Integrity investigation into Mayor John Tory's alleged conflict of interest in ActiveTO resumes

Toronto Mayor John Tory, speaks during a press conference while inside Queen’s Park in Toronto, Monday, June 27, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

The city’s integrity commissioner has resumed its investigation into Mayor John Tory’s relationship with Rogers, after previously ending the inquiry in August.

The integrity complaint was initially filed by civic activist Adam Chaleff in July, who asked Commissioner Jonathan Batty to look into Tory’s relationship with Rogers after an alleged conflict of interest during a June vote on the ActiveTO program.

In documents previously provided to CP24, Chaleff alleged Tory violated sections of the Municipal Conflict of Interests Act (MCIA) by discussing and voting against the extension of the ActiveTO after Mark Shapiro, CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, wrote a public letter about how the Lake Shore Boulevard West program negatively affected their business.

“Given the unprecedented levels of construction and other diversions in downtown Toronto, removing one of the only ways into and out of the downtown core would be extremely challenging to our fans, who rely on these routes to attend our games,” the June letter reads.

Rogers Communications is the principal owner of the baseball franchise.

“This sequence of events gives rise to concerns that Mayor Tory violated sections 5, 5.1 and 5.2 of the MCIA. The Integrity Commissioner has a duty to conduct an inquiry into the matter and utilize the powers of investigation in Part V of the City of Toronto Act, 2006,” the documents read.

Batty’s investigation into the complaint started Jul. 27, 2022, and about three weeks later, said it was “not feasible” to finish the inquiry by the Aug. 19 deadline. That deadline was the last day candidates could register for their candidacy in the October municipal election.

As detailed in the City of Toronto Act, Batty’s inquiry had to be completed by that day, whether it was finished or not, as it disallows active integrity investigations during an election.

“At this point, I have made no determination one way or the other regarding whether a contravention of the (MCIA) has occurred. The fact that I will not be completing my inquiry by Aug. 19, 2022 must not be interpreted otherwise,” he told CP24 at the time.

Don Peat, executive director of communications and strategic issues management for Tory, tells CTV News Toronto the mayor is “highly confident” he adhered to the law and that his “record on integrity speaks for itself.”

“The Mayor fully cooperated with the Integrity Commissioner’s review before it was stopped due to the election period and we fully expected the complainant would ask for it to start up again after Mayor Tory received a strong and decisive mandate from Toronto voters,” Peat said in an emailed statement.

Peat says the mayor feels he acted appropriately and "in good faith" regarding the ActiveTO issue.

“ActiveTO is a traffic matter that affects thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of residents, and the Mayor has no reasonably discernable personal interest in it, direct or indirect,” he said.

When the inquiry will be finished is unknown, and as the city’s Integrity Commissioner conducts the investigation, the mayor’s office says it will not be making any additional comments at this time.

With files from CP24’s Bryann Aguilar and Kerrisa Wilson