Show Up Toronto - October 29, 2026
Hi friends and neighbours,
I was delighted that we not only averted a Bradford mayoralty with a comfortable margin on Monday, but also elected several very progressive councillors with deep organizing bona fides. Both Diana Chan McNally's fight against Bill 60 and Chiara Padovani's work with the Toronto Tenant Union have been featured in this newsletter, and I'm really excited to see what they put forward for housing and affordability on this new council.
A cool event that's happening this weekend is Red October, which is Spring Magazine's annual conference on socialist ideas in action. Full disclosure: I'm a (deplorably passive) Spring member and rely heavily on their reporting on labour actions in particular, so I know the program will be great.
Speaking of strikes, next Thursday, November 5th we'll be seeing students across Ontario walk out against OSAP cuts. It's been really inspiring watching students organize this coordinated strike over the past half year - strike planning started in earnest back in spring, and the past few months various student organizations have not only organized and rallied their student bodies but also obtained academic exemptions to allow students to strike without penalties or secured the support of faculty for accommodations.
The walkout is taking place around mid-day on Thursday across the GTA - George Brown (1pm), Humber (1pm), OCAD (noon), TMU (1pm), U of T Mississauga (2pm), U of T Scarborough (1pm), U of T St George (noon), York (9am). If you're in the area and/or have a young person in your life whose future you'd like to support, consider stopping by a student picket and lending your voice and body to the show of force.
Thanks for showing up.
Jenny
Events this week
Thursday, October 29, 2026 🔗
12PM — Care Counts: Rally for Early Learning and Child Care (Queen's Park, South Lawn)
Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare - Join OCBCC and call on the Ford government to immediately raise ECE wages, and deliver on affordability, decent work, and end the waitlist crisis for families.
12PM — Getting to “yes in my backyard” on clean energy projects (Online)
Re.Climate - Drawing on a survey of more than 4,000 Canadians and focus groups in Nova Scotia and Ontario, this webinars explores how each of the Five Canadas audience segments responds to wind and electricity projects, particularly as those projects move from proposals to reality.
12PM — Governing AI in Criminal Justice: Approaches from Ontario, the US and UK (Online)
Law Commission of Ontario - How are governments & justice systems in Ontario, the US & UK responding to the growing use of AI in criminal justice? Join this discussion on the current state of AI in criminal justice, emerging approaches to governance, and what comes next to find out.
1PM — 2S/LGBTQIA+ Sexual & Reproductive Justice Forum (Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre, 1 Harbour Square, Toronto, ON)
The CRUISElab Investigaytors - A forum featuring keynote from Marie Geoffroy & Nathan Lachowsky, alongside findings from Our Bodies, Our Health study and short talks on 2S/LGBTQIA+ sexual and reproductive justice. Participants invited to partake in small-group dialogues, bringing research evidence into conversation with community knowledge and lived experience. Attend in-person or via Zoom.
2PM — Fact or Fiction: Identifying and Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation (Deer Park)
Toronto Public Library - Are you ready to separate fact from fiction in a world filled with misinformation and disinformation? Join this event for an interactive and entertaining program where you will dive into the fascinating world of misinformation, exploring its origins, impact, and how to combat it effectively
3:30PM — Building Canada Strong Act and the right to strike (Online)
The Supreme Court of Canada has declared workers’ right to strike constitutionally-protected. But Mark Carney’s “Building Canada Strong” Act proposes to make it easier for the Minister of Labour to intervene in the federal jurisdiction. What does this mean for the right to strike?
4PM — Book Launch: Austerity and Resistance (519 Kaneff Tower at York University, 4700 Keele Street)
York University Global Labour Research Centre - Book launch for Austerity and Resistance: Ontario Days of Action, 1995-1998. Come and meet author Paul Kellogg, be followed by a panel discussion. This is a hybrid event with in-person and online attendance options.
4:30PM — Democratic Learning Spaces ( Nexus Lounge, 12th Floor, OISE)
OISE Centre for Media, Culture & Education - Join this event for a keynote and “long-table” discussion with Dr. Linda Nathan, Harvard University, exploring democratic education, power, ethical practice, and emerging debates in education.
5:30PM — Staging Environmental Action – Creating Awareness & Behavioural Change (The Hub - Mid Scarborough)
Scarborough Environmental Association - Would you like to build a vision and pathway for Scarborough’s environmental future? Staging Environmental Action is a free, hands-on theatre project where creativity meets environmental action.
This is a two-part workshop! Second part is Thursday, November 05, 5:30 pm.
6PM — CivicTechBrampton 28th Meetup Brampton Fire & Emergency Services ( 8 Queen St E)
CivicTechBrampton - Learn about Brampton Fire & Emergency Services and data analytics. Can technologists contribute their skills towards addressing the complex challenges of Fire & Emergency Services? Brampton Fire and Emergency Services provides fire protection, technical rescue services, hazardous materials response and first responder emergency medical assistance to the City of Brampton, in the Region of Peel, in Ontario, Canada.
6PM — Navigating Educator and Police Complaints (Online)
Parents of Black Children - Learn when and how to raise concerns through Ontario’s educator and police complaints processes. Join Parents of Black Children for an online workshop on navigating educator and police complaints.
6:30PM — BIPOC Grief Talk (Online)
BIPOC Death & Grief Talk - Join BIPOC Grief Talk as they discuss grief in a space just for them. Grief and race are inherently interconnected, and many racialized people don't feel like their grief fits the "normal" grieving society talks about. Note: This is a BIPOC/global majority/POC-only space
6:30PM — Downtown Branch Meeting (East End United Church, Middle Parlour)
Toronto Tenant Union - Tenant Union Downtown Branch meeting, open to all! Hear about winning campaigns, ongoing work, meet other tenants, and learn how you can get involved in supporting the tenant union! Members can vote to elect a co-chair and and co-secretary. Hybrid option available.
6:30PM — Attention SIREG Tenants! (Online)
ACORN Canada - If you are a tenant of SIREG Property Management in Ontario and will be impacted by their suspended license, join this zoom meeting to understand your legal rights, learn how to organize with your neighbours, and ask questions.
7PM — One Book, Many Communities: Mohammed el-Kurd's Perfect Victims (Another Story Bookshop)
Another Story Bookshop - Join Librarians and Archivists with Palestine to discuss Mohammed el-Kurd’s Perfect Victims for their One Book, Many Communities campaign! Mohammed el-Kurd is an award-winning poet, writer, journalist, and organizer from Jerusalem, Palestine. This year's title, Perfect Victims, confronts the condemnations levelled against Palestinians as they respond to life under genocide, occupation, and settler-colonialism.
Friday, October 30, 2026 🔗
6PM — Critical Mass Toronto (Gwendolyn MacEwen Parkette)
The Biking Lawyer - Our bike lanes are being removed, it's scary times, Halloween attire encouraged, as are lights and bringing friends. Friday we ride!
6:30PM — Red October: a conference of socialist ideas in action (TMU Student Centre, M5B 1E9)
Spring Magazine - Come to connect with likeminded socialists from across the Canadian state. The conference will include sessions on the history of various social movements, the Black radical tradition, socialist strategy, lessons from working class struggles and profiles on revolutionary activists and thinkers. Full program at: www.RedOctober.ca
6:30PM — Living Room Series with SPIN & Zico (Sitti Social Enterprise, Mississauga)
We Liberate The World - Join for an evening of art, conversation, and community with local artists Zico and SPIN EL Poeta. Together, Zico and Spin will be in conversation about their creative practices, the experiences that inform their work, and how seemingly distinct struggles are connected through shared histories, resistance, and solidarity.
6:30PM — Liberation at the Core (Provided to attendees )
Subversive Press - Join this event for an important conversation about Iran, Palestine, Sudan, and Turtle Island moderated by Samira Mohyeddin
7PM — Toronto launch of Suzanne Morrissette's But Have We Arrived? (Another Story Bookshop)
Another Story Bookshop - Using Indigenous scholarship and personal and contemporary cultural experiences in the visual arts, combined with critical historical and political analysis, But Have We Arrived? explores liberalism's failed promises to Indigenous artists against the politics of inclusion in the arts.
Saturday, October 31, 2026 🔗
10AM — Access For All Ride (Christie Pits)
Cycle Toronto - Bike lanes aren't just for bikes; they’re mobility lanes. Safe, connected infrastructure means access and independence for people of all abilities. Join Cycle Toronto for the ACCESS FOR ALL ride!
12:30PM — Say NO to AI Data Centres in Ontario Rally (Weston Wood Rd & Royal York Rd)
ClimateFast - Alongside the province-wide Protest Doug Ford rally, this is a companion rally in Etobicoke to protest AI data centres in Ontario. If you can't make it downtown, join to say no to AI data centres and bring a friend!
1PM — A Workshop on Disabled Tactile Knowledges with Iz Paehr (Tangled Art + Disability)
Critical Design Lab - This workshop explores disabled methodologies of tactile and haptic description.
1PM — Monthly Protest Against Doug Ford (Queen's Park)
Protest Doug Ford - Doug Ford has been selling off our province for parts for years and he has consistently shown he’s not on the people’s side. It’s time to stand up for our rights and for those who cannot. Come to Queen’s Park to get loud!
1PM — Monthly Naloxone Training (Houndstooth)
Cupid Local Toronto - Do you carry Naloxone? Do you know how to use it? Have questions? Join Cupid Local at Houndstooth every month for drop-in Naloxone training. Get this life-saving medication in your hands and out on the streets!
Sunday, November 1, 2026 🔗
12PM — Marching Disorder: Street Music & Solidarity Songs, Co-Presented with Rad Yiddish (The Tranzac Club)
Rad Yiddish - Come join in making joyful noise in support of collective liberation! From radical Yiddish vocal/klezmer tunes and Palestinian songs to global brass band repertoire and protest chants, each month we'll welcome guests from different activist music traditions to share & teach songs.
1PM — "The Battle of Algiers" (1966) film fundraizer (RSVP for location)
Very Láo.d, Spadina Fort York 4 Palestine - Film screening fundraiser for Sudanese and Palestinian communities. Following the screening there will be a short teach-in on Algerian and Vietnamese revolutionary histories.
2PM — A people’s history of the Canadian state: The Red Power Movement (427 Bloor St W.)
International Socialists - What does liberation mean when the promise of equal citizenship threatens to dissolve collective rights? Join to explore Red Power in Canada, focusing on Indigenous struggles over land and self-determination in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
2PM — Organizing Under Occupation (Online)
Labour for Palestine - Join Labour for Palestine for a webinar on the situation for workers and unions in Palestine. Hear from four L4P members who just visited the West Bank as a part of a labour delegation meeting with trade unions and community organizations.
4:30PM — Benefit for Writers Still Under Siege in Gaza (Gallery 44)
Writers' Benefit for Gaza - A pay-what-you-can benefit for writers still under Siege in Gaza, with presentations by writers Nyla Matuk, Gavin Barrett, Sarah Abu-Sharar, and Yahya Al Hamarna. All profits will be split between Yahya Al Hamarna and the authors of Coastal Lines Press collective.
5PM — Vigil for the Martyrs (Scarborough Town Centre (Outside TTC Entrance))
Scarborough Loves Palestine - There is something terribly cruel about a world that asks the dead to prove they deserved to live. Gather for the martyrs of Gaza, not to turn their deaths into another spectacle of suffering but o remember their names, to carry their stories and to honour them.
7PM — Fundraising Your Community: An Intro to a Radical Fundraising Framework (Online)
Resource Movement - Come discuss your hopes & fears gentle space and do some inquiry & learning about how you can do 'radical fundraising' that both strengthens your personal relationships and helps fund critical community & political work.
Monday, November 2, 2026 🔗
2PM — The Sickling: Blood Drive & Community Film Screening (Canadian Blood Services, 67 College St, Toronto.)
Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario - Join the City of Toronto's Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario, and Canadian Blood Services for two connected events focused on sickle cell disease (SCD) and the inequities that continue to shape Black experiences of health care. Blood Drive from 2-4, screening and discussion from 5:30-9.
7PM — Fall Tenant Workshops: Rules about Rent (Online)
Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations - Join the FMTA this Fall for a series of free tenant rights workshops. Meet other tenants, learn about your rights and ask questions! When and how can a landlord raise your rent? What is an illegal rent increase? What is an AGI?
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 🔗
6:30PM — Learning from the Prairie School (Online)
York University Global Labour Research Centre - Barb Byers is a long-time labour and social justice activist and former Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress and will speak to her career advancing workers’ rights, gender equality and social justice. Donna Smith is a longtime Prairie School collaborator and staff at Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, with emphasis on queer rights
7PM — Civic Meetup #567: Insights from the Tracking (In)justice Project (In person or online (Address available to attendees))
Civic Tech Toronto - Last year, 61 people died in interactions with the police or in incarceration facilities across the country. With a team of researchers spanning Carleton, McGill, Queens, UofT, and UBC, the Tracking (In)Justice project aims at systematically and transparently cataloguing the circumstances around these deaths.
7PM — Repercussions Live! (Soulpepper Theatre)
Soulpepper - On the night of the American midterms and in the shadow of Toronto’s municipal election the week prior, hosts Elamin Abdelmahmoud (CBC Commotion) and Joan Summers (Eating for Free) will dissect the state of our co-dependent politics and face the consequences of our collective decisions together. Drinks, games, and discourse to ensue.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 🔗
1:15PM — Inspiring Talks: How to Change the Law: Dr. Henry Morgentaler, a Case Study (Tartu College, 310 Bloor St. West)
Academy for Lifelong Learning - Dr. Henry Morgentaler was charged, jailed, and publicly targeted for providing medical abortions to Canadian women, yet his determination ultimately reshaped Canadian law. His long legal battle led to the legalization of abortion in Canada, transforming both public policy and access to reproductive health care.
7PM — PROMise Party (The Centre for Social Innovation)
StopGap Foundation - Don’t miss this biggest event of the year, as we raise funds for StopGap's important work! Join this event to dance, connect, and celebrate accessibility, community, and the people helping build a world where everyone belongs.
7PM — TWC Book Club: End Times Fascism (Bahen Centre for Information Technology)
Tech Workers Coalition Canada - The TWC Book Club is to read End Times Fascism by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor. In this, book the authors address how billionaire tech barons are increasingly embracing the idea that the world is going to collapse and only a selected few will survive. Please read chapters 4-5.
7PM — Virtual Launch of the "Taking Climate Action at School" Guide (Online)
For Our Kids - Join this event for the virtual launch of the Taking Climate Action at Schools Guide - a new resource for parents and caregivers who want to take climate action at school.
Thursday, November 5, 2026 🔗
9AM — Hands Off Our Education: Mass Student Walkout (Various locations across Toronto)
CFS Ontario - Join students across Ontario in walking out and demanding better rights for ALL. Students are taking a stand against unfair policies around OSAP cuts, higher tuition fees, threats to campus services, and increased policing in schools. Education and campus spaces are under attack, and students are fighting back Bring a friend, build the movement.
12PM — Rally for Democracy (Queen's Park)
Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Civic leaders and advocates from across the province are coming to speak about the threats facing democracy in Ontario. Hear from the Canadian Association of Journalists, Ecojustice, The Neighbourhood Group Community Services and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation on the erosion to transparency, human dignity, and the rule of law.
3:30PM — Counter-Mapping For Treaty Education (Upper Gym, Toronto Metropolitan University)
Yellowhead Institute - Join Yellowhead Institute for a demo on the treaty map and discussion on treaty mapping, counter-mapping, and education. Despite treaties being among the “highest laws of the land,” they remain deeply misunderstood, mal-interpreted, and flattened through dominating Canadian narratives. Counter-mapping is one tool to resist static interpretations of treaty.
5:30PM — Thinking Beyond The Market Screening Event & Discussion (Nat Taylor Cinema, Ross North 102, York Keele campus)
OPIRG York - "Thinking Beyond The Market" explores housing solutions across Canada, highlighting how Indigenous-led initiatives are already creating meaningful change in response to the housing crisis. The film screening will be followed by a Q & A with the filmmaker Brian Doucet. We’ll share food and discussion afterwards.
6PM — CSI Book Club: Toronto Urban Ecovillage Exploration (session 3-5) (192 Spadina Ave)
Centre for Social Innovation - Join biweekly gathering to discuss short, selected readings that explore the basics of intentional community living. This week chapter, What Is an Intentional Community? [p25-34], defines intentional communities, distinguishes them from other housing arrangements, and surveys different models such as cohousing, ecovillages, housing cooperatives, communes, and shared households.
6PM — Introduction to Web Archiving at The ArQuives (Online)
The ArQuives - As 2SLGBTQIA+ history, activism, and community spaces move increasingly online, preserving born-digital materials has become critical. This webinar will cover The ArQuives’ web archiving strategies and procedures, including approaches to preserving high-risk digital content.
6:30PM — Launch of R. Magaly San Martin's 'Revolution on the Move' (with panel!) (Another Story Bookshop)
Another Story Bookshop - Join us for the Toronto launch of R. Magaly San Martin's REVOLUTION ON THE MOVE, featuring a panel discussion. This book gathers the unforgettable voices of Latin American feminist activists who joined together to confront entrenched power and along the way transformed Toronto.
7PM — The Walrus Talks at Home: Midlife and Belonging (online)
The Walrus - Join for a conversation about the challenges of creating a sense of belonging in midlife, and how we can strengthen social bonds and critical supports during this difficult — and often overlooked — stage of our lives.
Down the road
Friday, November 6, 2026 🔗
10AM — Youth Health & Advocacy Summit (206 Beverley St)
3PM — Against Tech Oligarchy: The Story of Workers’ Resistance (Jackman Humanities Building)
5PM — Seeds Beneath the Snow: An Anti-Imperialist Symposium (468 Queen St W.)
7PM — Canadian Healthcare Today: Diagnosing the Threats to Public Care (Owl's Club)
7:30PM — Voices of Solidarity: Palestinian Stories, Music and Scholarship on Turtle Island (Church of the Holy Trinity)
Saturday, November 7, 2026 🔗
11:30AM — Mid-Scarborough Repair Hub (2660 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto)
12PM — Migrante Ontario Bingo Fundraiser (TBA)
1PM — Naza screening (Hot Docs)
1PM — VOW 2026 Annual General Meeting ( Friends House 60 Lowther Ave, Toronto)
1PM — Alternative All-Gender Clothing Swap (Ground Control)
7PM — Canadians Stand with Cuba & the United Nations (25 Cecil St.)
Sunday, November 8, 2026 🔗
12PM — Creative Reuse Toronto Storefront Drop-in Repair Events (Creative Reuse Toronto)
1PM — Peer Support Meeting November 2026 (401 Richmond St W)
Monday, November 9, 2026 🔗
6:30PM — Changing the Narrative: Toronto’s Indigenous – Settler History (Toronto Reference Library)
7PM — Fall Tenant Workshops: Getting Repairs Done (Online)
7PM — No Place for Hate (Wellesley Community Centre)
7:30PM — What Does Hate Actually Look Like in Schools? (Online)
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 🔗
3:30PM — Black on Campus: A film screening & panel discussion (Harriet Tubman Institute, York)
7PM — Civic Meetup #568: Hack the Count: Turning Window Sensors into Street Safety Evidence (In person or online (address available to attendees))
Thursday, November 12, 2026 🔗
5:30PM — Staging Environmental Action–Local vs Global Food Systems & the Environment (The Hub - Mid Scarborough (SCHC & Partners) Toronto, ON)
6PM — Fighting to Win: A Course for Community and Union Activists (Venue to be shared with registrants)
6PM — Mingle with The ArQuives (The Well, 487 Church Street)
7PM — NMN Meet Up: No More Noise Strategy & Impact Update (Online)
7PM — The Walrus Talks at Home: Canada After America (Online)
7:30PM — What Does Hate Actually Look Like in Schools? (Online)
Friday, November 13, 2026 🔗
2PM — Inside the Margins: Trans Lives Behind Bars (519 Church St.)
6:30PM — An Evening with Valérie Plante (Toronto Reference Library)
Saturday, November 14, 2026 🔗
12PM — No More Noise: Drop In (Online)
12PM — Counter-rally to racist Canada First (Nathan Phillips Square)
1PM — Toronto launch: NEVER AGAIN, FOR ANYONE, with Stacy Friedman & Elly Stern (Society Clubhouse, Toronto, ON)
8PM — SURJ TO 10-year Anniversary Party (Workers Action Centre)
Sunday, November 15, 2026 🔗
2PM — Resistance and rebellion: A people’s history of the Canadian state study series (427 Bloor St W.)
4PM — Showcase & Zine Launch (GladDay)
7PM — Naza (2026) film screening (Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema)
Monday, November 16, 2026 🔗
7PM — Fall Tenant Workshops: Ending a Tenancy (Online)
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 🔗
7PM — Praxis Program Fall/Winter 2026-27 (Online)
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 🔗
1:15PM — Inspiring Talks: Canada’s Climate Double-Cross (Tartu College 310 Bloor St. West)
Thursday, November 19, 2026 🔗
5:30PM — Staging Environmental Action–Local vs Global Food Systems & the Environment (The Hub - Mid Scarborough (SCHC & Partners) Toronto, ON)
6PM — Draw the Line Against Transphobic Violence in School (Online)
6PM — The Rules We Live By (Toronto Reference Library - Bram & Bluma Appel Salon)
7PM — Toronto Association for Peace and Solidarity Member Meeting (31 Wellesley St E.)
Saturday, November 21, 2026 🔗
10AM — St. Lawrence REmarket (St. Lawrence Market)
2PM — Book Launch: Lenin's Comintern Revisited (College Street United Church)