Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto

[ShonTron]

That was my first look, but nothing came up that matches the timeframe.

Forever shall it remain... a mystery

Happens a lot, whenever a cop radios for assistance, which could be anything from a higher-risk or multiple arrest to an active shooter. If you don’t hear anything after, it was a precautionary call.

 

[zang]

Not really the best thread for this, but I can't think of one that would be more appropriate... does anyone know WTF happened today downtown??? About 5:30 PM this afternoon I was doing some railfanning on Spadina just south of Front when I saw a cop car, sirens ablazin', heading south along the streetcar ROW. A minute later, another two cops were heading northbound, also sirens ablazin'. A minute after THAT, I saw yet another cop, sirens -----, heading southbound in the northbound lanes of Spadina Avenue, and turn east onto Front.

Given this immense response, I assumed something momentous had occurred, but nothing in the news. Anyone catch wind of anything?

This is Toronto. They send six or more cruisers every time someone's having a mental health crisis. If it wasn't mentioned on the TPS Operations twitter account, that's likely what it was.

They need to justify their budget somehow.

 

[DSCToronto]

This is Toronto. They send six or more cruisers every time someone's having a mental health crisis. If it wasn't mentioned on the TPS Operations twitter account, that's likely what it was.

They need to justify their budget somehow.

Of course, it could just have been coffee break time?

 

[ShonTron]

Of course, it could just have been coffee break time?

The red light came on at Krispy Kreme?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Just received my final three property tax bills for 2024. It's up over 18% from the first three installments. I'm okay with that, provided its doesn't all go to salary hikes at TPS. Put the money towards addressing infrastructure and quality of life.

I do wonder, now that my property tax bill is $8K what it will be in ten years and if I will be able to easily afford it when I retire. Presumably by 2034 it will be closer to $12k. That's why we're doing all the renos and maintenance now.

 

[picard102]

Olivia Chow wants to bring Toronto’s downtown back to life — and she’s meeting bank CEOs about increasing office days to do it

Toronto's mayor has been meeting with the CEOs of some of Canada's largest companies to discuss how to get workers back in the office at least four days a week

www.thestar.com

Not going to win a lot of hearts with this one.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Olivia Chow wants to bring Toronto’s downtown back to life — and she’s meeting bank CEOs about increasing office days to do it

Toronto's mayor has been meeting with the CEOs of some of Canada's largest companies to discuss how to get workers back in the office at least four days a week

www.thestar.com

Not going to win a lot of hearts with this one.

And how are people in the suburbs supposed to get their their desks downtown? Mayor Chow should focus on ensuring the TTC is reliable, the roads, sidewalks and bike paths are usable, the garbage gets picked up, clean water comes our of our taps and the sewage gets treated. She should let business leaders determine how to best run their companies, and it’s not their employee’s jobs to funnel money into downtown food courts and shops.

 

[picard102]

She's already trying to walk it back now. Story of her Mayoralty.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1800655717927354683

Since becoming Mayor, I’ve met with business leaders to discuss city priorities, especially building more affordable housing. They have shared their views on a range of issues, including the return to in-office work.
While I share their desire for a downtown recovery, when it comes to returning to in-office work, it’s up to employers and workers to determine what’s best.My goal as Mayor is to help create a city that is vibrant and dynamic.
We do that by building more affordable housing close to where people work, and working to fix transit and congestion so that your commute isn’t a chore. So that you have the flexibility to return to the office if it makes sense for you.

 

[evandyk]

As always, it comes down to housing. Toronto is zoned so it's practically impossible to live a reasonable commuting distance from downtown (which also has to do with the TTC and road construction, but they're not the main culprits) unless you bought in/rented a while ago. The quickest fix if they want people coming to work downtown more is probably transit improvements. Not that there's any quick fix in the position we're in now.

Anyways, four years after the pandemic started, the bank CEOs have probably come to their resting point on WFH/hybrid days for their employees and I doubt Chow will talk them into more.

 

[evandyk]

Also, there are tons of people downtown from Tuesday to Thursday. If the landlords in the towers still think they can charge rents based on five days a week of full office occupancy downtown, that's never going to happen again. There is plenty of foot traffic to support viable retail/food businesses.

 

[Northern Light]

As always, it comes down to housing. Toronto is zoned so it's practically impossible to live a reasonable commuting distance from downtown

Not true, at all.

The quickest fix if they want people coming to work downtown more is probably transit improvements. Not that there's any quick fix in the position we're in now.

While you're correct that better transit would be a significant helper, for the banks, a lot of that is on GO Transit which has less rush hour and less midday service on its Lakeshore corridors than it did pre-pandemic.

The return of LSE express trains and 15M weekday, mid-day service would be quite helpful, but that's on Metrolinx. It is, of course, the result of the joint corridor work that I opposed, and many here favoured as if it were consequence-free.....

Anyways, four years after the pandemic started, the bank CEOs have probably come to their resting point on WFH/hybrid days for their employees and I doubt Chow will talk them into more.

As someone whose had conversations with senior management at one bank, I can tell you the CEO is keen on 5-days per week in office.

But 3 days was a bit of a fight, and some other banks were less pushy, and there was concern of some people leaving for the competition if they didn't impose more days as a group.

I expect 4 days will be imposed again on most staff, but not before September at the earliest, and more likely January '25. But its never a done deal til its past tense.

 

[evandyk]

Yes, Go Transit is critical to getting people into the towers downtown for sure. I work in one and I'd say over 50% of my colleagues take Go to work.

The CEO of RBC has been outspoken on getting people back in the office. The reality for the banks these days, though, is that if one of them does it alone it would create a serious talent retention problem for them. I doubt any bank will be at four days in the foreseeable future for the drones working in the towers.

The banks are trying the carrot approach with their new towers and other offices, but commuting into downtown is the problem for most people, which won't be solved with beautiful towers and free yoga classes.

 

[SubHuman]

under "Accepted Items for Drop-Off & Pickup"
https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/community-environment-days/

a safe motorized vehicle is required to drop off waste ... Walk-ins, bicycles and manual transportation devices are not permitted.

I have an old desk-top computer and a bunch of other smaller items on their list that I was going to carry there in a large canvas bag, but I guess not if they refuse to allow you to go to a Community Environment Day unless you are driving a motor vehicle.

Edit: Oops. Okay, I now see that's specified for Depot events. It wouldn't make much sense for most or all of the other ones in places like mall parking lots. And even more embarrassing, I said the same dumb thing in another post here a year and a half ago.

 

[Northern Light]

under "Accepted Items for Drop-Off & Pickup"
https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/community-environment-days/

I have an old desk-top computer and a bunch of other smaller items on their list that I was going to carry there in a large canvas bag, but I guess not if they refuse to allow you to go to a Community Environment Day unless you are driving a motor vehicle.

The car requirement is only for the events held at the Transfer Stations. Most of which have the drop-off locations well into facilities that have large truck traffic.

The events in the community do not require you to arrive in a car. (those are the vast majority of Environment day events)

 

[afransen]

As someone whose had conversations with senior management at one bank, I can tell you the CEO is keen on 5-days per week in office.

But 3 days was a bit of a fight, and some other banks were less pushy, and there was concern of some people leaving for the competition if they didn't impose more days as a group.

I expect 4 days will be imposed again on most staff, but not before September at the earliest, and more likely January '25. But its never a done deal til its past tense.

Definitely. Companies are boiling the frog and all ratcheting up RTO with the ultimate goal of 100% full-time office attendance. They just don't want to front-run and be too out of step with competitors. I guess a consequence of our cozy oligopoly in many sectors leading to monopsony on talent.