April 13, 2026

Original link

Official minutes have not been published yet. A meeting transcript is available below.

Meeting Transcript

Duration: 2 hours, 56 minutes

Source: Lillian Skinner’s London Council Archive

Full Transcript

Transcript provided by Lillian Skinner’s London Council Archive. Note: This is an automated speech-to-text transcript and may contain errors. Speaker names are not identified.

View full transcript (2 hours, 56 minutes)

Good afternoon, everyone. We will get started with the sixth meeting of the Community and Protective Services Committee. To start, we will do a land acknowledgement. The City of London is situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lanapuik, and Adewandran.

We honor and respect the history, languages, and culture of the diverse indigenous people who call this territory home. The City of London is currently home to many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit today. As representatives of the people of the city of London, we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and live in this territory. I’m joined today in chambers by members of the committee, myself, Councilor Perbal, Councilor Trozzo, Councilor Hopkins, and Councilor Ferreira, and Mayor Morgan as an ex-ficial member, and then many members of Councilor joining us today, including Councilor Frank and Councilor Cutty, and I’m sure some may pop online as well.

So with that, we’ll go to item one for disclosures of pecuniary interest, and I’m gonna go to Councilor Pervall after that. Any disclosures of pecuniary interest? Okay, seeing none, I’m going to go to Councilor Pervall for a change of order. Thank you, Chair, and as you just stated, I would like to change, propose the change of order on the other agenda, and I would actually like to start with the point six, which is the confidential to start our meeting with, thank you.

Thank you, I’ll look for a seconder. I have a seconder and Councillor Ferrera, thank you. And with that, we’ll just get that ready for the system. (mumbles) Okay, so we will open that in the system for every vote.

That’s a vote, yes. We’re still. I’ll vote yes as well. You’re jumping ahead of us, we’re almost there, hold on.

Vote is open. Closing the vote, the motion carries, 6-0. Okay, thank you. For those in the gallery, that means we’re going to go into confidential session before we begin the rest of our meetings.

So I’ll ask you to clear the gallery and once this proceeding is done, we will call everybody back in, okay? Thanks for your help. Recording in progress. Okay, thank you to everyone in the gallery for your patience, very much appreciated.

I will ask Councilor Perble to report out from in camera. Thank you, Chair, and I would like to report that this committee went into the closed session to discuss 6.1 confidential information supplied by Canada Province Territory Crown Agency of same , 6.2 land acquisition, consolidated client privilege, six points free, security of property, and I would like to report that progress has been made in all three, thank you. Thank you, that moves us to consent. I’ve been asked to pull 2.6, any others that people would like to have pulled.

Okay, seeing none, I’m looking for a motion by committee for all the rest of the items to be put on the floor to have a mover and seconder. Councillor Hopkins, Councillor Ferrera, thank you . Any discussion on these items? Councillor Hopkins.

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. and figurative staff for these reports, these consent items. I do have maybe a comment on, let me see now. 2.5 broke that to 3,000 affordable housing units.

It was an update that we were given. I think anything that we can do to save these units is what I heard in the report and very supportive of that. As it relates to the 2.3, the report back on rank year to income, the information update. I want to thank staff for the information.

It looks like we have made some positive impacts, given the challenges with funding and the homelessness and rising homelessness and affordable housing. Maybe through you, Madam Chair, I would like to ask staff, what next? Where do we go with this update? And if you could speak to the pilot project to that the city’s undertaking, thank you.

Thank you, I will go to Mr. Cooper. Thank you and through you, Madam Chair. The report before committee was an update report back as we had indicated from a report in September 2024.

So one piece I think the Councillor asked about was a pilot project our housing stability services teams are working with right now and our life stabilization teams and that project right now is to support individuals who are on our wait list and who are in our community housing system to complete their annual reviews. And so we have a housing stability worker that is working and going to be working closely with our life stabilization team case workers to ensure that individuals don’t lose their subsidy because of uncompleted paperwork. So that ‘s one piece that our teams are collaborating together to ensure that some housing stability for individuals that are in and on the waitlist for community housing. Councillor Hopkins.

Yeah, good to hear that there’s further work being undertaken. So thank you. Thank you. Looking for other speakers, I see Councillor Palosa online.

I’m just looking to members of committee before I go to visiting Councillors. Councilor Ferreira. Thank you, Chair. My question is for 2.5, the road map to 3,000 affordable units update with the response of the section 37 that was removed by the province.

I wanted to know. So it looks like the report is focusing on the 191 eligible units. I just want to confirm that. Is that where this report is kind of focusing in on?

Are we going to be able to potentially see something back from staff to maybe look at the units beyond that for affordable housing. Thank you. Go to Mr. Falpert.

Thank you. And three, Madam Chair. That’s correct, Councillor. If you look at the two recommendations that we have, the first one relates to the 191 units that would be eligible under the dollars to door CIP and meet that criteria.

And then there’s an additional 173 units that will work with the individual developers in the development industry to see what can be done to retain those as affordable as well. Councillor. Okay, thank you for that. And just a follow up for, I guess the units that are inactive or on applied for have no applications coming in, not the ones that have already been lost ‘cause I’m assuming those are just, as the report says, have already been lost.

I just wanted to know how many are, I guess, realistically recoverable, like which are most at risk of falling away entirely and which ones or how many if staff can answer would be able to be actually supported by the dollars for doors. Mr. Felberg. Madam Chair, Mr.

Pease can give a little update on how the status of some of those projects. Mr. Pease. Thank you through the chair.

Quite honestly, the inactive site plans are quite hard just that they’ve been inactive for about a year. Speaking from experience in the past role of that , it’s hard to determine when those files will come in and the reactivated could be market driven, it could be otherwise. So this point, given that they’ve been inactive for approximately a year, it’s hard to speculate. So providing an incentive, maybe an opportunity to bring those back and getting them to an active status.

Councillor, thank you and a final question. So I do see that the ones that are eligible are currently eligible right now under the roadmap as it is. So this is a report where staff is gonna actively engage with those property owners to see if they’re, I guess is any interest of maintaining those affordable units and then connecting them with the program as it is to see if we can bring those affordable units online. Mr.

Palberg. Thank you and through you Madam Chair. So yes, that’s correct. The current roadmap criteria, those properties, I’ll meet that criteria, but what we’ll be looking to do is we’ll meet with those individual developers and work with them to bring them on to see if there’s an opportunity to provide them with the incentive, lock in that affordability for 25 years and ensure that those projects are developed and those units are then available.

Council for Rare. Okay, thanks for that. I guess I would say great work for the report and kind of just making sure that the owners who have these approved applications as they are know that this exists. I would also say it’s a shame that we lost the bonus provisioning, but in I guess the world that we’re living in, we need to maintain or actually build more affordable housing as it is.

So good work on that and I’ll be supportive of that. Thank you. I have Councillor Palazzo next. Thank you Madam Chair.

Just wanted to highlight the service agreement with White Oak Heritage Housing Cooperative. And I thank you to Mr. Felberg and his staff. This one as the report says was many meetings and that was accurate, met with them myself and then happy to tag team that’s one with Mr.

Felberg and his team the end-of-life transition is a little bit different once people do pay off their properties and making sure that these really great mix of affordable units and RGI’s up to 37 of them stay within our community and this well- established cooperative housing and what we can do to support them through it to make sure that they are financially strong and viable in offering high quality residences to Ludgerner. So just thank you for this one. This one was behind the scenes, a lot of heavy lifting to respectfully meet with their board and their staff to make sure we got to a place that we can bring this report forward, fully supportive of it , and just thank you to the team as I do believe they went over and above on this one. So thank you as the word Councillor.

Thank you. I will go to Councillor Frank. Thank you, and I’m coming coming back to item 2.5, the road map to 3,000. I’m just wondering if staff could refresh my memories, dollars to doors, CIP, is that half funding?

And if yes, is there a deadline to use that funding? Mr. Palberg. Thank you and through you Madam Chair.

No, it’s actually road map funding. So not funded through half. Councillor? Thank you.

And so my math, if there’s 191 units that could potentially get the 45,000, That could be an upset limit of 8.5 million, but we imagine probably that not all 191 will proceed. Do we have an estimate of what percentage of 191 would proceed? Mr. Felper.

Through you, Madam Chair. So I’d like to think that all 191 will proceed as affordable and that’s what we’ll be targeting. We are aware that one of the developments is coming forward and they’re interested in it. It’s up about a third of the units that are in that 191.

So we’re optimistic that we’ll be able to transition all of them into the dollars to do RCIB. Councilor Frank. Thank you. And is there a cap on the roadmap funding?

I’m just, I guess the only concern I have in this situation and I’m happy to have. I like having affordable housing units in mixed use buildings. I think that’s an incredible use of space and good for everyone. But I’m wondering if there is a cap on the affordable or then the roadmap funding if this potential 8.5 million would be better spent, you know, increasing the affordable housing CIP, which I hear from nonprofits say that, you know, the 45,000 is nice, but it’s not enough sometimes for them to do the math to build the buildings they want.

And in which case, is it a better use of funds to use in a different CIP bucket? And so I guess I’m just wondering from staff, is there a cap on the roadmap funding? And if they think that this is the best use of that money. Mr.

Felberg. Thank you, and through you Madam Chair, there is currently no cap in the CIP for the dollars to doors. So if a hundred units were to come forward, then we would fund, and they met the criteria under the guidelines, then we would fund all hundred units of that. As far as identifying whether it’s a good use or not, we are still retaining affordable units in the community.

And I think there’s a significant benefit for us providing a host of different options across the housing continuum. Councillor Frank. Thank you. Councillor Hawkins.

Yeah, thank you. And maybe just as a follow-up to Councillor Frank ‘s questions in the report back, will we be given all that information to council so we can understand exactly what these dollars and what the commitment is from the development community as well? Just wanted to know what we can expect with the framework. Mr.

Palberg. Thank you and to you, Madam Chair. So yes, what we’d be looking to report back is through those conversations with the development community, what we’ve identified as an option for that 173, we would also highlight that there is the total budget for the roadmap, what the funds have been used for the number of units that we provided, and generally where they are, we provided a map in the February 17th update of where all the affordable projects were across the city. So those types of things would be things that we’d be bringing back to this council.

Thank you, looking for other speakers on these items. Seeing none, we’ll open the items for consent. Everything except for 2.6. Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero.

Thank you, that takes us to item 4.1, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2026 update preliminary findings. We have a presentation from staff first, and then we have a request for delegation. I’ll deal with the presentation and then look for a request to hear the delegation, which will be online. Ms.

Stan, thank you so much for joining us today for presentation, excellent. All right, well, good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to present. Today, I’ll be walking you through the preliminary findings of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2026 update. The goal for today’s presentation is to summarize what we heard through the fall Let’s Talk Parks Community Engagement.

Provide an update on emerging directions and take your questions before releasing this information for a second round of public engagement. London’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan serves strategic roadmap to guide decisions on parks, recreation facilities and services, ensuring alignment with evolving community needs. The city last updated the plan in 2019 and since then we’ve seen notable changes including continued population growth and increased demand for parks and green space. The 2026 Parks and Recreation Master Plan update will guide the city towards 2042 and a population of over 590,000 people.

It’s also important to note that this work has been scoped to build on and refine the 2019 recommendations, strengthening direction on parks policy development and updating capital priorities to inform the 2028 development charges background study. The 2019 plan is anchored in a clear vision developed in consultation with the community through the previous master plan process. Both the vision and goals which are aligned with the framework for recreation and parks in Canada remain consistent in this update with the specific focus on goal four supportive environments which addresses parks and recreation capital needs required to serve our growing population this update has involved several city departments led by parks long-range planning and design and an external consulting team led by london based montieth brown planning consultants a great deal of research has gone into understanding community needs participation trends best practices leading policy approaches and growth requirements. We’re currently in the final phase of the project which includes sharing preliminary findings and emerging directions for public review.

Throughout March and April we have been meeting with advisory committees and during April and May we will be inviting residents to share their thoughts on the preliminary findings, provide input on emerging directions, and let us know if there’s anything we may have missed. This engagement will support bringing forward a final plan this summer that reflects community input. Community engagement has been and will continue to be a key component of this work. So far, we’ve heard from residents and stakeholders through surveys, open houses, pop-up consultation , and other input opportunities.

Through the first round of consultation, over 2,200 surveys were completed, providing a strong foundation for future planning. The next slides provide a few highlights about what we’ve learned from Londoners. Now it’s clear, residents value parks, trails, pathways with nearly all indicating that they are important to quality of life. However, perceptions of safety and inclusion were mixed.

About 65 percent field parks are safe and welcoming. Key improvement areas identified include maintenance, addressing encampments, and increased enforcement. Now residents primarily use local neighborhoods, highlighting the importance of proximity and walkability. The survey results highlight that the largest gap between satisfaction and importance is relating to amenities such as washrooms, drinking fountains, and other comfort features.

Feedback identifies suggestions for improved access, cleanliness, and safety, and with support for more inclusive options like universal bathrooms. There’s also an interest in better winter maintenance, including cleared paths and access to waste facilities in support of year-round use. There’s a strong interest in making parks more accessible, inclusive for all ages and abilities. For example, residents are looking for more inclusive playgrounds with accessible surfaces and equipment that appeal to a wider range of users.

There’s also clear support for protecting natural areas with caution against recreational uses that could compromise environmental features. And finally, partners such as school boards and conservation authorities expressed openness to collaborations that expand access to parks and green space. And as noted, the master plan update provides focus on supportive environments and growth related infrastructure. A series of recommendations have been prepared and organized into four key themes.

I’ll briefly speak to each of these and share some of our emerging recommendations. Now the first theme focuses on modernizing how parks are planned, classified, and delivered. This includes updating the city’s park classification system and implying clearer design and service standards based on park type. There’s also a strong emphasis on equitable access by prioritizing park land in growth areas and underserved neighborhoods and by aligning policies to maximize parkland dedication.

The plan supports a multifaceted approach to parkland acquisition including development, partnership, and strategic purchases along with exploring a future regional park. Finally it emphasizes creating a more connected system of parks, trails, and national areas across the city. This theme focuses on creating parks that are inclusive, flexible, and responsive to community needs. It emphasizes universal design and equitable access, ensuring parks are welcoming and usable for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.

There is also a strong focus on comfort and safety through thoughtful design elements like shade, seating, and amenities that support longer visits. From an environmental perspective, the plan promotes sustainable and climate resilient design, including green infrastructure, and protecting ecological functions. And finally, it highlights the importance of ongoing community involvement and partnerships, including working with indigenous communities and supporting local stewardship. This theme emphasizes planning and investing in facilities to meet current and future needs.

Key priorities include maintaining service levels with population growth and addressing geographic graphs to develop the proposed 2027-20 42 capital program. There’s a strong focus on enhancing unprogrammed spaces, such as gathering areas, washrooms, community gardens, and inclusive playgrounds. The plan also calls for proactive planning for emerging and specialized facilities, including off-leash dog areas and sport facilities for growing activities like pickleball and cricket. And then finally, using a population-based provision target approach, the plan promotes strategic expansion of recreation infrastructure, including multi-use recreation centers, arenas and gymnasiums, ensuring capacity aligns with growth and community demand.

And finally, the fourth theme encourages collaboration and strategic funding to expand access to parks and recreation facilities. The plan encourages partnerships with school boards, public agencies, community organizations, and private sector, such as shared use agreements and co-located facilities. On the funding side, it emphasizes financial sustainability, leveraging development charges and other tools regularly assessing project affordability and accelerating investments to keep pace with growth and rising costs. Now following today’s presentation, we will incorporate your feedback and launch phase two of our public engagement, which will seek resident input on the preliminary findings of the master plan update through open houses and online opportunities for feedback.

We’re targeting July 13th to be back in front of this committee to seek approval of the final master plan. So thank you for the opportunity to provide an update, and I welcome many questions or feedback. Thank you. Okay.

So I will entertain questions on the presentation , and then we will go to our speaker who’s joining us remotely. Councillor Ferrera. Thank you, Chair. Thank you for the presentation, Ms.

Dan, wherever you may have gone, issues. I just, I appreciate the presentation. I appreciate the report. I just wanted to ask if there’s any consideration about the, I guess, the Canada, the Canadian federal government initiative for the National Urban Parks, if there’s any consideration for that to be part of the Parks and Rec Master Plan.

Ms. Stan. Yes, and through the chair, I think we’d be looking for any sort of opportunities to be able to partake in any funding or other types of programs that are federally invited. One of the things that I mentioned in the presentation was the potential for a future regional park, which would be a great opportunity to take advantage of that type of program.

Councillor Peri. Okay, that’s all. for the report, thank you for the presentation. Thank you, Councillor Hopkins, and Councillor Troso, and then Councillor Frank.

Yeah, through you, Madam Chair, to staff, thank you for the presentation. I’ve been looking forward to this report or update. So my first question is going to be around dog parks. So I represent a ward that is a growing ward, and for many, many years, dog parks have always been a conversation.

Yeah, they’ll like them or you don’t like them, But I understand we are looking at two dog parts. We still have not found a site yet. But as we go through further public engagement, I’m just wondering what the question is going to be around dog parks. Are we looking at other options?

Or are we going to look at the sites that we know we need with the growing population that just want to know where we can go? I think more information that the community has when it comes to these parks is important. So thank you. Ms.

Stan. Yes, and through the chair, we had some really positive feedback, a lots of information that we received from the public about dog parks. What we heard was there was a high level of satisfaction with the dog parks that we do have. But in terms of importance, it was mixed because we have folks with dogs and folks without dogs.

We did see that there was a desire for dog-related supports. We heard considerable advocacy for enforcement related to off-leash areas in like off-leash activities in undesirable areas. So that’s something to carry forward. In terms of the preliminary recommendations, you’re correct that based on our provision targets, we are showing two additional new dog parks to be constructed in the 15 year period.

We are also exploring creative approaches to maybe address increased demand through our existing park system. So this could be done through potentially updating our off leash dog strategy. As part of that process, we would also look at maybe identifying standards and selection criteria for new sites. And that would help us determine what are the best places to be able to site dog parks going forward.

So I think through that process we’d be able to come up with a way of determining the best locations, geographically based based on those gaps. And then when it comes time to design any dog park, just like any parks project, we would go through our typical community engagement process as part of the design. Councillor Hopkins. Yeah, that’s a follow up.

So we’re not exactly there yet. I know we’ve got further public engagement. So you’re looking for more options. So I’m hoping the community will come out and give their feedback.

I think that’s really important. I understand, and I would like to confirm through you, Madam Chair, that our engagement in-person session, I think is April 30th at Fleetway is that correct ? Is that sort of for sure? And I know we have a virtual as well, but I do think the conversation in the community is really important.

And last question, with the final report coming back, will we have more information about dog parks? I don’t want to put stuff on the spot, but I just want to kind of save some questions that I know I’m going to be asking at the end, asking them now. Ms. Stan.

Yes, who’d the plan public engagement for round two? We will be having both an online webinar and an in-person engagement. We are doing a little bit of shifting with the dates, but we’ll be releasing those dates shortly and doing a media release to promote the engagement, make sure people are aware of it, but that is coming up both in-person and online opportunities for engagement. As far as the ultimate report that’s gonna be coming forward to this committee in July, we’ll be having a detailed section on each of the areas where we have a refined or updated recommendations going forward for various features.

So you’ll see the full input on what we heard and what we’re proposing for dog parks. Councillor? Yeah, I’m looking forward to that strategy coming to us with the off-leash dog parks, thank you. Thank you, I’d Councillor Trosto next.

Thank you very much, this report was very helpful. There were a few gaps in it that I’d like to see Phil doe and I’m gonna talk about what’s not in here, but I wanna emphasize that I think you’ve done a good job in terms of covering many of the points that I think members of the public are raising. I hear a lot of complaints about the lack of regular picking up of trash. And I think that’s just simply a matter of us adjusting our budget to have more trash pickups.

I don’t think that is going to require a lot of capital improvements on your part. My main concern is accessibility standards. And in particular, I think that the report could have talked about AODA requirements in a little bit more detail. I think it’s a potential weak point of, and again, I’m raising this by way of constructive criticism.

I think there is a danger in allowing a public narrative to shift into a sort of, we want accessible trails and have that be in sort of contradiction to other types of uses that I’m worried about that. But in particular, what I’m worried about is our inability, and I think our failure up to now, to provide adequate public washrooms. And adequate public washrooms in a way that are accessible. Not just the people based on their economic status, but based on people’s disability status.

And I’m hoping that when this report comes back to us. And I know that you’re just basing what you’re saying here on the feedback that you ‘ve gotten. My sense is there is a lot of dissatisfaction and skepticism in the disability community right now about the ability of the city to live up to its accessibility obligations under the AODA. And if I don’t see a lot of responses, I always wonder, I always wonder about that.

So what I would like to urge you to do, and I’m not gonna make any amendments, I think the recommendation is fine. But I just wanna talk about my own particular feeling that yes, I wanna see more dog parks, I do, I really do. I wanna see more dog parks, and I wanna see more pickleball courts too. I think we probably have to spend more money, and this is gonna come up in the multi-year budget that we get into with the new council.

But as an immediate, immediate, I think emergency problem, we’ve got to do something about accessible restrooms ‘cause some of them are just in such deplorable situations right now where they’re not even open all the time. It’s a basic human right. People have the right to use facilities and I think I’d like to see more stress on this. So with that, I’ll just again say thank you very much for this report and I hope that this is addressed in more detail.

Thank you. Thank you. I had Councilor Frank next. Thank you.

And I will be talking on a similar topic. Also, there will be four pickleball courts in Thames Park, so keep your eye out for that. Just in regards to the public washrooms, I’m just wondering, well staff also then when all this comes back, be bringing a budget case to multi-year budget, both for capital and for operational for items that are identified in this plan. And if public washrooms is one of them, will that come back as kind of like a omnibus budget case?

Or will things be separated out that we could see ? Ms. Stan? Yes, and through the chair.

So I mentioned that the Parks McMaster plan is focusing on identifying those infrastructure gaps. So it has established provision targets for public washrooms and identified new ones to be installed over the 15-year period. And also established standards for how those should be going forward. those elements are then funneled into the development charges background study from a capital side on the operational side.

It would be a separate proposal operation strategy that would come forward and have any associated business cases with it to support those costs. So those would go to separate streams. But the capital side of it has been identified in terms of our needs and that’s been funneled into the DC background study and then separately we would come forward with a different report on any operational targets. Councilor Frank.

Thank you. Yes, I think that will be very helpful. I know we’ve talked about public Washington’s a lot this term, but I do think they are very important in the community and in a great asset. So I appreciate the work on the rest of the plan as well.

Thank you, Councilor Perbal onex. Thank you, sir, to Chair. It’s a very crucial plan ahead of us. And I, as I stated, when we started, I do I do truly believe that this plan will determine the quality of life of half and of Londoners and I certainly hope we do get it right and we maximize our opportunities.

I love the point the leveraging partnerships and funding solutions and again I hope we do maximize look at all the opportunities because that means we are going to be saving the the local money from the municipal coffers. One thing is one specific one and thank you for the timelines and I did receive a feedback from my constituents they did take the advantage of it and they want to provide the feedback. There is one specific question which Pickleball was already mentioned here and their question is how will be determined that for example current tennis courts will be potentially changed into the sort of one court for tennis to for Pickleball. How will we look at this?

How will we determine this? Thank you. So through the Parks and Rec Master Plan for these emerging and what we’re seeing a lot of of high interest in certain things. I mentioned pickleball, I mentioned cricket, and we have established provision targets for those.

In our previous 2019, we didn’t actually capture a provision target for pickleball. So that’s what’s helping us determine how much we need to plan for going forward in terms of ways that we would do that. Either through building new or converting existing, I’ll maybe pass it over to Mr. McGonigal.

Mr. McGonigal? Yeah, thank you, and through the chair, I guess I’ll just note about tennis courts, the provision target in the 2019 plan was one to 7,000 population. What I would say is those numbers do get reset through this process.

And it’s not just population growth, but as you can appreciate it and was just indicated by the council, there is a change in participation patterns as well that you have to take into consideration. And so you will see a new pickleball provision target come forward, which the city has never had. And you will likely see a bit of a reduction on the tennis court side based on the increase in pickleball and the decrease in tennis. Thank you.

Councilor Pribble. Thank you, one follow-ups through the chair. When will we be seeing this new targets? Through the chair, those targets will be part of the Parks and Rec Master Plan report that we’ll be bringing forward in July.

Thank you very much, no more questions. Thank you, okay, so this was just on the presentation. We still have a speaker who’s awaiting his time for delegation, if it’s okay with the committee, I’d like to move to the delegation at this time, then we’ll come back for the motion, the report and whatnot. So I look for a mover and a seconder for the delegation.

Councillor Hopkins, Councillor Proville, thank you. And we will open the vote. Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero. Thank you, with that, I will welcome Mr.

Galloway , who’s joining us online today. Mr. Galloway, you will have five minutes for your delegation. I will give you a warning at the 32nd mark, and your topic is framed around the Parks and Recreation Master Plan update.

You may begin. Thank you very much. Can you just confirm that you can hear me on your end? We can hear you, thanks so much.

That’s amazing, okay, here I go. So thank you everyone for the opportunity to speak about our delegation’s concerns in regards to the partnership, collaboration, and inclusivity when it comes to the West Lions skate park consultation process . My name is Ken Galloway, and I’m speaking on behalf of London skateboard and broader action sports community. And I come to you during a time of celebration for our community.

In 2024, we secured a $400,000 federal investment deliver a 10-day skate and youth empowerment festival at the Western Fair. That same winter, we delivered a youth-led, self-funded indoor skate park pilot at Silverwoods Arena in collaboration with Mr. McGonagall. So thank you, Mr.

McGonagall . In 2025, we hosted our annual Medway Open event in collaboration with Canada’s skateboard, our nation’s Olympic governing body. The youth empowerment centric model we piloted right here in London for that event is now being adopted nationally as part of Team Canada’s Olympic pathway. We’re also on track to see a London skateboarder compete that the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, which we think is pretty awesome.

However, despite this great progress, our community continues to face significant and patterned barriers at the municipal level here in London, which includes the West and Lion, sorry, which includes the West Lions skate park consultation process. For example, last winter, this is to illustrate the pattern. For example, last winter, our indoor skate park pilot was classified as a special interest group by the city, resulting in prohibitive arena rental fees and a $5 million insurance requirement. We ultimately overcame this hurdle through corporate sponsorship.

Shout out to Hattie Bros. Home Comfort. And we worked with insurance experts to drive a $3 million liability reduction going forward. I’ll be too late to help our skaters at the time.

Similarly, ahead of the 2025 Medway Open, we were denied permission to carry out a self-funded graffiti cleanup of the Medway Sk ate Park based on a city policy that did not align with our industry’s best practices. Again, working with Canada Skateboard, we were able to guide the city towards a more appropriate approach for this year . For us, this points to a recurring pattern. Widely accepted best practices from our industries are being recognized too late at home at the expense of opportunities for our youth.

We see this pattern continuing within the West Lions skate park consultation process. The original West Lions skate park was built decades ago before today’s standards around inclusive engagement and user informed design existed. The result was a space that was infrequently used due to usability and safety issues. Today, there are signals that this history may repeat itself.

Number one, our feedback was collected under conditions that, under the condition, that if we did not, sorry, I apologize, let me start that now again. Today, there are signals that this history may repeat itself. Number one, our feedback was collected under conditions that did not reflect our industry’s definition of meaningful engagement. Here, highly regarded industry professionals and national level athletes were handed crayola products and told to express themselves within a very limited feedback form, under threat of the entire project being shelved.

Number two, we were also told that there would be ways to follow up this consultation, but have yet to be engaged in any meaningful way, and are told the next consultation will actually be an online FYI. At the same time, Canadian Ram Company, the city’s selected vendor, and a worthy collaborator for our skate scene, issued an open letter calling for stronger community integration practices, because there was still a tangible interruption in the mechanism. Here I would like the council to consider how rare it is for a vendor to write such a letter, especially while engaged in a lucrative city contract. Taken together, this does not point to a lack of effort by city staff, but to a gap in how community knowledge and lived experience are carried forward at critical stages.

We are also seeing the impact of this gap. Seven of approximately 12 participants in the West Lions consultation session have since withdrawn their input under the current conditions. That’s more than half of the participants. Furthermore, over 600 people signed a petition to pause this very project just long enough to get these details right.

Combined with over 1300 signatures from last year ‘s youth-led petition resulting in the Winter Skate Park, this represents more than 1900 earnest attempts by Londoners to have a voice in this very process. Over 19 is nearly on par with the 2200 responses gathered through the entire Master Plan survey and an astronomical number compared to the dozen or so voices that the city-run consultation elicited to arrive at its current findings, of which of course more than half have withdrawn their feedback. Yet as we understand it, none of these inputs, including the letter from the city hired vendor, nor the feedback withdrawals, are captured in the project’s reporting. That’s why, as the Parks and Recreation Master Plan moves forward, we are asking the city to pop the brakes on the West Lions skate park project only, and install a credible representative advisory mechanism for skateboard and action sports infrastructure.

This mechanism is already well-established, unprecedented in other municipalities. Just like London’s cricket community is consulted at formative stages in projects, we too would like to be involved before the location, shape, budget, contacts, materials, and vendors are all predetermined. It’s challenging to wrap up, that’s your time? We’ll do, and before the Crayola hits the table.

We offer this not as a replacement for the city’s public consultation, but as a compliment to it, while helping to ensure that over 1900 voices don’t go unheard, while now nearly a million dollars of taxpayer money is spent in our names. Thank you again for the consideration of this matter. Thank you. Okay committee we have a report in front of us with the Parks and Rec Master Plan included in the package you’ll see a motion to receive the staff report that civic administration be directed to undertake further community engagement on the preliminary findings and also that includes the presentation and the verbal delegation Mr.

Galloway. So I’m looking for a mover and a seconder and then discussion on those items. Mayor Morgan, Councillor Hopkins, thank you, and I will look to committee first for a discussion on this item. Councillor Trossa.

I was hoping not to come to you today with proposed amendments, but I’m finding it difficult. Could I ask perhaps Ms. Scheer, since you would have transit in the mister mobility plan. How does skateboarding fit in with people’s mobility as an alternative active transportation device?

Ms. Cher. Thank you , Madam Chair. Generally speaking, skateboarding as a transportation device can use places that are designated for kick e-scooters as well as bikes.

So they’re welcoming our bike lanes. The project that is being discussed, however, is related to a small neighborhood park improvement project as part of the neighborhood park improvement fund, that it was championed by Mayor Morgan in West Lions, so it is related more to a stationary activity. Councillor Trossa. Having that type through the chair, yet having that type of recreational activity would encourage, I think, overall the use of this alternative transit device.

So while I transportation device, so while I see what you’re saying, I do want to make sure that we’re not doing anything at all to potentially prejudice this mode of transportation that’s largely used by youth. Is it the case that they start on skateboards and then go to e-scooters and then perhaps bicycles or do people stay on skateboards as a mode of transportation in the long run? Ms. Share and then we’ll try to councilor bring it back to the Parks and Rec Master Plan.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don’t believe we have any data about the transition between various types of active modes of transportation, nor a correlation between those who use action sports, which is the ramps and those sorts of things provided in skate parks, and their choice of active transportation or motorized vehicles. Could Mr. Galloway answer that question for me?

Councillor, I’d be happy to. I’m sorry, Mr. Galloway, we’re not having a back and forth discussion. This is only a delegation at this time.

So, Councillor, our questions are directed at staff related to the report. Well, I tried to direct it at staff, and we have somebody with us who knows more about skateboarding, so I think it’s a reasonable question to ask. And Councillor, I am directing the questions to staff on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan at this time, and you can definitely take your conversation offline with the delegation after the fact. Well, I find that unacceptable.

I really would like to have this question answered, and I’ll just raise it at council again and I will make it a point to talk to Mr. Gall oway between now and the council meeting because I think that this is something, I mean, we’ve adopted the mobility master plan and that is not something that’s just in a different silo than the parks plan. We have to look at all of these things as an integrated whole. So I’m sorry I can’t ask Mr.

Galloway that direct question today but I will be in touch with him. Thank you very much. Thank you, and I will look for other speakers on the plan. Mayor Morgan.

Yes, so first let me add my words of thanks to staff for the work that they’ve done on pulling together the plan. There is one piece and I won’t echo what some of my colleagues have said. There is one piece that I think is really important and that’s under B in your presentation. You talked about designing the spaces.

Part three was keeping, keeping engaging communities in park design and stewardship. So for me, a couple of our colleagues talked about pickleball. That’s because there’s a very, there’s a lot of people in this city talking about pickleball, right? So we’re gonna shift and we’re gonna devote some of our resources.

So during the course of this term, I’ve spoken to about 70 schools, a lot of them grade five classes, and they don’t talk about pickleball as much. They talk about some other things in parks. And so I know with the Neighborhood Parks Improvement Fund, we tried very hard to engage with local communities say, “You’re the users of this space. What would you like to see in it?” And I think we’ve done a good job there of aligning them.

And I think, so this piece is really important to me because we may have to reach out a little bit in a little bit of a different way to the youngest users of our Parks and Recreation Spaces because they don’t really say things like pickleball. They say, “This thing is boring and this thing’s exciting,” and they talk about the actual features. And for me, it’s been very illuminating when they ask me questions about, can you make my park better or I say well what would you like to see in it? And we may have just upgraded a park in a way that is just slightly different from what their vision of the kinds of things they’d like to see in there and in some cases it’s even lower cost ways to do things but with different creative features.

So I think if we can take the kind of approach that we did with the neighborhood parks improvement fund and say we’re going to make upgrades to parks and I think during this term of council we’ve made we’ve done about 250 projects and parks when I’m done 23 with the the additional fund as we continue to do projects the more that we can get into reaching out to some of the voices that maybe don’t know how to come to a public participation meeting or or fill out a survey. I ‘d really like us to partner with school boards or community associations or even neighborhood groups in different ways to get some of those as young as voices involved in the design of their parks. Doesn’t mean we’re not gonna, I don’t wanna do less pickleball. People get really upset with me if I just do that .

But I do think that there’s ways that we can approach some of just, we may be building a playground. The features in that playground matter to the kids who live in that neighborhood. So whether it’s two baby swings and three adult swings or larger kid swings, I say adults ‘cause everybody likes swinging. Those ratios are what create a lineup or not at some of the features.

And so great job on the report, but in the future, I really like part three of B because I think that if we stick with that, we’re gonna create really dynamic spaces that all members of the community love and continue to love. Councillor Hopkins. Yeah, thank you to the mayor. I’m happy to second the motion as well.

I found a number of years ago, there was an upgrade of the skateboard park in Spring Bay Park and there was such a need from the younger generation to have a skateboard park in the park, that it was challenging where to put it. And we needed to have that conversation. So I wanna thank Mr. Galloway for his presentation.

I do like the idea of an advisory group conversation, not just putting things into our playgrounds, but really looking at an understanding. And I do think skateboard parks are a little bit complicated and challenging as opposed to just putting swings or slides up in the park, so I’m happy to second it. Thank you, looking for other speakers on this item, okay? Seeing none online and seeing none in chambers.

Councilor Pribble, will you take the chair? I have a chair and I recognize Councilor Raman. Thank you and through you, I just wanted to thank staff for the presentation and for the conversation today on the Parks and Rec master plan just with reference to the communication that will go out to the public to participate in the next round of discussion. I assume everybody that already participated would be receiving notification that they will be able to participate in the next round as well.

Yes, and through the chair, we maintain a subscriber list for those people who have actively engaged and will be making sure that we send out a notice . Peltula. Thank you. And just to follow up on Mayor Morgan’s point, because I’ve been to a few talks with him, as well as had some of my own with classrooms, and yes, it’s definitely a hot topic.

Students love to share their ideas for what they believe is the best activation for their local park. I’m just wondering beyond the public engagement that we’re speaking of that would be formal, and in those spaces, what type of informal engagements could we do maybe with younger users, and what’s the timeline for those? Going through the stuff. Yes, and through the chair.

Our goal is to be doing our public engagement over basically the tail end of April and into May . It’s a fairly condensed timeline to be able to get us back to council and committee in July. We are coming back to not go back to first principles, but just to make sure, is there anything that we missed? But I’m sure we can work with our communications team to maybe find a creative way to get to different ages.

That was one of the things that we definitely heard throughout our engagement was that people wanted parks to be for all ages and abilities. they wanted just to not just look at certain age sectors, also finding amenities that allowed them to stay in those spaces longer. It’s like shaded seating areas, things like that. So those are the types of things that we would love to add a little bit more feedback on.

Don’t look. Thank you. Well, I look forward to participating, to hearing more and sharing it as well online, with respect to how we move forward. The other thing I wanted to mention is, as this plan evolves, do we see that having more engagement with community members with maybe very targeted sporting activities will take place on a go- forward basis?

I’m going through stuff. Yes, and through the chair, with each of our different individual parks projects, we do have an engagement process where we reach out and provide early concepts, get feedback from the residents and from people that are interested, particularly when we’re dealing with specialized sports type of amenities and recreational facilities, so that’s something that we’ll be continuing to do. Thank you, that’s all my questions. Thank you, I’m returning to chair, back to you.

Thank you, once again, final call for speakers on this item. Okay, seeing none, we will open the vote. Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero. Okay, thank you, that moves us to item 4.2.

4.2 is the report back, the basic needs and pathway, option, feasibility of contract, extension 5.1.9, umbrella relief programs, Inc. We have a number of delegation requests, including Ms. de Blair, Ms. Bessno, Bessno, sorry .

Ferguson, Horrell, and then Riley from a pillar nonprofit. With that, what I’d like to do is I’d like a motion to hear all the delegations. So I’ll look for a mover and a seconder for that motion. I have Councillor Trosso and I have Councillor Privel.

Thank you. And we will just moment, we’ll open the vote on that. Using the vote, the motion carries, six to zero . Thank you.

And I’ll welcome Mr. Blair first to the microphone. Thank you. And just for everybody here in the gallery, just wanted to start out with, thank you for your patience today.

‘Cause I know we’ve had a lot of items before we’ve gotten to these delegations. Just a reminder that with respect to today’s delegations in order to keep decorum to just making everyone feel safe and comfortable . We ask there’s no clapping, cheering, or booing from others in the gallery as there are speakers that are braving their time at the mic. And just wanted to remind speakers you have five minutes and I will give you a warning at 30 seconds.

Thanks so much. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you to the whole committee for allowing me time to speak today. I wanna start by showing my appreciation for the work that has happened over the past few months and share my gratitude for the collaboration across all the levels that took action during the time of urgent need, particularly through the winter response.

I also want to recognize and commend the work that has gone into the creation of the micro modular shelters. It has been incredibly meaningful to see our friends move out of encampment and into stable, safer places that they can call home. That work matters and it’s making a difference. Today I’m here to speak about the work of 519 Pursuit.

What started a grassroots organization has grown into an essential part of the frontline response in our city. The City of London has become a champion for collaboration in addressing homelessness, and in the midst of multiple crises, we have proven to be innovative in our response and how we provide care. Part of that innovation is a whole of community response. However, what is often missed in the conversation is the role of outreach and how critical it is of the part of Continuum of Care.

Outreach is often the first point of contact. It is how we meet people where they are at, offering food security, basic needs, survival gear, and system navigation directly at street level. But more than that, it ‘s how relationships are built. It’s how trust is formed.

Those relationships create pathways. This is street level work, but it does not work in isolation. It directly supports the rest of the system. It reduces the pressure on indoor spaces on shelters, on walk up services that are already operating beyond capacity, it creates a flow that allows the broader system to function more effectively.

We heard this clearly just a few months ago during what felt like a winter that was here to stay. We heard it from small business owners, we heard it from frontline workers and service providers, we heard it from employees in the public and community spaces, and we heard it from Londoners across the city. the message was clear. There is no additional capacity to absorb the need when desperation shows up at the door.

And when those gaps exist, they are felt everywhere. At this time, I do want to thank committee and council for the urgency that has already gone into planning for the 2026- 2027 winter response. But it must stand here today and remind us all that extreme conditions don’t just happen in the winter. Over the past few weeks alone, we have seen consistent rainfall with more in the forecast, and still our indoor capacity is not at a level to ensure that people can stay dry, stay warm, and stay supported.

And when this happens, survival becomes an instinct. Desperation increases and suffering becomes visible, but this is preventable. And right now we have an opportunity to address it. We’re currently navigating a system that has been significantly impact by loss of funding.

Community service structures are shifting, and there is real uncertainty around the continuation of critical frontline services. So today I am here to respectfully urge the committee and the City Council as a whole to consider these gaps that are being created and the role that outreach plays in holding this system together. To consider the services that helped carry us through one of the most difficult winters in recent memory and to recognize that stabilization at this moment is not to support its strategy. This is about protecting the progress we have made.

This is about maintaining a coordinated community based approach. And this is about ensuring that we do not lose one of the most effective entry points into care that exists in our system. Without consistent outreach, we see immediate impacts. We see increase and strain on emergency services.

We see more individuals turning to already full spaces. We see more pressure placed on businesses, public spaces, and frontline workers who have already told us they cannot carry it. Five when I pursue it has been a consistent presence in that space showing up every single day in all conditions ensuring that people are not left behind. And we see what happens when consistency is there .

We see people move from encampments into shelter into housing. We see people, we see individuals begin to volunteer to reconnect to find purpose. We see people begin to believe that something different is possible. But that only happens when somebody shows up first.

So today I’m asking you to recognize outreach as an essential part of the whole community response. This is not just about maintaining a program, this is about maintaining stability in our community. It is about preventing further strain on systems that already are at capacity, and it’s about continuing to move forward together as a city that has committed to collaboration, compassion, and action. At the end of the day, this is about people.

It’s about our friends who are our Londoners, people who deserve to be seen, supported, and not left outside to survive alone. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your leadership and your continued commitment to our community. Without you, there is no Five When I Pursuit.

Thank you. Well timed. I’ll go to Ms. Boasano, if I said that correctly.

Thank you for joining us. Once you get your mic adjusted. Thank you. Wonderful, you have five minutes.

Awesome. Thank you so much for allowing me to be up here and speak with all of you today. My name is Michelle Boasano and I am an employee with Five When I Pursuit. but before I was an employee with 509 pursuit, I was a volunteer, and before I was a volunteer, I was homeless on the streets of London for three years.

And when I was homeless on the streets of London, you know, I was a hardcore intravenous meth user. I felt as though I had no hope, I felt as though I didn’t belong, and I just wanted to be seen so badly. I was an individual who took up the downtown streets. I would sleep in cubby holes, I would try to find warmth on top of heat grates.

I frequently visited 186 King. They had a heat grade that came off the side of the building, and I would build box forts, and I would hide in there in hopes that it would keep me warm. And, you know, I was one of those people that would be continuously asked just to move along. You know, I never felt supported.

And, you know, I just hungered to belong so badly . And this one time, I heard what I thought or the Voices of Angels. And it was actually Allison and Amber of 509 Purs uits. And here they came and they just offered support and friendship and connection.

And they wanted to just walk side by side with me and they met me where I was at. And I didn’t have a lot to offer at that time. And they really didn’t care. They just cared about me and they didn’t even know me.

And for my entire life, I’d always been told, well, maybe or I would get my hopes up and it would just be like absolutely destroyed. And when Alison and Five When I Pursuit told me, like, hey, we would love to come and see you tomorrow, where are you gonna be? And I would tell them, and they would always show up no matter what, no matter what condition they would always, and it’s gonna make me emotionally. You know, they would always show up for me.

And at the worst time of my life, I was sleeping on a heat grate at the corner of Dundas from Wellington. I had been there so long living in my own filth. I had flesh eating viruses and I just wanted to die. I had become part of the sidewalk.

I’d been there so long that folks trying to get to their bus stop would walk over me to get to their bus stop. And because of the friendship and the connection of 5-1-9 pursuit, it started to change the narrative in my head and I knew that I needed to do more with my life. I needed to seek out something better for me or I was gonna die there. I wholeheartedly believe that I would be dead there.

If it wasn’t for the change in the narrative of my thinking from this incredible friendship that I had built, you know? When I lost my mother, I found it over Facebook and I missed her funeral and it was a month later . And the first person I went to go see was Alison. And my mother used to always take me out for dinner on my birthday.

Well, five when I pursued an Alison, take me out for dinner on my birthday now, right? Like that wholehearted friendship and just being okay with myself. I got from this organization. And now, you know, I get to be that person for my friends out the street now, right?

Like I get to show up and I get to spread hope and I get to spread friendship. And I can say and I can shout this from the rooftop. Like there is hope and you do belong and we do care about you. And it’s such an incredible organization.

know I’m a little I guess I’m a little biased right because I work for them but they truly saved my life and you know on April 25 th I’ll be celebrating four years clean and sober thank you and thank you and that’s in in huge part with this friendship and and just that that feeling of belonging and I couldn’t see myself you know anywhere else now right like this is where I belong and so I just so grateful that I get to to be here and share that thank you thank Thank you, and I appreciate you taking that time to share your story with us as well. I’ll go to Ms. Fergus, or sorry to M. Ferguson next.

Thank you. - Thank you. Let me go ahead, you have five minutes. Thank you, thank you, Madam Chair.

My name is Michelle, and I’m speaking today as a volunteer with five when I’m pursuit, but more importantly as someone who has witnessed firsthand what happens when people are left without support in our city. London currently has over 2,000 un-hosted individuals, and across Canada more than 235,000 people experience homelessness each year. These numbers are not just statistics, they represent real people who are struggling to survive in conditions most of us cannot imagine. Rising housing costs combined with inadequate social assistance from programs like Ontario Works and ODSP have made it nearly impossible for many individuals to secure even the most basic of housing.

For some, living in a tent or a car is not a choice, it’s the only option left. Throughout reach, we have met people who are even elderly, sleeping in their vehicles, individuals who are paralyzed and exposed to these elements. Far too many who have suffered amputations due to untreated frostbite, due to lack of resources available to them. These are extreme preventable outcomes that continue to happen because the system is overwhelmed and under-res ourced.

519 Pursuit fills a critical gap. Our volunteers go out in all conditions, extreme heat, pouring rain, freezing temperatures , just to deliver food, water, clothing, tents, blankets, and whatever else we have. We also provide wellness checks and connect individuals to urgent medical care, hopefully before it’s too late. This kind of proactive outreach reduces reliance on emergency services, hospital admissions, and crisis interventions, ultimately saving public resources while saving lives.

But beyond the statistics and services, there is a human reality that cannot be ignored. Tears ago while delivering supplies, a friend and I heard a man crying for help from an encampment. We found him trapped inside a collapsed tent in excruciating pain. His feet were completely frozen, and the smell of decaying tissue was overwhelming .

No one else had come, no one else had checked on him. He was completely alone and unable to walk. We called for help and emergency responders along with London Cares arrived. I firmly believe that if we had not been there at that moment, he could have died.

Sometimes when small act is a reason someone survives. That is what outreach does. It reaches people before they become another statistic. Now imagine that moment never happened.

Without outreach, there is no one walking through these encampment areas, no one finding people before infection turns fatal, before hunger turns desperate, before hope disappears completely. Programs like like 519 are not optional, they are paramount. Many individuals, we, 519 Pursuit, serve, have experienced years of stigma and rejection. They are often treated as if they are invisible or undeserving of care.

Yet something as small as a kind conversation or a handmade brace that can remind them that they do matter and people do care. These moments build trust and that trust is what allows us to support people in so many meaningful ways. Shelters alone cannot meet the need. They are frequently at capacity and when there are no available beds, people are turned back outside into unsafe and often life-threatening conditions.

Without outreach programs like 5-1-9, there’s no consistent safety net. If funding for 5-1-9 pursuit is denied, the consequences will be immediate and severe. There will be fear of wellness checks, fear interventions, and more people suffering without support. Emergency services will face increased strain and preventable medical crisis will arise.

Most importantly, lives will be lost quietly and unnecessarily. This is not simply a budget decision, a decision about what kind of city of London chooses to be? Do we accept a reality where people freeze, go untreated, unfed, and die alone? Or do we choose to support the organizations that are actively preventing that outcome every single day ?

509 is not optional. It is vital service for these people who have nowhere else to turn. And I ask you to sit with this for a moment. If that man in the club’s tent had been your father, your brother, your friend, would you have wanted someone to walk past him or someone to stop because that is the choice in front of you now.

Funding 519 means choosing to stop, choosing to see, choosing to save lives. Please do not look away. City Council, this is a direct plea, approve one-year contract extension to the Reserve Social Service funds. Removing this indispensable service will not just create gaps, it will cost lives.

people will go unseen, untreated, unfed. They will suffer and some will die alone and unnoticed . The cost of losing this funding will be measured not just in dollars, but in human lives. You have the power to prevent that.

Please choose to extend the funding for the lives that depend on this decision. Thank you. Thank you. I have us who are all next.

Hi there. You can begin you five minutes. Thank you very much. It is very interesting being here today, being juxtaposed by the Parks and Rec Committee and overhearing the discussions about pickleball and dog parks when we’re bringing this heavy load to the table.

The city is doing some great things and has done some great things of last year or two in order to respond appropriately to the crisis that has become the number of people experiencing homelessness and the increase in people that are experiencing it. Really, since the pandemic, we’ve seen it a new normal. We’ve seen a new world. And what my friends and peers have said is true, that our service has become vital.

What we do out there every day not only saves lives but it does reduce the cost on the system, bringing food to people, bringing clothes to those who don’t have any decreases crime and the system’s going to pay for it one way or another. You’re either going to not fund us and we’re going to fall through the cracks and people are going to fall through the cracks and it’ll be hospitals and police and funerals that the city pays for, or it can be a proactive choice to fund us and prevent more people from winding up in worse situations. The parks that you’re discussing and the ongoing plants, I’m sure that all of the citizens in your wards would like to enjoy those parks, without having to see people suffer and not know who to call. And it is our privilege and pleasure to be able to go out and meet individuals who are suffering.

I know sometimes when you’re looking at dollars and cents and business improvement areas, sometimes people experiencing homelessness or dealing with substance use are viewed as problems. And I don’t believe that people are problems. I believe the people have problems, and when we can help one person with their problems get out of that tent in that park, it changes their lives, but it increases. It makes the city better for everyone.

Before the pandemic, if you had an option to prepare for it, I’m sure that the response would have been different, but the pandemic was an act of God. This is something that we can prepare for. And if you can see the the need for this and not respond appropriately, it’s the adage of an ounce of prevention that is worth a pound of cure. And we are worth more than that ounce of prevention.

So in the last year we’ve had a great opportunity to collaborate with the city’s coordinated informal response team and with London Cares. We’ve been very successful working together and would like to continue that relationship and continue serving the city as best we can and in the unique way that only we can. So if you lose us, I fear for what that means not only for the people experiencing homelessness but for the rest of community that is subject to it and doesn’t have us to help. Thanks.

Thank you. Next I had Miss Riley. Hello. Please go ahead to your five minutes.

Good afternoon Chair and members of the committee. My name is Melanie Riley and I’m the Vice President of Fund Development and Member Services at Pillar Nonprofit Network. Pillar is a network of over 250 nonprofit organizations, charities and grassroots groups across London and Southwestern Ontario. We work to strengthen the sector and support a more coordinated, effective system of care in our community.

I’m here today to express our strong support for the city’s recommendation to continue funding outreach services through 519 pursuit, and to support the direction outlined in the mayors and Councillor Remman’s letter to this committee. At its core, this is about continuity of service. Outreach services are not optional. They are foundational.

They are the front door to the entire system of care. Organizations like 519 pursuit, lending cares, arc aid, and others provide food, water, basic necessities, and human connection. They are often the first point of contact individuals who are disconnected from formal systems of care. And that connection matters because trust is the gateway to everything else.

Housing, health care, and long-term stability. Without that trust, the rest of the system cannot function as intended. Over the past nine years, 519 pursuit has evolved into a critical part of London’s outreach ecosystem, working alongside shelters, health care providers, and community agencies to strengthen the overall response. and the need is clear.

City data shows hundreds of individuals are currently unsheltered with overall homelessness exceeding 2,000 people in our community. Demand for outreach increases in warmer months and as of March 31st that funding that supported this work has ended. So the question before you is not whether these services are needed. The question is how do we ensure they continue without disruption?

We support the proposed interim funding approach because it recognizes an important reality, municipalities cannot carry this responsibility alone. The recent federal announcement of renewed funding through the unsheltered homelessness and encampments initiative is a clear signal that this work must continue. The province must also be part of this solution. All orders of government have a role to play.

And just as importantly, we encourage continued, coordinated advocacy from the mayor and council to federal and provincial representatives, both directly and through sector tables such as big city mayors, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities , Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Association of Local Public Health Ag encies to ensure sustained long-term investment flows to communities like London. Because when outreach services are interrupted, the impacts are immediate and far-reaching. Pressure increases on emergency services, police and paramedic services, hospitals, shelters, and the broader system, encampments grow, opportunities to connect people to housing and supports are lost, and most importantly people’s health and safety are put at risk. Lives are quite literally dependent on these services.

This is not only a matter of compassion , it is also about the kind of city we want to be, a city where no one is left behind, a city where public spaces are safe, welcoming, and vibrant for everyone. A city where we invest in coordinated, effective systems that respond to complex challenges with dignity and care. We encourage the community to view this decision, not in isolation, but as part of a broader approach and outreach ecosystem that must remain stable and well-res ourced. Sustained, reliable funding shared across municipal, provincial, and federal governments is essential to maintaining that system.

Pillar C’s firsthand, the role these organizations play, and the strain that they are under. We urge you to support the continuation of outreach services, endorse the interim funding approach, and continue to use your voice to secure long- term, sustainable investment from other orders of government. This is how we ensure our system holds, and how we build a city where everyone has a place to belong. Thirty seconds.

  • Thank you. Thank you. Okay. That concludes our delegations that were in the agenda.

I will go to Mayor Morgan to begin moving a motion on the floor. Sure. And would you like me to read the motion before I provide some comments? Sure.

So I’m willing to move and Council Romans willing to second the Civic Administration be directed to allocate intern funding from the Social Services Reserve fund for a period of April 1st, 2026 to March 31 st, 2027 to support continued services for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness as follows. A) up to 25,000 per month for 519 pursuit umbrella relief organization and B) up to 60,000 per month to arcade street mission services. It being noted that total funding be capped at $350,000 with an expectation that any funding received through the unsheltered homelessness and encampments initiative or other provincial or federal sources be retro actively applied to reimburse the city, and that funding organizations meet applicable program requirements, including the use of homeless individuals and families information system, life system, where required. Thank you.

And to that, we’ll also add the delegations and all those that provided communication on the agenda as well . And just to clarify in that letter, it highlighted option three as the option out of that report. So just making sure that that language is caption ed in the motion as well. Thank you, and I will go back to you to speak to the item.

Sure, I’ll also time myself chair. So let me just give a little bit of background and say some things, and I’m gonna try to do this in five minutes. Before I had a chance to meet with Prime Minister Carney in preparation for the big city mayor’s meeting, I had a meeting of all the frontline agencies who utilized the emergency treatment fund in the city, the funding that was going to end and did end at the end of March, to talk to them about the impacts that it would have on their organizations and the work that they’re doing in the community. That information was really instrumental in our advocacy approach federally, as was just described as pillar, is really critical to long-term sustained funding .

The federal government put a significant amount of dollars on the table because they recognize that this is a need, not just in our community, but many communities across the country. Our advocacy approach is that I do have to give a ton of credit to the mayor of Montreal, one of my colleagues in the big city mayor’s caucus who took the lead as I chaired the meeting, was very well received by the government. It’s unfortunate that the funding did not align. So the funding got renewed.

The government’s now going to put 125 million into the unsheltered homelessness encampments initiative. But we don’t know how that’s gonna flow yet or the timing of how that’s gonna flow. What we can expect is that we know a number of communities who are utilizing this fund, agencies like you heard from today and others, who could benefit from continuing those services. And I think it’s reasonable for us to expect that communities that we’re providing those services will have the chance to continue, at least a portion of them for a period of time with the new funding.

What we have to do is prepare ourselves for the gap in between. The funding has ended, the federal government is coming forward with the renewal of 125 million, and I commend them for that, but we gotta provide some sort of stability in the interim so that the agencies can continue to operate while we see if we can apply that funding. And if that funding is allowed to be retroactive, we can replenish the needed social services reserve fund, which we can backstop this motion with for a period of time and put ourselves in a better financial situation overall. So that’s essentially what this motion’s trying to do.

Let me say a couple of things. The first speaker talked about the micromodular site. So I want to commend what you said, because that site is not successful without outreach being a component of it. The way that we’re able to identify people who this site is right for, and it is not right for everybody, we have a variety of shelter and housing options, is by the work of CIR teams and partner agencies who are out there doing outreach who can identify individuals and who can say, we’ve found someone who this is the right type of housing for.

So the success of the micromodular site in the individuals living there is a function of some of the outreach that we’re doing in this community because we can identify individuals that are right for the different sites. So this is right. This is a system that we need to keep relatively intact so that we can continue to support other components of it because we know what happens if we don’t place people in the right type of housing at the right time. They’re not successful in that housing and it can actually cost us more money in the long run.

So that’s the first piece. Second piece is, I wanna commend Pillar for their comments. I know that there are people here today saying, we gotta put our money on the table, and I’m willing to do that. But I need your voices, federally and provin cially, for sustained long-term funding.

We got a million things we have to do municipally . We got a million things within our sphere of jurisdiction. We gotta do municipally. And this is a shared area of jurisdiction, one actually that it somewhat argued isn’t actually traditionally our area of jurisdiction.

And so, your advocacy on not just making unsheltered homelessness encampments initiative permanent, or topping out programs like reaching home, which is federal operating dollars we can use, but also advocacy on HPP funding at the provincial level. With sustained and long-term funding pots, we can actually do better work in the long run on this. And even reaching home, although, again, I commend the federal government for extending it, which is billions of dollars of relief across the country. We know that the the parliamentary budget officer says it needs to be more money and that money ends at some point.

So the advocacy doesn’t need to start at the critical time in the future a couple years from now when it ends. It needs to be now where we can say these dollars are being used in our community , they’re critical to us being there and that’s the work that the big city mayors are actively doing across the country and so although we’re really easy to access people can stand in our gallery and they can speak to us and say backstop this program because the federal government isn’t and doing it anymore, the provincial government isn’t. But really what we need is, and we can consider those things like we are today, but really what we also need is your advocacy at those other levels of government standing alongside us saying these are really critical dollars for communities not just here, ‘cause if we care about the people who are in shelter in this community, we care about them across the country, and we need a strategic provincial and federal plan with adequate dollars to make this successful. And I know my time’s up, so thanks.

I have Councillor Hopkins next on an amendment. Thank you and thank you to the mayor for his advocacy. I would like to put forward an amendment. Maybe I can read it first and then if I can speak to it, I have it as E, that civic administration be directed to re-engage with the agencies under the UHEI and emergency treatment fund to explore service opportunities looking for something.

Thank you and I will second that. And you may go ahead and speak to it. Yeah, thank you. And maybe I can make all my comments at once, ‘cause I am supportive of this motion.

It is interim funding. I appreciate the efficacy the mayor has done. I also think it’s really, really important that the community speak. Thank you for being here this afternoon.

It’s really important that we hear the importance of outreach in our community, what you have to offer, what you have done, and developing a trust relationship. So thank you for that. I know the federal government is announcing some funding to go to this area, and I would really encourage staff to continue the work with the providers in the community to come up with the opportunities to take advantage of this funding. So with that, I’ll give up my time.

Thank you. And I will look to other speakers on the amendment. And then we’ll go back to the main motion. On the amendment, Councillor Ferrera.

We didn’t move the main motion. Or we didn’t move the staff recommendation, we moved. That’s correct. Right, so the amendment to this, okay.

So I guess I just want to clarify. We engage with agencies under the Unheltered Homelessness Encampment Initiative and Emergency Treatment Fund to explore service opportunities. Are we to expect, I guess first question, to expect the emergency treatment funds to also be re-initiated as well or is it just the emergency or the unsheltered homelessness encampment initiative funding? Mr.

Deakin. Thank you, Chairman, through you. We do not anticipate any continuation or re-emergence of the ETF. Our information to the state has been that if it were to be available through continuous intake process , that those that have received it in the past would not be eligible.

And just to be crystal clear and I know it’s referenced in the chair and the mayor’s letter. There is no 100% guarantee London is in line to receive UHEI funding. We’ve been doing all the asking we can do to get some type of indication that it’s great that the federal government has decided at the conclusion of the program to continue the program . They have not been able to make any confirmation if it’s a continuation of funding for those receiving the funds or if it’s a continuation of the program.

And if those that have currently received the funds are eligible to receive ongoing, or if it’s an open intake for new parties who have never received the funding, and it sounds like that discussion will happen between the transfer of the program from the federal government to the province, and the province will determine the criteria and the application process as well as the selection process. Councilor Ferrer. All right, thank you for that. So I guess both the UHEI and the ETF are kind of up in the air.

So I’m okay with that then. So to reengage with agencies, we’re talking about the other agencies that haven’t been captured with the motion, with this amendment. So that would be, ‘cause I see the arc in 519 pursuit. So the other agencies, and that’s kind of what the intent of the motion is.

Okay, yeah, I can support that. Thank you, looking for other speakers on the amendment. Seeing none in chambers and none online, we will open the vote on the amendment. Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero.

Thank you, we are back on the main motion and I’ll look for speakers on the main motion as amended. Thank you. I’ve got a Councillor Chassa. Yes, thank you very much and through the chair, I would like to thank the mayor and the chair for bringing this forward.

We had this on a previous agenda and I think it was a really good thing that we decided to defer it because I think that the plan that’s been put forward here is very viable, it’s very reasonable. My worry, and it’s not a big enough worry that I’m gonna try to make an amendment or not support this, my worry is those maximum amounts can run out, especially since they’re being spread over two agencies now. And I just wanna say, if that maximum amount runs out and we find ourselves in another funding gap, I think that there are members of this committee who will bring something forward to try to avoid that gap. Having said that, I feel a little frustrated that we’re constantly in this sort of funding gap mode.

And we need to do better than that, but I think the municipality is stretched and I think the municipality is doing what they can do here. So time will tell if we have to come back in a few months with another extension request here. And I think it’s incumbent on the agencies to let us know how your funds are holding up. That goes for 519, it goes, it goes for the R.

So all in all, I think this is a very positive development and I’ll be supporting the motion. And I’m very optimistic that here is an example of this council working together to try to solve an immediate problem. So thank you to everybody who’s been involved in this. Councillor Ferrera.

Thank you. I guess I’ll first say thank you to the delegates who spoke very well and elegantly. I really appreciate the stories that you shared. I know I’ve spoken to several of you, maybe all of you, and I appreciate just kind of comments that you shared.

I thought that was very moving and very eye- opening, especially when it comes to with respect to the trust part and how do we open up that front door and just kind of making sure that that trust exists so we can actually bring people in and bring them indoors eventually and ultimately. I’ll also say thank you to staff for your work on this report. I think the breakdown of the options and just what those consisted of was very clearly laid out and I appreciate that. And to the work that was done at this committee before to have this report come back I appreciate that as well.

I wanted to just kind of make some confirmations just some clarifications. So and I appreciate I should say to the mayor and to the chair as well for to bring in this motion to committee. I do appreciate just, you know, that’s, I guess, looking and hopefully getting that unsheltered homelessness encampment initiative funding from the federal government, and just kind of tying that in with this, and then also using the social services reserve fund as a bridging, and then having that retroactively paid back with the UHEI funding when it hopefully ultimately comes in. I appreciate the work there, and kind of tying that in with the option three.

So I do want to ask though, when it comes to the 350 funding gap, I just wanted to know, if and when we get the uns heltered homelessness encampment initiative funding secured, is that cap still applicable to that? Or does that cap get lifted? Is that cap only for the social services reserve fund portion? And does that cap get removed?

Depending, I guess, on the amount that we get, if we get it? does that cap get removed of the 350,000? I’ll go to the mayor to answer. Yes, so what we don’t know is the program parameters around the fund, and so how that would work would be essentially through our staff and the application to the fund or the renewal of the fund.

They may establish different parameters around it , which may limit it, it may be different size for municipalities. So I think those are some of the questions that we simply can’t answer yet. So this is really protecting the social services reserve fund because again, as you know, it’s not like we have a shortage of needs in this space. The fund doesn’t have a huge balance in it.

And so this is to backstop that. Hopefully replenish it if we get funding, but ultimately the answer to your question is gonna be a function of the program parameters and what can and can’t be done with them. Councillor Ferrer. Okay, I appreciate that.

I do know that we don’t know what the amount is, even if we do get that, secure that money as it is. My follow up is kind of like that, but I’m just gonna state it for the record as it is a question, and if you can’t answer, please do, but if you can’t, I understand, especially with the answer that you just gave. But with the, I guess, the two funding channels that we see in this motion, the 25,000 per month or 519 per suit, and the 60,000 per month with the arcade street mission services, I would assume that if we were to get the unsheltered homelessness encampment initiative funding and we see that perhaps those amounts could be adjusted. They would be potentially adjusted when we know how much we ‘re getting from the UHEI funding.

So I guess if you can’t answer that you kind of did already but if you want to put some comments on that. Thank you. I might just go to staff just to clarify because my understanding it’s going to be an application process so at the time that an application process potentially opens up that would be an option for those organizations to then come forward with their ask. And that would be the place for the figuring out, I think, of more of those numbers related to the ask.

What we did was we worked on the motion to address what had been put forward as the ask for option three, as well as the letter from Arcade. Mr. Dickens. Thank you, Chair, and that’s correct.

We would — we need to see the details of what the application is, if the criteria changes, if the scope that the provincial government wants to see these funds go towards versus what the federal government wanted to see those funds go towards, it’s highly possible those could be two different things. If we learn of an application process and if we learn that we’re eligible to apply, we would absolutely be working with community partners around forming that ask and submitting that ask. It’s conceivable that the UHEI may set its own cap per applicant. We know what the overall envelope is, and we’ll have to see how that’s being dispersed nationwide.

There will be lots of asks, which will exhaust at $125 million, no doubt. We’ll have to see what parameters are set. We’ll, of course, make sure we try to maximize, as we always do, any other order of government’s funding prior to maximizing or exhausting our municipal contributions Council for air. Okay, thank you for that.

I hope that answers the questions from five when I’m pursuing I know you ‘re asking those questions before. Okay, I appreciate the work from everybody everybody who spoke up in the gallery from staff from the mayor from the chair. Thank you. I’ll support this.

Thank you looking for other speakers. Councilor P ribble. Thank you and I’ll start by thanking the mayor and the council for bringing this in front of us because as you’ve heard during our last meeting this was a concern and it’s issue that we are all aware of that we need to address. I don’t know how many times I heard during past so many years from directly from the individuals or through someone how many lives 519 pursued safe.

It’s really it’s an incredible outreach organization and you know when I go to the nearby where they’re let’s say encampments are and there’s there are neighborhoods and people are outside that I do ask them you know how is everything and they say that the interesting part is if most of the issues are actually, let’s see, over the weekend, and some of them they know if I want to pursue some, they say that organization that comes here helps the individuals. And they actually say that the issues that are usually on the weekends, because this organization has kind of funding and volunteers only for Mondays through Friday. But I’m just trying to state how important really it is, this organization, even for the neighborhoods, because of the individual’s residence and it’s an assumption, they say we believe these individuals who are encampments, if they don’t have the food, the water, the essentials, that’s where actually the increased issues arise. So I really think that, you know, and as I said, I could say many times, how many times have been safe.

One very recent example today, one of the speakers I reached out today, there’s a young gentleman downtown with an issue, guess what, three, four hours later, this has been already addressed. Thank you very much. I do think that we do have a system in place. We really do.

And yes, every system can be better, but we have it. And it works. I’ll tell you one very recent example before Christmas. I was delivering with San Vincen de Paul Christmas cards and gift cards.

We were delivering them at indwell properties. Others, including indwell. And there were a couple of people that actually told me. I started on the street in the encampment, and there was 519 and London cares for me.

Then I moved up, and I moved up in terms of either, it was the mission services, it was the arcade, it was the Salvation Army. And now I’m in Indwell, I have steady housing, and I’m actually helping the ones that are on the street. I’m trying to mentor them and help them. So we do have a system that in place, it does work, could it be better?

Any system can be better. I mean, you gotta work on the improvement. But when I’m trying to say 519 pursuit, you are a huge, huge part of it. We all thank you greatly.

And as you heard, yes, this is a temporary way forward. But as you heard from some of my colleagues, we will be dealing with it. Hopefully there will be funding through higher levels of government. But if not, we will be dealing with it because we do realize, and I’m not just saying this, you heard it from the other ones, my colleagues, we do realize how important crucial you work is and it’s part of our system.

So thank you and I have no more questions or comments. Thank you. Thank you, looking for other speakers on this item. Okay, seeing none, Councilor Pribble, will you take the chair for me?

I take the chair and I recognize Councilor Ram an. Thank you and through you, presiding officer, I just wanted to first say thank you to the deleg ations that spoke today and to the folks that took the time to write in and there was quite a number of communications on the added agenda and on the regular agenda. And lots of stories as well, which I thought was quite moving. So thank you for those as well.

This was one of those situations where as a member of council, we are trying to make decisions with sometimes imperfect information when it comes to funding opportunities and really relying on the ability to kind of predict what we think may be some of the funding criteria that come forward, but knowing that our local federal MPs who care deeply about this community will also advocate to meet the needs that are necessary in this community are provincial MPPs. I know we’ll be hearing from the public and we’ll be hearing from the mayor as we advocate for funding that may flow through the province as well. And I just wanted to point out that in the letter , we left the funding source not entirely at UHEI in case other funding UHEI wasn’t realized or the criteria was set in a way that it couldn’t be used for those agencies. It gives some leeway to look for other sources of funding that may flow through the federal or provincial governments as well.

But I do think it’s important that as a committee , we have to sometimes make these decisions based on what we know in the moment in time. And we rely heavily on staff to do so. And I wanna thank staff for their engagement on this because it was quite helpful to understand the landscape. Many of you may know that because of the good work of the big city mayors as well as the continuing advocacy that’s been taking place, an announcement on this funding only came April 1st from the federal government to say that something is coming.

And so something is coming when we had just found out that yes, the funding had completely concluded. So it did put us in a challenging position to make sure that we had something to discuss today. And the social service reserve fund, we’ve already talked about the fact that the fund is under pressure, but as we continue to move forward with looking at a new approach to and our next year’s winter response, we need to ensure that there’s a good balance in that reserve fund as well to make sure that we can stand up the services that we need in the future. So thank you to my colleagues because I will say Councillor Sverrera and Councillor Troceau move the original referral of this item to bring this report.

So thank you for doing so to get this item in front of us. And thank you to those on the committee for participating in the discussion today. And I hope that any other members of council will also engage on this item. There’s lots of opportunity to talk to the agencies.

I know they’re very open to those conversations as well as city staff. So thank you. Thank you, Councillor. I’m returning to chair back to you.

Thank you, looking for any last speakers, seeing none online, seeing none in chambers, we will open the vote on the as amended. Closing the vote, the motion carries six to zero. Thank you colleagues, it is 3.53. We have one item remaining on this section and then we have a item next on the deferred matters and additional business.

I’m wondering if we can deal with 4.3 and then look to take a break before we start the item 2.6. If that’s amenable to the committee, I’ll move forward. Okay, and I see Mayor Morgan has to step out. I will look for a mover and a seconder to accept the delegation for Ms.

J. Phoenix, who’s here in the gallery, waited patiently for us. Thank you so much. I’ll look for a move in our seconder.

Councilor Ferreira, Councillor Trossa, thank you, and just among, we’ll open the vote. Closing the vote, the motion carries five to zero. Okay, thank you Ms. Phoenix for joining us today.

You will have five minutes, and I will give you a warning at 30 seconds, and I know you’ve done this before, so I know that you’ve already, you know the process. I’ll let you begin, please go ahead. Thank you, Madam Chair. I’ll try to stick to my notes today, unlike last session.

I’m gonna be speaking quickly this afternoon about highlights that are in our response. I’m hoping the response has been read by all of CAPS committee members. I did send it to you and I hope it’s attached to the public record as well. I do wanna point out that city staff had weeks to prepare to prepare the report to a puddle board of directors at Wednesday at noon until Friday morning at 9 a.m.

to prepare the response. So that might be why you guys don’t get a lot of responses from community organizations, because it’s a little bit unbalanced. So, you know, I’m here on behalf of ToaPuddle. Nobody’s forgot that.

But what I wanna say today is what’s happening at ToaPuddle is not an isolated failure. It’s a system wide issue. It’s not a government’s failure. It’s not a property management failure.

This is a mismatch between housing expectations and available resources. What did the Board inherit? When the Board and the current management team were engaged, Toepuddle was facing financial disorganization, serious capital issues, including issues with flooding, structural issues , damage from fires, damage from criminal activity, safety risks, high vacancies, and these conditions developed over years, not over months. What has the Board done?

We’ve rebuilt financial systems and completed audits. As a matter of fact, housing staff receives our financial audit as prepared by Ford Keys every single year, so none of this should have been a surprise to housing division. We’ve restored governance and compliance, returned 21 units to occupancy, improved safety and reduced criminal activity and forced arrears and eviction policies wherever we can. The landlord tenant tribunal is not always cooperative with that and we’ve always tried to work continuously with city staff and our other partners.

These are not the actions of a failing organization. These are the actions of a board that is actively trying to stabilize one. Here is the system failing. Members’ needs have changed significantly as we spoke about before.

Higher mental health and addiction complexity increase safety risks, but funding has not changed. Supports have not been added. Service models remain outdated. Housing providers are being asked to manage complex health and social issues without health and social issue resources.

of timely support. The board has made multiple formal requests for assistance. We’ve submitted safety-focused requests. We’ve requested audits and funding supports.

However, responses were often delayed or even absent. Previously directed actions were not implemented. Meaningful engagement and occurred only after an escalation. Two puddle didn’t get any of this intention until the last CAHPS committee when I came here to speak to you.

That’s when everything started. Not 18 months ago when we were begging staff for help didn’t happen then. Earlier intervention as requested could have prevented much of the current situation. There’s a funding reality here.

Current funding does not cover security and hand-stapping on-site, including maintenance, increased office hours. We have thousands and thousands of dollars and damage from high-accuity tendencies. Unit damage usually exceeds $50,000 per unit. And the co-op has been forced, yes, forced, to deplete our capital reserve funds.

Now, I know there was a report that went out to you that we had lots of money in our capital reserves . That’s not true. What needs to be happened now is that we have always been ready, willing, and able to work with the city staff. We still are.

We want your help. But just an example, on Friday morning, city staff reached out to me, asked me if I had any questions about the report. I said, yes, I do. Thank you.

I suggested the question. Thank you. Okay, I will go to members of committee on this item. There is a motion that contains A, B, C, D, and E in the report, as well as the delegation and the communication that was received in the added agenda.

I’m looking for a mover and a seconder on this so we can begin discussion on this item. Councillor Perbele, for a seconder, Councillor Hopkins, thank you, and with that, I will look for speakers. Councillor Trossa. First of all, thank you very much for your response.

I know it’s difficult to create a document with that level of detail given the time constraints. It’s a persistent problem. I don’t think it’s anybody’s fault. It’s just this council is trying to condense a lot of business into a short amount of time and we’ll be hearing more about that in the next item as well.

But I do wanna thank you for your response. I think what I would really like to try to get to the bottom of is there’s back and forth here. And I would really like to see the board, your board, get on the same page with city staff. Because ultimately, we all have a responsibility to the residents of the building.

Not to escalate this or engage in such back and forth that it’s gonna create a situation where we run the risk of this project failing. And it would be at the level of putting the residents of this property in jeopardy. That’s why I actually really appreciate having this report come to us, getting to hear the response. But I feel that in the past, I don’t feel that we’ve gotten this level of information.

I have particular concerns, which I’d like to raise again. And that is, how could it have been the situation that the conditions in this premises were so dire , were so bad, that would have risen to the level, that would have sunk to the level of a very poor if an asset management plan had been prepared. How was it the case that the previous Food Enforcement Administration allowed it to get to the point where it is right now? Why was this not dealt with, at least from a conditions abatement process earlier on?

Oh, I’ll leave that. I think I’d ask Mr. Mathers that question because I know that the current incumbent in the position is relatively new and I see that this issue is being dealt with now . What about over the years?

Mr. Mathers? Through the chair. So there has been a number of issues over the years.

I’ll let Mr. Falberg get into that as well. So like anything, we’re here to be able to respond to what we hear from the community and what we hear from counselors as well. So we’ve done our best to be able to proceed in that way over the years.

And there is a significant number of back and forths from the compliance perspective. We’re not gonna go through each one of those items today. So we are attempting to ensure that there’s compliance with any city property or any time that we get into one of these situations. So we are attempting to do that, of course.

I’ll let Mr. Felberg add in anything else he wants to add in from a housing services perspective. Thank you, Mr. Felberg.

Thank you, and through you, Madam Chair. So the response from Topparo is one that’s really important because it’s a yes-am. There’s a lot of information in there. It’s absolutely true when it comes to the system of around housing since devolution in the early 2000s.

We have a funding model and associated benchmarks that lag behind some of the economic realities that we currently have. items like utilities, insurance, security costs, contracted service, they often escalate faster than what our benchmarks are actually identifying . This is compounded of course by requirements around life safety, accessibility, building code, any fire orders, and even pest management to some extent. And the reporting for that and staying on top of those things can create real capital pressures for different providers.

In section 1.6 of the report, we do outline a number of events that have impacted operations, including unit damage and some of the board changeover. Not suggesting that is a reason why any of these things occurred, but it’s another event that occurred in the life of this property. Section 2.1 talks about the financial health and the unit vacancies, and it also speaks to the capital investments into this property since 2022 by the city. Ultimately, we talk about a transition plan.

So how can we get from where we are today to where we have a place where people can call home and feel safe. And that transition plan includes a number of activities for us as the city to invest in and support the board in their desire to have a successful and safe place to live. Councillor. My understanding is based on what’s in front of us right now, there is going to be another attempt to reconcile the situation between your office code enforcement and the tall puddle board and that further remed ial action is not being taken at this point.

Is that correct? Mr. Felberg. Thank you and through you Madam Chair.

So the the the funding and the program that we’ve identified in the transition plan and the overall and the report itself, It talks about incorporating some of the items that were identified through the fire life safety inspection, the municipal compliance inspection, the septed reviews that were undertaken and then updating that in a comprehensive building condition assessment for us to be able to make those investments into the property and improve the capital needs. And what that allows us to do is have some efficiency in the costs and allow us to hopefully be able to put a few of these things together in order to minimize the scope of work that’s required at the property. Councillor? Yes, thank you, thank you for that.

My main concern here, just in case I haven’t stated this yet, is the condition of the premises that the tenants have to live in. The tenants have the right under provincial and municipal law to have the systems working into live in good conditions. And I know we’re dealing with very poor conditions as we have across many many many properties across the city. Topolo is not the only one that that that’s a challenge but I do see that there is that there is going to be additional funding here.

I’m very pleased to see that. I want to I would like to know when the civic administration is going to come back to this committee for sort of an update in in terms of how the remedial measures are going. I don’t wanna hear that further sanctions have been imposed. I wanna hear an update on how this is a going before something even worse happens.

Can you assure me that that’s going to happen? Mr. Felberg. Through you, Madam Chair.

So we’ve identified approximately six months for us to get from today to where we are in the future. So we’ve identified Q4 in the report. following committee today, we will be issuing the letter, the triggering event letter, which has a 60 day period for prior to it taking place. We’ll notify the board.

We’ll also notify the province that this is occurring, but that doesn’t mean that we will be sitting back and not taking action. We’ll be reaching out to Ms. Phoenix and the board to start and the property manager to start discussing how we can get in there and start doing the building condition assessments, identifying the scope of different projects and starting to prioritize the work that needs to occur. Some of that will include the Coachee work that’s already been identified and a significant portion of that will be closing the gap and completing the municipal compliance and fire order measures so that they can be completed and satisfied.

Councillor? I’ll yield for now. Thank you and just so you know, you have just under a minute left when you come back. Any other speakers on this item?

Councillor Frank, go ahead. Thank you, yes, and I appreciate the information as well as the communication and delegation on this item. I am wondering, given there’s a lot of information that’s being circulated in this report as well as via email, if there’s an ability for us to or authority to undertake an independent audit of this, what has occurred and what has led to the position for the building that we see in the condition now , both from the organization side and the staff side, and if that’s possible for us to do, just so that we have information similar to, we have the MMP audit for 122 baseline, we have a report that explains what happened, and in that way we can make sure that we can avoid the same pitfalls in the future. Just a moment of staff confer, Mr.

Felberg. Thank you, and through Madam Chair. So under the Housing Services Act, we do have that authority to undertake an audit. I would look at an audit being very similar to something we do called an operational review.

It’s actually one of the things we do and we’re assessing the service agreement requirements which are outlined in item 2.7 on today’s agenda. So what we do is we’d go and we’d look at the governance model and some of the decision making efficiency. We’d look at financial operations and some of the matters around how any debts that are any debts and how the subsidies are being used. We’d also look at the requirements under the transferred housing project and whether our GI units to be delivered appropriately.

And then we’d also assess the capital needs through the building condition assessment. That would be the typical approach from the service manager perspective, assessing any other matters in the building, any other activities. Wouldn’t be something we would typically undertake. As far as the process, we would go out and procure a third party to do that as opposed to having staff do it.

And then we’d work with the board and property management on how we can implement that in order to collect whatever information is required to do that. As far as cost go, I don’t have a cost for you at this time, but we will assess that and consider that under our procurement policy. Councillor Frank. Thank you, perhaps then between now and council I’ll ask for a bit more information, but I am also interested in understanding not only what is occurring within the housing co- op, but also just the process and the relationship between staff and our departments as well.

So I’m not sure if that could be included an external audit, but I think that this is an opportunity for us to learn from whatever has occurred. Obviously, we need to move forward at this point and address the ongoing issues at toll puddle, as well as trying to make sure that the building is safe and secure for tenants and for future tenants. But I also think this is, in my opinion, an opportunity for us to have an understanding of what occurred and just make sure that moving forward, we don’t see something similar in the future. So perhaps between now and council, I’ll have some chats to see what that might look like.

Thank you. I had Councilor Perbal next. Thank you, sir, the chair to the staff. I question Ms.

Phoenix. She mentioned that she sent on Friday some questions potentially comments. And it’s not that I do expect us that we’ll be replying or responding to her correspondence from Friday. But my question is, if someone from the staff has already read it, based on those questions comments, would there be any change in your report and the recommendations?

Or would it still be very valid? you will just be responding to her, thank you. Mr. Falberg.

Thank you, and to you Madam Chair, I think the transition plan is quite robust and it covers a lot of ground on what the operations would be. So I think what we would want to do is we’d want to look at if there are any changes required for that transition plan, I don’t think so. The project in difficulty does grant the service manager a little bit more leeway to be able to flow funding and be able to work directly with the board in a different way than it normally would. So that is definitely a benefit to us.

Bringing in mentorship is one of the things that we talked about as well. And that was on the table a number of years ago. We’d be bringing that back on as well. So I’ll have to go back and look at the questions in detail and consider that.

But I think the transition plan as it sits today is enough for us to act and change this property. Councilor Perville. Thank you and one follow-ups for the chair. If there would be something significant, I assume you would be coming back and you would update us before the council, correct?

Mr. Palberg. Thank you through you Madam Chair. Yes, that would be my intention if it was changing the transition plan significantly.

Yes, we would, we would update council. Councilor? Thank you very much. No more questions?

Thank you. Councilor Hopkins. Yeah, thank you Madam Chair and thanks to staff for their report. And thank you to Ms.

Phoenix for being here. I know timelines are pretty short. Getting the board together is not easy to do sometimes with the limited time that you have. But I do appreciate you being here and explaining the board’s position to us.

I am supporting the recommendation as much as the capital improvements that are needed of over 700,000 to get toll p uddle going again. And it’s really for those tenants that are living there. And it’s important. I think the recommendation in D is also important .

And that’s that transition plan. That toe puddle, the board, and staff will be working together to deal with the ongoing discrepancies that have been noted. So I would really encourage the board and staff to work together and looking forward to an update coming back to council whenever that happens. So thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Ferrera. Thank you, Chair. I guess I’ll start with thanks to Ms. Phoenix for your delegation and your work.

Thank you to staff for your work as well. And I would say, I think it’s important moving forward that all parties, us, Toa Puddle, and everybody else involved, that we all work together in good faith, moving forward with the same common good and the goal of stabilizing this housing provider. There are people who are living there and in the end we all have the same objective and that objective is to make sure that we provide a safe living environment, we provide a clean living environment, we provide one that just raises and has a standard of living that everybody can be happy with and I know that can be achieved. I just would like to see what is the best way, the best path forward.

I think what staff has presented to us and the conversations that we’ve had, I think this is a good path. And I really think that just it’s a matter of we should be looking forward now rather than kind of what happened in the past. Like obviously we need to be informed of what happened in the past and ask those questions and get that clarification and use that information for how it is that we can bring that common state of what everybody is really looking for because I really think that we all have the same ideas what we would like to see toe puddle be. And I think that if we have that focus, we can get there.

So I appreciate the comments that I heard here committee. I appreciate the work that’s been done. And I think we can get there. So I guess I’ll await for that report to come back in Q4 and the work that’s moving forward.

So I appreciate just the conversation that we have. And I think that we can get there. So I have faith. Thank you, looking for other speakers on this item.

Councilor Trossa, you’ve been a minute left, go ahead. Yes, and I’m going to support this right now. I do have questions in my, my, my vote may change by council and I may want to put an amendment in, but one thing that I am concerned about is Q4. Well, that could be the end of December.

This council’s gone. I’m, I would really like to see that, at least an interim report moved up. I’m not going to put a motion on the table right now, but I need to better understand why we can’t have an interim report over, at some point over the summer. I’m not asking for a full response on that right now, but just to let people know where I’m going on this, I’m not comfortable with the Q4.

And I may raise that at council unless there’s a real good reason for it. I know that you have a lot of things to do. I know staff has a lot of things to do, But I think this council needs another— Councillor, sorry, that’s your time, but I’ll let you wrap up. Done.

Thank you. Okay, Councillor first. Thanks, Chair. I know I have time, so I’m just gonna finish off with Councillor Trosto’s question.

So I know that there’s a six month period that we’re speaking about, and it is April 13th. So is, I know you have to obviously write reports and do that work there, but is the possibility there to bring it earlier on in Q4, rather than right at the end in December? Mr. Felberg.

Thank you, and through you, Madam Chair. So if you go to, the first step is issuing that triggering event letter. So that has a 60 day period before it actually takes place. That said, we are gonna start work right away to start working with the board.

A couple of the things in the transition planner actually fairly long periods of time, for example , we’ll be looking at implementing supportive housing, property management of the property. that’s one of the items in the transition plan. But to do that, we need to go out and do some expressions of interest first. So we have to develop some procurement documents and then actually get it out on the street before and then assess and analyze any responses that we get back.

So that’s a few months of work prior to having something meaningful to talk to Council about. With respect to the capital work that needs to be done, one of the items in the transition plan is hiring a project manager. So again, there’s a procurement element to that. We need to go out, we need to find a project manager.

We also have to develop a building condition assessment and include the septed review that was previously done in that. So that is also a long period of time for us to undertake some of that work. What I can say is that in the short-term priority will be to ensure that those fire orders and items under the fire life safety are addressed as well as the municipal compliance matters. Those are the short-term quick, I wouldn’t say quick wins, but the things that we want to get done in the short-term, and that’s part of what the funding is for.

There is also a business case submitted by Apex Property Management on behalf of Toa P uddle, quite detailed in what they’re looking for. So we’d look to refine some of the asks in there as well, and look to try and get some of that done. So I don’t know that we’d have anything all that meaningful to speak about, And that’s why we’re suggesting that Q4 appear to give us about six months to get through the work. Councilor.

Thank you. So it sounds like Q4 is kind of ambitious with all the work that we have in there. Okay. I appreciate the response.

Thank you. No further questions. Thank you. I’ll ask Councillor Purple to take the chair.

I have the chair and I recognize Councillor Ram en. Thank you and through you, a presiding officer. First, I wanted to say thank you to Ms. Phoenix for the delegation but also for the media attention as well as to the word counselor for raising this issue as well.

I do note that staff were working on bringing something forward because this was something that had been raised and was flagged and it was also the subject of an earlier report. There was a mention of that this was coming forward as well. So I know that that was in staff’s work plan and was on its way. I just wanna say to staff and to the public, first, thank you for the information, the addressing concerns when a staff report comes , it is quite difficult to meet that turnaround time and I know a lot of people in the public struggle with that.

So it is something that we need to look at changing in our practice a bit and something that we need to give some thought to. However, right now that’s a practice. So we all struggle with the same deadlines and we have letters flying around at all hours in the morning trying to get things in as well. On this item, I just wanted to say that I hear what Mr.

Felberg is saying, that city staff are going to undertake quick start actions as we call them as soon as possible to address the fire compliance and the municipal compliance issues. And I think those are priorities that we’re all hearing. We’re all saying that that matters, that needs to be done, that’s part of our compliance regime anyways, as we still at the same time undertake that waiting period of 60 days to engage with the process that we have in place. And I know this is sometimes difficult for the public to understand, I think, that we have quite a process in order to address these types of concerns.

And I’m just wondering if you might be able to speak to from a process perspective, how I know this isn’t just us. It’s because of a provincial regulation that we have to follow around these types of agreements. But we are trying to do whatever we can to address these things without delays because of the process. And from what I read in the report, we have a transition plan with a two to three- year commitment to continue to assess.

So again, setting some targets around the reduction of the vacancies to normal operating levels, reducing bad debt expenses, decreasing the municipal compliance orders, and so on and so forth. So again, looking for some of those benchmarks that we will or indicators that we will work towards in order to show that we’re addressing the concerns and meeting metrics. But with the reporting structure, and I’m wondering, and I think we’re hearing this repeatedly is that although it’s Q4 that we’ll receive a report, there is options if things need to be brought to council’s attention in a more urgent fashion to do so and whether or not those memos and things like that will be utilized if needed and necessary to communicate to us, so I just wanted to confirm that. And going to the staff for response.

Thank you and through you Mr. Presiding Officer . So yes, absolutely, if there are, if there is intervention required by council, if we are finding that we’re not able to meet some of the terms of the transition plan for whatever reason, we can bring something back, either as you suggested, a memo or a report. The benchmarks you noted, they are identified in the report of certain things that we’re looking for, so those reduction of vacancies that improve debris is management and that bad debt expense, being able to resolve some of those matters, and then you see also the compliance orders in the fire code violations.

in speaking with the fire department as well. They’ve also offered to come in and do not inspections, but be able to support the building with their operations from a fire life safety perspective. And that could be every few months. We need to work that out, but that’s an offer that they’ve made to through the municipal housing team, which will also relate to the toll puddle board as well as something that they can do in order to stay on top of some of those things.

Councillor. Thank you, and that’s helpful. And I just want to conclude with, I understand and I see the willingness by all partners to get to the table and work towards a solution. So I’m very hopeful that we can do so and continue on down a viable path to make sure that we provide safe housing for everyone.

So thank you to everyone that’s spoken on this matter, and I look forward to seeing more progress on this file. Thank you. Thank you, and I just had a request to call E separately. Hello, thank you, Councillor.

I’m returning to chair back to you. Thank you for tuning the chair, and we will pull that apart to pull E separately. Okay, with that, we will look to open the vote on A through D, and that vote will be open just a moment. Opposing the vote, the motion carries five to zero.

Thank you, and that will look for item E to be put on the floor. We’re sorry, not put on the floor to open the vote, just a moment. the motion carries four to one. Thank you with that.

I’m in committee’s hands. We can go to item five and deal with the one item that we have of which there’s a referral to be introduced or we can take a break. It’s up to committee. Councilor Hopkins, I saw your hand, go ahead.

If we could proceed. Okay, not seeing anything different at this point. So we are onto item 2.6, which is the run ev ictions, rental unit repair licensing program one year update. and I will go to Councillor Ferreira.

Thanks, Chair. I’d like to put a referral on the floor. I did circulate it, I do believe I have a second er, and I can read it out if you want, just let me know. Thank you, if you don’t mind.

I, so the referral is that the staff report dated April 13th, 2026 entitled Renavictions, Rental Repair Licensing Program. One year update, be referred to the next meeting of the Community and Protective Services Committee for further consultation with stakeholders, including but not limited to neighborhood legal services, London and Middlesex Acorn, and life’s been, and for the report back to come to committee. And I actually see that I have life span written here. So if the clerks can just put life spin for that, Mark.

And I’ll look for a second. Councillor Trossa, thank you. Any discussion on the referral? Councillor Peraire, go ahead.

Thank you. The reason I’m just bringing it forward is ‘cause stakeholders did reach out and they were seeking further consultation. We had neighborhood legal services, London and Middlesex and Acorn. and I haven’t heard from Lifespin yet, but I just want to ensure that the committee has the benefit of a fuller input before making a decision.

So that’s why I’ve moved the referral. Thank you, Councillor Truss. I appreciate through the chair our press staff is, and I know that we have been placing incredible, unusual demands on particularly this department. And I know that there are incredible demands from the city clerk’s office to get these agendas out on time.

But honestly, when something is a one year review , the public has to have the opportunity to have more than a few hours to digest it. And I think that that’s, I think everybody, I hope everybody agrees with that. I have no problem with a lot of the things that have been written. I have questions about some of them.

But for me, the part of the report that I’m not comfortable with is what’s not being stated there. And I need to give the other organizations that have been working on this issue from the very beginning. So I just hope that colleagues will go along with this referral. And I hope that if nothing else will give the other organizations the chance to make a proper agenda presentation and perhaps a delegation request.

So thank you very much. And again, thank you so much to the staff. I know how hard you’ve worked on this. Same thing for the court.

Councillor Hopkins. Thank you. Councillor Hopkins. Yeah, just a quick question through you to staff.

Would one month be enough to meet with the stakeholders in the community? just want to have a sense of this is an update. Do we need a little bit more time? Just want to be open to hearing back from staff.

Thank you, I’ll go to Ms. Pepper. Through you, Madam Chair. I do believe that one month will be sufficient.

We’re looking specifically at one of the proposed bylaw amendments that has created some tension. And I think through further conversation, we may have a solution that is palatable on both sides to accomplish what we’re trying to do with this proposed change. So I think it is a reasonable amount of time and pushing it any further will put it into conflict with several of our other required reports. So I like the one month timeframe.

Councillor. Good to hear. I’m supportive. Thank you, looking for any other speakers.

Okay, seeing none, we will look to open the vote on the referral. Councillor Trozzell, closing the vote. The motion carries five to zero. Okay, thank you.

That takes us to item seven, adjournment, looking for a mover and seconder, Councillor Fer rera. Councillor Per beau, thank you by hand, all in favor. That motion carries. Thanks everyone, have a great evening.