Mayor John Tory has announced his picks for key committee roles at City Hall, as well as a number of new special positions where councilors will be chosen to “champion” important files ranging from Toronto’s night-time economy to the 2026 FIFA World Cup .
Tory detailed the election in an email sent to councilors ahead of a meeting of the city’s strike committee, which has yet to formally sign off on his election.
Tory said he will appoint his deputy mayor, Jennifer McKelvey, to chair the infrastructure and environment committee, while Shelley Carroll will lead the economic and community development committee, Brad Bradford will serve as the city’s champion for housing, and James Pasternak will lead the general government and licensing committee.
John Burnside, who is beginning his second term as a city councilor after a four-year absence, was elected chairman of the TTC.
He replaces Jay Robinson in this role. Meanwhile, Robinson will take on a special position related to Toronto’s role as host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Throughout this process, I have been focused on placing people in city government in positions where they can best contribute to the agenda that the people of Toronto have elected me to carry out. I want to thank all of you for taking the time to speak with me over the past few weeks,” Tory said in the email to councillors.
Two new members of the executive committee
While Tory will now have sole responsibility for the city’s budget under the new “strong mayor” legislation, he chose to re-appoint Gary Crawford as his budget chief.
In his email, Tory said Crawford “understands the importance of this process and the need to invest in and protect key city services while keeping tax increases low and livability in our city affordable.”
While many Tory executive committee members from the council’s last term will return, the mayor says newcomers Amber Morley and Lily Cheng will also be welcomed into the fold.
The Tories had backed Morley’s opponent, Mark Grimes, in Etobicoke-Lakeshore ahead of the October municipal election.
“Amber has experience working here at City Hall and in her community. In the election, she promised to build a fair and inclusive community for all – I share that goal and want to make sure we all stay focused on that during the challenging times ahead,” Tory said in her email.
Tory also recommended that former TDSB trustee and newly elected city councilor Chris Moyes be appointed to the Board of Health and elected to chair the board.
However, the chairman role will be decided by the members of the Health Council.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the importance of the role of Health Board Chair. I believe Chris Moyes has the experience as a former trustee and community leader to chair this board,” Tory said.
The following advisors were also assigned to newly created special roles related to key files:
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Paul Ainslie – Night Economy
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Jay Robinson – FIFA World Cup
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Mike Colle – Mental Health
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Vince Crisanti – Sr
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Chris Moyes – Small Business
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Nick Mantas – Technology and Innovation
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Stephen Holliday – Cutting red tape and customer service
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