February may be a short month, but much is already underway at the TTC. We’ve made it through the second major snowfall of 2022, and I continue to be impressed by the perseverance and dedication of TTC employees. Thank you to all of you who helped prepare for and respond to this week’s snowstorm.

This month, we are once again acknowledging Black History Month with customer and employee campaigns, and for the first time we are celebrating Lunar New Year organization-wide.

To wish the people of Toronto a "Happy Lunar New Year", we have decorated four TTC buses and one streetcar with a design celebrating the Year of the Tiger. Over the next two weeks, we’ll also hear from employees about how they celebrate Lunar New Year with their families and communities. You can also submit your own well wishes for colleagues and enter to win one of five family prize packs to the Toronto Zoo. More information can be found in the Lunar New Year section in this week’s newsletter.

The TTC is also proud to celebrate Black History Month. This year, we are shining a spotlight on the work of eight local Black artists from the City’s StreetARToronto (StART) Program and featuring their work across the system. Within the organization, we will be featuring videos, posters and articles sharing the achievements of Black employees, and learning what inclusion at the TTC means to them. Check out the video below to hear what they had to say.

Thank you to all the employees who participated in these campaigns so far, and to our Corporate Communications, Diversity and Culture, and Marketing and Customer Experience teams for their critical work to raise awareness about these important initiatives within the Commission and across the city.

Next week, at the first TTC Board meeting of the year, Commissioners will hear about several key items in public session, including the Cross-Boundary Service Integration Plan, the Talent Management Outreach Plan as well as an update on the Easier Access Phase III Project.

As always, you can tune into the Board meeting on February 10 at 10 a.m. on TTC’s Official YouTube Channel.

Please stay safe.

From January 29 to February 3, 2022, 96 TTC employees or contractors tested positive for COVID-19 (by either a rapid antigen test or a PCR test) or reported having COVID-19 symptoms.

If you develop new or worsening symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please stay home and notify your manager or supervisor.

February - Black History Month

February 1 to 14 - Lunar New Year celebrations

February 9, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Pension Plan Overview Webinar, TTC Pension Plan. Find more information on the TTC Pension Plan website

February 10 - TTC Board meeting

February 11 - International Day of Women and Girls in Science

February 14 - Valentine's Day

February 15 - Lantern Day

February 15 - Nirvana Day (Buddhism)

February 16 - Magha Puja Day (Buddhism)

February 17, 7-8:30 p.m. - Pension Plan Overview Webinar, TTC Pension Plan. Find more information on the TTC Pension Plan website

February 17, 1-2 p.m. - History of race and racism in Canada webinar, Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI). Register on the CCDI website.

February 20 - World Day of Social Justice

Looking to include a date in Mark Your Calendar? Email us at MyTTCWeekly@ttc.ca.

See a list of all 2022 statutory holidays for non-union employees.

See all the 2022 observances in this year's desk calendar.

Lunar New Year is a festive celebration to mark the turn of the new year on the lunisolar calendar. This date is a widely celebrated holiday with a focus on good fortune and luck for the upcoming year.

This year, Lunar New Year falls on February 1, and celebrations can last up to two weeks. Under the Chinese zodiac, this year is the Year of the Tiger, which represents courage, resilience and strength.

More than 1.5 billion people across the world celebrate Lunar New Year and it is considered the largest festivity of the year for many people.

Lunar New Year is observed as a public holiday in numerous East and Southeast Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, Tibet, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Mongolia.

Names for the holiday can vary by country, including Tết (short for Tết Nguyên Đán) in Vietnam, and Seollal in Korea.

Each have their own unique customs and interpretations. Traditions include visiting family and relatives, paying respects to ancestors, cooking meals, exchanging well wishes, giving out red envelopes of money, watching lion and dragon dances, and setting off fireworks and firecrackers.

As a Bus Operator at Mount Dennis, Ho-Nam Chow has always loved interacting with the public, especially during Lunar New Year. He finds the time a great opportunity to brighten a customer’s day.

On his routes, he greets customers with "Kung Hei Fat Choi," a Cantonese phrase that translates to "wishing you great happiness and prosperity."

This year, Ho-Nam is looking forward to also celebrating Lunar New Year with his division. The Mount Dennis Recreation Council will have Lunar New Year decorations and other materials displayed in the lobby of the garage until February 15.

“For me, a proud Chinese-Canadian who grew up in Toronto, Lunar New Year has a little bit of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day in one festival,” he said.

At home, Ho-Nam’s New Year celebrations begin with cleaning and decorating the house to get rid of bad luck and welcome good luck. He then has a New Year's Eve dinner with his family, followed by a visit the next day with his grandparents. Growing up, Ho-Nam's grandparents would give him red pockets, also known as red envelopes, with money that symbolize good fortune.

“Lunar New Year is a welcoming of prosperity and a chance to exchange blessings with everyone,” he said.

Brenda Tong – Coordinator, Wayfinding and Signage – Design and Wayfinding

As a Coordinator with TTC’s Design and Wayfinding team, Brenda channeled her love for New Year traditions into the design of the TTC’s first wrapped streetcar and bus honouring Lunar New Year.

She used signature elements of the 2022 Year of the Tiger, including tiger images that represent strength, bravery, determination and confidence, as well as an oval-shaped stamp that says “tiger” in Chinese calligraphy. The colour scheme was chosen because red represents happiness and luck and yellow represents royalty and dignity.

Brenda immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1988. She has over 30 years of experience in graphic design and has been a part of many projects. She was on the design team for the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) and Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena). She was also the first person to design a Lunar New Year stamp for Canada Post.

“It was an honour for me to be involved in these projects. The Lunar New Year ones are a chance for me to let Canadians know more about Asian cultures, traditions and celebrations.”

Brenda’s creativity extends outside of graphic design too. During Lunar New Year, she bakes milk buns for her family in the shapes of the Zodiac animal of the year.

You can find the vibrant wrapped streetcar and buses along the 510 Spadina, 506 Carlton, 25 Don Mills, 39 Finch East and 53 Steeles East routes.

For a chance to win a family prize pack with four day passes, email MyTTCWeekly@ttc.ca by February 10 with your:

Submissions will be shared on MyTTC | Now TVs.

Throughout February, the TTC will be celebrating the achievements and contributions of Black employees through written profiles, videos and posters across TTC work locations. This week, the spotlight is on Ashley Bullen, Bus Operator, Redwan Mohammed, Subway Operator, and Diep Lawson, OTC Instructor.

Ashley Bullen is a Bus Operator at Malvern Division and celebrated her five-year anniversary at the Commission in early January. One of her favourite parts about her role is that no two days are ever the same, and every day feels like a blank slate and opportunity to develop new experiences.

When reflecting on inclusivity in the workplace, Ashley recalls taking part in filming a promotional video for the TTC’s Family of Services program. She was impressed to see the cast was made up of a wide range of nationalities, ethnicities and age groups.

“It was such a great representation of how diverse and inclusive the TTC has become,” said Ashley. “Recognizing Black History Month at the TTC is a way to further cultivate and foster opportunities to connect the company and all its employees with the celebrations, history and shared experiences of the Black community.”

When Redwan Mohammed started his career as a Streetcar Operator at Roncesvalles Division 17 years ago, he instantly felt like he was home. To him, the comforts of being around warm, accepting and inclusive colleagues at the division made him feel welcomed, because “regardless of the colour of your skin, you were always treated with respect.”

As he moved around the Commission—to Birchmount Division next as a Bus Operator, and then as an Subway Operator at Danforth Division—acceptance was a consistent theme across all of his jobs and work locations.

Going forward, Redwan believes it would be inspiring to see more People of Colour in management and senior management because, “it would be comforting to see visible minorities representing us and giving us a voice on a larger scale.” He agrees, though, that celebrating Black History Month is a great start and will help the TTC make strides towards even further inclusivity, since this month allows us to “celebrate our commonalities and put our differences aside.”

Diep Lawson is an Instructor and Safety Representative at the TTC’s Operations Training Centre. His role entails facilitating classroom instructions, assessment and feedback and conducting practical training, coaching and guidance for Subway and Bus Operators.

In his 20 years at the Commission, he has watched the TTC grow. What stands out most about the TTC to Diep is the diversity of employees and how they work harmoniously together to provide a transit system that makes Toronto proud.

In reflecting on Black History Month, Diep believes it is a wonderful opportunity to “honour the enormous contributions that Black individuals have made and continue to make in all sectors of society.”

The deadline for non-union staff to complete mandatory TTC Respect and Dignity Policy: Complaint Process and Sexual Harassment training has been extended to February 15, 2022. Please ensure you complete the course before the deadline.

Access the course by visiting MyTTC | Learning Centre at myttc.ttc.ca and clicking on the course in your Learning Assignments.

If you have any questions about MyTTC | Learning Centre, please e-mail MyTTCLearningCentre@ttc.ca.

Have you gotten your third COVID-19 dose yet? The TTC has made it easy for employees to receive their vaccine booster with clinics held across the commission. These clinics are open to family members (18+), as well as TTC employees, consultants, and contract workers with TTC IDs.

February 11, 2022, Sheppard Distribution Centre (Cancelled, new location/date TBA)

February 16, 2022, Leslie Barns (rescheduled from Feb. 3)

An appointment is required. To book your timeslot, visit https://bit.ly/TTC-employee-boosters to access the third-party booking site.

Moderna boosters will be available. You are eligible for your booster shot 84 days after your last COVID-19 vaccination.

The February 3 vaccine booster clinic at Leslie Barns has been rescheduled to February 16, 2022, due to anticipated inclement weather. If you had previously registered for this clinic, please sign up again for February 16.

In addition, the clinic at Sheppard Distribution Centre on February 11 has been cancelled, and will be rescheduled to a new location and date (to be announced).

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) musicians are sharing their music with TTC employees and the public as an expression of their heartfelt appreciation while everyone grapples with new norms.

You’re invited to have free access to an upcoming live stream concert on Wednesday, February 9, as the TSO performs Bach's well-loved Brandenburg Concertos and more.

Sign up to access the concert by February 8 at 11:59 p.m., and enjoy this gift of musical enrichment from the comfort of your own home.

TTC employees can receive discounted admission to Ripley's Aquarium of Canada through the Preferred Partner Program.

See this poster for more details and a TTC employee discount code.

Check out the full list of employee discounts on the Recreation Council's new MyTTC | SAP Jam employee app page.

Follow these instructions to download and activate the SAP Jam app on your mobile device.

Chuck began his career at the TTC in 2005 as an Operator at Queensway Division. Since 2005, he has also worked at Wilson Division, the Stations Department and Transit Control. In 2021, he accepted a secondment into Subway Operations as the Assistant Manager, and is now an Assistant Manager of Surface Operations.

Chuck brings a range of experience to his new role. Working from the Gunn Building, he will be managing Transit Control’s Route Supervisors and ensuring that TTC’s streetcars and buses meet service commitments. Chuck plans to focus on safety while building strong relationships between all employees in Transit Control. He aims to promote a culture of inclusion, respect and open communication.

Mark joined the TTC in 1994 as a Streetcar Operator and was promoted to Route Supervisor in 1996. In 2019 he was promoted to the role of Assistant Manager Surface Operations where he provided leadership and guidance while playing an integral role in the integration of streetcar operations in the Transit Control Centre.

Mark’s 28 years of transportation experience, his extensive knowledge of streetcar operations and winning attitude will be an asset to the Streetcar Transportation team.

Chris began his career at TTC in 2014 as a Bus Operator at Wilson Division. In 2017, Chris became an Operations Supervisor at Eglinton Division and transferred to Transit Control in 2018. He became a Station Supervisor in November of 2021 as part of the new OPTO program. Chris is now an Assistant Manager of Surface Operations.

Chris brings a range of experience and knowledge from several departments to his new role. As an Assistant Manager of Surface Operations, Chris plans to make sure all service commitments are met, promote safety in the workplace, and create an environment that supports diversity and inclusion. Chris hopes to bring forward positive change for both the employee and customer experience.

Ranjit started his career at TTC in 2014 as an Operator at Roncesvalles Division, where he operated both streetcars and buses. He then became a Supervisor in Streetcar Transportation before being promoted to Operations Supervisor. In 2021, Ranjit became a Tower Controller with Transit Control, Subway Operations. He is now an Assistant Manager of Surface Operations at Transit Control.

As Assistant Manager, Ranjit is responsible for coordinating and directing real-time operations, meeting service commitments, and dealing with emergency responses for Streetcar and Bus Transportation.

Ranjit brings his previous work experience and two Master's Degrees in Life Sciences and Education and a Technologist Diploma in Industrial Practices to his new role. Ranjit is committed to upholding TTC’s legacy towards safety, service, diversity, inclusion and customer service.

For more information and a list of all current job postings, visit the Employee Career Centre on MyTTC | Home. Log in with your MyTTC username and password.

"Brenda Tong, the TTC’s wayfinding and signage coordinator, is responsible for the beautiful design, which went viral online after her daughter Felicity Tse posted it on the popular Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits (SAT).

"With the permanent shutdown of the Scarborough RT getting closer, a new report from a transit riders' group says an overwhelming majority of residents surveyed want the rail line converted into a bus right-of-way when the trains stop running next year."