CITY COUNCILLOR
LILY CHENG
WILLOWDALE WARD 18

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

The federal government has renewed and expanded funding for Toronto’s youth crime prevention efforts, committing $157.5 million over the next three years through the Building Safer Communities Fund just as previous funding to our City’s efforts was set to expire. Announced by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree alongside Mayor Olivia Chow in Scarborough, the investment supports programs that address the root causes of youth violence by connecting at-risk youth and fami

After more than a year of study, consultation, and technical analysis, the North York at the Centre - Final Options and Directions Report was tabled at the Planning and Housing Committee on February 26. We are so grateful to the 22 residents who showed up, virtually and in person, to make deputations. Your voices matter, and it’s always key for staff to hear directly from those most impacted by the policies we pass. This Secondary Plan update will establish a new long-term

Something historic happened in Willowdale this past weekend. I was pleased to sit down with The Honourable Ali Ehsassi and The Honourable Stan Cho to talk about how we align our efforts to support both the pressures of today and the growth of tomorrow in our neighbourhood. All three of us are part of large systems where we each have to fight for our ward for attention and resources. Working together will provide more opportunities to be strategic and align our efforts to achi

The Mayor’s Budget passed at our Special City Council meeting with very few amendments. You can CLICK HERE to read more about the local and city-wide investments included this year, but I want to highlight a few new wins that happened this month that directly benefit Willowdale. The Mayor provided: $35,000 to address the shortfall facing the Yonge North York BIA in organizing our long-standing Canada Day celebration at Mel Lastman Square . This support ensures the event ca

Mayor Chow released her proposed 2026 City Budget on February 1, 2026. You can review the budget Here . The Mayor’s budget outlines how much the City plans to spend and how it plans to pay for those costs, including revenues from property taxes and user fees. City Council may propose amendments to the Mayor’s budget, but Council does not vote to formally adopt the budget or a “budget as amended.” Any changes to spending or revenues, including property taxes, must be proposed

This week’s City Council meeting was unusually short — we wrapped up before sunset! That happened for two reasons: No member motions were allowed, and with the new year and the budget process underway, not all committees have met yet, resulting in a lighter agenda. Even so, there were two key issues I want to highlight for you. 1. A Future with Very Little Visitor Parking Recent provincial legislation has removed the City’s ability to require visitor or accessible parking i

We are piloting a new Share Your Policy Ideas page on the Willowdale Action Hub. Do you have a policy idea you’d like the City to consider? This is a space to share ideas that could improve Willowdale or Toronto more broadly. Proposals that receive 50 community upvotes within 120 days will be shared with City staff for research and feasibility review. What can be considered? ✔️ Policy or planning ideas with community-wide impact ✔️ Neighbourhood or city-wide improvements ✔