We have continued to see the City Hall’s ongoing failure to address problems that have spiraled into the daily reality of families, businesses and vulnerable Torontonians from the mental health and addictions crisis, to encampments, to unsafe public spaces. This is not compassion. This is neglect. Toronto deserves a real plan with real results.
In the next election, ABC Toronto will support candidates for council and mayor who promise to restore safety and confidence on our streets by investing in real recovery that will help make our neighbourhoods and parks safer. This evidence-based proposal will restore safety, accelerate access to treatment, and hold the City accountable for real outcomes.
A 50% Surge in Recovery Capacity immediately, not in 2030
- Add 400 recovery beds and outpatient slots in the first year .
- Eliminate user fees for publicly funded treatment beds, with the City topping up funding where necessary.
People can’t recover if they can’t afford treatment. Toronto should stop pretending otherwise and show compassion.
Encampments are unsafe for residents and for the people living in them, our plan would put in a place a firm but compassionate policy:
- When a safe shelter or recovery bed exists, the City must clear encampments within 48 hours.
- Provide transport, ID support, case management, and storage of belongings to ensure dignified transitions.
Leaving people in tents isn’t compassionate—it’s abandonment. Toronto needs a duty to act, not a fear of acting.
Clean Parks, Clean Streets: Rapid Biohazard Response- Toronto’s parks should not be poison hazards to our children.
- Deploy rapid-response biohazard cleanup teams with same-day service levels.
- Target high-need areas: Trinity Bellwoods, Moss Park, Allan Gardens, High Park, Sherbourne Commons.
- Add a 311 pin-drop system for needles and sharps to ensure immediate dispatch.
Many of these policies are mirrored after successful programs seen in Alberta, with a strong focus on recovery. Toronto is a caring and compassionate city, but that doesn’t mean families should have to dodge needles on a Saturday morning. Toronto can do better, and we will push it to. But it can’t happen with the same old leadership and the same old excuses.