| Message from Stephanie |
 We just experienced something truly historic: for the first time in over 120 years, Ontario held a provincial election in February. Over 30,000 of our neighbours braved the weather to cast their ballot. I would like to thank them all for taking part in our democratic process, and making their voices heard. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue representing our community at Queen’s Park. Now, it is time to get back to work. In this upcoming session of the legislature, I will be focused on Ontario’s economy. With tariff threats and worries about jobs staying in our province, I will work to ensure that the Ontario government focuses on delivering real results that help our communities prosper. My new Caucus critic roles are: – Finance & Treasury Board – Interprovincial Trade – Tariffs & International Trade The legislature is scheduled to return in a few weeks, but we are keeping busy monitoring the economy, attending events in the community, and serving our constituents. Want to see what we have been up to since the election? You’ve come to the right place! To learn more about any of the topics below, or for help accessing any government resources, please contact my office. We can be reached at (416) 425-6777 or at sbowman.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org. Kind regards,  |
| Reflections on the Government’s Cabinet |
| With a new provincial parliament comes the swearing in of a new Cabinet. The government has said that they will look to promote stability in the face of tariffs from the United States. I look forward to seeing the government’s plan over the coming months, and offering suggestions that I believe will give Ontario and Canada the best opportunity to tackle these challenges. At 37 members, this Cabinet is larger than Premier record-breaking 36-member Cabinet from before the snap election. It features many familiar faces, and once again, there is no representation for the over 1 million residents of Ottawa. In the Finance Ministry, Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy will be in charge of implementing a campaign platform that promises to add $40 billion to the more than $100 billion in debt that this government has accumulated in the past seven years. The Hon. Kinga Surma is once again leading the Infrastructure Ministry. Earlier this month, her Ministry did not allow Metrolinx to take part in a community information session on two major projects affecting the Leaside Business Park, which will result in lengthy road closures, traffic congestion, and major disruptions to these business’ operations. Because of this, business owners still do not have answers to many questions about these projects, including how emergency vehicles will be able to access their locations. I will be working with our City Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin to continue to press Metrolinx and the City to do whatever is possible to minimize these disruptions. To learn more about the full Cabinet, and their respective roles, click here. |
| The World’s Largest Bilateral Trade Relationship at a Crossroads |
| For many years, Canada and the U.S. have had one of the largest bilateral trade relationships in the world. The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (1989), North American Free Trade Agreement (1994) and Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (2020), laid the foundation for annual growth in trade flows of 5.4% over the four decades. In 2024, Canada-U.S. trade topped $1 trillion, a relationship that supports 2.4 million jobs in Canada (Ontario’s share is 1.1 million) and 1.4 million jobs in the U.S. More than one quarter of the imports Canada buys from the U.S. are used in the production of exports. The substantial amount of trade in intermediate goods underscores the highly integrated nature of supply chains that businesses on both sides of the border rely on. This is especially true for energy, motor vehicles and parts, Canada’s top exports to the U.S. Canadian interprovincial trade is also significant; it totals more than $530 billion annually (Ontario’s share is $183 billion). Trade across provincial and territorial borders contributes 18.1% to Canada’s GDP. Eliminating interprovincial trade barriers would reduce costs for consumers and businesses, raise productivity, and according to some estimates, expand Canadian GDP by as much as $200-250 billion or 6.4%. But this should be viewed as a best-case scenario, as U.S. tariffs on imports of steel, aluminum, and autos from all countries – and the threat of additional tariffs on all Canadian imports – will disrupt the same supply chains that Canadian businesses use to produce goods and services sold within Canada or abroad. Innovating production, sourcing more inputs domestically and diversifying international suppliers could improve supply chain resiliency. Canada is and will continue to be a successful trading nation; however, even if its business sector moves quickly to adapt, the economic dislocation from America’s protectionist trade policies will be significant. |
| Local Construction Update |
| TTC Eglinton-Lawrence South Entrance Re-Opening I recently spoke with Councillor Jamaal Myers and requested an update on the Easier Access project at Lawrence Station. The Easier Access project at Lawrence Station is now over 68% complete. The entrance/exit re-opening at Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue is expected to take place in late-August 2025, in advance of the return to school. The re-opening of the entrance/exit includes the re-opening of the bus loop, which would return buses into the station for pick-up/drop-off. However, the elevators are not scheduled to be in service until late-Q1/early-Q2 2026. Metrolinx Eglinton Crosstown Finally, a “possible” start date for the long-awaited opening of the Eglinton Crosstown—September 2025, according to anonymous sources close to the project (source). The TTC is ready to operate the line but it remains to be seen whether or not Metrolinx finally delivers this much-needed transit project. Furthermore, Metrolinx will be removing twenty-two trees on the south side of Eglinton Avenue East, between Brentcliffe Road and Leslie Street. Eastbound traffic on Eglinton Avenue East will remain reduced to one lane between Brentcliffe Road and Leslie Street. This work started on last week and will last approximately one week. Work is expected to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.  |
| Recent Community Events in Don Valley West |
