Toronto votes to take the province of Ontario to court

Toronto City Council has just voted to take the Province of Ontario to court over Bill 5, or the Better Local Government Act.

The bill passed last week and cut Toronto's council nearly in half. 

Council organized a special meeting today to debate their next steps, weigh legal options, and speak with the city solicitor. 

After a lengthy private session, council resumed in the public gallery and voted on whether it would challenge the province. The vote passed 27-15. 

Cllr Matlow's motions handily passed today at the special council meeting. City of Toronto will now launch legal action against Ford's Bill 5 undemocratic, vindicative, gerrymandering, slashing of Cllrs in the middle of the municipal election. Stand tall Toronto! It's not over. pic.twitter.com/0iWrUo3Orc

— SharkDancing (@SharkDancing) August 20, 2018

From here, the city will "exhaust all legal avenues," according to the motion that passed. The hearing date for the court challenge is currently scheduled for August 31. 

About a dozen councillors introduced petitions from their wards' residents instructing them to oppose the cuts. Mayor John Tory also expressed his support for legal action against the province. 

City staff expressed that returning to a 47-councillor model by the time of the municipal election would perhaps not be possible. They have allegedly worked 18-hour days for three weeks preparing for the new 25-councillor model. 

Meanwhile, in a speech in Ottawa, Premier Doug Ford says he has "never ever had more positive feedback than what we did at the City of Toronto." 

I appreciate the opportunity to address attendees at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa this morning. We are committed to working with our municipal partners on shared priorities, including infrastructure, transit, and public safety. #AMOConf18 pic.twitter.com/tk7hFyJKds

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) August 20, 2018

The City's legal plan was also the subject to a vote, specifically on whether it would be released to the public. That motion did not pass. 

by Michael Ott via blogTO