There was ample opportunity for Karen Stintz to introduce the Orchard View and Duplex item for questions and debate on Wednesday August 25th. She did not. Remnants of the crowd that had gathered earlier in the day remained throughout Wednesday in the Council Chamber. But, nothing happened.
The culture on Toronto Council was such that matters of a local interest were to be debated and discussed at Community Council first. If approved at Community Council the item progressed to the full Council, downtown. At that final hearing no audience participation was permitted. Residents of Toronto could attend, see and hear the proceedings but could not comment from the floor of the Chamber.
They could however meet with councillors. Community representatives did that. They met with Councillor Michael Walker who speaks for the Ward adjacent to Ward 16. Michael Walker was attending his last Council Meeting after a 28 year career representing Wards in North Toronto. He knew many of the local residents who showed up that day. In fact, he had represented about 75% of Ward 16 in previous Municipal Administrations.
The community explained to Michael Walker that Councillor Stintz had refused to present the community's petitions against the Orchard View and Duplex proposal. This was in keeping with the kind of arrogance we were now all too familiar with. Nobody in the community approved of this overwhelming building. It was to be higher than any in the Yonge Eglinton Growth Centre, where the Official Plan intended massive intensification to happen.
That the local councillor refused to present the petitions at the time such matters are dealt with at Council infuriated everybody. The resentment was as great as when it first became obvious Karen Stintz was ignoring the consensus amendments given to her before the Community Council on August 17.
She needed to present her version of amendments at Council if her developer friends were to be successful. Obviously, she was reluctant to do that with witnesses in the audience. Perhaps she would attempt it the next day? Little did she suspect, representatives from the community weren't going to let her off the hook that easy. They planned to be there again and they had a surprise in store for the arrogant Ward Councillor for Ward 16.
There were to be two surprises for Councillor Stintz the next day.
