Hi friends and neighbours,

And we're back from our summer break! I hope you were all able to shelter from the wild weather yesterday and didn't get too drenched/windswept/icestruck.

For newcomers (or in case you've forgotten in the hazy end-of-August days), Show Up Toronto is a community calendar for organizing, mutual aid, and advocacy events from around the city. The website always has the full list of all the events we know about, and this newsletter you're reading right now (hi!) sends out a list of upcoming events every Thursday. You can also keep up with new events with the RSS feed, the iCal feed, the Bluesky bot, or the Mastodon bot. All events are lovingly manually sourced and curated by a small team of volunteers. If you would like to help us put this together, just reply to this email and let us know! We'd especially love help with social media and outreach efforts.

If you've been reading the newsletter for a while you know these preambles have often been mini-columns about the salient social issues of that week. While I've loved getting to share my reflections with you and hearing from you in turn, it does take a substantial amount of time and effort in addition to an increasing volume of event work. I'd like to free up some of that energy for my long-form writing (I allegedly have a blog) and also other behind-the-scenes improvements to make Show Up run smoother (we've been building a ton of volunteer tooling). This means that from now on, these intros will likely be much shorter and focused either on highlighting specific events or cool opportunities I hear about.

For example, York University has a free eight week workplace organizing training for people who live in the Jane-Finch, Rexdale, and Northwest Toronto area starting September 24th - applications are still open. Also, I will be marching with the Tech Workers' Coalition Canada contingent of the annual Labour Day March this coming Monday and showing off our brand new banner. Maybe I'll see you there?

If you'd be interested in writing for us and our manifesto resonates, please do let me know! I'd love to host guest columns or bring on other writers. And I can't promise I won't still occasionally pontificate if the occasion calls for it—election season is coming up.

Finally, as always, if you find this project useful, please forward it to a friend! If this was forwarded to you, please sign up here. Welcome back, and let's get to work.

Thank you for showing up.

Jenny

Events this week

Thursday, September 3, 2026 🔗

6PM — Uptown Climate Futures Anthology Launch Party (Food Hall TO)
Uptown Climate Conversations - Uptown Climate Futures convened community through a friendly, conversational workshop series, culminating into the Uptown Climate Futures Anthology. Come celebrate the launch with readings, comedy, good eats, and better company. Partial proceeds will support Collins First Nation to help rebuild after wildfires this summer.

6PM — Toronto Protest: Stop US-Israeli War Crimes (2 Bloor ST E)
Palestinian Youth Movement - Across the West Bank, in Gaza, and in Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes have intensified, killing civilians and our people continue to endure constant bombardment and displacement. Take to the streets to make it clear that enough is enough, and Palestinian and Lebanese lives are not disposable!

6:30PM — In the Kitchen with Chef Izzeldin Bukhari (Another Story Bookshop)
Toronto Palestine Film Festival - A cross-cultural conversation about Palestinian cooking, farming, and diasporic cuisine, between renowned Palestinian chef Izzeldin Bukhari and fellow food advocate and educator Chef Bashir. This event will include light refreshments and a sampling of savoury and sweet dishes to welcome you to chef Izzeldin's home away from home.

Friday, September 4, 2026 🔗

4:30PM — Thorncliffe Community Market Repair Café (46 Thorncliffe Park Dr)
Repair Cafe Toronto - Repair Café will be part of Eco Fun Fest taking place at Thorncliffe Community Market ! Learn how to fix your broken household item while visiting the community market. Bring small appliances, clothes, small jewelry, and more!

Saturday, September 5, 2026 🔗

1PM — 2nd Annual People's Fair (24 Cecil St)
Alliance of Workers and Students - Meet the folks in your city that are fighting for a better future while sharing music, dance, art and ideas. Connect to one another as workers, tenants, students, families and community members of Toronto, fighting the same struggles against high cost of living and hostile laws, and get organized!

5:30PM — Scarborough Pan Asian Alliance Project Launch (1911 Kennedy Road)
Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter - The launch for a new “Scarborough Pan Asian Alliance (SPAA): Youth Against Hate” project. Open to Asian youth 12-30 years old who are interested in creating change in your community, challenging stereotypes, and meeting new people with shared experiences.

Sunday, September 6, 2026 🔗

1PM — Transit Story Sharing Circles: York-South Weston (116 Industry St)
TTC Riders - Join TTCriders and North York Harvest for a Transit Story Sharing Circle! Come together as transit riders in York-South Weston to talk about your experiences on the TTC and share ideas for how transit can be made more reliable, affordable, and accessible in this ward.

3PM — TfD Urban Walk Series: Surveillance Stroll (Union Station)
Technologists for Democracy - Join Technologists for Democracy on a walk around Union Station as we lead you on a privacy check over PATH to better understand how privacy laws and rights look in practice across Toronto

Monday, September 7, 2026 🔗

9:30AM — Labour Day Parade 2026 (St Patrick St and Queen St)
Toronto and York Region Labour Council - Take to the streets with over 20,000 labour members to honour the past, present and future victories of the Labour Movement at this year’s annual Labour Day Parade.

12PM — Anti-Imperialist Yard Sale (Christie Pits)
CPSO Toronto - Come to this anti-imperialist yard sale for clothing, books, and more! The proceeds will be split between activists to reimburse costs of travel, and supporting the anti-imperialist Kapit Bisig conference to stop the US-led war of suppression on the Filipino People.

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 and/or on a National level.

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 🔗

6PM — Youth Climate Corps Fall National Call: SEP 8 (Virtual)
Good Green Jobs For All - Join this national call to hear about a campaign to win a permanent, large-scale Youth Climate Corps—funded at a minimum of $1 billion per year. Together, we can generate the power, excitement, and community support needed to turn this vision into reality.

7PM — Civic Meetup: Privacy and Discrimination Risks of Health-related Machine Listening (Hybrid)
Civic Tech Toronto - This talk focuses health-related machine listening: apps and devices that combine audio processing and machine learning to produce sensitive inferences about people’s health from data points such as vocal biomarkers, coughs, infant cries, and other sounds. Drawing on a 10-year analysis, the presentation will show the escalating privacy risks. Followed by breakout groups.

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 🔗

4PM — Bike Repair 101 (550 Bayview Ave, 10)
Cycle Toronto - Join a basic bike maintenance workshop at the Cycle Toronto Rec Hub to learn hands-on skills including bike fit, safety checks, and drive train care. This session provides access to all recommended tools and staff guidance to help you keep your bike safe and road-ready.

6PM — TfD - Monthly Volunteer Planning Meeting (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, September 10, 2026 🔗

1PM — Poisoned Lands, Criminalized Communities (Virtual)
Canadian Drug Policy Coalition - What do mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows First Nation and Coca leaf eradication in the Amazon and Pacific rainforest have in common? Join the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition for a conversation exploring how Indigenous and racialized communities experience environmental harm, criminalization, and state neglect, and what meaningful solidarity across struggles can look like.

3PM — Dufferin Grove Farmers’ Market Mini Repair Café (875 Dufferin St)
Repair Cafe Toronto - Fixing small appliances, home electronics, general housewares and clothing. One item per person. Visitor registration ends at 5:30 pm. Volunteers welcome!

3PM — Student Workplace Organizing Workshop (OCAD (available upon registration))
Toronto Students Against Austerity - A workshop on organizing and unionizing workplaces, for students both looking for a job and currently working. Facilitators will follow up after the workshop to guide you through organizing your current workplace or job placement and organizing a new workplace.

6PM — Know Your Rights: Navigating the Education System (Virtual)
Parents of Black Children - A free parent workshop on student and family rights, school advocacy and navigating Ontario’s education system with confidence. You should not have to navigate the education system alone. This session is for Black parents and adults.

6PM — Black Youth Rising: You & The Law What’s Changed (New Covenant Centre, Mississauga)
ResQ Youth International - Join ResQ Youth International for an empowering and informative event designed to help Black youth and their parents/caregivers better understand the justice system and important changes happening in 2026.

7PM — Membership Meeting - New Members Welcome! (31 Wellesley St E)
Toronto Association for Peace and Solidarity - The Toronto Association for Peace and Solidarity (TAPS) strives to agitate, educate and organize for a world without war and oppression from an anti-imperialist perspective, and to cooperate and build solidarity with other values-aligned organizations. Join this open membership meeting to learn how to get involved!

Down the road

Friday, September 11, 2026 🔗

5PM — Student Workplace Organizing Workshop (U of T (available upon registration))
7PM — Seeds for Liberation (The Redwood Theatre)

Saturday, September 12, 2026 🔗

10AM — Toronto West End Park Meet-Up (High Park Wading Pool)
10:30AM — Fix Trucking Now (900 Albion Rd)
10:30AM — Growing a Local Food System: Annex Walking Tour (33 Walmer Rd)
11:30AM — Mid-Scarborough Repair Hub (The Hub - Mid-Scarborough)
12PM — No More Noise Drop-In (Virtual)
1PM — Toronto Disability Pride March (Queens Park)
1PM — The Parts Bin Bazaar ( 550 Bayview Ave, Building 10 )
3PM — September Arab Youth Meeting (Available upon registration)
5PM — The Many vs The Money: Counter-Summit and Demo (OCAD U)

Sunday, September 13, 2026 🔗

1PM — Friends and Families for Safe Streets Peer Support Meeting (401 Richmond St)
2PM — Can the planet still be saved? (427 Bloor St)
2PM — How to Reject the Logics of Terrorism (Available upon registration)

Monday, September 14, 2026 🔗

6PM — Crash Carney's CEO Summit (Nathan Phillips Square)

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 🔗

11AM — Pop Up Market for Palestine (Woodbine Beach)
5:30PM — A Prophetic Voice: an Evening with Rev. Maggie Helwig (348 Danforth AVe)
6PM — Know Your Rights at Work (720 Spadina, Unit 202)
6PM — StreetKnit Tuesday Meetup (103 Bellevue)
6PM — Vote for the Arts: Arts & Culture Election Town Hall (Brampton Springdale Library)
7PM — Civic Meetup: Bill C-22 and Lawful Access (Hybrid)
7:30PM — Crafting The Future (Common Good Brewery)

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 🔗

1PM — Indigenous Town Hall on CSA (16 Spadina Rd)
2PM — Earth's Greatest Enemy Screening (New Horizons Tower)
6PM — Scarborough Community Art Social (The Hub - Mid Scarborough)
6:15PM — Together For Nature Tour (Knox Presbyterian Church)
6:30PM — LEAF September Virtual Volunteer Orientation (Virtual)
7PM — Liberation for Littles: Navigating Rising Fascism Together (Virtual)

Thursday, September 17, 2026 🔗

5:30PM — Staging Environmental Action: Rethinking Litter & Pollution in Scarborough (The Hub - Mid Scarborough)
7PM — Launch of Lamble's UNSAFE: The Carceral Roots of the Anti-Trans Backlash (Another Story Bookshop)

Friday, September 18, 2026 🔗

6PM — Beyond the Smoke: Fighting the Flames of Climate Change (Friends House)
6PM — Walter Rodney: What They Don’t Want You To Know (45 Willcocks Street)

Saturday, September 19, 2026 🔗

9AM — U of T Microplastics Conference (Bahen Centre for Information Technology)
10AM — Wind Turbine Tour & Climate Workshop: Science Meets Action (Exhibition Place)
1PM — The Big Toronto Bike Ride 2026 (three different starting locations)

Sunday, September 20, 2026 🔗

1PM — Junk Independence Day (1677 St Clair Ave W)
2PM — Rally and March for Migrant Justice (Christie Pits)
2PM — Understanding Capitalism: An Introduction to Capital (Virtual)
4PM — Blue Scarf Peace Walk (Loretto College)

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 🔗

12PM — River Run 2026 (Grange Park)
8PM — September 2026 Parents for Child Care Organizing Meeting (virtual)

Thursday, September 24, 2026 🔗

5:30PM — Staging Environmental Action: Rethinking Litter & Pollution in Scarborough (The Hub - Mid Scarborough)
6PM — On Our Own Terms: Femme life and culture in Toronto (The Arquives)

Friday, September 25, 2026 🔗

6PM — Workers Making History (25 Cecil St)

Saturday, September 26, 2026 🔗

7PM — Sugar Island (2024) Screening + Discussion (Second Floor, First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto)