The following newsletter went out to subscribers on August 18 with the headline Toronto’s Upcoming Election: What You Need to Know. Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
The City of Toronto will be holding an election on Monday, October 26.
This is an opportunity to vote for
- Mayor
- The City Councillor who will represent your ward on Council
- Your School Board Trustee (Learn more about what trustees do on our blog.)
The decisions made at City Hall affect all Toronto residents. Housing, transit, climate, and community wellbeing will all be shaped by the results of October’s elections.
Social Planning Toronto has begun compiling resources so that you and your communities can make an informed decision at the ballot box. Visit our website to learn more about how to vote, when advance voting is taking place, and who is running in the election, as well as details about upcoming events hosted by SPT and our partners, issue-specific fact sheets, and more. We will continue to update this page as more resources become available.
In this issue:
- Learn More About Key Election Issues With SPT’s Fact Sheets
- Event: Have Your Say: Shape Disability Inclusion in City of Toronto’s 2026 Election (August 20)
- Workshop Series: Be(come) Your Own Advocate
- Have Your Say: Federal Pre-Budget Consultations Now Open
- Watch a Recording of Our 2026 Child and Family Poverty Report Webinar
- TTC to Introduce Farecapping on September 1
- Event: Grassy Narrows River Run (September 23)
- Watch an Interview With Our Executive Director on Leading Through Austerity
Learn More About Key Election Issues With SPT’s Fact Sheets
Social Planning Toronto has created six fact sheets outlining key issues this election:
- Affordability
- Climate
- Economy
- Housing
- Transit
- Wellbeing
Each fact sheet outlines proposed policy solutions, and questions you can ask your City Council candidates about how they plan to take action if elected.
Translations of the fact sheets will be available in the coming weeks.
Event: Have Your Say: Shape Disability Inclusion in City of Toronto’s 2026 Election (August 20)
This event, hosted by the GTA Disability Coalition, will provide a non-partisan platform for disability community members, allies, and organizations to participate in the City of Toronto 2026 election through an intersectional disability and accessibility lens.
This event will review the city election process including accessible voting options, how to find local candidates, and issues that matter most to cross-disability communities during this election cycle.
This virtual event will take place on Thursday, August 20, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.This is a registered event and spaces are limited. Learn more and register.
Workshop Series: Be(come) Your Own Advocate
This fall, The Stop Community Food Centre will host a ten week workshop series called Be(come) Your Own Advocate. Participants will learn how to speak up for themselves, understand their needs, and navigate systems with confidence. Topics covered and discussed include needs assessment, mental health, digital literacy, social assistance, financial empowerment, migration, food insecurity, and housing. Those interested are invited to attend an info and intake session on September 29 or October 6. Learn more and register for the info sessions.
Have Your Say: Federal Pre-Budget Consultations Now Open
The Government of Canada is soliciting feedback from all residents on what should be prioritized in the 2026 Budget. This budget will decide how much federal money will be invested in military, housing, pipelines, and more. Share your thoughts by completing a short survey or making a formal submission by September 8.
Watch a Recording of Our 2026 Child and Family Poverty Report Webinar
On June 22, Social Planning Toronto shared key findings from our latest report, Advancing the Promise for Toronto’s Children: Child and Family Poverty Report Card, Toronto 2026 in a recorded webinar. Drawing on the latest available taxfiler data from 2023, the report shows that child poverty in Toronto is growing and becoming more severe. Watch the webinar on our blog.
SPT is encouraging 2026 municipal election candidates to present clear visions for reducing poverty and strengthening social infrastructure. We’ve created child and family poverty profiles for every one of Toronto’s 25 wards, alongside Take Action sheets that highlight specific municipal-level policy recommendations, with questions voters can use to ask council candidates how they plan to address child and family poverty in our city.
Access the Take Action sheets.
Learn more about child and family poverty in your ward.
TTC to Introduce Farecapping on September 1
Beginning September 1, the TTC will introduce their new fare-capping system that will replace the need to buy a pass at the beginning of the month. With the fare capping system, riders who reach 47 paid trips in the same calendar month using the same payment method and same card or device, will not be charged for any additional TTC trips for the rest of that month.
The TTC plans to further reduce the cap to 40 rides in 2027. SPT and transit advocacy group TTCriders broke down the benefits of farecapping on our blog earlier this year.
Event: Grassy Narrows River Run (September 23)
Grassy Narrows First Nation will be hosting a rally on Wednesday, September 23 at noon to fight for mercury justice. The exact location will be determined.
In the 1960s, the Dryden pulp and paper mill dumped 10 tonnes of mercury upstream of Grassy Narrows, which has had catastrophic health and psychological effects that have persisted through generations. An investigative report from last year found that youth suicide attempts in Grassy Narrows were three times as high as in other First Nations in Canada. Mercury contamination continues to affect the water, soil, and food. Grassy Narrows is suing the federal governments for allowing the river to be polluted, and then neglecting to remediate it.
Grassy Narrows is inviting allies to walk in solidarity with their youth and community members in the ongoing movement for Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.
Watch an Interview With Our Executive Director on Leading Through Austerity
SPT's Executive Director Jin Huh was interviewed as part of the webseries “Leading Through Austerity: Diverse Voices." The series, moderated by Dr. Siu Mee Chieng in partnership with the Ontario Nonprofit Network, explores the challenges arising from austerity within the nonprofit sector. Jin discusses how austerity is a political choice that creates false narratives of scarcity to justify underinvestment in housing, social supports, and community services. Watch the full interview.