Tory to ask Toronto council for extension of emergency powers

Thestar.com
April 22, 2020
David Rider

Mayor John Tory will ask Toronto city council to extend the state of emergency over COVID-19 when it holds its first-ever online meeting April 30.

Asked Tuesday to confirm Star sources about the request, Tory’s office issued a statement from the mayor:

“My view today is that we are still in an emergency.

“Based on the advice of our Medical Officer of Health, this is still an emergency and we need to make sure the City government is nimble and flexible to respond quickly, protect people’s health and save lives. I will therefore put the matter of an extension of the emergency in front of the City Council when it meets on April 30.

“In the coming days ahead of this meeting, I will be speaking with councillors about that and why it is important to continue following the Medical Officer of Health’s advice.”

Asked how long an extension of emergency powers the mayor wants, Peat said Tory would discuss that with his council colleagues and Dr. Eileen de Villa, the medical officer of health.

An extension would allow Tory to continue to issue emergency orders related to the COVID-19 crisis. Peat said the mayor “fully expects to continue consulting councillors as he and the mayor’s office has done throughout this emergency.”

Tory declared the state of emergency March 23, allowing him to pass bylaws related to the crisis without seeking council approval.

The mayor’s emergency orders have included a bylaw making it illegal for people to get within two metres of non-household members in parks and public squares. During the crisis, the city -- based on the medical officer of health’s advice -- has also banned the use of park amenities including playgrounds and recommended closures to some non-essential businesses.

By provincial law, under the emergency declaration, Tory must convene city council within 30 days of issuing an order under his powers, in this case by May 2.

Given public health direction to avoid public gatherings, council will gather from home, and vote, via the Cisco WebEx video meeting software used for the city’s weekday COVID-19 news conferences.

A notice to councillors Tuesday said they will get a presentation and reports from Tory and city officials on the emergency “including any actions requiring council decision to aid in the ongoing management of the emergency.”

They’ll also consider changes to “permit electronic participation in meetings during periods of provincial or municipal emergency” and be asked to authorize, without council approval, local city boards permitting electronic participation.

Members of the public will be able to watch council, as usual, via Toronto council’s YouTube channel. A source told the Star that council is likely to be asked to schedule another meeting to follow.

Other GTA cities, including Mississauga, have already met online during the crisis.

Councillors are also expected to talk about the massive hit the pandemic is taking on the city of Toronto’s finances. The loss of revenue for services, including the TTC, and extra expenses for public health and more, is forecast to cost Toronto at least $1.5 billion this year and, under an extended lockdown, $2.7 billion.

Coun. Gary Crawford, Tory’s budget chief, told the Star on Tuesday he would vote to extend the mayor’s emergency powers.

“We clearly are not through the emergency,” said Crawford (Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest).

“If the mayor in consultation with the city manager and chief medical officer of health recommend continuing or extending the emergency, I will support it.”

Crawford said that, after an unprecedented spring break, council needs to address emergency response matters, the city’s financial state and how to continue with regular city business.

Coun. Gord Perks, a frequent critic of Tory on council, said he would not decide whether to vote to extend the mayor’s emergency powers until he heard the rationale for doing so.

Perks called council meeting online “necessary” but the “second best” option.

“There are a lot of advantages to meeting in public,” said Perks (Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park). “You can physically watch what we’re doing. In this (online) scenario that goes out the window -- you don’t know who’s back-channelling by text or anything like that.”

He said council needs to decide on Tory’s physical distancing bylaw and talk about city finances and negotiations with the federal government for financial relief.