Latest news with #CityOfToronto
CBC
4 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Proposed lawsuit alleges Toronto violated refugees' rights by denying shelter beds
A proposed class-action lawsuit against the City of Toronto alleges the city violated refugee claimants' Charter rights by denying them access to shelter beds for nearly a year. The proposed suit was filed on behalf of refugees, refugee claimants and asylum seekers who sought shelter in Toronto and were unable to get a bed between Nov. 7, 2022 and Oct. 1, 2023, when it says the city stopped allowing claimants to access its base shelter system. It also includes shelter seekers who were told to contact either Service Canada or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which the suit says were unable to provide housing assistance. The lawsuit requires certification from a judge to proceed. It also alleges the city's practice disproportionately impacted members of the Black community, as many of the refugee claimants had arrived from countries with predominantly Black populations. City spokesperson Elise von Scheel says the city will respond "in due course" and has no further comment as the case is before the court.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Toronto searching for new Parks and Recreation head
The Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square is shown at city hall in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Evan Buhler The City of Toronto is searching for a new head for its Parks & Recreation department following a sudden departure. Howie Dayton, who headed up the department since April 2024, is no longer in his role, sources told CTV News Toronto. The city did not comment on the change or provide any reason. Just a couple of weeks ago Dayton helped unveil a program to allow local residents to sign up early for recreation programs in some areas. However, his departure follows a year in which the department faced criticism multiple times. Last year, Toronto's auditor general released a pair of damning reports on the department. One of them revealed some parks staff were allegedly falsifying their time sheets, hanging out plazas, malls and restaurants for hours when they said they were doing maintenance work in city parks. City staff later told the audit committee that they made a 'business decision' not to install GPS trackers in some of the department's vehicles, even though doing so was relatively cheap. Another report found that it took months for some repairs to be made to park benches and playground equipment. In some cases, city staff failed to identify any problems at all at parks where there was rusty playground equipment and holes burned through park benches. The department was also responsible for overseeing procurement for two new electric ferries. It was revealed in July that while the cost of the ferry replacement had been budgeted at $25 million, the estimate for the purchase had ballooned to $92 million. Some city councillors suggested at the time that the department may have been in over its head when it came to handling the large purchase. Nevertheless, Mayor Olivia Chow's latest budget in February handed the department a 13 per cent increase, bringing its total budget to around $599 million. Some councillors slammed the move, but Chow's office defended the increase at the time, saying none of the additional funds would go to the failing parts of the department, but to instead hire 478 new staff to expand existing programs. Dayton was the director of community recreation at the city for nearly nine years before becoming the acting general manager of the Parks, Forestry and Recreation department in September 2023. Last year he made around $268,000 in his role, according to Ontario's public sector salary disclosure, also known as the Sunshine List. As of Tuesday afternoon, the city's website still listed him as head of the Parks and Recreation department. In an email, the city said Tom Azouz will serve as the Acting General Manager of Parks and Recreation 'effective while the recruitment process for the permanent GM of Parks and Recreation is underway.' Mayor Olivia Chow's office did not respond to an email asking if she was involved in discussions to pick a new head for the department. Dayton declined to comment on his departure. With files from CTV Toronto's Natalie Johnson
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Toronto searching for new Parks and Recreation head
The Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square is shown at city hall in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Evan Buhler The City of Toronto is searching for a new head for its Parks & Recreation department following a sudden departure. Howie Dayton, who headed up the department since April 2024, is no longer in his role, sources told CTV News Toronto. The city did not comment on the change or provide any reason. Just a couple of weeks ago Dayton helped unveil a program to allow local residents to sign up early for recreation programs in some areas. However, his departure follows a year in which the department faced criticism multiple times. Last year, Toronto's auditor general released a pair of damning reports on the department. One of them revealed some parks staff were allegedly falsifying their time sheets, hanging out plazas, malls and restaurants for hours when they said they were doing maintenance work in city parks. City staff later told the audit committee that they made a 'business decision' not to install GPS trackers in some of the department's vehicles, even though doing so was relatively cheap. Another report found that it took months for some repairs to be made to park benches and playground equipment. In some cases, city staff failed to identify any problems at all at parks where there was rusty playground equipment and holes burned through park benches. The department was also responsible for overseeing procurement for two new electric ferries. It was revealed in July that while the cost of the ferry replacement had been budgeted at $25 million, the estimate for the purchase had ballooned to $92 million. Some city councillors suggested at the time that the department may have been in over its head when it came to handling the large purchase. Nevertheless, Mayor Olivia Chow's latest budget in February handed the department a 13 per cent increase, bringing its total budget to around $599 million. Some councillors slammed the move, but Chow's office defended the increase at the time, saying none of the additional funds would go to the failing parts of the department, but to instead hire 478 new staff to expand existing programs. Dayton was the director of community recreation at the city for nearly nine years before becoming the acting general manager of the Parks, Forestry and Recreation department in September 2023. Last year he made around $268,000 in his role, according to Ontario's public sector salary disclosure, also known as the Sunshine List. As of Tuesday afternoon, the city's website still listed him as head of the Parks and Recreation department. In an email, the city said Tom Azouz will serve as the Acting General Manager of Parks and Recreation 'effective while the recruitment process for the permanent GM of Parks and Recreation is underway.' Mayor Olivia Chow's office did not respond to an email asking if she was involved in discussions to pick a new head for the department. Dayton declined to comment on his departure. With files from CTV Toronto's Natalie Johnson
CBC
7 days ago
- General
- CBC
Bikeway construction on The Esplanade draws community controversy
Social Sharing Some downtown residents say they are opposed to a bikeway on The Esplanade but the city of Toronto says more than half of respondents it consulted four years ago said they supported the project. At a news conference Wednesday, resident Sharon Danley said the city must keep the needs of all residents in mind when it comes to its bike lane plans. The news conference was organized by the Downtown Concerned Citizens Organization, which says it represents 58,000 residents in three wards. "Bike lanes restrict road space," Danley said. "Bike lanes have turned streets into parking lots, with residents unable to shop, get their kids to events, and seriously impact emergency services and Wheel-Trans." Danley said the bike lanes are also having an impact on seniors and people with disabilities, forcing those who take the bus to walk further than before and making Wheels-Trans pickup "unduly risky." Vehicles cannot park close enough to the curb to extend their ramps over the sidewalk due to the bikeway and people in wheelchairs are affected, she said. "Bike lanes prioritize able-bodied young male cyclists while ignoring seniors and the disabled who can't cycle. Yet we are supposed to be an accessible city," Danley said. Bikeway being constructed as part of road work, city says In a news release on Wednesday, the city said it awarded a contract in March 2024 to build a bikeway on The Esplanade between east of Yonge Street and Market Street as part of water main, sewer and road work. Public consultation on the project took place from October 2019 to March 2021, the city said. The consultation introduced the project to the community and helped the city to identify needs and priorities, it added. A total of 74 per cent of respondents said they agree or strongly agree that the bikeway would meet the goals of the project, which were to improve safety for everyone, make walking, cycling and taking transit more attractive and maintain access to local and citywide destinations, according to the city. The city said crews are continuing to work on The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection Project. Once completed, a two-way cycle track on The Esplanade will run from Bayview to Lower Sherbourne Street, from Lower Sherbourne Street to Lower Jarvis, and west of George Street to west of Scott Street. The city says it will then upgrade the bikeways on The Esplanade, from west of George Street to Berkeley Street, to ensure they "more seamlessly integrate with the streetscape." In a March 10 construction notice, the city said there will be road and sidewalk restrictions within the work zone but: "Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times." The city said the contractor will notify residents of any temporary restrictions to their driveway access, and if a property has two entrances, one will be kept open at all times. Margaret Samuel, a resident of the ward and a lawyer, said The Esplanade between Yonge and Jarvis streets is a "vital" secondary artery in the city, but the "economic viability" of many nearby businesses, including St. Lawrence Market, is being affected by the bikeway construction. Samuel questioned whether the city can proceed with the bikeway given Ontario's Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, which came into effect in 2024, says cities need provincial government approval for new bike lanes that remove a lane of traffic. According to the city, projects with contracts awarded before the new rules kicked in can continue without restrictions. "Because this contract was awarded before the rules took effect, the City can move forward with the Esplanade-Mill Street Connection project as approved by Toronto City Council," the city said. The Esplanade connects with existing network: advocate Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, a charity that says it works to make Toronto a healthier cycling city, said he does not agree with the residents' assessment of the bikeway. "This is the kind of secondary road that in theory Bill 212 would be supporting," he said. "The Esplanade is technically classified as a collector. So again, if we can't put a bikeway on the collector, or on the Esplanade, which is beside a park that has lots of destinations, lots of apartments, lots of people who live there, I kind of question where can the city put bikeways?" he said. "When we're looking at bikes as part of a city's transportation network, you want to make sure that bike lanes are connecting to destinations," Longfield said, adding The Esplanade is an example of just that.
CBC
26-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Toronto boosting security funding for festivals by $2.1M
Toronto boosting security funding for festivals by $2.1M News Duration 2:03 The City of Toronto is boosting security funding for festivals by $2.1 million. Mayor Olivia Chow made the announcement at a festival safety summit attended by organizers of some of Toronto's biggest events. CBC's Dale Manucdoc has the story.
