Latest news with #OliviaChow
Toronto Star
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
It's Pride Month in Toronto. Here's what you need to know
Grab your rainbow flags and get ready — Pride Month has arrived in Toronto. Despite reduced corporate sponsorship, Pride Toronto is pressing ahead with a full lineup of events. From the iconic Pride Parade to drag queen storytelling at the zoo, here's what you need to know to celebrate and protest in the city this month. When is Pride Toronto's festival weekend — and what's happening with sponsors? Events will take place across the city all month, with Pride Toronto's festival weekend running from Thursday, June 26, through Sunday, June 29. The non-profit behind the city's 2SLGBTQ+ festival is marching on despite corporate sponsors pulling out or reducing funding, moves that Pride Toronto executive director Kojo Modeste said are tied to corporate backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the U.S. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Home Depot, Google, Nissan Canada and Adidas are among the companies that have dropped out, while pharmaceutical giant Merck, Tim Hortons and the Abnormal Beauty Company (owned by Estée Lauder) have lowered their contribution amounts. Star Exclusive Pride Toronto loses two more corporate sponsors just weeks before festival launch The massive Toronto festival says it unexpectedly lost two more sponsors — Home Depot and Google — just weeks before festivities are set to kick off. Star Exclusive Pride Toronto loses two more corporate sponsors just weeks before festival launch The massive Toronto festival says it unexpectedly lost two more sponsors — Home Depot and Google — just weeks before festivities are set to kick off. City Hall flag-raising On Monday, City Hall will hold a flag-raising ceremony to mark the start of Pride Month, the city announced. The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. at 100 Queen Street West and will include appearances by Mayor Olivia Chow, city council members, and representatives from Pride Toronto, along with performances by drag queens and queer musicians. Flags will also go up at Mel Lastman Square in North York and Montgomery's Inn in Etobicoke on Wednesday, plus Albert Campbell Square on Thursday, the city said. Toronto police will also fly a flag at their headquarters all month, the force said in a post on X. Business Pride Toronto facing loss of corporate sponsorship dollars amid DEI backlash It is unclear if the companies are withdrawing funding because of anti-diversity, equity and inclusion sentiments. Business Pride Toronto facing loss of corporate sponsorship dollars amid DEI backlash It is unclear if the companies are withdrawing funding because of anti-diversity, equity and inclusion sentiments. When and where is the Pride Parade? As for the big event: the Toronto Pride Parade will run on Sunday, June 29 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. More than 25,000 marchers and 250 groups are expected to pack Toronto's core for this year's Pride Parade, the city said on its website. The route will run from Rosedale Valley Road and Park Road, west on Church Street and south on Yonge Street to Nathan Phillips Square on Sunday, June 29. Gta The world's oldest LGBTQ bookshop is in Toronto and it's moving Its new temporary home will be at 32 Lisgar St. Gta The world's oldest LGBTQ bookshop is in Toronto and it's moving Its new temporary home will be at 32 Lisgar St. Other Pride events in the city Pride Toronto's Drag Ball: Enjoy a free, nine-hour event featuring more than 70 drag acts from Toronto and beyond. The event will run from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. at TD Main Stage at Nathan Phillips Square on June 28. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Church-Wellesley Neighbourhood Gay History Walk: Prime Timers Toronto, a social group of queer men, is running 45-minute tours that spotlight historically significant community spaces, including Woody's and the AIDS Memorial. The walk will start at the Allan Gardens Palm House on June 6, 12 and 20 at 2 p.m. Toronto Zoo Drag Queen Storytime: Drag performers will take to the Wildlife Marquee from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on June 14 to read animal-themed stories with lessons of inclusion, self-love and respect. The storytime is free with zoo admission. With files from Ana Pereira
Cision Canada
2 days ago
- Health
- Cision Canada
/R E P E A T -- MEDIA ALERT - The Beaches, Rick Mercer, Mayor Olivia Chow to attend UHN's We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers/
, May 30, 2025 /CNW/ - WHAT: We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers is UHN's first ever large-scale public event. The walk will be followed by a live concert by Tom Cochrane, and celebration supporting University Health Network. We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers will bring together over 3,000 participants, special guests, and high-profile supporters in a one-of-a-kind celebration of Canada's #1 hospital. The Beaches, participating in the walk Rick Mercer, speaking during closing ceremonies Tom Cochrane, performing live Madison Tevlin and Sangita Patel, lead ambassadors Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation Dr. Kevin Smith, CEO of University Health Network Mayor Olivia Chow, speaking during opening ceremonies Mayko Nguyen, Canadian actress participating in the walk Sam Schachter, 2x Olympic Beach Volleyball athlete participating in the walk Aphrose, performing live Shilpa Raju, double lung transplant recipient from UHN participating in the walk WHEN: WHERE: Toronto General Hospital outdoor parking lot 201 Elizabeth St. (Gerrard St. W and Elizabeth Street) MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Celebrities, Mayor Olivia Chow, hospital dignitaries, patient ambassadors and participants all available for interview, as listed above Compelling visuals: stage moments, performances, crowd shots, live music, attendees and more Behind-the-scenes access to interview celebrity participants and performers SOURCE UHN Foundation
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Carney says he has no immediate plans to overhaul municipal funding
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she met and spoke with PM Carney and that she has waited 'decades' for a government to prioritize building affordable housing. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she met and spoke with PM Carney and that she has waited 'decades' for a government to prioritize building affordable housing. Chow says she has waited 'decades' for a government to prioritize building affordable housing OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa probably can't undertake a thorough overhaul of how municipalities are funded in the near future, with the federal government now focused on major projects. Carney spoke this morning to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which represents cities and towns that have lobbied Ottawa to give them more independent means of financing their operations. Cities generally fall under provincial oversight and have limited tools to gather tax revenues or plan for long-term projects. A federation representative asked Carney whether his government will change those mechanisms to give municipalities more room to work. The prime minister says that while funding models for municipalities should not be 'arbitrary and unpredictable,' remaking them would require a thorough discussion with provinces. Carney says he doubts Ottawa can wait for those discussions to play out at a time where Canadians need to build housing and trade infrastructure, such as ports and energy corridors. The prime minister says that while he wants to collaborate with municipalities, that likely would involve Ottawa helping municipalities pay for specific projects. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Mayor Chow asks for more funding to build homes faster in meeting with PM Carney
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow sat down for a private meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. She tells Power & Politics she asked for more funding to 'build, build, build.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘We are ready to build:' Toronto mayor to meet with PM Mark Carney and request money for housing, public transit
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is in Ottawa today where she will meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and make the case for federal investments in building housing and public transit in the city. The meeting is set to take place at 1 p.m. and marks the first time that Chow will sit down with Carney since he became Prime Minister in March. During the recent election campaign. Carney proposed a series of initiatives that he said would double the rate of housing construction to 500,000 units a year. But in an interview with CP24 on Thursday, Chow pointed out that much of that work will take time, especially with the federal government not expected to present a budget until the fall. She said that her pitch to Carney will be simple: why not fund help Toronto fund some existing programs designed to increase the pace of housing starts right now? 'He (Carney) has said that the federal government is back in the housing business which is great. we have been waiting for that for three decades and he is finally doing it but it will take a while to ramp up so what I am trying to say is in the meantime there is a whole lot of things we (the City of Toronto) can do to partner with you so that we can do the building of housing and giving rent supplements right now,' she said. 'We can help people right now. So I am presenting him with a plan on how to start now and not wait until the budget comes in the fall.' In March, the federal government announced that it would provide Toronto with $2.55 billion in low-cost financing to help deliver nearly 5,000 new rental homes, including a minimum of 1,075 affordable units. But Chow suggested that the city could incentivize the construction of even more units if the federal government were to provide additional funding to a pre-existing program, where development charges and other fees are waived so long as a developer commits to building a certain number of affordable units. 'He (Carney) also wants to build right? Remember he said 'build, build, build.' So we are ready to build,' Chow told CP24. Chow said that she will also press Carney for funding for a number of priority transit projects, including the Waterfront LRT. 'I just can't go and build housing if people are stuck in traffic. The waterfront is bad enough already. We are putting in 100,000 (more) people there. How are they going to move in and out of that area?' she said. Chow first travelled to Ottawa on Wednesday and has already participated in a number of meetings with federal government officials, including Minister of Housing Gregor Robertson.
