Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Toronto’s challenges in 2015: John Tory must make nice with left-wingers and make good on transit


New mayor will have his work cut out for him: making good on transit promises, outsourcing garbage collection, curbing the police budget and placating left-wing councillors.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Mayor John Tory to hold family skate on New Year’s Day


Toronto’s new mayor is modifying the traditional meet-and-greet levee which has been a Toronto tradition since 1968.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Toronto paid 110 employees more than $20,000 in overtime in 2013


A total of $30.7 million in overtime was paid to nearly 12,000 workers in 2013, pushing many over the $100,000 salary threshold.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Deputy Mayor Glenn De Baeremaeker wants to change Scarborough subway plan


Mayor John Tory’s appointed ‘champion’ of the extension intends to release a letter asking for a fourth stop to be added at Danforth and Eglinton.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Mayor John Tory meets roadblocks, looks for new solutions in first month on the job


Vowing to get started on contracting out garbage east of Yonge St. may not be as simple as the mayor originally thought.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Poll: John Tory's honeymoon approval rating a sparkling 74%


Tory’s rating was in the mid- to high-60s for most of the election campaign, but it fell sharply, to the low 50s, late in the race.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Critics challenge John Tory's views on Waterfront Toronto


A day after Waterfront Toronto officials explained a $35 million budget overrun on its Queens Quay project, Mayor John Tory still wary.

Gardiner Expressway construction will end early


Mayor John Tory says closed lanes on Gardiner Expressway will re-open two months ahead of schedule.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Waterfront meeting braced for fireworks, but Minnan-Wong kept his cool: Keenan


Revitalization agency Waterfront Toronto was at pains Wednesday to counter the councillor's criticisms. But Denzil Minnan-Wong was the bomb that didn’t go off.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Rob Ford’s tumour has shrunk, brother says


Rob Ford is ecstatic after doctors told his tumour has shrunk, his brother Doug says. “It’s the first positive news we’ve received.”

Rob Ford's tumour has shrunk, brother says


Rob Ford is ecstatic after doctors told his tumour has shrunk but the ex-mayor is not out of the woods yet, his brother Doug says.

Another day, another delay on carding: James


Public frustration with police is mounting over failure to adopt the proposed compromise, or drop the practice entirely, writes Royson James.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti pleads guilty to election overspending


After a special prosecutor was assigned the case, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti will be forced to repay more than the $12,000.

Toronto community grants not targeting the most challenged areas


Toronto spends more than $40 million per year on community grants, but funds not targeted to reach the city’s most challenged areas

John Tory hails ‘productive’ SmartTrack meeting with prime minister


Stephen Harper waited only days to meet with new Mayor John Tory, while ignoring invitations from Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Was secret Waterfront Toronto budget meeting legal?


The organization says it followed the rules in voting on a $35 million-plus budget estimate increase behind closed doors.

Queens Quay revitalization $35 million over budget


Waterfront Toronto says it could not disclose the almost 40 per cent cost overrun until agreements with contractors were finalized.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Rob Ford for mayor in 2018? Councillor ‘plotting’ return


Rob Ford says if his health holds he will run for the mayor's seat in 2018

Councillor calls fare inspectors carrying batons, handcuffs ‘disturbing’


Since August, TTC fare inspectors have carried batons and handcuffs, but they are classified separately from special constables.

Councillor calls fare inspectors carrying batons, handcuffs ‘disturbing’


Since August, TTC fare inspectors have carried batons and handcuffs, but they are classified separately from special constables.

Rob Ford for mayor in 2018? Councillor "plotting" return


Rob Ford says if his health holds he will run for the mayor's seat in 2018

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Friday, December 5, 2014

Trade Show Displays Cambridge

In need of a local sign company to make promotional vid […]

Toronto sees loss of $29.6 million in declining traffic tickets


The city has yet to receive an explanation for a decline in tickets handed out by police between 2012 and 2014. This year’s loss totals a projected $29.6 million.

Toronto police want board chair to quit over Facebook post


Union professes outrage over a Facebook meme about U.S. police killings that Mukherjee says he posted ‘to encourage conversation and reflection.’

Toronto police want board chair to quit over ‘terrorist’ Facebook post


Alok Mukherjee accused of “unethical” and “unprofessional” behaviour by police association.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Toronto and Mississauga mayors want dangerous goods off their cities’ rail lines


John Tory and Bonnie Crombie are also demanding greater transparency from the railway industry.

Toronto Mayor John Tory wants more transparency from rail companies


Tory says he ultimately wants to see rail companies barred from transporting hazardous goods through the city.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

New sheriff in town has picked sides: James


John Tory established his team with a resounding vote at council's first meeting. But adding a few lefties to the executive committee would have brought goodwill and cost nothing.

TTC board debates could be decided by citizen reps, not councillors


Four non-politician members could become the swing votes in transit debates. Meanwhile, two councillors behind the firing of former TTC chief Gary Webster have been returned to the board.

Rob Ford’s effect on Toronto councillor spending

How did Rob Ford affect councillor spending? See the effect of his term as Toronto mayor on council’s office budgets in this data visualization

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Meet Toronto’s new city councillors


With diverse past experience among them, these seven councillors have at least one thing in common: they're rookies at city hall.

Strike up the bland — the John Tory era begins: James


New mayor provides comfort, not combativeness with safe, optimistic words on Tuesday.

Mayor John Tory outlines transit priorities, wants to mend city hall


Mayor John Tory addressed the 44 members of council and their families at the first meeting of council for the 2014-2018 term.

Anti-violence advocate Louise Russo will be Mayor John Tory's special guest at inaugural council


After hockey broadcaster Don Cherry shocked some by declaring war on "left wing pinkos" in 2010, Mayor John Tory's special guest expected to speak on his message of unity

Mayor John Tory's staff mix of political veterans


Many on the Toronto mayor's 16-member staff have experience working in provincial and federal politics, both Liberal and Conservative.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Toronto council to be sworn in


A look at who's in and who's out in Mayor John Tory’s Toronto


The new mayor's choices have already ruffled some feathers with left-leaning councillors seemingly left out.

For John Tory, united the city will take more than photo-ops


Some of his early actions — from the choice of committee chairs to taking his cues from police brass rather than the police board — have skeptics on high alert.

John Tory appointments put an end to the idea of unity: Keenan


Toronto’s new mayor has announced a team that reads like a declaration of war against city council's downtown progressives.

Tory’s SmartTrack already part of Ontario rail plans, Wynne says


New Toronto mayor and premier talk transit and housing. No decisions, but lots of promises to co-operate.