CITY COUNCILLOR
LILY CHENG
WILLOWDALE WARD 18

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

This past weekend I had the pleasure of rolling the first bowl of the season as the Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club kicked off their 2026 season. It’s always a stressful moment for me as I’m coached by Canadian champion Chrystal Shephard, prior to embarrassing myself before the entire club. Thankfully, my ball did not veer off too far this year. Prior to their opening, we convened a meeting with the dedicated team of club leaders and City staff to discuss ongoing state-of-good-r

Albert Standing Park has an exciting future! Earlier this week, I joined staff from the City of Toronto Parks Division, along with the consultant team working with the neighbouring developer, for a site visit and discussion about the future design of the park. Our park is being extended by a bit larger than an NBA basketball court. I am also very grateful to the two community leaders from the West Lansing Homeowners Association who joined us to help bring the community’s per

I recently joined City staff and two community advocates for a site visit to Hendon Park to review ongoing maintenance work, identify areas for improvement, and discuss future opportunities to enhance the park for residents. Key items discussed during the visit included: Water fountain upgrade: A new fountain with a bottle-filling station is being installed. Washroom improvements: Larger accessible washrooms are planned, with access from the west side of the building. Good wa

Special thanks to Mayor Olivia Chow, Councillor Josh Matlow, Minister Stan Cho, Toronto Police Service Yonge Street Foot Patrol, Toronto Parks Staff, Pastor Sean Huh, Omar Hassan, Alan Sperling, Bruce Greenway (photographing the gathering) and the community members who joined me at Olive Square last week to commemorate the Yonge Street Tragedy. We gathered exactly 8 years ago to the hour when we gathered at Olive Square, 24 hours after the tragedy, a community in shock and g

We had an INCREDIBLE turn out at our Willowdale Youth Council Community Park Clean Up last Friday! Thanks to our incredible student volunteers, we were able to clean up Willowdale Park and Lee Lifeson Park. Shoutout to The Neighbourhood Group for spending their drop-in cleaning up with us for the evening. Students made friends, helped keep the park clean, touched grass, and had tons of FUN! Got an idea for the Willowdale Youth Council? Go to Willowdaleactionhub.ca to engage o

Congratulations to NeighbourLink North York for winning the 2026 Toronto Community Champion Award, one of 25 organizations recognized in our city. These organizations do so much heavy lifting across our city to care for our communities and uplift the most vulnerable. I had the pleasure of attending the NeighbourLink North York AGM last week, where I was moved to see their tremendous growth in capacity and volunteer support. This organization of merely 6 full-time staff is a

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2026 TORONTO – Today marks eight years since the Toronto van attack, a day that remains one of the most difficult in Willowdale’s history and one our community will never forget. While April 23, 2018 brought immense loss and grief, it also revealed the compassion, courage, and generosity of the people who call Willowdale home. In the years since, the community has grown stronger and more connected, grounded in care for one another. “Eight years

The newly renovated Teen Zone at North York Central Library officially reopened! I had the opportunity to cut the ribbon with the Mayor alongside a large group of energized teens. They were very excited and we should be excited that we have this amazing space that provides free healthy snacks, video games and free craft activities. Teens call this their safe third space. How great it is that after school there are teens in Willowdale that rush to our library! Reopened just i

This week, I requested a briefing on the rollout of the Smart Signal program for 2026. I was happy to learn the Willowdale area will see a major share of the City of Toronto’s Smart Traffic Signal rollout, with about 25 intersections targeted, fully half of the city’s planned 50 new installations for 2026. That means Willowdale alone will receive 50% of all new smart signals, a significant concentration compared to the roughly 200 smart signals already deployed citywide by th

On April 8, I hosted a Community Leaders Dinner at North York Civic Centre, bringing together local leaders, residents, and Mayor Olivia Chow for an evening of meaningful discussion on the future of Willowdale. Mayor Chow shared updates on key city priorities, including improvements to emergency response times, ongoing investments in transit and infrastructure, and efforts to strengthen Toronto’s financial position through a new fiscal framework. She also highlighted programs

Last year, I attended the Smart City Summit in Taipei, where I learned about the work of the Circular Economy Foundation, founded by Charles Huang. I was inspired by his knowledge and enthusiasm, learning a great deal as he made a presentation to me and the councillors who were part of my delegation. All of us left knowing a great deal more about the concepts behind a circular economy and ideas for implementation. As Toronto moves forward with its 10-Year Circular Economy Roa

It was great to welcome approximately 30 condominium property managers and board members to an engaging and interactive luncheon. The discussion provided a valuable opportunity to discuss key local concerns, ongoing initiatives, and opportunities for collaboration in Willowdale’s growing high-rise community. I am grateful to the Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club for allowing us to use their space for this productive event. Condo property managers who did not receive an invitation