By Lincoln DePradine
Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, is promising Scarborough residents that they will benefit from projects soon to be to be implemented by the city.

“In our work this coming year, we’re building a lot of housing, a lot of affordable housing; because the more we build, the better it is for the city, more economic vibrancy,’’ Chow told a group last Saturday at Woodside Square Mall in Scarborough.
They had gathered for a celebration of the Lunar New Year, which also is known as “Chinese New Year’’ or “Spring Festival’’. It’s a significant Asian community celebration that includes festivities, parades, fireworks, and family reunions.
In the Chinese zodiac, 2024 is the “Year of the Dragon’’.
“What a great weekend celebrating Lunar New Year, the ‘Year of the Dragon’. Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate and partake in all of the activities at Woodside Square,’’ city councillor Jamaal Myers said in a social media post.
Myers, elected to city council in November 2022, is the representative for Scarborough North, which includes Woodside Square Mall.
The Lunar New Year is “a time of renewal, reflection and a promise of new beginnings’’, Myers said in brief comments at the mall event with the mayor.
“Today serves as a reminder of the unique diversity that we have, not only here in Scarborough, but across our great city of Toronto,’’ he said.
“Today gives us all an opportunity to appreciate and embrace the traditions of our Asian communities and the large and important role the Asian community has played in building the rich, diverse tapestry that is Toronto. As we welcome the ‘Year of the Dragon’, let us embrace the values associated with it: good luck, prosperity and strength. In the ‘Year of the Dragon’, we’re also reminded of the power within each of us to overcome challenges and to reach new heights.’’
Mayor Chow, referring to Myers’s role as chairman of the TTTC, said that “he is improving your public transit’’, and that there will be “no fare increase’’ for travelling with the Toronto Transit Commission.
Public transit concerns, including for the people of Scarborough, have been a focus of Chow, who recently joined other councillors on a visit to the Scarborough Centre station – a former stop of the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) line. The LRT, which took passengers from Kennedy Station to McCowan Station, was permanently shutdown after a derailment on part of the line in July 2023.
According to the mayor, Toronto’s 2024 budget will address public transport problems and other city challenges.
“I’m proud to share that my budget will fully fund the construction of the proposed busway along the Scarborough LRT corridor. We’re building it because transit riders deserve better. Scarborough deserves better. The tens of thousands of people that used the Scarborough LRT each day deserve better.’’
There also will be an increase in service from the Transit Commission and the “hiring over 160 highly visible TTC workers to improve safety’’, said Chow.
“To build a more affordable city, we have to face the housing crisis head on,’’ she added. “We need to meet the urgency of the crisis with the urgency of our actions. This budget includes 1,300 rent-geared-to-income homes, and provides funding to help build over 24,500 new rental homes. The budget also empowers and protects renters.’