Item - 2025.GG23.20

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, on behalf of the City, to enter into a nominal license agreement (the “License”) with Aboriginal Legal Services Inc., as licensee, for a term of 10 years in respect of the a part of the property located at 1125 Danforth Avenue, more particularly described in Appendix B to the report (June 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Children's Services hereto, substantially on the terms and conditions set out in Appendix A to the report (June 27, 2025) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the General Manager, Children's Services, and on such other or amended terms and conditions that are acceptable to the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize each of the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and the Director, Real Estate Services, Corporate Real Estate Management severally to execute the License, and any related documents on behalf of the City.

3. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, their successors and designates, to administer and manage the License, including the provision of any consents, approvals, waivers, notices (including notices of termination) provided that the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management may, at any time, refer consideration of such matters to City Council for direction and determination.

The purpose of this report is to obtain City Council authority for the City (the "Licensor") to enter into a nominal 10-year license agreement (the “License”) with Aboriginal Legal Services Inc. (the “Licensee”) with respect to a part of the property located at 1125 Danforth Avenue (the “Licensed Area”) for the purposes of providing the Licensee with space to continue operating the Giiwedin Anang Council, an Indigenous family dispute resolution program (the “Program”).

 
The Licensed Area is a portion of the Danforth Early Learning and Child Care Centre, a City-owned and operated child care centre. The Program operates during the off-hours of the child care centre and leverages an otherwise unoccupied space that suits the Licensee’s programming needs. The Licensee operated the Program for one-year as a pilot in the Licensed Area with minimal to no impacts to the operations of the child care centre. The pilot program supported numerous Indigenous families and was well-received by the child care centre and the broader Indigenous community.

The License Agreement allows the Licensee to continue to provide critical culturally relevant services to the Indigenous community, and aligns with the City’s 2022-2032 Reconciliation Action Plan to advance truth, justice and reconciliation by supporting Indigenous-led programs and services that promote healthy child and family development.

The Program has served the Indigenous community since 2008, and is made up of staff from Aboriginal Legal Services Inc. and Indigenous community volunteers. The purpose of the Program is to allow parents, children, extended family, child welfare authorities, and others to come together to develop a plan that meet the needs of the child, often through Talking Circles.