Inside the Circle – Sept 9, 2026

Subway Line 1 Early Nightly Closures

• When: September 8 – 11, 14 – 18, & 21-25
• Details: Line 1 will close early each night starting at 11:59 p.m. between St. Clair and College stations for maintenance work. Shuttle buses will operate during the closures.

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

• When: September 10 – 14
• Details: King Street West will be closed from Peter Street to University Avenue.

Taste of the Kingsway

• When: September 11 – 13
• Details: Bloor Street West will be closed between Montgomery Road and Prince Edward Drive for this event. The full road closure begins Friday at 12:00 p.m. and remains in effect through Sunday night. Expect heavy traffic in the area.

Cabbagetown Festival

• When: September 12 – 13
• Details: Full road closures will be in effect on Parliament Street (between Wellesley Street and Gerrard Street East) and Carlton Street (between Parliament Street and Sherbourne Street). Closures begin Saturday at 6:00 a.m. and continue until Sunday at 11:00 p.m. Traffic delays are expected in the area.

Subway Line 2 – Late Opening

• When: September 13
• Details: Line 2 service between St. George and Broadview stations will start later than usual, opening at 11:00 a.m. for track maintenance. Shuttle buses will run during the morning closure.

Toronto Ukrainian Festival

• When: September 18-20
• Details: Bloor Street West from Jane Street to Glendonwynne Road will be closed. 

Subway Line 1 – Weekend Closure

• When: September 19-20
• Details: St. Clair to College subway stations will be fully closed. Shuttle buses will run.

Roncesvalles Polish Festival

• When: September 19-20
• Details: Roncesvalles Avenue between Queen Street West and Dundas Street West will be closed.

To help keep both you and your clients safe, please remember that you not permitted to lift clients or any object weighing more than 5 kg.

To support your safety and meet requirements, Circle of Care provides free CPR training and free N95 Mask Fit testing. Your CPR certificate is valid for 3 years, and your Mask Fit must be renewed every 2 years.

CPR Training Locations: 

• North York: 700 Lawrence Ave, North York (The Career Foundation, Lawrence Allen Centre)
• Scarborough: 1533 Victoria Park Ave, Scarborough

N95 Mask Fit Testing Location: 

• Head Office: 4211 Yonge Street, Suite 401, Toronto

How to Register

Text 647-496-5189 with:

• Full name

• Email

• Training location

• Preferred time

or call 905-272-9214 or register online using the button below.

Registration closes 7 business days before the session.

Important Reminders

• Arrive 15 minutes early.

• After booking, tell your Service Coordinator if you need schedule changes.

• Choose a time when you do not have client visits.

• Your schedule will be blocked as Unavailable for the training.

• You will be paid after completion:
  • CPR: 3 hours
  • Mask Fit: 1 hour

• Payment appears on your paystub as “Miscellaneous.”

Workplace violence can come from different people and situations:

• Client: A client, visitor, or family member behaves aggressively, threatens, or harms you while you are working.
• Worker-to-Worker: A co-worker, volunteer, or former employee bullies, harasses, threatens, or treats you unfairly.
• Personal Relationship: Someone you know personally, such as a partner or family member, harasses, threatens, or follows you at work.
• Criminal: A person with no connection to you commits a crime, such as theft, robbery, or assault.

If you experience any type of workplace violence, report it to your Supervisor or Human Resources as soon as possible. For contact information, visit the Contact List.

When helping a client stand, sit, or transfer remember to:

• Keep your back and neck straight
• Use your core (stomach) muscles for support
• Bend at your knees, not your waist
• Keep the client close to your body
• Lift with your legs

Never lift more than you can safely handle. If a client is too heavy, not listening, or in an awkward position, ask for help. Learn more about safe lifting and transfers with step-by-step instructions.

Taking care of others is important, but so is taking care of yourself. If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or in need of support, free and confidential help is available through the Health Care Worker Assist Program.

Support is available for:

• Managing stress
• Speaking with a trained mental health professional
• Connecting with more supports and services

Ways to get support:

• Call: 1-877-767-9642
• Email: CentralizedReferral@ontarioshores.ca
• Sign up online

Thinking about buying a Costco membership? You will receive a Digital Costco Shop Card (to use on in-store/online and on membership fees) when you sign up for a new Costco membership through Perkopolis.

Perkopolis currently has a special offer for:

• New Costco members
• Former Costco members whose membership has been expired for 18 months or longer.

Offers:

• Buy a Gold Star Membership: You will receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card.
• Buy an Executive Membership: You will receive a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card.

Please note: Regular Costco membership fees still apply. The Digital Costco Shop Card will be sent after you successfully sign up using the Perkopolis promotional code.

How to sign up for Perkopolis: 

1. Visit Perkopolis.com
2. Enter your work or personal email address. Look for an email with a link to complete your registration.
3. If you used a personal email address, enter your member ID code (Your member ID code is “CC” + employee ID number – example: CC12345)

Fall is a great time to explore Toronto and enjoy everything the city has to offer.

Whether you are looking for:

• Festivals
• Farmers’ markets
• Family activities
• Cultural events
• Free community events

The City of Toronto’s Festivals & Events Calendar can help you find something that interests you or your family! The calendar is an easy way to discover activities happening near you and plan a fun day out with family or friends.

Please welcome the following new PSWs to Circle of Care: 

• Geeta Lama
• Katilina Lafave
• Roberta Altidor
• Ann Wilson
• Jane Marie Andrade
• Elsie Bioncio
• Hope Emelike
• Marina Caramat
• Chiamaka Ewuzie
• Ngawang Dechen

Each week, we’re proud to recognize the PSWs who are celebrating their work anniversaries. Every anniversary—no matter the number of years—represents the dedication, compassion, and commitment you bring to supporting our clients and community. Thank you for the important role you play at Circle of Care. This week’s list includes PSWs celebrating work anniversaries between September 6-12. 

Congratulations to the following PSWs on their years of service with Circle of Care:

September 8

• 12 Years: Fazia Harripersaud

September 9

• 21 Years: Ruba Sivabalasingam

September 10

• 14 Years: Gloria Jimenez
• 17 Years: Elena Fisher
• 18 Years: Liubov Egorova

September 11

• 1 Year: Gelareh Daneshmand, Jeanny Remocal, Jenie Dupo, Joan Kose, Kiana John, Maria Adelfa Baldovino, Mariam Mustapha, Navkiran Kataria, Ritu Pun Magar
• 3 Years: Ayushi Parmar
• 9 Years: Alena Basalayeva, Cecilia De Leon, Hope Igiozee, Julie Kayishema, Ma Anne Esto, Merry Ayrine Gamboa, Sharon Dizo

September 12

• 2 Years: Ashma Thapa, Crispiana Toledo, Jonnalyn Narciso
• 10 Years (MILESTONE!): Amelia Reyes, Analyn Sagario, Joan Smikle, Olivia Murcia, Praga Punniyalingam

Individuals celebrating milestone anniversaries (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 years) will receive a one-time cash award to their pay cheque at the end of the quarter. Payment amount will depend on service length.

High Five for PSW Harriet Naluwooza

Harriet is wonderful, professional, compassionate, and a hard worker. I truly appreciate the care and support she provides. – Client

High Five for PSW Laura Nanyondo

Laura is always punctual and is a great fit for my family member. We are grateful for her support and appreciate the excellent services provided by Circle of Care. – Client’s Family Member

High Five for PSW Janiefer Mallari

Janiefer provides amazing and wonderful care. I sincerely appreciate all of the support she gives. – Client

High Five for PSW Tatiana Karzinschikova

Tatiana is kind, attentive, and provides excellent care in my home. I especially appreciate her cooking and the thoughtful support she gives every visit. – Client

High Five for PSW Purnima Tamang

I am very happy with the care Purnima provides and would love to have her for all of my future visits. – Client

Has someone gone above and beyond at work? Give them a High Five!

The High Five program lets you publicly recognize staff members for their outstanding work. High Fives will be posted in your weekly Inside the Circle newsletter.

To give a high five, just click on the button below or use the link in the rotating banner on the Portal home page.

Please note: We do not accept anonymous submissions for this program. High Fives must be submitted by an individual person, whether they are a staff member or member of the community.

Have a question? Submit your questions or feedback anonymously below!

Please note that it may take us longer to provide some answers. If your question hasn’t been answered yet, we will get back to you as soon as we can.

If you experience violence, harassment, discrimination, or hate at work or during working hours, please report it to your Supervisor or Human Resources.

If you would prefer to remain anonymous, you can submit a report using the Anonymous Incident Reporting Form by clicking the button below.

You may choose to include your name to help with the investigation, but it is not required. Anonymous reports will still be reviewed and investigated.