Oh God, is the Toronto Casino Debate Back Again?

Crossposted from Torontoist.
We hope you like reruns!

Oxford Properties' 2012 casino proposal. Image via Urban Toronto.

Oxford Properties’ 2012 casino proposal. Image via Urban Toronto.

Time is a flat circle. Three years after we declared a downtown casino “well and truly dead,” it’s back on the table. Here’s a quick guide to what happened last time, why we’re back here again, and what might happen.

Read more at Torontoist

Five years ago yesterday…

…I walked into Toronto City Hall for the first time ever. I’d lived in Toronto since 2003, but I had very little interest in city politics—I was too busy first being a student, and later being poor. Then word started going around about proposed sweeping budget cuts. I was worried about how it would affect Parkdale, the neighbourhood I’d moved to in 2009 and grown to love. The mayor had said he would sit at City Hall and listen all night, if need be, to people’s concerns. How often do you get a promise that the mayor will listen to you, personally?

So, off I went. It was magical. You can read my account here. (Or the Star’s. Or Torontoist‘s liveblog. Or watch Matt Elliott’s hand-picked highlights.) I got thrown out near the end, when I yelled “Shut the fuck up” at Cllr Mammoliti. (I was horribly ashamed at the time. I cried about letting down all the councillors who had behaved with such dignity and composure all night. Later, I would learn that this was a normal response to Mammoliti and I was just saying what everyone else was thinking.)

I was hooked, and I kept going back. Normally cautious about privacy, I unlocked my Twitter account so I could livetweet and talk to strangers. I started reading reports and writing blog posts. I became part of a cadre of amateur City Council watchers who followed City Hall for fun—and later, as a calling, as many became writers, editors, political staff, and activists. Many of the people from the 2011 all-night meeting became familiar faces, friends, colleagues, and even chosen family.

I remember the morning I showed up to a Budget Committee meeting and realized that being motivated to show up to Budget Committee meetings in the morning was a rare gift. I remember that night in the pub I started crying because I realized politics could be a genuine career and a ticket out of poverty. I remember when people started buying me beer. I remember the first time I knocked on a door for a Council candidate and asked a complete stranger to vote for them. (It was fucking terrifying, and I’ve done it countless times since.)

It’s been a wonderful five years. I’m intensely grateful for it, and uncertain but optimistic about what the future will bring. Thanks to everyone for reading and being a part of this journey. I will totally hit you up to fund my publication/campaign in the future.

City Council Preview: July 2016

Crossposted from Torontoist.


This is the last City Council meeting before its two-month summer break, and boy, is it a doozy. On the agenda: yet another Scarborough subway/light rail showdown, supervised injection sites, the Road Safety Plan, street hockey, the latest craft brewery, and more.

Continue reading City Council Preview: July 2016

Municipal Budget 2017: Brace Yourselves, Budget Cuts Are Coming

As City staff gear up for the 2017 budget process, the mayor has declared that an above-inflation property tax revenue increase is off the table. Council has also successfully pushed off introducing any new revenue tools until next year. What does that mean for the budget? We read the City Manager’s latest report so you don’t have to.

Read more at Torontoist…

Let’s Read: Toronto’s Long-Term Financial Direction

For years, the City of Toronto has been deliberately taking in less revenue while expanding infrastructure and services. Forget the “efficiency” bullshit—this has largely been made possible through unsustainable and unreliable funding sources. In this new report, top City bureaucrats warn City Council that they can’t postpone tough decisions any more.

Here’s the full report. It’s like 40 pages. Are you gonna read it? Hell, no! So here’s the gist.

Continue reading Let’s Read: Toronto’s Long-Term Financial Direction

City Council Preview: March 2016

Hello, friends. We’ve crawled out of post-budget recuperation to bring you this guide to the next City Council meeting. On this month’s agenda: SmartTrack, the East Gardiner, bees, tennis, ca$h for gold, Black Lives Matter, and more.

Read more at Torontoist…