Etobicoke—Lakeshore Report September 2025
Back To School in Etobicoke—Lakeshore
Newsletter Issue No 2 September 2025
September often feels like a “new year” as children return to school and summer gives way to fall routines. The Taste of the Kingsway helps ease that transition, bringing thousands to Bloor Street West to reconnect with neighbours and friends.
This summer was busy and rewarding—I met with businesses, community groups, and not-for-profits and continue to be inspired by the creativity and commitment of our community. I also travelled outside our riding, including to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual conference to learn about the state of health care, hospitals, mental health, addictions, and homelessness—issues I lead on for the Liberal caucus. These, along with education and the government’s recent moves on school boards, will be top priorities when the legislature returns October 20.
Our office at 1136 The Queensway continues to assist residents, and in this issue our Constituency Assistant Sam shares a couple of examples of how we advocate on your behalf. I always appreciate hearing your concerns on provincial issues and bring them with me to Queen’s Park.
You can keep up with Etobicoke—Lakeshore news and my work at Queen’s Park by following me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Don’t forget to join our Etobi-Click Photo Challenge running until October 12—I look forward to seeing your photos and meeting you in the community soon!
Lee
Etobi-CLICK Photo Challenge
Calling all photographers! Submit your photos of Etobicoke—Lakeshore to our Etobi-Click Photo Challenge we are running through October 12. We are accepting photo submissions in 3 categories: Nature, Urban Landscapes and Community In Action. Selected photos will be included in a future Calendar and displayed on the photo wall in MPP Fairclough’s office. To find out more information or submit your photos, go to the submission form here.
Lee In Action In Etobicoke—Lakeshore
Covering the four corners of the riding and everywhere in between, Lee has been meeting with consitutents, resident associations, community organizations, businesses, schools, attending local events and much more.
Community events
The Taste of the Kingsway 2025 was another smash hit! We were so pleased to have so many drop by our booth, pick up a flag and engage in great conversations about what’s happening in our riding or at Queen’s Park. The team was also at the Franklin Horner Family Fun Fair Extravaganza, complete with donut eating challenge.
Lee was honoured to attend the Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre for a beautiful celebration to honour the strength, compassion and resilience of the Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 90th birthday. She joined many dignitaries, MPs, MPPs and so many from the Tibetan Canadian community for the celebration which featured music and dance performances by all ages. Happy Birthday to His Holiness!
The opening of the Ex always marks those last fun-filled days of summer. It was a proud Etobicoke-Lakeshore moment to see Elisa Kovacic, founder of Cirque Revolution choreographing the incredible acrobats performing at the Opening Ceremonies and throughout the CNE's 2025 season.
Lee had the honour of joining Councillor Morley and others to honour the legacy of Jordon Carter with the naming of Jordon Carter Memorial Park. This beautiful skate park on 8th Street is a tribute to Jordon and his impact on the local community.
Lee also joined the Professional Engineers Ontario - Kingsway chapter for their annual picnic, learning about the work of members, discussing relevant policy and links between engineering and health care.
She also attended the 4th annual 22 Division Community Summer festival in August and enjoyed speaking with members of the Community Police Liaison Committee and leadership of Division 22.
Exploring Businesses in Etobicoke—Lakeshore
Lee was also able to visit several local employers over the summer to learn more about their work and the impact they have on our community.
Toronto Pearson Airport – Employs over 600 people from our community of Etobicoke–Lakeshore. Pearson facilitates travel for 45 million passengers annually, handles nearly half of Canada’s air cargo, and is one of the few North American airports able to land the A380.
IKEA Etobicoke – Lee was invited to learn about IKEA's strong commitment to sustainability including very high employee retention rates and local community partnerships.
Cinespace Studios – A fixture in Etobicoke–Lakeshore for 30 years, Cinespace drives the film and television industry in Toronto. Did you know that The Handmaid's Tale is filmed right here in Etobicoke? Their impact includes direct employment and indirect jobs through the procurement of local goods and services.
A visit to Carpenters’ Regional Council Training Centres
Lee visited two Carpenter's Regional Council Training Centres, one with a focus on residential construction and the other on focused on the industrial, commercial and industrial sector including scaffolding, millwork, concrete formwork and mass timber. She was able to meet with students straight out of high school as well as seasoned carpenters getting new skills training. Lee was impressed with the extensive training on health and safety, including a focus on mental health.
Out In the Community
The affordability crisis is hitting everyone hard, and Etobicoke—Lakeshore is no exception. There are several organizations helping residents in need across the riding, including Hand In Hand and Norseman Community Food Bank. Thank you for the amazing service you’re offering in our community. Record breaking numbers are accessing the food banks, reminding us that affording basic needs is increasingly a struggle and there is more the Ontario government can do to curtail the impact for everyone.
Community Living Toronto provides housing support, day programming and music classes, creating opportunities, community and a source of support for people with intellectual disabilities, including at their Kipling and Evans location. The YWCA Toronto location Bergamont provides a unique and deeply valued housing offering for single women and gender diverse people who have faced housing barriers.
Lee at Queen’s Park
Legislative Update and Key Bills
Please keep your calls and emails coming with your views on the government's legislative agenda - this is so important to help MPP Fairclough represent your views at Queen's Park.
Lee co-sponsored her first Private Members' Bill called the Homelessness Ends with Housing Act. This straightforward bill is designed to urge the Ontario government to establish a strategy to end homelessness in the next 10 years.
As the Liberal Critic for Hospitals, Mental Health, and Addictions, Lee travelled to other Ontario communities and attended the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference to learn more about local responses to the state of health care including hospitals, mental health, addictions and homelessness. This fall, she will bring those voices and findings to the Ontario Legislature.
As Vice-Chair of the Ontario Legislature's Public Accounts Committee, Lee recently travelled to Saskatchewan with Ontario’s Auditor General and fellow committee members to meet with legislators from across Canada and learn about best practices in government accountability.
While there, she came across a bust of Tommy Douglas—the father of Canada’s public health care system—in the rotunda of the Saskatchewan Legislature. It was a powerful reminder of the vital connection between government accountability and the protection of our health care.
Community Events at Queen’s Park
On August 21st, Lee joined members of all parties at Queen’s Park for the raising of the Ukrainian flag to mark the Day of the National Flag and the 34th Anniversary of Ukraine’s independence celebrated each year on August 24th. She presented a certificate marking the occasion to Oleh Nikolenko, Consul General of Ukraine in Toronto.
Canada was the first western nation to recognize Ukraine's independence in 1991 and Etobicoke—Lakeshore is home to the Consulate.
Lee was honoured to join the Consul-General of Brazil, the Deputy Speaker of the Ontario Legislature, and other colleagues to mark Brazil's Day of Independence in a flag raising ceremony on September 7th. We have over 1,000 residents of Brazilian heritage in Etobicoke-Lakeshore.
Preparing for the Fall Session
In Lee’s role as Liberal caucus lead on hospitals, mental health, addictions and homelessness, she travelled to other Ontario communities to learn more about local hospitals, mental health service providers, supportive housing, shelter providers and local service needs. Lee found innovative local responses that could be scaled. While visiting the Bruce Peninsula, she toured Bruce Power where they have an innovative partnership with Etobicoke—Lakeshore based company Kinectrics to produce cancer fighting medical isotopes.
Lee also visited the Canadian Mental Health Association 24/7 Crisis Centre in London, ON; the Kerr Street Mission in Oakville; St Joseph’s Hospital in London and the House of Friendship Men’s Shelter in Kitchener. These are all examples of important organizations doing supportive work in communities across Ontario.
Serving You in Etobicoke—Lakeshore
Did you know your MPP’s office is available to assist you with navigating Ontario Government services? We know that sometimes, your situations are unique and not always by-the-book, and our staff are here to help you cut through the red tape and access the services you need.
This summer, MPP Fairclough’s office staff were successfully able to help many constituents with health card renewal issues. This particular issue has become more common since the pandemic, when usage extensions were granted to expired cards during office closures. Click through to our website to read about how Constituency Assistant Sam was able to help two constituents access the OHIP care they were entitled to. And please, reach out to us at the contact numbers below if you’re having a similar issue where we can assist you.
Provincial Program Announcements
Lee was happy to present Gabe Lopes, Store Manager at Food Basics Dundas, with their Silver Foodland Ontario Retailer Award for their Ontario asparagus display. They are one of 36 top Ontario retailers who received the award for excellence in promoting Ontario produce in a display.
Ontario Volunteer Service Awards
These awards recognize volunteers who have long-standing commitments to nonprofit organizations. Nominees can include adults who have volunteered 5 years or more, and youth who have volunteered 2 years or more. Nominations are being accepted until November 15.
Do you know a worthy candidate? Nominate a volunteer today.
Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards:
Nominations Are Open
Do you know an exemplary project, group or person that has made outstanding contributions to heritage conservation in the past year? Help the Ontario Heritage Trust recognize and celebrate them by submitting a nomination for the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards. To support the education of outstanding young people, individual recipients of the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Young Heritage Leaders receive a $3,500 post-secondary scholarship funded by the Ontario Heritage Trust and Canada Life.
For further information on this program, contact recognition@heritagetrust.on.ca.
Celebrating Franco-Ontarian Day
September 25th is the 50th anniversary of the raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag. The flag was first raised on September 25, 1975, at the University of Sudbury. Since 2001, the Franco-Ontarian flag has been an official symbol of our province. Franco-Ontarian Day was officially proclaimed in 2010. It’s a day to honour the cultural, social, and economic contributions of the Francophone community. On March 2nd, 2021, Lucille Collard, MPP for Ottawa—Vanier brought forward a motion at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to permanently raise the Franco-Ontarian flag at Queen’s Park.
Did you notice a Barge in Lake Ontario?
Were you one of the many constituents who strolled along South Etobicoke’s waterfront and noticed a structure out in the lake? This barge, fitted with a drilling rig, is part of a Peel Region investigation collecting soil and rock samples for testing and analysis. To prepare for population growth, several upgrades are being made to the G.E. Booth Water Resource Recovery Facility. One of the planned upgrades is a new outfall pipe that will stretch 3 km into the lake. An outfall pipe returns clean treated water from the facility back into Lake Ontario. A second barge will be installed this month. More information about the project can be found HERE.
Cineplex Cinemas Queensway Update
We have had lots of interest in the plans for the Cineplex Cinemas Queensway & VIP. Recently Cineplex made the welcome announcement that they have renewed their lease for this location, assuring a home for this important employer and flagship entertainment venue in the riding for years to come.
See you at the movies!
Did you know …
In 1907, there was a contest to name a new school on a site on Prince Edward Drive. Edna Whitworth, age 7, won $5 for suggesting the name “Fairview.” Sadly, there was another school not too far away with that name. She returned the $5, but a trustee felt so badly that he gave Edna $2 from his own pocket. The contest was run again, and Edna won, this time suggesting “Sunnylea”. Soon the school had given its name to two nearby streets and the whole neighbourhood. Due to overcrowding, in 1942 a new Sunnylea Public School opened on Glenroy Avenue. The old school was demolished in 1953 and the site is now Sunnylea Park.
Based on an article by Denise Harris for The Etobicoke Guardian. Photo credit: Montgomery's Inn. Posted on the Etobicoke Historical Society's website.
Coming Up In Etobicoke—Lakeshore
If you wish to list an event in our newsletter please reach out to our office.
Contact MPP Fairclough’s Office
MPP Fairclough’s Constituency office is located at 1136 The Queensway, Etobicoke, ON. There is street parking available as well as transit on the Queensway.
Office Hours:
Mondays 9 am - 5 pm
Tuesdays 9 am - 5 pm
Wednesdays 11 am - 7 pm
Thursdays 9 am - 5 pm
Fridays 9 am - 5 pm
Closed weekends and holidays
Phone: 416 259 2249 Email: lfairclough.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Web: LeeFaircloughMPP.ca
Contact us if you need assistance with:
Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates
OHIP Cards
Driver’s Licences
Family Responsibility Office
Ontario Disability Support Program
Commissioner of Oaths Services (By Appointment)
Other Ontario Government Ministry Issues
Congratulatory Certificates
Invite MPP Fairclough to Events