A tent encampment at Moss Park in Toronto on Sept. 14. Doug Ives/The Canadian Press Lisa Gonsalves is board chair of United Way Greater Toronto. Victor Dodig is president and chief executive of CIBC and United Way Greater Toronto 2024’s community campaign chair. Our parents were attracted to the promise of this country more than half a century ago. Many others have since immigrated here, with Canada’s population growing steadily in recent years. This is especially true in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada’s biggest metropolitan region. With cranes dotting the skyline and construction projects everywhere you look, the GTA is projected to reach close to nine million residents over the next decade. Growth creates jobs and can further community prosperity. But as the GTA expands, we also see a sharp increase in those who are struggling. While the problem is not unique to this region, nowhere else in Canada is it as big. More than 1.4 million people in the GTA live in poverty. More than one in 10 Torontonians are relying on food banks. Meanwhile, 51 per cent of new food bank clients have someone in their household who is employed, highlighting that it takes more than ever before for families to find financial stability. Wait times for subsidized housing across the GTA can be anywhere from seven to 17 years . These numbers reveal a critical issue: while growth brings opportunity, it also exposes deep gaps in our social infrastructure. If we are to sustain and share the benefits of growth, we need to invest in housing, health care and social services that support our communities. And with these investments, not only can growth be more even and sustainable, there can be more of it. Investing in social infrastructure – through corporate social responsibility, philanthropy and volunteerism – yields economic returns far beyond just social benefits. For example, analysis produced by Deloitte for the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association found that increasing community housing stock could boost economic productivity by 5.7 per cent to 9.3 per cent, leading to a potential GDP increase of $67-billion to $136-billion by 2030. United Way research has found that equitable access to housing, employment, food and social services not only prevents displacement but strengthens local economies. For example, affordable housing preservation programs such as community land trusts can significantly reduce displacement, while promoting housing stability in changing neighbourhoods. And this has a greater economic impact. For instance, the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust , which bought its first 15-unit rooming house in the Toronto neighbourhood in 2019, is now the steward of 84 properties offering 205 rental units across the city’s west end. Such interventions, when paired with work force development programs, lead to better economic outcomes by ensuring local residents can maintain jobs and contribute to the economy. In Regent Park, a Community Benefits Agreement has resulted in about 1,600 jobs for local residents since 2006. For regions such as the GTA, where rapid population growth and a large newcomer work force are reshaping the economic landscape, investment in equitable housing, health care and social services is not just important – it is essential. As the population expands, the need for robust social infrastructure becomes even more pressing. When we invest in these services, we ensure that all residents, particularly newcomers and marginalized groups, can fully participate in and contribute to the local economy. Philanthropy and government investment, when applied strategically, can drive significant economic impact – but it requires collective action. No single effort can address the complex challenges of poverty, mental health, housing and employment. We must bring together corporations, governments and community organizations to tackle these interconnected issues at scale. A strong economy starts with strong communities. To create a thriving region where everyone can prosper, we must champion community-driven initiatives that bolster the economy, shaping a future where growth benefits everyone.Foreign ministry dismisses fake ambassadorial list in circulation
Uncertainties and challengesPrime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling alliance won an election in Maharashtra by a wide margin, signaling policy continuity in a state which houses most of India’s billionaires and is home to some of the country’s biggest investments. The Mahayuti coalition, led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, is ahead with 228 seats of the 288-member legislative assembly, according to the Election Commission of India. The Indian National Congress-led alliance has the advantage in just 47 seats, halting a momentum they built during national elections. The margins are wide enough for the elections to be called even as the final stages of counting are in progress. “Development wins! Good governance wins! United we will soar even higher!” Modi said in a post on X on Saturday. A separate Congress alliance in Jharkhand is leading in 50 seats of the 81-member legislative assembly, according to the Election Commission. Modi has conceded in the state. Exit polls released Wednesday predicted a tight contest in both states, with a slight edge forecast for the BJP alliance in Maharashtra. Mahayuti is now expected to win by a landslide with the main opposition and other smaller regional parties barely scraping by. BJP candidates are in the lead in 90 seats and have had a win declared for 42 more. “This is the voice of the people, it is the government of the people and it is a government for the best of the people,” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters Saturday afternoon. A victory in Maharashtra, which houses the financial capital of Mumbai, is expected to give a boost to stock markets which had already made gains on Friday in anticipation of the results. It suggests Modi remains popular, even though his party lost an outright majority in national polls. In those elections, more than 20 different parties worked together, shedding ideological differences and pooling resources to take on Modi’s electoral prowess. Since the results in June, four state polls were conducted with the BJP picking up two significant ones. “The BJP has a reasonably fixed vote share which it will get,” said Neelanjan Sircar, an associate professor at Ahmedabad University. Also, “we are seeing local seat level factions taking on an importance.” Maharashtra contributes over 10% of India’s gross domestic product, with Mumbai home to companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd. and Tata Group, the country’s two main stock markets, and the Hindi film industry. The state’s economic reputation, however, is at risk of being tarnished by growing farmer distress and high unemployment. Modi and his party have introduced a series of social welfare programs, including cash handouts to women and have promised further subsidies. The state is also one of the biggest recipients of foreign investment and BJP’s win will calm investors and allow ambitious development projects already in the works to continue. Billionaire Gautam Adani aims to revamp one of Asia’s biggest slums, but his $3 billion plan to convert 620 acres (251 hectares) of Dharavi into a glitzy urban hub had become a political hot potato. The opposition has repeatedly vowed to cancel the project during campaigning. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who won both parliamentary seats he contested in June, chose to vacate his seat in Wayanad, Kerala. His sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is running in the by-election there in her first political match for the Congress party, winning the seat with a margin of more than 410,000 votes. ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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The transfer portal was open less than 24 hours when Lincoln Riley appeared on USC’s “Trojans Live” radio show Monday night. Already by that point, 11 players had announced their plans to hit the portal, among them the Trojans’ right tackle, Mason Murphy, and running back of the future, Quinten Joyner — two departures that stir red a frustrated fan base into a portal-induced panic. So when Riley was asked about his approach to the transfer market, he had a point to make. College football, the coach opined, was now basically “a professional model.” That meant “making some tough decisions” about “where to allocate reps or where to allocate resources, roster spots, all of those things.” “The reality is there’s just some guys that you just can’t or are not going to pay what they want,” Riley said. “If your value doesn’t match the money, then it’s not going to go well much longer, it’s not going to go further. There’s a cutthroat part of that that is just part of being a professional organization, and again, that’s what we’re becoming.” In other words, the players weren’t the only ones at USC making shrewd business decisions. “You’re getting ready to reduce roster size, you’re getting ready to have a salary cap essentially,” Riley said. “You’re going to see sometimes people that feel like, ‘I got a better opportunity to go play at this place or that place,’ and sometimes — more often than what people realize now — it’s the school telling the kid, ‘Hey we’re sorry. This just is what it is right now.’” As its roster stands, USC probably could have used a potential star running back and an offensive tackle with years of starting experience. With Murphy and Joyner departing, both the backfield and the offensive line represented glaring holes that Riley probably would have to plug through the portal. And the exodus continued Tuesday afternoon as one of the Trojans’ top young receivers, Duce Robinson, also entered the portal. Riley hasn’t had any issue finding replacements at running back in the past. In each of his three seasons at USC, the coach successfully recruited a new transfer to lead the backfield, hitting on Travis Dye, MarShawn Lloyd and Woody Marks in consecutive seasons. Joyner was supposed to be the first of Riley’s homegrown backs at USC to stop that cycle, taking the reins of the Trojans’ run game after developing behind both Lloyd and Marks. He averaged 7.6 yards per carry this season, flashing glimpses of explosive star potential when given the opportunity. But running behind Marks — an Associated Press All-Big Ten second-team selection — Joyner never quite carved out a consistent role. He received more than six carries in a game just three times in two seasons. It wasn’t until Marks left because of an injury in the first quarter of USC’s season finale against Notre Dame that Joyner was asked to power the offense during a critical stretch. He responded by rushing for 83 yards on a career-high 10 carries. A little more than a week later, Joyner was gone, and USC was again sifting through the portal for a replacement. With Marks off the NFL, 230-pound freshman Bryan Jackson will get a chance to prove himself as the lead back through bowl season. But with few options behind him, expect Riley to go back to the transfer well. Along the offensive line, Riley said on many occasions that he hoped to move away from the portal-reliant approach USC used the previous two offseasons. Just two weeks ago the coach expressed confidence in how his young linemen were progressing. “We’ve got a lot of good-looking young linemen that are talented and going to be good players,” Riley said. “It’s been a while, probably well before I was here, since that was the case.” But desperate times may call for further portal pursuits up front. The Trojans’ two most consistent linemen this season, center Jonah Monheim and guard Emmanuel Pregnon (also an AP All-Big Ten pick), soon will declare for the NFL draft. USC’s only reserve linemen with extended experience, guards Gino Quinones and Amos Talalele, entered the transfer portal. And with Murphy joining them, that leaves three starter spots to fill and nary a lineman with more than 100 snaps of experience to fill them. As bleak as those circumstances may seem, USC actually has more pressing portal needs elsewhere. The Trojans are trending toward losing their entire starting secondary, assuming safety Kamari Ramsey declares for the draft as planned. They could stand to add a few veterans to their defensive front too, with depth depleted both on the line and at linebacker. Within the portal’s first day, offers to talented defenders were rolled out in full force. Among those on USC’s immediate radar: former five-star Kentucky defensive tackle Keeshawn Silver, Elon edge rusher Cazeem Moore, Marshall linebacker Jaden Yates, Western Kentucky defensive lineman Hosea Wheeler, San José State cornerback DJ Harvey, Washington State cornerback Ethan O’Connor and Michigan safety Brandyn Hillman. And then there’s quarterback. Riley offered a vote of confidence in his current room but made it clear he plans to pursue a passer in the portal to bolster depth behind Jayden Maiava and five-star freshman Husan Longstreet. Utah transfer Sam Huard is an obvious dot to connect, given his family ties to USC quarterbacks coach Luke Huard. Riley also once offered a scholarship to Duke dual-threat Maalik Murphy, an Inglewood native who’s expected to be one of the more coveted quarterbacks available. Other dominoes are still to fall. At receiver, the Trojans already lost two of their top targets, Robinson and senior Kyron Hudson, while speculation ramps up over several others. USC, it seems, will again be busy in the portal. That’s not the route Riley hoped to be taking ahead of his fourth season at USC. But considering where his roster stands, he doesn’t really have a choice. “I’ve said many times, I want us to be a developmental program,” Riley said. “I really want to rely on high school recruiting as much as we can. But you do have to adapt. You do have to adapt to the market. I mean, it’s changed so much. Even the fact that we even call it a market now. 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