Ford's waterfront takeover, cracking down on bad landlords, pothole & road repair strategy, paid snow-shovelling program, city-owned public grocery stores & more at busy City Council session.
This week's City Council meeting was our first full session of 2026. It was also the first since we approved the budget in early February.
We considered almost 200 agenda items over a two-day marathon Council session, finishing late last night.
The waterfront was front and centre after we learned on Monday of Ford's intention to expropriate city land to impose jets on our waterfront without any consultation.
We also considered Mayor Chow's proposals to crack down on bad landlords, the city's pothole and road repair strategy, a paid snow-shovelling program, city-owned public grocery stores and more.
Council discussed two waterfront and Port Lands-related items this week.
One of Mayor Chow's key items was Deputy Mayor Malik's motion to have the City Council officially declare our opposition to Ford's takeover of Billy Bishop.
It also called for other levels of government to involve Toronto in decisions about the future of our waterfront.
Council also voted in favour of a friendly amendment directing the city solicitor to explore any legal options to prevent Ford's takeover from going ahead.
Thank you to Deputy Mayor Malik and Mayor Chow for bringing forward this important motion.
I was pleased to speak in support of the motion and vote alongside an overwhelming majority of my colleagues to adopt it.
I discussed the waterfront and called on Toronto MPs to take action & stand up for local democracy at City Council this week.
Read more about this item here.
We also considered an update on the historic Port Lands Flood Protection Project, which I worked hard for many years to get off the ground.
It was heartening to reflect on the progress this transformative project has made and discuss the exciting future the city has planned for our waterfront.
However, the discussion on this item highlighted the potential consequences of island airport jets for the thousands of new homes planned for Ookwemin Minisingh in the Port Lands.
I secured the additional density needed to achieve an increased affordable housing target for our future island community.
However, this increased affordable housing target for the Port Lands I worked hard to achieve is now at risk due to the likely flight paths of jets using the Island Airport.
Read the city's report for more on this week's Port Lands update.
Moving on from the waterfront, Council considered Mayor Chow's proposals to crack down on bad landlords who refuse to maintain their properties, forcing tenants to live in unsafe, unhealthy homes.
I was glad to stand in support of the Mayor's proposals at Council this week, as I believe they will greatly improve the RentSafeTO program.
And I was pleased Mayor Chow's motion was adopted by my Council colleagues this week.
City Council adopted Mayor Chow's call for an ongoing pothole blitz and road repair strategy.
This strategy was based on a special road repaving program that the Mayor and I introduced last year.
We also voted to have staff further look into a paid snow-shovelling program, modelled on a similar initiative in New York, to help clear sidewalks more quickly after major snowstorms for the 2026-2027 winter season.
We adopted a motion calling for a pilot program to establish city-owned grocery stores that provide affordable groceries to low-income residents in four zones across the city.
The City Manager will report back to City Council in April on the steps needed to implement the pilot.
I was glad to join my Council colleagues in voting for Mayor Chow's motion opposing the presence of American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Toronto during the FIFA World Cup.
As Mayor Chow states in her motion, ICE has demonstrated that they bring fear and disorder.
We also know they operate beyond American borders, including at times within Canada, and were present in Italy during the Winter Olympics.
I also secured Section 37 funds from a nearby development specifically to maintain and preserve the Zhong Hua Men Archway and Chinese Lion Sculptures at Broadview and Gerrard.
Officially opened in 2009, this joint project between the city and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce (East Toronto) commemorates the historic and current contributions of the Chinese community to all aspects of Canadian society.
Preserving the Zhong Hua Men Chinese Archway will protect this significant site for future generations, ensuring it remains a testament to Toronto's diversity and the contributions of the Chinese community to our city and country.
Learn more about the Zhong Hua Men Archway and my motion here.
Read more about these and other City Council items we considered this week.
City Council approves the 2026 City Budget this week. Read my budget breakdown.
We considered luxury home tax rates, priority signalling for LRTs and streetcars, a maximum heat bylaw along with our next five-year climate plan and the Portlands Energy Centre.
Major items included snow clearing, Ontario Line truck safety, blue bin collection, removal of provincial tenant protections, zoning changes to allow for more residential retail and more.
