Public services in Toronto

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The Bloor and Gladstone branch of the Toronto Public Library, a public service operated by the City of Toronto government. Bloor and Gladstone Library 10721206246.jpg
The Bloor and Gladstone branch of the Toronto Public Library, a public service operated by the City of Toronto government.

Public services in Toronto are funded by municipal property taxes, financial transfers from the Government of Ontario and Government of Canada, or are operated and financed by the higher-level governments. Funding for services provided by the municipal government is determined by a vote of the Toronto City Council in favour of the year's proposed operating budget.

Contents

Operational finances

Revenue sources for the city's operational budget consist of transfers and subsidies from the provincial and federal governments ($1.944 B), user fees ($1.205 B) and withdrawals from the reserve fund ($0.5 B). Property taxes represent 42% of the budget ($3.221 B), which is referred to as the Net Operating Budget. [1] All other sources total approximately $1.0 B.

The most significant expenditures are:

All other services individually represent less than 2% of expenditures. [1]

Education

Head office for the Toronto District School Board, one of four public school boards that operate in the city. TorontoDistrictSchoolBoardEducationCentre - 2015May30.jpg
Head office for the Toronto District School Board, one of four public school boards that operate in the city.

Most students from Toronto receive their primary and secondary education via the public school system, operated by school boards funded by the province via provincial income tax and federal financial transfers to the provincial government. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is a public secular English-first language school board. TDSB is the city's largest public school board in the country, operating 451 public schools and 102 secondary or high schools. Other public school boards in Toronto include the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), a separate English-first language school board; Conseil scolaire Viamonde (CSV), a secular French-first language school board; and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir, a separate French-first language school board. In addition to schools operated by public school boards, the city is also home to a number of private schools.

There are five diploma-granting community colleges in Toronto: Seneca College, Humber College, Centennial College, Sheridan College and George Brown College. The Royal Conservatory of Music, which includes The Glenn Gould School, is a major music school located in downtown. The Canadian Film Centre is a film, television and new media training institute founded by filmmaker Norman Jewison.

The University of Toronto is a public research university situated in the city. UofTUniversityCollege3.jpg
The University of Toronto is a public research university situated in the city.

The University of Toronto, established in 1827, is a leading public research institution and a worldwide leader in biomedical research. York University, is another public university located in Toronto, houses the largest law library in the Commonwealth of Nations. Other public universities located in Toronto include OCAD University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and the University of Guelph-Humber. The latter institution was established between the University of Guelph and Humber College. Humber College is a local college based in Toronto, with the University of Guelph located within the Golden Horseshoe.

The city operates an extensive library network. The Toronto Public Library is the largest public library system in Canada and the second busiest (by number of visits) in the world after the Hong Kong Public Library.

Emergency services

Mounted officers of the Toronto Police Service, one of three emergency service providers operated by the municipal government. Toronto Police Mounted Unit - panoramio.jpg
Mounted officers of the Toronto Police Service, one of three emergency service providers operated by the municipal government.

Emergency services in the city include the Toronto Fire Services , and the Toronto Paramedic Services. Toronto Fire Services provides fire protection and first-response emergency medical assistance, the Toronto Paramedic Services provides emergency medical services. The Toronto Fire Services, in collaboration with the Toronto Paramedic Services, and the Toronto Police Service, also operates the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue unit, an urban search and rescue response team.

Law enforcement

The Toronto Police Service is one of the oldest English-language modern municipal police departments in the world. The law enforcement agency is funded by the municipal government, and represents the second-greatest yearly expenditure in the city's operating budget, after public transit services.

Health

Bridgepoint Active Healthcare is a hospital located in Toronto. Bridgepoint Health Hospital (38667489991).jpg
Bridgepoint Active Healthcare is a hospital located in Toronto.

Health services in Toronto are quite extensive, and benefit from the intensive and broad medical research conducted in the city. Hospitals are publicly financed, primarily by the provincial government, but also via federal government transfers to the province, some private sources (e.g. - lotteries) and through charitable and philanthropic donations.

Family doctors have private practices funded by the provincial government. Paramedic and ambulatory services are funded by the city. Also, non-profit palliative care services exist.

Recreation

The Rouge National Urban Park is a national urban park in Toronto. Rouge Beach Pond Boardwalk sunrise.jpg
The Rouge National Urban Park is a national urban park in Toronto.

There are numerous recreation areas owned and operated by the city, including bicycle and jogging trails, community centres, public squares and urban parks. Many of these facilities are operated by the Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division. It also operates the Toronto Zoo and other public spaces, such as Nathan Phillips Square.

In addition to parks operated by the municipal government, several parks located in Toronto are operated by the provincial, and federal governments. Federally-managed parks include Rouge National Urban Park, a national urban park managed by Parks Canada.

Transportation

Union Station is an intermodal transportation hub in Toronto. Toronto - ON - Union Station.jpg
Union Station is an intermodal transportation hub in Toronto.

Various modes of transportation are available in the city. Roads within the city are a municipal responsibility, but major highways, such as the 400-series highways, are provincially funded and operated. In the winter, the city provides snow removal services on its roads and on property it owns, such as parking lots at libraries and swimming pools.

The Toronto Transit Commission is the main public transit service provider for the city. Operation of the TTC is funded by the municipal government and user receipts, but infrastructure projects may receive funding from provincial and federal sources. In addition to the TTC, other public transportation services that operate in Toronto includes GO Transit. GO Transit is a regional public transit operator managed by Metrolinx, a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario. Union Station is an intermodal transportation hub located in Downtown Toronto. The station provides access to several transportation services, including GO Transit, and the TTC.

Waste management

Residential waste collection is collected by private contractors west of Yonge St., and by City of Toronto staff east of Yonge St. Waste collection was outsourced first in Etobicoke prior to the city's amalgamation, and then extended to include the area between Etobicoke and Yonge St. in 2012. [2] There was a proposal to tender similar services east of Yonge that was studied in 2015, then revisited in 2017 before being dropped due to lack of support at city council. [3] Some businesses make separate arrangements for their waste, as do hospitals for some of their waste. Collection includes garbage, recyclable materials, and compostable materials. Hazardous waste is also handled separately.

The city collects organics such as residential and commercial food waste through the green bin program. The organic waste is processed at two anaerobic digestors located at Disco and Dufferin Solid Waste Management Facilities. The city plans to upgrade the biogas produced by the digestors to provide renewable natural gas for city vehicles, starting with waste collection trucks. [4]

Water and wastewater

Toronto has a vast network to manage water delivery and to process wastewater.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Transit Commission</span> Agency responsible for local public transit in Ontario, Canada

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into the Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and largest of the urban transit service providers in the Greater Toronto Area, with numerous connections to systems serving its surrounding municipalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North York</span> District of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

North York is one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly north of York, Old Toronto and East York, between Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. As of the 2016 Census, it had a population of 869,401.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downsview</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Downsview is a neighbourhood in the north end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the district of North York. The area takes its name from the Downs View farm established around 1842 near the present-day intersection of Keele Street and Wilson Avenue. It now extends beyond the intersection of Sheppard Avenue and Dufferin Street, though it is popularly seen as including the areas to the north right up to the Toronto city limit at Steeles Avenue. The area includes several large post-World War II subdivisions. Within the area is Downsview Airport, the former site of Canadian Forces Base Downsview, which has since been largely converted following the end of the Cold War into an urban park known as Downsview Park. The airport is still used as a manufacturing and testing facility for Bombardier Aerospace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line 4 Sheppard</span> Subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Line 4 Sheppard is the newest and shortest subway line of the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It opened on November 22, 2002, and has five stations along 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) of track, which is built without any open sections in the district of North York along Sheppard Avenue East between Yonge Street and Don Mills Road. All stations are wheelchair accessible and are decorated with unique public art. The Government of Ontario has announced plans to extend the line east to Sheppard Avenue and McCowan Road in Scarborough to meet up with an extended Line 2 Bloor–Danforth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto subway</span> Rapid transit system in Ontario, Canada

The Toronto subway is a rapid transit system serving Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It is a multimodal rail network consisting of three heavy-capacity rail lines operating predominantly underground, and one elevated medium-capacity rail line. Two light rail lines, which will operate both at-grade and underground, are under construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line 1 Yonge–University</span> Subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Line 1 Yonge–University is a rapid transit line on the Toronto subway. It serves Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission, has 38 stations and is 38.8 km (24.1 mi) in length, making it the longest line on the subway system. It opened as the "Yonge subway" in 1954 as Canada's first underground passenger rail line, and was extended multiple times between 1963 and 2017. Averaging over 790,000 riders per weekday, Line 1 is the busiest rapid transit line in Canada, and one of the busiest lines in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newtonbrook</span> Neighbourhood of Toronto

Newtonbrook is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the area around Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in the district of North York between the east and west branches of the Don River. Officially, the area is divided into two neighbourhoods; Newtonbrook West and Newtonbrook East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willowdale, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Transportation Commission</span> Former public transit operator in Toronto, Canada

Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) was the public transit operator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, beginning in 1921. It operated buses, streetcars and the island ferries. The system was renamed the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Toronto Transit Commission</span>

The history of public transportation in Toronto in Canada dates back to the middle 19th century under many different private companies, organizations and owners, which were all later unified as a single government-run entity during the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal government of Toronto</span> Local government of the City of Toronto

The municipal government of Toronto is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its structure and powers are set out in the City of Toronto Act.

Transportation in the Canadian city of Toronto forms the hub of the road, rail and air networks in the Greater Toronto Area and much of southern Ontario. There are many forms of transport in the city, including railways, highways, and public transit. Toronto also has an extensive network of bicycle lanes and multi-use trails and paths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humber Summit</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Humber Summit is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the northernmost neighbourhoods in Toronto, located in the North York district of the city. It is bounded by Steeles Avenue to the north, Highway 400 to the east, Finch Avenue to the south, and follows the Humber River to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humbermede</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Humbermede, often called Emery, is a neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humbermede, like many of the "Humber" neighbourhoods in the city, gets its name from the Humber River. It is bounded on the west by the Humber River, on the north by Finch Avenue West, on the east by the Highway 400 and on the south by Sheppard Avenue West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Manor</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lawrence Manor is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This neighbourhood is bounded by Bathurst Street on the east, Highway 401 to the north, the Allen to the west, and Lawrence Avenue to the south. The western side of the area borders along Bathurst Heights and the large public housing project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansing, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lansing is a neighbourhood in the central area of the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which originated as a minor settlement of a store, other services and a post office at the corner of Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue. A larger area was designated as the postal village of Lansing. The City of Toronto labels it as Lansing-Westgate for neighbourhood planning purposes with the boundaries Yonge Street to the east, Highway 401 to the south, Bathurst Street to the west and Burnett Avenue to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Miller (Canadian politician)</span> 63rd mayor of Toronto

David Raymond Miller is an American-Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 63rd mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010. Following his career in politics, Miller briefly returned to law before serving as president and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) from 2013 to 2017, after which he began working as the director of international diplomacy at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transit City</span> Proposed Toronto public transit plan

Transit City was a plan for developing public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first proposed and announced on 16 March 2007 by then-Toronto Mayor David Miller and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Adam Giambrone. The plan called for the construction of seven new light rail lines along the streets of seven priority transit corridors, which would have eventually been integrated with existing rapid transit, streetcar, and bus routes. Other transit improvements outlined in the plan included upgrading and extending the Scarborough RT line, implementing new bus rapid transit lines, and improving frequency and timing of 21 key bus routes. The plan integrated public transportation objectives outlined in the City of Toronto Official Plan, the TTC Ridership Growth Strategy and Miller's 2006 election platform.

The city of Markham in Ontario, Canada, offers a complex transportation infrastructure. These include airports, highways, public transit, regional roads, municipality-funded roads, and train services.

The City of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada offers a complex transportation infrastructure, which includes highways, public transit, regional roads, municipality-funded roads, and train services.

References

  1. 1 2 "2007 City of Operating budget of $7.8 billion approved by Council" (PDF). City of Toronto. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
  2. David Rider; Betsy Powell (11 Jan 2017). "Toronto garbage workers will fight privatization plans". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 11 January 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  3. Jeff Gray (31 Jan 2017). "Toronto Mayor John Tory backs down on contracting out garbage". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  4. Natalie Nanowski (23 Oct 2019). "How your food scraps are going to fuel Toronto's garbage trucks". CBC/Radio-Canada. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.