What to know
- The Scarborough Environmental Association is organizing a protest during Ford Fest on June 19 at Thomson Memorial Park, where demonstrators plan to leaflet and picket throughout the event.
- Organizers say the rally is intended to hold the Ford government accountable for policies they believe have worsened affordability, strained public services and reduced public consultation.
- The group cites concerns over Bill 5, the Greenbelt controversy, OSAP cuts, growing class sizes, health-care pressures and environmental protections as key reasons for protesting.
- While the demonstration will take place at Ford Fest, organizers say they are not protesting the event itself or Premier Doug Ford personally, but rather the policies implemented by his government.
The Ford Fest is heading to Scarborough this month, but not everyone is planning to celebrate. As residents gather for the free barbecue and fun fair-style event, a local environmental organization is preparing a protest, saying the premier must be held accountable for policies they believe are harming communities across Ontario.
The annual celebration hosted by Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party is usually held in Etobicoke, but this year’s event is moving east, taking over Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
The community barbecue and festival features free food and rides in the park.
But an east end organization is denouncing the event, and instead forming a gathering of its own.
“Ford Fest is coming to town, and we are making sure our voices are heard,” the Scarborough Environmental Association said in a post on Instagram.
The grassroots organization provides community services such as birdwatching, clothes swaps, and art programming for free, encouraging members to meet their neighbours and enjoy their community.
The organization is rallying citizens together for a protest against the Ford government from 5-9 p.m. on the same day, where they will be handing out leaflets and picketing.
“We need your help to poster and leaflet. Bring a friend,” reads the post. “Let’s stand together for Scarborough.”
Protesting to “hold the provincial government accountable”
Fizza Khalid is a prominent Scarborough-based community organizer and environmental activist, as well as the association’s co-founder. She told Now Toronto that their plan to protest at Ford Fest is to hold the provincial government accountable for policies they say have worsened affordability, weakened public services, threatened environmental protections and reduced public consultation.
Khalid says that many members of the organization have experienced the impacts of these policies firsthand, pointing to concerns including cuts to OSAP, growing class sizes, pressures on the health-care system and the ongoing affordability crisis. She argued that these issues are making it harder for people to access education, secure housing and maintain a reasonable quality of life.
“We have seen where if he doesn’t get his way, he will find another way around,” she shared.
“And there is so much opposition around his cuts to OSAP, health care, and we’re seeing him intervene in like Toronto politics as well,” she explained. “It’s just like enough is enough.”
Khalid also cited environmental concerns, criticizing the Ford government’s approach to development, citing the Greenbelt controversy and Bill 5 as examples of what organizers see as a pattern of prioritizing developers over communities and natural habitats. While acknowledging the need for home development to combat the housing crisis, she questioned whether certain construction projects should take precedence amid broader social and economic challenges.
She explained that the alliance is concerned about the long-term impact of Ford’s government.
“The changes that he’s going to make are not going to be ended in like his term; we’ll see generations affected by this.”
Not protesting Ford Fest itself
Khalid shared that Ford Fest is a good high-profile opportunity to engage voters and draw attention to the real-world impacts of the government’s decisions, but they’re not protesting the event itself.
“We understand that the people attending Ford Fest are not the ones pushing the policies,” she explained.
Organizers say the protest is also not directed at Ford himself, but rather at the policies his government has implemented.
“I have nothing against him as a person, but at the same time, what he stands for and what he pushes, that is the main issue,” she explained.
“I love a good fundraiser, I love a good carnival or barbecue, but at the same time it is, it’s Ford Fest, like it’s something to promote him. We understand that, it’s pretty blatant,” Khalid continued.
Khalid described Ford Fest as a highly visible public event that provides an opportunity for residents to raise concerns directly and engage in conversations about the impacts of government decisions. She emphasized that the demonstration will be peaceful and focused on dialogue rather than confrontation.
Ultimately, organizers say the goal is to remind elected officials that public accountability extends beyond election day. Alongside the protest, they plan to encourage attendees to stay politically engaged by contacting their representatives, learning more about provincial policy decisions and continuing to advocate for issues affecting their communities.
Khalid says that she hopes the demonstration will amplify concerns they believe have been overlooked and send a message that many Ontarians want a greater voice in decisions that affect their daily lives.
