Hi friends and neighbours,

It's hella hot out, and I hope you're staying hydrated and out of the heat. City Council greenlit a plan last week to draft a maximum-temperature bylaw, which would make it the landlord's responsibility to make sure their units have an upper temperature limit of 26C, much like there's a minimum heating requirement in the winter. Staff were given twelve months to come up with a plan, so we won't see the effects of this until next summer at the earliest, but it's a victory for tenant advocacy groups who have been working on this for years.

Unfortunately, that won't help if you're not inside an apartment. Despite dangerous levels of heat expected for the next few days, the city only has one full-time respite centre open. As organizer and community advocate Lorraine Lam points out, many of the 500 so-called "cooling sites" advertised by the city are libraries and community centres, which don't provide access to food and water or spaces for rest, as well as outdoor pools, which is not the same thing as getting out of the heat.

Even as the heat interrupts transportation infrastructure and public celebrations, Prime Minister Carney is abandoning our climate targets, calling them a threat to national unity. This government has already gutted much of the environmental legislation put in place by his predecessors and opened the doors to much more aggressive oil and gas development, even as more and more of the world turns to solar power at scale.

The announcement came on Tuesday afternoon before a national holiday, and it's a story I would've missed if it weren't for independent reporters like Rachel Gilmore being dogged about it. If you feel like there's too much bad news coming out of this administration to keep up with, that's largely intentional, from a man who says he's learned lots about flooding the zone from watching Trump.

Taken together, this is a story about necropolitics, a framework for understanding the way that power designates some lives as being more disposable than others. Under the logic of necropolitics, increased deaths during heat waves and wildfires are acceptable collateral damage for the sake of an abstract idea of economic unity (never mind that the premise is false to begin with). The idea that the state can assign different values to human life is so embedded in how we talk about politics and tradeoffs that calling it out makes you sound naive—of course some lives are worth more than others—but this is where dehumanization takes root, and where our own fight to unlearn the dehumanization we've been taught all our lives must begin. If you can put a number to a life, that number can also be zero, as the Trump administration's EPA has just decided earlier this year.

If you're out and about, please have some water/gatorade to hand out. Community hubs like the Trinity Community Centre can always use donations of both goods and funds, and the Willowdale in Neighbourhood Community group do great outreach. Check on your neighbours, especially elderly neighbours who might be living alone. If the state won't take care of us, we'll take care of each other.

Thank you for showing up.

Jenny

Events this week

Thursday, July 2, 2026 🔗

5:30PM — CFTO Presents: Trivia Night + Food Drive! (Creeds Coffee Bar)
Community Fridges Toronto - ​It's Trivia Night with Community Fridges Toronto (CFTO)!! Come join a casual night of trivia and socializing at Creed's while collecting fridge items + cash for the community.

6PM — Community Footbal Game (Marilyn Bell Park)
Caribbean Solidarity Network and others - Join community members from across Toronto for a friendly football game, and learn more about FIFA's normalization of the apartheid and genocide of Palestine. All ages welcome.

7PM — SURJ Childminding Training (Virtual)
SURJ Toronto - Join the Childminding Collective which provides crucial childcare at organizing events by attending one of SURJ’s monthly training sessions. At the training, you will learn more about do's and don'ts when hanging out with kids, fun games and activities to engage in, etc. No previous experience with kids needed!

Friday, July 3, 2026 🔗

3PM — 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.

5PM — Know Your Immigration Rights workshop (available upon registration)
Workers' Action Centre - Join to discuss your rights as undocumented persons and during interactions with CBSA. This safe and confidential space to learn, connect, and build community.

6:30PM — Free All Lebanese Prisoners Letter Writing & Teach-In (Available upon registration)
Al-Ahrar Palestinian Prisoner Support - Teach-in presentation on Lebanese prisoners incarcerated in Zionist jails and the revolutionary forces working to liberate them. There will be a group discussion for collective learning, concluding with letter-writing to prisoners of the Palestinian struggle.

7PM — Jules Boykoff's Red Card Book Launch (Another Story Bookshop)
Another Story Bookshop - The World Cup is here, but what function does a worldwide tournament play in an increasingly belligerent police state? Published on the eve of the soccer World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, this is a critical take on the dark underbelly of the beautiful game.

Saturday, July 4, 2026 🔗

9AM — Withrow Park Repair Café (Withrow Park)
Repair Cafe Toronto - Does your stuff need some TLC? Don’t throw or stash it away, come to this repair cafe to learn how to fix it — for free! One item per person. Volunteer fixers will help with small appliances, home electronics, general housewares and clothing.

9:30AM — Volunteer at Toronto-Centre's Community Environment Day (Regent Park)
TTC Riders - Come and join TTC Riders for Councillor Chris Moise's Community Environment Day event in Ward 13! Engage with local residents on all things public transit. Come for an hour, two or all of it, you don't have to join for the entire time.

9:30AM — Revolutionary Bootcamp (OCAD University)
Revolutionary Communist Party - Join the Revolutionary Communists and OCAD University to learn the lessons required to win the world. With the world on fire and mass consciousness gearing more towards an all out class war, we are promised future struggles. Are we prepared to lead them?

10AM — Cleanup: Humber Bay Shores Park (Humber Bay Shores Park)
A Greener Future - At this event, volunteers will remove litter from the shoreline and surrounding park area while helping A Greener Future collect important data about what is ending up in the environment. This data helps us better understand litter trends and work toward long-term solutions.

10AM — Port Union Repair Café (Port Union Community Recreation Centre)
Repair Cafe Toronto - Come learn how to fix your broken household items for free! One item per person. Volunteer fixers will help with clothing/textiles, small appliances, home electronics, general housewares, and toys!

12PM — 9th Annual Community Book Share (Toronto Public Library: Don Mills Branch)
Toronto Public Library - Join TPL to promote literacy and recycling in your neighbourhood! Bring your gently used books, CDs and DVDs and take some gently used items home. Lots of free books! Donations in good condition are welcome, but not necessary. Come out for coffee and meet your neighbours, library staff, and volunteers.

1PM — No War on Cuba (Christie Pits Park)
Latin American and Caribbean Soildarity Network - As part of the International week of action for Cuba, call for an end to Trump's blockade and for Canada to send aid and oil to the people of Cuba. End the siege now!

2:30PM — Understanding Wind Energy in Ontario: Community Learning Session (5120 Yonge St)
Climate Care Toronto - An interactive community session about wind and solar energy in Ontario. Participants will explore how renewable energy systems work through a live demonstration of a small solar panel and wind turbine system and learn how weather conditions affect clean energy production

7:30PM — Rank + File 2: A Concert for Parkdale Housing Justice Network (Handlebar)
Democratic Socialists of Canada - A live music event dedicated to building working class power in Toronto, featuring Pretty, Waxlimbs, and BENDS. All proceeds will be shared with Parkdale Housing Justice Network.

Sunday, July 5, 2026 🔗

11AM — Gaza Square (371 Wallace)
Davenport 4 Palestine - Daveport 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 as they make their presence known and continue to build safety in their community!

1PM — Spring Educational Series: Socialists and the fight for liberation (virtual)
Spring Magazine - Fighting for a world where everybody is free means taking on more than just the bosses — it means fighting for racial equality, gender equality, queer liberation, Indigenous sovereignty, and oppressions faced by workers everywhere. Join Spring to discuss the role that socialists play in these fights for a better world.

5PM — Min Jibalina: Resistance From Algeria's Mountains to the Masses (Available upon registration (downtown))
ELDV for Palestine - Join ELDV and SPFY on Algeria’s Independence Day to mark 64 years of freedom, and reflect on the enduring cost of liberation and the long arc of decolonial struggle. Learn how the Algerian struggle succeeded and consider what it means to sustain decolonial resistance in the present.

Monday, July 6, 2026 🔗

11:30AM — Rooted in Resilience: How Rural Development Drives Poverty Eradication, Climate Action, and Shared Prosperity (Virtual)
Sustainable Community Aid Network - This webinar will examine how rural development strategies — including sustainable agriculture, local food systems, renewable energy, infrastructure investment, and community-led development — can serve as powerful tools for poverty reduction and climate resilience. It will also highlight practical, place-based solutions for empowering rural communities and building more equitable systems.

12:30PM — Weekly Phone Zap for Palestine (Virtual)
Toronto Zaps For Palestine - Join with organizers from coast to coast in calling, emailing, and faxing demands to elected officials for a full two-way arms embargo to stop Canada's complicity in the genocide.

4PM — Tati Community Art Hive (Toronto Art Therapy Institute, 124 Merton Street, Unit 407)
Toronto Art Therapy Institute - Join for screen-printing (bandanas, patches BYO shirts), art-build, and an art + used book sale for grassroots mutual aid in support of the Toronto Disability Pride March (TDPM) and Water is Life Gaza.

7PM — DSC 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. Following the presentation, there will be a discussion period and the organizers will answer any questions you may have.

7PM — Joy & Justice: An Embodied Storytelling Playshop (The Theatre Centre)
Living Hyphen - Those of us from racialized communities are often asked to default to stories of hardships, trauma, and oppression. While these stories are important, we are also so much more than that. Through gentle movement, creative writing, and arts-based prompts, this PWYC playshop leans into the joy that is essential to justice and liberation.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 🔗

10AM — Cleanup: Guild Park (Guild Park, 201 Guildwood Parkway)
A Greener Future - At this event, volunteers will remove litter from the shoreline and surrounding park area while helping A Greener Future collect important data about what is ending up in the environment. This data helps us better understand litter trends and work toward long-term solutions.

11:15AM — Tour of Toronto City Hall (Sherbourne Health)
Supporting Our Youth - Come on a trip to the heart of municipal matters - Toronto City Hall. Take part in a tour of the building including Council Chamber, and learn about how local government works, and how to get involved. For youth under 29. Lunch provided.

12PM — Protecting Your Home: Tenant Rights & Landlord Responsibilities (Virtual)
Muslim Legal Support Centre - Have questions about your rights as a tenant or your landlord's responsibilities? This workshop will cover common housing issues, tenant protections, landlord obligations, and steps individuals can take when facing disputes related to housing and tenancy.

7PM — Civic Tech Meetup: The Road towards the Church Street Pedestrianization Pilot (available upon registration, and virtual (hybrid))
Civic Tech Toronto - Civic Tech Toronto's weekly civic meetups bring together Torontonians who share an interest in making Toronto more responsive, prosperous, sustainable, and equitable through design, tech, and data. This week, hear about the long road towards the Church Street Pedestrianization Pilot, challenges faced, and opportunities for the city's wider pedestrian policy framework. Followed by breakout groups.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026 🔗

9AM — Cleanup: Sunnyside Beach (Sir Casimir Gzowski Park, 2001 Lake Shore Boulevard West)
A Greener Future - At this event, volunteers will remove litter from the shoreline and surrounding park area while helping A Greener Future collect important data about what is ending up in the environment. This data helps us better understand litter trends and work toward long-term solutions.

10:30AM — PSW Rally for Fairness (964 Albion Road)
CUPE Ontario - PSWs deserve a fair regulatory system: rally outside Doug Ford's office! Please join CUPE Ontario to demand justice from the Ford government.

1PM — Humber Bay Park West Cleanup (2225 Lake Shore Blvd W)
A Greener Future - Join A Greener Future for a Love Your Lakes cleanup at Humber Bay Park West in Toronto, where volunteers will come together to protect Lake Ontario, local green spaces, and the waterways connected to them.

6PM — TfD - Monthly Volunteer Planning Meeting #9 (virtual)
Technologists for Democracy - Do you want to get involved in keeping tech accountable? Join Technologists for Democracy's monthly volunteer event. Whether you'd like to pitch in with an existing campaign, have your own ideas for a new one, or just want to keep up with what TfD is doing, all are welcome!

Thursday, July 9, 2026 🔗

9AM — Bluffer's Beach Cleanup (Bluffer's Beach)
A Greener Future - Join A Greener Future for a Love Your Lakes cleanup at Bluffer’s Beach in Toronto, where volunteers will come together to protect Lake Ontario, local green spaces, and the waterways connected to them.

10AM — Cleanup: Marie Curtis Park (Marie Curtis Park, 2 Forty Second Street)
A Greener Future - At this event, volunteers will remove litter from the shoreline and surrounding park area while helping A Greener Future collect important data about what is ending up in the environment. This data helps us better understand litter trends and work toward long-term solutions.

1PM — Moving Beyond Hierarchies: Re-imagining Governance Structures (Virtual)
FoodShare Toronto - How do we break down rigid, top-down structures and build spaces rooted in community? Join Mariam Waliji and Sara Mai Chitty for an interactive session that explores anti-colonial, relational approaches to re-imagining governance.

3PM — Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market Mini Repair Café (875 Dufferin St)
Repair Cafe Toronto - Come learn how to fix your broken household items for free! One item per person. Volunteer fixers will help with small appliances, home electronics, general housewares and clothing.

Down the road

Friday, July 10, 2026 🔗

5:30PM — Sistering Solidarity Concert (962 Bloor St W)
6PM — Where Renewable Energy Meets Community in Toronto (G Ross Lord Park)

Saturday, July 11, 2026 🔗

11AM — Black Youth: Food Sovereignty Future (Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex)
11AM — July Repair Café @ Lansing United Church (49 Bogert Ave, Community Hall #1)
11:30AM — Free Clothing Swap (The Hub - Mid Scarborough)
11:30AM — Mid-Scarborough Repair Hub (2660 Eglinton Ave E)
12PM — NMN Drop In (online)
2PM — Mapping Extractive Frontiers in the Ring of Fire (Art Metropole)
2:30PM — A Breath of Clean Air: Building Climate Resilience by Improving IAQ (Swansea Town Hall)
5PM — Know Your Immigration Rights (location provided upon registration)

Sunday, July 12, 2026 🔗

12PM — Shopner Mela: Festival of Dreams (Dentonia Park)
1PM — Safe Streets Peer Support Meeting (401 Richmond St W)
1PM — Book launch: Counter-revolution in Egypt (Virtual)
2PM — Kwentuhan & Tambayan in North York: Municipal Election Readiness (Kababayan Multicultural Centre)
5PM — Voices for Lebanon Fundraiser Show (DROM Taberna)
5PM — Know Your Immigration Rights Workshop (Register to get the location)

Monday, July 13, 2026 🔗

6:30PM — NO JETS TO! Film screening of 'The City Island' (Friends House)

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 🔗

6PM — Welcome Call (virtual)

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 🔗

7PM — Civic Meetup #551: SolveTO: From one pothole, to a reporting platform for every Canadian city (available upon registration, and virtual (hybrid))
1:30PM — NIMBYism and Housing Equity (Virtual)
2PM — Group Grief Support Session for Peers (Virtual)

Saturday, July 18, 2026 🔗

7PM — Out of the Impasse? Debating Class Politics and Canadian Unions (502 Bathurst Street)
10AM — Know Your Power - Youth Workers Skill Lab (55 University Ave, 15th Floor)

Sunday, July 19, 2026 🔗

11AM — Toronto Book and Bake Sale (720 Spadina Ave, #221)
12PM — Civic Space Sunday (1RG)
2PM — Age of monsters, age of slayers: the late stage of Capitalism (427 Bloor St. West)

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 🔗

9PM — DSC Orientation (Online)

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 🔗

12PM — Understanding & Countering Misinformation, Disinformation, & Malinformation (Virtual)

Thursday, July 23, 2026 🔗

7PM — How to Save a Corner Store: A Neighborhood Retail Story (Society Clubhouse)
6PM — Empowering Muslim Women: Navigating Gender Based Islamophobia at Work (Centre for Social Innovation)
6:30PM — Not Dead Yet, Shout! (Parkdale Hall)

Saturday, July 25, 2026 🔗

11AM — Black History, Past and Present in Kensington Market (88 Nassau St)