Waterfront Toronto a model of governmental co-operation
For 15 years, tripartite agency Waterfront Toronto has presided over a spectacular rebirth of Toronto’s long-neglected lakeside precincts, and is among the most transparent public corporations around.

thestar.com
Oct. 12, 2015
By Christopher Hume

It was a sunny day in October 2000 when then prime minister Jean Chretien, Ontario premier Mike Harris and Toronto mayor Mel Lastman gathered in a parking lot on the edge of Lake Ontario to announce the creation of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation.

Calling themselves “the three amigos,” a Liberal and two Tories each committed $500 million to a tripartite agency with a 20-year mandate to transform the city’s post-industrial harbourlands into a mixed-use community with housing for 100,000.

Fifteen years later, that agency (now called Waterfront Toronto) has presided over a spectacular rebirth of Toronto’s long-neglected lakeside precincts. All three governments have seats on the WT board, which means the agency answers to as many masters. The arrangement also means everyone knows what everyone else is doing.

That’s why Waterfront Toronto is among the most transparent public corporations around.

Much work remains to be done; full revitalization will be a 30-year project. In the meantime, public investment through WT has generated $2.6 billion in private spending, and a further $9 billion in nearby development.

From Sugar Beach and the new Queens Quay boulevard to Corktown and Sherbourne Common, the waterfront has been transformed, reconnected to the larger city.

George Brown College built its new Heath Sciences campus on Queens Quay. Its first student residence will open next year in the West Don Lands. The neighbourhood also includes social housing and full-market condos along with one of Toronto’s inaugural “complete streets.” These new projects all have high-speed broadband technology; last year, the neighbourhood was named Intelligent Community of the Year.

In other words, although the initial players are no longer involved, the waterfront saga continues to unfold more or less as hoped. So far, the corporate structure has survived various attempts to derail the agency, most notably in 2011 when Toronto Councillor Doug Ford attempted an end run on the Port Lands. Talked into a crass scheme that included a monorail, Ferris wheel and a mammoth shopping mall, Ford meddled at his own peril. Citizens rose up against his plan and sent the befuddled Etobicoker packing.

When Waterfront Toronto was launched, it was part of a failed Toronto Olympic bid. From the start, however, it was understood that revitalization would continue regardless. Clearly, for all three main players, the benefits outweighed the risks. It was obvious to anyone who looked that the potential was huge. With 2,000 acres awaiting redevelopment, the scope was enormous. Innovation hubs, parks, residential enclaves, offices - all were part of the mix.

Given the long-term nature of the process, the need for safeguards against political interference was extreme. Interestingly, the most difficult of the three governments has been the city. From David Miller through to John Tory, Toronto mayors have never been comfortable with the arrangement. They have tried consistently to subvert and undermine WT.

What has stymied their reversion to form is the presence of board members appointed by other governments, especially the province. This three-way balance of power doesn’t speed up decision-making, but it has helped prevent any number of sad fates.

The key to WT’s success, perhaps, is that there’s enough glory to satisfy even the most ambitious politician. Late finance minister Jim Flaherty, for instance, would show up at every WT press conference no matter where or when. As political minister for the GTA, he knew the importance of the project, especially to a regime looking for more urban supporters.

The waterfront still has a long way to go, but it has earned respect and momentum. Its work is recognized around the globe. The Doug Ford episode was a wake-up call to local politicians who think they know better. All they need to do is stay out of the way and learn to bask in the reflected glory of their own creation.