By Fred Alvarado
Fred is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

Welcome to RPTV Weekly News Show Episode 59 (August 22nd to August 29th). In this weekly news show hosted by RPTV reporters Fred Alvarado, Gabriel Meissner, Kedar Ahmed, Jabin Haque, and Victoria Nanetti, we present news that impacts on Toronto's Regent Park and the surrounding areas.

Episode 59 features segments on:

• Regent Park celebrates Community and Diversity at the 32nd Annual “Sunday in the Park” on August 20th (2:00 min);
• Dixon Hall’s "Our Fair Share" Farmers’ Market opens August 17th, making food accessible for everyone (18:22 min);
• MP Marci Ien connects with Regent Park residents at community BBQ event on Aug. 18th (26:06 min);
• Mental Health Matters celebrates youth students’ achievements with summer BBQ event on Aug. 19th (43:15 min);
• Regent Park Tech Lending Library project provides residents access to laptops and fast internet (49:03 min);
• Toronto Police Service’s Team Project HOPE supports African newcomers and refugees get settled in Toronto (56:52 min);
• Police arrest suspect in homicide of man who was violently attacked in Moss Park (1:08:53 min); Vandalism in 2 Regent Park business locations leaves glass doors smashed (1:10:26 min); Toronto Community Housing Announces Architects for First Building in Final Phases of Regent Park Revitalization (1:11:28 min);
• City of Toronto says rent supplement top-up will help 1,350 people move from shelters to housing (1:12:48 min);
• Events and Jobs in Regent Park Community (1:18:07 min).

This week’s lead story:

Regent Park celebrates Community and Diversity at the 32nd Annual “Sunday in the Park”

The much-anticipated Regent Park event “Sunday in the Park” festival returned this summer on Sunday August 20th, 2023 from 12 to 7PM at 600 Dundas Street East (Big Park) to celebrate community and diversity in the neighbourhood. Thousands of residents attended the beloved community celebration founded in the early nineties in Regent Park.

Now in its 32nd year, Sunday in the Park is the longest-running community event in Regent Park. The festival celebrates the richness, talents, and diversity that make up this vibrant community.

Sunday in the Park is 100% volunteer-led through the Neighbourhood Information Post in collaboration with the Community Building Working Group of the Social Development Plan. This year, the youth took a leading role in the planning process of this community event.

With the generous support from partners like the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association, agencies and the community – Sunday in the park was a huge success.

The event was free and open to all. Residents were encouraged to bring family, friends, and neighbours to enjoy a day of entertainment and community bonding.

The event had family-friendly fun activities for all ages, free BBQ offering Halal, vegetarian, and Kosher options, cultural bazaar, a vibrant market featuring local artisans and cultural products, and live entertainment with DJ, live performances, raffles, and more.

Mayor Olivia Chow, MPP Kristyn Wong Tam, and MP for Toronto Centre Marci Ien were among the special guests that joined this year’s festival.