[Jonny5]

One thing I’ve been thinking about for the past few months is how the World Cup will impact people’s view of the city and the mayor. The only thing I’ve heard concerning people is the extra seating at BMO being temporary. Most people are oblivious to the financial impact. But people for sure are hearing about what’s going on in the US, with ICE, and musings/threats to move games away from cities. I can see actual actions or just rhetoric down south causing people to see the Toronto more positively, and I wonder if that will translate into Chow getting credit.

I have seen this an increasing number of times working for the past 15 years for a bank that is based in Chicago. In recent years, when people from there come to our office for a business trip, they have nothing but positive things to say about Toronto. Some have actually started coming here annually as tourists with their families because of their business trip experiences, which is very different from when I started the job 15 years ago where Toronto was considered by them to be a backwater city. We love to hate ourselves, but from their current lens this city is a paradise.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

A prominent homeless advocate in the city wrote yesterday,

“We are beginning to lose the narrative battle around encampments.

The public's frustrations with homelessness are propelling acceptance of scenarios where we trample on homeless people's human rights. Empathy is thin.

I need all my colleagues to realize we can only win through the public narrative, and we are losing ground quickly.”

That makes me think things will be much different going forward. I think the pandemic and the aggressive evictions at Bellwoods in 2021 with dozens of police garnered a lot of support from the public, but that’s clearly waned. Can see the city taking a less patient approach going forward, but given the rights-focused principles of the Mayor and certain councillors (like Bravo), doubt we’ll see policies that would have happened under Tory, much as some will equate the two.

People have eyes and they can experience the disorder and chaos - it simply cannot be boiled down to a difference in "narrative". A rights-based approach isn't a free for all.

AoD

 

[Northern Light]

One thing I’ve been thinking about for the past few months is how the World Cup will impact people’s view of the city and the mayor. The only thing I’ve heard concerning people is the extra seating at BMO being temporary. Most people are oblivious to the financial impact. But people for sure are hearing about what’s going on in the US, with ICE, and musings/threats to move games away from cities. I can see actual actions or just rhetoric down south causing people to see the Toronto more positively, and I wonder if that will translate into Chow getting credit.


A prominent homeless advocate in the city wrote yesterday,

“We are beginning to lose the narrative battle around encampments.

The public's frustrations with homelessness are propelling acceptance of scenarios where we trample on homeless people's human rights. Empathy is thin.

I need all my colleagues to realize we can only win through the public narrative, and we are losing ground quickly.”

That makes me think things will be much different going forward. I think the pandemic and the aggressive evictions at Bellwoods in 2021 with dozens of police garnered a lot of support from the public, but that’s clearly waned. Can see the city taking a less patient approach going forward, but given the rights-focused principles of the Mayor and certain councillors (like Bravo), doubt we’ll see policies that would have happened under Tory, much as some will equate the two.

Here, I'm with @AlvinofDiaspar above; the activist in question has lost the thread..........

Protecting people's right to have untreated mental illness, to be social outcasts, to be at high risk of violence, and frost bite, and to have untreated addictions lead to perpetual overdoses, poor health and eventually premature death?

If those are the rights you're fighting for.........I'm going to fight to take them away.

How about a right to be housed instead?

 

[Mihairokov]

One thing I’ve been thinking about for the past few months is how the World Cup will impact people’s view of the city and the mayor. The only thing I’ve heard concerning people is the extra seating at BMO being temporary. Most people are oblivious to the financial impact. But people for sure are hearing about what’s going on in the US, with ICE, and musings/threats to move games away from cities. I can see actual actions or just rhetoric down south causing people to see the Toronto more positively, and I wonder if that will translate into Chow getting credit.

One of the side-effects of all of the ICE and US stuff is that Toronto is going to be one of the primary recipients of people who are unwilling/unable to travel to the US. I imagine this will lead to (even further) inflated ticket prices. I'm sure once the event starts and whatever happens in the US during the event happens people will be happy to be in Toronto/Vancouver and not in the US.

I have seen this many times working for a bank that is based in Chicago. In recent years, when people from there come to our office for a business trip they have nothing but positive things to say about Toronto. Some have actually started coming here annually as tourists with their families because of their business trip experiences, which is very different from when I started this job 15 years ago where Toronto was considered by them to be a backwater city. We love to hate ourselves, but from their current lens this city is a paradise.

I've seen a few tiktoks recently of Americans (mostly from Chicago?) visiting Toronto over the past few weeks. Lots of good things to say on the whole.

 

[rbt]

There is no quicker way to lose votes than this - can you imagine the city renting market housing for refugees (which is frankly a Federal responsibility) to free up space at shelters for locals (and nevermind the social housing waitlist)? Just what is wrong with that image?

Indeed. About the only play the city has with refugees is to help get to the Glen Rouge campground, now owned and operated by Parks Canada. Provide them with durable tents and drop by a couple times a day with mobile food, medical, and provide TTC tickets.

There are a lot of issues with that solution too, especially when Toronto has essentially opted-out of the federal Housing Accelerator Fund money.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Here, I'm with @AlvinofDiaspar above; the activist in question has lost the thread..........

Protecting people's right to have untreated mental illness, to be social outcasts, to be at high risk of violence, and frost bite, and to have untreated addictions lead to perpetual overdoses, poor health and eventually premature death?

If those are the rights you're fighting for.........I'm going to fight to take them away.

How about a right to be housed instead?

Personal autonomy is definitely one of the highest rights (up to and inclusive of all those negatives) - but it stops the moment said autonomy result in persistent negative impact on others. We can argue where that line is, but empathy isn't the answer to the question of whether there is a line.

AoD

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Indeed. About the only play the city has with refugees is to help get to the Glen Rouge campground, now owned and operated by Parks Canada. Provide them with durable tents and drop by a couple times a day with mobile food, medical, and provide TTC tickets.

There are a lot of issues with that solution too, especially when Toronto has essentially opted-out of the Housing Accelerator Fund money.

The worst part of it is - any rental units drawn by the city in that scenario will llkely be precisely the ones that would have gone to local renters at the lower end of the spectrum.

I am not sure whether giving out tents is a great idea for anyone in general - surely we have the capacity for lower cost, more durable (but still temporary) solutions like Quonset Huts.

AoD

 

[SubHuman]

... the activist in question has lost the thread..........

Protecting people's right to have untreated mental illness, to be social outcasts, to be at high risk of violence, and frost bite, and to have untreated addictions lead to perpetual overdoses, poor health and eventually premature death?

If those are the rights you're fighting for.........I'm going to fight to take them away...

Personal autonomy is definitely one of the highest rights (up to and inclusive of all those negatives) - but it stops the moment said autonomy result in persistent negative impact on others. We can argue where that line is, but empathy isn't the answer to the question of whether there is a line.

I think in recent months the problems and delays caused on the TTC by those with severe mental/drug issues have finally been acknowledged, and they've started doing more to improve the situation. I saw this pointed out, where Jamaal Myers says (starting at about 24:05) more is being done to make sure "those people don't get onto the system in the first place", and they've also been looking at what's being done in other cities.

I would hope there's been some sort of co-operation with CAMH to stop what appears to have been the almost routine immediate releasing of the ones repeatedly causing the problems.
Edit: I wonder if it might have finally dawned on them that the irresponsible releasing of the track trespassers to likely keep repeating their actions until they may get killed by a subway train, as I mentioned in the last paragraph a post in another thread,
https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/homelessness-on-the-ttc-catch-all.37846/post-2262464
is a situation that could result in lawsuits from their relatives?
I could also see that even if changes were made to improve the situation, the authorities behind it would probably want to avoid directly acknowledging it, other than maybe city officials more broadly boasting about a (hopeful) significant general reduction in the number of these track trespasser incidents

 

[guavadelic]

There are a lot of issues with that solution too, especially when Toronto has essentially opted-out of the federal Housing Accelerator Fund money.

Have they? That would require having a federal government willing to hold them to the agreement they signed.

 

[Jonny5]

The new austerity era begins

Toronto is implementing a citywide hiring freeze for non-essential workers until at least early 2026, as the municipality stares down a financial shortfall this year.
The directive comes as Mayor Olivia Chow heads into her final budget before next October’s municipal election, and her administration signals her upcoming spending plan will be “leaner” and constrained by lower property tax increases.

City of Toronto imposes hiring freeze on non-essential workers

A memo issued by senior staff said a pause on hiring is necessary to address a projected operating shortfall for 2025.

www.thestar.com

 

[Amare]

The sad, and sorry Rick Leary has crawled out from the sewers and gutters (where frankly he still belongs).

I don't know who would ever take this clown seriously at City Hall, especially with how he crippled the TTC and it's operations but here we are:

More than a year after he quit as the TTC’s CEO, Rick Leary is back at Toronto city hall

Leary, who resigned as CEO of the TTC in June 2024, registered as a lobbyist at city hall on Oct. 6.

www.thestar.com

 

[Northern Light]

The sad, and sorry Rick Leary has crawled out from the sewers and gutters (where frankly he still belongs).

I don't know who would ever take this clown seriously at City Hall, especially with how he crippled the TTC and it's operations but here we are:

More than a year after he quit as the TTC’s CEO, Rick Leary is back at Toronto city hall

Leary, who resigned as CEO of the TTC in June 2024, registered as a lobbyist at city hall on Oct. 6.

www.thestar.com

He's got one client, for now, which is Pattison (the advertising folks) .

While I don't think he's a useful figure for lobbying the Chow regime who assisted in his departure.........

I can see where he might be useful in lobbying certain staff ....at least until the new guy cleans house...

 

[DSCToronto]

He's got one client, for now, which is Pattison (the advertising folks) .

While I don't think he's a useful figure for lobbying the Chow regime who assisted in his departure.........

I can see where he might be useful in lobbying certain staff ....at least until the new guy cleans house...

It never ceases to amaze me when people who have failed (often in spectacular ways) think they can return and all will be forgotten. Look at John Tory, Kamala Harris, George Santos and now Rick Leary.

 

[Admiral Beez]

In year one, Chow gave us a 9.5% property tax increase. In year two, 6.9% increase. The CBC suggests the upcoming Feb 2026 budget will see lower increases, so, perhaps 5-6%? If that’s the case, we’ll see Mayor Chow increase property taxes by over 20% during her “first” term. It can be argued that previous mayors starved the city, but we still need to ask, are we noticeably better off for Chow’s increases? If she wins a second term, I think we can assume an additional 20% increase over a full four year term.

 

[evandyk]

I think the city is noticeably better than it was in 2023. Crime, homelessness and TTC reliability are all less visibly in our face.