Greater Toronto Area

Dr. Roberta Bondar to address students at the upcoming World Affairs Conference (WAC) on Wednesday, March 6 at Upper Canada College. Presented in partnership with Branksome Hall, WAC is the longest-running, student-led conference in Canada

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 4, 2024

The day-long conference is co-hosted with Branksome Hall and features more than 10 speakers who will present on this year’s theme: WAC 2024: Minds in Motion.

Key Points: 
  • The day-long conference is co-hosted with Branksome Hall and features more than 10 speakers who will present on this year’s theme: WAC 2024: Minds in Motion.
  • The World Affairs Conference aims to bring together youths, educators, and changemakers to help shape a better world.
  • In a series of equity-based initiatives this year, the conference made registration free for TDSB students, expanding the reach of WAC.
  • New sustainability partner Farmer’s Edge makes the World Affairs Conference the first-ever, carbon-neutral, student-run conference in North America.

Rogers Sugar Announces a $110 Million Equity Offering to Fund a Portion of its Sugar Capacity Expansion Project

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 26, 2024

The sale of Common Shares is pursuant to a bought deal public offering (the “Public Offering”) and two concurrent non-brokered private placements (the “Concurrent Private Placements” and, collectively with the Public Offering, the “Equity Offerings”).

Key Points: 
  • The sale of Common Shares is pursuant to a bought deal public offering (the “Public Offering”) and two concurrent non-brokered private placements (the “Concurrent Private Placements” and, collectively with the Public Offering, the “Equity Offerings”).
  • In addition, longtime Rogers Sugar shareholder Belkorp Industries Inc. (“Belkorp”) has agreed to purchase approximately $10 million of Common Shares, also by way of a concurrent private placement.
  • The Expansion Project will increase the production capacity of Lantic’s Montreal plant by approximately 20%, or 100,000 metric tonnes.
  • The total investment for the Expansion Project is estimated at approximately $200 million.

Leaders of Toronto’s Professional Immigrant Associations and Employers Convene to Learn About the Impact of Underemployment on Immigrants and the Canadian Economy

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 26, 2024

The event is designed to raise awareness about the impact of underemployment on immigrant professionals and the Canadian economy.

Key Points: 
  • The event is designed to raise awareness about the impact of underemployment on immigrant professionals and the Canadian economy.
  • The event will bring together employers, immigrant serving agencies, government representatives, and leaders of professional immigrant associations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for an evening of knowledge sharing and networking.
  • TRIEC’s Professional Immigrant Networks (PINs) initiative, consists of 84 associations with a total membership of over 120,000 immigrant professionals in 22 different occupations and industries.
  • PINs associations are volunteer-led, member-based organizations with an employment focus, run by and for immigrant professionals.

Fraser Institute News Release: Despite recent progress, municipal and provincial policies still impede new home construction in Ontario

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 22, 2024

Barriers to home construction in Ontario include:

Key Points: 
  • Barriers to home construction in Ontario include:
    Onerous building requirements: These include zoning bylaws and design guidelines that restrict building opportunities—for example, certain land zoned for residential use may allow only single-detached homes.
  • Costs of approval timelines: Individuals and firms wishing to build in Ontario often endure long wait times for permit approvals from various government departments, which increases the costs of building.
  • High land costs: Several provincial policies restrict land available for development, which increases prices for remaining land and drives up overall housing costs.
  • High development fees: Local governments levy fees including application and permit fees and “community benefits” fees, which all drive up the cost of housing development.

Housing study: Reported inventories overstate supply of “shovel ready lots” - use it or lose it policies must be informed by facts

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 22, 2024

Housing completions are also at a 33-year high, underscoring that claims of ‘sitting of supply’ do not match the reality on the ground,” said Justin Sherwood, SVP Communications & Stakeholder Relations at BILD.

Key Points: 
  • Housing completions are also at a 33-year high, underscoring that claims of ‘sitting of supply’ do not match the reality on the ground,” said Justin Sherwood, SVP Communications & Stakeholder Relations at BILD.
  • Based on the goal of achieving 150,000 units per year, this represents only 2.2 years of supply.
  • Claiming 150,000 of additional housing would arise from the conversion of existing housing stock to multiplexes, basement units, and accessory dwelling units (ADU).
  • KPEC’s areas of focus include areas where the fields of land use planning, urban economics and municipal finance overlap with City building.

Toronto Pearson's top tips for passengers ahead of busy March Break travel week

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

The March Break week has always been one of the busiest travel times of the year at Pearson Airport, and 2024 is no exception.

Key Points: 
  • The March Break week has always been one of the busiest travel times of the year at Pearson Airport, and 2024 is no exception.
  • During the busiest points of the week, nearly 1,000 flights will take off and land per day.
  • A peak travel times dashboard shows if you will be passing through the airport during a busy period.
  • Even though the Greater Toronto Area has had a mild winter so far, unexpected winter weather can quickly impact travel.

Warehouse On Wheels Continues Expansion With Canadian Acquisition

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Warehouse On Wheels ("WOW"), formerly known as American Trailer Rental Group continues growth in Canada.

Key Points: 
  • Warehouse On Wheels ("WOW"), formerly known as American Trailer Rental Group continues growth in Canada.
  • The move plays into WOW's aggressive growth strategy and capabilities to service customers across the greater Toronto area.
  • The addition of BenLea represents WOW's twenty-first acquisition, alongside two greenfield expansion locations since partnering with Wind Point.
  • WOW is seeking strategic acquisition opportunities, with a focus on leading storage and cartage trailer providers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Plan International Canada celebrates CEO Lindsay Glassco's Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award ahead of International Women's Day

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

TORONTO, March 5, 2024 /CNW/ - Ahead of International Women's Day, March 8, Plan International Canada is excited to announce that President and CEO Lindsay Glassco is the recipient of this year's Top 25 Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award .

Key Points: 
  • TORONTO, March 5, 2024 /CNW/ - Ahead of International Women's Day, March 8, Plan International Canada is excited to announce that President and CEO Lindsay Glassco is the recipient of this year's Top 25 Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award .
  • Earlier in her career, she spent a decade with the Government of Canada, including at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (now Global Affairs Canada).
  • Plan International Canada thanks Women of Influence+ for amplifying the indomitable spirit of women in all their diversity who are driving progress and innovation in society and congratulates all of the Top 25 Women of Influence® Awards recipients.
  • On International Women's Day, the organization calls on everyone to invest in the extraordinary potential of young women to lead and thrive.

University of Toronto receives a $15-million gift from real estate leader David Feldman and family to establish the David Feldman Centre for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the Rotman School of Management

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 29, 2024

The David Feldman Centre for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the Rotman School of Management will equip students with the skills needed to become dynamic real estate professionals who can advise on the complex decisions needed to build, finance and manage capital-intensive real estate projects.

Key Points: 
  • The David Feldman Centre for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the Rotman School of Management will equip students with the skills needed to become dynamic real estate professionals who can advise on the complex decisions needed to build, finance and manage capital-intensive real estate projects.
  • To meet that need, the David Feldman Centre for Real Estate and Urban Economics will embed and strengthen real estate teaching within the MBA and Rotman Commerce programs at the Rotman School.
  • "David Feldman's visionary investment will reinvigorate real estate education and shape the real estate sector of the future."
  • Ultimately, by cultivating tomorrow's real estate leaders, the David Feldman Centre for Real Estate and Urban Economics is destined to become one of the world's leading research and learning establishments for real estate and urban economics.

Trauma-informed approaches to discipline matter for equitable and safe schooling

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 15, 2024

Yet the disproportionate application of school discipline for Black and Indigenous students remains a significant concern.

Key Points: 
  • Yet the disproportionate application of school discipline for Black and Indigenous students remains a significant concern.
  • We found there is very little research on the relationship between childhood adversities and school discipline.
  • Additional research — particularly from Canada — would provide schools with the knowledge necessary for evidence-based, trauma-informed and culturally attuned approaches to school discipline.

Lack of attention to adversity, trauma

  • Trauma is the negative impact that can happen when exposed to adversity, while adversity is a potentially traumatizing event or the absence of healthy stimulus.
  • While trauma and adversity are related, adversity does not always lead to trauma.

Disproportion in school discipline

  • Research shows that school discipline is disproportionately applied to students who are Black, Indigenous, male, have identified special education needs or live in lower-resourced areas.
  • Considerable research about the disproportionate use of discipline affecting Black communities exists from the United States, with less attention to Indigenous communities.
  • Researchers in other regions have documented how racism against Indigenous and Black students affects students’ school engagement or attendance.

Discipline affects opportunities

  • Time away from school through out-of-school discipline is a barrier to academic success.
  • This affects opportunities for post-secondary education and ultimately who has access to power, money and resources.

Research on adversity or trauma and discipline

  • In our article “Exposure to Adversity and Trauma Among Students Who Experience School Discipline: A Scoping Review” we detail how we searched for and analyzed articles about school discipline and trauma or adversity.
  • This research showed experiences of adversity or trauma play a significant and potentially contributing role in school discipline, including suspension and expulsion.

Canadian research matters

  • Context matters when studying school discipline.
  • This followed the province’s 2006 legislation that students remain in school to age 18.
  • In Ontario, the rate of suspension decreased from 4.32 per cent of students in 2007/08 to 2.23 per cent in 2022.

‘Safe and Caring Schools’

  • Zero-Tolerance policies are still active across many U.S. school districts.
  • Ontario students on long-term suspension or expulsion are now offered programs run through “Safe and Caring Schools” in every school board.
  • These supports enable connection with students and a different approach with students who appear to be coping with trauma.

Expulsions still disproportionate

  • To understand this disproportion and to develop effective policy and practice it is critical for educators in Canada to have more contextual knowledge.
  • Educators who have not experienced or been educated about adversity may not account for or recognize students who are coping with adversity.

Acknowledging adversity

  • This is noteworthy given research identifying the disproportionate application of school discipline among non-white students, and the school-to-prison pipeline.
  • Read more:
    Ontario can close students’ access and opportunity gaps with community-led projects

    When researchers don’t identify expanded forms of adversity like racism and poverty, they are less likely to be recognized.


The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.