The Willowdale We Are Building
Powered by a Connected Community

FOUNDATION: A Connected Community

A connected community doesn't happen by accident; it grows when people have opportunities to participate, collaborate, and build relationships. Together, we created more ways for residents to help shape Willowdale than ever before:

• Built a Connected Community Model through town halls, community consultations, leadership gatherings, Youth Council, surveys, neighbourhood events, and regular opportunities for residents to share ideas.

• Launched Participatory Budgeting, giving residents a direct voice in deciding how community funds are invested.

• Created the Willowdale Action Hub, making it easier to propose ideas, participate in consultations, and help shape neighbourhood priorities.

• Celebrated Willowdale's arts and cultural diversity through festivals, arts programming, heritage celebrations, music, and the official recognition of Little Iran.

• Strengthened partnerships with residents, schools, businesses, BIAs, community organizations, faith groups, and cultural organizations.

Safer & Thriving Neighbourhood

Everyone deserves to feel safe, supported and proud to call Willowdale home.
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Over the past four years, I worked to make our community safer by listening to residents and turning their concerns into action. We strengthened Neighbourhood Watch, advocated for the establishment of the Yonge Street Foot Patrol, hosted safety town halls, and supported a long-term police hiring plan to improve frontline capacity, resulting in 800 new police officers hired and a 50% reduction in emergency response times.
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We also took action to prevent violence, improve road safety, and invest in the places where community happens. That meant installing 25 Smart Signals, traffic calming measures, parks, dog parks, playgrounds, schoolyards, and recreation spaces that make neighbourhoods more welcoming and secure.
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Just as importantly, we invested in people. We supported childcare, student nutrition, youth leadership and employment opportunities, seniors, families, and the community organizations that help neighbours support one another.
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Because building a safer Willowdale isn't just about reducing crime, it's about creating a community where people of every age feel safe, connected, and have the opportunity to thrive.

Responsible Growth

Willowdale continues to grow, and that growth should make our community stronger, not strain the services residents rely on. As Provincial changes reduced the City's influence over planning decisions, I continued to advocate for Willowdale and ensure local voices remained part of the conversation.
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Over the past four years, we secured 20,000 sq. ft. of new community space at 45–47 Sheppard Avenue East and protected 4,200 sq. ft. of community space at 5220 Yonge Street. We also negotiated stronger community benefits from new developments and worked with residents to help shape the future of North York Centre through the Secondary Plan process.
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Growth also means planning ahead. I fought to ensure new development is supported by the transit, schools, childcare, parks, roads, healthcare and community spaces our growing neighbourhood needs. We also secured more visitor parking in new developments and advocated for parking policies that better reflect the realities of North York.
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My commitment is simple: welcome growth, protect our quality of life, and ensure Willowdale has the infrastructure needed to support the community for generations to come.

A Vibrant Economy

Willowdale is more than a place to live, it's home to one of Toronto's fastest-growing business, employment and cultural districts. A strong North York Centre creates opportunities for residents, supports local businesses and strengthens our local economy.
 
Over the past four years, I worked alongside the Yonge North York BIA, local businesses and community partners to support economic growth, protect employment opportunities and advocate for greater investment in North York Centre as one of Toronto's key economic hubs.
 
We also helped bring thousands of residents and visitors together through festivals, markets, concerts and cultural celebrations that showcased our diverse community while creating new opportunities for local businesses, artists, vendors and community organizations.
 
My vision is a vibrant North York Centre with bustling main streets, successful local businesses, great public spaces and a community that people are proud to live, work and visit.

Innovation for a Better City

City Hall should never stop looking for better ways to serve residents. By embracing new ideas and proven technology, we can improve services, reduce costs and make everyday life easier.
 
Over the past four years, I championed innovative solutions such as Smart Poles, Smart Signals, AI-assisted road condition monitoring and automated noise enforcement to help improve traffic flow, identify infrastructure issues sooner and make City services more efficient and responsive.
 
I also led a sponsored Toronto delegation of councillors and senior City staff to the Taiwan Smart City Summit, where we explored practical solutions for transportation, housing, sustainability and municipal service delivery that can help shape Toronto's future.
 
Innovation also starts at the community level. We brought residents together by championing community bike rides, environmental fairs, the Willowdale Repair Café and Climate Action Roundtables, giving people practical ways to build a cleaner, healthier and more connected neighbourhood.
 
The future of city government should be smarter, more efficient and more connected—delivering better results for residents while making every tax dollar go further.

Let's keep building a stronger, more connected Willowdale!

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