parks,
and I wanna see more pickleball courts too.
I think we probably have to spend more money,
and this is gonna come up in the multi-year
budget
that we get into with the new council.
But as an immediate, immediate, I think emergency
problem,
we've got to do something about accessible
restrooms
'cause some of them are just in such deplorable
situations right now where they're not even open
all the time.
It's a basic human right.
People have the right to use facilities
and I think I'd like to see more stress on this.
So with that, I'll just again say thank you very
much for this report and I hope that
this is addressed in more detail.
Thank you.
I had Councilor Frank next.
Thank you.
And I will be talking on a similar topic.
Also, there will be four pickleball courts in
Thames Park, so keep your eye out for that.
Just in regards to the public washrooms, I'm just
wondering, well staff also then when
all this comes back, be bringing a budget case to
multi-year budget, both for capital
and for operational for items that are identified
in this plan.
And if public washrooms is one of them,
will that come back as kind of like a omnibus
budget case?
Or will things be separated out that we could see
?
- Ms. Stan?
- Yes, and through the chair.
So I mentioned that the Parks McMaster plan
is focusing on identifying those infrastructure
gaps.
So it has established provision targets
for public washrooms and identified new ones
to be installed over the 15-year period.
And also established standards
for how those should be going forward.
those elements are then funneled into the
development charges background study from a
capital side on the operational side. It would be
a separate proposal operation strategy that would
come forward and have any associated business
cases with it to support those costs. So those
would go to separate streams. But the capital
side of it has been identified in terms of our
needs and that's been funneled into the DC
background study and then separately we would
come forward with a different report on any
operational targets.
Councilor Frank. Thank you. Yes, I think that
will be very helpful. I know we've talked about
public
Washington's a lot this term, but I do think they
are very important in the community and in a
great asset. So I appreciate the work on the rest
of the plan as well. Thank you, Councilor Perbal
onex.
Thank you, sir, to Chair. It's a very crucial
plan ahead of us. And I, as I stated, when we
started, I do I do truly believe that this plan
will determine the quality of life of half and
of Londoners and I certainly hope we do get it
right and we maximize our
opportunities. I love the point the leveraging
partnerships and funding
solutions and again I hope we do maximize look at
all the opportunities
because that means we are going to be saving the
the local money from the
municipal coffers. One thing is one specific one
and thank you for the
timelines and I did receive a feedback from my
constituents they did take the
advantage of it and they want to provide the
feedback. There is one specific question which
Pickleball was already mentioned here and their
question is how will be determined that for
example
current tennis courts will be potentially changed
into the sort of one court for tennis
to for Pickleball. How will we look at this? How
will we determine this? Thank you.
So through the Parks and Rec Master Plan for
these emerging and what we're seeing a lot of
of high interest in certain things.
I mentioned pickleball, I mentioned cricket,
and we have established provision targets for
those.
In our previous 2019, we didn't actually capture
a provision target for pickleball.
So that's what's helping us determine
how much we need to plan for going forward
in terms of ways that we would do that.
Either through building new or converting
existing,
I'll maybe pass it over to Mr. McGonigal.
- Mr. McGonigal?
- Yeah, thank you, and through the chair,
I guess I'll just note about tennis courts,
the provision target in the 2019 plan
was one to 7,000 population.
What I would say is those numbers do get reset
through this process.
And it's not just population growth,
but as you can appreciate it and was just
indicated
by the council, there is a change in
participation patterns
as well that you have to take into consideration.
And so you will see a new pickleball provision
target
come forward, which the city has never had.
And you will likely see a bit of a reduction
on the tennis court side based on the increase
in pickleball and the decrease in tennis.
- Thank you.
- Councilor Pribble.
- Thank you, one follow-ups through the chair.
When will we be seeing this new targets?
- Through the chair, those targets will be part
of the Parks and Rec Master Plan report
that we'll be bringing forward in July.
- Thank you very much, no more questions.
- Thank you, okay, so this was just on the
presentation.
We still have a speaker who's awaiting his time
for delegation, if it's okay with the committee,
I'd like to move to the delegation at this time,
then we'll come back for the motion, the report
and whatnot.
So I look for a mover and a seconder for the
delegation.
Councillor Hopkins, Councillor Proville, thank
you.
And we will open the vote.
Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero.
Thank you, with that, I will welcome Mr. Galloway
,
who's joining us online today.
Mr. Galloway, you will have five minutes for your
delegation.
I will give you a warning at the 32nd mark,
and your topic is framed around the Parks and
Recreation
Master Plan update.
You may begin.
- Thank you very much.
Can you just confirm that you can hear me on your
end?
- We can hear you, thanks so much.
- That's amazing, okay, here I go.
So thank you everyone for the opportunity to
speak
about our delegation's concerns
in regards to the partnership, collaboration,
and inclusivity when it comes
to the West Lions skate park consultation process
.
My name is Ken Galloway,
and I'm speaking on behalf of London skateboard
and broader action sports community.
And I come to you during a time of celebration
for our community.
In 2024, we secured a $400,000 federal investment
deliver a 10-day skate and youth empowerment
festival at the Western Fair. That same winter,
we delivered a youth-led, self-funded indoor
skate park pilot at Silverwoods Arena in
collaboration
with Mr. McGonagall. So thank you, Mr. McGonagall
. In 2025, we hosted our annual Medway Open event
in collaboration with Canada's skateboard, our
nation's Olympic governing body. The youth
empowerment
centric model we piloted right here in London for
that event is now being adopted nationally as
part of Team Canada's Olympic pathway. We're also
on track to see a London skateboarder compete
that the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles,
which we think is pretty awesome.
However, despite this great progress,
our community continues to face significant
and patterned barriers at the municipal level
here in London,
which includes the West and Lion, sorry,
which includes the West Lions skate park
consultation process.
For example, last winter, this is to illustrate
the pattern.
For example, last winter, our indoor skate park
pilot
was classified as a special interest group by the
city,
resulting in prohibitive arena rental fees
and a $5 million insurance requirement.
We ultimately overcame this hurdle
through corporate sponsorship.
Shout out to Hattie Bros. Home Comfort.
And we worked with insurance experts
to drive a $3 million liability reduction going
forward.
I'll be too late to help our skaters at the time.
Similarly, ahead of the 2025 Medway Open,
we were denied permission to carry out
a self-funded graffiti cleanup of the Medway Sk
ate Park
based on a city policy that did not align
with our industry's best practices.
Again, working with Canada Skateboard,
we were able to guide the city
towards a more appropriate approach for this year
.
For us, this points to a recurring pattern.
Widely accepted best practices from our
industries
are being recognized too late at home
at the expense of opportunities for our youth.
We see this pattern continuing
within the West Lions skate park consultation
process.
The original West Lions skate park was built
decades ago
before today's standards around inclusive
engagement
and user informed design existed.
The result was a space that was infrequently used
due to usability and safety issues.
Today, there are signals that this history may
repeat itself.
Number one, our feedback was collected
under conditions that, under the condition,
that if we did not, sorry, I apologize,
let me start that now again.
Today, there are signals
that this history may repeat itself.
Number one, our feedback was collected under
conditions
that did not reflect our industry's definition
of meaningful engagement.
Here, highly regarded industry professionals
and national level athletes were handed crayola
products
and told to express themselves
within a very limited feedback form,
under threat of the entire project being shelved.
Number two, we were also told that
there would be ways to follow up this
consultation,
but have yet to be engaged in any meaningful way,
and are told the next consultation
will actually be an online FYI.
At the same time, Canadian Ram Company,
the city's selected vendor,
and a worthy collaborator for our skate scene,
issued an open letter calling for stronger
community integration practices,
because there was still a tangible interruption
in the mechanism.
Here I would like the council to consider
how rare it is for a vendor to write such a
letter,
especially while engaged in a lucrative city
contract.
Taken together, this does not point
to a lack of effort by city staff,
but to a gap in how community knowledge
and lived experience are carried forward
at critical stages.
We are also seeing the impact of this gap.
Seven of approximately 12 participants
in the West Lions consultation session
have since withdrawn their input
under the current conditions.
That's more than half of the participants.
Furthermore, over 600 people signed a petition
to pause this very project
just long enough to get these details right.
Combined with over 1300 signatures from last year
's youth-led petition resulting in the
Winter Skate Park, this represents more than 1900
earnest attempts by Londoners to have
a voice in this very process.
Over 19 is nearly on par with the 2200 responses
gathered through the entire Master Plan survey
and an astronomical number compared to the dozen
or so voices that the city-run consultation
elicited to arrive at its current findings, of
which of course more than half have withdrawn
their feedback.
Yet as we understand it, none of these inputs,
including the letter from the city hired vendor,
nor the feedback withdrawals, are captured in the
project's reporting.
That's why, as the Parks and Recreation Master
Plan moves forward,
we are asking the city to pop the brakes on the
West Lions skate park project only,
and install a credible representative advisory
mechanism for skateboard and action sports
infrastructure.
This mechanism is already well-established,
unprecedented in other municipalities.
Just like London's cricket community is consulted
at formative stages in projects,
we too would like to be involved before the
location, shape, budget,
contacts, materials, and vendors are all
predetermined.
It's challenging to wrap up, that's your time?
We'll do, and before the Crayola hits the table.
We offer this not as a replacement for the city's
public consultation,
but as a compliment to it, while helping to
ensure that over 1900 voices don't go unheard,
while now nearly a million dollars of taxpayer
money is spent in our names.
Thank you again for the consideration of this
matter.
Thank you. Okay committee we have a report in
front of us with the Parks and Rec Master Plan
included in the package you'll see a motion to
receive the staff report that civic
administration
be directed to undertake further community
engagement on the preliminary findings
and also that includes the presentation and the
verbal delegation Mr. Galloway. So I'm looking
for a mover and a seconder and then discussion on
those items.
Mayor Morgan, Councillor Hopkins, thank you, and
I will look to committee first for a discussion
on this item. Councillor Trossa. I was hoping not
to come to you today with proposed amendments,
but I'm finding it difficult. Could I ask perhaps
Ms. Scheer, since you would have transit in the
mister mobility plan. How does skateboarding fit
in with people's mobility as an alternative
active transportation device? Ms. Cher. Thank you
, Madam Chair. Generally speaking, skateboarding
as a transportation device can use places that
are designated for kick e-scooters as well as
bikes.
So they're welcoming our bike lanes. The project
that is being discussed, however,
is related to a small neighborhood park
improvement project as part of the neighborhood
park improvement
fund, that it was championed by Mayor Morgan in
West Lions, so it is related more to a stationary
activity.
- Councillor Trossa.
- Having that type through the chair, yet having
that type of recreational activity
would encourage, I think, overall the use of this
alternative transit device.
So while I transportation device, so while I see
what you're saying, I do want to make
sure that we're not doing anything at all to
potentially prejudice this mode of
transportation that's largely used by youth. Is
it the case that they start on
skateboards and then go to e-scooters and then
perhaps bicycles or do people
stay on skateboards as a mode of transportation
in the long run?
Ms. Share and then we'll try to councilor bring
it back to the Parks and Rec Master Plan.
- Thank you, Madam Chair.
I don't believe we have any data about the
transition
between various types of active modes of
transportation,
nor a correlation between those who use action
sports,
which is the ramps and those sorts of things
provided in skate parks,
and their choice of active transportation
or motorized vehicles.
- Could Mr. Galloway answer that question for me?
- Councillor, I'd be happy to.
- I'm sorry, Mr. Galloway,
we're not having a back and forth discussion.
This is only a delegation at this time.
So, Councillor, our questions are directed at
staff
related to the report.
- Well, I tried to direct it at staff,
and we have somebody with us
who knows more about skateboarding,
so I think it's a reasonable question to ask.
- And Councillor, I am directing the questions to
staff
on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan at this
time,
and you can definitely take your conversation
offline
with the delegation after the fact.
- Well, I find that unacceptable.
I really would like to have this question
answered,
and I'll just raise it at council again
and I will make it a point to talk to Mr. Gall
oway
between now and the council meeting
because I think that this is something,
I mean, we've adopted the mobility master plan
and that is not something that's just
in a different silo than the parks plan.
We have to look at all of these things
as an integrated whole.
So I'm sorry I can't ask Mr. Galloway
that direct question today but I will be in touch
with him.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, and I will look for other speakers on
the plan.
Mayor Morgan.
- Yes, so first let me add my words of thanks to
staff
for the work that they've done on pulling
together the plan.
There is one piece and I won't echo what
some of my colleagues have said.
There is one piece that I think is really
important
and that's under B in your presentation.
You talked about designing the spaces.
Part three was keeping,
keeping engaging communities in park design and
stewardship.
So for me, a couple of our colleagues
talked about pickleball.
That's because there's a very,
there's a lot of people in this city
talking about pickleball, right?
So we're gonna shift and we're gonna
devote some of our resources.
So during the course of this term,
I've spoken to about 70 schools,
a lot of them grade five classes,
and they don't talk about pickleball as much.
They talk about some other things in parks.
And so I know with the Neighborhood Parks
Improvement Fund,
we tried very hard to engage with local
communities
say, "You're the users of this space. What would
you like to see in it?" And I think we've done a
good job there of aligning them. And I think, so
this piece is really important to me because
we may have to reach out a little bit in a little
bit of a different way to
the youngest users of our Parks and Recreation
Spaces because they don't really say things like
pickleball. They say, "This thing is boring and
this thing's exciting," and they talk about the
actual features. And for me, it's been very
illuminating when they ask me questions about,
can you make my park better or I say well what
would you like to see in it? And we may have just
upgraded a park in a way that is just slightly
different from what their vision of the kinds of
things they'd like to see in there and in some
cases it's even lower cost ways to do things
but with different creative features. So I think
if we can take the kind of approach that we did
with
the neighborhood parks improvement fund and say
we're going to make upgrades to parks and I think
during this term of council we've made we've done
about 250 projects and parks
when I'm done 23 with the the additional fund as
we continue to do projects the more that we can
get into reaching out to some of the voices that
maybe don't know how to come to a public
participation meeting or or fill out a survey. I
'd really like us to partner with school boards
or community associations or even neighborhood
groups in different ways to get some of those
as young as voices involved in the design of
their parks.
Doesn't mean we're not gonna,
I don't wanna do less pickleball.
People get really upset with me if I just do that
.
But I do think that there's ways
that we can approach some of just,
we may be building a playground.
The features in that playground matter
to the kids who live in that neighborhood.
So whether it's two baby swings and three adult
swings
or larger kid swings, I say adults
'cause everybody likes swinging.
Those ratios are what create a lineup
or not at some of the features.
And so great job on the report,
but in the future, I really like part three of B
because I think that if we stick with that,
we're gonna create really dynamic spaces
that all members of the community love
and continue to love.
- Councillor Hopkins.
- Yeah, thank you to the mayor.
I'm happy to second the motion as well.
I found a number of years ago,
there was an upgrade of the skateboard park
in Spring Bay Park and there was such a need
from the younger generation to have a skateboard
park
in the park, that it was challenging where to put
it.
And we needed to have that conversation.
So I wanna thank Mr. Galloway for his
presentation.
I do like the idea of an advisory group
conversation,
not just putting things into our playgrounds,
but really looking at an understanding.
And I do think skateboard parks
are a little bit complicated and challenging
as opposed to just putting swings or slides
up in the park, so I'm happy to second it.
- Thank you, looking for other speakers on this
item, okay?
Seeing none online and seeing none in chambers.
Councilor Pribble, will you take the chair?
- I have a chair and I recognize Councilor Raman.
- Thank you and through you, I just wanted to
thank staff
for the presentation and for the conversation
today
on the Parks and Rec master plan just with
reference
to the communication that will go out to the
public
to participate in the next round of discussion.
I assume everybody that already participated
would be receiving notification
that they will be able to participate
in the next round as well.
Yes, and through the chair, we maintain a
subscriber list
for those people who have actively engaged
and will be making sure that we send out a notice
.
Peltula.
- Thank you.
And just to follow up on Mayor Morgan's point,
because I've been to a few talks with him,
as well as had some of my own with classrooms,
and yes, it's definitely a hot topic.
Students love to share their ideas
for what they believe is the best activation
for their local park.
I'm just wondering beyond the public engagement
that we're speaking of that would be formal,
and in those spaces, what type of informal
engagements
could we do maybe with younger users,
and what's the timeline for those?
- Going through the stuff.
- Yes, and through the chair.
Our goal is to be doing our public engagement
over basically the tail end of April and into May
.
It's a fairly condensed timeline
to be able to get us back to council and
committee in July.
We are coming back to not go back to first
principles,
but just to make sure, is there anything that we
missed?
But I'm sure we can work with our communications
team
to maybe find a creative way to get to different
ages.
That was one of the things that we definitely
heard
throughout our engagement was that people wanted
parks
to be for all ages and abilities.
they wanted just to not just look at certain age
sectors,
also finding amenities that allowed them
to stay in those spaces longer.
It's like shaded seating areas, things like that.
So those are the types of things that we would
love
to add a little bit more feedback on.
- Don't look.
- Thank you.
Well, I look forward to participating,
to hearing more and sharing it as well online,
with respect to how we move forward.
The other thing I wanted to mention is,
as this plan evolves,
do we see that having more engagement
with community members with maybe very targeted
sporting activities will take place on a go-
forward basis?
- I'm going through stuff.
- Yes, and through the chair,
with each of our different individual parks
projects,
we do have an engagement process where we reach
out
and provide early concepts, get feedback from the
residents
and from people that are interested,
particularly when we're dealing with specialized
sports
type of amenities and recreational facilities,
so that's something that we'll be continuing to
do.
- Thank you, that's all my questions.
- Thank you, I'm returning to chair, back to you.
- Thank you, once again, final call for speakers
on this item.
Okay, seeing none, we will open the vote.
Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero.
Okay, thank you, that moves us to item 4.2.
4.2 is the report back, the basic needs and
pathway,
option, feasibility of contract, extension 5.1.9,
umbrella relief programs, Inc.
We have a number of delegation requests,
including Ms. de Blair, Ms. Bessno, Bessno, sorry
.
Ferguson, Horrell, and then Riley from a pillar
nonprofit.
With that, what I'd like to do is I'd like a
motion
to hear all the delegations.
So I'll look for a mover and a seconder for that
motion.
I have Councillor Trosso and I have Councillor
Privel.
Thank you.
And we will just moment, we'll open the vote on
that.
- Using the vote, the motion carries, six to zero
.
- Thank you.
And I'll welcome Mr. Blair first to the
microphone.
Thank you.
And just for everybody here in the gallery,
just wanted to start out with,
thank you for your patience today.
'Cause I know we've had a lot of items
before we've gotten to these delegations.
Just a reminder that with respect to today's
delegations
in order to keep decorum
to just making everyone feel safe and comfortable
.
We ask there's no clapping, cheering, or booing
from others in the gallery as there are speakers
that are braving their time at the mic.
And just wanted to remind speakers you have five
minutes
and I will give you a warning at 30 seconds.
Thanks so much.
- Thank you, Madam Chair.
And thank you to the whole committee
for allowing me time to speak today.
I wanna start by showing my appreciation
for the work that has happened over the past few
months
and share my gratitude for the collaboration
across all the levels that took action during the
time of urgent need, particularly through
the winter response. I also want to recognize and
commend the work that has gone into the
creation of the micro modular shelters. It has
been incredibly meaningful to see our friends
move out of encampment and into stable, safer
places that they can call home. That work matters
and it's making a difference. Today I'm here to
speak about the work of 519 Pursuit. What started
a grassroots organization has grown into an
essential part of the frontline response in our
city.
The City of London has become a champion for
collaboration in addressing homelessness,
and in the midst of multiple crises, we have
proven to be innovative in our
response and how we provide care. Part of that
innovation is a whole of community response.
However, what is often missed in the conversation
is the role of outreach and how critical it is
of the part of Continuum of Care. Outreach is
often the first point of contact. It is how we
meet
people where they are at, offering food security,
basic needs, survival gear, and system navigation
directly at street level. But more than that, it
's how relationships are built. It's how trust
is formed. Those relationships create pathways.
This is street level work, but it does not work
in isolation. It directly supports the rest of
the system. It reduces the pressure on indoor
spaces
on shelters, on walk up services that are already
operating beyond capacity, it creates a flow that
allows the broader system to function more
effectively. We heard this clearly just a few
months ago during what felt like a winter that
was here to stay. We heard it from small business
owners, we heard it from frontline workers and
service providers, we heard it from employees
in the public and community spaces, and we heard
it from Londoners across the city.
the message was clear. There is no additional
capacity to absorb the need when desperation
shows up at the door. And when those gaps exist,
they are felt everywhere. At this time, I do want
to thank committee and council for the urgency
that has already gone into planning for the 2026-
2027
winter response. But it must stand here today and
remind us all that extreme conditions don't
just happen in the winter. Over the past few
weeks alone, we have seen consistent rainfall
with more in the forecast, and still our indoor
capacity is not at a level to ensure that people
can stay dry, stay warm, and stay supported. And
when this happens, survival becomes an instinct.
Desperation increases and suffering becomes
visible, but this is preventable. And right now
we have
an opportunity to address it. We're currently
navigating a system that has been significantly
impact by loss of funding. Community service
structures are shifting, and there is real
uncertainty
around the continuation of critical frontline
services.
So today I am here to respectfully urge the
committee and the City Council as a whole to
consider these gaps that are being created and
the role that outreach plays in holding
this system together.
To consider the services that helped carry us
through one of the most difficult winters
in recent memory and to recognize that
stabilization at this moment is not to support
its strategy.
This is about protecting the progress we have
made.
This is about maintaining a coordinated community
-based approach.
And this is about ensuring that we do not lose
one of the most effective entry points
into care that exists in our system.
Without consistent outreach, we see immediate
impacts.
We see increase and strain on emergency services.
We see more individuals turning to already full
spaces.
We see more pressure placed on businesses, public
spaces, and frontline workers who have
already told us they cannot carry it.
Five when I pursue it has been a consistent
presence
in that space showing up every single day in all
conditions
ensuring that people are not left behind.
And we see what happens when consistency is there
.
We see people move from encampments
into shelter into housing.
We see people, we see individuals begin to
volunteer
to reconnect to find purpose.
We see people begin to believe
that something different is possible.
But that only happens when somebody shows up
first.
So today I'm asking you to recognize outreach
as an essential part of the whole community
response.
This is not just about maintaining a program,
this is about maintaining stability in our
community.
It is about preventing further strain on systems
that already are at capacity,
and it's about continuing to move forward
together
as a city that has committed to collaboration,
compassion, and action.
At the end of the day, this is about people.
It's about our friends who are our Londoners,
people who deserve to be seen, supported,
and not left outside to survive alone.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you for your leadership
and your continued commitment to our community.
Without you, there is no Five When I Pursuit.
Thank you.
- Well timed.
I'll go to Ms. Boasano, if I said that correctly.
Thank you for joining us.
Once you get your mic adjusted.
- Thank you.
Wonderful, you have five minutes.
- Awesome.
Thank you so much for allowing me to be up here
and speak with all of you today.
My name is Michelle Boasano
and I am an employee with Five When I Pursuit.
but before I was an employee with 509 pursuit,
I was a volunteer, and before I was a volunteer,
I was homeless on the streets of London for three
years.
And when I was homeless on the streets of London,
you know, I was a hardcore intravenous meth user.
I felt as though I had no hope,
I felt as though I didn't belong,
and I just wanted to be seen so badly.
I was an individual who took up the downtown
streets.
I would sleep in cubby holes,
I would try to find warmth on top of heat grates.
I frequently visited 186 King.
They had a heat grade that came off the side of
the building,
and I would build box forts, and I would hide in
there
in hopes that it would keep me warm.
And, you know, I was one of those people
that would be continuously asked just to move
along.
You know, I never felt supported.
And, you know, I just hungered to belong so badly
.
And this one time, I heard what I thought
or the Voices of Angels.
And it was actually Allison and Amber of 509 Purs
uits.
And here they came and they just offered support
and friendship and connection.
And they wanted to just walk side by side with me
and they met me where I was at.
And I didn't have a lot to offer at that time.
And they really didn't care.
They just cared about me and they didn't even
know me.
And for my entire life, I'd always been told,
well, maybe or I would get my hopes up
and it would just be like absolutely destroyed.
And when Alison and Five When I Pursuit told me,
like, hey, we would love to come and see you
tomorrow,
where are you gonna be?
And I would tell them,
and they would always show up no matter what,
no matter what condition they would always,
and it's gonna make me emotionally.
You know, they would always show up for me.
And at the worst time of my life,
I was sleeping on a heat grate
at the corner of Dundas from Wellington.
I had been there so long living in my own filth.
I had flesh eating viruses and I just wanted to
die.
I had become part of the sidewalk.
I'd been there so long that folks trying to get
to their bus stop would walk over me to get to
their bus stop.
And because of the friendship and the connection
of 5-1-9 pursuit, it started to change the
narrative
in my head and I knew that I needed to do more
with my life.
I needed to seek out something better for me
or I was gonna die there.
I wholeheartedly believe that I would be dead
there.
If it wasn't for the change in the narrative
of my thinking from this incredible friendship
that I had built, you know?
When I lost my mother, I found it over Facebook
and I missed her funeral and it was a month later
.
And the first person I went to go see was Alison.
And my mother used to always take me out
for dinner on my birthday.
Well, five when I pursued an Alison,
take me out for dinner on my birthday now, right?
Like that wholehearted friendship
and just being okay with myself.
I got from this organization.
And now, you know, I get to be that person
for my friends out the street now, right?
Like I get to show up and I get to spread hope
and I get to spread friendship.
And I can say and I can shout this from the
rooftop.
Like there is hope and you do belong
and we do care about you.
And it's such an incredible organization.
know I'm a little I guess I'm a little biased
right because I work for them but
they truly saved my life and you know on April 25
th I'll be celebrating four
years clean and sober thank you and thank you and
that's in in huge part
with this friendship and and just that that
feeling of belonging and I couldn't
see myself you know anywhere else now right like
this is where I belong and
so I just so grateful that I get to to be here
and share that thank you thank
- Thank you, and I appreciate you taking that
time
to share your story with us as well.
I'll go to Ms. Fergus, or sorry to M. Ferguson
next.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
- Let me go ahead, you have five minutes.
- Thank you, thank you, Madam Chair.
My name is Michelle, and I'm speaking today
as a volunteer with five when I'm pursuit,
but more importantly as someone who has witnessed
firsthand what happens when people are left
without support in our city.
London currently has over 2,000 un-hosted
individuals,
and across Canada more than 235,000 people
experience homelessness each year.
These numbers are not just statistics,
they represent real people who are struggling
to survive in conditions most of us cannot
imagine.
Rising housing costs combined with inadequate
social assistance from programs like Ontario
Works
and ODSP have made it nearly impossible
for many individuals to secure even the most
basic of housing.
For some, living in a tent or a car is not a
choice,
it's the only option left.
Throughout reach, we have met people
who are even elderly, sleeping in their vehicles,
individuals who are paralyzed and exposed to
these elements.
Far too many who have suffered amputations
due to untreated frostbite,
due to lack of resources available to them.
These are extreme preventable outcomes that
continue to happen
because the system is overwhelmed and under-res
ourced.
519 Pursuit fills a critical gap.
Our volunteers go out in all conditions,
extreme heat, pouring rain, freezing temperatures
, just to deliver food, water, clothing, tents,
blankets, and whatever else we have. We also
provide wellness checks and
connect individuals to urgent medical care,
hopefully before it's too late.
This kind of proactive outreach reduces reliance
on emergency services, hospital
admissions, and crisis interventions, ultimately
saving public resources while saving lives.
But beyond the statistics and services, there is
a human reality that cannot be ignored.
Tears ago while delivering supplies, a friend and
I heard a man crying for help from an encampment.
We found him trapped inside a collapsed tent in
excruciating pain. His feet were completely
frozen,
and the smell of decaying tissue was overwhelming
. No one else had come, no one else had checked on
him. He was completely alone and unable to walk.
We called for help and emergency responders
along with London Cares arrived. I firmly believe
that if we had not been there at that moment,
he could have died. Sometimes when small act is a
reason someone survives. That is what outreach
does. It reaches people before they become
another statistic. Now imagine that moment never
happened.
Without outreach, there is no one walking through
these encampment areas, no one finding people
before
infection turns fatal, before hunger turns
desperate, before hope disappears completely.
Programs like
like 519 are not optional, they are paramount.
Many individuals, we, 519 Pursuit, serve,
have experienced years of stigma and rejection.
They are often treated as if they are invisible
or undeserving of care.
Yet something as small as a kind conversation
or a handmade brace that can remind them
that they do matter and people do care.
These moments build trust and that trust is what
allows us
to support people in so many meaningful ways.
Shelters alone cannot meet the need.
They are frequently at capacity
and when there are no available beds,
people are turned back outside into unsafe
and often life-threatening conditions.
Without outreach programs like 5-1-9,
there's no consistent safety net.
If funding for 5-1-9 pursuit is denied,
the consequences will be immediate and severe.
There will be fear of wellness checks,
fear interventions, and more people suffering
without support.
Emergency services will face increased strain
and preventable medical crisis will arise.
Most importantly, lives will be lost quietly
and unnecessarily.
This is not simply a budget decision,
a decision about what kind of city of London
chooses to be? Do we accept a reality where
people
freeze, go untreated, unfed, and die alone? Or do
we choose to support the organizations that are
actively preventing that outcome every single day
? 509 is not optional. It is vital service for
these people who have nowhere else to turn. And I
ask you to sit with this for a moment. If that
man in the club's tent had been your father, your
brother, your friend, would you have wanted
someone to walk past him or someone to stop
because that is the choice in front of you now.
Funding 519 means choosing to stop, choosing to
see, choosing to save lives. Please do not look
away. City Council, this is a direct plea,
approve one-year contract extension to the
Reserve Social
Service funds. Removing this indispensable
service will not just create gaps, it will cost
lives.
people will go unseen, untreated, unfed. They
will suffer and some will die alone and unnoticed
.
The cost of losing this funding will be measured
not just in dollars, but in human lives. You have
the power to prevent that. Please choose to
extend the funding for the lives that depend on
this
decision. Thank you. Thank you. I have us who are
all next. Hi there. You can begin you five
minutes.
Thank you very much. It is very interesting being
here today, being juxtaposed by the Parks and Rec
Committee and overhearing the discussions about
pickleball and dog parks when we're bringing
this heavy load to the table. The city is doing
some great things and has done some great things
of last year or two in order to respond
appropriately to the crisis that has become the
number of
people experiencing homelessness and the increase
in people that are experiencing it.
Really, since the pandemic, we've seen it a new
normal. We've seen a new world. And what my
friends and peers have said is true, that our
service has become vital. What we do out there
every day not only saves lives but it does reduce
the cost on the system, bringing food
to people, bringing clothes to those who don't
have any decreases crime and the system's going
to pay for it one way or another. You're either
going to not fund us and we're going to fall
through the cracks and people are going to fall
through the cracks and it'll be hospitals and
police and funerals that the city pays for, or it
can be a proactive choice to fund us and
prevent more people from winding up in worse
situations. The parks that you're discussing
and the ongoing plants, I'm sure that all of the
citizens in your wards would like to enjoy those
parks, without having to see people suffer and
not know who to call. And it is our privilege
and pleasure to be able to go out and meet
individuals who are suffering. I know sometimes
when you're
looking at dollars and cents and business
improvement areas, sometimes people experiencing
homelessness
or dealing with substance use are viewed as
problems. And I don't believe that people are
problems. I believe the people have problems, and
when we can help one person with their problems
get out of that tent in that park, it changes
their lives, but it increases. It makes the city
better for everyone. Before the pandemic, if you
had an option to prepare for it, I'm sure that
the response would have been different, but the
pandemic was an act of God. This is something
that we can prepare for. And if you can see the
the need for this and not respond appropriately,
it's the adage of an ounce of prevention that is
worth a pound of cure. And we are worth more
than that ounce of prevention. So in the last
year we've had a great opportunity to collaborate
with the city's coordinated informal response
team and with London Cares. We've been very
successful working together and would like to
continue that relationship and
continue serving the city as best we can and in
the unique way that only we can.
So if you lose us, I fear for what that means not
only for the people
experiencing homelessness but for the rest of
community that is subject to it
and doesn't have us to help. Thanks. Thank you.
Next I had Miss Riley. Hello.
- Please go ahead to your five minutes.
- Good afternoon Chair and members of the
committee.
My name is Melanie Riley and I'm the Vice
President
of Fund Development and Member Services
at Pillar Nonprofit Network.
Pillar is a network of over 250 nonprofit
organizations,
charities and grassroots groups across London
and Southwestern Ontario.
We work to strengthen the sector
and support a more coordinated, effective system
of care
in our community.
I'm here today to express our strong support
for the city's recommendation to continue
funding outreach services through 519 pursuit,
and to support the direction outlined in the
mayors
and Councillor Remman's letter to this committee.
At its core, this is about continuity of service.
Outreach services are not optional.
They are foundational.
They are the front door to the entire system of
care.
Organizations like 519 pursuit,
lending cares, arc aid, and others
provide food, water, basic necessities,
and human connection.
They are often the first point of contact
individuals who are disconnected from formal
systems of care. And that connection matters
because trust is the gateway to everything else.
Housing, health care, and long-term stability.
Without that trust, the rest of the system cannot
function as intended. Over the past nine years,
519 pursuit has evolved into a critical part of
London's outreach ecosystem, working alongside
shelters, health care providers, and community
agencies to strengthen the overall response.
and the need is clear. City data shows hundreds
of individuals are currently unsheltered
with overall homelessness exceeding 2,000 people
in our community. Demand for outreach
increases in warmer months and as of March 31st
that funding that supported this work has ended.
So the question before you is not whether these
services are needed. The question is how do we
ensure they continue without disruption? We
support the proposed interim funding approach
because it recognizes an important reality,
municipalities cannot carry this responsibility
alone. The recent federal announcement of renewed
funding through the unsheltered
homelessness and encampments initiative is a
clear signal that this work must continue.
The province must also be part of this solution.
All orders of government have a role to play.
And just as importantly, we encourage continued,
coordinated advocacy from the mayor and council
to federal and provincial representatives, both
directly and through sector tables such as big
city
mayors, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
, Association of Municipalities of Ontario,
and the Association of Local Public Health Ag
encies to ensure sustained long-term investment
flows
to communities like London. Because when outreach
services are interrupted, the impacts are
immediate
and far-reaching. Pressure increases on emergency
services, police and paramedic services,
hospitals, shelters, and the broader system,
encampments grow, opportunities to connect people
to housing and supports are lost, and most
importantly people's health and safety are put at
risk.
Lives are quite literally dependent on these
services. This is not only a matter of compassion
,
it is also about the kind of city we want to be,
a city where no one is left behind,
a city where public spaces are safe, welcoming,
and vibrant for everyone.
A city where we invest in coordinated, effective
systems that respond to complex challenges with
dignity and care. We encourage the community to
view this decision, not in isolation,
but as part of a broader approach and outreach
ecosystem that must remain stable and well-res
ourced.
Sustained, reliable funding shared across
municipal, provincial, and federal governments
is essential to maintaining that system.
Pillar C's firsthand, the role these
organizations play,
and the strain that they are under.
We urge you to support the continuation of
outreach services,
endorse the interim funding approach,
and continue to use your voice to secure long-
term,
sustainable investment from other orders of
government.
This is how we ensure our system holds,
and how we build a city where everyone has a
place to belong.
- Thirty seconds. - Thank you.
Thank you. Okay. That concludes our delegations
that were in the agenda. I will go to Mayor
Morgan
to begin moving a motion on the floor. Sure. And
would you like me to read the motion before I
provide some comments? Sure. So I'm willing to
move and Council Romans willing to second
the Civic Administration be directed to allocate
intern funding from the Social Services Reserve
fund for a period of April 1st, 2026 to March 31
st, 2027 to support continued services for
individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness
as follows. A) up to 25,000 per month for 519
pursuit umbrella relief organization and B) up to
60,000 per month to arcade street
mission services. It being noted that total
funding be capped at $350,000 with an expectation
that any funding received through the unsheltered
homelessness and encampments initiative
or other provincial or federal sources be retro
actively applied to reimburse the city,
and that funding organizations meet applicable
program requirements,
including the use of homeless individuals and
families information system,
life system, where required. Thank you. And to
that, we'll also add the delegations and all
those
that provided communication on the agenda as well
. And just to clarify in that letter,
it highlighted option three as the option out of
that report.
So just making sure that that language is caption
ed
in the motion as well.
Thank you, and I will go back to you to speak to
the item.
- Sure, I'll also time myself chair.
So let me just give a little bit of background
and say some things, and I'm gonna try to do this
in five minutes.
Before I had a chance to meet with Prime Minister
Carney
in preparation for the big city mayor's meeting,
I had a meeting of all the frontline agencies
who utilized the emergency treatment fund in the
city,
the funding that was going to end and did end at
the end
of March, to talk to them about the impacts
that it would have on their organizations
and the work that they're doing in the community.
That information was really instrumental
in our advocacy approach federally,
as was just described as pillar,
is really critical to long-term sustained funding
.
The federal government put a significant amount
of dollars on the table because they recognize
that this is a need, not just in our community,
but many communities across the country.
Our advocacy approach is that I do have to give
a ton of credit to the mayor of Montreal,
one of my colleagues in the big city mayor's
caucus
who took the lead as I chaired the meeting,
was very well received by the government.
It's unfortunate that the funding did not align.
So the funding got renewed.
The government's now going to put 125 million
into the unsheltered homelessness encampments
initiative.
But we don't know how that's gonna flow yet
or the timing of how that's gonna flow.
What we can expect is that we know a number of
communities
who are utilizing this fund,
agencies like you heard from today and others,
who could benefit from continuing those services.
And I think it's reasonable for us to expect
that communities that we're providing those
services
will have the chance to continue,
at least a portion of them for a period of time
with the new funding.
What we have to do is prepare ourselves
for the gap in between.
The funding has ended,
the federal government is coming forward
with the renewal of 125 million,
and I commend them for that,
but we gotta provide some sort of stability in
the interim
so that the agencies can continue to operate
while we see if we can apply that funding.
And if that funding is allowed to be retroactive,
we can replenish the needed social services
reserve fund,
which we can backstop this motion with for a
period of time
and put ourselves in a better financial situation
overall.
So that's essentially what this motion's trying
to do.
Let me say a couple of things.
The first speaker talked about the micromodular
site.
So I want to commend what you said,
because that site is not successful
without outreach being a component of it.
The way that we're able to identify people
who this site is right for,
and it is not right for everybody,
we have a variety of shelter and housing options,
is by the work of CIR teams and partner agencies
who are out there doing outreach
who can identify individuals and who can say,
we've found someone who this is the right type of
housing for.
So the success of the micromodular site
in the individuals living there is a function
of some of the outreach that we're doing in this
community
because we can identify individuals
that are right for the different sites.
So this is right.
This is a system that we need to keep relatively
intact
so that we can continue to support other
components of it
because we know what happens if we don't place
people
in the right type of housing at the right time.
They're not successful in that housing
and it can actually cost us more money in the
long run.
So that's the first piece.
Second piece is, I wanna commend Pillar for their
comments.
I know that there are people here today saying,
we gotta put our money on the table,
and I'm willing to do that.
But I need your voices, federally and provin
cially,
for sustained long-term funding.
We got a million things we have to do municipally
.
We got a million things within our sphere of
jurisdiction.
We gotta do municipally.
And this is a shared area of jurisdiction,
one actually that it somewhat argued
isn't actually traditionally our area of
jurisdiction.
And so, your advocacy on not just making
unsheltered homelessness encampments initiative
permanent, or topping out programs like reaching
home, which is federal operating dollars we can
use, but also advocacy on HPP funding at the
provincial level. With sustained and long-term
funding pots, we can actually do better work
in the long run on this. And even reaching home,
although, again, I commend the federal government
for extending it, which is billions of dollars of
relief across the country. We know that the
the parliamentary budget officer says it needs to
be more money and that money ends at some point.
So the advocacy doesn't need to start at the
critical time in the future a couple years from
now when it ends. It needs to be now where we can
say these dollars are being used in our community
,
they're critical to us being there and that's the
work that the big city mayors are actively
doing across the country and so although we're
really easy to access people can stand in our
gallery and they can speak to us and say backstop
this program because the federal government isn't
and doing it anymore, the provincial government
isn't.
But really what we need is,
and we can consider those things like we are
today,
but really what we also need is your advocacy
at those other levels of government standing
alongside us
saying these are really critical dollars
for communities not just here,
'cause if we care about the people
who are in shelter in this community,
we care about them across the country,
and we need a strategic provincial and federal
plan
with adequate dollars to make this successful.
And I know my time's up, so thanks.
- I have Councillor Hopkins next on an amendment.
- Thank you and thank you to the mayor for his
advocacy.
I would like to put forward an amendment.
Maybe I can read it first and then if I can speak
to it,
I have it as E, that civic administration be
directed
to re-engage with the agencies under the UHEI
and emergency treatment fund
to explore service opportunities looking for
something.
- Thank you and I will second that.
And you may go ahead and speak to it.
- Yeah, thank you.
And maybe I can make all my comments at once,
'cause I am supportive of this motion.
It is interim funding.
I appreciate the efficacy the mayor has done.
I also think it's really, really important
that the community speak.
Thank you for being here this afternoon.
It's really important that we hear
the importance of outreach in our community,
what you have to offer, what you have done,
and developing a trust relationship.
So thank you for that.
I know the federal government is announcing some
funding
to go to this area, and I would really
encourage staff to continue the work with the
providers
in the community to come up with the
opportunities
to take advantage of this funding.
So with that, I'll give up my time.
- Thank you.
And I will look to other speakers on the
amendment.
And then we'll go back to the main motion.
On the amendment, Councillor Ferrera.
- We didn't move the main motion.
Or we didn't move the staff recommendation, we
moved.
- That's correct.
- Right, so the amendment to this, okay.
So I guess I just want to clarify.
We engage with agencies under the
Unheltered Homelessness Encampment Initiative
and Emergency Treatment Fund to explore service
opportunities.
Are we to expect, I guess first question,
to expect the emergency treatment funds to also
be re-initiated as well or is it just the
emergency
or the unsheltered homelessness encampment
initiative funding? Mr. Deakin.
Thank you, Chairman, through you. We do not
anticipate any continuation or re-emergence of
the ETF. Our
information to the state has been that if it were
to be available through continuous intake process
,
that those that have received it in the past
would not be eligible. And just to be crystal
clear and I know it's referenced in the chair and
the mayor's letter. There is no 100% guarantee
London is in line to receive UHEI funding. We've
been doing all the asking we can do to
get some type of indication that it's great that
the federal government has decided at the
conclusion of the program to continue the program
. They have not been able to make any
confirmation if it's a continuation of funding
for those receiving the funds or if it's a
continuation
of the program. And if those that have currently
received the funds are eligible to receive
ongoing,
or if it's an open intake for new parties who
have never received the funding,
and it sounds like that discussion will happen
between the transfer of the program from the
federal government to the province, and the
province will determine the criteria and the
application process as well as the selection
process.
- Councilor Ferrer.
- All right, thank you for that.
So I guess both the UHEI and the ETF
are kind of up in the air.
So I'm okay with that then.
So to reengage with agencies,
we're talking about the other agencies
that haven't been captured with the motion,
with this amendment.
So that would be, 'cause I see the arc in 519
pursuit.
So the other agencies,
and that's kind of what the intent of the motion
is.
Okay, yeah, I can support that.
- Thank you, looking for other speakers on the
amendment.
Seeing none in chambers and none online,
we will open the vote on the amendment.
Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero.
Thank you, we are back on the main motion
and I'll look for speakers on the main motion as
amended.
- Thank you.
- I've got a Councillor Chassa.
- Yes, thank you very much and through the chair,
I would like to thank the mayor and the chair
for bringing this forward.
We had this on a previous agenda
and I think it was a really good thing
that we decided to defer it
because I think that the plan that's been put
forward here
is very viable, it's very reasonable.
My worry, and it's not a big enough worry
that I'm gonna try to make an amendment or not
support this,
my worry is those maximum amounts can run out,
especially since they're being spread
over two agencies now.
And I just wanna say, if that maximum amount runs
out
and we find ourselves in another funding gap,
I think that there are members of this committee
who will bring something forward to try to avoid
that gap.
Having said that, I feel a little frustrated
that we're constantly in this sort of funding gap
mode.
And we need to do better than that,
but I think the municipality is stretched
and I think the municipality is doing
what they can do here.
So time will tell if we have to come back in a
few months
with another extension request here.
And I think it's incumbent on the agencies to let
us know
how your funds are holding up.
That goes for 519, it goes, it goes for the R.
So all in all, I think this is a very positive
development
and I'll be supporting the motion.
And I'm very optimistic that here is an example
of this council working together
to try to solve an immediate problem.
So thank you to everybody who's been involved in
this.
- Councillor Ferrera.
- Thank you.
I guess I'll first say thank you to the delegates
who spoke very well and elegantly.
I really appreciate the stories that you shared.
I know I've spoken to several of you, maybe all
of you,
and I appreciate just kind of comments that you
shared.
I thought that was very moving and very eye-
opening,
especially when it comes to with respect to the
trust part
and how do we open up that front door
and just kind of making sure that that trust
exists
so we can actually bring people in
and bring them indoors eventually and ultimately.
I'll also say thank you to staff for your work on
this report.
I think the breakdown of the options and just
what those consisted of
was very clearly laid out and I appreciate that.
And to the work that was done at this committee
before to
have this report come back I appreciate that as
well.
I wanted to just kind of make some confirmations
just some clarifications.
So and I appreciate I should say to the mayor and
to the chair as well for
to bring in this motion to committee.
I do appreciate just, you know,
that's, I guess, looking and hopefully getting
that unsheltered homelessness encampment
initiative funding
from the federal government,
and just kind of tying that in with this,
and then also using the social services reserve
fund
as a bridging, and then having that retroactively
paid back
with the UHEI funding when it hopefully
ultimately comes in.
I appreciate the work there,
and kind of tying that in with the option three.
So I do want to ask though, when it comes to the
350 funding gap,
I just wanted to know, if and when we get the uns
heltered homelessness encampment
initiative funding secured, is that cap still
applicable to that?
Or does that cap get lifted?
Is that cap only for the social services reserve
fund portion?
And does that cap get removed?
Depending, I guess, on the amount that we get, if
we get it?
does that cap get removed of the 350,000?
- I'll go to the mayor to answer.
- Yes, so what we don't know is the program
parameters
around the fund, and so how that would work
would be essentially through our staff
and the application to the fund or the renewal of
the fund.
They may establish different parameters around it
,
which may limit it, it may be different size
for municipalities.
So I think those are some of the questions
that we simply can't answer yet.
So this is really protecting the social services
reserve fund
because again, as you know, it's not like we have
a shortage of needs in this space.
The fund doesn't have a huge balance in it.
And so this is to backstop that.
Hopefully replenish it if we get funding,
but ultimately the answer to your question
is gonna be a function of the program parameters
and what can and can't be done with them.
- Councillor Ferrer.
- Okay, I appreciate that.
I do know that we don't know what the amount is,
even if we do get that, secure that money as it
is.
My follow up is kind of like that,
but I'm just gonna state it for the record
as it is a question, and if you can't answer,
please do,
but if you can't, I understand,
especially with the answer that you just gave.
But with the, I guess, the two funding channels
that we see in this motion, the 25,000 per month
or 519 per suit, and the 60,000 per month
with the arcade street mission services,
I would assume that if we were to get
the unsheltered homelessness encampment
initiative
funding and we see that perhaps those amounts
could be adjusted. They would
be potentially adjusted when we know how much we
're getting from the UHEI
funding. So I guess if you can't answer that you
kind of did already but if you
want to put some comments on that. Thank you. I
might just go to staff just to
clarify because my understanding it's going to be
an application process so at
the time that an application process potentially
opens up that would be an
option for those organizations to then come
forward with their ask. And that would be
the place for the figuring out, I think, of more
of those numbers related to the ask.
What we did was we worked on the motion to
address what had been put forward as the ask
for option three, as well as the letter from
Arcade. Mr. Dickens.
Thank you, Chair, and that's correct. We would --
we need to see the details of what
the application is, if the criteria changes, if
the scope that the provincial government
wants to see these funds go towards versus what
the federal government wanted to see
those funds go towards, it's highly possible
those could be two different things.
If we learn of an application process and if we
learn that we're eligible to apply, we
would absolutely be working with community
partners around forming that ask and submitting
that ask. It's conceivable that the UHEI may set
its own cap per applicant. We know what
the overall envelope is, and we'll have to see
how that's being dispersed nationwide.
There will be lots of asks, which will exhaust at
$125 million, no doubt. We'll have to
see what parameters are set. We'll, of course,
make sure we try to maximize, as we always
do, any other order of government's funding prior
to maximizing or exhausting our municipal
contributions Council for air. Okay, thank you
for that. I hope that answers the
questions from five when I'm pursuing I know you
're asking those questions
before. Okay, I appreciate the work from
everybody everybody who spoke up in the
gallery from staff from the mayor from the chair.
Thank you. I'll support this.
Thank you looking for other speakers. Councilor P
ribble. Thank you and I'll
start by thanking the mayor and the council for
bringing this in front of
us because as you've heard during our last
meeting this was a concern and it's
issue that we are all aware of that we need to
address. I don't know how many
times I heard during past so many years from
directly from the individuals or
through someone how many lives 519 pursued safe.
It's really it's an
incredible outreach organization and you know
when I go to the nearby where
they're let's say encampments are and there's
there are neighborhoods and
people are outside that I do ask them you know
how is everything and they say
that the interesting part is if most of the
issues are actually, let's see, over the weekend,
and some of them they know if I want to pursue
some, they say that organization that comes here
helps the individuals.
And they actually say that the issues that are
usually on the weekends,
because this organization has kind of funding and
volunteers only for Mondays through Friday.
But I'm just trying to state how important really
it is, this organization, even for the
neighborhoods,
because of the individual's residence and it's an
assumption,
they say we believe these individuals who are
encampments,
if they don't have the food, the water, the
essentials,
that's where actually the increased issues arise.
So I really think that, you know, and as I said,
I could say many times, how many times have been
safe.
One very recent example today, one of the
speakers
I reached out today, there's a young gentleman
downtown
with an issue, guess what, three, four hours
later,
this has been already addressed.
Thank you very much.
I do think that we do have a system in place.
We really do.
And yes, every system can be better, but we have
it.
And it works.
I'll tell you one very recent example before
Christmas.
I was delivering with San Vincen de Paul
Christmas cards
and gift cards.
We were delivering them at indwell properties.
Others, including indwell.
And there were a couple of people that actually
told me.
I started on the street in the encampment,
and there was 519 and London cares for me.
Then I moved up, and I moved up in terms of
either,
it was the mission services, it was the arcade,
it was the Salvation Army.
And now I'm in Indwell, I have steady housing,
and I'm actually helping the ones that are on the
street.
I'm trying to mentor them and help them.
So we do have a system that in place,
it does work, could it be better?
Any system can be better.
I mean, you gotta work on the improvement.
But when I'm trying to say 519 pursuit,
you are a huge, huge part of it.
We all thank you greatly.
And as you heard, yes, this is a temporary way
forward.
But as you heard from some of my colleagues,
we will be dealing with it.
Hopefully there will be funding
through higher levels of government.
But if not, we will be dealing with it
because we do realize, and I'm not just saying
this,
you heard it from the other ones, my colleagues,
we do realize how important crucial you work is
and it's part of our system.
So thank you and I have no more questions or
comments.
Thank you.
- Thank you, looking for other speakers on this
item.
Okay, seeing none, Councilor Pribble,
will you take the chair for me?
- I take the chair and I recognize Councilor Ram
an.
- Thank you and through you, presiding officer,
I just wanted to first say thank you to the deleg
ations
that spoke today and to the folks
that took the time to write in
and there was quite a number of communications
on the added agenda and on the regular agenda.
And lots of stories as well,
which I thought was quite moving.
So thank you for those as well.
This was one of those situations
where as a member of council,
we are trying to make decisions
with sometimes imperfect information
when it comes to funding opportunities
and really relying on the ability to kind of
predict
what we think may be some of the funding criteria
that come forward, but knowing that our local
federal MPs
who care deeply about this community will also
advocate
to meet the needs that are necessary in this
community
are provincial MPPs.
I know we'll be hearing from the public
and we'll be hearing from the mayor
as we advocate for funding that may flow
through the province as well.
And I just wanted to point out that in the letter
,
we left the funding source not entirely at UHEI
in case other funding UHEI wasn't realized
or the criteria was set in a way
that it couldn't be used for those agencies.
It gives some leeway to look for other sources of
funding
that may flow through the federal
or provincial governments as well.
But I do think it's important that as a committee
,
we have to sometimes make these decisions
based on what we know in the moment in time.
And we rely heavily on staff to do so.
And I wanna thank staff for their engagement on
this
because it was quite helpful to understand the
landscape.
Many of you may know that because of the good
work
of the big city mayors as well as the continuing
advocacy
that's been taking place, an announcement on this
funding
only came April 1st from the federal government
to say that something is coming.
And so something is coming when we had just found
out
that yes, the funding had completely concluded.
So it did put us in a challenging position
to make sure that we had something to discuss
today.
And the social service reserve fund,
we've already talked about the fact
that the fund is under pressure,
but as we continue to move forward
with looking at a new approach to
and our next year's winter response,
we need to ensure that there's a good balance
in that reserve fund as well
to make sure that we can stand up the services
that we need in the future.
So thank you to my colleagues
because I will say Councillor Sverrera
and Councillor Troceau move the original referral
of this item to bring this report.
So thank you for doing so to get this item in
front of us.
And thank you to those on the committee
for participating in the discussion today.
And I hope that any other members of council
will also engage on this item.
There's lots of opportunity to talk to the
agencies.
I know they're very open to those conversations
as well as city staff.
So thank you.
- Thank you, Councillor.
I'm returning to chair back to you.
- Thank you, looking for any last speakers,
seeing none online, seeing none in chambers,
we will open the vote on the as amended.
Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero.
Thank you colleagues, it is 3.53.
We have one item remaining on this section
and then we have a item next on the deferred
matters
and additional business.
I'm wondering if we can deal with 4.3
and then look to take a break before we start the
item 2.6.
If that's amenable to the committee, I'll move
forward.
Okay, and I see Mayor Morgan has to step out.
I will look for a mover and a seconder
to accept the delegation for Ms. J. Phoenix,
who's here in the gallery, waited patiently for
us.
Thank you so much.
I'll look for a move in our seconder.
Councilor Ferreira, Councillor Trossa, thank you,
and just among, we'll open the vote.
- Closing the vote, the motion carries five to
zero.
- Okay, thank you Ms. Phoenix for joining us
today.
You will have five minutes,
and I will give you a warning at 30 seconds,
and I know you've done this before,
so I know that you've already, you know the
process.
I'll let you begin, please go ahead.
- Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'll try to stick to my notes today, unlike last
session.
I'm gonna be speaking quickly this afternoon
about highlights that are in our response.
I'm hoping the response has been read
by all of CAPS committee members.
I did send it to you and I hope it's attached
to the public record as well.
I do wanna point out that city staff had weeks
to prepare to prepare the report
to a puddle board of directors at Wednesday at
noon
until Friday morning at 9 a.m. to prepare the
response.
So that might be why you guys don't get a lot of
responses
from community organizations,
because it's a little bit unbalanced.
So, you know, I'm here on behalf of ToaPuddle.
Nobody's forgot that.
But what I wanna say today is what's happening at
ToaPuddle
is not an isolated failure.
It's a system wide issue.
It's not a government's failure.
It's not a property management failure.
This is a mismatch between housing expectations
and available resources.
What did the Board inherit?
When the Board and the current management team
were engaged,
Toepuddle was facing financial disorganization,
serious capital issues,
including issues with flooding, structural issues
,
damage from fires, damage from criminal activity,
safety risks, high vacancies,
and these conditions developed over years, not
over months.
What has the Board done?
We've rebuilt financial systems and completed
audits.
As a matter of fact, housing staff receives our
financial audit as prepared by Ford
Keys every single year, so none of this should
have been a surprise to housing division.
We've restored governance and compliance,
returned 21 units to occupancy, improved safety
and reduced criminal activity and forced arrears
and eviction policies wherever we can.
The landlord tenant tribunal is not always
cooperative with that and we've always tried
to work continuously with city staff and our
other partners.
These are not the actions of a failing
organization.
These are the actions of a board that is actively
trying to stabilize one.
Here is the system failing.
Members' needs have changed significantly as we
spoke about before.
Higher mental health and addiction complexity
increase safety risks, but funding has not
changed.
Supports have not been added.
Service models remain outdated.
Housing providers are being asked to manage
complex health and social issues without health
and social issue resources.
of timely support. The board has made multiple
formal requests for assistance. We've submitted
safety-focused requests. We've requested audits
and funding supports. However, responses were
often delayed or even absent. Previously directed
actions were not implemented. Meaningful
engagement
and occurred only after an escalation.
Two puddle didn't get any of this intention
until the last CAHPS committee
when I came here to speak to you.
That's when everything started.
Not 18 months ago when we were begging staff for
help
didn't happen then.
Earlier intervention as requested
could have prevented much of the current
situation.
There's a funding reality here.
Current funding does not cover security
and hand-stapping on-site, including maintenance,
increased office hours.
We have thousands and thousands of dollars
and damage from high-accuity tendencies.
Unit damage usually exceeds $50,000 per unit.
And the co-op has been forced, yes, forced,
to deplete our capital reserve funds.
Now, I know there was a report that went out to
you
that we had lots of money in our capital reserves
.
That's not true.
What needs to be happened now is that
we have always been ready, willing,
and able to work with the city staff.
We still are.
We want your help.
But just an example, on Friday morning,
city staff reached out to me,
asked me if I had any questions about the report.
I said, yes, I do.
- Thank you.
- I suggested the question.
- Thank you.
- Okay, I will go to members of committee on this
item.
There is a motion that contains A, B, C, D, and E
in the report, as well as the delegation
and the communication that was received in the
added agenda.
I'm looking for a mover and a seconder on this
so we can begin discussion on this item.
Councillor Perbele, for a seconder, Councillor
Hopkins,
thank you, and with that, I will look for
speakers.
- Councillor Trossa.
- First of all, thank you very much for your
response.
I know it's difficult to create a document
with that level of detail given the time
constraints.
It's a persistent problem.
I don't think it's anybody's fault.
It's just this council is trying to condense
a lot of business into a short amount of time
and we'll be hearing more about that
in the next item as well.
But I do wanna thank you for your response.
I think what I would really like to try to get
to the bottom of is there's back and forth here.
And I would really like to see the board, your
board,
get on the same page with city staff.
Because ultimately, we all have a responsibility
to the residents of the building.
Not to escalate this or engage in such back and
forth
that it's gonna create a situation where we run
the risk
of this project failing.
And it would be at the level of putting
the residents of this property in jeopardy.
That's why I actually really appreciate
having this report come to us,
getting to hear the response.
But I feel that in the past,
I don't feel that we've gotten this level of
information.
I have particular concerns,
which I'd like to raise again.
And that is, how could it have been the situation
that the conditions in this premises were so dire
,
were so bad, that would have risen to the level,
that would have sunk to the level of a very poor
if an asset management plan had been prepared.
How was it the case that the previous
Food Enforcement Administration allowed it
to get to the point where it is right now?
Why was this not dealt with,
at least from a conditions abatement process
earlier on?
Oh, I'll leave that.
- I think I'd ask Mr. Mathers that question
because I know that the current incumbent
in the position is relatively new
and I see that this issue is being dealt with now
.
What about over the years?
- Mr. Mathers?
- Through the chair.
So there has been a number of issues over the
years.
I'll let Mr. Falberg get into that as well.
So like anything, we're here to be able to
respond
to what we hear from the community
and what we hear from counselors as well.
So we've done our best to be able to proceed
in that way over the years.
And there is a significant number of back and
forths
from the compliance perspective.
We're not gonna go through each one of those
items today.
So we are attempting to ensure
that there's compliance with any city property
or any time that we get into one of these
situations.
So we are attempting to do that, of course.
I'll let Mr. Felberg add in anything else he
wants
to add in from a housing services perspective.
- Thank you, Mr. Felberg.
- Thank you, and through you, Madam Chair.
So the response from Topparo is one
that's really important because it's a yes-am.
There's a lot of information in there.
It's absolutely true when it comes to the system
of around housing since devolution in the early
2000s.
We have a funding model and associated benchmarks
that lag behind some of the economic realities
that we currently have.
items like utilities, insurance, security costs,
contracted service, they often escalate faster
than what our benchmarks are actually identifying
.
This is compounded of course by requirements
around life safety, accessibility, building code,
any fire orders, and even pest management to some
extent.
And the reporting for that and staying on top of
those things
can create real capital pressures for different
providers.
In section 1.6 of the report, we do outline a
number of events that have impacted operations,
including unit damage and some of the board
changeover. Not suggesting that is a reason why
any of
these things occurred, but it's another event
that occurred in the life of this property.
Section 2.1 talks about the financial health and
the unit vacancies, and it also speaks to the
capital investments into this property since 2022
by the city. Ultimately, we talk about a
transition plan. So how can we get from where we
are today to where we have a place where people
can call home and feel safe. And that transition
plan includes a number of activities for us as
the city to invest in and support the board in
their desire to have a successful and safe place
to live. Councillor. My understanding is based on
what's in front of us right now,
there is going to be another attempt to reconcile
the situation between your office code
enforcement
and the tall puddle board and that further remed
ial action is not being taken at this point. Is
that
correct? Mr. Felberg. Thank you and through you
Madam Chair. So the the the funding and the
program that we've identified in the transition
plan and the overall and the report itself,
It talks about incorporating some of the items
that were identified through the fire
life safety inspection, the municipal compliance
inspection, the septed reviews that were
undertaken
and then updating that in a comprehensive
building condition assessment for us to be able
to make
those investments into the property and improve
the capital needs. And what that allows us to do
is have some efficiency in the costs and allow us
to hopefully be able to put a few of these
things together in order to minimize the scope of
work that's required at the
property. Councillor? Yes, thank you, thank you
for that. My main concern here,
just in case I haven't stated this yet, is the
condition of the premises that
the tenants have to live in. The tenants have the
right under provincial and
municipal law to have the systems working into
live in good conditions. And I know
we're dealing with very poor conditions as we
have across many many many properties across the
city. Topolo is not the only one that that that's
a challenge but I do see that there is that there
is going to be additional funding here. I'm very
pleased to see that. I want to I would like to
know
when the civic administration is going to come
back to this committee for sort of an update in
in terms of how the remedial measures are going.
I don't wanna hear that further sanctions have
been imposed.
I wanna hear an update on how this is a going
before something even worse happens.
Can you assure me that that's going to happen?
- Mr. Felberg.
- Through you, Madam Chair.
So we've identified approximately six months for
us
to get from today to where we are in the future.
So we've identified Q4 in the report.
following committee today, we will be issuing the
letter,
the triggering event letter, which has a 60 day
period
for prior to it taking place.
We'll notify the board.
We'll also notify the province that this is
occurring,
but that doesn't mean that we will be sitting
back
and not taking action.
We'll be reaching out to Ms. Phoenix and the
board
to start and the property manager
to start discussing how we can get in there
and start doing the building condition
assessments,
identifying the scope of different projects
and starting to prioritize the work that needs to
occur.
Some of that will include the Coachee work
that's already been identified
and a significant portion of that will be closing
the gap
and completing the municipal compliance
and fire order measures so that they can be
completed
and satisfied.
- Councillor?
- I'll yield for now.
- Thank you and just so you know,
you have just under a minute left when you come
back.
Any other speakers on this item?
Councillor Frank, go ahead.
- Thank you, yes, and I appreciate the
information
as well as the communication and delegation on
this item.
I am wondering, given there's a lot of
information
that's being circulated in this report as well as
via email,
if there's an ability for us to or authority
to undertake an independent audit of this,
what has occurred and what has led to the
position
for the building that we see in the condition now
,
both from the organization side and the staff
side,
and if that's possible for us to do,
just so that we have information similar to,
we have the MMP audit for 122 baseline,
we have a report that explains what happened,
and in that way we can make sure that we can
avoid
the same pitfalls in the future.
- Just a moment of staff confer, Mr. Felberg.
- Thank you, and through Madam Chair.
So under the Housing Services Act,
we do have that authority to undertake an audit.
I would look at an audit being very similar to
something
we do called an operational review.
It's actually one of the things we do
and we're assessing the service agreement
requirements
which are outlined in item 2.7 on today's agenda.
So what we do is we'd go and we'd look at the
governance model
and some of the decision making efficiency.
We'd look at financial operations
and some of the matters around how any debts
that are any debts and how the subsidies are
being used.
We'd also look at the requirements under the
transferred
housing project and whether our GI units
to be delivered appropriately.
And then we'd also assess the capital needs
through the building condition assessment.
That would be the typical approach
from the service manager perspective,
assessing any other matters in the building,
any other activities.
Wouldn't be something we would typically
undertake.
As far as the process, we would go out
and procure a third party to do that
as opposed to having staff do it.
And then we'd work with the board and property
management
on how we can implement that
in order to collect whatever information is
required to do that.
As far as cost go, I don't have a cost for you at
this time,
but we will assess that and consider that
under our procurement policy.
- Councillor Frank.
- Thank you, perhaps then between now
and council I'll ask for a bit more information,
but I am also interested in understanding
not only what is occurring within the housing co-
op,
but also just the process and the relationship
between staff and our departments as well.
So I'm not sure if that could be included
an external audit, but I think that this is an
opportunity for us to learn from whatever
has occurred. Obviously, we need to move forward
at this point and address the ongoing issues
at toll puddle, as well as trying to make sure
that the building is safe and secure for tenants
and for future tenants. But I also think this is,
in my opinion, an opportunity for us to
have an understanding of what occurred and just
make sure that moving forward, we don't
see something similar in the future. So perhaps
between now and council, I'll have some chats
to see what that might look like.
- Thank you.
I had Councilor Perbal next.
- Thank you, sir, the chair to the staff.
I question Ms. Phoenix.
She mentioned that she sent on Friday
some questions potentially comments.
And it's not that I do expect us
that we'll be replying or responding
to her correspondence from Friday.
But my question is,
if someone from the staff has already read it,
based on those questions comments,
would there be any change in your report
and the recommendations?
Or would it still be very valid?
you will just be responding to her, thank you.
- Mr. Falberg.
- Thank you, and to you Madam Chair,
I think the transition plan is quite robust
and it covers a lot of ground
on what the operations would be.
So I think what we would want to do
is we'd want to look at if there are any changes
required
for that transition plan, I don't think so.
The project in difficulty does grant the service
manager
a little bit more leeway to be able to flow
funding
and be able to work directly with the board
in a different way than it normally would.
So that is definitely a benefit to us.
Bringing in mentorship is one of the things
that we talked about as well.
And that was on the table a number of years ago.
We'd be bringing that back on as well.
So I'll have to go back and look at the questions
in detail and consider that.
But I think the transition plan as it sits today
is enough for us to act and change this property.
- Councilor Perville.
- Thank you and one follow-ups for the chair.
If there would be something significant,
I assume you would be coming back
and you would update us before the council,
correct?
- Mr. Palberg.
- Thank you through you Madam Chair.
Yes, that would be my intention
if it was changing the transition plan
significantly.
Yes, we would, we would update council.
- Councilor?
- Thank you very much.
No more questions?
- Thank you.
- Councilor Hopkins.
- Yeah, thank you Madam Chair and thanks to staff
for their report.
And thank you to Ms. Phoenix for being here.
I know timelines are pretty short.
Getting the board together is not easy to do
sometimes
with the limited time that you have.
But I do appreciate you being here
and explaining the board's position to us.
I am supporting the recommendation
as much as the capital improvements
that are needed of over 700,000 to get toll p
uddle going again.
And it's really for those tenants that are living
there.
And it's important.
I think the recommendation in D is also important
.
And that's that transition plan.
That toe puddle, the board, and staff
will be working together to deal with the ongoing
discrepancies
that have been noted.
So I would really encourage the board and staff
to work together and looking forward to an update
coming back to council whenever that happens.
So thank you.
- Thank you, Councilor Ferrera.
- Thank you, Chair.
I guess I'll start with thanks to Ms. Phoenix
for your delegation and your work.
Thank you to staff for your work as well.
And I would say, I think it's important moving
forward
that all parties, us, Toa Puddle,
and everybody else involved,
that we all work together in good faith,
moving forward with the same common good and the
goal of stabilizing this housing provider.
There are people who are living there and in the
end we all have the same objective
and that objective is to make sure that we
provide a safe living environment, we provide
a clean living environment, we provide one that
just raises and has a standard of living
that everybody can be happy with and I know that
can be achieved.
I just would like to see what is the best way,
the best path forward.
I think what staff has presented to us
and the conversations that we've had,
I think this is a good path.
And I really think that just it's a matter
of we should be looking forward now
rather than kind of what happened in the past.
Like obviously we need to be informed of what
happened
in the past and ask those questions
and get that clarification and use that
information
for how it is that we can bring that common state
of what everybody is really looking for
because I really think that we all have the same
ideas
what we would like to see toe puddle be.
And I think that if we have that focus, we can
get there.
So I appreciate the comments that I heard here
committee.
I appreciate the work that's been done.
And I think we can get there.
So I guess I'll await for that report to come
back in Q4
and the work that's moving forward.
So I appreciate just the conversation that we
have.
And I think that we can get there.
So I have faith.
- Thank you, looking for other speakers on this
item.
- Councilor Trossa, you've been a minute left, go
ahead.
- Yes, and I'm going to support this right now.
I do have questions in my, my, my vote may change
by council and I may want to put an amendment in,
but one thing that I am concerned about is Q4.
Well, that could be the end of December.
This council's gone.
I'm, I would really like to see that,
at least an interim report moved up.
I'm not going to put a motion on the table right
now,
but I need to better understand why we can't have
an interim report over, at some point over the
summer.
I'm not asking for a full response on that right
now,
but just to let people know where I'm going on
this,
I'm not comfortable with the Q4.
And I may raise that at council unless
there's a real good reason for it.
I know that you have a lot of things to do.
I know staff has a lot of things to do,
- But I think this council needs another--
- Councillor, sorry, that's your time,
but I'll let you wrap up.
- Done.
- Thank you.
Okay, Councillor first.
- Thanks, Chair.
I know I have time, so I'm just gonna finish off
with Councillor Trosto's question.
So I know that there's a six month period
that we're speaking about, and it is April 13th.
So is, I know you have to obviously write reports
and do that work there, but is the possibility
there
to bring it earlier on in Q4,
rather than right at the end in December?
- Mr. Felberg.
- Thank you, and through you, Madam Chair.
So if you go to, the first step is issuing
that triggering event letter.
So that has a 60 day period before it actually
takes place.
That said, we are gonna start work right away
to start working with the board.
A couple of the things in the transition planner
actually fairly long periods of time, for example
,
we'll be looking at implementing supportive
housing,
property management of the property.
that's one of the items in the transition plan.
But to do that, we need to go out
and do some expressions of interest first.
So we have to develop some procurement documents
and then actually get it out on the street before
and then assess and analyze any responses
that we get back.
So that's a few months of work
prior to having something meaningful
to talk to Council about.
With respect to the capital work that needs to be
done,
one of the items in the transition plan
is hiring a project manager.
So again, there's a procurement element to that.
We need to go out, we need to find a project
manager.
We also have to develop a building condition
assessment
and include the septed review
that was previously done in that.
So that is also a long period of time
for us to undertake some of that work.
What I can say is that in the short-term priority
will be to ensure that those fire orders
and items under the fire life safety are
addressed
as well as the municipal compliance matters.
Those are the short-term quick,
I wouldn't say quick wins,
but the things that we want to get done in the
short-term,
and that's part of what the funding is for.
There is also a business case submitted
by Apex Property Management on behalf of Toa P
uddle,
quite detailed in what they're looking for.
So we'd look to refine some of the asks in there
as well,
and look to try and get some of that done.
So I don't know that we'd have anything
all that meaningful to speak about,
And that's why we're suggesting that Q4 appear to
give us
about six months to get through the work.
- Councilor.
- Thank you.
So it sounds like Q4 is kind of ambitious
with all the work that we have in there.
Okay.
I appreciate the response.
Thank you.
No further questions.
- Thank you.
I'll ask Councillor Purple to take the chair.
- I have the chair and I recognize Councillor Ram
en.
- Thank you and through you, a presiding officer.
First, I wanted to say thank you to Ms. Phoenix
for the delegation but also for the media
attention
as well as to the word counselor
for raising this issue as well.
I do note that staff were working on bringing
something
forward because this was something that had been
raised
and was flagged and it was also the subject
of an earlier report.
There was a mention of that this was coming
forward as well.
So I know that that was in staff's work plan
and was on its way.
I just wanna say to staff and to the public,
first, thank you for the information,
the addressing concerns when a staff report comes
,
it is quite difficult to meet that turnaround
time
and I know a lot of people in the public struggle
with that.
So it is something that we need to look at
changing in our practice a bit
and something that we need to give some thought
to.
However, right now that's a practice.
So we all struggle with the same deadlines
and we have letters flying around at all hours
in the morning trying to get things in as well.
On this item, I just wanted to say that I hear
what Mr. Felberg is saying, that city staff
are going to undertake quick start actions
as we call them as soon as possible
to address the fire compliance
and the municipal compliance issues.
And I think those are priorities that we're all
hearing.
We're all saying that that matters, that needs to
be done,
that's part of our compliance regime anyways,
as we still at the same time undertake
that waiting period of 60 days to engage
with the process that we have in place.
And I know this is sometimes difficult
for the public to understand, I think,
that we have quite a process in order
to address these types of concerns.
And I'm just wondering if you might be able to
speak
to from a process perspective, how I know this
isn't just us.
It's because of a provincial regulation
that we have to follow around these types of
agreements.
But we are trying to do whatever we can to
address these things
without delays because of the process.
And from what I read in the report,
we have a transition plan with a two to three-
year commitment
to continue to assess.
So again, setting some targets around the
reduction
of the vacancies to normal operating levels,
reducing bad debt expenses,
decreasing the municipal compliance orders,
and so on and so forth.
So again, looking for some of those benchmarks
that we will or indicators that we will work
towards
in order to show that we're addressing the
concerns
and meeting metrics.
But with the reporting structure,
and I'm wondering, and I think we're hearing this
repeatedly is that although it's Q4
that we'll receive a report,
there is options if things need to be brought
to council's attention in a more urgent fashion
to do so
and whether or not those memos and things like
that
will be utilized if needed and necessary
to communicate to us, so I just wanted to confirm
that.
- And going to the staff for response.
- Thank you and through you Mr. Presiding Officer
.
So yes, absolutely, if there are,
if there is intervention required by council,
if we are finding that we're not able to meet
some of the terms of the transition plan
for whatever reason, we can bring something back,
either as you suggested, a memo or a report.
The benchmarks you noted, they are identified
in the report of certain things that we're
looking for,
so those reduction of vacancies that improve
debris is management and that bad debt expense,
being able to resolve some of those matters,
and then you see also the compliance orders
in the fire code violations.
in speaking with the fire department as well.
They've also offered to come in and do not
inspections,
but be able to support the building
with their operations from a fire life safety
perspective.
And that could be every few months.
We need to work that out,
but that's an offer that they've made to
through the municipal housing team,
which will also relate to the toll puddle board
as well
as something that they can do in order to stay on
top
of some of those things.
- Councillor.
- Thank you, and that's helpful.
And I just want to conclude with,
I understand and I see the willingness by all
partners
to get to the table and work towards a solution.
So I'm very hopeful that we can do so
and continue on down a viable path to make sure
that we provide safe housing for everyone.
So thank you to everyone that's spoken on this
matter,
and I look forward to seeing more progress on
this file.
Thank you.
- Thank you, and I just had a request to call E
separately.
- Hello, thank you, Councillor.
I'm returning to chair back to you.
- Thank you for tuning the chair,
and we will pull that apart to pull E separately.
Okay, with that, we will look to open the vote
on A through D, and that vote will be open just a
moment.
- Opposing the vote, the motion carries five to
zero.
- Thank you, and that will look for item E
to be put on the floor.
We're sorry, not put on the floor to open the
vote,
just a moment.
the motion carries four to one.
- Thank you with that.
I'm in committee's hands.
We can go to item five and deal with the one item
that we have of which there's a referral to be
introduced
or we can take a break.
It's up to committee.
Councilor Hopkins, I saw your hand, go ahead.
- If we could proceed.
- Okay, not seeing anything different at this
point.
So we are onto item 2.6, which is the run ev
ictions,
rental unit repair licensing program one year
update.
and I will go to Councillor Ferreira.
- Thanks, Chair.
I'd like to put a referral on the floor.
I did circulate it, I do believe I have a second
er,
and I can read it out if you want, just let me
know.
- Thank you, if you don't mind.
- I, so the referral is that the staff report
dated
April 13th, 2026 entitled Renavictions,
Rental Repair Licensing Program.
One year update, be referred to the next meeting
of the Community and Protective Services
Committee
for further consultation with stakeholders,
including but not limited to neighborhood legal
services,
London and Middlesex Acorn, and life's been,
and for the report back to come to committee.
And I actually see that I have life span written
here.
So if the clerks can just put life spin for that,
Mark.
- And I'll look for a second.
Councillor Trossa, thank you.
Any discussion on the referral?
Councillor Peraire, go ahead.
- Thank you.
The reason I'm just bringing it forward
is 'cause stakeholders did reach out
and they were seeking further consultation.
We had neighborhood legal services,
London and Middlesex and Acorn.
and I haven't heard from Lifespin yet,
but I just want to ensure that the committee
has the benefit of a fuller input
before making a decision.
So that's why I've moved the referral.
- Thank you, Councillor Truss.
- I appreciate through the chair our press staff
is,
and I know that we have been placing incredible,
unusual demands on particularly this department.
And I know that there are incredible demands
from the city clerk's office to get these agendas
out on time.
But honestly, when something is a one year review
,
the public has to have the opportunity
to have more than a few hours to digest it.
And I think that that's, I think everybody,
I hope everybody agrees with that.
I have no problem with a lot of the things
that have been written.
I have questions about some of them.
But for me, the part of the report that I'm not
comfortable
with is what's not being stated there.
And I need to give the other organizations
that have been working on this issue from the
very beginning.
So I just hope that colleagues will go along with
this referral.
And I hope that if nothing else will give the
other organizations
the chance to make a proper agenda presentation
and perhaps a delegation request.
So thank you very much.
And again, thank you so much to the staff.
I know how hard you've worked on this.
Same thing for the court.
- Councillor Hopkins.
- Thank you.
- Councillor Hopkins.
- Yeah, just a quick question through you to
staff.
Would one month be enough to meet with the
stakeholders
in the community?
just want to have a sense of this is an update.
Do we need a little bit more time?
Just want to be open to hearing back from staff.
- Thank you, I'll go to Ms. Pepper.
- Through you, Madam Chair.
I do believe that one month will be sufficient.
We're looking specifically at one of the proposed
bylaw amendments that has created some tension.
And I think through further conversation,
we may have a solution that is palatable on both
sides
to accomplish what we're trying to do
with this proposed change.
So I think it is a reasonable amount of time
and pushing it any further will put it into
conflict
with several of our other required reports.
So I like the one month timeframe.
- Councillor.
- Good to hear.
I'm supportive.
- Thank you, looking for any other speakers.
Okay, seeing none, we will look to open the vote
on the referral.
- Councillor Trozzell, closing the vote.
The motion carries five to zero.
- Okay, thank you.
That takes us to item seven, adjournment,
looking for a mover and seconder, Councillor Fer
rera.
Councillor Per beau, thank you by hand, all in
favor.
That motion carries.
Thanks everyone, have a great evening.