Civic Impact

On September 26th, the York Regional Council approved a  comprehensive Open Data program.

The official launch of comes after a year-long pilot program that made limited spatial (GIS) databases available to the public through York's open data website (available here).  

Open Data, an increasingly popular trend at the municipal and provincial level (both the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario have ever-growing open data portals) refers government-accumulated information that is released free of charge and available through online databases.

York Region, for example, currently provides an array of spatially represented census data including age and sex by census tract, hospital locations, and solid waste sites. 

The Region set-up the pilot Open Data site in 2012 to gage interest and develop recommendations.

Since the launch, there have been more than 2,500 downloads.

Last's week's announcement of the program's continuation means that the information available through the York site will continue to grow and will move beyond purely spatial databases (though these databases will be expanded as well).
 
"An Open Data program provides the foundation for self-service access to information," stated York Region chairman and CEO Bill Fisch on the day of the the announcement. “Making York Region data accessible to the public, other levels of government, public sector agencies and the private sector raises the profile of Regional government as a reliable source for self-serve information."

A comprehensive Open Data program is expected to have positive implications for the Region's economic development (by allowing the private sector, especially the digital technology sector, to leverage the information to create new apps), for government efficiency (by reducing staff efforts and associated costs of distributing data and administering data licenses) and for residents and community researchers looking to access information about the Region. 
 
The new program includes a guiding set of principles, an Open Data license and a process for publishing data.
 
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: The Regional Municipality of York

Tonight (September 25th) at 7:00 p.m., Planned Parenthood Toronto will host a panel discussion on the changing relationship between youth sexuality, new technologies, and social media.

"Youth today are not getting the kind of sex education they need from schools and, increasingly, they're turning to the mediums they're familiar with--social media and technology--to fill in the gaps," says Sarah Hobbs-Blyth, executive director of Planned Parenthood Toronto.

Importantly, says Hobbs-Blyth, the increased access of young people to instant information and instant communication provides youth with new and important avenues for sexual education and sexual expression. At the same time, the technology can have a much darker side; not only are there plenty of sources of misinformation, but texting and social media are increasingly being harnessed as tools for shaming, bullying, and victimization.

"This online bullying and exposing is often a gendered phenomenon," says Hobbs-Blyth. "And it can have very detrimental effects on physical and mental well-being."

To discuss both the opportunities and challenges of technology and social media in relation to youth sexuality, PPT has invited Ken Jeffers of the TDSB Gender Based Violence Prevention Program, and Raisa Bhuiyan Blogger with Shameless Magazine to discuss these issues alongside PPT's Berkha Gupta, teen programming coordinator, and Tanesha Darby, teen programming volunteer.

Among other things, the panel will discuss youth perspectives on technology and sexuality, strategies for increasing access to sexual health information and support, as well as the pervasiveness of rape culture and slut shaming online.

The discussion--Technology, Youth and Sexuality: a panel discussion on the positive and negative implications of technology on youth sexuality--is part of  PPT's Annual General Meeting which is being held at Miles Nidal JCC at 750 Spadina Ave (the meeting begins at 5:30 p.m., the panel discussion at 7:00 p.m.).

"This is the first of many conversations we'll have on this topic," says Hobbs-Blyth. "Really this is us trying to begin the conversation, to find out more about it. A lot of times it feels like not everyone is talking about these issues of technology and social media [in relation to youth sexuality] and we want to bring these issues up and see who are our allies in this and see how we might help or guide youth who have been victims or who have participated in some of this stuff."

Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Sarah Hobbs-Blyth, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Toronto

Over two years ago, Sabina Ali and her colleagues at the Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee (TPWC), had an idea: "Why not open a Tandoor oven in a public park?"

For Ali, building a Tandoor Oven--an open air clay cooking device--seemed the obvious expansion of the work TPWC had always done in the Thorncliffe neighborhood; namely working to animate RV Burgess Park, the neighbourhood's only public green space.

"We've always done lots of programming in the park," says Ali, project coordinator at TPWC. "A big part of our programming is these cooking fires we hold throughout the year. We usually have a least five. We invite residents  to come and try different foods and hot chocolate and we have games and activities for kids and adults."

"It's great. We are gathered, we are talking, we are rolling bread, we are exchanging ideas and information, and talking about the best dishes in our home countries. And it just made sense that we should build a tandoor oven, which is very common in many Middle East, Central, and South Asian cultures."

Throncliffe Park, which is one of Toronto's densest areas, is also home to a large community of new immigrants, hailing predominantly--though not exclusively--from South Asia.

But, says Ali, though the project "suited the neighbourhood perfectly," building the first public-space Tandoor oven in North America proved surprisingly complicated.

"We got lots of help from the Center for Local Research on Public Spaces [a Toronto-based non-profit] city staff, and councillors who helped us put things together and apply for funding. But it was surprising how long it took to get the proposal approved by the City. We had to keep changing polices. This is the first Tandoor oven in a Toronto city park and there were a lot of different things that had to be worked out."

After two years of back-and-forth, the leasing agreement has been finalized, the oven has been purchased, and TPWC is ready to show-off the oven to the Thorncliffe community.

This coming Friday (September 27th), the Thorncliffe Park Women's will celebrate the achievement of a new milestone: North American's first Tandoor oven in a public space.

From 3-5:00 p.m. in RV Burgess Park (behind Thorncliffe Library at 48 Thorncliffe Park Drive), TPWC will be deomonstrating the new oven by baking naan in the Tandoor and handing out samples. The tandoor oven opening coincides with TPWC's regular Friday Bazaar, where vendors from the neighborhood sell food, clothing, jewelry, henna and fresh produce in the park until 7:30 p.m.

While the oven will be open to the public, TPWC will monitor its use closely.

"For the first two years it will be us who will be coordinating the programing because the tandoor is a very different kind of oven and its very delicate: you have to have a set of skills to use that oven, but we will provide training for the community members who are interested in using the oven," says Ali. "We will draft some kind of permit application and create a monitoring system. It's a lot of work, but we will do it."

Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Sabina Al, Project Coordinator, Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee 

The Daily Bread Food Bank has released its annual report on food bank clients in the GTA. But unlike previous years, the 2013 report--Who's Hungry: A Tale of Three Cities--examines food bank usage across three different regions: the downtown core, the former inner suburbs, and the 905 region (full report here).

"What we've done in the past is to look at the city as a whole and to analyze the demographics of food bank users in the city," says Richard Matern, report author and senior manager of public affairs at the Daily Bread. "But what we kept hearing from member agencies in certain parts of the city was that there were these huge increases in clients and we realized that many of these increases were occurring in the former suburbs of North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke. So that's what pushed us to look at things at a regional level. It's also consistent with other reports out there showing poverty in the inner suburbs increasing."

The Daily Bread is the largest distributor to food banks and other hunger relief agencies in the GTA. By conducting surveys from mid-February until mid-April 2013 at the Daily Bread's 170 member agencies, Matern's team was able to collect data from over 1,700 food bank clients across the region.

What the surveys showed, explains Matern, is not only that many Torontonians are struggling to pay for food, but that the struggles often affect different demographics in different areas of the GTA.

"In the city core we saw that the main food bank users are single people with disabilities who are 45 and up," explains Matern. "They're finding it harder to find work or re-entre the work force, and if they were working seasonally or contractually they may not have disability coverage outside of the Ontario disability support program. In many cases they cannot keep up with the cost of rent and food as well as their medication."

On the other hand, the report highlights that most food bank users in the inner suburbs are newcomers to Canada, many of whom of have been in the country for five years or less.

"We're seeing many educated people who have university degrees or higher, but they're struggling to maintain their housing costs and support their families," says Matern.

In the 905 region, food bank clients are often large families who, while they may have one member of the household working (as is the case about 40 per cent of the time), are struggling to afford both food and rent.

But while there are difference among food bank users, the overarching problem, says Matern, is often the same: housing in the GTA is not affordable.

"Regardless of other circumstance we're shocked at what percentage of income is spent on rent for our clients overall. Often up to 73 per cent of income goes towards rents. That's for people whether they are receiving social assistance--welfare or disability--or whether they're working."

"One of the policy implementations that we see as key to helping people [move out of poverty] is better housing benefits."

In the meantime, the Daily Bread is encouraging Torontonians to donate to the Daily Bread's Thanksgiving Drive. Launched the same day as the report's release, the drive aims to raise $300,000 and 200,000 pounds of food by October 19.

"We're finding very different issues emerging from each of the three cities [the core, former inner suburbs, and 905 region]," said Gail Nyberg, executive director of Daily Bread Food Bank at Tuesday's press conference. "The only common thing that they share is poverty, and the hunger that comes with it. In the short-term, Daily Bread can make sure they aren't going hungry, and in the long-term we're going to continue finding and fighting for solutions to poverty that will reduce the inexcusable levels of hunger that people across the city are struggling with."

Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Richard Matern and Gail Nyberg, Daily Bread Food Bank

Trees Ontario, the largest not-for-profit tree planting partnership in North America, has launched a new initiative to get homeowners planting more trees.

The new annual Do-it-Yourself Forest Program encourages Ontarians to plant trees by offering a rebate program on bulk seedling purchases. 

Launched early last week, the DYI Forest Program offers landowners  a $0.10 saving each seedling purchased in quantities of 50 to 500.

Here's how it works: From now until March 31, 2014, eligible customers who complete a Trees Ontario quiz (available here) can then download a seedling discount coupon. Customers can then use the coupon at one of three participation nurseries (which they must get in touch with within three weeks of downloading their coupon): Ferguson Forest Centre, Pineneedle Farms and Somerville Seedlings. Tree seedling pick-ups then occur from April to May, 2014 to coincide with the year's planting season.

"DIY Forest offers a great opportunity for landowners to learn about and contribute to environmental stewardship," said Rob Keen, CEO of Trees Ontario. "For a relatively small investment, landowners can take pride in the trees they've planted and watch them mature into a healthy forest that will provide ecological services for generations to come."

And because particpation in the program requires customers to read Trees Ontario's Planting 101 tips and complete the required quiz, Keen hopes the project will also help dismentiante information on planting techniques and the larger benefits of trees and forests. 

"I think that people get that trees produce oxygen and take in carbon," says Keen. "But there are lots of other things that trees and forests do for us—for instance, absorbing pollutants, cleaning the air, controlling flooding, purifying water, providing recreation space—that people don't think about." 

Writer: Katia Snukal 
Source: Trees Ontario

Connected for Success, a new Toronto Community Housing (TCH) initiative, aims to increase the percentage of TCH clients with regular internet access. At 20 per cent "internet penetration," TCH clients fall significantly below the national average, which is closer to 60 per cent.

The program is still in its pilot phase, but, when fully implemented, it will involve computer labs at TCH buildings across the city as well subsidized personal computers for TCH residents. 

"This program will bring more youth online and give them the tools and resources to experience the benefits of connectivity," says Gene Jones, Toronto Community Housing President and CEO. "A lot of residents don't have a computer let alone internet access so this is great. Now kids can be on par with their schoolmates and assist each other."

Developed through a partnership between TCH, Rogers, Microsoft and IT company Compugen, Connected to Success celebrated a soft-launch at TCH's Cooper Mills Townhouse community early last week. 

"We set up a computer program for the kids who live [in Cooper Mills]," says Jones,  "We gave them instant access to the internet through the lab. But they will also have the opportunity to connect at home and get a fully loaded computer for 150 dollars and then they can get online anytime they want."

The "fully-loaded computer" will come with educational as well as "standard productivity" software. Users will also have access to free tech support and high speed internet for under 10 dollars a month. 

For now, the program is only available at Cooper Mills and will roll out development by development while TCH works with its partners "to minimize any glitches."

But, says Jones, even though expansion won't happen until November or December, residents are already getting excited. 

"We get calls, we get emails every day: 'When are you coming to my development?', 'Where can I get information about this program'." 

"I think it will be really popular."

Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Gene Jones, Toronto Community Housing, President and CEO

Earlier this summer, the Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee (TPWC), in partnership with the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, set up a community garden in an unusual spot: an unused stretch of pavement around the back of the high-rise apartment building.

They did it using EarthBox, a container gardening system that lets users grow produce in almost any condition (and location). 

Tomorrow morning (Thursday, Aug 29th), the volunteers will converge at the neighbourhood's R.V.Burgess Park to reveal the fruits--and vegetables--of their labour.

"The volunteers will do the harvest, we'll have the produce from the garden, and we'll invite other community members to come and taste the produce," says Sabina Ali, coordinator for TPWC.

The boxes have yielded a range of crops, including organic tomatoes, eggplants, hot peppers, okra, cucumbers, and herbs.

The idea for this new model of community gardening, says Ali, came out of the success of TPWC's more traditional gardening initiative.

Since it was founded in 2002, the Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee has been an advocate for better public space in the neighbourhood, and in particular for making better use of Burgess Park, the area's only accessible green space.

In 2012, after securing a plot of land from the city, TPWC set up two community gardens in the park--a larger one for the whole community, and a smaller one just for children.

The response to the gardens, says Ali, "was amazing."

In fact, the response was so good that Ali had to put enthusiastic volunteers on a waiting list. She says that's why the container gardening idea was so exciting.

"We already have a long line of volunteers on our gardening waiting list and this offered them the opportunity to grow fruits and vegetable in their balcony as well. So we recruited gardeners from our waiting list and invited them to come to the session about container gardening."

Ten interested volunteers took part in the pilot program and Ali is hopeful that TPWC will be able to secure funding to continue the project into the future. 

"Our goal is to engage women in sustainable urban food production and to demonstrate potential for significant income generation for community members," said Suzanne Karajaberlian of Summerhill in a press release. Summerhil is local business who partnered with the Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee and Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office to deliver this project.

Writer: Kat Snukal
Source: Sabina Ali, Project Coordinator, Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee

Shortly after Toronto's historic early July rainfall, Mark Mattson, director of environmental charity Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, spoke with the Toronto Star about the storm’s anticipated damage. According to Mattson’s estimations, the storm resulted in more than a billion litters of untreated sewage flowing directly into Toronto's streets and water systems. 

While City officials believe those numbers are exaggerated, there’s no question that Toronto’s sewage infrastructure is in desperate need of an upgrade. A new comprehensive report by Canadian environmental charity Ecojustice suggests that Ontario municipalities annually dump billions of liters of untreated or partially treated sewage directly into the Great Lakes.  Without serious policy intervention and
infrastructure upgrades, the report’s authors conclude, the problem will only get worse. 

The 2013 Great Lakes Sewage Report Card—a follow-up to the organization's 2006 report card—ranks 12 Ontario municipalities based on their sewage management system. Toronto ranked 10th, the York & Durham region ranked 2nd. 

"The Great Lakes Basin is one of the most important freshwater ecosystems on the planet," says Liat Podolsky, report author and Ecojustice staff scientist. "Sewage pollution in the Great Lakes impacts the quality of the water, as well as the biodiversity of the Great Lakes and all the species that live there. It affects our recreational enjoyment of the water and beaches, and increases the costs to treat drinking water."

The major contributor to lake pollution, according to the new report, is untreated municipal waste water that flows directly into waterways. This can happen either through a plant bypasses—where an overwhelmed wastewater treatment plant releases untreated or partially treated sewage directly into a local body of water—or, as is the main problem in Toronto, through a process known as combined sewer overflows (CSOs). 

Like many municipalities in Ontario, Toronto uses both combined and separate sewer systems. In a combined sewer system both sanitary sewage and stormwater are carried in the same pipe. When the volume of water flow exceeds capacity, water that would normally be transported to a treatment centre is released directly into local bodies of water. According to the Ecojustice report, 25 per cent of Toronto is serviced by combined sewers.

Yet, while Toronto ranked in the bottom three of the 12 municipalities studied, the Ecojustice report does point to a number of Toronto initiatives underway that, if fully implemented, will likely improve the city's future sewage treatment score. Among these initiatives are plans to address CSOs and stormwater discharges from 50 combined sewer outfalls along lower the Don River, Taylor Massey Creek and the Inner Harbour.

"Toronto is making good investments to upgrade its aging infrastructure, and also makes extensive use of green infrastructure to absorb and manage stormwater at the source and prevent it from going into the system for treatment," says Podolsky. 

But there's still a long way to go. 

A good first step, says Podolsky, is accurate reporting. Toronto currently has no method for publicly reporting bypasses and combined
sewer overflow events. The result is that residents don’t know when these overflows are occurring nor which areas have been impacted.

"Toronto needs to continue working towards and prioritizing the upgrading of antiquated infrastructure, such as combined sewers, to
reduce the frequency and volume of combined sewer overflows that it experiences each year," adds Podolsky. "Given the probability that we will continue to see more frequent intense storm events, such as the flood we had in July, we also need to find ways to control and manage all the excess stormwater at the source that will overwhelm the system during these events.

"The Great Lake Basin provides drinking water for millions and is an essential part of life for Ontarians," Podolsky continues. "We're urging municipalities to reduce sewage pollution and keep Ontario's water swimmable, drinkable, and fishable."