Hi friends and neighbours,

There was a big student protest last week at Queen's Park against the proposed OSAP cuts, where of course the cops showed up to protect property and attack students. There are a ton more events in the next few weeks of students across university and college campuses and even high schools mobilizing against the OSAP cuts; if you have a young person in your life please talk to them about this and point them to where to get mobilized.

I know it can seem trivial to talk about higher education funding when our southern neighbour is starting cruel and evil wars all around the world—double-striking schools and killing hundreds of little girls in the name of liberation, blowing up oil reserves and blanketing the sky in black poison that will harm millions for decades. Meanwhile our own government sits around making mouth sounds about how we're sad about being totally cool with it. I nevertheless wanted to raise it for a few reasons:

1. Every new generation finds its own way into organizing and activism. The same groups supporting students at OSAP walkouts are also oftentimes also the ones organizing against imperial aggression and colonial oppression, and encouraging young people to get involved is how we infuse new energy into these movements, too.

2. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, it is not a coincidence that conservative ideologies are waging a culture war on education. The push to devalue learning and pedagogy comes from the same impulses that push us to replace our critical thinking muscles with large language models. We have to meet these fights on those terms, as an acute threat to our capacity for thought. Without it, social movements cannot advance.

3. The worst thing we can be in the face of these sustained multi-pronged assaults on rights, freedoms, and the habitability of the planet is to be paralyzed. I know I'm liable to get stuck at what can I do? and forget it's not up to me or you or even my friends and family, it's up to all of us. Whatever it takes to do the next right thing, make the next small step, try the next experiment to build mass momentum is always worth highlighting. It’s not about whether the kids are alright—they shouldn't have to be resilient to the mess we’re failing to clean up—but I am glad to welcome the next generation to our collective fight.

Speaking of the fight, there’s an anti-war demonstration on Sunday. Bring your young person! There's also a number of fundraiser concerts this weekend: one from a new series hosted by the Democratic Socialists of Canada to raise awareness of working class power (the first one will support the Oakwood Vaughan Tenant Union), another to raise funds for Cubans affected by the blockade. Remember, we fight for roses too.

Thank you for showing up.

Jenny

Events this week

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 🔗

12PM — What is Feminist Activism Now? Perspectives from Palestine and Sudan, to Turtle Island (KW130, U of T)
University of Toronto Women and Gender Studies - The 2026 Women and Gender Studies Centenary Lecture in recognition of International Women’s Day, featuring local experts and organizers Yusra Khogali, Dr. Nadia Abu-Zahra, and Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel.

3PM — Commoning Labour and Democracy at Work Book Launch (Peace Lounge, 7th Floor OISE Building)
U of T Centre for Learning, Social Economy & Work - Join this community–university gathering that uses the book Commoning Labour and Democracy at Work: When Workers Take Over as a starting point for a collective conversation about the possibilities and limits of building labour commons in Toronto today.

4PM — Technical Collaborators: Canada's Tech-Facilitated Complicity with ICE and Beyond (Virtual)
University of Windsor Faculty of Law - Canadian companies supplying ICE operations isn’t the first time we have been complicit in technology-facilitated acts of state and border violence. This conversation will seek to broaden thinking about the role of Canadian tech in state violence beyond ICE and how the law regulates (or not) these contributions.

5PM — East End Acts Monthly Vigil (Main and Danforth)
East End Acts for Palestine - East End Acts meets monthly on the second Tuesday of the month to remember the thousands of men, women, and children murdered by the zionist state.

5PM — Student Strike Pre-Town Hall Meeting (Sid Smith Lobby)
Revolutionary Communist Party - UofT - A student strike is the only way to fight the OSAP cuts! Join the Communists on campus to argue for a Student Strike at the UofT town hall!

5:30PM — Phone Bank for a Progressive Toronto (Virtual)
Progress Toronto - The right and local conservative politicians are working hard to bring back to the status quo of harmful cuts and underfunding vital city services. Help Progress Toronto phone bank and talk to people across Toronto about housing, services, and other issues that matter to them and help them take action.

6PM — The Cost of Growth Screening (Innis College)
Coalition of Toronto sustainability groups - ​An evening of film, conversation, and collective sense-making centred around the documentary The Cost of Growth, which invites us to look beneath today’s crises and ask deeper questions about our economic systems, whose interests they serve, and what alternative futures might be possible.

6PM — Hands Off Our OSAP Townhall (Sidney Smith 2117)
University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union - Keep the momentum going to take action on Ford’s OSAP cuts at this hybrid town hall with the graduate students’ union! Discuss strategies and tactics to push back.

6:30PM — Harm Reduction Advocacy Open Meeting (College St United Church)
Harm Reduction Advocacy Collective Toronto - Weekly harm reduction dinner and meeting! There will be a snap decision breakout group for existing members and a welcome committee break-out group for new members, as well as a working group meeting open to all.

7PM — Tenant Rights and Winter Weather (Virtual)
Federation of Metro Tenants Association - Join Tenant Action Committee's next community discussion to learn about tenant rights in winter weather, including landlord responsibilities for snow clearing, handling weather damage, and more.

7PM — Civic Meetup - real-time bus locations (Hybrid)
Civic Tech Toronto - Civic Tech Toronto's weekly meetups bring together Torontonians who want to improve the city through design, tech, and data. This week, learn about Oben Hum's experiences making Busferret, a data-efficient TTC tracker using Toronto's Open Data! Followed by project breakout sessions.

7PM — Will AI change your work? (Virtual)
OPSEU - Artificial Intelligence has quickly become part of everyday life, but how will it affect the work of union members members?

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 🔗

8:30AM — Union Women Rise Up for Gender Justice (Virtual)
Canadian Labour Congress - The Canadian Labour Congress is hosting a powerful conversation on how union women are defending pay equity, safety, collective bargaining and human rights at this year’s UN Commission on the Status of Women which will be livestreamed from the UN.

9AM — Forum on Climate, Conflict and Gender (Virtual)
KAIROS Canada - An online forum to explore the intersections of climate change, conflict and gender inequality.

12:30PM — Ontario-Wide High School Walkout (Across Ontario)
Students Just Wanna Have Funds - Doug Ford's recent cuts to OSAP and the lifting of post-secondary's tuition freeze will have extremely damaging effects to high school students, who are entering post-secondary with a severe funding shortage. Join or organize a province-wide walout at your local school or MPP’s office! Speak up!

1:30PM — Ontario’s Electricity Future: High-Cost Nuclear or Lower Electricity Bills (Virtual)
Canadian Association for the Club of Rome - Jack Gibbons, Chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, will examine the Government of Ontario’s plans to meet 75% of Ontario’s electricity needs with nuclear energy by 2050 and the lower cost alternatives.

2PM — NatureTO: Our Urban Forest (1745 Eglinton Ave W)
Toronto Public Library - Toronto has one of the largest urban forests in the world. Join the City of Toronto Urban Forestry staff for an in-library presentation on this amazing natural habitat that reaches all corners of Toronto.

5:15PM — 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.

7PM — Wayfinding: Art (1RG)
1RG - ​Wayfinding is a conversation series about navigating the tensions of tech in modern life. The session on art will feature a conversation between Benjamin Lappalainen and Michelle Jia, moderated by Brian Sholis about what it feels like to make art at the present moment.

Thursday, March 12, 2026 🔗

11AM — A Day in the Life: Harm Reduction 101 & OD Prevention Training (526 Richmond ST)
Community Alliance for Accessible Treatment - Want to gain a nuanced understanding of substance use and harm reduction, and increase your capacity for community work? This presentation uses an interactive “choose your own adventure” to help participants understand how histories of trauma, abuse, and pain impact decisions around substance use.

4:30PM — Flyer for better transit at Warden Station (Warden Station)
TTC Riders - Come help hand out flyers and talk to riders at Warden Station about the federal government's $5 billion cut to public transit funding, and how they can take action to invest in a better TTC. No experience required, just show up!

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 — CivicTechBrampton: Applied AI Workshop (8 Queen St E, Brampton)
CivicTechBrampton - Inviting all technologists, students, citizens interested in working on Open Data projects. Alex Olson, Centre for Analytics & AI Engineering, University of Toronto, will present different types of applied AI projects.

6PM — Knock on Doors for a Progressive Toronto (Spadina and Richmond St W)
Progress Toronto - The right and local conservative politicians are working hard to bring back to the status quo of harmful cuts and underfunding vital city services. Join Progress Toronto in canvassing apartment buildings (out of the cold!) talk to people across Toronto about housing, services, and other issues that matter to them and help them take action.

6PM — Abolition Pub-Ed: Elene Lam and Butterfly (Virtual)
Disability Justice Network of Ontario - Elene Lam and Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network) will share about the stigma, issues, and risks faced by migrant sex workers (e.g. targeting by police, conflation of sex work with human trafficking) and how to transition from "we can't call the police" to "we don't have to call the police” to keep each other safe.

6:30PM — ACORN: Tenant Rights Workshop (Virtual)
ACORN - Are you dealing with rent increases, repairs not getting fixed, eviction threats, or unresponsive landlords? Join ACORN for a free tenant rights workshop and learn how to protect yourself and your neighbours.

7PM — Save OSAP Town Hall (1573 Bloor St W)
Ontario NDP - Doug Ford's Conservatives just slashed OSAP, making postsecondary education more expensive at the worst possible time. Students, campus organizers, unions and their workers are coming together to fight back. Join this town hall to get informed, get organized, and demand better.

7PM — Care Counts Campaign Launch Party (Virtual)
Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare - Join the launch party for CARE COUNTS, a new campaign to stand up for better wages for early childhood educators. Get a free campaign package for your community, learn what’s coming next, and share what matters to you.

7PM — Better Than the Blue Box: Speak Up for Deposit Return (Virtual)
Environmental Defence - Sign up to take your advocacy to the next level along with other Ontarians who don’t want plastic bottles and aluminum cans piling up in our parks, rivers and landfills.

Friday, March 13, 2026 🔗

3PM — Art 4 OSAP (OCAD Main Building)
OCAD U Community 4 Palestine - An event in collaboration with the Print and Pub Club! Come make art, banners, and signs to bring to the big rally for the second protest to save OSAP at Queen’s Park!

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.

4PM — Speak Up Against U of T’s Protest Guidelines (Sid Smith)
Climate Justice U of T - Student protest and activism on campus have historically been important vehicles of change for many different movements, and U of T’s new protest guidelines are an infringement on student speech. Speak up! Strike the protest guidelines!

5:30PM — Whose Nation are We Building? (York University, HNES 142)
Change Course - The Carney government is financing projects like LNG, and so-called “critical“ minerals, and subsidizing them using your tax dollars. These projects, portrayed as being in the national interest, are wrecking the climate and violating Indigenous rights. Join a community conversation on how extractive projects are being de-risked and subsidized through recent federal policies.

7:30PM — Rank + File: Show 1 (Handlebar)
Democratic Socialists of Canada - The Democratic Socialists of Canada & Eureka Productions have teamed up to present a new solidarity concert, devoted to bringing awareness to working-class power in Toronto. Each show's proceeds will be shared with a different organization. This benefit will feature cute, TORRENT, and Silks, and will benefit Oakwood Vaughan Tenant Union.

Saturday, March 14, 2026 🔗

10:30AM — LEAF Virtual Volunteer Orientation (Virtual)
LEAF - Are you passionate about nature and looking for meaningful ways to support the urban forest? Join the LEAF volunteer community as they celebrate our 30th anniversary and help grow what comes next!

11AM — Workers Alliance, GTA chapter meeting (720 Spadina Ave)
Workers Alliance - Join Workers’ Alliance at the next GTA chapter meeting to learn more about the organization and get involved in projects.

1PM — Parkdale Seedy Saturday (58 Landsdowne)
South Parkdale Community Pollinator Gardens - Come connect with your community! Bring seeds packaged and ready to give away at the community seed exchange program if you have them, and come meet local gardening and environmental groups and learn about seed planting!

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!

3PM — Al Quds Day: Annual Walk for Palestine (361 University Ave)
Al Quds Day - Annual Walk for Palestine.

8PM — Break the Blockade Fundraiser (Houndstooth)
No Class Collaborations and The Canada-Cuba Friendship Association - A PWYC fundraiser concert with all proceeds donated to the Canadian Network on Cuba as they rebuild from Hurricane Melissa amidst the cruel and criminal USA-imposed blockade. Also accepting donations of hygiene products, medication and school supplies.

Sunday, March 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. TWC considers anyone who is involved in the production and maintenance of digital technology to be a tech worker, whether you are a bike courier working at a food delivery app service, a designer, a software engineer, a product owner, a data labeller or a content moderator. Hope to see you there!

11AM — Gaza Square (371 Wallace Ave)
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!

11AM — Sundays 4 Palestine (Bathurst and Sheppard)
Sundays4Palestine - Weekly counterprotest to the Zionist community that comes out to celebrate the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Flags and signs provided.

1PM — Knock on Doors in Apartments for a Progressive Toronto (Yonge and Churchill)
Progress Toronto - The right and local conservative politicians are working hard to bring back to the status quo of harmful cuts and underfunding vital city services. Join Progress Toronto in canvassing apartment buildings (out of the cold!) talk to people across Toronto about housing, services, and other issues that matter to them and help them take action.

1PM — No War With Iran (360 University Ave)
Toronto Association for Peace and Solidarity - Condemn the illegal and reckless war being waged on Iran by the United States and Israel by joining TAPS at the US Consulate. No War with Iran! No Canadian Participation in US-Israeli aggression! Ceasefire Now!

1:30PM — Imperialism Teach In (Available upon registration (Mississauga))
Popular Front of Canada - A presentation/discussion covering modern colonial and imperial dynamics, the origins and mechanisms that keep these systems alive and the way it has impacted human development.

2PM — Postcards for Palestine (Pamenar)
Leftie Jane - Come hang out in community and write postcards to PM Carney and Minister Diab. Each postcard urges the Canadian government to provide the 136 Palestinian students currently stuck in Gaza and Egypt with their student visa to study in Canada.

2PM — The War on Cuba Screening (Shevchenko Museum)
Canadian-Cuban Friendship Association - A screening of "The War on Cuba", a powerful documentary about the effects of the US economic war on Cuba and the Cuban people, and a short discussion after. There will be a books and bake sale to raise funds for scholarships to this year's Che Guevara Brigade.

Monday, March 16, 2026 🔗

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.

2:30PM — Placing Yourself in the Food System (601 Christie)
The Stop - Explore your role in Toronto’s food system and envision a more just, resilient future through discussion, mapping, and food justice action.

4PM — Mondays 4 Palestine (Danforth and Broadview)
Danforth & Broadview 4 Palestine - Weekly rally on the east end for Palestinians every Monday. Stand up for human rights and say no to genocide.

7PM — Climate Cafe – Carbon Conversations (Virtual)
Carbon Conversations Toronto - Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, enraged, or hopeless about Climate Change? Join climate café to share your thoughts and feelings in a space with friendly, experienced facilitators. It's a welcoming place to talk, listen, and connect with others who understand.

9PM — 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 and/or on a National level.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 🔗

12:30PM — Direct Action Training: De-Escalation (York First Student Centre, Room 313)
York Federation of Students - Join the York Federation Students for a week of action to demand the Ford Government keep their hands off our education. This training will provide simple de-escalation techniques to decrease reliance on police and security.

3PM — York Hands Off Our OSAP Town Hall (York First Student Centre, Room 430)
York Federation of Students - Join the York Federation Students for a week of action to demand the Ford Government keep their hands off our education. The town hall will be an opportunity to discuss action items and tangible next steps to reverse the cuts, build student power, and unite against Ford.

7PM — Civic Meetup - Wildlife, eDNA, and Invisible Carbon (Hybrid)
Civic Tech Toronto - Civic Tech Toronto's weekly meetups bring together Torontonians who want to improve the city through design, tech, and data. This week, introducing local startup Invisible Carbon, a solar-punk approach to sustainability. Followed by project breakout sessions.

7PM — The Lab screening - testing and selling warfare to the world (1RG)
1RG - A screening and discussion of The Lab (2013), directed by Yotam Feldman. This documentary explores Israel's profitable military industry and how Israeli companies and private agents sell urban military technology and training first tested on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank to the world.

Down the road

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 🔗

11AM — How to be Hopeful Book Discussion (Virtual)
4PM — Seed packing, film screening & Meal: "Food for the Rest of Us" (104 Scholars Walk)
5PM — Wednesdays 4 Palestine (Danforth and Pape)
5:15PM — Doorknocking for Palestine (Available upon RSVP)
6PM — Toronto Spring Meeting – Getting Organized To Stop the War (720 Spadina)
6PM — Mobility Device Repair Night (Bikechain, 230 College St)
7PM — Resource Movement Info Session (Virtual)

Thursday, March 19, 2026 🔗

1PM — Migrant Dreams Screening and Tal (401 Commons)
5:30PM — Flyer for better transit at Bathurst Station (Bathurst Station)
6PM — Abolition Pub-Ed: Rania El Mugammar (Virtual)
6PM — CivicTechBrampton: BikeSpace and BikeHub (8 Queen St E, Brampton)
7PM — Book club—Civil resistance (Virtual)

Friday, March 20, 2026 🔗

3PM — Fridays 4 Palestine (Yonge and Bloor)
5PM — Seeding Sovereignty: Language Revitalization (7 Hart House)
6PM — Toronto Spring Monthly Meeting (720 Spadina Ave)

Saturday, March 21, 2026 🔗

1PM — BDS Leafletting (900 Dufferin St)
2PM — Postering Blitz in University-Rosedale for the Federal By-Election (Bathurst Station)
2PM — No to CANSEC Committee Meeting (Available upon registration)

Sunday, March 22, 2026 🔗

10AM — Virtual Tech Worker’s Coalition Coffee (Virtual)
11AM — Tommy Thompson Park Cleanup (Tommy Thompson Par)
11AM — Gaza Square (371 Wallace Ave)
11AM — Sundays 4 Palestine (Bathurst and Sheppard)
2PM — What is imperialism in a so-called post-colonial age? (Virtual)

Monday, March 23, 2026 🔗

12:30PM — Weekly Phone Zap for Palestine (Virtual)

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 🔗

5PM — Wednesdays 4 Palestine (Danforth and Pape)
7PM — Fund Our Schools Town Hall (995 Arrow Road)

Thursday, March 26, 2026 🔗

8PM — P4CC Campaign Launch: $10 a Day Child Care For All (Virtual)

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 🔗

7PM — Living with Drones - Scarborough (UTSC AC Lecture Theatre)

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.