Surprise announcement from mayor's state of the city address
A surprise announcement coming from Josh Morgan’s State of the City address.
During the address, Morgan announced an anonymous London family has donated $25-million, and if community raises another $5-million, it will be matched for total $35-million to support upcoming community plan to address homelessness.
“The need for urgency could not be more clear. Where this effort is concerned, delays are not measured in days; they’re ultimately measured in deaths,” said Morgan.
This is the first time the event has been held in-person since January 2020 because of pandemic restrictions.
The speech is an opportunity for the mayor to provide his outlook for the upcoming year and announce his priorities for city council.
Previous mayors have also highlighted job creation, updated progress on local challenges and set ambitious objectives for the city.
Also in the speech, Morgan noted that London is the fastest growing city in Ontario and housing supply isn’t keeping pace.
He told London business leaders, “We must actively explore options to convert unused commercial office space into residential units.”
Aside from housing challenges, Morgan also announced progress on climate change driven by energy efficiencies.
“Compared to 2005, total greenhouse gas emissions from London have decreased by about 30 percent,” said Morgan.
In closing, the mayor said, “If you don’t think Londoners have the commitment, then stand down… the community we are building for all Londoners is rising up.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russia says it thwarted attack in Donetsk; unclear if this was start of Ukrainian counteroffensive
Russia says it thwarted a large Ukrainian attack in the eastern province of Donetsk, though it's unclear if this was the start of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Macron announces France is sending 100 firefighters to Quebec
France will be sending firefighters to aid Quebec as the province continues to battle massive forest fires, French President Emmanuel Macron announced.
Increase in mosquitoes 'a trend' across Canada this year. Here's why
Mosquitoes have always been pesky, but this spring it seems the bloodsuckers are thirstier than ever, a trend one expert says is increasing.
Survey shows employees aren’t disconnecting from work on vacation
Although remote work has cleared the way for workplace flexibility, allowing employees to work in various locations (and climates), a new study suggests it’s taking a serious toll on work-life balance.
Nova Scotians’ personal information stolen in global security breach: province
The Nova Scotia government says it is investigating the theft of personal information stolen through a global privacy breach to a third-party file transfer system the province was using.
Adult victim in Que. fishing incident that killed 4 children identified
Quebec provincial police (SQ) have identified the adult victim of a fishing incident that claimed five lives over the weekend, most of them children. Keven Girard, 37, was among a group of 11 people swept up by the tide late Friday night while fishing along the shore in Portneuf-sur-Mer, a village about 550 kilometres northeast of Montreal.
Uncertainty remains for Halifax-area evacuees as wildfire 100 per cent contained
A wildfire that tore through homes and businesses in the Halifax area is 100 per cent contained, but a historic fire in southwestern Nova Scotia remains out of control.
Canada sticking with 2050 net zero targets, but progress may come faster than expected, minister says
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is not ruling out finding ways to achieve net zero sooner than the existing 2050 goal, but would not say whether there would be a definitive commitment to move up the target.
Apple is expected to unveil a sleek, pricey headset. Is it the device VR has been looking for?
Apple appears poised to unveil a long-rumoured headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter's ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public's imagination.