Item - 2026.EC29.3

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1. Received the report (May 26, 2026) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture for information.

In November 2024, Toronto City Council adopted Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025-2035) following a city-wide engagement process involving over 4,000 residents, comprehensive research on the state of the Toronto cultural sector and a review of best practices from leading cities across the world. The Action Plan sets out to strengthen Toronto's cultural sector by identifying four priorities - Culture Everywhere, Culture for All, Culture for the Future and Culture Beyond Our Borders.

Each priority identified in Culture Connects includes urgent actions to address the pressing challenges facing culture today, and longer-term actions to drive systemic change. In total, there are 28 actions, where 15 urgent actions are to be initiated between 2025 and 2027. Key investments and tactics for Year One (2025) were outlined to protect, retain, and build up culture and creative industries and to connect communities to culture and to each other. The Action Plan complements sector-specific strategies and is closely aligned with the Reconciliation Action Plan, the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism, and other Council-approved plans and strategies.

As directed by City Council, this report provides an annual update on the implementation of Culture Connects, with an overview of the work in 2025 and early 2026 towards achieving urgent actions through Year One commitments to investment and connection, highlighting key accomplishments and milestones. One year into implementation, over 82 percent of the plan's original 28 actions are in progress, with significant key accomplishments. Attachment 1 provides details of the status and an update for all actions within Culture Connects. Additionally, sections of this report include responses to Council directions since Culture Connects was adopted. While not necessarily directly related to the plan's original actions, emerging challenges and opportunities continue to arise with an impact on Culture Connects' four priorities and the specific actions and targets set.