What I’m fighting for

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes and neighbourhood.

As I go door to door, I can’t help but notice the number of cameras each home now has, the private security companies patrolling our streets, and the increasing number of wheel locks on cars.

Residents I have spoken with have raised legitimate concerns about crime, disorder, encampments, and public drug use. Rosedale Valley Road is often highlighted in these conversations, along with many of our public spaces throughout the ward.

Up to 30% of the current Toronto police force is eligible to retire in the next three years, which should alarm you as much as it alarmed me. We need to actively hire and train new officers immediately to ensure we have sufficient experienced officers available.

I have also heard, and echo, concerns about e-bikes that are not adhering to any level of true safety.

Taxes have risen 24% over the last three years. We are paying more and getting less.

Many of our roads are in a state of significant disrepair. Our once abundant and well cared for street planters are broken, and weeds are more common than proper landscaping. Garbage cans are broken, and trash too often litters our parks and streets.

Core services must come first: policing, roads, transit, parks, snow removal, infrastructure, and essential services.

Before asking taxpayers for more, City Hall must demonstrate that the money it already receives is being spent effectively.

Bad traffic is costing us our time with family, our climate, and our sanity.

Toronto needs a transportation strategy based on evidence, not ideology. We need transit that is fast, and reliable, alongside a system that includes other modes whether you walk, cycle, drive, or rely on accessible transportation.

Transit must also be safe. No one should fear violence or open drug use on the TTC. People experiencing homelessness, mental illness, or addiction deserve housing and proper supports, not a seat on a streetcar.

Congestion planning needs to be looked at on a grid level, including those who travel in from the GTHA. Not street-by-street.

A world-class city makes it easy to get around no matter the mode of transportation, without leaving anyone behind.

University–Rosedale is so lucky to have some of the city’s most important character neighbourhoods. We need development, but it must be thoughtful and in keeping with the community that is already established. High-rise towers should not be allowed to dominate low-rise communities. We all need to see the sun.

University–Rosedale has one of the highest percentages of seniors across the city. With elderly parents who wish to age in place and a husband with mobility challenges, I know firsthand the importance of accessibility, safe streets, and thoughtful planning.

We need balanced, well designed growth, not density at any cost. Neighbourhoods must be consulted and engaged before any changes are made to existing roads, parking, or transit, not merely told once those changes have been made.

Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods, each with its own character and history. Independent shops, family run restaurants, and entrepreneurs are not just places to buy things, they are what make our streets vibrant and connected.

As a former shop owner, I understand how difficult it is to keep a storefront running. Today, too many small businesses are being squeezed by rising costs and decisions like removing parking and loading access, creating unnecessary disruptions, imposing high taxes, and issuing fines they can't afford. These are the current decisions from City Hall making survival almost impossible.

Building a city of endless towers does not create a city of opportunity. When main streets remove storefronts, and replace them with condo retail spaces, higher commercial rents make it inaccessible for independent shops to return.

Toronto cannot become a city of towers and big boxes and chains. That is a city nobody wants to live in or visit.

I am a strong supporter of freedom of expression. My husband owns a comedy business for goodness' sake!

Antisemitism has moved far beyond disagreement or expression, it has entered the territory of hate. My family has experienced the heartbreaking reality of what it means to be Jewish in Toronto today.

No one should ever feel unsafe to be who they are. No matter their identity, faith, or heritage. Every resident deserves to participate fully in public life without being harassed or intimidated. Hate has no place in our city, and it must be confronted with clarity, consistency, and action.