City hall marathon meeting lasts 24 hours

City hall marathon meeting lasts 24 hours. Mayor Rob Ford, right, has a word with Deputy Mayor and Etobicoke Centre Councillor Doug Holyday during the marathon executive committee meeting on today and yesterday at Toronto City Hall. Staff photo/DAVID NICKLE

In the end - during Friday morning's early rush hour - the committee chaired by Mayor Rob Ford voted to send the recommendations from KPMG to City Manager Joe Pennachetti, who'll report back to the executive committee in September, with recommendations about which services to keep and which to either reduce or remove.

"This is one of the proudest days I've ever experienced in city hall," said Ford, speaking to the members of the public still present Friday morning.

"We've never had a 24-hour session - whether you agree or disagree with what we're saying. You're here and you truly believe in why you're here."

Hundreds of citizens came to city hall, camping out for a marathon meeting the likes of which Toronto has never before seen.

Nearly all of the participants were critical of the KPMG report, and urged the committee to preserve service in public transit, public libraries and policing.

The marathon public hearing was like no other set of deputations since megacity amalgamation.

Early on, Mayor Ford and the executive committee rejected pleas to move the event into the larger venue of the Toronto Council Chamber, so the city set up overflow rooms in other committee rooms while deputations occurred in the main committee room.

Those rooms soon turned into giddy, good-natured parties as activists brought food and coffee for the people, many of whom waited for more than 10 hours for their chance to address the executive committee for just three minutes.

In Committee Room 1, the committee heard again and again that the cuts indicated by the KPMG report weren't appropriate.

Mary Hynes came in early, in the spirit of Jonathan Swift, with a "modest proposal."

"You should get rid of the entire library system - far to many people use the library to improve literacy and to understand their local government," she said.

"While you're at it, get rid of the city's website showing information on how the city works. You would save millions. If people can't afford to live in Toronto, let them get another job or leave."

Tim Whalley from Scarborough Arts urged the committee to preserve arts funding for local programs.

"Local arts groups offer free programs with the aim of creating a strong sense of belonging," he said. "We are inclusive - we offer something for all ages, skill levels and interests. We all know that Scarborough has six of the 13 priority neighbourhoods - these are low income communities where community members don't have the funds to do this themselves. So your support is integral."

In the days leading up to the mega-meeting, several members of Mayor Ford's inner circle suggested that most deputations coming before committee came from special interest groups, while ordinary Torontonians - who might support cuts - were busy at work.

Henry Faber, who spoke in the evening, bristled at the accusation.

"It's been said that only taxpayers are working in the city during the day - but here we are into the wee hours and I haven't heard anyone support any of these ideas," he said. "I think Torontonians know what they've got and they're willing to fight for it."

Jason Adam Robins was one who expressed himself with barely-contained anger.

"I don't believe any of you will suffer as a result of these cuts," he said. "I frankly believe you don't understand what you're doing. You're elected officials. I don't think you understand the weight of your office, and based on your choices, you won't. Are you prepared to hinder and hang your entire political life on this KPMG report?"

Retired high school teacher David Owen called plans to possibly close library branches "heresy" and 14-year-old Anika Tabovaradan broke down in tears in fear that her local library, in Scarborough's Woodside Square shopping centre, might close down.

One deputant gave his presentation using a sock puppet; another delivered his in spoken verse.

Susan Wesson sang a song about libraries: "One building, one book, is all that it took, to pass on my passion for reading â?¦"

Some familiar faces from trade unions did attend. The committee heard from the union representing city inside workers, Toronto's transit workers union, the paramedics' union - and Maureen O'Reilly, president of the city's library workers' union.

She pointed to the petition with 39,000 signatures - a number boosted by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, who used her Twitter account to publicize the cause - as an indication that city residents wouldn't stand for a cutback to library services.

"You asked Torontonians to come to this meeting and they have," she said. "But you must also listen to the others who have spoken already - 13,000 who participated in the public consultation process. Those citizens do not want to see cuts to city services, to the library services."

In total, more than 340 people registered to make deputations. As the meeting wore on into the early morning, many fell off the list. In the end, 200 deputations spoke.

Activist Dave Meslin used his deputation to point out that the meeting was designed to exclude people.

"How many businesses would call a meeting for 4 a.m.?" he said.

"You would not (Mayor Ford) because you're a good businessman and that would be disrespectful. This is not a respectful meeting. If you want to trample democracy that's fine, but don't call it respecting the taxpayer, because that's false advertising. That's no way to run a business."

The tone of some of the deputations got under the skin of councillors on the executive committee.

Ward 7 Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti said he was "a little disappointed in some of the behaviour."

"I don't appreciate the name calling of certain councillors and the mayor - I don't appreciate how some of the deputants behaved, throwing things, not wanting to listen to the chair and continue on their rampage."

But councillors on the left were proud of the deputations.

"This was the most important night in the history of the new city. This was the first time Toronto came out and spoke with a unified voice over a 24 hour meeting about the kind of city we're going to have," said Parkdale-High Park Councillor Gord Perks.

"Every single person with three exceptions out of 200 said they want to maintain and preserve the important services. I've never experienced anything like it."