Archive for 'Reports'
“Cutting My Backyard” Report – Impacts of the City Core Services Review
Posted on 13. Dec, 2011 by Jeremy.
In 2011, the City of Toronto appointed KPMG consultants to conduct a Core Service Review to determine which services in the City of Toronto are mandatory and which are discretionary. This exercise was undertaken in order to reduce the City’s expenditures to compensate for the projected budget shortfall of $774 million in 2012. The goal of the Core Service Review was to reduce or eliminate services that the City is not legally obligated to provide in order to balance the budget.
The purpose of this report is to outline the negative impacts the proposed service cuts would have on the City of Toronto. By highlighting the adverse effects of the service cuts, City Councillors as well as residents of Toronto will be able to make more informed and educated decisions on whether or not to accept the proposed cuts.
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City Budget Watch 2011 updates can be found here
Posted on 25. Nov, 2011 by Jeremy.
This is an archive of last year’s City Budget process updates, written by Beth Wilson.
To catch up on the 2012 City Budget process, Click here.…
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Lesley Johnston of SPT was featured on this morning’s broadcast of CBC Radio’s “The Current” on the topic of school fundraising. Click here for a recording of the show.
Posted on 22. Sep, 2011 by admin.
Episode description provided by CBC Radio:
“School Fundraising – Lesley Johnston
It’s not obvious why a dunk tank would be an essential ingredient in a child’s education. But increasingly, fundraising events such as in Medicine Hat are at the core of school life. That’s because bake sales, raffles and casino nights can be very effective ways of generating money for school supplies, class trips or new playground equipment.
For some schools, fundraising can bring in tens of thousands of dollars. Take this new school in Calgary for example – a playground wasn’t part of the original plan for the school. Tiffany Voorsberg is a parent who fundraises for her child’s school in Calgary. We heard from her.
But not all school’s are created equally when it comes to fundraising. Schools in affluent neighbourhoods can bring in more money — often a lot more — than schools in poorer neighbourhoods. And how that gap should be bridged has even become an election issue in Ontario. We heard some thoughts on school fundraising from those on the provincial campaign trail in Ontario.
The debate over school fundraising is being further fueled by a new report called Public System, Private Money: Fees, Fundraising and Equity in the Toronto District School Board. Lesley Johnston is the principle author of the report. She’s also a research and policy analyst with the not-for-profit group, Social Planning Toronto. Lesley Johnston was in Toronto.
School Fundraising – Panel
For some thoughts on how the politics of fundraising plays out where they live, we were joined by two people. Heather Benna is the chair of the Parent Advisory Council at Lord Kitchener Elementary in Vancouver… she’s not speaking on behalf of the council though, just as a parent. And Diana Pollock is the Chair of the Parent Advisory council at Hastings Elementary in Vancouver.”
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New Report Released: PUBLIC SYSTEM, PRIVATE MONEY: Fees, Fundraising and Equity in the Toronto District School Board
Posted on 12. Sep, 2011 by admin.
The underfunding of Ontario’s public education system has led to the dependence of public schools on fees and fundraising activities to subsidize budgets. Disparities in these school-generated funds are deepening inequalities within the Toronto District School Board. Schools in wealthy neighbourhoods are able to raise large amounts of money in comparison to schools in low-income neighbourhoods with large numbers of marginalized students leading to gaps in learning opportunities.
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Press Release: New Report shows that Toronto’s youth face barriers in accessing the space they need to work, gather and play
Posted on 05. Jul, 2011 by admin.
Social Planning Toronto and the SPACE Coalition release their report entitled Another Winter, Another Spring: Toronto Youth Speaking Out about Space, highlighting the lack of accessible, affordable and appropriate space in Toronto for the City’s youth
A report released today by Social Planning Toronto and the SPACE Coalition (Saving Public Access to Community Space Everywhere) entitled Another Winter, Another Spring: Toronto Youth Speak Out about Space reveals the importance of youth having access to public space and identifies continuing barriers that youth face when they attempt to access space.
Click here to read the full report.
“The importance of belonging is a fundamental need for all of us,” says Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, “We know that safe spaces are crucial in meeting that need for young people. I am troubled by the lack of access to these spaces in Toronto and across the Province.”
Youth use space in a number of ways. Space is critical to the development of youth-led enterprises and to run extracurricular activities. It is where young people can spend time with friends, develop skills or access services. It is used to nurture artistic creativity and innovation.
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