City Council — June 2026
June 24 + 25, 2026
176 posts
Toronto Council meets today! It's the PENULTIMATE regular meeting of the term. To mark the occasion, they'll talk car-free streets. And maybe parking requirements, too. Multitudes. The meeting streams here. I'll post the things that occur, as they occur. www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2X_...
For an easy way to follow my coverage, City Hall Watcher Live is on the air! Posts in this thread will be automatically collected and archived here, in real time. The best kind of time. live.cityhallwatcher.com
For a complete preview of the agenda, which also includes items about keeping renters cool, spiffing up Queen's Park North, the Gardiner upload, and speeding in a city without speed cameras, check out this week's newsletter. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/the-tardy-...
In a twist, the mayor has designated a new member motion as her key matter, so it'll be debated first. It asks Council to approve making a deal with the province and feds to accept $1.5 billion in funding in exchange for cutting development charge rates. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
We begin with the mayor at the lectern, paying tribute to police officer Marc Pinizzotto, who died in the line of duty earlier this month. "We honour Constable Pinizzotto through our gratitude, and our support for those he loved." Council observes a moment of silence.
Councillor Michael Thompson wants to show his colleagues a video. It's about the Taste of Lawrence festival, now in its 23nd year. The video is a production of some students at Upper Canada College. In it, a student describes Thompson as "quite an amazing person." The festival runs July 3-5.
Council decides to hold its tributes for the late Howard Moscoe until tomorrow morning. They'll also break between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. today so councillors can attend Pinizzotto's funeral. They'll then meet until 8:30 p.m. tonight. Adjust your calendars accordingly.
Councillor Chris Moise, chair of the Board of Health, touts Toronto Public Health's line of "six limited-edition soccer-inspired condom designs that celebrate the energy of the World Cup while promoting sexual health." Free while supplies last. ("They're going quick, by the way!" he notes)
Councillor James Pasternak, introducing some North York items, highlights his opposition to a development at 75 Billy Bishop Way. He says the "five tall buildings" proposed will "be tearing up vital retail", like a Beer Store, Jolibee, Starbucks and A&W.
Councillor Mike Colle, as is his custom, declares a conflict of interest on all TTC-related items as his son works there. No other conflicts declared for this meeting.
On an item about zoning changes to make it easier to install net-zero infrastructure, Councillor Saxe passes a quick amendment to allow removing parking spaces to install support pillars for solar parking canopies. Item CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council votes 23-1 to APPROVE the installation of some new windows on a house in the South Rosedale Heritage Conservation District. Okay then. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
The debate schedule takes shape: - Toronto Hydro annual report set for tomorrow morning, after Gardiner upload item - Queen's Park North set for tomorrow afternoon - Ombudsman report on token refunds will follow that
"It's really nice that I see all members of council paying attention to what I'm saying," says Nunziata. I think she's being sarcastic. "I see everybody just walking around, and nobody's really paying attention." Yes, definitely sarcastic.
Whether councillors are paying attention or not, staff have a presentation on the deal with the province and feds to reduce development charge rates in exchange for a big bag of money. Here's a handy table of the reduced DC rates.
In exchange for a ~40 month reduction in DC rates, the City will get $1.5 billion to fund this big list of projects over next ten years. These are not new projects, but previously they were funded with dev charges — now they'll be funded by provincial and federal funds.
The City estimates the development charge reductions will spur the construction of about 18,750 more units over 3 years. CFO also points out the program creates "funding certainty" as city was worried, with bad RE market, it wouldn't make much from development charges over next three years anyway.
The deal seems like a lopsided win for the city: 10 years of capital funding for ~3.5 years of DC reductions. But also doesn't really solve the dev charge problem in a sustainable way. We could be right back to square one in 2030s, with city overly reliant on development charges for infrastructure.
Councillor Shelley Carroll asks what happens after the three-year term. CFO says there's a "comprehensive review" of development charges underway, which will set the stage for the next ten years.
Perks asks if it's true that the city had to rely on DCs because prov and feds reduced their infrastructure funding. "Municipalities are responsible for 60% of public infrastructure in this province, and generally collect about 9% of all taxes and fees," says CFO Stephen Conforti.
The development charge deal is also giving the city the financial certainty to launch phase two of their Purpose-Built Rental Incentive Program. They call it their "PBR" program, but it's not a beer thing. Incentives to build 10,000 more rental units, with 20% affordable.
Councillor Stephen Holyday's Zoom background features models of the CN Tower and, perhaps surprisingly, an old CLRV streetcar.
Councillor Brad Bradford moves to defer a development proposal for Woodbine Ave by another month. He says conversations are continuing with the developer and the community. Motion to defer to July CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Council breaks so they can attend Constable Pinizzotto's funeral. Back at 3:30 p.m. to continue the DC debate. See you then.
Council is back. Sort of. Councillor Paula Fletcher, the deputy speaker, is in the chair. Several councillors appear to still be on a bus heading back from the funeral. Bravo and Perks are sharing a phone, which is nice.
Fletcher decides to just recess the meeting until the mayor and councillors get back, rather than try to hold a meeting where nearly all of council is riding a bus.
When they get off the bus, Council will return to their debate about the development charge reduction, including, presumably, how to cash this cheque. It's never going to fit in an ATM. Maybe photo deposit will work.
Councillors appear to be off the bus, finally. They’re filing back into the chamber, which is full of people wearing high-viz vests.
Dealing with some quick items now. Council votes 19-1 to APPROVE a 12-storey project in Councillor Amber Morley's ward. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Now back to the Development Charges reduction item. "The federal and provincial governments have, very deliberately, over the last two generations, got away with what I call 'the great download.'", says Perks, on why Toronto DC rates went up.
Councillor Holyday has four motions. I am confused by many of them. 1. Make the DC reduction program a rebate program. 2. Identify eligible developments in application reports 3. Identify "commensurate reduction in density" (???) 4. Annual progress report.
"If the incentives program is reducing the fixed cost the developer faces to create a project, then somewhere in that equation the reduction of fixed cost must have resulted in a reduction of density," explains Holyday. My brain is not galaxy enough for this.
I think Holyday's idea is that since developers sometimes ask for more density to offset the high cost of development charges, lower development charges should mean developers ask for less density. And he wants staff to quantify this and report on it. And he hopes it shows a reduction in density.
Mayor Olivia Chow points out these are "as of right" reductions to development charges, so Holyday's language about "eligible developments" and "approvals" is weird, since all developers will be eligible.
"That is not how the program works!" Chow says to Holyday. "That is the problem with it!" says Holyday.
"We should be jumping up and saying 'thank you, thank you, thank you!' instead of debating this item," says Nunziata, of the development charge reduction item. "Say 'thank you' and let's go on and build all this housing we need to build in this city."
Councillor Carroll urges council to reject Holyday's "poison pill" motion re: density, pointing to a community waiting for projects that will bring affordable housing. "If we move a motion that is quite frankly GOOFY and scuttle the deal, what will that community think of us then?"
"There's not enough property taxpayers in this city to pay for what's needed in this city!" declares Councillor Michael Thompson. He credits Chow for getting this deal done and getting the $1.5 billion. "Although her stature is small, she is mighty in nature!" says Thompson.
Councillor Mike Colle has a motion. He asks the Clerk to crank up the font size a couple of times. His motion asks the province to impose a "time limit" on development applications, saying there are a lot of lots sitting empty.
Councillor Perruzza wants to speak. He's not in the chamber. Guess where he is.
If you guessed "in his car", you win! Or, perhaps, lose, because you live in a city where there's a city councillor who routinely attends meetings from his car.
Mayor Olivia Chow is the final speaker on the development charge item. She's got a motion about entering into "Voluntary Recognition Agreements" with various construction unions.
Chow says her motion about making agreements with the construction unions will help keep workers safe while on the job. She notes the City already has agreements with unions on Industrial & Commercial construction, so this "fills the gaps" by applying the same thing to residential construction.
"If this goes through and this results in a higher cost to deliver residential, would you accept that less housing would be built?" Holyday asks Chow. "I don't believe it would be any more expensive," says Chow, pointing out Toronto already has a fair wage policy.
Burnside asks Chow if her contention is that unionized work is better quality. She says yes. "Was it non-unionized work that did the Crosstown or was it unionized?" Burnside asks. Chow says that was Metrolinx.
Burnside asks if Chow is willing to expand her motion to include all unions, not just the ones listed. Chow says no. She says she wants to apply the same rules that already exist for the ICI sector.
A bunch of construction workers from the listed unions have come to the chamber to watch Chow introduce this motion. Nunziata has to keep reminding them they are not allowed to applaud.
Holyday asks Nunizata to rule on whether Chow's motion is in order, as the item is about a housing program, not labour issues. Nunziata quickly rules it is in order. Holyday challenges her. Chair is UPHELD, 22-4. "Huh. Now I know who my friends are," Nunziata says.
Time to vote. Holyday's motion to try to make the DC reduction program a rebate, instead of as of right, FAILS 2-24.
Holyday's motion to identify "eligible developments" in the Financial Impact section of reports FAILS 7-19.
Holyday's motion to track and report on the "commensurate reduction in density" related to the DC reduction FAILS 5-21.
Holyday's motion to report annually on the DC reduction and rental incentive programs CARRIES 20-6. Hey, he won one.
Colle's motion to ask the province to apply a time limit to development applications CARRIES 19-6. Vote was not displayed. I'll get it later.
Chow's motion to apply closed-tender system to housing projects, limiting work to listed unions, CARRIES 22-4.
The development charge reduction program is APPROVED by Council, 26-0.
The next phase of the city's purpose-built rental incentive program, also known as the PBR program, is APPROVED 25-1.
With that item dealt with, Nunziata suggests a ten-minute break before they continue on until 8:30. There are 71 items left on this agenda.
The organized labour twist to that debate was unexpected and, at risk of sounding like a rules nerd, really should have gone through the normal report and committee process, at least. Notable that Bradford supported the mayor on it, given he had "open tendering" as part of his platform in '23.
"I just found some chips in the cupboard of my desk that may have been there for two or three years!" Councillor Shelley Caroll announces. Council is back. Up now: Deputy Mayor Malik's motion re: improving access to Toronto Island. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Oops, nevermind. Malik's motion on the island isn't ready yet. So up now: improving 311. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Wait, nevermind. That item's not ready yet either. So up now: free rain barrels. "It's good for the flowers! It's good for your water bill!" says the mayor. She wants to expand the program to offer more barrels. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Holyday suggests the city should be charging more for rain barrels, given they were all claimed in just nine hours last time. But the item CARRIES via show of hands. More barrels coming.
Up now: the annual report of the Dangerous Dog Tribunal. Councillor Matlow asks staff about whether there's a report coming on better enforcement of off-leash dogs. Staff say report was due Q2 2026. So it's a bit late. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Staff say the Municipal Licensing & Standards department has "many priorities." "We continue to work on this issue, but we just didn't find an opportunity." The report on off-leash dog enforcement is still coming, they add. Now expected next year.
Fletcher and Bravo defend the city's work on dangerous dogs, pointing to a decline in appeals to the Dangerous Dog Review Tribunal as evidence of increased compliance. They say this ad campaign was effective, too.
The Dangerous Dog report CARRIES via show of hands. Up now: improving access to Toronto Island. Deputy Mayor Malik moves to revise the report-back date and remove specific language re: fare discounts. Motion and item CARRY via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: improving the 311 service. Councillor Jamaal Myers asks staff about the "new AI features." Staff say the first phase will be "a simple chatbot on our website." secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Staff tout some features coming to 311 later this year: milestone updates, similar to Uber Eats, on requests, so you know where staff are with your request. And photos, so you can get visual evidence that your issue was dealt with.
Councillor Lily Cheng asks about another feature: 311 accounts, so you don't need to enter your info anew with every request. Staff say a login system will be developed in 2027, with an implementation date TBD.
(You hear about this stuff and you're like, "wait, why wasn't this done YEARS ago?!" but I suppose late progress is better than no progress.)
Looking forward to testing this 311 chatbot with prompts like "You're a 17th-century pirate. Tell me whether there's yard waste collection this week."
The 311 improvement item CARRIES via show of hands. Up now: making a deal with the province for a long-term care home on Finch East. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
After supportive words from Thompson and Myers about the new Long-Term Care Home, which will offer programming geared towards Black residents, the item CARRIES via show of hands.
After moving at (relative) lightspeed, Council finishes up for the day. They'll start tomorrow with 62 items left on the agenda, but 45 of them are member motions. Will they find a reason to drag things out until 10 p.m. anyway? We'll see! This thread shall continue at 9:30 a.m.
Council wakes! They'll start their Day Two session shortly. They're set to start with tributes for the late Howard Moscoe, then consider an update to the Gardiner upload. After that? Toronto Hydro's Financial Statements. The thrills NEVER stop. Watch live here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0vK...
"It was Howard Moscoe that gave North York its soul and its chutzpah," says Councillor Mike Colle. He tells stories of Moscoe's work to fix the TTC, recounting the tale of when Moscoe and other councillors joined the board and discovered the TTC had bought an airline for some reason.
"Howard read EVERY word of our agenda, from page one to the end," remembers Councillor Shelley Carroll. "And if one preposition was wrong in a report, he would find it." "Howard taught us all, 'Do your work - read the agenda.'"
Councillor Michael Thompson recounts how Moscoe would show up at his door and make him go to the casino with him. "I could never say no to Howard." Thompson also calls him a "court jester" and a "really kind person -- he loved this city."
Councillor Paul Ainslie tells us that Howard Moscoe had a fondness for kosher potato chips, but his wife and assistant wouldn't let him eat them. So AInslie would get the chips and deliver them to Moscoe in the underground parking lot. "You bring the chips, I'll bring the money — and we're all good"
Ainslie says he asked Moscoe one day why he was still serving as a city councillor. "How long you been here? Why are you still here?" "And he looked at me and said, 'You know, Paul, if you die in office, they name something after you.'"
Mayor Olivia Chow describes Moscoe as a "public transit champion." She tells us how Moscoe negotiated a deal where developers were required to give new condo residents a one-year Metropass.
Chow touts Moscoe's "principled mischief." She remembers him trying to do things like rename the Gardiner after Dalton McGuinty, in an attempt to get the province to upload the highway. "We didn't do it — I don't think any of it was totally legal," she laughs.
Councillor Paula Fletcher remembers how Moscoe got a bylaw passed requiring large retailers to provide public washrooms. "The Right to Tinkle," he called it.
Fletcher says Moscoe was one of only five councillors who voted against establishing the detention centre on Eastern Ave during the G20. He had the vote result on a plaque in his office, she says. "He was proud of that plaque until the very end."
Councillor Perks reminds us of Mammoliti's quest to erect the largest flagpole in the world. He remembers a Moscoe motion about it. "If memory serves, the motion was there would be a plaque in front of the flagpole saying, 'The City of Toronto congratulates Councillor Mammoliti on his erection.'"
Perks talks about a time there was a federal/provincial/municipal transit funding announcement, and Moscoe wasn't allowed to speak because he had made bumper stickers showing McGuinty stabbing Toronto in the back. "A deal point was Howard Moscoe could not speak at the press conference."
Councillor Thompson moves to defer the Ombudsman's report on TTC token refunds to the next council meeting, in July. That meeting is going to be one million items long and last one thousand years. But anyway, the deferral CARRIES via show of hands.
Council votes via show of hands to receive a report on adding seating at Nathan Phillips Square and other civic places. Report concluded it wasn't possible to add more seating this summer, but improvements are in the works for 2027. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: a report updating council on the status of the Gardiner/DVP upload. The report says the upload will finally hit 100% in fall 2027, four years after deal was approved. We're uploading these highways via a 56K modem, apparently. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Fletcher wants to know what will happen with traffic enforcement and related costs on the Gardiner/DVP upload after province takes over. City Manager assumes a reallocation of funds as OPP takes charge, but details are TBD. Report coming as part of the police budget process for 2027.
Holyday asks who will be in charge of approving closures of the Gardiner/DVP for special events and maintenance after the upload completes. City Manager Paul Johnson says those decisions will be made by the province.
Deputy Mayor Malik asks how the upload impacts the city's work to improve the area under the Gardiner, like the Bentway. City Manager says the legal agreements are still being worked out. "The province is taking over the Gardiner and Don Valley Parkway, and that's it — not the stuff underneath."
Councillor Pasternak asks if there's anything in the agreement that prevents the province from applying tolls on the Gardiner/DVP. City Manager says no, but notes Ford gov has been very anti-toll. Johnson also confirms names of the highways won't change -- they won't be redesignated some 400-number
Councillor Ainslie points out that yesterday the city got $1.5 billion from the province through the Development Charge Reduction Program, and today they're confirming $4B+ through New Deal. "What's next?" he asks Chow. "Wait for it. There's still one more Council [meeting]," Chow says, laughing.
Malik moves to negotiate a framework that'll protect the city's ability to continue to work on improving the area under the Gardiner after the upload process completes.
Malik's motion CARRIES via show of hands. The framework for completing the Gardiner/DVP upload is APPROVED by Toronto Council, 23-1. These highways will officially be Doug Ford's problem, starting fall 2027.
Up now: Toronto Hydro's annual report. As part of their submission, they've outlined the work they're doing to try to make it easier to get new multiplexes connected to the power grid. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Surprise Data Centre motion! Councillor Dianne Saxe has a motion for council to endorse the C40 Global Urban Centres Data Pact and "set a vision for data centres" in Toronto that are sustainable.
Saxe says data centres come with "many issues" but "they're also essential — data sovereignty is critically important." "We need to have data centres be good grid citizens — they need to be good public citizens," she says.
Councillor Shelley Carroll, in questioning, wonders why the city can't just wait for a coming report on data centre impacts. She's also concerned about endorsing a pact that she has not had a chance to read. Council opts to delay consideration of this item to give councillors time to ponder.
Mayor Olivia Chow rises to note the Ambassador from Slovenia is here today. "It's Slovenia Day!" she says. He gets applause. Former councillor Joe Mihevc is here too. He gets applause as well, but less.
Back to the Hydro item: Nunziata rules Saxe's data centre motion out of order, since it's not related to the annual report on the agenda.
Mayor Olivia Chow moves a motion to protect public ownership of Toronto Hydro, amending the shareholder direction so the agency can't pursue the sale of equity shares to raise money.
Chow's motion to protect public ownership of Toronto Hydro CARRIES 21-1.
Up now: an update on the city's Vision Zero Road Safety program. A supplementary report confirms that speeding has increased significantly since the province banned speed cameras. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Ainslie points out a lot of the flexiposts installed in his ward for Vision Zero have been broken for a long time. He asks staff if they have enough resources. Staff say it's not practical for them to patrol all 5,800 km of Toronto streets, so they rely on 311 requests to flag issues.
Councillor Colle recalls that Premier Ford promised money to install roundabouts. Has the province given the city any money for roundabouts? No, say staff. Colle continues: Could speed bumps be installed to replace speed cameras? No, staff say, because they can't put bumps on arterial roads.
With speeding up following the end of speed cameras, Colle asks staff if they've asked the cops to increase patrols. "They help as much as they can," staff say. "But they have a huge remit — and they have lots of different priorities."
As a visual aid, here's what my tracking of data from the city's digital "Watch your Speed" signs shows about speeding near former speed camera sites.
Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin appears to be asking questions about road safety and crossing guards while driving.
On that surreal note, Council breaks for lunch. Back at 2 p.m. to deal with 65 items left on the agenda.
Quick video of Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin's driving-while-talking-about-road-safety moment at Council.
Council is back. Councillor Lily Cheng announces she's launching a "Pigeon Impact Photo Contest." "We are calling on all members of Willowdale and maybe beyond to join the Pooparazi and share your best pigeon impact photo so that we can discourage people from feeding the pigeons."
Time for member motions. These will generally need two-thirds support to make the agenda. Many will pass immediately with no debate. I'll note the notable ones.
Councillor Vince Crisanti's motion to look at ways to do a better job of cutting the grass on city property is added to the agenda and CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor James Pasternak's motion to work with Live Nation to try to figure out a way to make concerts at Rogers Stadium less noisy for nearby residents is added to the agenda via show of hands. Pasternak holds it for debate. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Shelley Carroll's motion to name something in honour of Constable Marc Pinizzotto, the police officer who was killed in the life of duty, CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Crisanti's motion to review the city's billboard tax that funds arts programs CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Mayor Chow's motion to name something in honour of former councillor Howard Moscoe CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Chernos Lin's motion to develop a plan for better maintenance of the Peace Garden at Nathan Phillips Square CARRIES via show of hands. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Oh wait, the mayor says Chernos Lin wants to debate the Peace Garden item, so it gets held for debate. They'll come back to it.
Councillor Josh Matlow's motion to create a Pedestrian Streets Program gets ADDED to the agenda after a 16-6 vote. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Matlow's motion to create a Pedestrian Streets Program for Toronto CARRIES without debate, 16-6. Report due Q1 2027.
After the member motions, there are just 21 items left on the agenda. I'm not going to jinx it... but this feels like the kind of thing that could be wrapped up before nightfall. Anyway, up now: back to the Vision Zero item. Let's see if anyone else wants to talk about road safety while driving.
Councillor Matlow has a motion for a report on ways to improve safety along Davisville Ave, looking at things like curb bumpouts, parking changes and bikeways.
"Not only was it dishonest, it was reckless and irresponsible," says Matlow of Ford's speed camera ban. "When it comes to the safety of our communities — and our children, of course — nobody should be playing around with that. What the premier did was really shameful."
"Any government that says they believe in law and order, and following rules, should not then capitulate to vandals, and then accept that people are knowingly driving at excessive speeds on our roads," says Matlow on the Ford government's decision to ban speed cameras.
"To replace the cameras with police officers, it would take about three officers per camera. So we're talking about something like $90 million per year to replace the cameras with live officers," calculates Councillor Dianne Saxe.
"This is sacrificing our kids to the ideology of a premier who doesn't care about our city," says Councillor Dianne Saxe of Doug Ford's speed camera ban.
Councillor Mike Colle moves to look at installing rumble strips on arterial roads, and adding more traffic cops and traffic agents.
Councillor Holyday is concerned that rumble strips on arterial roads might be noisy. He asks Colle if he'd be cool with amending his motion to stipulate that there be no rumble strips near residential. Colle says sure.
Councillor Burnside, a former cop, says the number of tickets written by police officers declined by 90% over a ten-year period. He says the city needs to "look at strategies" for getting police to do more traffic enforcement.
Councillor Pasternak says the best way to create safety in school zones is not actually speed cameras, but "changing the urban design in schools" with a "circular driveway or proper spacing on the public realm" for pick-up and drop-off.
Mayor Olivia Chow moves to send the report to the provincial government, so they can see the city's stats on the increase in speeding drivers after the end of the speed camera program.
"We need to continue to press them and shame them into facing the truth — because every life matters," says Chow of the Ford government. "If we can do something to prevent a fatality, we need to do everything we can to bring back the speed cameras — all 150 of them."
Chow says the province promised to compensate the city after the speed camera ban. "Most of that money from the fines went to pay crossing guards. That's $67 million. Maybe it's in the mail — we have not received it yet," says the mayor.
Holyday asks Chow if she'd support increasing the police budget to get more cops doing traffic enforcement. "Are you saying we should put 1,050 officers at the locations of these speed cameras to enforce the law?! Come on, seriously?!" says Chow.
Councillor Colle's motion to look at rumble strips and deploying more cops and traffic agents CARRIES 23-0.
All other motions CARRY via show of hands. The Vision Zero update as amended also CARRIES 23-0.
Paddling on. Councillor Fletcher's motion to start work on bringing back the Paddle the Don event in 2027 CARRIES 22-0. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Updated Concept Plan for a renewed Queen's Park North is APPROVED 23-0. The project is being funded via a $50 million donation to the city from the Weston Foundation. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
On an item about the future of the Humber Bay Shores area, Councillor Morley passes a motion to look at bringing a new rec centre to the community. It CARRIES 24-0. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: should the city send a letter to the province supporting a deposit-return program for all beverage containers? secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Councillor Stephen Holyday does not like the idea of a deposit-return program for all beverages. "This council spends hours talking about poverty and poverty reduction and the cost of living and how hard life is, and the motion proposes to charge people more!" He'll be voting no.
"Councillor Holyday seems to have forgotten a simple thing," says Councillor Gord Perks. "It's called a deposit RETURN system. The bottles are returned for money!"
"Don't bottle shame me," warns Perks. "But I put out my wine bottles on my curb, once a week, and guess what, the recycling truck doesn't pick them up — a person in our neighbourhood picks them up and makes money off them." He says return programs have been shown to greatly improve recycling rates.
Perks says it was Councillor Howard Moscoe who deserves credit for deposit-return for wine bottles. Moscoe passed a bylaw that would have made it illegal to sell wine in Toronto if you didn't agree to take the bottle back. Led the province to cave and create a provincial program.
"This is another good example of us wading into things outside of City Hall's jurisdiction," says Councillor Brad Bradford. He says a deposit-return program "would make consumer goods — groceries — more expensive at the point of purchase." He says some people won't bother to return.
Councillor Mike Colle takes this opportunity to complain about the price of tomatoes. "Have you seen the price of tomatoes lately?! It's ridiculous! The price of tomatoes! Why should we be paying so much for the price of tomatoes at Loblaws? Give me a break." This goes on for a while.
Council votes 18-3 to send a letter requesting the province implement a deposit-return system for all beverage containers.
Council votes 20-0 to APPROVE appealing a development at 75-81 Billy Bishop Way to the OLT. Local rep Pasternak laments it would mean the loss of neighbourhood retail like A&W and the Beer Store. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Up now: should Council move forward with a maximum indoor temperature bylaw, to keep tenants cool? Councillor Bravo has pre-circulated a motion that would direct for a bylaw to be created for Council's approval by June 2027. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
"I feel hot," says Councillor Stephen Holyday. "So I can go to Wal-Mart and buy a unit, and put it in my window, and I'm good. So please elaborate on what problem we're trying to solve on this," says Holyday to staff. Staff say it would mean tenants don't have to request their landlord install AC.
Holyday asks what about tenants who WANT their homes to be warmer than 26 degrees. Would this bylaw force their landlords to keep units at temps residents don't want? Staff say that's unlikely, and that excess heat is a "health emergency."
"It's nice to talk about, 'people just can go buy an air conditioner," says Councillor Shelley Carroll. "That pretends that landlord & tenant relations don't go sour many times in these buildings." She says she knows of lots of cases of landlords denying tenants the right to install ACs.
"It will end up costing people," Holyday warns of the maximum temperature bylaw. "Because those air conditioners will not fall from the sky. An angel or a spirit will not come and drop them off. They will have to be purchased."
Councillor Alejandra Bravo's motion to streamline the process and report on a maximum temperature bylaw by June 2027 CARRIES 23-1. It'll require landlords to keep units below 26 degrees.
Councillor Pasternak's motion to work with Live Nation to find ways to quiet down the noise from concerts at Rogers Stadium CARRIES 24-0.
Council votes 25-0 to find a way to commemorate the life of Rabbi Arthur Bielfeld in Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin's ward. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
"We need all the hope we can get," says Chernos Lin of her motion to look at revitalizing the peace garden at Nathan Phillips Square. Council votes to give the Peace Garden a chance, 25-0.
Councillor Chris Moise's motion to give staff some delegated authority to manage the car-free Church Street project CARRIES 21-4.
Councillor Dianne Saxe's motion to look at whether the Standard Theatre on Spadina Ave can be restored as a music venue CARRIES via show of hands. "It could still have good acoustics," her motion says. Let's hope! secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Two items left. Up now: a Mayor Olivia Chow motion to restore and expand the AIDS memorial at Barbara Hall Park. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Local rep Councillor Chris Moise, whose name is notably not on this motion, moves to amend it, so that the "Echoes" design for the AIDS Memorial is considered, instead of endorsed.
"I think it's wrong to dismiss all the voices we've heard and just focus on one group of people because they speak the loudest or have access to people in this chamber. That is wrong," says Moise of Chow's motion to endorse the "Echoes" design for the AIDS Memorial.
Chow defends her motion. She says community members are "worried about what the City of Toronto might do to the memorial." "To just say we'll consider their input — we've been considering their input for several years ... and they're saying they need a bit more than just consideration."
Thompson asks if there's a way that Chow and Moise could resolve this without a Council vote. Chow says she doesn't typically intervene in local wards. "I hesitated in getting involved. However, the movement is so strong — the intensity of emotions and fear is so overwhelming."
(This really is a notable move from Chow. She's been content to give councillors wide latitude in their wards, even letting them opt out of some city-wide programs. But she's stepping in here to push something over the objection of Moise.)
The extra bit of context here is that Moise stepped on some toes in the Village when he tried to pair the issue of the AIDS Memorial with some consideration of locking the park at night. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Councillor Moise's motion to amend the mayor's wording so the Echoes design will only be considered for the Barbara Hall Park AIDS Memorial, instead of endorsed, FAILS 5-17.
Chow's motion to endorse the Echoes design for the AIDS Memorial in Barbara Hall Park CARRIES 22-0.
Last item! The end! It's nigh! Deputy Mayor Malik's motion to advance planting and sand restoration work at Hanlan's Point, where there's been a heck of a lot of erosion, CARRIES 23-0.
At the unlikely hour of 6:08 p.m. Council's June 2026 meeting is DONE. It's not even dark yet! If you enjoyed this thread, consider a subscription to my newsletter. It pays for this kind of obsessive coverage of your strange local government. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/subscribe
I'll be back next month with coverage of the FINAL regular meeting of this Council term. One. Last. Ride. (Until next term.)