Toronto City Council to resume in-person meetings next month

Toronto City Council will resume in-person meetings next month and reopen its public galleries for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All council and committee meetings have been held virtually since March, 2020 but the city announced on Friday morning that it will switch to a new “hybrid model” as of March 22.

It says that going forward members of council will have the option of attending meetings in-person or remotely.

It says that members of the public interested in making a deputation will also have the choice of doing so in-person or virtually.

The change coincides with the city’s plans to have its non-essential workers return to the office, at least part-time, as of March 21.

The city is also planning to fully reopen Toronto City Hall and its civic centres on that date.

“The health and safety of residents, businesses and city staff remain key priorities in the reopening plans. All provincial, public health and occupational health and safety regulations and guidelines will be followed,” the city said in a news release issued Friday morning.

The city says that it is shifting all committee meetings to the council chambers “to maximize space for participants.”

It says that the move to meet in-person will only impact council and committee meetings for now with council advisory bodies, including the Toronto Board of Health, expected to follow suit at a later date.

The first in-person meeting of city council is scheduled for April 6.