Anna Gorka

Anna Gorka first called Parkdale home in 1982 when her parents fled authoritarian repression in Poland. She earned a degree in Architecture from the University of Toronto and apprenticed under urban planner Paolo Soleri, working on walkable city prototypes.

She later built high-rises in Toronto’s corporate sector before shifting to farm work while raising her children. Her family was awarded a contract to implement a large-scale flood mitigation strategy after Hurricane Irene.

Back in Swansea and Parkdale for the past 14 years, Anna closely monitors the Humber River, Lake Ontario, and surrounding infrastructure, leading her to develop the Humber River Run flood mitigation initiative. She also professionally farm-sits and is working to establish a school lunch program connecting a local public school with two Trenton-area farms.

Anna has long been engaged in politics and community advocacy. She served on community councils, chaired Health & Safety on a school council, and founded the Willowdale Climate Roundtable in North York, inspired by Parkdale–High Park for Climate Action.

Having faced housing challenges firsthand, Anna has fought to improve the Landlord and Tenant Board and is now focused on strengthening Parkdale Legal Aid. In 2023, she spent six months campaigning for Aislinn Clancy, now a strong housing advocate at Queen’s Park.

She also stood in solidarity with Nestlé factory workers, spending hours on the picket line in their fight for fair conditions—another victory for people power.

Now, she is working to identify vacant properties and leverage provincial and municipal programs to strengthen local communities. Anna is driven by a growing circle of activists, grassroots support, and the belief that every fight for justice is worth it.