Mitzie Hunter issues five-point plan to enhance and improve neighbourhood parks

More shade trees, litter bins cleared more often, clean and working washrooms and drinking fountains, allow responsible consumption of alcohol in parks

Toronto – Mitzie Hunter, mayoral candidate, has issued a five-point plan to enhance and improve our neighbourhood parks.

Under Hunter’s plan she will:

• Add trees through the City’s neighbourhood shade tree program and reverse recent cuts to the tree maintenance budget.

• Ensure enhanced litter, park bin and street litter bin collection.

• Winterize park washrooms to keep them open year-round; Make sure water fountains are clean and operating.
• Provide greater local control over our park programming.
• Allow people to drink alcohol responsibly in parks across the city.

“Parks are the heart of our city,” says Hunter. “For too long, they’ve been under-invested in. My plan will improve and enhance our parks.”

Hunter has presented a fully-costed platform including a balanced budget plan. It includes $10 million a year for enhanced litter bin clearance and $7.7 million over three years to fix and improve park washrooms and drinking water fountains.

As previously announced, public parks will be at the heart of Hunter’s plan to renew Toronto as a creative city, recognizing their importance to quality of life and their potential to host cultural events and activities. 

Hunter will add more than 17 acres of new parks and green space at 68 sites across the city through her proposed Toronto Affordable Housing Corporation (TAHC).  

There will be 34 new sites with on-site playgrounds for building residents and local neighbours and 34 new sites with larger parkettes offering green space, exercise stations and playgrounds for building residents and local neighbours.These parks will be installed with senior-friendly outdoor fitness equipment in the design and refurbishment of new TAHC parks. 

“As mayor, I will enhance and improve neighbourhood parks in every part of the city,” Hunter said.

The measures are included in Hunter’s fully-costed plan to Fix the Six for a Toronto that works for everyone. While others refuse to be clear on their property tax proposals, Hunter has put forward her 3 & 6 plan detailed in her platform released Thursday.

Under this plan, the 40 per cent of homeowners with household income under $80,000 will have a below-inflation increase equal to 3% - $108 per year for the average Toronto homeowner.

More than 50 per cent of all seniors who are homeowners will be able to eliminate or defer their property tax increase so they have no out-of-pocket increase. 

Higher-income homeowners who can afford to pay a little more will be asked to pay six per cent which is $216 per year for the average Toronto homeowner. This is only slightly more than the 5.5-per-cent increase in 2023.  

It’s a new, different, affordable and progressive way to adjust property tax increases fairly.

“I want to lead Toronto’s revival. I have a comprehensive, fully-costed plan to do exactly that. A plan that does not depend upon the wishful thinking that other levels of government will provide a Toronto-only bail out. That has never happened before. And it isn’t going to happen now. We need to get going ourselves, and we can. So we can then invest and build the Toronto we want.” 

-30-

Contact:

Charmain Emerson charmain@culturedcommunications.ca

Notes for remarks by Mitzie Hunter announcing her plan to build and ”, May 27 2023:

• Since the beginning of this campaign I have systematically laid out my priorities.

• More affordable housing, more quickly. 

• Unlocking public lands for affordable housing. 

• Below-market price housing for renters and buyers. 

• More affordable TTC… with seniors and Wheel Trans users to ride free. 

• Reversing the TTC fare increase and service cuts. 

• Investing more in city services… so the city works better.

• More pot holes filled, better snow clearance…

• Today… I am announcing my five-point plan to enhance and improve our neighbourhood parks. 

• Under my plan I will:

• One... Add more shade trees by reversing recent cuts to the tree maintenance budget.

• Two… Ensure enhanced litter, park bin and street litter bin collection.

• Three… Winterize park washrooms to keep them open year-round.

• I will also make sure drinking water fountains are clean and operating.

• Four… provide greater local control over our park programming; and

• Five… Allow people to drink alcohol responsibly in parks across the city.

• Parks are the heart of our city.

• For too long, we have not invested enough in our parks. 

• My plan will improve and enhance our parks so everyone can enjoy them.

• This is part of my fully-costed platform including a balanced budget plan. 

• Today’s announcement builds on my plan to put public parks at the heart of my making Toronto a creative city.

• I want to enhance the potential of parks to host cultural events and activities in all parts of Toronto. 

• Under my plan, through my Toronto Affordable Housing Corporation,  I will add more than 17 acres of new parks and green spaces at 68 sites across the city.

• There will be 34 new sites with on-site playgrounds for building residents and local neighbours. 

• There will also be 34 new sites with larger parkettes offering green space… exercise stations… and playgrounds… for building residents and local neighbours.

• Parks are so important to quality of life. 

• As mayor, I will enhance and improve neighbourhood parks in every part of the city. 
• I want to lead Toronto’s revival. 

• I have a comprehensive, fully-costed plan… to do exactly that. 

• While other candidates  refuse to be clear on their property tax proposals… I am crystal clear.

• I have put forward my Three-and-Six plan.

• Under my plan… 40 per cent of homeowners… all those with a household incomes under $80,000… will have a below-inflation increase $108 a year… that’s a three-per-centincrease.

• More than 50 per cent of seniors will be able to eliminate or defer their property tax increase and have no out of pocket costs at all.

• Small businesses and creative activities will also pay nothing more in new property tax.

• And higher income homeowners who can afford to pay a little more will be asked to pay six per cent more… that’s $216 a year. 

• It’s a new… different… affordable… and progressive way to adjust property tax increases fairly.

• A plan that does not depend upon the wishful thinking… that other levels of government… will provide a Toronto-only bail out. 

• That has never happened before… And it isn’t going to happen now.

• We need to get going ourselves… and we can.

• I want to Fix the Six.

• So we can then invest… and build the Toronto we want. 

• Join me.