June 28, 2023

Dear Mayor-elect Chow,

Congratulations on becoming Toronto’s next mayor. We welcome your commitment to putting the needs of Torontonians first in developing budgetary policy and other important City policies. We are greatly impressed by your inclusive one-City vision that embraces Toronto in all its diversity.

Care Watch is a non-profit organization run by volunteers and led by older adults. We advocate for policies and services, especially home care services, that keep older adults out of institutions and in their homes. We also strongly support policy measures that will improve public health and make Toronto a more age-friendly and age-inclusive community.

There are four priority areas where we believe that action is urgently required at this time:

• Strengthening public health, particularly for older adults.
• Increasing support for non-profit agencies that deliver home care and other supports in the community.
• Addressing long waiting for supportive housing in Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation and expanding access to the benefits of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities.
• Advocating to the province for wage equity for workers providing home care and community supports so that they are paid as much as those in hospitals and long-term care homes.

We hope you will be able to take advantage of any opportunities that arise during your term as mayor to better address the needs of Torontonians in these important areas. We also hope you will draw on the strong experience and dedication of your councillors when you make appointments to the housing authority and to portfolios addressing the concerns of older adults.

We compliment you on your strong issue-based campaign. We are looking forward to the next four
years with great anticipation and hope.

Yours truly,

Fiona Green (Chair, Care Watch Ontario Board of Directors) and John Bagnall (Project Lead and Director, Care Watch Ontario Board of Directors)