The City of Toronto saw some big changes in 2023, including the resignation of John Tory, the swearing in of a new mayor and ending the year with the signing of a sweeping new contract for the city that will inject billions into the city's coffers.
These headline-grabbing events were just some of the changes introduced at City Hall this year. This was joined by several new initiatives covering a range of topics including housing, drinking in parks and helping businesses cope with recent challenges such as public health crises and lockdowns.
Here are just a few of the biggest changes coming to Toronto City Hall in 2023:
Tory out, Chow in
John Tory shocked Toronto in February when he announced he would resign as mayor of Toronto following a shocking revelation revealing an affair between Tory and a former staffer.
Four months later, Olivia Chow was elected Toronto's 66th mayor after a tumultuous two-month election campaign in which many politicians vied for the city's top job.
Alcohol in parks
The city introduced a pilot program in 2023 that allows alcohol consumption in 27 parks.
Despite some setbacks with signage and selective implementation of the program, the city council considered the pilot project a success and agreed to extend the program until March 2024.
Washrooms in parks
If you want to provide a pleasant atmosphere for people in parks, you should ensure that they have adequate infrastructure to relieve themselves.
In keeping with the Alcohol in Parks pilot, in 2023 the city has finally begun to get its act together on terrible park infrastructure, including opening seasonal park washrooms at the earliest.
New parks and public spaces
In addition to the above changes to existing parks, the city opened several new public spaces in 2023.
The Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Community Recreation Center and Library (pronounced Etta-nonna Wasti-nuh) now welcomes the public next to Bessarion subway station in North York.
Another new space introduced in 2023 was Lillian McGregor Park, a lush urban oasis built on a parking garage next to a new condo tower at Yonge and Wellesley.
Perhaps the most talked-about park opening of 2023 was the long-awaited Love Park, a heart-shaped space at Queen's Quay and Simcoe that has already proven popular in its first season of operation.
Other public spaces the city is opening in 2023 include the One Yonge Community Center and Aquabella Child Care Center in downtown and the Macaulay Centers for Children – Tippett Child Care Center in North York.
Business recovery
The city touts its successes in supporting small businesses in 2023, including programs such as CaféTO, Main Street Recovery and Rebuild grant programs, as well as its role in hosting the Small Business Forum in October and a mix of webinars and training.
Toronto also hosted the Collision Tech Conference in June, welcoming approximately 40,000 innovators, tech experts and visitors from around the world. The conference is scheduled to return to Toronto in 2024.
New business
Toronto ended the year with a big win, signing a new contract with the province that gave the city $7.6 billion in capital relief.
These include handing the Gardiner Expressway into provincial hands, a plan to bring 70 new subways to the TTC and several other incentives that will ease Toronto's crushing financial burden.
It was also a blow to groups opposed to the Ontario Place mega-spa, as the agreement clarified details at the municipal level that would allow the controversial project to move forward.
In addition to all of these successes, the city praises itself for the progress made in many departments over the past year.
Other achievements touted in a recent summary released by the city include progress on affordable housing goals, the Toronto Community Crisis Response Service, expansion of the FitnessTO program, steps to increase housing support, transportation and congestion issues, promoting Indigenous reconciliation and climate leadership.