Complaint takes aim at Tory's ties to Rogers, alleging conflict of interest during ActiveTO debate
Mayor's office denies allegations, says staff report made 'no mention of that organization'Mayor John Tory's office denies allegations made in a complaint to the city's integrity commissioner. He's accused of a conflict of interest involving a debate on ActiveTO, a pandemic program that allowed pedestrians and cyclists to use Lake Shore Boulevard on summer weekends.
"We recognize ActiveTO played a crucial role in encouraging people to get outside and moving again, at a time when entertainment options were limited; however, the location of this program in 2022 drastically impacts fans' ability to access the ballpark on summer weekends, when baseball is a main attraction in the city," Shapiro wrote.
"This vote was about a city program that the mayor introduced and championed throughout the pandemic and this was a very broad public issue involving all road users in the city," spokesperson Don Peat said when asked to comment on the complaint. Meanwhile, Transportation Services staff recommended in a report debated June 15 that the road closures be dialled back because of traffic delays and the impact on the bevy of events happening in the city this summer.Given the number of planned events and the volume of construction projects, staff said there might be one more ActiveTO closure this year. Council then approved a motion to improve pedestrian and cycling as part of the 2023 Western Waterfront Master Plan.
"[H]e's declared interests in more than two dozen files over the last three years, where he hasn't voted or taken part in the debate due to his ties to Rogers," he said.