Category Archives: Corporate

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
September 30, 2023

On September 30, 2023, Toronto Paramedic Services (TPS) will join the City of Toronto in commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which recognizes the ongoing trauma caused by residential and day schools, and remembers First Nations, Inuit and Métis children who never returned home, their families and survivors. It is also an opportunity to reflect upon our commitment to advancing truth, justice and reconciliation, as outlined in the City’s Reconciliation Action Plan.

To support this commitment, we encourage you to participate in educational opportunities, activities and events that contribute to advancing truth, justice, and reconciliation. Please visit the City of Toronto website for educational resources and event information.

Orange ribbons will be displayed on TPS vehicles, a reflection activity will be available on the Staff Blog, and educational sessions will be held from September 19 to 28, which will be open to TPS and Toronto Fire Services staff. Note: the sessions will be recorded and available for viewing on the Staff Blog for those who are not able to join in person.

In addition, Indigenous staff may request September 29 or September 30 off, without using vacation, float, or lieu banks, to attend ceremonies, events or to commemorate the day, heal and reflect with their family and communities in ways which are meaningful to them. Requests from Indigenous staff must be submitted in writing to their Commander/Manager by September 20.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation may be difficult for some, as it commemorates the horrific injustices and barriers faced by Indigenous communities. If you require support, please reach out to our Peer Resource Team (1-855-778-8367) or visit the Psychological Health & Wellness Plan page on the Staff Blog for additional resources.

Sincerely,
(Original signed by)
Bikram Chawla
Jamie Burnett
Leo Tsang
Melanie Jordison
Mike Wionzek

This message is being sent to all staff on behalf of City Manager Paul Johnson. Managers and Supervisors: Please share this message with staff who do not have access to a computer at work.

Last night, the unofficial results showed Olivia Chow as the successful candidate for Mayor of the city of Toronto. City Clerk John D. Elvidge is expected to certify the official results, as required by the Municipal Elections Act, no later than Wednesday, June 28.

This by-election for mayor was the largest ever held in Canada and included a record number of candidates post-amalgamation with 102 registered to run. Putting together a by-election this large took an incredible effort by the City Clerk’s Office, under the leadership of City Clerk John D. Elvidge and Deputy City Clerk Fiona Murray. Many other divisions, including Technology Services, Strategic Public & Employee Communications, Office of the CISO and CREM to name a few, stepped up to provide support and ensure we had another successful election.

I would particularly like to thank City staff who filled more than 2,500 positions at voting locations and showed your commitment to the public service. I know the days at the voting locations can be long, so I greatly appreciate your contributions to Toronto and its residents, ensuring democracy was upheld.

Here are a few quick (and interesting!) by-election facts:

  • After six days of advance voting, election day and mail-in voting, over 700,000 ballots were cast for mayor.
  • Thousands of City staff filled positions during advance vote and election day in voting locations across the city working as information officers, accessibility officers, tabulator officers, ballot officers, revising officers and managing deputy returning officers.
  • 52 voting locations were fully or partially adopted by City divisions or units as part of the Adopt a Poll program.

At her request and subject to the certification of the official results, the Mayor-elect will take office on July 12, 2023 after making the Declaration of Office with the City Clerk. We will share details about the Declaration ceremony when they are confirmed.

I am sure Mayor-elect Olivia Chow will want to hit the ground running to ensure priorities continue to move forward and I want to thank all of those involved in this transition process.

Thanks again to all of you who participated in this exciting by-election. I continue to be in awe of how dedicated and engaged the Toronto Public Service truly is. And, please join me in congratulating Olivia Chow, our new Mayor-elect.

Paul Johnson
City Manager

Message from City Manager – Paul Johnson

This message is being sent to all staff on behalf of City Manager Paul Johnson. Managers and Supervisors: Please share this message with staff who do not have access to a computer at work.

 As June gets underway, I wanted to touch base with you since it’s a busy month with many significant observances that are important to our workplace culture, as well as our efforts to advance reconciliation. This month, we’re also celebrating the diverse cultures and communities that make Toronto such a vibrant place to live, work and play. We all have a role to play in living up to the City’s motto – “Diversity Our Strength” – and that starts with building an equitable and inclusive workplace right here in the Toronto Public Service (TPS).

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Reconciliation
June is Indigenous Peoples Month, a time to learn, reflect, and celebrate the diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. It’s also a reminder to reflect on our commitment to advancing truth, justice and reconciliation, as well as our obligations under the Reconciliation Action Plan. I encourage you to review the action plan and remind you of the Indigenous learning opportunities available to staff. Resources are also available on the City’s Indigenous Peoples Month webpage to continue your reconciliation journey.On June 21, a good way to start your day is the National Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Ceremony in Nathan Phillips Square. It’s always a moving event and a chance to learn a bit more about Indigenous cultures. I also encourage you to take part in divisional events and activities.

Cultural Heritage and Awareness Months
There’s lots to celebrate this month with Indigenous Peoples Month, Pride Month, Filipino Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Portuguese Heritage Month and Seniors Month. We also just celebrated Asian, Armenian and Jewish heritage months, as well as National AccessAbility Week, and a number of other days of significance throughout the year.

Pride Month
Perhaps you attended one of the Progress Pride flag-raising ceremonies at City Hall and civic centres across the City last week, or the Solidarity Sunrise Ceremony held by the Ambe Maamowisdaa Employee Circle and Pride Network to kick off Indigenous Peoples Month and Pride Month. I hope you will join me and many of your colleagues to ensure a strong TPS showing when we march together in the Pride Parade on June 25 – there’s still time to sign up! And I encourage you to check out the Pride Network’s many events throughout the month.

Communities of Inclusion
Communities of Inclusion are another way we foster an inclusive and diverse workplace culture, which bring together employees who share a common identity, lived experience and/or set of interests to meet regularly to network, dialogue, share best practices, build capacity, learn and develop. I’m excited that our Communities of Inclusion program is expanding. As shared with you this week, two new groups currently accepting members: The Jewish Staff Network and the Muslim Staff Network.

And of course, staff can continue to join and participate in events held by existing Communities of Inclusion: Ambe Maamowisdaa Employee Circle (for Indigenous staff), Black Staff Network, Employee Disability Network, Pride Network and Toronto Network of Women (TOnow). These are great ways to connect and build community with colleagues of shared identities and experiences.

Learning and Resources
A number of resources are available to staff to help continue their growth and educate themselves on best practices related to equity, diversity and inclusion.

These are just some of the ways we are acting on our workplace culture theme of embracing diversity and inclusion, as well as living up to our commitments to advance truth, justice and reconciliation. Especially in times when the world can seem so polarized and divisive, it’s important to celebrate the many diverse groups that make valuable contributions to our city – and to our workplace. By working together, and listening and learning from each other, we can ensure that employees feel safe to bring their whole and authentic selves to work each day – and the Toronto Public Service is stronger because of it.

Thanks for everything you do.

Paul

 

Update on Wildfire Smoke and Haze

Over the past few days, Toronto has experienced air quality issues due to wildfires in Quebec and Northeastern Ontario and surrounding provinces. These conditions are expected to potentially worsen tomorrow and may continue for several more days.

Your health and safety is of the utmost importance, and the City is committed to the taking the necessary steps to minimize the health risks associated with these conditions and ensure a safe working environment for all staff. These environmental conditions may impact worker health, particularly for individuals working outdoors with lung disease (such as asthma) or heart disease, and older adults, children, and pregnant people.

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For your personal well-being, please consider the following guidance:

  • Stay hydrated and cool by ensuring you drink plenty of water.
  • While some outdoor work has been cancelled, if you are required to work outside, review the work assignment with your direct supervisor to determine if your work can be altered, where operationally feasible.
  • If you experience any symptoms related to smoke exposure, such as difficulty breathing, persistent coughing, chest discomfort, or eye irritation, please immediately inform your supervisor and seek medical attention if necessary.

The current conditions have also resulted in some adjustments to City programming. More information is available in a news release issued earlier this afternoon.

Local conditions can change quickly. Please refer to Environment Canada’s air quality index and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s webpage for the latest information.

If you have questions or require accommodation, please speak with your direct supervisor.

The City will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.

Funeral Arrangements for South Simcoe Police Service Constable Morgan Russell and Constable Devon Northrup

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of South Simcoe Police Service Constables Morgan Russell and Devon Northrup, who lost their lives in the line of duty earlier this month.

The following funeral arrangements have been released by South Simcoe Police Service on behalf of the families of Constable Russell and Constable Northrup.

Funeral
Date:               Thursday, October 20, 2022
Location:        Sadlon Arena, 555 Bayview Drive, Barrie, ON
Time:              11:00

While the funeral is not open to the public, emergency services personnel, including off-duty Toronto Paramedic Services staff in uniform, or with proper Service identification, are welcome to attend. Please note that capacity at the venue is limited, and entry into the arena building for the funeral service may not be possible.

Pedestrian Cortege

Police Services, Paramedic Services and Fire Services personnel are also invited to join the funeral procession from the muster point (Big Bay Point Road between Bayview Drive and Fairview Road, Barrie) and proceed in formation to the Sadlon Arena.

As parking is limited at the Sadlon Arena, staff attending the funeral are asked to park at the Essa Agriplex located at 7505 10th Line, Thornton, Ontario. Shuttle buses will transport attendees from the Essa Agriplex to the muster point. Staff must be on-site at the muster point no later than 08:15. 

To post a condolence message on the South Simcoe Police Service site, please go to https://southsimcoepolice.on.ca/ and click on the Condolence Message box on the homepage.​

The deaths of Constable Russell and Constable Northrup were sudden, and may be difficult to process for some. It is important that we continue to support each other and our emergency services colleagues at this difficult time. If you are in need of help, please reach out to our Peer Resource Team (1-855-778-8367) or visit the Psychological Health & Wellness Plan page on the TPS Staff Blog for additional resources.

Please continue to take care of yourselves, and each other.

Sincerely,
(Original signed by)
Paul Raftis