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More than 45 Toronto Community Organizations Unite to Launch #ShowUpTO Campaign, Urging Mayoral Candidates to Address Poverty and Inequality

June 2023

Toronto, June 1, 2023 – YWCA Toronto, WomanACT, Social Planning Toronto, and City for All have joined forces with more than 45 community organizations to launch the Show Up for a Better Toronto - #ShowUpTO campaign. This initiative aims to rally Torontonians to show up for a better Toronto and urge mayoral candidates to take decisive action in addressing the escalating poverty and inequality afflicting the city.

Toronto is currently grappling with a housing crisis, the soaring cost of living, and an alarming rise in violence. These issues disproportionately affect women, Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities, newcomers, seniors, youth, gender diverse individuals, people with disabilities, and those on fixed incomes. The #ShowUpTO campaign seeks to shed light on the urgent need for change and demand that mayoral candidates prioritize the pressing concerns facing its residents.

A better Toronto is possible. This election offers an opportunity to shape the city’s direction for the next three years.

Toronto needs a mayor who will actively engage with and address the needs of its diverse communities, focusing on affordability, safety, and systemic equity across racial, gender, and neighbourhood lines. The campaign calls on all candidates to prioritize gender and racial equity and to invest in poverty and violence reduction.

The #ShowUpTO campaign urges mayoral candidates to show up by:

  • Increasing affordable, safe, green and accessible housing and shelter options in Toronto;
  • Ensuring the TTC is safe, accessible, and affordable, especially for women, gender diverse people, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals;
  • Increasing core funding for non-profit organizations and creating a comprehensive workforce strategy for the child care sector;
  • Expanding and adequately resourcing trauma-informed approaches to community safety; and,
  • Investing in free recreational programs, food programs, and green spaces across the city, particularly for girls and youth.

 
To learn more about the #ShowUpTO campaign and take the pledge to show up for a better Toronto on June 26, visit www.ShowUpTO.ca.

MEDIA
Sami Pritchard, YWCA Toronto, M: 437-286-9627, spritchard@ywcatoronto.org
Devika Parsaud, WomanACT, M: 647-834-0536, dparsaud@womanact.ca
Melissa Wong, Social Planning Toronto, M: 416-728-2778, mwong@socialplanningtoronto.org