Matt Elliott3d ago

Toronto Council meets today! It's been a while, so the agenda is JAM-PACKED. There are now 194 items on the agenda.

We're staring into the abyss. Let's jump in together. I'll have live coverage starting at 9:30 a.m. If you want, you can also watch the meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVZIkH-cRqM

City Council - March 25, 2026

YouTube
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

Mayor Chow has designated an item about cracking down on bad landlords as her first key item, so that'll be up first. The island airport debate will take off after.

For a complete preview of the agenda, you can check out my newsletter from this week: https://toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/council-gets-set-to-march-into-debates

Council gets set to march into debates on the island airport, Mamdani mania, a yacht club, and more

City Hall Watcher #376: Your complete Council meeting preview for March 2026, featuring tree talk, flag policy, mute swan population control, subway safety, SmartTrack, and more

City Hall Watcher
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
One of the late additions to the agenda: Councillor Parthi Kandavel would like the city to write the word "SCHOOL" on the road pavement so drivers better understand that they are driving near a school. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.MM39.73
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

"The clerk has advised we do have bare quorum," notes Speaker Frances Nunziata. The best kind of quorum.

Council begins. Before they get down to business, there will be a presentation celebrating Canada's Winter Olympic medalists.

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

Councillor Perruzza rises to share a few words about the late Giorgio Mammoliti.

"I first met George in the summer of 1990..." he starts.

"Councillor, you only have two minutes," Nunziata reminds him.

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

"He was a fearless character. He believed what he believed. He spoke his mind ... He never held back," says Perruzza of Giorgio Mammoliti.

He notes that he was often controversial, but that's okay. "We all bring a character here," Perruzza says.

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
"He was not afraid to rip off his shirt in public to make a point," Councillor Anthony Perruzza says as he wraps up his tribute to the late Giorgio Mammoliti. "I understand that many of us would not have the courage to do that."
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Now: an Olympic Tribute. Some Toronto-based athletes are in attendance.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
"Folks, look at those medals!" Chow says as she invites the Olympic athletes and coaches down for a photo. Nunziata photobombs.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

Councillor Mike Colle rises to ask to have a moment of silence for the pilots killed in the LaGuardia crash.

"We did, at the beginning of the meeting," Nunziata says.

"I didn't hear it. I'm sorry," says Colle, re: the moment of silence.

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
The executive director of Corporate Real Estate Management has submitted a pretty detailed report on what exactly went wrong with the shelter the city planned for a leased site on Carlton Street. It's late and overbudget. Council receives the report for information. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.IA39.1
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Councillor Mike Colle declares an interest in an item about using Section 37 funds to buy benches for TTC stations because his son Josh works for the TTC. I continue to feel like this REALLY stretches the reasonable definition of a conflict of interest.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Council needs to vote to formally add the island airport item to the agenda before the debate can be scheduled. Motion to add it to the agenda CARRIES 24-2. They'll probably get to it this afternoon.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Council votes via a show of hands to APPROVE the redevelopment plan for the Swansea Mews TCHC complex. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.PH28.2
Show threadMatt Elliott
Via another show of hands, Council APPROVES the phase 2 plan for the Lawrence Heights revitalization. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.PH28.4
Mar 25 at 2:47pmWeb
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
On the integrity commissioner's report on Chris Moise, Councillor Paula Fletcher moves to delete the finding that Moise violated the code of conduct and instead ask for guidance on how councillors should respond to "discriminatory, hateful or harassing speech."
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Council votes 23-0 to ADOPT Fletcher's amendment, which means they do NOT endorse the Integrity Commissioner's finding that Councillor Chris Moise breached the code of conduct.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Up now: Bad Landlords! "I will not tolerate slumlords in the City of Toronto," writes Mayor Olivia Chow in her motion. She wants a better database to track violations by landlords and identify the worst of the worst. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.EX29.14
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Speaking of databases, I heard from a local civic tech dev, Amrit Sharma, who put together this useful database that collects a variety of datapoints to flag potentially unsafe buildings. https://toronteau.com/housing
Is My Building Safe? | Toronteau

Look up any Toronto address to check for building code violations and property standards problems. Updated daily from official City data.

Toronteau
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Asked how many apartment buildings with bad landlords there are in the city, staff say about 115 buildings are in the "red category" of about 3,600 total buildings.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
After staff questions, Councillor Brad Bradford is the first speaker on the bad landlord item. His ward contains 500 Dawes Road, which has become the poster child for this issue. "We're dealing with a scumbag of a landlord. This is not a good-faith actor," Bradford says.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

"This file has a history that goes all the way back to former councillor Janet Davis," says Bradford of 500 Dawes. "And her and I have had lots of conversations about this."

He says tenants "have been let down by a city that moves far too slow on this."

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Councillor Josh Matlow says the city's message to bad landlords should be, "If you're not willing to be a real human being, and care about the other human beings who you have the responsibility to care for, we're gonna damn well go in there and fix things — and bill you afterwards."
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Councillor Dianne Saxe says she's been hearing that the city has an enforcement problem. "We don't have an enforcement approach that is of a measure for the threat — and we need to. We need to take seriously what our bylaws say," she says.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

Councillor Holyday moves to strike "CUPE 416" from one of the mayor's motions. He says he doesn't understand why it's there.

He then urges council to "be careful in taking an aggressive stance" re: bad landlords, saying there could be "unintended consequences."

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Councillor Alejandra Bravo thanks Mayor Chow for "after so many years, sending a message to every landlord in the city who exploits people, who doesn't obey the law, who puts people in precarious conditions, who makes their life a living hell — you're now on notice."
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

And that takes Council to lunch. There are still 113 items left on the agenda. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

Back at 2 p.m.

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Council is about to return. Before they get back to the bad landlord debate, they'll pay tribute to Will Johnston, the Deputy City Manager responsible for Infrastructure and Development Services. He's retiring from city hall next week.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

Chow takes the lectern to praise Johnston's work. She heralds his "dedication to public services" on issues like transit, development and snow clearing.

"We know you're looking forward to returning to Vancouver, where you don't have to look at that 60 cm of snowstorm in one day," the mayor adds.

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Johnston gets the standard-issue retirement photo with the mayor and thanks a long list of people. "I am very grateful and honoured for having the opportunity to play a role in helping to shape this incredible city." He gets a standing ovation. Nunziata asks why the heck he's going to Vancouver.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Back to bad landlords. Councillor Lily Cheng moves to conduct user experience consultations with the new database once it launches, and to look at requiring landlords to inform tenants when their building has a property standards issue.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago

Chow is up to speak on bad landlords. She's got a looong motion that is now posted on the item. Some key recs to the provincial gov:

- Higher fines
- Eliminating appeals for property standards orders
- Bring back rent control and introduce vacancy control

https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.EX29.14

Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
"There's no escape. We will shut down slum landlords, because we are the City of Toronto — we are the government," declares Mayor Olivia Chow.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
Time to vote. The part of Mayor Chow's motion calling for the province to bring back universal rent control and add vacancy control (in addition to some other changes) CARRIES 24-2.
Show threadMatt Elliott3d ago
All other amendments CARRY via show of hands. The bad landlord item CARRIES 25-1. But WAIT, Holyday says he actually meant to vote YES. This is the first time this has ever happened, he says, apologizing.