TO Prosperity: Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy

MAYOR JOHN TORY
Dear residents of Toronto,
I serve as Mayor of this entire city, and it’s my job to ensure that
we invest in the well being of every resident, including the most
vulnerable among us.
A snapshot has emerged in recent years of a city unfairly and
unjustly divided by income, class and geography. In Toronto, there
are 150,000 kids growing up in poverty – and 15 neighbourhoods
with poverty rates 40 per cent or higher.
This cannot be allowed to continue. As a city, we must work to address these disparities.
When I took office, I appointed Councillor Pam McConnell as one of Toronto’s deputy mayors
with a specific focus on developing a poverty reduction strategy.
She has thrown herself into this important work, and I thank her, City staff, Council Standing
Committees, Boards, the Community Advisory Committee and the thousands of Torontonians
that participated in the development of this strategy.
TO Prosperity is the beginning of this process. We will not end poverty or bridge the divides
in our city without hard work and meaningful collaboration. But I believe that acting on this
strategy is the only way to live up to our values as Canadians and our commitment to build a
prosperous and fair city for all.
The work has already begun. While this strategy was being developed, funding was allocated
in the 2015 budget to undertake some immediate measures to address poverty in Toronto.
These initiatives included:
• Expanding the Student Nutrition program up to 27 new schools;
• Launching a pilot program to assist single parents on Ontario Works to achieve
meaningful employment;
• Children under 12 years of age riding the TTC for free;
• Doubling the number of employers participating with the City’s Partnership to Advance
Youth Employment (PAYE) to increase access to jobs for young people;
• Providing greater transportation opportunities for seniors to get to appointments, access
services and participate in community events; and
• Expanding Youth Hubs at four Toronto Public Library sites for the after-school drop-in
program to provide grade 7–10 students with free tutored help, workshops and other
activities.