John Tory calls helping at-risk youth a ‘top priority’ but won’t commit any particular funding

Thestar.com
October 17, 2018
Samantha Beattie

Mayor John Tory vowed to make helping the city’s at-risk youth a “top priority” if he is re-elected, but wouldn’t commit to any particular dollar figure for funding the programs.

In a meeting with the Star’s editorial board Tuesday, Tory was skeptical that the strategy to help marginalized youth and reduce violence receives less than $500,000 in annual stable funding while city staff have estimated they would need $15.8 million to fully implement it, as the Star reported last week.

Mayor John Tory talks to the Star's editorial board about the city falling behind on funding for a plan aimed at preventing youth violence.

“I’m not aware of any program in the entire budget that was budgeted for so little when the plan was so much,” Tory told the Star’s editorial board Tuesday, suggesting there could’ve been “a bit of broken telephone” in how the numbers were reported, despite the Star relying on city staff’s own estimates.

The youth equity strategy is a “top priority of mine going forward,” Tory said.

The editorial board had asked Tory a reader’s question: “Why is the Toronto youth strategy almost completely unfunded? If re-elected will you make an ongoing and unconditional commitment to the youth of this city to fully fund this program?”

Tory said “I just can’t answer this question because I don’t have the numbers in my head of what the full funding means and there’s always a dispute about that.”

Since the youth equity strategy was first approved by council in 2014, 144 youth aged 13 to 29 --the strategy’s target age range --have been victims of homicide in Toronto, according to a database the Star’s librarians maintain using police data and public reports.

With less than a week left until the 2018 municipal election, Tory is maintaining his lead over second-place candidate Jennifer Keesmaat, according to a new Forum Research poll. Fifty-six per cent of voters support Tory and 29 per cent support Keesmaat.

Forum Research telephone surveyed 1,206 Toronto voters on Oct. 9 and 10. Sample results are considered accurate plus or minus three per cent.

On other questions, Tory presented himself as a progressively-minded candidate willing to collaborate with all governments and city councillors. He reiterated his belief safe-injection sites save lives, although he wouldn’t commit to financially supporting them if the province backs out. “ I would certainly like to get some help with that from other governments,” Tory said.

In a meeting with the Toronto Star editorial board Tuesday, Mayor John Tory presented himself as a progressively-minded candidate and rejected the idea that he runs a suburban-based austerity-style government.

Tory initially denied using the term “radical” when describing progressive downtown councillors. An Aug. 2 news release from his campaign criticized Keesmaat for having “the endorsement and support of the most radical members of city council’s left wing --Gord Perks, Joe Cressy, Mike Layton and Kristyn Wong-Tam.”

After being reminded of this material, Tory said, “I don’t use words like that, but I have to accept responsibility for it all the same.”

He said that under his leadership, the city has invested a record amount in transit and Toronto Community Housing, if you include the partnerships made with other governments.

“I will try to run a government for the city as a whole,” Tory said. He’s aware the city will need to figure out new ways to govern with a smaller 25 ward council, possibly strengthening community councils and implementing more hyperlocal participatory budgeting.

If re-elected, he would aim to make gains in building out the city’s transit plan put together under his leadership. “It’s pretty exciting and pretty bold to say we’re actually going to build the transit we’ve approved and got some funding for,” Tory said.