Minimal edits, chants obviously skipped.
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NewsTranscript
00:00We are now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.
00:07We are here today because the TTC is broken.
00:11Service is unreliable.
00:13Delays and shutdowns happen all the time, like what?
00:16And slow zones affect thousands of people every single day.
00:19Like me!
00:20Exactly!
00:22In July, the federal government announced the Canada Public Transit Fund.
00:27This fund commits $3 billion for transit across the country every year.
00:31But this funding doesn't start until 2026, after the next election.
00:37And it can't even be used to improve TTC service.
00:42We need the Canada Public Transit Fund to be bigger, faster, and flexible.
00:47So that the TTC can use it where it's needed the most.
00:51What do we need? We need a fix, fix, fix!
00:54Fix the TTC!
00:56The TTC is part of a nationwide week of transit action.
01:01The first of its kind.
01:03And we are telling the federal government, step up for transit!
01:07Yes sir!
01:12We need to make the Canada Public Transit Fund something that can fix the TTC
01:16and transform public transit in Canada.
01:18Make the funding available now, not in 2026.
01:21We need new trains on line 2 now, before the current ones start breaking down.
01:26Make the fund bigger. We need real investment to fix public transit in Canada.
01:30That's right!
01:32And the fund is just not enough.
01:34And finally, remove the restrictions.
01:36We need to make the funding flexible, so cities and transit agencies can choose to improve service.
01:46Alright, alright!
01:48Our first amazing speaker of the day today is Avrit Jagdev.
01:53The Vice President, Public and University Affairs at the University of Toronto Student Union.
01:59Avrit is a student who goes to this school and is writing,
02:02and is going to talk about that experience.
02:09Take it away.
02:11Thank you everyone.
02:13I'm super excited to be here. Thank you for the lovely introduction.
02:17My name is Avrit, I'm the Vice President, Public and University Affairs
02:20at the University of Toronto Student Union,
02:22where we represent upwards of 40,000 undergraduate students
02:25who attend the University of Toronto's downtown campus.
02:28And we are here today because public transportation is the backbone of our city.
02:33For many of us, including students, it is more than just a city service.
02:41It's a necessity.
02:42But right now, we are facing a growing problem.
02:45Our public transit system is not keeping up with our needs.
02:49It is slow, and it is unreliable, and it is unacceptable.
02:53That's why students stand with TTC riders in calling on the federal government
02:58to pitch in their share, so that people in Toronto can rely on our public transportation system
03:04to get us where we need to go, when we need to be there.
03:07Students make up a huge portion of transit riders in this city.
03:11Thousands of us depend on the TTC every single day to get to campus, to get to work,
03:16and to participate in the life of the city.
03:19Many of us cannot afford other means of transportation, such as cars.
03:23And without a reliable public transportation system,
03:26our freedom and our autonomy are threatened.
03:29We need more frequent and more reliable transit, and we need it now.
03:35It truly is time for the federal government to step up for better TTC service
03:42by approving the TTC's request for funding the new trains on Line 2,
03:46and by making the Canada Public Transit Fund flexible.
03:50This fund should work for us.
03:52Cities should be allowed to use the funding to improve service
03:55and to make our transit system one which we can depend on.
03:59We need to increase the fund to meet the many needs of the TTC,
04:02including addressing the issues of slow zones.
04:05We need new work cars to maintain the existing system
04:08and to keep our trains running on time.
04:11Without this investment, the federal government will be leaving students
04:14and all transit riders stuck.
04:20In 2026, less than two years from now,
04:23the TTC's current Line 2 subway trains will reach the end of their design life.
04:28We need funding for new subway trains approved as soon as possible.
04:33Without these new trains, the TTC will have to spend an extra $1.6 billion
04:39just to maintain the old ones.
04:41How are students going to get to class in 2026 without the TTC?
04:47We cannot afford to let this happen, and this simply cannot be an afterthought.
04:52That's why we are here today to ask the federal government to step up
04:56and to take real action by investing in a public transit system
04:59that works for everyone in Toronto, for students, for workers,
05:03and for the thousands of us who depend on it every single day.
05:06We all deserve a TTC that we can count on.
05:17And you know, listening to those words,
05:19I just want to say how important it is for us to be here today
05:23to fight for change.
05:25Us riders, we can see with our very eyes that the service that we rely on
05:29day in and day out is crumbling beneath our very feet.
05:33Just last year, the Scarborough RT catastrophically derailed
05:38and the entire line was shut down permanently,
05:40leaving Scarborough without any rapid transit.
05:46The TTC is struggling to repair the subway.
05:49Even the repair equipment needs repairing.
05:52So I just really want to draw everyone's attention to that table
05:56right over there by the fence.
05:58We're all asking everyone here today, if you have a moment,
06:02to fill out a card on that table, write down the number one thing
06:05about the TTC that you want to fix,
06:07and then you can tie it to the fence that's right behind me.
06:11Leave your message to the federal government about the TTC that you want
06:14and the TTC that we all deserve.
06:16If you need time to think about it, it's okay,
06:18because our next speaker can maybe help you
06:20with some of the things that we need to fix.
06:24Our next speaker is Phil Pothen.
06:31Go get him, Phil!
06:33Council and Program Manager, Land Use and Ontario Environment
06:37for Environmental Defence.
06:39We are very, very lucky to have Phil here today,
06:42and he's going to talk about the connections between transit,
06:45the environment, and housing.
06:47Thank you so much, Phil.
06:49Thank you, everyone.
06:51As mentioned, I'm a lawyer for Environmental Defence,
06:53but I also run the Land Use and Land Development Program there.
06:56And you may ask yourself, well, maybe it's no surprise
07:00that someone from one of the country's biggest environmental NGOs
07:03is here calling on the federal government
07:06to invest at least twice as much in public transit operations,
07:10to free up that money for operations,
07:13and to use that money as leverage to demand change
07:16in land use planning policies around major transit stations.
07:20And maybe it makes sense, and it's obvious,
07:23because increasing transit service levels,
07:27investing in transit operations,
07:30is the most important immediate tool
07:33that we have to lower our greenhouse gas emissions.
07:36The most persistent aspect of greenhouse gas emissions
07:39in Ontario generally, and at the GTA specifically,
07:44is transportation.
07:46Other areas are coming down,
07:48but transportation continues to get worse.
07:51And the only way, and fortunately we know
07:54a very reliable way to get those numbers down
07:58is through investment in transit operation and transit service,
08:03and quick and dirty supporting investments
08:06in surface transit infrastructure.
08:09And while the government is talking about
08:12blowing $100, $150, $200 billion
08:17on a tunnel under the 401,
08:20that will in reality never get built,
08:23but even by their own estimates,
08:26it's not going to get built for many decades,
08:30we can, by 2035,
08:34eliminate the majority of car trips that are on the road
08:38simply by investing in improved transit service.
08:42Not just the majority, in Toronto specifically,
08:45we're talking about getting rid of more than 3 quarters
08:48of car trips on the road through investments
08:51in public transit operations and service.
08:54So, in a way, it's no accident
08:58that someone from Environmental Defense is here
09:00supporting this initiative,
09:02but there are other aspects.
09:04Why did they send the guy from,
09:06the Hands Off the Greenbelt guy?
09:08Have you seen the Hands Off the Greenbelt signs?
09:10Those come from a big pile next to my desk at my office.
09:13It's my program.
09:15So why is the Hands Off the Greenbelt guy here?
09:17Why is the Land Use and Land Development guy here?
09:20And the reason is that
09:23funding transit operations and transit service
09:27is really a fundamental linchpin.
09:30We can't make the changes to land use,
09:33we can't slam the brakes on sprawl the way that we need to
09:37without shifting a lot of our investment into transit service.
09:42And in particular, if you can't find a home today,
09:46if you're a young person who thinks it's unlikely
09:49that I'm going to be able to find a home at the GTA ever
09:52that I'll be able to afford it,
09:54the reason for that is in part
09:57because of our persistently weak investment
09:59in transit operations.
10:01We have enough construction capacity,
10:04we have enough labor, equipment, and materials
10:07to build all the homes we need
10:10for the number of people who are coming here.
10:12It is not true that immigration is the cause of our housing shortage.
10:16We have all the capacity we need.
10:19What we don't have is all the capacity we need
10:22to build that housing with parking.
10:26Parking is making the difference.
10:28As long as we have to build parking spaces
10:30for every home that we build,
10:32we will not be able to build enough homes
10:35to solve our housing shortage.
10:37And that means that transit operations,
10:40improving transit service, reliability, frequency,
10:44on major bus routes here in Toronto
10:47through programs like RapidTO,
10:49and just increased bus frequency,
10:51but also expanding the level of service
10:55that we have in Toronto to the entire GTA,
10:58will unlock literally hundreds of thousands of new homes
11:03that not just would be built more expensively,
11:06but would not be built at all
11:08without those investments in public transit.
11:13My program, I deal mostly with the Ontario government,
11:16and most of my criticism focuses on them.
11:19So we've called on the Ontario government
11:21to make those investments.
11:22We've called on the Ontario government
11:24to change its land use planning policies
11:26to mandate that every neighbourhood
11:29around a transit station
11:31gets significant housing built there.
11:34That next to every bus stop,
11:36it should be legal without any zoning amendments,
11:38any public hearing, any changes to zoning at all,
11:41to build a mid-rise apartment
11:43without parking up to six storeys.
11:46So we need that to happen,
11:48and Doug Ford knew that we need to do that.
11:52They knew we needed to do that
11:54in order to end the housing shortage,
11:55to prevent it from getting as bad as it's gotten now,
11:57and they chose not to do it.
12:03Over this entire time, though,
12:05the federal government has had the tools
12:07that it has needed
12:09to strong-arm the province into doing the right thing.
12:13And one of the most important tools
12:15that the federal government has
12:16is the Federal Public Transit Fund.
12:19That's why we're asking the federal government
12:21to more than double that investment fund,
12:25but to make the additional investment
12:27conditional upon either the provincial government
12:31at the provincial level,
12:32if the province is receiving the funding,
12:34or municipalities directly,
12:36upzoning the area surrounding major transit stations
12:40so that people can build mid-rise,
12:44zero-parking, wood-frame apartment buildings around them.
12:47And so that's why this isn't just about transit,
12:51this isn't just about emissions,
12:54it's about solving the housing shortage.
12:57So if, five or ten years from now,
13:01you find that you cannot find a home,
13:03you're done university,
13:05the next day is your life,
13:07and you still can't find a home
13:08that suits your needs in Toronto,
13:10part of the reason will be that
13:12the federal government hasn't listened to the voices
13:15around us today.
13:17And so I'm urging Minister Fraser
13:21not to make that a reality,
13:23take the opportunity, while he has it,
13:26double the transit fund,
13:29and make it conditional upon upzoning
13:32around major transit stations
13:34and ordinary bus stops.
13:36Thanks, folks.
13:38Nice job, Phil!
13:43Phil, now all you need...
13:45repeat after me, please.
13:47Fix, fix, fix, fix the TTC!
13:53So, over the past six months,
13:55TTC riders have been asking MPs in Toronto,
13:58as well as federal party leaders,
14:00to sign the transit pledge.
14:02The pledge is as follows.
14:04The pledge is as follows.
14:06I pledge my support for immediate federal funding
14:09for new TTC subway trains,
14:11accelerating the permanent public transit fund
14:13and making it available for transit operating budgets.
14:16So, so far, two party leaders have signed,
14:19Jagmeet Singh of the NDP
14:21and Elizabeth May of the Green Party,
14:23and three Liberal Toronto MPs
14:25have also signed as well,
14:27Sean Chen in Scarborough North,
14:29Salma Saeed in Scarborough Centre,
14:31and Nate Erskine-Smith in Beaches, East York.
14:40We need every MP in Toronto to listen to us,
14:43to represent us.
14:45We need them to step up and fund the TTC.
14:53Every MP should have signed this pledge already,
14:58but that's why we're here.
15:00To show them that public transit is an issue
15:03that they can't avoid.
15:08To keep doing this work and putting pressure on the MPs,
15:11TTC Riders relies on transit riders like you
15:14to power our work and with your time
15:16and with your financial support.
15:18One of our volunteers today has a little machine
15:21where you can tap your credit card or debit card
15:23and donate us $5,
15:25just a little TTC fare,
15:27to the TTC riders.
15:29I'm asking each of you, if you can,
15:31just to chip in a little bit to our campaign
15:34by tapping your card.
15:36Help us fix the TTC.
15:44Now we're going to hear from another speaker,
15:47Marvin Alfred, the president of HU Local 113.
15:52HU 113 is a union representing over 12,000 TTC workers.
15:57HU members keep the TTC moving
16:00and see the effects of underfunding every single day.
16:04Earlier this year, they won a new contract
16:06that protects TTC workers and TTC service level
16:09and will help feed the TTC public
16:11by fighting against contracting work out to private companies.
16:14Please give a warm welcome to Marvin.
16:22Thank you everybody.
16:27I just wanted to give a shout out.
16:29We as transit workers are the eyes and the ears of the city.
16:32For example, the gentleman not too long ago
16:35that pulled somebody from a burning vehicle,
16:38risking his own life after being injured.
16:40We transit workers are the eyes and the ears of the city proudly,
16:43but we need all levels of government to support us.
16:45Predictable, dedicated funding is what we need.
16:48Funding to sustain transit, to keep transit safe for everybody.
16:51Riders and workers, and we're here today to support
16:54that any politician that comes to your door needs to know
16:56what our position is going to be,
16:58that we demand that public transit needs to be supported
17:01with predictable, dedicated, sustainable funding.
17:03So I just wanted to make sure that I give a shout out to that gentleman.
17:06The narrative today is we have to hold our politicians accountable.
17:09Making sure they want your vote and their support,
17:11that they need to support what you need,
17:13which is dedicated, sustainable funding for transit.
17:16Hold them accountable with your vote.
17:21That was me off script, going back to script now.
17:24ATU workers are fighting to keep transit public.
17:26We know the cost of contracting out and using P3s.
17:29ATU workers see the effects of underfunding,
17:31neglect, and state of good repair.
17:33Public transit in Toronto has lost the public's trust.
17:37Poor service levels and unreliability are among the many reasons.
17:40What Toronto needs urgently is the federal government agility
17:43with funding public transit operations and maintenance.
17:45What Toronto does not need is to be stuck in a bureaucratic nightmare.
17:49Toronto public transit users need improvements to serve today,
17:52not two years from now.
17:53Service improvements delayed is service improvements denied.
17:56They need to know that we mean business.
18:02The public will not forget who does, and more importantly,
18:05who does not support predictable, sustainable transit funding.
18:08Everyone running for a public office should remember that.
18:11We don't want the smoke and mirrors.
18:13We need them to know when they knock on our door,
18:15we hold them accountable.
18:16We want them to know that we need that funding.
18:19It has to be reliable, ongoing, predictable, or else.
18:22Show your support.
18:24If they don't support what you want,
18:26you're going to take care of them when the ballot box comes out.
18:29Make sure your vote matters.
18:31Make sure you vote for people that believe in sustaining transit
18:35as a benefit for everybody.
18:37Everybody benefits from sustainable public transit.
18:40Transit needs to be there for everybody,
18:42whether you use it on a daily basis or not.
18:44We need that transit reliability,
18:46and they need to show that reliability by providing
18:48and voting for predictable, dedicated, sustainable funding.
18:56That was a great speech by Marvin.
18:59Thank you so, so, so much.
19:01Wonderful.
19:02Let's get that energy going.
19:04Let's get that moving.
19:05I want you guys to repeat after me.
19:07No more slows.
19:10And fuck Doug Ford.
19:13I keep saying this because I'm fucking pissed.
19:16Yes, I am pissed, too.
19:18Hell yeah, brother.
19:20Revolution.
19:22I want you guys to repeat after me one more time,
19:25one little rant, one more chance.
19:28The TTC.
19:29I love your energy. I love it.
19:35I'm sure you're used to this one right now.
19:38All together, fix, fix.
19:42Hey, we see you over there.
19:44All right, so our next speaker
19:46has been building tenant power in Toronto,
19:49fighting landlords, and winning.
19:52Oh, my goodness.
19:55We are so lucky to have Chiara Pavadone,
20:00a social worker and founder
20:02of the York Southwestern Tenants Union,
20:05here to speak with us now.
20:06Take it away.
20:08Thank you, thank you, thank you.
20:10Give it up for TTC Riders.
20:17My name is Chiara Pavadone,
20:20and I am coming to you from
20:22the York Southwestern Tenant Union
20:25up in the northwest of our city.
20:29We are the tenant union
20:33that has started the longest
20:35and largest rent strike
20:38in Toronto's history.
20:43Now, that is pretty cool.
20:46Yeah, it is cool.
20:48But I know some of you might be wondering,
20:50what's that got to do with our TTC?
20:53And I'll tell you something.
20:55Not only are the vast majority
20:58of our members,
21:00renters in York Southwestern,
21:02depending on a TTC system
21:05that has been underfunded,
21:07underserviced, especially,
21:09especially in the northwest
21:12and northeast of this city.
21:14We depend on it to get to work.
21:16We depend on it to get to work
21:18to make a living in order to pay our rents
21:20that are getting higher and higher and higher
21:22every year.
21:24But there's another connection,
21:25and this is the one I want to talk about today,
21:28and that is the Canada Public Transit Fund.
21:33Not only does it not have enough money in it,
21:37but it puts a condition
21:43on housing around transit stations.
21:46That sounds pretty good.
21:48It sounds pretty good.
21:49Yeah, let's build more housing near transit stations.
21:51That sounds pretty good.
21:53Here's the problem, though.
21:55There is absolutely no requirement
21:58for how much that housing should cost,
22:01whether or not that housing should have
22:03tenant protections,
22:04the most basic one of which is rent control.
22:08So that means when we hear
22:10government announcements about,
22:12oh, we're going to be building a new,
22:14a new housing next to the new,
22:17I don't know,
22:18Keelsdale Station
22:20on the Eglinton Crosstown,
22:21whenever that gets built,
22:24that state, that housing
22:27will not even be rent controlled.
22:30All right?
22:32Any time,
22:34any time we hear
22:35new housing is getting built
22:37and we should all be so excited
22:39because this is how we're going to fix
22:41the housing crisis,
22:43we need to remember
22:45that absolutely none of that housing
22:49will have the most basic tenant protection
22:52of all,
22:53and that is rent control.
22:55Not a single unit built
22:57from now until whenever
23:00we get rid of Doug Ford
23:01is going to have rent control on it.
23:05And at the York Southwest Tenant Union,
23:07we know what happens
23:09when a building doesn't have rent control.
23:12And that's what started
23:14that long
23:16and huge rent strike
23:20in York Southwest.
23:21And it was that rents were going up
23:23as high as 25% annually.
23:2925%.
23:31That is the kinds of rent increases
23:34we are going to be seeing
23:36in any new housing that gets built.
23:39All right?
23:40But here's the other thing
23:41that we know in York Southwesten,
23:44and that is
23:46when we come together,
23:48when we say,
23:49that's bullshit,
23:51together,
23:52in big enough numbers,
23:54we win.
23:56And what happened in York Southwesten
23:58with our rent strikes
23:59is just one example
24:01of what can happen
24:03when all of us get together
24:04and demand better.
24:05And so that's why
24:07I'm here on behalf of our members
24:09of the York Southwesten Tenant Union.
24:12I took the bus,
24:13took the subway,
24:14all the way downtown
24:17to stand with TTC riders,
24:20ATU, Environmental Defense,
24:22student unions from across the city
24:25to demand
24:27that we got to double the funding
24:30and not just, guys,
24:31not just funding for fancy new streetcars.
24:34All right?
24:35We need operational funding.
24:37That is the nuts and bolts
24:39of our TTC system.
24:42It's our brothers and sisters at ATU
24:45that are keeping our city
24:47literally moving.
24:49And we need to make sure
24:51that we are funding
24:52the operations of that.
24:54All right?
24:55So not just capital funding,
24:56not just fancy new shiny things.
24:58Okay?
24:59We need to fund the nuts and bolts,
25:00and that is operational funding.
25:03But the second thing we're here
25:05to stand together for
25:07is that we want to see
25:09that Canada Public Transit Fund
25:13needs to be used
25:16to actually force the province,
25:19because when Justin Trudeau says,
25:20oh, I can't do anything about housing
25:22because it's the province's jurisdiction,
25:24all right,
25:26we need the federal government to say,
25:29you want some funding?
25:32Your new housing better be rent controlled.
25:35You want some funding?
25:37That new building you're building
25:38next to the new station
25:40on the Eglinton Crosstown,
25:43better sure as hell be affordable.
25:45All right?
25:46So we want to see,
25:48we want to see the federal government
25:50flex a little bit
25:52and use their power
25:55to make sure our provincial government
25:57doesn't walk all over transit users
25:59and walk all over renters
26:01who are keeping this city going.
26:03So give it up one more time
26:05for TTC riders.
26:08Are we going to fix the TTC?
26:13Yes, we are!
26:15Are we going to fix the TTC?
26:18Yes, we are!
26:20I'm going to pass it back over to TTC riders.
26:25You're fucking awesome!
26:28Thank you so much.
26:31All right.
26:33So we're now going to be hearing
26:35from Shun Hung Toh,
26:37a TTC Riders board member
26:39who is going to address us
26:40in Mandarin and Cantonese.
26:42TTC Riders represents
26:43all transit users in Toronto
26:45and is very lucky to have
26:47board members and volunteers like Shun
26:49who can speak to these different communities.
26:51Please give a warm welcome to Shun.
26:57Hi, my name is Shun Hung Toh
26:58and I'm the board member of TTC Riders.
27:00I will deliver a speech in Cantonese
27:02and Mandarin for the Chinese community.
27:04Public transport is closely related
27:06to the vitality of a city
27:07and its residents.
27:08When you take the 1st or 2nd line,
27:10you may find that
27:11you need to slow down sometimes.
27:13One of the reasons behind this
27:15is safety.
27:16Now, TTC riders are facing
27:18a slow recovery process.
27:19Some of the tracks need to be
27:21repaired or replaced
27:22in order to run at normal speeds.
27:24However, without federal funding,
27:26TTC riders cannot buy
27:27new repair-specialised trains
27:29to slow down
27:30and solve the problem of slowdowns.
27:32Like everyone else,
27:33I am very disappointed
27:34with the traffic situation
27:35in Toronto.
27:36So, I would like to invite everyone
27:37to turn this negative energy
27:38into real action
27:39and take the responsibility
27:40of each government
27:41to build a good
27:42public transport system.
27:44In July,
27:45the two governments
27:46announced
27:47a public transport fund
27:48for Canada.
27:49According to the plan,
27:50this is a $300 billion
27:51national investment
27:52that started in 2026
27:53and has been going on
27:54for 10 years.
27:57This money will be allocated
27:58to each transport agency
27:59in Canada
28:01and each agency
28:02must apply for funding
28:03for a specific project.
28:04This money
28:05can only be used
28:06for capital investment,
28:07that is,
28:08for the purpose of
28:09building,
28:10buying land
28:11and public vehicles,
28:12etc.
28:13We request
28:14the federal government
28:15to do three things
28:16to improve
28:17the Canadian
28:18public transport fund.
28:19First,
28:20speed up.
28:21The fund
28:22will start
28:23in 2026.
28:24However,
28:25we need this money
28:26now.
28:27We hope
28:28that the fund
28:29will provide funding
28:30for the Toronto
28:31subway line 2
28:32as soon as possible.
28:33Second,
28:34make the fund
28:35flexible
28:36so that the
28:37city government
28:38and transport agencies
28:39can freely
28:40use the fund
28:41for operating
28:42expenses
28:43and improving services.
28:44This also includes
28:45hiring enough
28:46technicians
28:47to repair
28:48the tracks
28:49that appear
28:50due to
28:51slowdowns.
28:52Third,
28:53the fund
28:54is doubled.
28:55$300 billion
28:56is not enough
28:57to cover
28:58the train costs.
28:59The fund
29:00takes up
29:01one-fourth
29:02of the annual
29:03fund,
29:04and this is
29:05just one
29:06city's
29:07one project.
29:08Please call
29:09or call
29:10your
29:11parliament
29:12members
29:13and ask
29:14them to
29:15pay
29:16back
29:17the Canadian
29:18public
29:19transport fund
29:20immediately.
29:22Applause please.
29:23Alright,
29:24we're going
29:25to build
29:26some energy.
29:27We're going
29:28to chant
29:29together,
29:30okay?
29:31The TTC
29:32is broken.
29:33Thank you
29:34so much.
29:35So we're
29:36going to
29:37take a quick
29:38break from
29:39the speakers
29:40to give
29:41everyone a
29:42chance to
29:43fill out the
29:44cards that
29:45we have
29:46over at
29:47the table
29:48there.
29:49Again,
29:50a reminder,
29:51you can
29:52fill out a
29:53message,
29:54what you
29:55want to
29:56do is
29:57put your
29:58snacks on
29:59that table
30:00if you
30:01need a
30:02quick
30:03refreshment.
30:04And just
30:05as another
30:06reminder,
30:07I don't
30:08want to
30:09harp on it
30:10too much,
30:11but we
30:12do have
30:13that machine.
30:14If you
30:15would like
30:16to make
30:17a donation
30:18to TTC
30:19riders,
30:20every dollar
30:21counts.
30:22We appreciate
30:23it so
30:24much.
30:25We're going
30:26back into
30:27it now,
30:28but please
30:29feel free
30:30as we're
30:31speaking and
30:32as we're
30:33going,
30:34continue
30:35writing what
30:36you want to
30:37see from
30:38the TTC,
30:39grab some
30:40snacks,
30:41it's getting
30:42chilly out
30:43here, so
30:44make sure
30:45everyone's
30:46nice and
30:47ready for
30:48everything.
30:49So we
30:50will now
30:51bring up
30:52another
30:53speaker.
30:54CUP,
30:55two members,
30:56are a
30:57integral part
30:58of the
30:59TTC,
31:00and keep
31:01it moving
31:02safe,
31:03and Sumit
31:04can speak
31:05on what's
31:06broken and
31:07how we
31:08can fix
31:09it.
31:10Thank you
31:11very much.
31:13Thank you
31:14to TTC
31:15riders for
31:16organizing
31:17this.
31:18I think
31:19it's a
31:20great
31:21opportunity
31:22to
31:23thank
31:24the
31:25TTC
31:26riders
31:27for
31:28their
31:29hard
31:30work,
31:31and
31:32their
31:33commitment
31:34to
31:35the
31:36TTC.
31:37Thank
31:38you.
31:39Thank
31:40you.
31:41Thank
31:42you.
31:43Thank
31:44you.
31:45Thank
31:46you.
31:47Thank
31:48you.
31:49Thank
31:50you.
31:51Thank
31:52you.
31:53Thank
31:54you.
31:55Thank
31:56you.
31:57Thank
31:58you.
31:59Thank
32:00you.
32:01Thank
32:02you.
32:03Thank
32:04you.
32:05Thank
32:06you.
32:07Thank
32:08you.
32:09Thank
32:10you.
32:11Thank
32:12you.
32:13Thank
32:14you.
32:15Thank
32:16you.
32:17Thank
32:18you.
32:19Thank
32:20you.
32:21Thank
32:22you.
32:23Thank
32:24you.
32:25Thank
32:26you.
32:27Thank
32:28you.
32:29Thank
32:30you.
32:31Thank
32:32you.
32:33Thank
32:34you.
32:35Thank
32:36you.
32:37Thank
32:38you.
32:39Thank
32:40you.
32:41Thank
32:42you.
32:43Thank
32:44you.
32:45Thank
32:46you.
32:47Thank
32:48you.
32:49Thank
32:50you.
32:51Thank
32:52you.
32:53Thank
32:54you.
32:55Thank
32:56you.
32:57Thank
32:58you.
32:59Thank
33:00you.
33:01Thank
33:02you.
33:03Thank
33:04you.
33:05Thank
33:06you.
33:07Thank
33:08you.
33:09Thank
33:10you.
33:11Thank
33:12you.
33:13Thank
33:14you.
33:15Thank
33:16you.
33:17Thank
33:18you.
33:19Thank
33:20you.
33:21Thank
33:22you.
33:23Thank
33:24you.
33:25Thank
33:26you.
33:27Thank
33:28you.
33:29Thank
33:30you.
33:31Thank
33:32you.
33:33Thank
33:34you.
33:35Thank
33:36you.
33:37Thank
33:38you.
33:39Thank
33:40you.
33:41Thank
33:42you.
33:43Thank
33:44you.
33:45Thank
33:46you.
33:47Thank
33:48you.
33:49Thank
33:50you.
33:51Thank
33:52you.
33:53Thank
33:54you.
33:55Thank
33:56you.
33:57Thank
33:58you.
33:59Thank
34:00you.
34:01Thank
34:02you.
34:03Thank
34:04you.
34:05Thank
34:06you.
34:07Thank
34:08you.
34:09Thank
34:10you.
34:11Thank
34:12you.
34:13Thank
34:14you.
34:15Thank
34:16you.
34:17Thank
34:18you.
34:19Thank
34:20you.
34:21Thank
34:22you.
34:23Thank
34:24you.
34:25Thank
34:26you.
34:27Thank
34:28you.
34:29Thank
34:30you.
34:31Thank
34:32you.
34:33Thank
34:34you.
34:35Thank
34:36you.
34:37Thank
34:38you.
34:39Thank
34:40you.
34:41Thank
34:42you.
34:43Thank
34:44you.
34:45Thank
34:46you.
34:47Thank
34:48you.
34:49Build
34:50Carihat.
34:51Thank
34:52you.
34:53Thank
34:54you.
34:55Thank
34:56you so
34:57much.
34:58We're
34:59now going to
35:00hear from
35:01another
35:02fantastic
35:03speaker,
35:04the vice
35:05president
35:06external
35:07of the
35:08Scarborough
35:09campus
35:10student
35:11union.
35:12Scarborough
35:13has been
35:14And as a student studying at U of T, Scarborough's campus, they can speak on the importance of
35:21improving transit in Scarborough and what the federal government can do to make it happen.
35:33I'm going to say a chant, you just repeat after me.
35:36We want you to be routinely underserviced by the TTC and affect students so badly.
35:42Students who need to make it on time for their classes, students who need to go downtown
35:47for their classes.
35:48It is a shame that the City of Toronto, that the TTC, that all of these organizations decide
35:53that students are not a priority, that people who take transit are not a priority.
35:59Shame!
36:00Shame!
36:01Shame!
36:02Shame!
36:03With the recent shutdown of Line 3, the Scarborough people are now missing out from being connected
36:10to the greater Toronto area.
36:12The people in Scarborough have been left behind even more than they were before.
36:18The people of Scarborough are not important to the City of Toronto, nor are the students
36:24in Scarborough, nor are the students who take the transit.
36:27Shame!
36:28Shame!
36:29Shame!
36:30The busway that was meant to replace the SRT was now consistently being delayed with nothing,
36:37and I mean nothing, actually being given to us in terms of updates.
36:42All we are told is that we will continue to be delayed until 2025, until 2026, until 2027,
36:492028, 2030.
36:51We are not being told anything about our transit, and we are left in the dark again and again
36:57and again.
36:59Shame!
37:02We have the Eglinton East light rail transit that was promised to us 10 years ago.
37:09Just recently, just recently, the City of Toronto and the TTC have announced that they
37:16have released their environmental report.
37:19That means they are 10% of the way through, 10% of the way through with the EELRT.
37:27Shame!
37:28Shame!
37:29To put that in perspective, that is 1% for every year.
37:34Shame!
37:35Shame!
37:36The UTSC student community has been paying for this.
37:40Our money went to fund their Pan Am project, which was an athletic centre, which was meant
37:47to be for the community, and in agreement, they were meant to provide the Scarborough
37:51students with a way to better connect them with transit, or to better connect them to
37:56the GTA, to make transit more accessible and more affordable.
38:01But of course, Scarborough, and students in Scarborough, and students as a whole, and
38:07the Toronto community as a whole, will consistently be overlooked, and Scarborough will consistently
38:14be overlooked and ignored until we decide to make a change.
38:21We want justice, you say how!
38:24We are not sending money to Israel!
38:26Yeah!
38:27Thank you so, so much for your words.
38:31Let's keep this energy going, alright?
38:33Vote yeah!
38:34After me!
38:35Vote yeah!
38:36No more slow!
38:39QP3902 is the union representing contract academic workers at the University of Toronto.
38:50We're so lucky to have QP3902 member Maria Dawson here to talk about their fight to improve
38:55transit for their members.
38:57A warm welcome to QP3902 back there, and a warm welcome to Maria.
39:03Thank you, thank you.
39:06Tough act to follow.
39:09As I mentioned, my name is Maria.
39:12I'm from QP3902, which represents contract academic workers at U of T.
39:18Many of our members are students and workers who cannot afford to commute across the city
39:24that they live in and that they work in and study in.
39:28Many of our members are forced to live close to campus because transit is just too expensive
39:34and are being squeezed between the cost of housing and the cost of a TTC pass.
39:39There's no U of T without the students and workers who contribute to the university community,
39:45and as union members, we know that U of T works because we do.
39:51We need our city, our university, our federal government to deliver on the things we need
39:57to survive in Toronto's cost-of-living crisis.
40:00It doesn't have to be this way.
40:03In our most recent collective agreement, in our negotiations, members of QP3902 Unit 1
40:10were able to win a commitment from the university to work with their union and the TTC
40:15to secure substantial transit fare discounts for our members.
40:1945% of our student pass to be exact.
40:25Now we're calling on our university and our transit agencies to work with workers and students
40:30to secure reduced fares that make transit accessible and foster greater environmental sustainability
40:36so that we can continue to enjoy and live in this city.
40:40We're also calling on all of the campus unions to join our growing coalition for fair fares for student workers.
40:47But that said, we know that this is a fight that can only work with a reliable public transit system
40:53that people want to use.
40:55Investing in transit will make it more reliable, safer, and affordable during this cost-of-living crisis.
41:04We stand with TTC riders in their call to the federal government to make the TTC more dependable for all of us.
41:18Thank you again Maria. Another warm round of applause please.
41:24And a warm round of applause to all of you. Thank you so much for coming today.
41:29You have shown that public transit is an issue that our MPs, our federal government, must address.
41:36The TTC is broken, but we can fix it.
41:43Fix, fix, fix, fix the TTC.
41:46First, please call Minister Chrystia Freeland.
41:50You should have all received a flyer with her phone number on it.
41:53Give her a call. Leave a voice message.
41:58Tell her that we need to improve the Canada Public Transit Fund.
42:01We need the Canada Public Transit Fund to start today, because transit cannot wait.
42:06We need the Canada Public Transit Fund to be flexible, so we can use the money to pay for the service that we desperately need.
42:12And we need a bigger fund, so we can transform the way transit works in Canada.
42:20She can make it happen, so give her a call, send her an email. It's on the flyer.
42:25And once again, thank you so much for coming out today.
42:29You're more than welcome to stay, to mingle and talk with everyone here.
42:33And, yes, thank you so much.
42:37You're welcome!
42:45Hi, my name is Marvin Alfred, President of ATU Local 113.
42:48And humbly, I just wanted to say thank you to TTC riders.
42:53You do so much for everybody else, selflessly.
42:57I think everybody needs to give a round of applause for TTC riders, for the grassroots that you're doing,
43:02what you're doing to improve transit for everybody.
43:04So humbly, I just wanted to say thank you for Local 113.
43:07Thank you for all that you do.
43:09All that you do for us, all that you do for transit, all that you do for the city, needs to be taken notice.
43:14And thank you so much. I just wanted to say thank you.
43:18Thank you so much, Marvin.
43:20So touched by your words.
43:22Of course, transit in the city can't run without ATU 113 members.
43:26ATU! ATU!
43:32Just a reminder, we are grassroots organizations.
43:36We run off of our volunteering.
43:38That's why we ask kindly and subtly for donations.
43:42Because we don't have anything else other than us and you guys.
43:46So you guys can actually go to TTCRiders.ca and sign up to be a volunteer.
43:51It's as simple as that.
43:52Our work in communities across the city is the foundation for change.
43:59While you are there, sign a petition asking your MP to sign the transit pledge.
44:04And make sure to fill out all the cards and put it to the fence and donate if you can, of course.
44:10But I want to thank each and every single one of you for coming out here today.
44:15Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.
44:21Alright.