Photo credit: Toronto Today
Members of the tenant advocacy group ACORN gathered downtown on Wednesday to demand action against extreme heat from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) – an Ontario crown corporation in charge of the province’s power grid.
Toronto Today reports that twelve members of ACORN’s chapter met at noon on the northeast corner of University Avenue and Adelaide Street West. Led by ACORN Canada president Alejandra Ruiz Vargas, the group marched to the IESO’s office with the intent of delivering a letter.
The initiative was part of ACORN’s “Beat the Heat” day of action, an international day that pushes for governments to take measures to prevent deaths during a heat crisis.
Around 40 members of ACORN said they would be joining the action, but several had to cancel because of Toronto’s air quality, according to Stacey Semple, the chair of ACORN Toronto’s downtown chapter.
Toronto had the worst air quality in the world on Wednesday morning as smoke from forest fires in northwestern Ontario spread into the city.
“The heat is affecting the world and we need to really take people’s lives more seriously and protect them,” Semple said. “That’s obviously a government role with corporate partners – like the one we’re delivering the letter to – that need to be more socially responsible.”
In the letter, ACORN asked to have a meeting with outgoing CEO, Lesley Gallinger and incoming CEO Jason Fitzsimmons.
ACORN requested that the IESO match the City of Toronto’s funding for their Air Conditioner Assistance Program, which provides free air conditioning to low-income residents in Toronto.
The city has given away nearly 3,000 air conditioning units to vulnerable tenants since the pilot was launched by Mayor Oliva Chow in May 2025.
“Many low-income and vulnerable tenants need cooling … but we need other levels of government – and government agencies – to do their part to meet this need,” the letter reads.
ACORN also requested in the letter that the IESO contact Premier Doug Ford to expand energy support to protect vulnerable tenants who cannot apply for the Ontario Electricity Support Program, which reduces electricity cost for low-income households.
“This means immediately expanding the OESP to fully cover any extra A/C surcharges forced onto tenants, and insist that the pricing of the surcharge is transparent to ensure it’s in accordance with the regulated rates,” the letter reads.
The ACORN members successfully made it into the office to deliver the letter. They were met by Marko Cirovic, the director of sector engagement at IESO.
Cirovic signed the letter and gave his word to the group of advocates that the letter would be circulated to those in charge of managing IESO’s residential programs.
