2018 Municipal Election: Toronto Council Races

[zang]

Having said that, the STC area was clearly envisioned by the former City of Scarborough as its future downtown. Whether it has lived up to those aspirations is a matter for debate.

The STC and NYCC were meant as part of the 1980's "city centre" model to push against Toronto Centre densification. Metro believed they could create downtowns in the six through will alone, and designated a couple of tiers of densification/development to various areas. North York was the only real success, and only recently have Kipling and Yonge/Eglinton seen the kind of growth expected. Kennedy (around Kennedy Station) and STC were designated too. Neither has grown as expected. West Hill and York have been dismal failures.

 

[PinkLucy]

Can we please get back to the thread topic, ie., council races.

 

[zang]

Civic Centre, Big Mall, Office Towers, Condo Towers, 'Town Centre' moniker - ya smells like downtown to me... Let me know otherwise.

Yeah, when people from Scarborough say they're "going downtown", they generally don't mean the oversized suburban mall.

 

[zang]

Can we please get back to the thread topic, ie., council races.

Okay. Got it.

 

[Avenue]

Can we please get back to the thread topic, ie., council races.

Agreed. The whole "downtown of Scarborough" discussion is giving me twitches.

 

[BurlOak]

I don't know what your definition of Downtown is, but to me it implies a population density and a density of attractions. Neither of which applies to the area around STC, despite the municipal building and smattering of office buildings.

And it certainly has no hope of ever being what Jane Jacobs would define as a "Downtown", since its largely just acres and acres of parking lot.

Jane Jacobs vision was that vocal citizens should be able to control government and the governments ideas on anything. Listening to the people and continually changing transit plans and blocking others is truly fitting with her legacy.

 

[steveintoronto]

Let the battle begin:

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_h...g-fords-slashing-of-toronto-city-council.html

Injunction hearing set for Aug 31

*cross-post from King Street Pilot thread; cause for some reason we're talking about this over there, LOL

Excellent NL, I was just about to post here on it.
I'll jump my post there to here, still trying to research this further, nothing showing yet besides the TorStar article, must run out, but here's my answer cross-posted here to yours:

Holy Moly!

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_h...g-fords-slashing-of-toronto-city-council.html

OK, I haven't had time to research this, and I'm not a lawyer, just got forced to learn law ... and this is *profound!*.

I'm almost frozen from writing any more on this, the implications could be absolute dynamite. This has the potential to cause a Legislative crisis...I've got to find an expert legal opinion on this and post it.

To be continued...

Addendum: I'll add this, and I really don't want to misspeak on this, but: One wonders how the Injunction stage was skipped, whether that was through *exceptional* petitioning of the court, or the Court taking the initiative. I've got to be really careful here, because I've sensed that the Judiciary would be as offended on this as any other academics or informed people are. But what I just wrote must not be said overtly, as it would *appear* to be prejudicial.

I'll find someone qualified to state the case. I will say this, and again, I'm not a lawyer, but a lot of what's appeared in the Star has been hype, and the persons quoted should be ashamed. Not all, but the last few articles by "legal experts". They've just muddied the water.

Nuff said for now...

I will clarify that Rocco Achampong is by far the most able and empowered to proceed on this case, and win. It will take a team effort though...

 

[zang]

Jane Jacobs vision was that vocal citizens should be able to control government and the governments ideas on anything. Listening to the people and continually changing transit plans and blocking others is truly fitting with her legacy.

Stop trolling.

 

[steveintoronto]

" I am considering amending my application to have the election declared illegitimate."
This is brilliant! It will do immense damage to the Ford hit and run vehicle, and down the road, the vehicle will stall, if not explode. But meantime it does what needs to be done, that most likely being a ruling (albeit this might be bumped up to the SCC) that the status-quo prevails until a higher court (probably THE highest court) can rule on this, albeit the purview might yet reside in Ont Superior Court to rule definitively, *for at least this election!* Once that ruling is in place, further cases can be tested before the courts to see what long-term decisions can be hand.

Still looking for more reference on this.
Top stories

[...]
Toronto lawyer and council candidate Rocco Achampong was “pleasantly surprised and impressed” that a Superior Court will hear arguments in just over two weeks about whether Premier Doug Ford’s plan to chop the size of Toronto city council will stand for this fall’s municipal election.

“That’s the fastest I’ve ever heard of a Charter application of this magnitude in my experience,” said Achampong, a PC member who’s running for a council seat in Eglinton-Lawrence (Ward 13.)

He sought an injunction to temporarily suspend the Better Local Government Act — but instead a judge gave him, the province and city a full hearing on Aug. 31. That means the court will determine whether the province’s move to downsize city council to 25 seats from 47 seats will remain in effect when voters go to the polls on Oct. 22.

A decision will be expected soon after the hearing. [...]

Court agrees to hear challenge of government's plan to trim Toronto council
Toronto Sun · 8 hours ago

[...]
“When you change the boundaries, when you change the geography, you change the consideration. There is a material change of circumstances,” Achampong told Global News Monday evening.

“Obviously I can’t take that lying down as a citizen in a free and democratic society. I am availing myself of the processes and the procedures available to me to seek recourse and relief.”

Achampong said he is asking the courts to suspend the Better Local Government Act from coming into force during the 2018 election. He said he hopes the City of Toronto will join with him during the process.
[...]

Ontario court to hear application on suspending Toronto city council seat cuts
Globalnews.ca · 15 hours ago

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https://twitter.com/Rocco4Toronto

 

[EagleEye]

Excellent NL, I was just about to post here on it.
I'll jump my post there to here, still trying to research this further, nothing showing yet besides the TorStar article, must run out, but here's my answer cross-posted here to yours:


I will clarify that Rocco Achampong is by far the most able and empowered to proceed on this case, and win. It will take a team effort though...

It would be epic if he was able to stop this travesty.

 

[Avenue]

If the council reduction gets blocked by a court it'll only provide the cons with more ammo for the next election in the 905 suburban country - or even in suburban Toronto.

 

[Skeezix]

If the council reduction gets blocked by a court it'll only provide the cons with more ammo for the next election in the 905 suburban country - or even in suburban Toronto.

I don't think people in the 905 care much either way.

 

[zang]

I don't think people in the 905 care much either way.

I think they do. In so much as they believe cutting Toronto council size somehow magically trims money off their taxes.

There might be an argument against the voting of regional chairs (elections cost money, appointments don't), but when Ford says something will save them money, followers blindly nod their heads and say "hallelujah!".

 

[Skeezix]

I think they do. In so much as they believe cutting Toronto council size somehow magically trims money off their taxes.

There might be an argument against the voting of regional chairs (elections cost money, appointments don't), but when Ford says something will save them money, followers blindly nod their heads and say "hallelujah!".

Yeah, no. They don't care, and certainly won't in 4 years.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I think they do. In so much as they believe cutting Toronto council size somehow magically trims money off their taxes.

There might be an argument against the voting of regional chairs (elections cost money, appointments don't), but when Ford says something will save them money, followers blindly nod their heads and say "hallelujah!".

Don't count on the 905 to save the seats either way. And frankly as someone suggested - the province can defend the goal of cutting council in half; they can't defend the process of getting there as presented right now.

AoD