Toronto Council meets today! In the shadow of the closing days of a federal election, there’s still municipal business to attend to. The first item up will be the city’s traffic management plan. You can watch the meeting here. I’ll post happenings. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TCM...
For a full preview of the agenda, which also includes items related to prettying up the city, dog parks, procurement, tariffs, blue bins and more, check out this week’s edition of my newsletter, City Hall Watcher. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/makeover-m...
Council kicks off with Mayor Olivia Chow paying tribute to the late Pope Francis. “Today we join with Catholics and people of all faiths and nations to offer our condolences. May we find the courage, passion and dedication to build a more caring world”
City Manager Paul Johnson has provided a detailed answer to Councillor Perks’ questions about the consultation process for the upcoming “bubble zone” bylaw restricting protests. Council can’t debate the item, so Perks moves to receive it. To be continued. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Cheng gives a shout-out to Diana Chan McNally, who is up for appointment to the Housing Rights Advisory Committee. “She is a fierce advocate for the unhoused, and I think many of us appreciate the work that she does to give a voice to people who don’t have a voice.”
Councillor Paul Ainslie submits a petition signed by 6,808 people opposed to Councillor Chris Moise's motion requesting a change to how non-profit Special Occasion Permits are issued by the AGCO. Petition signers say the change would hurt nightlife and the nighttime economy.
On an item about the city's rental replacement guidelines, Councillor Holyday says he wants to vote against a clause that would review the adequacy of Tenant Support Program funding. And so he does. But it still CARRIES 19-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
A technical change to the sign bylaw, updating references from "Dundas Square" to "Sankofa Square" CARRIES 21-1, with only Holyday opposed. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Gord Perks attempts to pass a bunch of other agenda items, but Holyday won't let him because he is opposed to the items. Holyday DOES finally agree to let him pass an item about the Swansea Mews redevelopment. "Dude!" says Perks. They high-five in celebration.
Hey, petitions work! Councillor Moise moves to WITHDRAW his motion requesting a change to the AGCO process for issuing non-profit special occasion permits. The withdrawal carries. No change will be requested. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Mayor Olivia Chow adds an item to the agenda titled "Stopping the Provincially-mandated increase to development charges." She says dev charges will go up on May 1 if Council doesn't take action. Details to come.
All the housekeeping is done. Any item not held was adopted on consent. There are 47 items left to debate on this agenda. Up first: the city's traffic-fighting congestion management plan. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Chernos Lin asks Director of Traffic Management Roger Browne how new, higher RoDARS fees for blocking streets are encouraging contractors to speed up work. He cites example of contractor who planned for an 8-week project but reduced it to 7 after learning about fees.
Asked if the transportation department is using AI, Browne says city is "experimenting" with AI for smart traffic signals and investigating how it could be used for transit signal priority. They're also using AI for detection systems, e.g. to count pedestrians, cyclists, etc.
"I had a developer who wanted to block off Eglinton Avenue for a year and a half. And when I told him about the new fees, he decided he didn't really need Eglinton, and he's accommodating his construction without closing the street. It's beginning to work," notes Councillor Colle
Saying 311 "doesn't work for this kind of stuff", Colle asks if there should be a "hotline" for reporting contractors improperly blocking roads. "That really is 311," says Transportation GM Barbara Gray. She says people can also use the app. "They don't use apps," says Colle.
"We have not found a relationship between the inclusion of bike lanes and the increase of congestion that we cannot manage through other tools like traffic signal timing, signage, other components," says Transportation GM Barbara Gray, asked about yesterday's injunction.
"You continue to say to us as Council that putting in bike lanes does not increase congestion and does increase safety?" asks Councillor Gord Perks. "That's correct," says Gray. "That's one of the reasons why we have our cycling plans."
Congestion debate pauses for a second so Councillor Colle can introduce a special guest from Malta: Joe Xuereb, who he describes as "probably the best campaigner I've ever seen in my whole lifetime of politics ... you want to learn how to win an election, Joe X is your man!"
Colle also announces that John Nunziata, the speaker's brother, is also in the chamber with this Joe X guy from Malta. A cavalcade of stars.
A new report has been posted on the congestion management item, describing plans for transit signal priority on the Eglinton and Finch West LRT routes. Report confirms priority will be "conditional" — only active when vehicles are behind schedule. www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis... (PDF)
Mayor Olivia Chow has three motions on the congestion management plan. 1. Enforcement blitz on "No Stopping Zones" 2. Establish Congestion Czar. 3. Report on better transit signal priority on Eglinton & Finch.
Councillor Brad Bradford may feel compelled to take a little victory lap over the mayor's Congestion Czar motion — that was part of his mayoral platform.
Holyday asks Chow if she's concerned that transit signal priority could delay cars and other traffic. "I think at the end of the day, it's the number of people served. The higher number of people served — whether it's LRT or buses — they would take priority."
"If a bus is carrying 30 people, I think that bus should have priority over a car or two cars that are carrying two people. Would I give priority to 30 people versus two people? Yes, I would," says Mayor Olivia Chow.
Councillor Shelley Carroll asks about the congestion czar position. The mayor says she doesn't intend for this to be a new hire. Rather, someone already working at city hall and involved in coordinating capital work and traffic issues will be designated as the czar.
Bradford says a lot of people think the mayor should be the one managing traffic congestion. He wants to know if Chow would support changing her motion so the czar is a position within her office — maybe she could be the czar. "I could call myself a czarina," Chow jokes.
Chow deflects and says fixing transit is the most important part of reducing congestion, so she's focused on that. "I know, Councillor Bradford, you voted to increase TTC fares and cut TTC services!" the mayor adds.
Councillor Moise asks Chow how the city can enforce against bad behaviour from Uber & Lyft drivers. Chow says part of enforcement blitz in no-stopping zones should be collecting data on how many are rideshare vehicles. "We can take the data and perhaps consider other means."
"Now that you're actually properly funding the police, would you like to see them actually take traffic enforcement seriously?" Councillor Burnside asks Chow. "Absolutely," says Chow.
From earlier: A development proposal for 111 Peter Street was APPROVED 23-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Also earlier: development proposal for 1 Broadlands Boulevard was APPROVED 19-2. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
The Congestion Management Plan debate gets parked, as it's time for lunch. Back at 2 p.m.
Councillors are meandering back to the chamber. While we wait, here's Chow's motion about development charges. It asks province to allow for removal of indexing provisions. If they don't do that, it instructs staff to use other method to freeze dev charges secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Before they get back to the agenda, Mayor Chow pays tribute to the victims of the Yonge Street van attack, which took place seven years ago today. She also honours the emergency workers who responded.
Councillor Lily Cheng says she'll be bringing a motion forward to design a permanent memorial for victims of the Yonge Street Van Attack. "Let us remember Toronto Strong — and Willowdale Strong — that emerged from this tragedy."
While praising the work staff did on the George Street Revitalization project, Councillor Chris Moise notes that Abi Bond, longtime executive director of the Housing Secretariat, is "leaving soon."
After some praise from Moise, the George Street Revitalization project item is quickly APPROVED by Council, 25-0. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Back to the Congestion Management Plan. Councillor Holyday has a pair of motions: 1. Add some "zipper merge" signs 2. Report on designating some east-west corridors as "priority connector roads for vehicular traffic."
"If ownership of cars is up, why is it that this council has removed minimum parking requirements? Why is it that this council has literally filled in travel traffic lanes?" Holyday wonders. He also questions the existence of CafeTO & bike lanes.
Holyday displays a photo of Polkaroo. "I don't want this person to be the traffic czar!" he says of Polkaroo. "If anybody remembers the myth around the Polkaroo. This is a person who would show up and maybe cause mischief ... but would conveniently disappear."
Councillor Mike Colle moves for a report on exempting street events from the road disruption fees. Other councillors keep talking while he's trying to speak, though, so he eventually gives up. "Nobody's listening. So what's the use? Waste of time!" Okay then.
Councillor Josh Matlow moves to speed up the due date for the report on signal priority for the Eglinton and Finch West LRTs. He wants it in July, not October.
Councillor Bradford moves to request Chow use strong mayor powers to immediately appoint a congestion czar. "We need to make sure that the mayor is accountable to council and to Torontonians, and that this important action will not just fade away into the bureaucratic abyss."
Bradford: "Lost in this discussion is the reality that car ownership and registration have gone up by 26% over the past decade. Have we increased road capacity by 26% to accommodate that? No, actually we've done the opposite—we've removed vehicle travel lanes at an alarming rate"
"The public is desperate ... and they're looking for solutions! Whatever that solution is!" thunders Councillor Perruzza. He laments that there's nothing in this report about removing some stop lights or burying some intersections.
"We've got to start removing obstacles," says Councillor Crisanti. He calls for a "full review of our existing bike lanes that have actually resulted in removing full lanes of traffic." He says he drives Scarlett Road every day and "to this day, I have yet to see a cyclist."
"The whining about bike lanes, the whining about crosswalks, the whining about sidewalks ... stop whining! They keep people safe," says Councillor Fletcher.
Time to vote on the congestion management plan report. Councillor Brad Bradford's motion to request Chow use strong mayor powers to immediately appoint a congestion czar FAILS 5-19.
Mayor Olivia Chow's motion for a report on signal priority on the Eglinton and Finch West LRTs CARRIES 22-2. (Matlow's amendment to move up the report due date also passed.)
Holyday's motion for a report on designating some east-west streets as "priority connector roads for vehicular traffic" CARRIES 17-7.
All other motions on the Congestion Management Plan CARRY via show of hands. So does the item as amended. The battle against traffic continues.
Because some youth advocates are in the room, Council opts to next deal with an item that would allow everyone 16 years and older to vote in City-run neighbourhood polls on things like permit parking and BIA issues. Currently, you've gotta be 18. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Holyday says he is opposed to lowering the voting age in neighbourhood polls to 16. He worries about somebody losing an opportunity to get a parking pad because of young people voting against it.
Councillor Dianne Saxe supports the change. "This is not enfranchising young people permanently. That would be a great step, but that's not in our power. But this is a step that is within our power. And it's a gesture in the right direction."
Council votes 18-3 to APPROVE lowering the voting age to 16 for neighbourhood polls on things like parking issues.
Council opts to go in camera, where there are no cameras allowed, to discuss a contract award to GFL. I'll be back when they get back. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council is back from their private discussion about the award of a $137 million waste collection contract to GFL. Councillor Jamaal Myers moves to ensure future bidders for garbage collection contracts provide a list of all environmental violations.
This contract was held up because some councillors are concerned about GFL being named in an Ontario Auditor General report about hazardous spills. www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/a... (PDF)
Councillor Lily Cheng moves for a report on changing the process for awarding waste collection contracts, including the feasibility of requiring an environmental audit.
All motions on the GFL item CARRY via show of hands. So does the contract award itself. Moving on.
Via show of hands, Council votes to adopt Councillor Paul Ainslie's amended motion to create an annual Mayor's Data and Artificial Intelligence Innovation Challenge. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council votes via show of hands to look at changing the night of garbage collection in the west end around Ossington Avenue. Thursday night collection is interfering with patios and partiers. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council decides to wrap things up for today. There are 36 items left. Back at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Up first: - Poetry readings for National Poetry Month - A vote to name a park after Jaye Robinson - A debate on the mayor's request for a report on accelerating more rental housing
Council has returned. But before they get back to the agenda, it's time for some poetry. The Poet Laureate and the Youth Poet Laureate are here today, ready to drop some verses for National Poetry Month. You can watch the meeting live here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcIX...
The poet laureates assemble. Laureate Lillian Allen (left) and youth laureate Shahaddah Jack snap a photo with the mayor, and then read some poems.
Up now: Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin is proposing naming this park on Lawrence Avenue West after the late Jaye Robinson, longtime city councillor who died last year. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
"Life is fragile but there are things in this world that are very eternal" like parks and nature, says Mayor Olivia Chow. She says this park is a fitting tribute to Robinson. Council agrees. Jaye Robinson Park is APPROVED 22-0.
Up now: a pair of housing items will be debated simultaneously. Mayor Olivia Chow wants to pursue a development charge freeze, and look at additional rental projects that could be moved forward via indefinite development charge deferrals.
Councillor Holyday asks if a development charge freeze at current rates has been costed out. City CFO says it amounts to about $12 million in foregone revenue, and that this year's budget was built in anticipation of a DC freeze.
Mayor Olivia Chow pauses the debate to pay tribute to Abi Bond of the Housing Secretariat. This will be her last council meeting as she is leaving soon. Chow praises Bond's work over the last few years launching programs like MURA and the modular housing initiative.
"We wish you all the best on your return to British Columbia — and we'll miss you," the mayor says to Bond.
"Let's freeze the development charges for this year, because it's a difficult year. No one is building anything unless they get some relief from us. It's money that we're not collecting anyway, because they're not building," says Chow. She adds this is for "one year only."
"I'm going to propose something novel to Council," says Councillor Stephen Holyday, who sounds opposed to freezing DCs. "For once, we should put the interests of the existing ratepayers first. Instead of worrying about future residents or developers or other people."
"When governments intervene when the economy slows down, in order to house people, in order to keep one of the central industries in the City of Toronto — the homebuilding industry — going, we save public money," says Councillor Gord Perks, calling Holyday's arguments "nonsense."
Council votes 19-1 to APPROVE a review of including more rental units under their indefinite development charge deferral program, subject to provincial funding. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council votes 18-2 to APPROVE a freeze of development charges this year, preventing an increase that would have kicked in on May 1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
As councillors vote on development charge issues, a school group in the gallery attempts to do The Wave.
Up now: it's an annual tradition. Councillor Anthony Perruzza is again grumpy about the city's requirement to collect and fork over about $2.2 billion in property taxes for provincial education programs. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Perruzza asks Legal what would happen if city refused to collect education property taxes. City lawyer can't comment specifically but says, "Should it choose, the provincial government could dissolve City Council and bring all the services into the province." Less than ideal.
Anyway, Council votes 18-1 to approve the education property tax rates for 2025. The $2.2 billion collected will be remitted to the provincial government.
Up now: an item about the plan for transit detours during upcoming King & Church intersection project. "The east end is under siege!" says Councillor Paula Fletcher, noting long list of projects affecting travel from east side. She moves a motion for more info on traffic plans.
The King-Church transit detour plan CARRIES via show of hands. Fletcher's motion for a report on east-end traffic management measures CARRIES 18-0. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
RIP to a real one. Council votes via show of hands to disband the Bid Award Panel effective Oct 1. Power to award bids up to $30 million will be delegated to Chief Procurement Officer. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: an update to the tariff response plan. "Buy Local, Madame Speaker! Buy Local! I hope that dress was locally bought. Beautiful dress," says Councillor Colle. Nunziata is not particulary amused. She wants this agenda to wrap up before the Leafs game secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council switches over to some quick items before the lunch break. They APPROVE zoning for a two-tower development on Sterling Road, 20-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
And that brings us to lunch. Council will return at 2 p.m. with 31 items left on the agenda. Can they finish before puck drop? It's a race against time.
Council is back and it's time for the member motion run-through. There are 23 items submitted by members of council. In most cases, they'll need two-thirds support to make the agenda. I'll note the notable ones.
Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik's motion to cut a deal with the existing bike rental company on Toronto Island to allow the placement of Bike Share stations on the island gets added to the agenda. It's held for debate. They'll come back to it. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Jamaal Myers' motion to look at adding more secure e-bike storage near transit stations for gig workers is added to the agenda and held for debate. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Josh Matlow's motion to report on getting rid of archaic park rules against things like cursing and holding large picnics is added to the agenda and APPROVED by a show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Cheng's motion to appeal a committee of adjustment decision for 164 Homewood Ave CARRIES 17-4. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Matlow's "Taking a Stand to Protect Ontario Place" motion, requesting a report on the state of the Therme project, is added to the agenda and APPROVED 19-2. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Cheng's motion calling for a report on creating a permanent memorial for the victims of the Yonge Street van attack CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
And with that, there are now just 16 items left on the agenda. Up now: adding safety barriers on the Leaside Bridge. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
This item comes to Council after a truly tragic story last year. www.thestar.com/news/gta/my-...
To speed up the installation of the Leaside Bridge safety barrier, Councillor Pasternak moves to sole-source the contract to RV Anderson Associates.
Holyday says he won't support the installation of suicide barriers on the Leaside Bridge. "I don't think we could possibly build enough guardrails and enough platform edge doors to stop what's going on," Holyday says, calling for more access to mental health care instead.
Council pauses the Leaside bridge debate to vote to ratify a contract with the Carpenters Union. It CARRIES 21-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council also votes to APPROVE the latest report on the economic action plan created in response to the Trump tariffs. It carries 22-0. (Saxe was also a Yes.) secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council has switched over to an item about improving the city's delivery of big capital projects. Councillor Perks moves a pair of motions he says are designed to recruit and train better project managers and drive better outcomes. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Perks' motion to NOT develop a "Construction Manager at Risk" model and other alternative delivery models for large city capital projects CARRIES 18-5.
Perks' motion to develop a training and skills program to recruit and retain better project managers at city hall CARRIES 21-3.
Back to the Leaside bridge. Councillor Pasternak's motion to sole-source the design of the safety barrier to expedite the process CARRIES 21-2.
The Leaside Bridge safety barrier is APPROVED 22-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: there are big changes coming for Toronto blue bins. Starting next Jan 1, the city will be out of the recycling business (mostly) and an industry group will take over collection. This could create some problems. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Starting next year, staff explain, residents will be sent TWO waste management calendars. One will list the dates for garbage collection by the city. One will list the dates for recycling collection by the new company.
Staff say Circular Materials, the new blue box collection company, has the power to change collection dates, so the city doesn't want to list recycling days in their waste collection calendar and risk the info getting staledated.
The other thing the city is worried about: starting January 1, the city won't be responsible for collecting recycling in parks and from on-street bins. But Circular Materials is only required to provide about half as many bins (7,500) versus what currently exists (15K).
Councillor Lily Cheng, not loving the duelling calendar idea, moves to have city staff instead work with Circular Materials to design "one unified calendar" listing both garbage and recycling days. Peace in our time?
After some discussion, Cheng agrees to make some tweaks to her garbage calendar motion. That'll take a minute, so Council instead jumps to an item about making Toronto less ugly. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
On the Beautiful City item, Councillor Paula Fletcher moves for a report on replacing the ugly garbage bins in parks with more aesthetic alternatives.
Fletcher has been frustrated by these big plastic bins in parks for a while, a consequence of the city switching responsibility for parks garbage away from parks department and to solid waste years ago. She's brought a photo. She calls them "garish, godawful, gigantic toters."
"I think the reason all things seem ugly now is because there are so many things in which our beautification has fallen short of expectations," says Councillor Carroll. She says other cities like Paris & Sydney have similar garbage bins, but Toronto looks shabbier in other ways.
Fletcher's motion to look at better park trash bins CARRIES via show of hands. So does the Beautiful City item. Next report on prettying up the city will come in Q4. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Myers' motion to look at adding more secure e-bike storage near transit stations for gig workers CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
After a couple of minor amendments and a quick debate, the City's new Off-Leash Dog Park Strategy CARRIES via show of paws. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: A new Academic Housing Strategy for Toronto. The mayor moves to expedite the work to create incentives for building more student housing. Holyday has concerns. "This is effectively a subsidy ... I regret that this is here. And I believe it will come at great cost."
Chow's motion to look at expanding financial incentives to create and maintain more student housing CARRIES 20-2.
The new Academic Housing Strategy is APPROVED by Council, 20-2. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: an update on the busway being built to replace the Scarborough RT (RIP). Councillor Kandavel wants to know what's taking so darn long. TTC says it's a complex project, because of property easements. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Some PROCEDURAL CONFUSION now as Kandavel has a motion on the Scarborough busway. The TTC is asking him to move it as a confidential motion in a private session. Nunziata doesn't really want the hassle of going in camera. They decide to just deal with all this later.
Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik's motion to make a deal to bring 200 Bike Share bikes to Toronto Island this summer CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
After a brief detour into total chaos, Council votes via show of hands to APPROVE a Councillor Fletcher motion directing staff to require applications to the committee of adjustment to disclose impact on tenants. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Back to the blue bin item. Councillor Cheng has withdrawn her motion to create a unified calendar. Instead, Councillor Chernos Lin moves for staff to explore the feasibility of a unified calendar for 2026 or future years. A softer motion. It CARRIES via show of hands.
Council returns to the Scarborough busway item. Kandavel moves for another update on progress in July. He also says the RT derailment was caused by "negligence." Councillor Thompson rises to dispute the notion that there was "negligence", saying the report didn't conclude that.
The Scarborough busway item is APPROVED by Council 20-0. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
They did it. Council wraps up their meeting at 6:30 p.m., with 30 minutes to spare before the puck drops at the Leafs game. "Go Leafs Go," says Nunziata.
That concludes my coverage of the April 2025 meeting of Toronto City Council. There was politics, poetry and Polkaroo. If you liked this thread and want to support my work, consider a subscription to my newsletter. It keeps me going. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/subscribe