Shock, disappointment, hope: What Torontonians are feeling after Tory's abrupt decision to resign
CBC
What's it like in Toronto the day after yet another political bombshell in the mayor's office?
It depends on who you ask.
Some Torontonians who spoke with CBC Toronto's field crews expressed disappointment that Mayor John Tory, who just cruised to his third term last October, is stepping down following a relationship with an ex-staffer – a revelation first reported by the Toronto Star Friday evening. Others voiced hope a better leader would take his place.
But one feeling they all shared: shock.
"We don't need this right now," said Marla Hanson.
"There's just so much stuff going on in the city ... like our homeless issue, our infrastructure issues, all the mess of construction and how hard it is to get around the city. All [of] these things are just going to be thrown up in the air."
Ivy Chan said when she heard the announcement Friday night, she was "surprised" to see Tory step down.
"We like him," Chan said, noting Tory's worked for the city for years.
"He did a lot of things … good things for the City of Toronto."
Tory first became mayor in 2014 during the turbulent time following Rob Ford's tenure in office, and appeared focused on creating a sense of stability in the city.
However, Tory is leaving his post amid heightened criticism about the state of Toronto under his leadership. His opponents spent the leadup to the October 2022 municipal election attacking Tory for the city's high cost of housing, aging infrastructure, overflowing garbage bins and more.
Last week, Tory was under further scrutiny for opting against opening more 24-7 warming centres for people without homes.
Some Torontonians are hoping Tory's exit will lead to change at city hall.
Political science students at the University of Toronto Aisha Philippe and Yehjen Cha say the news, though shocking, was welcome to them.
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