2021

Dec 30 The year in charts (and Toronto's 2021 lobbyist champ) ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Dec 20 Ending a streak, then starting another ↗ Newsletter Dec 14 Ban the robots, but free the cargo e-bikes to cut traffic congestion on Toronto streets ↗ Star Dec 13 A chart that looks like Pac-Man ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Dec 13 The Week at Toronto City Hall #8 ↗ Newsletter Dec 7 Ontario Line construction threatens to bring ‘car-mageddon’ to downtown Toronto. It doesn’t have to be that way ↗ Star Dec 6 If lamp posts could talk ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Dec 3 The Week at Toronto City Hall #7 ↗ Newsletter Nov 30 Toronto needs more affordable housing. So why is the city leasing so much of its waterfront to movie studios? ↗ Star Nov 29 One last score... ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Nov 26 The Week at Toronto City Hall #6 ↗ Newsletter Nov 23 Want to make Toronto condos cheaper? Stop forcing developers to build parking spots buyers don’t want ↗ Star Nov 22 Watching the dollars ↗ Newsletter Nov 19 The Week at Toronto City Hall #5 ↗ Newsletter Nov 16 Forget the ‘tech bros’ at Uber and Lyft. Toronto’s taxi and ride share system has long been in need of fixing ↗ Star Nov 15 Caught on camera ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Nov 9 Doug Ford plans to spend billions on building highways. Here are three reasons that is absurd ↗ Star Nov 8 Branching out into tree journalism ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Nov 5 The Week at Toronto City Hall #4 ↗ Newsletter Nov 2 A plan to force developers to build more cheap rentals is a game changer. But does Toronto have the stomach for it? ↗ Star Nov 1 Ghosts, goblins and lobbyists ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Oct 29 The Week at Toronto City Hall #3 ↗ Newsletter Oct 26 Even businesses are OK with losing on-street parking. So why would Toronto undo curbside patios? ↗ Star Oct 25 Mr. Mayor and Mr. Rogers ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Oct 22 The Week at Toronto City Hall #2 ↗ Newsletter Oct 19 The need for ‘wartime speed’: Time is running out on using COVID as excuse for delays and reduced service at city hall ↗ Star Oct 18 Gimme shelter survey ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Oct 15 The Week at Toronto City Hall #1 ↗ Newsletter Oct 12 No room for debate ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Oct 12 The TTC wants to attract more ridership after the pandemic — they should try making transit cheaper ↗ Star Oct 5 Forget Doug Ford’s cut to city council. Toronto’s governing woes go much deeper than that — and need a bigger fix ↗ Star Oct 4 The lobbying zone ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Sep 28 $10-a-day child care made for a good campaign slogan. The hard part is turning it into an actual plan ↗ Star Sep 27 Supreme ruling ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Sep 21 Toronto could have spent $2 million to house people — instead, it spent that much to evict them from parks ↗ Star Sep 20 The waiting is the hardest part ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Sep 14 336,000 more people still need to be fully vaccinated for Toronto to hit its goal. Should we pay them to get the jab? ↗ Star Sep 13 The 2021 Toronto Council Power Rankings ↗ Newsletter Sep 7 Lobbyist Watch gets Frank ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Sep 7 Toronto’s construction sites are a dangerous frustration for pedestrians — it’s time for tougher rules ↗ Star Aug 31 Toronto’s plan to give small businesses a tax break is a good idea with one big problem ↗ Star Aug 30 Reform school ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Aug 24 If Toronto police really want to ‘serve and protect’ during COVID-19, they should be fully vaccinated — or be fired ↗ Star Aug 23 Grand Theft Bike: Vice City ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Aug 17 There are two questions Toronto’s mayor should ask party leaders during the federal election. Hint: it’s about the money ↗ Star Aug 16 Cycle analysis ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Aug 10 Want to stop drivers from racing through Toronto’s streets? Expand the use of the city’s successful photo radar cameras ↗ Star Aug 9 Intersection Introspection ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Aug 3 A public process could have led to something spectacular — instead, Doug Ford’s new Ontario Place just offers more of the same ↗ Star Aug 3 Two dose summer of lobbying ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jul 27 Vaccination passports are Toronto’s best way to avoid more lockdowns — so why is no one doing anything about it? ↗ Star Jul 26 What's the story, Team Tory? ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jul 20 Cracks are appearing in John Tory’s hold over city council. He should look at changing up his team as Toronto rebuilds ↗ Star Jul 19 City Hall's out for summer ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jul 13 Spending millions to rename Dundas and other streets will not fix the real inequities in Toronto. Here’s an idea that might help ↗ Star Jul 12 Roomers versus doomers ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jul 6 Toronto finally changes gears on the clearly popular ActiveTO road closures — why’d it take so long? ↗ Star Jul 5 Summertime, and the lobbying is easy ↗ Newsletter Jun 30 Which vaccination clinic in Toronto is the busiest? These four charts show where the jabs are getting done ↗ Star Jun 28 Toronto has high temperatures and low taxes ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jun 21 Hoping for a better recreation sign-up system, Toronto? The wait just got longer ↗ Star Jun 21 Toronto top shots ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jun 14 Gimme shelter ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jun 14 Toronto city hall needs councillors like Gary Crawford who will stand up for affordable housing — and denounce fear-mongering ↗ Star Jun 8 New blue bin system will finally recycle Tim Hortons, Starbucks cups. But Toronto also needs to cut demand ↗ Star Jun 7 Lobbyists turning up the heat ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jun 1 Free rides on the TTC. Food fairs on the Ex grounds. A car-free Yonge and Bloor. It’s time for the city to get creative about fun this summer ↗ Star May 31 Shelter ebbs and shelter flows ↗ Subscribers Newsletter May 25 Spring Scorecard ↗ Subscribers Newsletter May 24 They were blamed and vilified throughout the pandemic, but the youth are showing up in droves for vaccinations ↗ Star May 18 Mayor John Tory is 0-for-2 on big legacy projects. Here’s how to fix that dismal track record if he runs for office again ↗ Star May 17 Employment survey says ↗ Subscribers Newsletter May 11 It’s time for Toronto to think about whether the island airport should fly post-pandemic ↗ Star May 10 Lobbyist fantasy fair ↗ Subscribers Newsletter May 4 Toronto’s city-run LTC homes had a peak mortality rate less than half that of for-profit homes. COVID-19 shows the value of keeping public services in public hands ↗ Star May 3 PayIt forward, PayIt back ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Apr 27 People already ride e-scooters in Toronto. City hall should not ban a much-needed alternative to the car ↗ Star Apr 26 Inspector Gadget ↗ Newsletter Apr 20 Trying to book a COVID-19 vaccine in a hot spot? It helps if you’re a robot ↗ Star Apr 19 RentSafe and sound ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Apr 13 Doug Ford’s confusing colour-coded COVID system has been a dismal failure. Time to scrap it for good ↗ Star Apr 12 ActiveTO a go-go ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Apr 6 World Cup of lobbying ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Apr 5 Ontario should be guided by data — instead, it feels like Doug Ford is guessing ↗ Star Mar 29 Advocacy, not action: Toronto city council spends too much of its time making requests of higher governments ↗ Star Mar 29 The councillors with the worst inboxes ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Mar 23 Wealthy and white: ActiveTO made some progress in diversifying cycling, but more needs to be done ↗ Star Mar 22 The truth about cats and dogs ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Mar 16 To end the pandemic, 70 per cent of Toronto needs to get the COVID-19 shot. School vaccine data shows that will be a struggle ↗ Star Mar 15 Intersection inspection ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Mar 9 Toronto’s vaccine effort needs to be 24/7, with no excuse for delay ↗ Star Mar 8 Cold-blooded lobbying ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Mar 2 When condo-dwellers strike back: Foundry battle shows what happens when community flexes its muscle ↗ Star Mar 1 Artfully chartfully ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Feb 23 With its budget, Toronto council takes slow, careful steps toward police reform — but will it stay the course? ↗ Star Feb 22 Budget in the books ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Feb 16 Settling scores before the budget ↗ Newsletter Feb 15 Gardiner Expressway looms large as Toronto debates budget, but few at city hall want to talk about it ↗ Star Feb 8 For love of lobbying ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Feb 8 Seven years of shuttle buses. Scarborough, remember who led you to this ↗ Star Feb 2 Just $2 a year would keep Toronto’s trails and public toilets open all winter. Why that will never happen under John Tory ↗ Star Feb 1 Groundhog Council ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jan 26 Doug Ford’s government says the Dominion Foundry heritage site must go to create affordable housing. But where’s the plan — and the cash? ↗ Star Jan 25 Hotel Chicanery ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jan 19 Toronto predicts a budget shortfall of almost $1B this year from COVID-19. So why are property taxes only going up $22? ↗ Star Jan 18 🚀 Budget launch ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jan 12 Doug Ford, take note: ‘stay home’ messaging under COVID-19 means nothing for workers without paid sick days ↗ Star Jan 11 Yonge Justice ↗ Subscribers Newsletter Jan 5 Forget the crystal ball: here’s what the lobbying registry says will be the big issues at city hall this year ↗ Star Jan 4 Lobbying in the new year ↗ Subscribers Newsletter