Matt ElliottUp now: the Shelter Safety Action Plan. Staff have put together a 36-month plan designed to reduce violence and improve safety for both shelter users and staff. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.EC17.4
Mayor Olivia Chow asks staff about the federal funding plan for refugees in shelters. Staff confirm Ottawa is funding 95% of costs this year, but plan to reduce that to 75% next year and then to 50% the year after.
Councillor Nick Mantas asks if the federal government is being a "fair and honest partner" to the city re: refugee funding.
"We're very concerned about what this signal means for the future funding of this program," staff say, diplomatically.
"Do you think that property taxpayers should be the source of primary funding for asylum seekers in our city?" Councillor Lily Cheng asks General Manager of Shelters Gord Tanner.
"The shelter system in Toronto cannot support the immigration system of Canada," responds Tanner.
On the shelter item, Councillor Amber Morley moves for shelter supervisors and managers to complete appropriate anti-Black racism incident management training."
Councillor Alejandra Bravo moves to accelerate the expansion of the specialized refugee shelter system. Motion also asks council to reconfirm commitment to make shelter beds available to everyone regardless of status.
"It is really frustrating to try to explain to people that you can't arrest your way out of the homeless crisis," notes Councillor Mike Colle. "I think the premier now says he's going to fine homeless people $10,000 — how in the hell is that going to work?"
"I saw first-hand how the Ukranian refugees were treated versus how Black people from Africa were treated when they came here," says Councillor Chris Moise. "I hope there were lessons learned from that."
Mayor Olivia Chow moves to call on the feds to reverse planned changes that'll reduce access to housing assistance for refugees, and to provide a "welcoming response" and "coordinated national system" for all refugee arrivals.
Bravo's motion to accelerate expansion of specialized refugee shelter system and housing options CARRIES 23-0.
Recommendation to request the province allow all safe-injection sites to continue to operate CARRIES 18-4.
The Chow and Morley motions CARRY via show of hands. Remainder of safe shelter strategy item CARRIES 21-1.
Up now: SmartTrack. Still a thing! But increasingly less of a thing. Because of cost increases, staff are recommending axing two of the remaining stations in the plan, at King-Liberty and Finch-Kennedy. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.CC24.3
This is, obviously, quite a change from the original 2014 SmartTrack plan pitched by John Tory. That one had 22 stations. Ah, memories.
Councillor Myers asks why Metrolinx's costs for building these SmartTrack stations keep going up. Staff say Metrolinx blames labour market conditions & interest rates. Myers asks if Council can request a third-party audit. Staff say council can request, but province has to agree.
Councillor Bravo asks about the status of a pedestrian bridge that was promised as part of the King-Liberty SmartTrack station. Staff confirm that if the station is removed from the plan, the bridge will be, too.
Councillor McKelvie wants to know why the details of the SmartTrack cost overruns can't be public. "Has Metrolinx explained to us why there is a significant overrun and why they will not make that public?"
Staff say Metrolinx's view is this is "commercially confidential" info.
"How long are we going to continue calling this SmartTrack?" Councillor Josh Matlow asks transit staff.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" responds Derek Toigo of the Transit Expansion Office.
"Maybe it should be PastTrack," says Speaker Nunziata.
Councillor Mike Colle asks what happens if Council just decides to walk away from this whole SmartTrack thing.
Toigo says the signed agreement says the City would still be on the hook to pay for costs that have occurred to date, and potentially other costs going forward.
Councillor Bravo moves to ask Metrolinx to continue plans for a pedestrian/cycling connection between Sudbury Street and Joe Shuster Way, even if the King-Liberty SmartTrack station gets the axe.
"This is the worst deal possible. This is not SmartTrack. PastTrack is what one person suggested, but I think it's time that we face that this is a failure that has had real material consequences," says Bravo.
"We have to also be very clear that our previous mayor locked us into this bad deal — paying for more than half of the costs of a provincial project of transit infrastructure that we will neither own nor operate," says Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik.
Councillor Jennifer McKelvie has two motions making requests of the province. She wants Queen's Park to step up and at least match the city's contribution to the SmartTrack project. She also wants them to conduct a third-party review of the Metrolinx cost estimates.
Councillor Nick Mantas moves to have the City Manager tell the province that Toronto really really wants the Finch-Kennedy SmartTrack station, and that costs have already been incurred doing prep work.
Quick digression, as Mayor Olivia Chow moves for council take a break at 6 p.m. and come back at 6:30 p.m. to try to finish up this agenda tonight. That CARRIES 19-3.
Councillor Gord Perks moves to rename all five SmartTrack Stations:
- Boondoggle Station
- Too Good to Be True Station
- Won't Get Fooled Again Station
- Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Cheated Station
- Tory's Folly Station
"We gave away a really good future for the City of Toronto for fairy dust," says Gord Perks, blasting former mayor John Tory for disrupting transit plans to shoehorn in his SmartTrack scheme.
Nunziata rules Perks' renaming motion out of order.
"If we're pleading with the province for funding, I don't think this is the way to do it," she explains.
Holyday says Perks was wrong to name Tory in his motion, and wants Nunziata to strike it from the minutes.
Pasternak is also very offended by Perks' motion. "This brings this whole chamber into repute." He also wants this expunged from the official meeting minutes. The Clerk says he can't edit the minutes.
Seriously, though. I've already posted about it, guys. It belongs to history.
"We actually do in this chamber name things after politicians all the time," notes Perks. "You may not like that that's how I feel, but I have a right to move that motion, and you have the right to rule it out of order."
"All of this money could have been spent on so many other things, but instead it is being given to the province of Ontario to build stations they would have paid for anyways. This is Exhibit A for why politicians should not plan transit expansions," says Myers of SmartTrack.
"When it becomes clear that it's stupid, accept stupid and move on!" thunders Councillor Anthony Perruzza about the SmartTrack plan. "You can't fix stupid!"
"We just keep doing stupid!"
The SmartTrack vote will have to wait, as it's almost time for the dinner break.
But before they go, after a few tiny tweaks, Council votes via show of hands to approve the slate of mid-term appointments to committees and boards. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.ST7.1
That'll do it for now — back at 6:30 or so to see if Council has what it takes to finish off the remaining 12 items on the agenda.
The bells are ringing, and councillors are sloooowly trickling back in for their evening session.
The new meeting livestream is here. Viewer discretion is advised. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWNRxxxqzXw
City Council - December 18, 2024 (Evening Session)
Back to SmartTrack. Councillor Mike Colle moves to begin the process of ending the City's support and funding for SmartTrack.
"Where did Toronto's money go? They won't tell us! So we've got a partner that we're paying the bill for, that won't tell us where the money went. Let's see the list of consultants!" demands Colle. "We are not doing right by the taxpayers of Toronto by continuing this charade."
Saying he shares the frustration with Metrolinx, Councillor Matlow asks Colle if he'd consider withdrawing the motion. Matlow says these stations are still useful, if the province pays.
"The time for appeasement is over. Appeasement doesn't work with Metrolinx," Colle says.
McKelvie asks Colle if maybe her motion is more productive than his.
"No, because Metrolinx doesn't believe in accountability and transparency - that's been proven!"
"I'm asking them to stop fooling and farting around," McKelvie says.
"They're not going to do that," Colle says
In an alternate universe, John Tory is still the sitting mayor for this SmartTrack debate. I wonder how that's going.
"Debates like this take away our credibility," says Councillor James Pasternak. He's still salty about the Perks renaming motion, saying if the province is watching this it's exactly the kind of thing that makes them want to just take over transit planning.
After much cajoling, Councillor Colle withdraws his motion to defund SmartTrack. "You said it was stupid — I'm withdrawing it," explains Colle to Nunziata.
But Perruzza wants a recorded vote on whether to withdraw. The withdrawal CARRIES 19-4.
All other SmartTrack motions CARRY via show of hands. The report as amended CARRIES 20-3.
Councillor Matlow rises to say he made a mistake in his vote to receive the Ombudsman report without debate. He wants to re-open it so he can make amends, but Nunziata rules that it's not possible because Councillor Thompson isn't present? Weird! Anyway, they move on.
Councillor Holyday rises to ask Nunziata if she'd consider adjourning this session. He's worried that council is getting too silly to responsibly deal with the serious items left on the agenda. Nunziata takes that under advisement. The meeting continues.
Up now: the City's response to public demonstrations. Staff are recommending Council commission a report on a new bylaw that could lead to "bubble zones" restricting protests around some types of institutions and buildings. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.CC24.2
"When I hear a lot of the battle cry for protests and charter rights, I get the impression that the charter rights are for the hateful mob, and not for the rest of us ... who are charter rights for?" wonders Pasternak.
"Charter rights are for everybody," the City Solicitor says.
"Would workers who are striking at a religious school be caught in this?" Myers asks of "bubble zone" bylaw.
"I don't think it would capture a peaceful protest," Solicitor says.
"But it could..." Myers says.
Solicitor says they'd try to address that when crafting the bylaw.
The City Solicitor says a "bubble zone" bylaw developed for Toronto would likely be like bylaws in other municipalities and focus on "nuisance behaviour" at protests -- behaviour that intimidates other people, she explains.
"Has any person been found guilty of a hate crime arising from activity at any protest about the activities in Gaza and Israel since October 7 of last year?" asks Councillor Gord Perks.
"Not in Toronto," says rep from police.
Police rep says there are lots of things they look at when responding to a public demonstration, but public safety is paramount.
"It would be disingenuous to suggest a bylaw would somehow change the dynamics on the ground for us."
Deputy Mayor Malik asks what powers a bubble zone bylaw would give police that they don't currently have re: protests
"We have essentially created de facto bubble zones already," admits police rep, noting they've heavily restricted protests along hospital row and on the Gardiner
Mayor Olivia Chow moves an amendment, adding public consultations to the development of a potential "bubble zone" bylaw restricting protests and adding language re: not targeting people based on their identity.
Mayor Chow says she has called for both a ceasefire and the release of hostages. "But somehow, that did not manage to bring people together. Somehow, at my New Year's skating party, people were being yelled at for just skating, or for being there."
"If we target people because of their faith or because of their association, that does not work for me. People should be able to feel safe to go to a place of worship, to take their kids to school, to be at a recreation or cultural space, without having so much fear," says Chow.
"People want us to take action," says Mayor Chow. She says she's not sure this bubble zone bylaw will work, but she wants to see what staff will produce to address these concerns about protests.
Bradford: "I'm pretty disgusted by some of the comments that I've heard tonight, trying to differentiate between a 'hate incident' and 'hate crime' ... why is it some of my colleagues feel it's appropriate to question reports of antisemitic harassment, intimidation and hate?"
Councillor Burnside moves to call the question and end this debate. That FAILS 6-16. The debate continues.
Councillor Pasternak moves an amendment, putting extra emphasis on bubble zones around places of worship, faith-based schools and cultural institutions.
Pasternak says government response to protests over the last 14 months has been a failure. He blames the time police have had to spend at protests for increasing 911 times. "If you are robbed, assaulted, feeling threatened, you have to wait and wait and wait for police response."
"We have heard from the protestors who insist they have freedom and constitutional rights to protest. Well, let me tell you something, I know peaceful assembly when I see it, and I know hate when I see it, and these hate rallies are not charter protected," declares Pasternak.
Leah Bobet@GraphicMatt So this brings up an interesting potential situation re: the homophobic preachers who hang out around Dundas Square.