Hi friends and neighbours,

Since I am usually in the business of bringing you bleak news, here's a slightly heartening story from last week: the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario won a case at the Divisional Court last week for a survivor of domestic violence who faced eviction after her abusive partner was removed from her home. As her partner was the only name on the lease, her landlord tried to more than double the rent on the grounds that she ought to be considered a new tenant, even though she and her children had lived there for a decade. ACTO won the precedent-setting case and their client was able to stay housed, and the Divisional Court found that that a tenant cannot automatically end their spouse’s tenancy. (Admittedly, it's the kind of story that makes you aghast that it was in question in the first place, but still.)

The city budget passed today, and amid good news about TTC fare-capping and luxury homes tax provisions passing, there's also an additional $94 million for the Toronto Police Services budget which will see the force increase by 360 officers. The news coverage around the TPS increase has largely framed it in context of the high-profile arrest of eight current and former police officers in large-scale corruption case last week, which our elected officials are largely attempting to wave away as a few bad apples, forgetting that the end of that saying is "...spoils the bunch". You can't reform an organization that provides protective cover for white supremacists agitating for mass deportations while assaulting counter-protestors.

To that end, I want to highlight the work of Another Toronto Coalition, who have a letter-writing campaign to demand accountability from councilors who just let the police increase pass by unquestioned. There's also a great workshop on abolition hosted by the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, showcasing what divesting from policing and prisons actually looks like in practice. Another Toronto, as they say, is possible.

Thanks for showing up.

Jenny

PS: If you're looking for something to do tomorrow night, I am co-hosting an event with my pals at 1RG about the intersection of democracy and technology and what civic engagement looks like in the mdoern age. It's part of a series called Wayfinding about navigating the tensions of technology in modern life that I'm pretty proud of! Hope to see some of you there.

Events this week

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 🔗

12PM — Stand up for Workers at York Region Children’s Aid (16915 Leslie St)
OPSEU 304 - Workers at York Region Children’s Aid Society are taking action to demand transparency, accountability, and safe working condition. Join their community solidarity rally and demand safer working conditions that adequately support children, youth, and families.

5:30PM — Food Justice & Cooking Workshop (230 College St)
OPIRG Toronto, FoodShare Toronto, and the Toronto Seed Library - This interactive workshop will explore the role of war and imperialism in relation to ecological 'foodprints'. How does settler colonial violence impact indigenous communities' access to food, fertile land, agricultural practices, and traditional harvesting methods? You will also cook a traditional vegan Palestinian recipe. Registration required.

5:45PM — Doorknocking for Palestine (Available upon RSVP)
Davenport 4 Palestine - Davenport 4 Palestine is doorknocking in the neighbourhood to mobilize neighbours in support of a real arms embargo. No experience is necessary, you'll be paired up with a seasoned doorknocker. RSVP by emailing at davenport4palestine@gmail.com.

6PM — Wayfinding: Civics (1RG)
1RG - Wayfinding is a conversation series about navigating the tensions of tech in modern life. The second event in the series will feature public policy expert Bianca Wylie and former Ontario Chief Digital Officer Hillary Hartley in conversation about civics and building democratic accountability at a human scale.

6PM — Community Health Event: Skin & Wound Care Workshop (40 Oak St)
Care for All Canada - Learn about common skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, diabetic ulcers, and skin cancers, as well as basic wound care. Focus on early recognition and navigating local health care resources.

6:30PM — Creative Tactics & Action Planning Training (Virtual)
Change Course - A Creative Tactics & Action Planning training facilitated by Change Course & Greenpeace Canada. Learn how to identify your target, map power and craft a winning strategy, and use creative tactics beyond marches and rallies. Bring a friend and take real action!

6:30PM — Zoning for Major Transit Station Areas Planning Event (Virtual)
City of Toronto - The City of Toronto is updating zoning by-laws near major transit areas (near subway, Go, and streetcar stops) to allow for higher density. Join this virtual town hall to hear more about changes and provide feedback.

6:30PM — Grief Skill Building & Discussion Group (452 College St)
Radical Intersectional Grief Support - In-person grief support group for people impacted by the drug poisoning crisis. This week will include memory sharing time, release skill building and discussion of creating sacred spaces for our grief. Pay what you can – trades welcome!

7PM — Growing From Seed Webinar (Virtual)
Toronto Botanical Garden - Save money and grow a wide range of interesting plants (from veggies and herbs to ornamentals and trees) not usually found in the garden centres. Start with the basics and learn about 19 great plants easily grown from seed at home.

7PM — Waste Strategy Update: Reduction & Diversion Plan (Virtual)
City of Toronto - The City is collecting feedback on a 10-year plan to increase waste diversion, reduction and reuse through policies, programs and education. Join the virtual public meeting to learn more about the plan, share comments and ask questions.

7PM — Fund Our Schools Virtual Town Hall (Virtual)
Fund Our Schools - Inviting parents and students at TDSB and TCDSB to join a virtual town hall on pushing back against Conservative cuts to education and the undemocratic overreach into schoolboards.

7PM — Talk Back: A Virtual Town Hall About Intimate Partner Violence in Ontario (Virtual)
Kristyn Wong-Tam - The rates of intimate partner violence in Ontario are on the rise. The data is clear. The reports have been published. Now, Ontario needs action. Join an illuminating, interactive, and action-focused conversation about ending intimate partner violence in Ontario.

8PM — Meeting the Moment: Resistance, Abolition, & Disarmament (Virtual)
IPPNW Canada - Hear from two speakers on how to make sense of and confront militarism in our present moment. Lovely Umayam will present on "Resistance, Art, and Research in a Fracturing World" and Ray Acheson will present on "Disarming State Violence with Abolition".

Thursday, February 12, 2026 🔗

12PM — How Climate News Builds Momentum for Action (Virtual)
The Energy Mix - A conversation about the essential role of independent climate news reporting. This session is for anyone trying to build momentum for climate solutions—on the front lines, or in federal and provincial policy.

12PM — Canadians still care about climate change: so why are we acting like they don't? (Virtual)
Re.Climate - Join this webinar to hear findings from new research on how Canadians are thinking about climate change, including how hopeful they are about solutions, and how perspectives differ across regions and groups.

12PM — How to divest your funds from colonial violence (Virtual)
Palestine Impact Collective - Are you worried your money is supporting companies complicit in genocide? Many of the same companies are also complicit in colonial violence ranging from ICE raids to indigenous sovereignty violations. Join this practical step by step session on how to move your money away from colonial violence.

1PM — Saving Supervised Consumption Sites (Virtual)
HIV Legal Network - The first of two webinars exploring the current harm reduction landscape in Canada and consider how we can push back against the many efforts to demonize and shutter critical healthcare services. This session will cover the current political, legal, and social barriers to supervised consumption in Canada.

2PM — Regional Assessment: The Path to More Efficient, Effective and Trustworthy Project Decisions? (Virtual)
Canadian Environmental Network - The federal government’s economic agenda includes fast-tracking projects it considers nation-building. Simply cutting timelines risks environmental disaster and Indigenous and public opposition, but can regional assessment offer a better solution?

2:30PM — Politics/Poetics of Migration (280N York Lanes)
Harriet Tubman Institute - Breaking Up With...Carceral Romance is an in-person lecture in Conversation with Robyn Maynard and York Students, as part of the Politics/Poetics of Migration gallery show.

4:30PM — Black History Month Community Wellness Event (AccessPoint)
Access Alliance - Inviting Black community members to join for storytelling, learning, and activities that highlight Black voices and experience. There will be an engaging discussion with expert panelists working in Black health and wellness, as well as games, prizes, and refreshments!

6PM — Tenant Assembly: Kensington and Chinatown (103 Bellevue)
Jessica Bell, YSW-TU, CJTO, and KMCLT - Are you a tenant in Kensington Market or Chinatown? Landlord issues? Link up with your community at the tenant assembly and learn how your community has your back. Snacks provided.

6PM — TfD Monthly Volunteer Planning Meeting (Virtual)
Technologists for Democracy - Want to shape technology for public good? Come to the monthly TfD volunteer meeting to learn more and get involved! Current campaigns include tech policy, data centre research, retail surveillance, and more.

6PM — Abolition Workshop (Virtual)
Disability Justice Network Ontario - Join Renford and El for a discussion on the costs and realities of prisons. Part of an abolition public education series showcasing people, groups, and resources that are divesting from policing and prisons. Let's learn how abolition can look like in practice and build capacity for a future centred on community care.

6PM — Black History Month Webinar: Being Black In This Historic Era (Virtual)
Labour Community Services - We’re living through a global shift, whether culturally, politically, economically or environmentally, but what does that mean for the Black community?

6:30PM — Digital Sovereignty, Convivial Tools (32 Lisgar)
InterAccess - From their roots in the military-industrial complex to their contemporary entanglements with control, surveillance, and extractivism, digital technologies present us with ever more troubling ethical dilemmas. As digital artists, how can we mount effective critique of, and resistance to, the very systems from which our tools originate?

6:30PM — Zoning for Major Transit Station Areas Planning Event (City Hall)
City of Toronto - The City of Toronto is updating zoning by-laws near major transit areas (near subway, Go, and streetcar stops) to allow for higher density. Join this virtual town hall to hear more about changes and provide feedback.

7PM — Notes Toward a Digital Workers’ Inquiry book launch (Friends House)
Leo Panitch School for Socialist Education - Join for the launch of a brand new book full of first-hand accounts from the tech sector’s resurgent labor movement as artificial intelligence gains ground in every facet of our lives. Come hear directly from the contributors to the book about their findings.

7PM — Black History Month Trivia Series (13 Suns Ethiopian Cafe)
Horizon Academy - Join an interactive and community-driven experience designed to celebrate Black history, culture, and excellence through learning, dialogue, and fun. Questions span arts and culture, music, sports, activism, and influential leaders, making every round both fun and competitive.

7PM — The Big Push: New Nuclear Projects in Canada | Nuclear Waste Online 2026 webinar series (Virtual)
Northwatch - From construction underway in Darlington to plans for new mega-reactors at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, Peace River and now Wesleyville, the nuclear industry is running a juggernaut nuclear expansion campaign and governments are on nuclear spending sprees. Join this session to hear about nuclear expansion plans in Canada, from New Brunswick to Alberta.

Friday, February 13, 2026 🔗

2PM — Fridays 4 Palestine (Yonge and Bloor)
Fridays4Palestine - Come show your support for Palestinians every Friday at the Israel Consulate. Stand up for human rights and say no to genocide.

7:30PM — To Palestine, With Love: Panel Discussion and Activist Prom (Available upon registration)
Toronto Community Justice Fund - Fundraiser for Toronto Community Justice Fund! Just over two years ago police raided the homes of the Indigo 11, attempting to scare all those organizing for a free Palestine. Two years later, come hear about lessons learned from these two years of struggle and stay for a dance party!

Saturday, February 14, 2026 🔗

11AM — Workers’ Alliance GTA Chapter Meeting (720 Spadina Ave)
Workers’ Alliance - The Workers Alliance believes that the working class is capable of leading the political struggle for a truly democratic system. Join this monthly chapter meeting to find out how to get involved!

1PM — BDS Leafletting (900 Dufferin St)
Davenport 4 Palestine - Join Davenport 4 Palestine for the weekly BDS leafleting campaign at Dufferin Mall. Meet outside south entrance and buddy up – no experience necessary!

7PM — Toronto Palestine Film Festival Winter Gathering (2 Sussex Ave)
Toronto Palestine Film Festival - Spend an evening with stories of Palestinian love, resilience, and everyday life under occupation. Support TPFF’s mission to centre Palestinian voices through film, conversation, and community. Reception will be followed by storytelling, live music and short films

Sunday, February 15, 2026 🔗

10AM — Virtual Tech Worker’s Coalition Coffee (Virtual)
Tech Worker’s Coalition Canada - Drop by for a virtual coffee hour on Sunday mornings to chat with fellow tech workers about what’s on your mind and to learn more about the Tech Worker’s Coalition.

11AM — Gaza Square (371 Wallace Ave)
Davenport 4 Palestine - Davenport 4 Palestine invites you to come hang out at Gaza square on Sunday mornings with hot chocolate and coffee, buttons and posters, lawn signs and colourful chalk. Come say hi and meet your fellow neighbours/organizers!

2PM — Introduction to Socialism (Available upon registration)
Leo Panitch School for Socialist Education - Curious about socialism? Interested about if it is really possible? Want to discuss how to begin affecting change right now? Join for a free eight week course on the working class, socialism, how to overcome political barriers, and how socialists can win. Apply today!

2PM — Revolutionary study series: Marx on the metabolic rift (427 Bloor St W)
International Socialists - Can Marxism Show Us How to Save the World is a revolutionary reading group and study series. The topc for this session will be Marx on the metabolic rift.

3PM — PHP4P Door Knocking (Available upon registration)
Parkdale-High Park for Palestine - Doorknock in Parkdale-High Park every Sunday in February to let your neighbours know how to stop Canada from arming Israel! Parliament votes on The No More Loopholes Act at the end of February, so now is the most critical time to pressure our MPs.

Monday, February 16, 2026 🔗

4PM — TAL-TO February HVAC (720 Spadina Ave, Room 221)
Architecture Lobby Toronto - Join The Architecture Lobby for speed-friending, snacks, and discussions around the state of higher education in archtitecture and adjacent industries. Connect with peers and support each other through honest guidance and solidarity.

8PM — Social Production of Science Reading Group – Module 4 (Virtual)
Science for the People - Science for the People Canada invites you to join our upcoming online reading group exploring The Social Production of Science curriculum. This reading group continues SftP’s tradition of running a reading group alongside our local organising, and the goal of this series is to better link our collective education with collective action, bringing together members to deepen our shared understanding of science, power, and liberation. Module 4 will cover readings on the definition of science by Dirk J. Struik, Mark Paschal, Richard Lewontin, Steve Rose, and Leon Kamin.

9PM — DSA Orientation (Virtual)
Democratic Socialists of Canada - In this one-hour session, you will listen to a brief presentation outlining the DSC's mission, structure, and activities, and learn how to get involved in your local Chapter. Followed by discussion and Q&A.

Down the road

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 🔗

12PM — No More Loopholes Phone Zap (Virtual)
4PM — Davenport Action to Close Loopholes Now (1202 Bloor St W)
5PM — Danforth Action to Close Loopholes Now (1028 Queen St E)

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 🔗

7PM — East End Acts Canvassing Training (Virtual)

Friday, February 20, 2026 🔗

6PM — Toronto Spring Monthly Meeting (720 Spadina Ave)
6PM — Abolition Workshop: Collective of Child Welfare Survivors (Virtual)

Sunday, February 22, 2026 🔗

7PM — Take Action for Conservation Authorities (Virtual)
3PM — PHP4P Door Knocking (Available upon registration)

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 🔗

1PM — No War on Venezuela Rally (360 University Ave)
6PM — Draw the Line Against Transphobic Violence in Schools (Virtual)

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 🔗

6PM — Resisting Erasure Book Launch (45 Willcox Street)

Saturday, February 28, 2026 🔗

7PM — Oil Capitalism and Climate (454 College St)
10AM — Coldest Day of the Year Ride 2026 (Sugar Beach Park)
10AM — Scarborough Tenant School (Available Upon Registration)

For the full up-to-date event listing, visit the Show Up Toronto website. If you find this newsletter useful, I would love for you to:

• Forward it to a friend
• Tell me if you go to an event
• Send me other organizing events in the city I may have missed

You can reach me by replying directly, or by emailing organize@showuptoronto.ca.