Dear community members and partners,

The City of would like to invite you to join your neighbourhood to participate in a conference to help us design a city-wide program plan to strengthen neighbourhoods across Toronto.

In April 2014, through the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020 (TSNS 2020), the City identified 31 Neighbourhoods in need of additional supports. The goal of the TSNS 2020 is to ensure that all neighbourhoods across Toronto have equal opportunities by engaging community residents, putting in place appropriate resources and making sure that policies at multiple levels make sense for neighbourhoods.

To learn about the work done so far under TSNS 2020, please visit: http://www.toronto.ca/tsns2020

We would like to invite 3 representatives from your neighbourhood to participate in the first ever TSNS 2020 conference on Saturday, April 25, 10 - 4 pm at City Hall. This event will bring together representatives from the City's 31 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs), funders and City staff to co-design the program of activities that will be a part of TSNS in the following years.

The conference is being designed as a high-engagement event, with close to 180 participants expected to attend. Taking place at City Hall in the Rotunda, Council Chambers and Council Members' Lounge, the conference will include:

 Mapping and discussion of NIA priorities, City and funder resources in a visual format, facilitated by community animators;  Networking lunch in the Council Members' Lounge;  Small groups of residents, funders and City staff working together to identify what we can collectively do to strengthen all 31 Neighbourhood Improvement Areas; and  A closing plenary where participants can share their reflections and learnings.

A second, half day conference is currently being organized for late May, where participants will build on the results of the first conference to finalize the TSNS Program Plan.

Who will be there?  We are inviting a diverse set of voices that have a good understanding of their local priorities, plans and assets, and that also have an interest in discussing the issues and solutions that cross all neighbourhoods.  Due to space we will need to limit the participation to 3 representatives per neighbourhood.  Each representative will have the opportunity to share neighbourhood priorities in the 5 domain areas and will be asked to be part of a focused dialogue on 2 of the domain areas.  We will also be inviting City staff from various divisions and our funding partners that have an important role to play in TSNS 2020.

When and where is this conference?  April 25, 2015 at City Hall- 100 West Toronto, ON  From 10:00am – 4:00pm (registration at 9:30)

If I/my group can't make it to the conference, will we totally miss out on an opportunity to shape the TSNS 2020 program? No. This conference is part of an ongoing process and dialogue that will be revisited and refined locally over time. There is continual engagement at the neighbourhood level that you can participate in by connecting with your local Community Development Officer.

Staff Contact Neighbourhood 416.392.2744 Mount Olive – Silverstone – Kingsview Village – The Westway 416.206.1553 c JamestowneThistletown -Beaumond Wayne Robinson [email protected] Heights Elms – Old 416.392.9483 . -Roding-CFB Rosemary Bell 416.889.1285 Glenfield – Jane Heights [email protected] 416.392.0119 Rustic Beechborough – Greenbrook 416.894.3819 Keelesdale-Eglinton West Melody Brown Weston [email protected] Rockliffe-Smythe Weston-Pellam Park 416.397.4496 John Smith 416.206.1554 [email protected] 416.392.6248 Taylor-Massey Sarosh Anwar 416.895.9230 Oakridge South Parkdale [email protected] 416.392.8679 Kennedy Park Janvere Lyder 647.216.2152 [email protected] 416.392.9048 Sherry Phillips 416.892.3119 Woburn [email protected] 416.397.1749 Adair Heath 416.206.1552 Morningside Westhill [email protected]

How will you support community stakeholders in having a voice at this conference? Support such as TTC tokens for residents will be available and we will be providing lunch and refreshments. Please let us know by April 21, 2015 if you need childcare, interpretation or any other special requirements to enable you to attend the conference.

How does our neighbourhood register? To register contact your local Community Development Officer.

Thank you, Your partners at the City of Toronto