John Tory's op-ed in favour of Scarborough subway draws backlash from Torontonians
'Many of the subway's loudest critics do not live or work in Scarborough,' Tory writes
The Toronto Star may no longer have a comment section on its website, but that didn't stop some angry Torontonians from voicing their displeasure with Mayor John Tory's op-ed for the paper in which he states his support for the Scarborough subway extension.
In the piece, bluntly titled "Why I support the Scarborough subway," Tory says Toronto is "decades behind when it comes to transit" and cites an analysis by chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat and her department which "favoured an express subway extension" over an LRT line.
- Tory defends $900M price hike for Scarborough subway extension
- Scarborough subway extension might not be as busy as expected, but mayor says still worth it
- Kathleen Wynne supports Scarborough subway, despite rising cost estimates
Toronto had previously proposed and moved to create a light rail line in Scarborough, with both the capital and operating costs paid for by the province, but it was scrapped at a cost of $85 million.
Tory argues "many of the subway's loudest critics do not live or work in Scarborough, where more than half the population is born outside of Canada," and that veering away from a subway extension would "delay transit for those who need it, introduce new problems, new costs and a weakened position for our city."
Reaction to his piece, like just about everything in Toronto's transit debate, was heated.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Some were disappointed that Tory's stance on the subway line is the same as the Ford brothers.
Former mayor Rob Ford and his brother Doug Ford, a former city councillor and Tory's rival on election night in 2014, were in favour of a Scarborough line.
Hey, if anyone was wondering how Rob Ford would have turned out, had he attended Upper Canada College. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/topoli?src=hash">#topoli</a> <a href="https://t.co/PrHP3ibcuw">https://t.co/PrHP3ibcuw</a>
—@ImperatorGroverQ: Who was the more politically successful Ford brother, Rob or Doug?<br>A: John Tory. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOpoli?src=hash">#TOpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HotTake?src=hash">#HotTake</a>
—@gabelermanWhen John Tory's mayor, they said, things'll calm down, they said, there'll be nothing to write about, they said. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOpoli?src=hash">#TOpoli</a>
—@cityslikrIssue not black or white, or any colour
Tory's remark that many who oppose the line aren't from the area, which is famously multicultural, made some people see red.
Many accused the mayor of painting those against the subway extension as anti-immigrant.
The idea that not wanting to pay $3.2 billion for a one stop subway is an anti-immigrant stance is asinine, even by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPoli?src=hash">#TOPoli</a>'s low standards.
—@asifintoronto<a href="https://twitter.com/JohnTory">@JohnTory</a> It is very insulting for you as mayor to insinuate that any critic of the SSE is depriving immigrants of transit <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/topoli?src=hash">#topoli</a>
—@neuroticjoseJohn Tory crossed the line with using immigrants to justify Brad Duguids subway. Unethical and cynical. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/topoli?src=hash">#topoli</a>
—@JayBeeGoonerSad, desperate and shameful. I had hoped for much more from a mayor who preached civility. <a href="https://t.co/LoxbsTni2o">https://t.co/LoxbsTni2o</a>
—@JoshMatlowStop the gravy train
Some criticism of Tory was strictly fiscal, particularly the idea of the city spending more than $3 billion in taxpayers' money for a single subway stop.
<a href="https://twitter.com/TorontoStar">@TorontoStar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnTory">@JohnTory</a> Also how dare you pit downtown vs. Scarb. We want transit that makes sense in every part of the city. Not wasted $$$.
—@mariootsa<a href="https://twitter.com/TorontoStar">@TorontoStar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnTory">@JohnTory</a> Waste of money for one stop.
—@ThreeStarPetSubways, subways, subways, please!
Despite the backlash against Tory's article, many expressed the need for a subway extension in Scarborough.
My friends from special needs families say they would rather improved transit than get more services because they can't get to them <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/topoli?src=hash">#topoli</a>
—@kkbxtr<a href="https://twitter.com/TorontoStar">@TorontoStar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnTory">@JohnTory</a> I commute from Etobicoke to the Scarb Civic Centre. Would love to see Line 2 "completed." I would drive much less.
—@kevinc_262but in order for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Toronto?src=hash">#Toronto</a> to become a world class city, it needs more subways <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/topoli?src=hash">#topoli</a>
—@J_EmptyABOUT THE AUTHOR
