Dear neighbour,
Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced another sweeping round of tariffs, targeting dozens of countries, including Canada.
By drastically changing trade rules, Trump has upended the global economy. The stock markets are in shock, and so are we.
Here’s a timeline of what we know so far:
- February 1: The U.S. announced a 10% tariff on Canadian energy imports and a 25% tariff on all other Canadian imports. These tariffs were initially set to take effect on February 4, but were delayed to March 4.
- March 4: In response to the initial U.S. tariffs, Canada imposed a 25% tariff on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods.
- March 12: The U.S. reimposed a 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum imports.
- March 13: Following the tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, Canada implemented reciprocal tariffs of 25% on U.S. steel products, aluminum products, and additional U.S. goods.
- March 26: President Donald Trump announces a 25% tariff on imported automobiles, including parts to take effect April 3 for cars and trucks and May 3 for parts.
- April 2: President Donald Trump announced a new baseline 10% tariff on most imported goods, with higher rates for certain countries. Canada and Mexico were temporarily exempted from these new tariffs due to existing agreements and ongoing negotiations.
- April 3: Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada would impose a 25% tariff on U.S. vehicle imports in direct response to U.S. auto tariffs.
With one in five Ontario jobs tied to trade with the U.S., the tariffs are creating fear and instability for all of us, families, workers and businesses.
We are calling for clear, proactive leadership to support workers, stabilize our economy, and build up local industries and local manufacturing.
We need to work together with all political parties, all levels of government, labour unions and industry to protect Ontario jobs and come out of this stronger, more resilient and more sustainable.
Sincerely,
Jessica Bell
MPP, University-Rosedale
In this newsletter:
- Despite Injunction, consumption sites are closing
- Budget 2025-2026: The quality of our kids’ education is on the line
- Join us on our Renter Summit on Thursday May 1
- Nominate a community hero!
- Join the Kidical Mass Bike Ride on Saturday April 5
- Another week, another Greenbelt scandal
- Auditor General slams Ford government’s failure to support children and youth
Despite injunction, consumption sites are closing
On April 1, an Ontario judge granted a temporary injunction allowing 10 supervised consumption sites to stay open while a Charter challenge against the Community Care and Recovery Act is heard. The law bans sites from operating within 200 metres of schools or daycare centres—effectively forcing closures across the province.
But despite the injunction, none of the nine provincially funded sites slated for closure will continue supervised consumption services. They’re being pushed to transition into “HART Hubs” (Homelessness, Addiction, Recovery, Treatment), and their funding is contingent on ending supervised drug use services. Many sites say they aren’t ready to operate as HART Hubs. Some only received startup funding in mid-March and are still waiting for operational agreements. Critical supports—like rapid access to supportive housing—are missing.
The only site continuing these life-saving services is the Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site, run by the Neighbourhood Group, and located in our riding. They do not receive provincial funding and will not transition into a HART hub.
Ford’s rollout has created confusion, gaps in service, and deep concern for the safety of people who rely on these life-saving sites.
I encourage you to tell Premier Doug Ford ([email protected]), Government House Leader Steve Clark ([email protected]) and Solicitor General Michael Kerzner ([email protected]) that we need to keep consumption sites open and invest in comprehensive addiction treatment, health care and affordable housing programs to help people recover.
Budget 2025-2026: The quality of our kids’ education is on the line
The Toronto District School Board has begun the process of setting the school budget for 2025-2026.
Every year, I talk to parents, teachers, and students about what’s happening in our schools. While there is so much to love about our treasured schools, I also hear about the problems. The large class sizes. Bored kids. The difficulty in getting a permanent teacher, especially a French teacher. Broken washrooms and aging buildings. These are signs of neglect.
Based on what we know so far, for 2025-2026, the TDSB is short:
- $38.5M to support students with special education needs,
- $10.9M to support student and staff mental health, safety, and well-being,
- $4.4B to fix our schools and maintain them in good repair.
We have been effective in pressuring the province to do the right thing for our kids and our schools, and we need to keep the pressure on.
Please contact me at [email protected] or 416-535-7206 to tell us what is happening in your school, and what you would like to do with us in response.
Some ideas to consider:
- Hold a community rally outside your school with parents, students and teachers in the morning before school drop off to raise local issues and encourage investment in Toronto schools. If you’re interested in organizing this, we can help.
- Gather petitions and share them with our office so we can read them out in the legislature. Download them here.
- Attend the TDSB meetings to get an update and speak.
- April 15 (Tuesday) Downtown Budget Town Hall (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m) Harbord Collegiate Institute, 286 Harbord St. RSVP here.
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April 29 (Tuesday) TDSB Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee*
(4:30 p.m) 5050 Yonge St and online. -
April 30 (Wednesday) TDSB Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee*
(4:30 p.m) 5050 Yonge St and online. -
May 15 (Thursday) TDSB Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee*
(4.30p.m) 5050 Yonge St and online. -
June 4 (Wednesday) TDSB Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee*
Approval of 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budgets. (4.30p.m)
5050 Yonge St and online. -
June 18, TDSB Board*
Approval of 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budgets
4.30pm 5050 Yonge St and online.
*You can sign up to speak at the TDSB board committee meetings. Here’s how you do that.
Join us on our Renter Summit on Thursday May 1
We are hosting a Renter Housing Summit to bring together renters, students, advocacy groups, and legal clinics to discuss how you can protect our own home and advocate to change the laws to help all renters. Topics include:
- How do you challenge an Above Guideline Rent Increase (AGIs)s
- What are the new laws affecting renovictions?
- How do we stop demovictions?
- Organizing and strengthening tenant associations
- Housing topics that are important to you
Strong renter organizing is key to pushing for better housing policies and protecting renters' rights on the city, provincial and federal level. We hope you can join us for this important summit.
Connect with tenants, legal resources, advocates, and your MPP to push for stronger housing laws. You can RSVP here.
Nominate your community hero!
Do you know someone who makes a difference in our community? Now’s your chance to celebrate their work! We want to recognize individuals and organizations who live or work in University-Rosedale and are dedicated to making it a better place for all. Nominations are open now until April 14th. Nominate a deserving community leader here.
Join Our Kids, Cycle Toronto, Kidical Mass, and Greenpeace for the Kidical Mass Bike Ride on Saturday April 5
The Conservatives want to remove the bike lanes on Bloor, Yonge, and University Ave, putting the lives of cyclists at risk, including our youngest cyclists.
We hear rumours the government will commence work on the bike lane removals within days or weeks.
Elementary, middle school and high school students frequently use bikes to commute to school, as do the thousands of university students that attend the University of Toronto. Their lives matter.
Please join me at Queen’s Park on Saturday at 2pm at the rally and bike ride to save our bike lanes and protect our kids.
CycleTO marshals will support.This is a Fun, family-friendly event. Decorate your bike, your helmet, wear a costume! Check out the Facebook event page here.
Another week, another Greenbelt scandal
The Integrity Commissioner has ruled that Nico Fidani, a lobbyist and former top aide to Premier Doug Ford, repeatedly broke Ontario’s lobbying laws while trying to get his clients’ lands removed from the protected Greenbelt.
Fidani lobbied senior ministers—including the Premier himself—without registering as required by law. He also failed to report his lobbying activities, as mandated. This is the same insider culture that sparked the original Greenbelt scandal—and once again, nobody is facing real consequences.
We have long called for tougher penalties and stronger transparency laws to stop this kind of backroom lobbying. As opposition Leader Marit Stiles said "We need stronger rules and real consequences when insiders break the law to benefit the rich and well-connected".
Auditor General slams Ford government’s failure to support children and youth
The Auditor General has released a new report that reveals deep failures in the province’s child and youth mental health services. Children are waiting too long for mental health services, facing fewer placement options, and aging out of care without support or tracking. Oversight is weak, and services vary widely depending on where a child lives.
The Auditor General made several key recommendations, including:
- Creating clear provincial standards for service delivery
- Tracking and reporting outcomes for youth who leave care
- Addressing staffing shortages in child protection services
- Ensuring timely access to mental health support
These findings paint a troubling picture of a system that is failing to meet the needs of vulnerable children and youth. If you have feedback on this report, please send it [email protected].
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