The Scarborough one-stop subway will proceed to construction along with the McCowan bus station following eight hours of debate at City Council Tuesday. The windy session seemed to cover ground previously well trod. In the end, arguments like “the City can’t wait” and “in thirty years no one will care” prevailed over what seems to many to be simple common sense. A better system by LRT for less money. How much of the support in Scarborough is based purely on politics? We can only guess. There are ten wards there and only Paul Ainslie was opposed to the subway. There is deep resentment against Toronto which seems to grow more bitter with each kilometre east. When Councillor Glen De Baeremaeker baited residents at a panel meeting Monday about downtown perceptions of “Scarberia” he might just as well have said “and Toronto is where the hated rich people live.” The split in votes saw an interesting collection opposed: Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and Jayne Robinson (Ward 25) quite different politically but hard-headed about money. Odd bedfellows Mike Layton and Giorgio Mammoliti sided together.
| Result: Carried | Majority Required – EX23.1 – Balance of Executive Committee Item EX23.1 as amended |
| Yes: 26 | Ana Bailão, Jon Burnside, John Campbell, Christin Carmichael Greb, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Justin J. Di Ciano, Frank Di Giorgio, Michael Ford, Mark Grimes, Michelle Holland, Stephen Holyday, Jim Karygiannis, Norman Kelly, Chin Lee, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, James Pasternak, Neethan Shan, David Shiner, Michael Thompson, John Tory |
| No: 18 | Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Shelley Carroll, Joe Cressy, Janet Davis, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Mary Fragedakis, Mike Layton, Giorgio Mammoliti, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Joe Mihevc, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Kristyn Wong-Tam |
| Absent: 1 | Ron Moeser |
