NOW Magazine has published an article on the rogue federal public agency, Ports Toronto, and its sale of 30 Bay Street for $96 million. You will find it here.

https://nowtoronto.com/news/ports-toronto-sale-waterfront-headquarters/

The article makes clear that Transport Minister Marc Garneau has ignored the local Member of Parliament, Adam Vaughan. Until now Vaughan has been the effective voice of local residents concerned about Waterfront issues, and it is deeply disturbing that he has been cut out of decision making by his own government.

The Waterfront now is controlled by governments, corporations and government agencies willing to sacrifice public assets to private profits. They include: Waterfront Toronto, Ports Toronto, Porter Airlines, property developers, Toronto City Council and the federal and Ontario governments.

Local residents and the public have been effectively shut out of any influence. From Humber Bay to Leslie Street, all along Toronto’s Waterfront, it is big corporate interests that dominate. The promise of a “clean, green waterfront” has become a distant memory.

We need a waterfront for the people: not profits, not airplanes, not housing exclusively for the affluent. We need a people’s waterfront open for all to enjoy, where recreation is encouraged, wildlife is protected, and communities are created that are diverse, environmentally sustainable and value the quality of life.

We will never get it unless the dominant voices in the decision making process are the people.