Dear Mr. Mayor: Ideas from downtown
In a year-end interview with the Star, John Tory promised to work more closely with downtown councillors if he’s re-elected next year — a shift from his initial approach of allying himself with more suburban, right-leaning colleagues. Metro’s Gilbert Ngabo spoke to some downtown voices on their priorities:
Cathy Crowe
The Toronto street nurse and visiting lecturer at Ryerson University has only one wish: Accept the federal government’s offer of using armouries for more emergency shelter beds.
“The mayor continues to say it’s inappropriate and can’t be used, but there’s hundreds of people without shelter in the downtown core,” she said.
The city has opened six overnight drop-in centres for the cold months, but Crowe says the armouries at Moss Park and Fort York have more space for more people.
“I think he’s holding homeless people hostage trying to get more provincial and federal money,” she said, adding the downtown councillors have been supportive of opening the armouries.
Kevin Vuong
A social entrepreneur and former member of the Toronto Youth Cabinet, Vuong would like to see Tory focus more on improving transit in the downtown area. He decries the fact that Bombardier keeps delaying streetcar delivery and said the city should focus on expanding other innovative approaches such as the King St. pilot project.
“Hate it or love it, it’s made travelling along that corridor faster and more reliable for over 65,000 Torontonians,” he said. Vuong also believes improving public transit goes a long way in reducing poverty.
“For some of our most vulnerable communities, public transit is the only form of transportation for them to get to school, work, interviews, accessing different social services,” he said.
Mike Layton
As one of the city councillors representing the downtown area, Layton welcomes the mayor’s move but doesn’t see why it has to wait until the next election.
“We’ve got an opportunity now through the budget to have that greater dialogue and involve those other councillors in helping craft that budget,” said the Ward 19 councillor.
Including a downtown perspective on the mayor’s executive committee may mean Tory has to review his position around property tax rates, Layton said. “There are those of us who want to continue to invest in the city and are willing to work with a mayor who will do that, but we can’t in a world where his political promises are the letter of the law.”
Kristyn Wong-Tam
Another downtown city councillor thinks Tory’s move is a political calculation to try and beat Doug Ford in next election.
Wong-Tam says Tory’s priorities should be about real outcomes and measurable service improvements.
“A number of important plans adopted by council remain unfunded, from climate change to poverty reduction to road safety,” said the Toronto Centre-Rosedale councillor.
“The cost of housing is at an all-time high, the shelter system is in crisis, streets and parks are dirtier than before and the Scarborough transit file is a disaster. Enough talk; it’s long time for action.”