CivicAction

🌟Exciting Emerging Leaders Network Update!🌟 In partnership with the City of Toronto, CivicAction brought together members of our Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) and Chief Human Resource Officers from major downtown employers for roundtable discussions that helped shape the City’s new economic development plan. The resulting plan, Sidewalks to Skylines: A 10-Year Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy (2025–2035), was released in October, and formally adopted by City Council in November 2024. This comprehensive roadmap will guide Toronto’s economic development decisions over the next decade, addressing key priorities to ensure a thriving and resilient city. Learn more about Sidewalks to Skylines here: https://twtr.to/sPzM5

We need your support! Nominate CivicAction for a $10,000 grant. Western Financial Group Communities Foundation through CanadaHelps is giving ten charities 10K each. Help us keep making an impact in the GTHA, and please nominate us and share your CivicAction story here: https://lnkd.in/gCBEv5Xe

Yesterday, Team Action took part in a staff retreat hosted by Above + Beyond Management Consulting. The day focused on helping staff identify their strengths, understand their preferred working styles, and explore strategies for collaborating effectively with other team members. We also invited our Board Member, Ronald Alepian, Chief Communications Officer, TD Bank Group, to share with the team why he joined the Board and what excites him about CivicAction's work. A big thank you to Above + Beyond, Ron, and all of our wonderful staff for a great day! We look forward to bringing what we learned yesterday into our work.

CivicAction would like to congratulate Blue Door and their CEO Michael Braithwaite, CIHCM on the opening of Beaverton Heights Transitional Housing in the Region of Durham. Transitional housing bridges the gap between homelessness and independent living by providing residents with accommodation and essential wraparound services, including onsite meals, life skills training, employment and education services, and connections to health care. At CivicAction, we believe that creating more housing is not enough to solve the challenges of unaffordability in our region. Holistic initiatives like Beaverton Heights bring together multiple essential services to ensure comprehensive access to care. Learn more: https://twtr.to/mbWQe

This week's City Builders spotlight features Rob MacIsaac, ICD. D., former Chair of CivicAction and incredible city builder. Rob underscores that CivicAction's role is more critical than ever as the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area faces increasingly complex, interconnected crisis. Rob is deeply committed to the CivicAction model in bringing together stakeholders from all sectors, experiences, and backgrounds to co-create opportunities for action, with the belief that this is the best way to ensure solutions benefit everyone. Learn more about CivicAction's model for driving impact: https://lnkd.in/gC9NEj_8

We are excited and proud to announce that our CEO, Leslie Woo CRE®, has been named Civic Engagement CEO of the Year by CEO Monthly! This recognition is a testament to Leslie’s unwavering dedication, visionary leadership, and tireless commitment to improving liveability in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). Leslie’s leadership continues to inspire us as we work towards creating positive, lasting change in the GTHA. Her passion for civic engagement and ability to unite people in pursuit of a more inclusive future make her an exceptional leader. We are incredibly fortunate to have such an impactful leader guiding us on this journey, and we look forward to continuing our work to improve liveability in our region under her leadership. Read more about the Canadian CEO of the Year Awards 2024 and the award recipients here: https://lnkd.in/gR9cCnCb

Newcomers play a vital role in Canada’s labour force, helping to address growing labour shortages. From 2016 to 2021, immigrants accounted for four-fifths of Canada's total labour force growth (Statistics Canada 2022). Beyond strengthening the labour market, newcomers enrich our communities in countless ways. They drive economic growth, foster innovation, and support local businesses. Newcomers’ diverse perspectives also enhance our culture and promote inclusivity—making the GTHA a more vibrant and dynamic place to live. CivicAction is committed to supporting newcomers in thriving across the GTHA. We partner with initiatives like Achēv, the YMCA Canada, United Way Greater Toronto and Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC), founded at CivicAction’s 2003 Summit, to advance this mission. To explore how we can create communities where newcomers succeed, check out TRIEC’s 2024 report, Embracing Immigrant Talent: Perspectives and Practices of Toronto Region Employers: https://lnkd.in/gxs4x79W

It took food banks almost 25 years to reach one million visits per month and only 5 years to double that. #HungerCount2024 revealed that food banks are beginning to show signs of buckling under the strain as the system was never built to meet this level of demand.    CivicAction is joining Food Banks Canada | Banques alimentaires Canada to call on everyone to help us move the needle and drive towards their vision of a Canada where no one goes hungry. CivicAction is committed to working with our network of public, private, and non-profit sectors to build a more affordable region for all. To learn more about the crisis of affordability and food insecurity in our region, visit https://lnkd.in/g_xjtUW3.

Exciting News! Susan DeLisle, our VP of Philanthropy, is a member of the judging panel for the #WorkplaceMentalHealth Awards at the upcoming CharityVillage Conference & Awards on November 20! Find out who in the sector is leading the way in workplace mental health initiatives – get your early-bird tickets now! https://lnkd.in/eiQGDVtx #CVConference 

This week’s City Builder Spotlight features Mayor JOHN TAYLOR of the Town of Newmarket. We thank Mayor Taylor for attending CivicAction's 2023 Summit and contributing his insights on opportunities for collective action to tackle housing affordability. Mayor Taylor emphasizes the vital role of policy in addressing the housing affordability crisis. Discover how CivicAction brings together diverse voices to advocate for policies that improve affordability across the GTHA. To learn more, click here: https://twtr.to/MHuH2