CITY COUNCILLOR
LILY CHENG
WILLOWDALE WARD 18

This past Sunday, I joined members of our community in observing the procession honouring fallen Toronto Police Service Constable Marc Pinizzotto. The motorcade travelled from the Office of the Chief Coroner in North York to a funeral home in Thornhill, as colleagues solemnly escorted him with dignity and respect. Constable Pinizzotto, an 18-year member of the Toronto Police Service, a husband and father of two, and a dedicated member of the Emergency Task Force, lost his lif

Last week, I attended a safety town hall at a Toronto Community Housing complex at 415 Willowdale. Some may be surprised to know that Willowdale has community housing. This vibrant community has been part of Willowdale’s unique landscape for many decades and is one of the few in Toronto with a low violent-incident count. Despite this, many safety concerns are still being raised with our office. I decided to ask staff to join me in a safety-focused meeting, where we can meet d

I joined City staff and members of the North York Garden Club for a site visit at Mel Lastman Square last week to select the location of a commemorative plaque marking the Club’s 100th anniversary. For a century (!!!), the North York Garden Club has brought people together through a shared love of gardening, environmental stewardship, and community building. Their contributions have helped shape beautiful, welcoming green spaces across our community, and their dedication cont

Last Wednesday, I attended the WCRA Annual General Meeting at the historic John McKenzie House. The AGM was an important opportunity for residents to come together, reflect on the Association's work over the past year, discuss issues affecting the neighbourhood, and elect members of the Board of Directors who will help guide the Association’s work moving forward. They also served chocolate-dipped strawberries, which were a lovely treat! Thank you to Stephen Boyle and the WCRA

This past weekend, I attended two graduation celebrations within the Azerbaijani community, and both left me inspired by the dedication, care, and commitment being poured into the next generation. The first celebration was hosted by the Azerbaijan House in Willowdale (first picture), where students delighted everyone with creative performances that shared important values and life lessons. We also celebrated one of their graduates for her meaningful contributions to strengthe

It has been difficult to watch the marked rise in antisemitism across our city and across our country. Many Jewish community members who were born here, raised families here, and felt a part of the fabric of our country are now questioning whether it is safe for them to stay here. For this reason, I felt it was important to walk with our neighbours at the Walk with Israel. My participation was an expression of solidarity with members of our local Jewish community who are expe

A month ago I met with residents at Kempford Seniors Housing, one of our neighbourhood’s Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation (TSHC) communities. Many residents brought up concerns that I realized required a town hall. As such, we brought together: Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation CEO, Tom Hunter Community Safety Unit from TSHC Program Coordinator for TSHC NeighbourLink North York Yonge Street Foot Patrol North York Seniors Centre Some of the issues we discussed included: L

I recently joined the Yonge North York BIA for a behind-the-scenes tour of Rendez-vous Canada 2026 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, hosted by Destination Toronto. As Canada's largest international tourism trade show, Rendez-vous Canada brings together tourism operators, destinations, and travel buyers from around the world. This year's event features more than 60,000 business-to-business appointments and is expected to generate over $100 million in future tourism sales

Last Friday, I had a productive and collaborative in-person meeting with Minister Stan Cho, MPP for Willowdale, focused on some of the most important opportunities and challenges facing Willowdale and North York Centre. I am grateful for Minister Cho’s willingness to engage on a wide range of issues that will help shape the future of our community and improve quality of life for Willowdale residents. Our discussion covered 10 key priorities: A visionary refresh of Mel Lastman

It was a pleasure to celebrate the release of Behind Five Willows, the fifth novel by Toronto Korean author June Hur, alongside an enthusiastic auditorium of readers, fans, and supporters at North York Central Library. June Hur (허주은) is a New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of acclaimed young adult Korean historical mysteries, including The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls, The Red Palace, A Crane Among Wolves, and now Behind Five Willows. Bo

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 8th Climate Action Roundtable, where residents came together to participate in a Climate Fresk workshop. Through an interactive card game and group discussion, participants explored the causes and impacts of climate change, while reflecting on our individual and collective circles of control and influence. We also discussed how our actions can connect with and build upon the work others are already doing in the community. These were

Despite a full day of heavy rain, our community showed up in incredible spirit for the fourth installment of our popular Repair Café on May 23. Over three busy hours, 49 dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to assess and repair 116 items brought in by residents, successfully fixing 62 of them. From electronics and clothing to small household items, the range of repairs reflected the community's diverse needs. This time, we also expanded our impact, helping tune up bicycles

Recognizing the tremendous potential of North York Centre as a major economic and employment hub, and following my advocacy for greater attention and investment in the area, the City co-hosted a Stakeholder Engagement Forum in partnership with the Yonge North York BIA as part of Toronto’s 10-Year Economic Action Plan. The forum brought together business leaders, property owners, employers, and City staff to discuss strategies to strengthen North York Centre’s competitiveness,

Thank you to everyone who joined us on May 9 for an important and thoughtful community conversation about the future Persian Garden in Willowdale’s Centre Park. We were grateful to bring together community leaders, architects, developers, cultural organizations, and leaders of local community groups with the Persian Garden Association to begin shaping a transparent and inclusive vision for this meaningful initiative. I would like to sincerely thank MP Ehsassi for attending in

When Phase 2 of the North York Centre Secondary Plan was passed at City Council earlier this year, I passed several additional motions, some of which propose changes to their recommended option. Last week, City Planning held an in-person consultation on these proposed changes which is summarized in the Supplementary Option Evaluation which was released earlier this month. The Supplementary Option revises land use permissions, building heights, and parkland opportunities in s

Last week I was invited to be a panellist at the Municipal Masterclass where I spoke to 200 municipal candidates, politicians and community members on engaging diverse communities in municipal politics, sharing reflections from my experience representing Willowdale and building authentic relationships across diverse cultures. I emphasized that meaningful engagement goes far beyond “showing up” during election season. It requires listening deeply, understanding cultural nuance

Exciting news is on the horizon for Willowdale food lovers. The highly anticipated flagship H Mart location at Yonge and Cummer is now slated to open this fall, featuring a bakery and food court that are expected to become a vibrant new destination in the community. I recently met with H Mart’s Director and Project Manager, who shared that while there have been some challenges completing the fit out of this signature store, they are confident the opening is finally approachin

It was a pleasure to join members of Toronto’s Korean community during Asian Heritage Month to celebrate Toronto’s own Maggie Kang as she received a Key to the City alongside Olivia Chow. As the creator, co-writer, and co-director of KPop Demon Hunters, Maggie Kang has brought Toronto’s creativity and storytelling talent to a global audience through work that has resonated with viewers around the world. I had the opportunity to share how much my daughter enjoyed the film and

This past week, I marked my birthday in a deeply meaningful way, attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the future shelter that will be operated by the Native Women’s Resource Centre Toronto at 68 Sheppard Avenue West. The shelter will provide support and refuge for Indigenous women and children in need. The ceremony included ceremonial singing and smudging, creating a powerful and reflective moment for all who attended. It was not only a blessing for the construction of t

My office recently co-hosted a well-attended community meeting with PIAC (Parent Involvement Advisory Committee) for education Ward 12, bringing together parent council chairs from across Willowdale schools. I am grateful to Nicole Wu and Susan Lee for their leadership of PIAC and for bringing us all together. The discussion was wide-ranging and focused on key issues, including youth mental health, education, community safety, and local services. Here are some of the themes w