Let’s try to save the world with spreadsheets. Again. If the people of Toronto want to stop the mayor and his brother from seizing control of the Port Lands and pushing forward with a new vision controlled by private developers, we need five votes.
As with the Jarvis vote in July, the above is a best-guess breakdown of how councillors will vote on item EX9.6 when it comes before council on September 21. Again, it’s important to remember that this isn’t written in stone — some councillors could very well change their mind. Some councillors may even hit the wrong button when voting. It happens.
The first column above refers to item EX45.15, considered by council way back in the halcyon days of Mayor David Miller. It represents the only noted instance I can find in recent history of right-wing councillors attempting to slow or stop work by Waterfront Toronto. In this instance, which took place at the July 6, 2010 meeting of council, Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong rose and asked for an amendment on an item related to the Don Mouth Naturalization and Waterfront Toronto’s plan for the Lower Don Lands, a parcel of land within what the larger Port Lands area.
Minnan-Wong’s amendment called for two things: first, that Waterfront Toronto “submit to Council, a Business and Implementation Plan for the Lower Don Lands with priority for Phase 1 (Don River Mouth), addressing capital costs, revenue and expenditures, funding, project phasing and land management.” That language is similar to what we saw in the report associated with the Port Lands item that came before Executive Committee yesterday. The second thing Minnan-Wong asked for was that “no further funding of consultants and studies be undertaken until the funding sources and Business and Implementation Plan are approved by Council.” I’ve included the voting results from the second part of his amendment in the chart above.
More notes on methodology: Councillors who are on the Executive Committee will all presumably vote with the mayor at the upcoming Council Session. The only exception could be Jaye Robinson, who was notably absent when the vote took place in Committee Room 1 yesterday. Watch her closely. Councillors close to or at 100% “Ford Nation” percentage are virtual locks to support this Ford-driven motion, though I’ve left Gary Crawford as a question mark as a long-shot hope. I’m working off the assumption that the traditional left-leaning bloc will all vote against the item, which seems pretty safe. Both Josh Matlow and Mary Margaret-McMahon have tweeted their support for Waterfront Toronto, the latter enthusiastically so.
So, what next? Email or call the councillors identified as undecided or potential swing votes. Their contact information is below. Your voice is especially important if you live in their ward. (But if you don’t, and happen to know someone who does, spend some time informing them of the issue and ask them to contact their councillor.) Consider contacting neighbourhood associations, ratepayer groups and local BIAs as well, and ask them how they feel about a new mall opening up in the Port Lands and the impact that will have on small-scale retail space in the city. CodeBlueTO has a great letter you can use as a starting point for your communications. If you get concrete word on how any councillor plans to vote, please let me know so I can update this chart.
Contact information for councillors
Councillor James Pasternak (Ward 10 – York Centre)
Phone:Â 416-392-1371
Email:Â councillor_pasternak@toronto.ca
 Councillor Josh Colle (Ward 15 – Eglinton-Lawrence)
Phone: 416-392-4027
Email:Â councillor_colle@toronto.ca
Councillor Ana Baiḷo (Ward 18 РDavenport)
Phone: 416-392-7012
Email: councillor_bailao@toronto.ca
Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 – Don Valley West)
Phone: 416-395-6408
Email: councillor_robinson@toronto.ca
Councillor Gary Crawford (Ward 36 – Scarborough Southwest)
Phone: 416-392-4052
Email: councillor_crawford@toronto.ca
Councillor Chin Lee (Ward 41 – Scarborough-Rouge River)
Phone: 416-392-1375
Email:Â councillor_lee@toronto.ca
Councillor Ron Moeser (Ward 44 – Scarborough East)
Phone: 416-392-1373
Email: councillor_moeser@toronto.ca
Tags: ana bailao, chin lee, city council scorecard, gary crawford, james pasternak, jaye robinson, josh colle, josh matlow, mary-margaret mcmahon, ron moeser, waterfront, waterfront toronto