Two controversies

Often outspoken in her tweets, public statements and interviews, Jennifer Keesmaat has been at the centre of controversy on a few occasions:

The tweet: According to published reports, in November 2012, just two months after starting as chief planner, Jennifer Keesmaat sent out the following tweet (since deleted) during a city council meeting break: “Now that half of council is considering running for Mayor, the speeches at council are . . . insufferable. Did I say that out loud?” The backstory: Then-mayor Rob Ford was facing possible removal from office amid conflict-of-interest charges after he spoke and voted at council in early 2012 on whether he should be forced to repay $3,150 to lobbyists and a company from which he had accepted donations to his football foundation. The reaction: Keesmaat later told a reporter the word insufferable “probably crossed a line” and that she has “deep” respect for councillors when they speak. She said the tweet was meant to be funny. Councillor Jim Karygiannis says, looking back at the incident, Keesmaat’s poke at councillors was “distasteful,” adding, “You don’t criticize the people you work for.” Noting that Keesmaat admitted she’d made an error with the tweet, City of Toronto spokesperson Jackie DeSouza said at the time city staff should use good judgment on social media.

The statement: Last spring and summer, Keesmaat said taking down the eastern section of the Gardiner and replacing it with a grand eightlane boulevard is the best choice for the city. She also tweeted her support for the idea. At the time she said her position is based on her “professional expertise” and analysis by her planning staff. The backstory: After appearing at an international conference for landscape architects in May 2015 in Toronto, Keesmaat told reporters the grand boulevard could weave together the waterfront with the rest of the city and open new parcels for development. But concerned about traffic, Tory backed a costlier hybrid option, which would retain most of the Gardiner. (Last week, council approved a $1-billion version of the hybrid plan.) The reaction: Tory told reporters in June that while the chief planner and other senior staff have the right and duty to express their opinions publicly, “I think there’s a line that has to be drawn between what a public servant on any issue — not just the Gardiner — should be saying in terms of debating politicians.” Later the mayor’s chief spokesperson confirmed Tory, his staff and another senior city official met Keesmaat over her tweets and public comments. During this time, according to reports, the city of Vancouver tried unsuccessfully to poach Keesmaat.