We probably should’ve seen it coming. Last Wednesday, at the inaugural city council meeting of the 2022-2026 term, John Tory’s final term as mayor of Toronto, he assured us, serious as a heart attack this time, he assured us, during his opening speech addressing the strong mayoral powers, parts one & deux, the first we knew about, it being provincially legislated during the municipal campaign earlier this year, the second, out of the blue, after the election had taken place, additional strong powers, still making their way through the legislative process at Queen’s Park in the form of Bill 39, additional strong powers that John Tory himself had secretly requested of Doug Ford, during the campaign and which he didn’t think necessary to reveal to the voting public until after he’d been re-elected. In fact, John Tory didn’t inform the public. Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, did in taking questions from the press. Continue reading →