Show Up Toronto - July 15 2025
Hi comrades,
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another week of community organizing and advocacy events here in the city. Remember that N95 and KN94 masks can also protect you from air particulates from wildfire smoke, and if you don’t have an air purifier it’s not difficult to make one yourself with a box fan and filters you can get at any hardware store. If you’re able to, consider picking up some bottled water or freezies and dropping them off at a community fridge or an encampment around the city.
Stay hydrated, and thanks for showing up.
Jenny
Take heart: After a rough 11-week strike, the workers of CUPE 2073 supporting the Canadian Hearing Services have voted to ratify a new contract. This one is for three years, instead of the one that was originally offered by CHS, and includes increased benefits, mileage, and wages. Collective action works!
Take action: Environment Canada is telling residents to avoid being outdoors to escape the heat wave and bad air quality from all the wildfire smoke, which is going to be hard for the 15,000 Torontonians who are experiencing homelessness, especially the 1,600 who live outdoors full-time. These numbers are double what they were in 2021. Meanwhile, shelters are full, the city still doesn’t have an adequate cooling strategy, and reactionaries are fighting tooth and nail to prevent any improvement to the status quo. Join the counterprotest today (Tuesday July 15th) at Nathan Phillips Square at 11am to stand against regressive NIMBYs (“not in my backyard”), tell city council that you support the new shelters being proposed, and also demand that the city actually implement a cooling strategy that supports our unhoused neighbours.
⭐️ = events updated since the last newsletter
Events this week
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
⭐️ 10:45-11:45AM — Bike & Bus Lane Counterprotest (Nathan Phillips Square)
Hosted by Fridays for Future Toronto and others - A group of high-profile and well-resourced individuals from the so-called "Toronto Concerned Citizens Coalition" will be holding a press conference where they will be proudly supporting making Toronto worse. The city has bent over backwards to accommodate anti-affordable housing, anti-harm reduction, anti-transit, and anti-indigenous policies and it's still not enough, because it will never be enough. Show up in force to remind these reactionaries how out-of-touch, unpopular, and regressive they are.
⭐️ 11AM-2PM — Emergency Sit-In Action For Gazan Families (325 Milner Ave)
Hosted by Gazan Canadians - Join the Toronto contingent of peaceful sit-ins across Canada to demand reunification of Gazan Canadians with their families in Gaza and demand the government honour its commitments.
⭐️ 12-1PM — Will Carney stop the privatization of health care in Canada? (Virtual)
Hosted by Canadian Health Coalition - Join Canadian Health Coalition’s Anne Lagacé Dowson for an online conversation about the privatization of health care with Ontario Health Coalition’s Natalie Mehra, Andrew Longhurst and Canadian Doctors for Medicare’s Dr. Melanie Bechard
⭐️ 12-1PM — Basic Tenants Rights Workshop (Virtual)
Hosted by Federation of Metro Tenant's Associations - Are you a tenant living in the GTA? Do you have questions about your rights under the law? This free interactive workshop will explain how leases work, how rent increases are calculated, what to do to get repairs done, how to end a tenancy, and much more.
3-5PM — Volunteer to Demand School Meals for All (Trinity Bellwoods Farmer’s Market)
Hosted by Progress Toronto - Mayor Chow and Toronto City Council have voted to expand school meals, but to feed all students, the Ford government must match the city’s investment. We urge the provincial government to provide funding for a universal school meal program to ensure students do not go hungry. Join Progress Toronto in speaking to residents across Toronto on the street, at farmers’ market, and festivals to help them tell the Ford government to fund school meals.
5:30-7PM — Black & Indigenous Youth Share Circle (21 Cecil St)
Hosted by Rising From our Roots - This biweekly share circle, hosted by two Afro-Indigenous youth will help build connection, sense of community, and interact in meaningful conversations with voices that matter. The share circle will allow for Black and Indigenous youth to engage and share lived experiences, accomplishments, and tribulations. This session is in-person.
6:45-9PM — Housing Now (Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles)
Hosted by PARC Toronto - A fundraiser for PARC Supportive Housing. The evening will start with a panel discussion featuring advocates and organizers doing vital work in Toronto, followed by a showing of StreetCity (1998), a powerful documentary by Bay Weyman that tells the story of an extraordinary housing experiment in downtown Toronto that offered an alternative to shelters with housing that prioritized privacy, dignity and community. There will be a Q&A with the filmmaker, a raffle, and opportunities to connect with others who hare about housing.
7-9PM — Civic Hacknight - Connecting Canada (Hybrid)
Hosted by Civic Tech Toronto - Civic Tech Toronto's weekly hacknights bring together Torontonians who want to improve the city through design, tech, and data. tech, and data. This week, hear from Sean Marshall, who has attempted to map every intercity transportation link - bus and rail - in Canada. With the withdrawal of Greyhound and the rise of small, intercommunity links, this work is more important than ever.
⭐️ 7-10PM — Letter To My Tribe (427 Bloor St W)
Hosted by Toronto St. Paul's for Palestine - Join for a special film screening of "Letter to my Tribe," (2024) A video essay directed, written & produced by b.h. Yael that starts with the question: Why don't more Jews and Israelis speak out about Palestine? Tickets are $10 or pay what you can (PWYC). All profits will be donated to the Davenport Aid Brigade, a grassroots organization which provides funds and aid to displaced Palestinian families.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
⭐️ 9:30AM-12:30PM — Depute In Favour of Bus Lanes (Toronto City Hall)
Hosted by TTC Riders - Join TTC Riders to speak in front of the City Council's Executive Committee to support approving dedicated bus lanes on Dufferin and Bathurst Street. The Bathurst proposal is already a watered down version of what was initially proposed thanks to dedicated bad-faith fearmongering, come make sure City Council doesn't back down even further. You can meet up with TTC Riders in person or depute directly online - see email instructions in event details on how to register.
⭐️ 12-1PM — Summer Tenancy Issues Workshop (Virtual)
Hosted by Federation of Metro Tenant's Associations - Are you a tenant living in the GTA? Looking to beat the heat this summer? This free interactive workshop explains: rules for an air conditioner, when and how much a landlord can charge for air-conditioning, rules about construction in the summer and more.
⭐️ 6-8PM — Unspoken 2.0 Open Mic Night (The Spot, York Gate Mall)
Hosted by Jane Finch Centre - An open and creative space for Black youth to share their stories and express themselves through their chosen art form. This event’s theme is “Release”—a night to let go, reflect, and connect.
⭐️ 6-8PM — D4P Doorknocking for Palestine (Bloor and Gladstone)
Hosted by Davenport 4 Palestine - Join Davenport 4 Palestine in knocking on doors to mobilize neighbours to sign a petition and call the MP Julie Dzerowicz to demand that Canada end its complicity in genocide. Meet at Bloor and Gladstone and buddy up - no experience needed! RSVP by emailing at davenport4palestine@gmail.com.
⭐️ 6:30-9PM — Land Back from Turtle Island to Palestine (Available upon registration)
Hosted by ELDV for Palestine - Join Eglington-Lawrence & Don Valley 4 Palestine for a teach-in + documentary screening of “A Red Road to the West Bank” to unpack the intersectionalities between two different genocides and people’s resistance between Palestine and Turtle Island. It is not enough to only be in solidarity with Palestinians when the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit of the land we are on, in so-called Canada, are experiencing their own ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing. Featuring guest speakers from Indigenous groups, proceeds will be shared between Gaza mutual aid groups and Indigenous led movements.
7-9:30PM — Be So For Real: A Workshop for Confronting Misinformation, Disinformation & Polarization in Your Circles (Virtual)
Hosted by Rania El Mugammar - Part 2 of a two-part pay-what-you-can workshop series on having hard conversations. In this workshop, participants will learn what misinformation, disinformation and polarization mean and look like within our kinship ties, networks and broader communities. Understanding the impact of AI, concerted campaigns for disinformation, and lack of scientific, technical and critical literacy skills provides a backdrop for the strategies learned in this workshop.
⭐️ 7:30-9:30PM — The Global March to Gaza, Firsthand Experiences and Stories (Virtual)
Hosted by OPSEU - OPSEU/SEFPO’s Coalition of Racialized Work, Provincial Young Workers Committee, Rainbow Alliance arc-en-ciel and Indigenous Circle will be hosting The Global March to Gaza, Firsthand Experiences & Stories Webinar. There will be a panel discussion including three Canadian activists who went all the way to Egypt to participate in the Global March to Gaza in order to break Israel’s siege on Gaza and demand a Humanitarian Corridor for the Palestinian People.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
⭐️ 3-7PM — Community Fridge TO at East Lynn Park Farmer's Market (East Lynn Park)
Hosted by Community Fridges Toronto - CFTO East will be boothing at East Lynn Park Farmer's Market. Please consider donating fresh foods from the market or bring food and personal care items to donate to support CFTO's great work.
⭐️ 6:30-9PM — Lower rents, Better Neighbourhoods, Building Tenant Power In Toronto (Bishop Marrocco School, 1515 Bloor St W)
Hosted by Climate Justice Toronto and York South Weston Tenant's Union - Big landlords have always enjoyed a free ride. While we fight for our right to live, they've kept us down, so the worst of their troubles is whether their investment is returning maximum profits. Who is going to stop it? This movie presents the clear answer some tenants in Toronto have come to: we are. Come meet your neighbours, find the people who know what you're going through, and find out how we have the power to set things right!
Friday, July 18, 2025
1-8PM — ASL Pride Social (High Park)
Hosted by Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf - The Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf and Hands On ASL! are working together to provide a fun day-long summer social for the Deaf 2SLGBTQIA community and allies. Food, games, and great company to be had.
8:30PM-2AM — Strange Love: Fundraiser Concert (The Wych, 1150 Davenport)
Hosted by Cupid Local - Come for a free fundraiser show hosted by Cupid Local for a night of music, magic, and love. DJ sets, tarot readings, art sales, and more, with all proceeds going to Kensington Market Overdose-Prevention Site.
Saturday, July 19, 2025
1-3PM — Steeped in Peace: A Feminist Gathering for Disarmament & Connection (Virtual)
Hosted by Canadian Voice of Women for Peace - Join Canadian Voice of Women for Peace for a virtual gathering and fundraiser in support of their Disarmament Education Program, developed in partnership with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War – Canada.
⭐️ 1-3PM — Volunteer to Demand School Meals for All (BIG on Bloor Festival)
Hosted by Progress Toronto - Mayor Chow and Toronto City Council have voted to expand school meals, but to feed all students, the Ford government must match the city’s investment. We urge the provincial government to provide funding for a universal school meal program to ensure students do not go hungry. Join Progress Toronto in speaking to residents across Toronto on the street, at farmers’ market, and festivals to help them tell the Ford government to fund school meals.
5-7PM — Noname Book Club Toronto – Krik Krak (779 Bathurst St)
Hosted by A Different Booklist - Noname Book Club connects community members both inside and outside carceral facilities with radical books to build community through political education. Each month one book by a Black author is uplifted. Join A Different Booklist to discuss Krik Krak by Edwidge Danticat for July.
Sunday, July 20, 2025
12-2PM — Little Palestine at Streetsville Square (Streetsville Square, Mississauga)
Hosted by Streetsville 4 Palesetine - Introducing Little Palestine in Mississauga! Every Sunday this July, Streetsville 4 Palestine is setting up at Streetsville Square to share resources, connect with community, and honour Palestinian culture and resistance. Come by, take a flyer, start a conversation — Palestine lives in every act of outreach.
⭐️ 1-3PM — Phillipine Society and Revolution, Pt 1 (Christie Pits Park)
Hosted by Anakbayan Toronto - Join Anakbayan Toronto for part 1 of a two-part potluck and workshop series to discuss the readings and teachings of Philippine Society and Revolution. Open to all! Through our studies of Philippine Society, we grow closer to our roots and understand our revolutionary history as Filipino People.
Monday, July 21, 2025
12:30-1:30PM — Weekly Phone Zap for Palestine (Virtual)
Hosted by Toronto Zaps For Palestine - Join with organizers from coast to coast in calling, emailing, and faxing demands to elected officials to stop Canada's complicity in the genocide.
⭐️ 6-7:30PM — Creators4Humanity Information Session (Virtual)
Hosted by Social Good Collective - Creators4Humanity is an initiative designed for people with large digital followings who care about people and the planet—and want to be part of something that actually matches the scale of what we’re facing. Join to discuss what infrastructure for support, community, and opt-in coordination looks like and how top stop being isolated while carrying public trust alone.
Down the road
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
⭐️ 6-7PM — Combating Gentrification: Teach-In (Virtual)
7-9PM — Civic Hacknight – A Network Status Map for the TTC (Hybrid)
⭐️ 7-8PM — Basic Tenants Rights Workshop (Virtual)
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
⭐️ 2-6PM — Health Gathering: Healing Our Inner Child (Spaces, 339 Queen St E)
⭐️ 7-8PM — Fighting An Eviction Workshop (Virtual)
Thursday, July 24, 2025
⭐️ 6-8PM — Scarborough Know Your Rights At Work (The Hub, 2660 Eglington)
Saturday, July 26, 2025
10PM-2AM — RIØT: An Anti-Genocide Artistic Protest (Buddies in Bad Times)
⭐️ 12-2PM — Masabilities (TAIBU Community Health Centre)
⭐️ 2-5PM — Let's Get Crafty (Danu Social House)
⭐️ 6-9PM — Toronto Fundraising for Sudan (175 Wynford Drive)
Sunday, July 27, 2025
9AM-5PM — Run for Palestine (Budapest Park)
12-2PM — Little Palestine at Streetsville Square (Streetsville Square, Mississauga)
Monday, July 28, 2025
12:30-1:30PM — Weekly Phone Zap for Palestine (Virtual)
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
⭐️ 12-1PM — Basic Tenants Rights Workshop (Virtual)
5:30-7PM — Black & Indigenous Youth Share Circle (Virtual)
⭐️ 6-8PM — Pathways to Liberation Workshop (Downtown Toronto)
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
⭐️ 12-1PM — Getting Repairs Done Workshop (Virtual)
6:30-7:30PM — WAC Information Session (Virtual)
Sunday, August 3, 2025
⭐️ 11AM-3PM — Swap & Stitch Social (Worth Gallery, 830 Dundas)
⭐️ 1-3PM — Phillipine Society and Revolution, Pt 2 (Christie Pits Park)