Decisions

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, the General Manager, Children's Services, the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, and the General Manager, Seniors Services and Long-Term Care in consultation with the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, the Chief Procurement Officer, Purchasing and Materials Management, and the Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health, to determine what combination of climate-friendly meals are feasible to meet the dietary needs and food preferences of populations being served by the three City divisions Seniors Services and Long-Term Care, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, and Children’s Services, and how to implement these changes at the plate level in order to meet the City's Cool Food Pledge and the C40 Good Food Cities Declaration commitments, and report back on the progress in implementing these changes in the annual carbon budget report and, in detail, in the 2027 Consumption Based Emissions Inventory report.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment and Climate to include in the upcoming Consumption Based Emissions Inventory report in 2027, the progress and actions in meeting Toronto's Cool Food Pledge and the C40 Good Food Cities Declaration commitments, including a detailed comparison of the financial and (where practicable) environmental costs of beef and of other animal and plant-based proteins at the plate or meal level.

This report outlines the food-related greenhouse gas emissions associated with meals served by the City of Toronto in relation to its Cool Food Pledge commitment. Specifically, it outlines how the City of Toronto is exploring a shift to climate-friendlier meals in order to reduce corporate food-related greenhouse gas emissions and meet its Cool Food Pledge commitments.

In 2019, Toronto became a signatory of the World Resources Institute's Cool Food Pledge and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from corporate food procurement by 25 per cent by 2030 relative to 2019 levels. The City is also a C40 Good Food Cities signatory, pledging to achieve a planetary health diet for Toronto residents by 2030. Furthermore, the City of Toronto is also currently undertaking actions that align with the Plant Based Treaty, a voluntary treaty that the City of Toronto has not formally signed, which aims to reduce the widespread degradation of ecosystems worldwide caused by animal agriculture by promoting a shift to more healthy, sustainable plant-based diets.

For the year 2019, Toronto's food-related emissions were measured at 46 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)¹. Of those emissions, nearly half were attributable to beef and lamb alone, which comprised only three percent of total food purchased by weight.

Corporate food-related procurement data

Three City Divisions -- Seniors Services and Long-Term Care, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, and Children's Services -- procure the vast majority of food purchased by the City of Toronto, serving approximately seven million meals annually. In 2022, these Divisions purchased a combined 3,207 tonnes of food, which resulted in about 43,905 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Of that, 87 tonnes of food purchased were beef which accounted for 48 per cent of corporate food-related emissions.

City of Toronto Divisions are taking actions toward meeting the City of Toronto's Cool Food Pledge target. For example, in January 2024, Toronto Shelter and Support Services signed the Forward Food Pledge, committing to transitioning at least 33 percent of animal-based foods to plant-based by 2027 relative to 2024. Children's Services was able to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent relative to 2019 levels, surpassing the Cool Food Pledge target by almost eliminating beef from the menu.

Meaningful consultations with the varied populations being served by the City of Toronto will ensure that proposed strategies to meet the City of Toronto's Cool Food Pledge target do not further burden populations already disproportionately impacted by climate change, food insecurity and other inequalities.

The City of Toronto is taking steps in becoming one of the few jurisdictions in the world aiming to address this complexity by meaningfully reducing our emissions from corporate food procurement through key City of Toronto service areas. A multidisciplinary, multi-Divisional approach will help facilitate discussions and enable the City of Toronto to meaningfully reduce its food-related emissions while considering the complexities associated with serving climate-friendly meals through its services.

¹ https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/914f-2019-Corporate-Consumption-Based-Emissions-Inventory-Report.pdf

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council adopt the Toronto Island Master Plan in Attachment 1 to the report (June 20, 2024) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation as the general direction in which improvements to Toronto Island shall be undertaken over the next 25 years and to coordinate with other Divisions and agencies and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and intergovernmental partners as required to implement the Toronto Island Master Plan. 

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with other Divisions and agencies as needed, to advance the implementation of priorities identified in Attachment 3 to the report (June 20, 2024) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation as part of future Capital and Operating budget processes through studies, cost estimates, and / or detailed design exercises as needed, subject to the capital planning and prioritization process for infrastructure planning and investment. 

3. City Council request the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario to continue to fund and support the implementation of the improvements outlined in the Toronto Island Master Plan, as described in Attachments 1 and 3 to the report (June 20, 2024) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation. 

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to continue to engage with Indigenous communities, in particular the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, on the implementation of the Toronto Island Master Plan, and with a focus on components related to the Reconciliation Action Plan and as described within the Plan.

5. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with other appropriate divisions and Hanlan's Point Beach Working Group, to continue to advance implementation of priorities and initiatives relating to Hanlan's Point Area and Beach endorsed by Council through 2023.MM6.22, 2023.MM7.15, and 2024.MM16.25 as part of the implementation of the Toronto Island Master Plan. 

6. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to establish through future Capital and Operating budget processes a dedicated capital-funded position to coordinate Toronto Island Master Plan implementation initiatives, physical improvements to the visitor experience and related community engagement, including oversight of working groups to ensure a coordinated approach to Island improvements. 

7. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to report back to City Council by the Second Quarter 2027 with a progress report on the implementation of the Toronto Island Master Plan and recommendations 1 - 6 above.

8. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with other Divisions and agencies as needed, to report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on or before November 27, 2024 on a work program to develop management plans to protect and enhance the Islands’ wetlands and Environmentally Significant Areas, including a summary of ongoing work, incorporation of Indigenous ways of knowing and targets and metrics such as the 30 percent natural area protection target of the Montreal Biodiversity Framework, and identify capital and / or operating resources that would be required in the 2025 Budget to advance protection and naturalization efforts in the short term.

9. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to establish the Toronto Island Working Group identified in the report (June 18, 2024) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, develop terms of reference for the Toronto Island Working Group and convene regular meetings in order for stakeholders, including but not limited to environmental, educational, business, community, and user groups, to participate in and advise on ongoing project prioritization and implementation.   

The General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Howie Dayton, and the Interim Director, Capital Projects Design and Delivery, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Paul Farish, gave a presentation on the Toronto Island Park Master Plan.

Toronto Island Park (the Island) is a 242 hectare (598 acre) public park formally established in 1956 and recognized as a sacred and significant place known by Indigenous communities as Mnissing ("on the islands") since long before colonial record. Toronto Island Park is comprised of 15 discrete islands and internal waterways, providing a habitat for a diversity of flora and fauna, a natural recreational amenity for millions of annual visitors, and a home to over 600 Island residents.  

This staff report summarizes, and seeks Council's endorsement of, the Toronto Island Master Plan, see Attachment 1 and 2, which was developed as a long-needed response to the complex needs and significant challenges facing the Island. These challenges include the increasing effects of climate change, population and tourism growth placing pressure on Toronto Island Park's amenities and natural environment, associated maintenance and state of good repair needs of aging infrastructure, and a desire to enhance access and the overall visitor experience of the Island. The Toronto Island Master Plan is a generational opportunity to establish a vision for what this treasured place can become with strategic investments, and chart a sustainable, celebratory, and equitable future for Toronto Island, its visitors, and its residents.  

The Toronto Island Master Plan is the result of a three-year long collaboration and engagement with and between Indigenous rights holders, urban Indigenous communities, Island residents, Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ communities, intergovernmental partners, advocacy organizations, vendors, businesses, and city residents and visitors. City staff heard stories and came to appreciate how special and personal this space is for so many and how invested the public is in sustaining its charm, meaning and environments for the future. Improvements to Toronto Island Park should be carefully considered to balance multiple overlapping objectives. These include a "light touch" approach that prioritizes the ecological integrity of the Island, a "play and explore" visitor experience that continues from the mainland to the islands and back, and a focus on equity that "honours and celebrates" the deep Indigenous significance of the Islands, their rich 2SLGBTQ+ history, and the contemporary diversity of the Islands' communities' stories.  

This staff report describes how the Toronto Island Master Plan's strategic enhancements, program ideas, and overall vision will advance. The recommendations will provide City staff and partners the authority and direction needed to implement the Toronto Island Master Plan over the next twenty-five years. The improvements proposed for Toronto Island Park include better access, information sharing and getting around, protecting the environment, visitor experience, interpretation, storytelling and programming, capital, and operational opportunities that will collectively transform the overall Island experience. Action is already underway on these improvements including enhancing the visitor experience at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, flood and erosion works, restoring Hanlan's Point beach and celebrating its 2SLGBTQ+ significance, procuring two new higher-capacity electric ferries in the near-term, and undertaking a review of the business opportunities for current and potential vendors and concession operators.  

Funding has been included in Parks, Forestry and Recreation’s 2024 - 2033 Capital Budget and Plan to ensure progressive implementation of the Toronto Island Master Plan. In the near term (see Attachment 3), there are several critical projects that should be achieved to further enhance the visitor experience and protect the Island’s ecosystem and infrastructure from flood risks. Over the long term, implementation will proceed incrementally as funding and opportunities arise, and as detailed design processes advance. Further engagement with Indigenous partners, Island stakeholders, and the public will be included in all projects as they proceed. Implementation will also require coordination with other projects and initiatives across the Central Waterfront, including the ongoing Marine Use Strategy and the Port Lands revitalization. Finally, opportunities to secure intergovernmental investment via grants and collaborations will be explored to accelerate implementation where feasible.  

Staff recommend advising Council on implementation progress with reports every five years over the course of the twenty-five-year horizon of the Toronto Island Master Plan. 

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council endorse in principle the development of the Major Snow Event Response Plan as outlined in the report (June 18, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

2. City Council confirm the proposed updated levels of service beginning in 2024 - 2025 winter season for the winter maintenance of cycling facilities as outlined in Attachment 2 to the report (June 18, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

3. City Council allow for advanced notification of a “major snow storm condition” and approve the amendments to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, generally as outlined in Attachment 7 to the report (June 18, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

4. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 937, Temporary Closing of Highways, to delegate to the General Manager, Transportation Services, the authority to temporarily close to vehicular traffic any highway or portion of highway for up to and including 24 hours for each and any individual temporary closure between November 8 of one year and April 7, inclusive, of the following year, despite Section 937-4 of Chapter 937, as required for the purposes of snow removal operations, and City Council exempt the General Manager, Transportation Services, in carrying out this delegated authority from Section 937-5 of Chapter 937, that being the requirement to notify the local Ward Councillor of the pending closure and the requirement to report on the proposed closure if so requested by the local Ward Councillor.

5. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 27, Council Procedures, to provide that the current delegation to Community Council to temporarily close public lanes or public alleys, local roads, collector roads, and minor arterial roads, does not include closures delegated to the General Manager, Transportation Services, in carrying out the authority in Recommendation 4 above.

6. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bills to give effect to City Council’s decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, minor modifications, technical amendments, or by-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services, in order to give effect to Recommendations 3 to 5, inclusive, above.

The General Manager, Transportation Services, Barbara Gray, and the Director, Operations and Maintenance, Vincent Sferrazza, gave a presentation on the Annual Winter Maintenance Report.

This is the first in a planned annual cycle of reporting on winter operations from the previous season and updating about improvements for the upcoming winter season. This is a new commitment that will provide better transparency on the Transportation Services Division's performance for winter operations and provide insights around operational efforts and efficiencies.

This report provides the first Annual Winter Maintenance update for the 2023 - 2024 winter season and outlines improvements being planned for the 2024 - 2025 winter season operations, including pilot testing, training, improved contract administration, and community events.

The final section of this report is an update on advancements to the Major Snow Event Response Plan, formerly known as the Extreme Winter Weather Plan. The Major Snow Event Response Plan addresses weather events which result in significant snow accumulation beyond what Toronto typically experiences. This accumulation creates obstructions in the right of way, primarily due to insufficient space to store the snow at roadsides and in boulevards. Storms of this magnitude have a much greater impact on the transportation infrastructure, and by extension on the public, and such events cannot be fully addressed within the Council-approved levels of service for a normal snowfall. The renaming to "Major Snow Event Response Plan" instead of "Extreme Winter Weather Plan" reflects that this plan does not address the full range of extreme winter weather (e.g. ice storms, flash flooding, etc.) which are more effectively addressed under Toronto Emergency Management's Extreme Winter Weather Coordination Plan.

Developments on the Major Snow Event Response Plan includes a Vision, Guiding Principles, Prioritization Framework, updated processes to action the Framework, and a Communication Plan. This Plan will be a dynamic document, with review and updates after each new major snow event to iteratively drive continuous improvement.  Next action items for staff will be to develop new priority route maps, assign updated snow removal operations for contractors and in-house staff, and create a formal communication plan to proactively inform the general public during a storm regarding timelines and removal operations.

This report seeks approval to make amendments to the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, as it relates to "major snow storm conditions", including when they can be declared.

In addition, the report requests City Council to amend the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 937, Temporary Closing of Highways, as well as City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 27, Council Procedures, in order to delegate to the General Manager, Transportation Services, the authority to temporarily close to vehicular traffic any highway or portion of highway to facilitate efficient snow removal operations. Any temporary road closures under this proposed delegated authority will be for up to and including 24 hours for each and any individual temporary closure between November 8 of one year and April 7, inclusive, of the following year.  

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Requested the Executive Director, Environment and Climate to report back on the existing voluntary emissions performance reporting requirements including compliance and opportunities for streamlining with provincial data collection and consistency with provincial reporting requirements.

2. Requested the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, for the small-scale, existing residential buildings aspect of the planned consultations, to focus on opportunities to support emission reduction through expanded funding and incentive programs.
 

3. Requested the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, General Manager, Toronto Water and Chief Financial Officer to coordinate internally to align consultation for building emission performance standards for commercial and industrial buildings, the commercial parking levy and stormwater charge as a suite of related climate action tools.
 

4. Requested the Executive Director, Environment and Climate in partnership with utilities, to report back on programs for homeowners and multi-residential buildings to adopt emissions reduction technologies, including:

a. Further promoting existing programs;

b. Further expanding the Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) and high-Rise Retrofit Improvement Support Program (Hi-RIS) in collaboration with provincial and federal partners; and

c. Streamlining programs for solar panels and heat pumps, through bulk procurement.

The City is proposing to establish Building Emissions Performance Standards that would set greenhouse gas emissions performance targets for existing buildings in Toronto and that would enhance and / or create supporting policies, programs and resources and facilitate access to incentives to enable building owners, tenants and occupants to address upfront cost and affordability challenges.

Given the unique local context for the different building sectors / typologies and the distinct starting points in their building decarbonization process, the development of Building Emissions Performance Standards will explore the most suitable approach (i.e., mandatory vs. voluntary) for each typology to enable greenhouse gas emissions reductions and access to additional benefits across Toronto's building sector. The City's work on Building Emissions Performance Standards will provide Torontonians with reasonable and achievable pathways to decarbonize their buildings, enabling them to make improvements over time, and to realize co-benefits related to health, comfort and the local economy.

The purpose of this report is to provide City Council with an overview of the Design Principles that will guide the development and implementation of Building Emissions Performance Standards to achieve goals related to climate action, as well as an update on the Building Emissions Performance Standards By-law development process for the mandatory standards that may be established.

The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto's building stock and mitigate climate change has never been greater. Toronto is experiencing weather that is hotter, wetter, and more extreme and these conditions are expected to worsen. At the same time, Toronto is in the midst of a housing crisis resulting in a lack of affordable and adequate housing options, rising rental costs, inflation and an increased cost of living.¹ The development plan for Building Emissions Performance Standards will consider and respond to the social and economic conditions that building owners and occupants are currently facing.

The building sector is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto, contributing 56 percent of the city-wide total. The City Council-endorsed Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy (the Strategy) (2021.IE26.16) sets out a number of critical actions for the City to consider in order to reduce building sector emissions. The Strategy identifies Building Emissions Performance Standards as the most effective means of enabling city-wide emissions reductions.

To develop the overall design principles of Building Emissions Performance Standards City staff relied on the foundational work that went into the Strategy, the initial results from the engagement and technical work conducted and the best practices and lessons learned from other jurisdictions with existing Building Emissions Performance Standards regulations. Based on the outcomes of this work, staff recommend the following Building Emissions Performance Standards design principles:

1. Cross-cutting equity and affordability considerations

2. Broad and inclusive engagement and consultation

3. Attainable Standards

4. Supportive programs and policies

5. Data driven

In addition to the recommended Building Emissions Performance Standards design principles, this report provides an update on the development process of the associated By-law for the mandatory standards that may be proposed, the engagement and consultation strategy, and an overview of the planned technical analyses that will inform the development of Building Emissions Performance Standards.

¹ City of Toronto Housing Data Book, March 2023

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Received the report (June 18, 2024) from the General Manager, Toronto Water, for information.

This report summarizes Toronto Water’s administrative compliance and enforcement responsibilities and activities for 2023 under the City of Toronto's Municipal Code Chapter 681 ("Sewers By-law") and Municipal Code Chapter 851 ("Water Supply By-law").

In 2023, Toronto Water conducted 967 tasks under the Sewers By-law - including inspections, field / site analysis, stakeholder meetings and 177 inspections under the Water Supply By-law; completed 3,076 sampling events resulting in 15,478 laboratory analyses; issued 335 Notices of Violation for non-compliance with the Sewers By-law and 15 with the Water Supply By-law; and responded to 689 pollution complaints.

Legal action moved forward against 25 companies for violations of both By-laws. Under the Sewers By-law, 11 convictions led to $82,000 in fines, and under the Water Supply By-law, one conviction resulted in an $8,000 fine (convictions may include prosecution files started in previous years). This total does not include the Victim Fine Surcharge which is collected and retained by the Ontario Provincial Government for victims of crime - for fines over $1,000 the surcharge is 25 percent of the fine. The remaining prosecution files are still before the courts.

The number of Industrial Waste Surcharge Agreements with businesses increased in 2023, and Toronto Water recovered $10.9 million. The number of Sanitary Discharge Agreements also increased, with $8.2 million recovered in 2023.

The Outfall Monitoring Program identified six new cross connections (sanitary wastewater misdirected to storm sewer) and verified the correction of four cross connections, improving water quality at those outfalls and the receiving waters.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Deferred the consideration of this item until the September 27, 2024, meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee.

This report responds to City Council Motion (MM8.28) dated July 19, 2023. It was requested that Toronto Emergency Management, in consultation with Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Paramedic Services, assess the risks faced by Toronto residents living near Highway 401 from transportation incidents.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and General Manager, Fleet Services, in consultation with other City divisions that operate vehicles in parks and public spaces report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in the First Quarter 2025 on a review of standard operating procedure, and any required by-law amendments, which governs the use of City vehicles, agency vehicles, and otherwise permitted vehicles under Chapter 608 of the Toronto Municipal Code in areas of City-owned parks without formal road systems, that is informed by the following considerations:

a. limiting motor vehicle usage where the vehicle is not being used to perform maintenance or repair functions, including by City contractors and where a vehicle is used to support special events and reviewing restrictions to vehicle usage where applicable.

b. Alignment with Toronto's Vision Zero and TransformTO plans;

c. enabling safe access of emergency vehicles for emergency purposes only;

d. reducing impact on tree health from soil compaction; and

e. existing situational requirements for traffic control / flag people.

2. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the General Manager, Fleet Services, to report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in the Frist Quarter 2025 to provide an update on efforts to acquire and implement alternative vehicle and equipment types (such as kei trucks, golf karts, cargo bicycles, and handcarts) for work functions that occur in City parks.

Torontonians are proud of our City's extensive urban park system and the opportunities they create for leisure, recreation, learning, discovery, and social connection. Fundamentally, parks are for people.

Increasingly, I’ve heard from my constituents and people from across Toronto that frequent and unpredictable vehicle usage in green areas of City parks has intruded on the enjoyment of our public parks. Motor vehicles cause damage to fields and turf, dominate pedestrian pathways that aren't designed for vehicles and can block accessible routes, and sometimes leave pedestrians and other vulnerable road users feeling unsafe.

Chapter 608 of the Toronto Municipal Code provides wide latitude to the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation to permit the operation of motor vehicles within City parks, including corporate vehicles, agency vehicles, contractor vehicles, and vehicles related to event permits. While recognizing that staff sometimes must operate vehicles within park areas to perform work functions that keep our parks running, I’ve heard from my constituents that the operation and parking of vehicles in City parks has increased in recent years for reasons that don’t seem to connect to a specific work function.

The below recommendations seek to review existing standard operating procedure for when vehicles should be permitted to operate and park in areas of City parks without formal road systems. Further, I recommend that Parks, Forestry and Recreation, together with Fleet Services, explore alternative vehicle and equipment types that would support the work of park operations while reducing the use of full-size motor vehicles in parks.

Establishing this guidance for the operation of our parks will help us meet our TransformTO and Vision Zero goals. Together, let's ensure our parks remain welcoming, safe, and put people first.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Toronto Water, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, to explore and report back on options to fund and expand the HTO To Go Water Trailer program, including but not limited to:

a. Increasing the number of water trailers available; and

b. Identifying potential funding sources, including but not limited to grants, sponsorships, partnerships, and budget allocations.

2. City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water, to provide a report on the findings and recommendations to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee by the Fourth Quarter of 2024, with a view to implementing the expansion of the HTO To Go Water Trailer program in the next fiscal year.

This motion seeks to inquire about potential opportunities and available resources and assets that can be utilized to expand the HTO To Go Water Trailer Program.

Access to clean and safe drinking water is a fundamental human right and essential for public health and well-being. The City of Toronto is committed to promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, including reducing the use of single-use plastic bottles. The HTO To Go Water Trailer, which provides tap water, free-of-charge, to select public events between May 1 and September 30th, has been successful in providing free, clean, and refreshing drinking water at various events and locations throughout the city, thereby reducing the need for single-use plastic bottles.

There is a growing demand from residents, event organizers, and community groups for increased availability of HTO To Go Water Trailers at more events and locations across Toronto. As we experience higher temperatures each summer, particularly with many events being held outdoors, the need for accessible hydration becomes even more critical. Expanding the HTO To Go Water Trailer program would contribute to the City's environmental goals, promote public health, and support the City's efforts to provide equitable access to clean drinking water. Therefore, we request funding for additional HTO To Go Water Trailers to meet this increasing demand and continue supporting Toronto's commitment to sustainability and public health.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on September 27, 2024 on the feasibility of implementing a permanent barrier on the Leaside Bridge to improve public safety and mitigate suicide attempts.

On June 16, 2024, a man fell from the Leaside Bridge and landed on an oncoming vehicle on the Don Valley Parkway resulting in a tragic accident, a passenger and the person who fell both succumbed to their injuries. The incident is currently under investigation by Toronto Police Service. Two lives were lost during this event that could have been mitigated by a protective barrier or railing along the bridge. Sadly, there are records of several similar suicide cases that have taken place at this bridge.

In 2003, the City of Toronto originally erected barriers along the Bloor Viaduct, an unfortunately common site for suicide attempts. This action proved to be highly effective at discouraging and preventing people from jumping off the Bloor Viaduct. A study published in 2017 by Toronto Sunnybrook Hospital stated that between 2004 – 2014, only 1 person died after managing to circumvent the Bloor Viaduct barrier.

In 2016, Toronto City Council adopted item MM18.4, which requested “the City Manager, in collaboration with the Medical Officer of Health, the General Manager, Transportation Services, the Toronto Police Services Board and mental health experts, to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of options to prevent suicide deaths from bridges in Toronto and to report back to the Executive Committee in 2017.”

In 2018, Toronto Executive Committee received a report from the Medical Officer of Health which stated that “Transportation Services is planning to review the feasibility of implementing barriers and/or other interventions on priority bridge locations.”

Further study on the Leaside Bridge and its surrounding infrastructure is necessary as a measure to improve public safety and mitigate further tragedies.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Manager, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, the General Manager, Toronto Water, the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building and other relevant divisions, to report back to Infrastructure and Environment Committee in the third quarter of 2025 with an interdivisional action plan for the reduction of rats in Toronto, including strategies to address contributing environmental factors and the impacts of rats on local neighbourhoods in line with an integrated pest management approach.
                                                                                                

2. City Council direct the City Manager to consult with other North American jurisdictions on their approach to the reduction of rats when developing the strategy.

People in our communities have contacted us with their concerns about rats in local neighbourhoods. Large rat populations have become an increasing challenge for a number of complex reasons. This is a multifaceted problem that requires collaboration across City divisions. We're proposing that an upstream prevention and action-focused plan is needed if we want to reduce the number of rats and their impacts on households and businesses in our local communities. 

Many other jurisdictions have tackled this issue before, like the Region of Peel’s Rat Prevention programs, Alberta’s Rat Control Plan, New York City's Rat Mitigation Zones, Ottawa's Rat Mitigation Working Group, Washington, DC's Rodent Control Program, and Chicago's Bureau of Rodent Control. There is an opportunity to learn from other cities who are experiencing the same local challenges we face and are implementing proven solutions to make a difference.

As climate change, construction site management, infrastructure state-of-good-repair, solid waste management practices, property maintenance and many other factors accelerate the presence of rats in our neighbourhoods, we believe it's time for Toronto to take this step. With this purpose, we can leverage ongoing work and initiate new actions across City divisions to reduce rats and keep our neighbourhoods cleaner and healthier.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Directed the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, to report by the Fourth Quarter 2024 with an update on the Ship Channel Bridge rehab project and on the timelines and next steps for improving or replacing the Unwin Avenue Bailey Bridge.

Recent emergency repairs to the Cherry Street Ship Channel bridge, have severely restricted access to Cherry Beach and Unwin Avenue for several weeks. This has placed significant strain on the existing, one lane, Bailey Bridge on Unwin Avenue and impacted many of the businesses in the Port Lands including Film and industrial uses as well as access to Cherry Beach.

This has highlighted the need to modernize the infrastructure in the Port Lands to meet the needs that are only expected to grow as we continue to develop new residential, commercial and industrial uses.

The City is jointly funding the Ship Channel Bridge full rehabilitation, with PortsToronto funding replacement of the lifting mechanism and the current emergency repairs. The City is responsible for the Unwin Avenue Bridge.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Requested the General Manager, Transportation Services to report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee at its meeting on September 27, 2024 on:

a. Five impactful actions that will improve congestion in the City of Toronto within the next one to two years with an action plan for their accelerated implementation, this may include accelerating construction projects close to completion, adoption of new technologies, and / or any other measures that improve congestion;

b. Draft criteria and decision framework to be used by SEAT, the “Special Events Action Team”, to coordinate road closures, transit closures and major events scheduling;

c. A plan to improve the use of traffic modelling to make decisions related to closures and construction; and,

d. The status of requests in IE10.5 “Congestion Management Update Request”, including, but not limited to:

1. Advocacy towards implementing higher fines and automated technology for “Block the Box”; and

2. Assessment of road occupation congestion management recovery fee changes and peak hour delivery restrictions.

City staff will report back on Congestion Management and Construction Coordination at the September 2024 meeting.  I am writing to request that we request city staff to include additional information in these reports that demonstrate our commitment to taking congestion seriously.