David Crombie on why it must die,
David Crombie, mayor of the old city of Toronto in 1972-78, is best remembered for his aggressive urbanist agenda, one that focused revitalizing the waterfront, and on maintaining and developing neighbourhoods. Though he endorsed John Tory in last year’s mayoral election, this week Crombie broke with his old friend, joining civic luminaries opposed to the mayor’s plan to maintain the Gardiner Expressway east of the Don Valley. He spoke to the National Post’s Richard Warnica about the issue at a midtown coffee shop he described, semi-seriously, as his current office.
Q You came out in favour of the plan to tear down the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway, why?
A There’s probably three things you can say about it. The first part is that we have an opportunity to take down the Gardiner and build a boulevard along the waterfront, an absolutely splendid boulevard, just let our imagination go! It can basically be University Avenue or the Champs-Élysées. Second, it’s about the money. What I just described will cost in the order of a half a billion dollars. To rebuild (the Gardiner) costs close to a billion. With that amount of money you can do a lot of things in transit, affordable housing. Somebody did a little thing that said you could buy 88 streetcars. Third, it’s about your vision for the city: This is a case of infrastructure that was really important for the 20th century when it was built 50 or 60 years ago. But in the 21st century, we don’t need to be building a big elevated expressway.
Q This represents a public break with Mayor Tory, a man you endorsed, a man I think you like. Did you have any qualms?
A Sure. He’s my friend, I’ve known him since he was a boy. I think he’s a good man. I would not be pushing as hard as I am if I didn’t, because I feel like I can depend on his good sense.
Q What do you think this says about his vision for the city?
A I think he sees himself as a congestion mayor. And that’s rightly so, that’s what he should be doing. But it’s not the only thing he should be doing. We need to have a vision for the city that takes advantage of our assets.
Q Do you see any parallels between this decision and the decision from your time in office not to build the Spadina Expressway?
A It was a different time and a different event. Spadina was going to level neighbourhoods. That’s not what this is. But whether they’re large or small, there are certain issues that allow you to have the vision of a city. This is an opportunity missed, it seems to me, to define the city in the 21st century. One of the things I’ve heard repeatedly is the idea of a boulevard is fanciful, it will end up an enormous, multilane highway on the waterfront. I heard someone say that, from the mayor’s office. I hope that’s not their vision of how to build a road. Because surely we’re capable of designing a boulevard along the waterfront that’s striking and stunning. To dismiss it is to dismiss the Champs-Élysées, which does a nice job for Paris.
Q Have you spoken to Mayor Tory since you came out on this issue?
A Not since, but just before. I sent him a note. He sent me another note. We were planning on doing some more notes, but then he came out publicly and that was it.
Q What’s your sense on how the vote will go?
A Right now, I don’t know for sure. But I think it’s close. I think that if there was a free vote and the mayor’s office left people alone, I think people would vote with their imagination and their hopes for the future. But they know that under our system that it’s helpful if they’re with the mayor. So I’m not sure what they’ll do. It’s not easy for thoughtful councillors to go against the mayor’s wishes.
You could buy 88 streetcars with half a billion