Inside the Circle – November 4, 2026

Major TTC Scarborough Bus Changes

• When: Starting November 1
• Details:
  • 904 Don Mills-Scarborough Express: Renamed from 904 Sheppard-Kennedy Express. Now runs only between Scarborough Town Centre (STC) and Don Mills Station and no longer serves the Scarborough Busway.
  • 939 Finch Express: 939A and 939B no longer go to Kennedy Station. Additional 939C service has been added, and it no longer uses the Scarborough Busway between STC and Kennedy Station.
  • More Information

Line 1 – Nightly Closure

• When: November 2-6
• Details: Starting at 11:59PM, Line 1 will be closed between Lawrence West and St. Andrew stations. Shuttle buses will run.

Royal Winter Fair

• When: November 6-15
• Details: Held at Exhibition Place. Increased traffic and transit congestion are expected around Strachan Ave, Fleet St, Lake Shore Blvd W, and the Exhibition GO/TTC loop.

Line 2 – Weekend Closure

• When: November 7-8
• Details: Line 2 will be closed between St. George and Broadview stations. Shuttle buses will run.

Line 2 – Nightly Closure

• When: November 9-12
• Details: Starting at 11:59PM, Line 2 will be closed between Keele and St. George stations. Shuttle buses will run.

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.”

Getting a flu shot is the best way to help protect yourself against the flu.

You can also reduce your risk by:

• Washing your hands often
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue
• Staying home when you are sick
• Cleaning frequently touched surfaces
• Getting enough sleep, eating well, drinking plenty of fluids, and managing stress

Just a reminder that our GoodLife Fitness Corporate Membership is still available! You can enjoy a 25% discount on any GoodLife Fitness membership with $0 enrollment fee. You can also add 2 family members to your plan!

When you are ready to register, make sure you have your employee ID. Your employee ID number (not your voicemail or badge number) can be found in your Dayforce profile or at the top of your paystub. If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to our HR team HRDept@circleofcare.com

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Rewards & Contests for GoodLife Fitness Members

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 November 1-7. 

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

November 2:

• 35 Years (MILESTONE!): Leticia Wacnang

November 3:

• 10 Years (MILESTONE!): Alma Navarro, Catherine Carino, Chan Alasa-As, Haslyne Dubadob, Herminia Gillis, Khadra Haye, and Odessa Alleyne.

November 6:

• 1 Year: Adelaide Aggrey, Blessing Otokpa, Harmanpreet Kaur, Linda Biney, Mourene Sherwood, Nelly Omwando, Sarah Duabe, and Sharndeep Kaur.
• 3 Years: Devansh Pandya, Kena Patel, Muna Karki, and Sangita Pun.

November 7:

• 2 Years: Emelyn Dabu, Henia Directo, Iryna Bachuryna, Jeneva Phillips, Mariam Razak, Myleen Aspiras, Ravinder Kaur, and Svitlana Petrechuk.
• 29 Years: Erlinda Mando Pascual

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 Charmaine Herrera

“Charmaine is delightful and helpful. It’s always a pleasure when she visits, especially for shower assistance.” – Client

High Five for PSW Uyen Vu

“Uyen is a delight, and I would be happy to have her visit again.” – Client

High Five for PSW Tenzin Yangdon

“Tenzin is wonderful, and I’m very happy to have her back.” – Client

High Five for PSW Joan Smikle

“I really enjoyed Joan’s visit and was very happy with her support.” – Client

High Five for PSWs Joan Smikle & Maregina Lacondazo

“Joan and Maregina are amazing workers who understand exactly what I need and provide excellent support.” – Client

High Five for PSW Nellya Ochirova

“Nellya has been absolutely amazing, providing exceptional support through regular in-home visits. She is always upbeat, professional, patient, and caring, consistently going above and beyond to encourage wellbeing, prepare favourite meals, help around the home, and provide compassionate support.” – 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.

How do you determine what the bonus is for Years of Service Milestones? I have been working for 36 years. When I got to 30 years of service, I got $350; then at 35 years, I also got $350 dollars minus tax. I thought it was supposed to increase by milestone.

Thank you for your question. Our Years of Service Recognition Program has changed over time, and milestone gifts have not always been structured the same way they are today.

Under the current program, the recognition gift increases with each milestone and is calculated by multiplying the years of service by 10 (for example, a 5-year milestone receives $50, a 25-year milestone receives $250, and a 35-year milestone receives $350).

We aren’t able to speak to the details of individual cases or confirm why a specific amount was provided for a past milestone, as program guidelines may have been different at the time the award was issued. In addition, Circle of Care reserves the right to modify the Years of Service Recognition Program from time to time.

Please note that all years of service gifts are considered taxable benefits and are subject to applicable payroll deductions before being paid out.

If you would like us to review your specific situation, please contact the HR team directly at HRDept@circleofcare.com, and they will be happy to look into your service milestone history.

How much housekeeping should a PSW be doing for a Holocaust client? I have a Holocaust client who asked me to scrub the toilet bowls, bathroom sinks, and bathtub. She has two washrooms, so she asked me to scrub both washrooms. She also asked me to vacuum and dust every single corner, as well as the furniture in ALL the rooms of her house, and even under every carpet and rug. She also asked me to wash her kitchen floor and front foyer with water and vinegar. She didn’t just want me to mop the floors, but she wanted them “washed”. She also asked me to iron her bedding, but I refused to do that. However, she kept on telling me that her regular PSW has been doing all this for her for the last two years. I strongly think that this is all too much to be considered “light” housekeeping!

The expectation for PSWs supporting Holocaust survivor clients is to provide light housekeeping in the areas of the home that the client regularly uses as part of their daily living. This includes maintaining general cleanliness and tidiness, such as routine cleaning of commonly used rooms and surfaces, to support a safe and comfortable environment.

PSWs are not expected to perform deep-cleaning tasks or extensive housekeeping throughout the entire home. Activities such as detailed cleaning of multiple unused areas, moving furniture or rugs to clean underneath, washing walls, or other heavy household cleaning would generally fall outside the scope of light housekeeping.

If a client requests services beyond what is included in the PSW role, we encourage you to explain the limits of our services and encourage the client to speak with their Case Manager. The Case Manager can review the client’s needs and explore other options or resources that may be available to support additional housekeeping requests.

One of my clients lives with family, so he doesn’t need help with showering, but every time I visit the home, I am expected to wash the dishes for the whole family and clean the home. This is not in the care plan. What should I do in this situation?

If you are asked to perform duties that are not on the care plan, advise the client that your duty is to follow the care plan, which was designed by your Supervisor (CSS) or Case Manager (CM). It is your responsibility to connect with your CSS to inform them of clients who often ask you to perform tasks that are not in the client’s care plan. The client’s Supervisor or Case Manager will then follow up with the client to discuss and adjust the care plan and/or remind the client/family of the limitations of the PSW role as needed.

I’ve never received any party invitations from Circle of Care. Are the parties for select people?

Each year in June, our PSWs are invited to a large organization-wide Annual Party. This event is advertised in our Inside the Circle newsletter and is open to all staff. In general, if we’re holding a party that is open to all staff, it will be advertised to our PSWs in our Inside the Circle newsletter, so make sure you’re reading the newsletter each week to stay informed!

I am having an issue with viewing my mask fit certificate. The link is not loading; therefore, I am unable to view or download my certificate. Who should I reach out to?

Please email HRDept@circleofcare.com with your name or ID number, and they will be able to send you a copy of your certificate.

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.