Toronto is a caring place and through a continued commitment we are always working to ensure our city is increasingly safe and welcoming. Our empathy, compassion and the harmony in which we live are a beacon to millions from around the world, who seek Toronto out as a place of hope. A place they can feel safe, where they can be free to celebrate their culture, their identity, and to worship without fear for their safety. We also know that there have been rising levels of hate the last few years and as a city, we are often on the front lines of addressing it. Members of Council know the needs of their residents and work closely with communities and civil society to help foster a feeling of belonging. We are all committed to creating a city free from all forms of discrimination and racism. As is shown through our Toronto for All campaigns that focus on a number of topics including Anti-Black racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and intimate partner violence. The City also has a Hate Activity Policy which condemns the promotion of hatred and promotes an environment without hate. Hate crime is a criminal offence in Canada. Toronto is committed to human rights and condemning hate in all its forms and so we, as a City, are committed to ensuring our spaces are not used to promote hate towards any group of people. We work hard to protect people's fundamental rights to freedom of thought, expression, religion, peaceful assembly and association, while also working to ensure our public spaces are not used to promote hate towards any group of people. When ongoing global events unfold, as we witnessed over the weekend, with kidnappings, murder, and targeted violence we know that there can be a shocking rise in acts of hate. In these times many in Toronto are left feeling targeted and unsafe for who they are and/or what community they may belong to. They feel increasingly unsafe attending places of worship, community spaces, workplaces or religious schools. This eats away at our social cohesion and sense of belonging in our city and collectively harms us. We must do everything we can in these times to ensure Toronto can remain a place where everyone belongs and where people can live without fear. This motion is urgent because it contains time-sensitive requests for action against hate.
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