John Tory, Doug Ford discuss Toronto waterfront and transit

Thestar.com
December 7, 2018
David Rider

A serious-looking Mayor John Tory emerged from his first meeting with Premier Doug Ford since Ford’s government unilaterally cut city council saying the frequent sparring partners had a “good discussion.”

Tory, flanked by aides, refused to answer questions as he briskly strode from Ford’s office and into a Queen’s Park elevator. Earlier, there were smiles as Ford, who appears keen to unleash more initiatives that will affect Torontonians, welcomed the mayor and referenced past fights.

It’s unclear exactly what John Tory, left, and Doug Ford discussed on Thursday. The premier said beforehand that they would have a “great discussion” about topics including transit, housing and the waterfront

“We’re going to have a great discussion but more importantly we’re going to ... build this city on transit, on infrastructure, on housing, on ... the waterfront,” Ford told reporters during the Thursday morning photo-op.

“We’re going to do the right thing for the people and, much as sometimes as much as we may agree or disagree, we’re on the same wavelength when it comes to building transit and infrastructure and getting the city moving forward.”

Tory said: “We want to get things done,” on those issues plus public safety, adding “obviously I understand that involves working with the government of Ontario and the government of Canada.”

There is no shortage of topics to discuss for Tory, just starting his second term after October’s re-election, and the man he beat for the mayor’s job in 2014, who swept the Progressive Conservatives to provincial power last June. Soon after Ford was elected, his government cut the number of wards in the city, over the city’s protests, to 25 in the middle of the municipal election.

Ford’s Infrastructure Minister Monte McNaughton said Wednesday that he plans to quickly “fix” Waterfront Toronto, the city-provincial-federal agency overseeing development of the Port Lands and working with Google sister company Sidewalk Labs on the controversial Quayside project.

McNaughton’s comments came after provincial auditor general Bonnie Lysyk urged the government to put a tighter leash on Waterfront Toronto, criticizing the agency for its dealings with Sidewalk Labs and for keeping Tory and Toronto in the dark before an initial agreement was signed.

Tory recently blasted Ford’s government for keeping him in the dark about Ontario Power Generation’s sale of the former Hearn Generating station site in the Port Lands, saying the $16-million sale of 16 waterfront hectares to Studios of America was done “in a bit of a cloudy manner.”

Last week McNaughton skipped a ceremony to launch construction of a new Don River valley as part of a $1.2 billion flood protection project, cost-shared by the governments, to open downtown land to development.

Other pressing Ontario-Toronto issues include Ford’s determination to transfer responsibility for Toronto’s subways to the province, which will be debated by city council next week, and the number of pedestrians and cyclists being killed by motorists on Toronto streets.

According to statistics compiled by the Star using police and media reports, 45 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed so far this year, tying the number for all of 2017. The grim toll is rising despite the city’s “Vision Zero” strategy aimed at eliminating such deaths by 2021.

The opposition NDP is urging the Ford government to adopt a “vulnerable road user law” that would boost penalties for drivers who kill, and who now often receive only small fines. The NDP wants such drivers to face fines of up to $50,000, up to two years in jail and licence suspensions.

Ford, who has often talked about a “war on the car,” has not committed to beefing up penalties.