[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:31:49
Thanks, sorry you’re gonna stay with me, while we go to our last session. I just wanna clarify
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:31:52
I am here you have done a full day. Mary, wow! This is amazing
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:31:55
I know we could just done another half hour. And you can see that the room is filling with some venerable types just saying, of a certain age, and a certain gender, I’m noticing we made every effort to make that today as representative, as we possibly could and when I looked at the
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:32:01
Okay.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:10
Program, I realized that I had a certain dominance here of a representation in our last session.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:16
So, gentlemen, we’re appreciative that we don’t necessarily have every voice at the table.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:21
I also just want to clarify that the minister of Housing and Diversity and inclusion, made every effort to be on this platform and it was our fail, not his that he was not able to get on so I I See Abby Slater there Speculating, that the Minister may have tried to
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:35
Dodge. He did not. In fact, he made every effort, and we were accommodating as you guys know a question period in caucus and various things.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:43
So, and as I always say to these ministers, you know we’re not losing their number.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:46
And I know that I’ve got here on this, call, a bunch of people who will have lots of opportunity to do.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:54
Minister has sent going forward into 2,023.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:56
We’ve had a fantastic 4, and a half hours.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:32:58
You are our cleanup, Act Michael Michelle, Chief Nicki, and Anna, and We’re very appreciative to have you help us sort of orient ourselves, for the next 1,000 Days We’ve had a Tour To Force Sessions, Highlighting important Lessons, and some really Key Words
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:33:19
And concepts and directions, around urgency focus resources, leveraging public infrastructure for the public good, this notion that nobody’s in charge, and everybody’s in charge that we need policy, to move at the speed of the Problem that We’ve got a polarization, Challenge, and a Social Capital
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:33:37
Challenge and Surely, isn’t place making in city Building part of the response to that.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:33:43
How do we do community safety differently, we had one of your colleagues on earlier Achievement Fee Peter slowly, was on midday.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:33:49
And I would say the one key thing that I hear again, and again, is how do we create really effective.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:33:55
Architectures, of Collaboration because during this urgent period, this emergency period, we suddenly found a way to work together.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:34:03
As we had to, and I see a Jeff Mcphee giving me the thumbs up, and how are we going to sustain that so maybe I’ll go to you first Chief because we Appreciate, you all coming in from different, parts of the Country, and different perspectives the next 1,000 days what do you
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:34:17
think our priorities could be should be go to you, first, chief Mcfee.
[Dale McFee] 14:34:20
Yeah, well, first of all, Mary thanks. And pre always appreciate the invite.
[Dale McFee] 14:34:25
I think you’d touched on it. I listen to a little bit of the last panel, and I think it’s really forced us to do things differently, and the reality is is if we don’t do this in partnerships.
[Dale McFee] 14:34:36
In collaboration. We’re not going to have the ecosystem that we need to be successful.
[Dale McFee] 14:34:39
And right. Now, if anybody thinks that Canada has an ecosystem, especially on the social side, to survive and to thrive, where fundamentally wrong, when you look at the housing file you look at obviously the Relationship map off addictions, you can’t talk about well, being without safety, but really, what this
[Dale McFee] 14:34:54
Really is, is, how do you form the right partnerships with equal measurements.
[Dale McFee] 14:34:58
Set on the same goals. They act to you success. We’re starting to do that in various parts of the country, we cannot lose.
[Dale McFee] 14:35:05
That this isn’t about moving money around this is about putting the right resources to get the solutions connected to A, problem, at the Earliest opportunity.
[Dale McFee] 14:35:13
All these people that are trying to say, move money. Let’s say place to social services or social service, mail that has never worked and never will what really works is when you put partnerships you get a common goal of common vision and you actually try to help people by having the full picture so please have Paula I
[Dale McFee] 14:35:31
Always like the fact that health has the ability to engineer, public health please have the ability to reverse engineer.
[Dale McFee] 14:35:36
The reality. Is there we get that right we also help social services.
[Dale McFee] 14:35:40
And we help the education, system. So I think, the need for data sharing we’ve gotten better at that, that needs to be expanded, has to be quickly and then I think we can’t forget about the urgency that this is actually created so I’ll give you an example, a year into Covid, we brought in a
[Dale McFee] 14:35:56
Psychologist and he gave us a prediction of what’s.
[Dale McFee] 14:35:58
Going to happen. He told us domestic violence was going to go up.
[Dale McFee] 14:36:01
He told us, child Abuse is going to go up, he said, not to often addictions are going to go off the chart he told us that gun violence is got a heart a really strong chance of going up, and he said officer mental wellness is going to deteriorate rapidly that’s the same
[Dale McFee] 14:36:16
In nursing, that’s the same in ems, we’re seeing it in our teachers.
[Dale McFee] 14:36:19
We have to build that resilience on the Front line. Essential services.
[Dale McFee] 14:36:23
Here, and we have to do that, and we have to get away from the rhetoric of everybody.
[Dale McFee] 14:36:28
Pointing the fingers at them when they’re out there, doing their very best to do their job.
[Dale McFee] 14:36:32
So we need to move towards this idea quickly. But I think we’ve never been positioned better than we have.
[Dale McFee] 14:36:37
Then we need to use that the next 1,000 days to really entrench some of these and sound policy, and sound implementation.
[Dale McFee] 14:36:44
But not just not just theory. It has to have an implementation in relation to it, and has to have a practical application on the ground, so I’ll turn it over somebody else.
[Dale McFee] 14:36:56
I try to go as quick as I could. Mary
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:36:56
You did, just fine, I I hear you about the rhetoric.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:37:01
I think we’re all tired of the Blah blah blah! Right.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:37:02
It’s a. It’s a big dilemma.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:37:04
I’m going to go to anna bylaw next, who’s probably enjoying the fact that she doesn’t have to cope with quite so much Blah blah blah since she’s no longer on a City Council but There’s new there are lots there’s, still lots, of
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:37:15
Blah, blah, blah in your future out I’m sure, in whatever your new role.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:37:19
Is but you’re coming in as a fellow at Ci.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:37:21
We’re very appreciative of that. And you have very specific experience.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:37:24
For many years of serving on a city council. So what’s your perspective for the next 1,000 days
[Ana Bailao] 14:37:28
I think it’s gonna be extremely important to to find Common. Ground.
[Ana Bailao] 14:37:33
I think looking back, you know, everybody everybody knows that changes always happen, but through Covid, you know, changing came at all of us, at a crazy speed.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:37:47
Yeah
[Ana Bailao] 14:37:47
And people were like. Well, this is a lot of change. You create a lot of anxiety.
[Ana Bailao] 14:37:51
A lot of fears out there, but it also revealed a lot of cracks that our systems had right and people said, Well, We’ve, we know that there’s certain issues out there that are worse than ever before but we know that during Covid we were able to do things.
[Ana Bailao] 14:38:07
Differently, and so, why do we need to go back to the same, all, the same, old like, why why why why can’t people work from home what why not right?
[Ana Bailao] 14:38:16
People are quite asking those questions, and the other thing is we’ve been able to answer to some things in the speed of Light.
[Ana Bailao] 14:38:23
I mean an example. City of Toronto, put some modular homes in 6 months.
[Ana Bailao] 14:38:26
They put it together. And people are, say, why don’t you do more of that why aren’t you responding to that so I think that that that’s what what happened this is what we’re dealing with that polarization that?
[Ana Bailao] 14:38:37
You just talked to. It’s because of all this that happened and now I feel like we need to bring all this recognize, this, say, yes, there is polarization.
[Ana Bailao] 14:38:47
There, is we need to do things quicker. We need to do things differently.
[Ana Bailao] 14:38:52
We need to address this, change. But we need to find that common ground.
[Ana Bailao] 14:38:57
So we bring people together and and I think there is common ground in in a lot of issues like that I’m gonna to obviously talk about housing right like when you talk about how housing and if you start saying well, let’s let’s, have as a common ground that this it’s a right to housing that
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:13
We are, whatever we do whatever policies we put in place.
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:16
It is to put a roof over somebody’s.
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:19
Head it is to give them the opportunity to have a home.
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:21
If you start from that principle and again, I don’t think anybody’s gonna dispute that right?
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:25
Everybody, every Canadian is gonna say, yes, let’s let’s Let’s rally around that goal.
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:30
You bring people, and you focus, people, and I think we need to do more of that in a lot of files to have these common common grounds that people, all sometimes think all those are lofty goals there’s no but you need to route into focus and to have some common principles around some of
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:46
These files, I think will be really important to take that polarization.
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:49
That is is very concerned. And nowadays.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:39:50
How do, how do? We drive the focus thoughts on other than urgency, like urgency drove a focus?
[Ana Bailao] 14:39:54
How do? We well.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:39:59
But now, if the urgency is lifted, how how do you?
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:40:01
Think we should drive a focus. And then I’m going to come to okay
[Ana Bailao] 14:40:02
Well, I I I think I think the Urgency is very clear on a number of files you you know, you talk about.
[Ana Bailao] 14:40:09
You know mental health housing is, I mean, if if we need to drive urgency into any of these things, I think what we need to do especially around governments, and politicians right now, it’s, very polarizing and we know as a recently, out of politics, person, you know politicians, are very averse to
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:40:14
Okay.
[Ana Bailao] 14:40:29
To the risk right, but if they see that there’s that common goal and I think that it’s it’s on of us, that’s all on all of us, to bring that common goal, and to bring them, to the table as well and to say this needs to be the focus of this policy let’s let’s work, around
[Ana Bailao] 14:40:46
These common goals. I think it’ll be really, important.
[Ana Bailao] 14:40:50
We we really need to bring people together and to remove a little bit of this polarization.
[Ana Bailao] 14:40:55
It’s very different. I mean on the housing. Look at the Federal and provincial. Government.
[Ana Bailao] 14:40:58
They’re like you know it’s it’s
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:41:00
I know and I I know that Michael Amber is dying to get into.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:41:03
That. But I want to go next to Michelle because Michelle, you are bringing a focus in terms of Downtown, Montreal.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:41:09
And I and I’m interested if you can give us some tips about that.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:41:12
I know. I cannot imagine that you’re going to let up on that.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:41:16
And that that is going to be your focus for 2,000, and 23 is, how do we actually bring back the downtown am I, right? Or have you got a few other things that you’re going to focus on as well.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:41:24
Well first yes, I come from an economic perspective. So Hi, I hear it a lot coming from the housing or social issues.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:41:32
And of course, we can feel them in Montreal, and as elsewhere.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:41:36
But first the the moment, the economic momentum is very strong in Quebec, in the Montreal area, so I’m now on record saying that in French It’s like Covid long so It’s the long Covid, so the Downtown as a Long
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:41:51
Right.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:41:51
Covid, the rest of the economic system has moved over moved on so right now, the only moment when we’re going to discuss special measures here related to the Covid is the Downtown now at this moment.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:42:06
What we, what we see is that the downtown is weakened because the employers are not calling back their their employees as much as they as they want when we pull the employees, here they say on average they’d like to work at the office 2 to 3 days.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:42:26
A Week when we pulled the employers, it’s 3 to 4 days a week.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:42:29
So it’s not a big difference. I mean, I we suspect that over the next year the th the balance will happen the equilibrium will be reached.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:42:31
Right.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:42:38
Now it has an impact also on the surface. That’s needed, which means the you know unicipation rate, is high and we have Michael here, clearly, over the next Months We’re going to look at the downsizing of space.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:42:53
So, therefore are we able to address new small businesses that would not have been downtown.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:42:59
So are you are we attracting what I call in French running shoes, type of business people, as opposed to the Tie Neck Type type type of business, so We’re Kind of trying and I think Michael is trying to do that is how do we Renew the Dynamics, of the Downtown, with
[Michel Leblanc] 14:43:17
New types of Businesses and workers, from A. A a downtown perspective, that’s the key from A, global economy, perspective, we’re focused on Labor Shortage, Labor Shortage, Neighbor, Shortage, there Might Be Inflation which is a Problem, for a whole Generations of Business, People, who have never Known, that Type
[Michel Leblanc] 14:43:36
Of Inflation. clearly, the the Dynamics of a Potential smaller Recession Wherein come back, there’s a strong consensus that if there is a recession, it’s going to be very mild not that long so the real focus, is even if there is a recession.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:43:54
There’s so many on an unfulfilled jobs that laid off people will find a job, sometimes in the same business, same companies or sometimes elsewhere.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:44:04
But so the dynamics of a recession where people lose their job, reduce consumption, and increase the recession unlikely.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:44:11
To happen here, so it’s really labor shortage and when we think about labor shortage, it brings us back to the housing thing now in Montreal honestly, if we Compare Notes and Numbers, with Vancouver with Toronto with elsewhere, and Canada We’re not in such
[Michel Leblanc] 14:44:26
A housing crisis, as elsewhere in the country, but whenever we talk about immigrants as a potential part of Solution for the labor shortage, then we run into housing shortage in Montreal, and Elsewhere in Quebec so I Suspect that over the next Months to a Year There’ll
[Michel Leblanc] 14:44:44
Be a policy by the Quebec government, and clearly ideally, linked with a national policy about housing and it’s about supply.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:44:54
It’s about opening the doors to more supply you can try and subsidize housing as much as you want to make it affordable, but if there’s not enough housing out there then the market will play so so really from a montreal Perspective it’s the downtown the economy.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:45:11
Sectors are strong, the batteries, artificial Intelligence. All the other sectors are strong labor, shortages, key and link to labor, shortage is housing and housing strategies.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:45:21
Got it. Thank you. Michelle Great to see you and I was important to have Montreal in the in the conversation. Michael I know you have an interest in Montreal, you have an interest in Toronto.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:45:31
You are across the country, and your sector has been deeply engaged in a lot of these conversations, as you just heard of your colleagues talk about the kind of disruption We’re in the Midst of of which Covid is really only just one part that I’m wondering if you were to
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:45:43
Think about the next 1,000 days. What do you think the priority needs to be
[Michael Emory] 14:45:48
Well, Mary, first of all, thank you for having me, and it’s great to be on the other English guest, side, appreciate that as you know, I’m an incurable optimist, I was born that way and I’ll Enjoy the interim as much as I can I think the
[Michael Emory] 14:46:07
Founding for the next 1,000 days was established years and years ago in Major Canadian cities, so I’m very confident about the next 1,000 days, and in saying that I truly am not diminishing or ignoring any of the problems that have arisen over the last 2 or 3 years, in the
[Michael Emory] 14:46:34
inner city of major, and I do think conservative effort needs to be undertaken, to address those issues, but the foundation for that exists and what is the foundation for that in my opinion, it is the fact that all of Canada’s major cities, have a evolved into mixed
[Michael Emory] 14:46:59
Use, Urban
[Michael Emory] 14:47:02
People live in the urban core. In some cases to an extreme degree which is good people work in the urban, core in some cases, to an extreme degree which is good retail users have come into the urban core, in an unprecedented way, to serve the populations that have built up around
[Michael Emory] 14:47:31
Those other 2 uses. So they are quite literally, mutually reinforcing mixed uses, and this isn’t my wisdom.
[Michael Emory] 14:47:42
I’m sure and this is Jane Jacobs, wisdom, which I have seen play out in Canadian cities ever since I’ve been in the real estate business.
[Michael Emory] 14:47:53
And it’s played out exactly as
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:47:55
Well, yeah, and Michael, Michael, it’s interesting you mentioned Jane because Jane was involved in the rethinking of the Kings, the Zoning in the Kings, Areas in Trauma, which you actually were one of the early Developers of to really and I Bet you had Naysayers at the beginning
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:48:09
that so no, no people won’t want to go and work in those buildings.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:48:13
But you’ve proven it to be true. They will so do you think, will see a similar kind of metamorphosis.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:48:19
As we as may maybe we just shift uses, somewhat in the core in the downtowns
[Michael Emory] 14:48:23
Absolutely, and you know what’s happened, and it’s very interesting, because I live this on the Ground
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:48:28
Yeah
[Michael Emory] 14:48:31
We have learned to live together, collaborative, residential users.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:48:33
Right.
[Michael Emory] 14:48:39
Instinctively, hate office users. Oh, I I I don’t want to stop my statement, and and vice versa.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:48:44
Not all of them.
[Michael Emory] 14:48:47
But what’s happened, and they really dislike commercial users, especially if they make noise or emit odors, or what have you?
[Michael Emory] 14:48:55
But what’s happened and I’ve seen it, and I’ve lived it.
[Michael Emory] 14:48:59
Is these different users of a shared area of real consequence.
[Michael Emory] 14:49:05
Learn to live with one another, and actually to give where necessary and take where Necessary and I’m not Suggesting, We’re living in a panacea, because We’re clearly, not but we have learned to Collaborate, to Make the Urban, environment better for everyone
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:49:24
So, yeah, it’s interesting you know, you say, we have.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:49:27
We probably have a handful of examples, where that’s working very well, and then we have other communities that perhaps are struggling a bit like the City of Ottawa, for instance, where it was predominantly, public Sector Office, workers and it’s, now in Transition, and I’m Wondering if I Can go Back
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:49:40
to Chief Mcfee for a sec. one of the things that we here talked about and and Michelle made reference to this, you know, are we going back to the offices.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:49:49
Frequently is the cadence of travel, different or, is Michael suggesting. Will.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:49:53
We actually, find more people living closer to their office. We are hearing from certain parts of downtownsdale that they are that the the the Police, the Policing is Not as effective, as the vendor, community would like it to be and does that mean that we do need to resort differently, so that people
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:50:11
feel safe and that they feel like they can in fact, move into the downtowns, that Michael’s been busy advocating that people, people move back into
[Dale McFee] 14:50:19
Yeah, I know, it’s a great point and I mean visibility.
[Dale McFee] 14:50:22
Matters. Right so nobody’s one of the returns. So absolutely we need to because I just wanna tie, i’m, gonna switch my hat up, please chief to the entrepreneur, because when Michelle, and Michael and Anna mentioned I I think we’re Missing the point here, or something.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:50:23
Right.
[Dale McFee] 14:50:38
We should flush out. It’s all about the economy is I mean, you lose the tax base downtown who pays for the other side of the issue, and I mean there’s a domestic economy.
[Dale McFee] 14:50:47
Which we all know about. But then there’s a social, economy.
[Dale McFee] 14:50:50
But as you put this in one is bringing in revenue, the other is expanding.
[Dale McFee] 14:50:56
And if you don’t make it a net economy like would you rather have a 500 million dollar business that loses a 100 million or a 5 million.
[Dale McFee] 14:51:01
That makes a 1 million, the point being here, the real value that we saw in Covid exposing some of this is to connect the 2 and actually focus on things that actually work and that’s where I think the the domestic economy private sector can really come in and play a role as we start to look at
[Dale McFee] 14:51:19
This differently, for instance, for us, we’ve hired epidemiologists, economists, mathematicians, psychologists, these are all in my police service.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:51:26
They’re all working for you that’s where we’re going
[Dale McFee] 14:51:27
I didn’t have right. But but but think about this, when we talk about creating jobs, and we want to bring in immigration, which is absolutely necessary.
[Dale McFee] 14:51:35
But what if we got 20% of the jobs from the people that aren’t working, the people that are on the streets.
[Dale McFee] 14:51:40
And we actually do a reverse, and we get somebody for Lack of better Words, it’s Vulnerable, maybe a Tax, user, and turn them into a taxpayer, by putting, a percentage, of those jobs in that you can’t, get them, all but there’s, certainly a percentage we don’t have
[Dale McFee] 14:51:53
Targets, we don’t get there. So I think our biggest opportunity is to stop separating these questions and put them together.
[Dale McFee] 14:52:01
And that’s how you’ll create a safer downtown.
[Dale McFee] 14:52:04
As well. We need the private sector here as much as we need everybody else.
[Dale McFee] 14:52:09
And it’s changing. But the changing is is goes back to the premises.
[Dale McFee] 14:52:13
If you don’t feel safe. You’re not going to move into any neighborhood regardless of where it is downtown or on the Far South, side.
[Dale McFee] 14:52:21
Here, or anything. And that’s what we got to figure out as a formula, which is I think what you’re referring to
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:52:22
Right.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:52:25
It’s a place space conversation, very specific to places. I hear you, Anna, I want to go to you quickly.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:52:31
It’s no longer your it’s no longer something to keep you up at night, but I know you know this to be true what’s gonna happen To Municipal, Budgets in 2,023.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:52:40
How are we gonna get services paid for
[Ana Bailao] 14:52:42
It it’s it’s gonna be a difficult conversation.
[Ana Bailao] 14:52:45
I think taxes are gonna go up more than people are used to I mean in the city of Toronto.
[Ana Bailao] 14:52:51
You had increases at the rate of inflation.
[Ana Bailao] 14:52:54
But inflation used to be much much lower. So I think people are gonna most likely.
[Ana Bailao] 14:53:00
See, you know, 6, 7, depending on how the provincial and Federal Government’s Gonna come in.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:53:04
Right.
[Ana Bailao] 14:53:05
Maybe even more, Tax, Increase and the Challenge continues but it’s it’s continued for a long time.
[Ana Bailao] 14:53:12
And you know this is another issue that it’s. It’s probably time that our other orders of government have a conversation about the governance of our large cities, and in particular the city of Toronto
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:53:22
Yeah, I was. Gonna say, do you think it’s you think it’s time to have that conversation, and not and I know they’re, gonna let’s hope.
[Ana Bailao] 14:53:26
It. It was time a long time ago, but
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:53:31
They don’t have it without you, let’s hope they have it with you.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:53:33
Michelle Thoughts, for you, as you go forward into the the sort of Mixed economy that that Quebec is in that Montreal is you’re getting reinforcement from your palace here, that it’s, all About the economy.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:53:45
Well, I I I’m sure of that. So I’m an economist. By training.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:53:49
So I I learned that earlier for us. Clearly the downtown is is key and the message we’re pitching is that you cannot run a company from black man for megab or montana where many ceos will spend their weekend normally and and the the dynamic is that we believe
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:53:49
Right.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:54:06
Hmm.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:09
That thriving businesses will be businesses, of contact, where people are in the traffic, where people meet so it it becomes it’s only you bring people because you want a commercial base in the downtown to be alive, you bring people because you want companies decision makers to be confronted with
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:34
We believe that downtown existed over centuries, because it made sense from a large organization point of view.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:34
With anyone who is at the downtown. So we make it, as you know.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:34
other ideas, with their colleagues, with their advisors.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:41
And we believe that’s going to be the point next year, and the year after.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:45
But if downtown become become unsafe.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:47
If the commercial base Decline, then you’ll have a negative sparrow that might spiral, that might happen.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:54
So our view and we’re very active and in come back.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:54:58
The particularity we had is, we have a provincial government that spend over 60 million dollars through the Chambers.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:55:04
We’re talking about near 15 million over the last year and a half with campaign with our initiatives to bring back the workers.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:55:11
So there’s clearly a statement by the provincial government, not just by the city, that the downtown is, key and important and we need to allow resources.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:55:20
To spend resources to bring people back and the intent is to continue over the next year, my and I’m like.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:55:27
Michael I’m the Eternal Optimist, Pragmatic Optimist.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:55:30
And I think we’re going to succeed because it makes sense.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:55:33
But I again, chief Mcphee, we need to make sure it’s perceived as a safe place.
[Michel Leblanc] 14:55:40
If it’s not safe, then economically, it will make sense, but it will be much more difficult
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:55:45
It’s always good to have it’s always good to have a panel of optimists.
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:55:46
Hey! I’ve just been sitting here listening, which is like a new practice.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 14:55:48
Go ahead, Sarah.
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:55:51
For me. But I have a question for all of you, just I know we’re limited on time.
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:55:56
But you know, Michael, you you were talking about being the eternal optimist and Dale, you were talking about, you know, working with epidemiologists and psychologists and like absorbing, New Wisdom Or Wisdom from new places, and I’m So curious we have 100.
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:56:10
And 43, people listening in who are in leadership, roles in different ways, across the country, all of you in leadership, roles, across the country, what shifted about the way, that you lead, in this change over the last 1,000 days, personally, like dale I’ve heard so much and maybe maybe we start with
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:56:26
you because I feel like I’ve heard a lot of that from you, and I’m interested to hear quickly from each of you, because I think as we send everyone out into the change Making City building diaspora it’s.
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:56:34
Really good to know in your loop you know what was challenged and how did you behave differently? Because I think that’s part of what we need to take away in our individual sort of roles in city.
[Dale McFee] 14:56:40
Yeah
[Dale McFee] 14:56:44
Yeah, it’s a great great questions are. And for us we started to change the way.
[Dale McFee] 14:56:49
We actually did Community Safety Policing before Covid and before George Floyd.
[Dale McFee] 14:56:53
I think those 2 events, actually it allowed us to expedite it.
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:56:53
Hmm.
[Dale McFee] 14:56:58
The unfortunate part is we got sidetracked by us, Mary put a lot of the Noise and not Folks, on the results.
[Dale McFee] 14:57:06
It’s really about outcomes, and evidence-based decision-making, to actually do it and for us, because we’re the person of last Resort, Don’t say an old Being Policing, it’s Kind of why I came back is you have to Make that, First Point of Contact the First Call
[Dale McFee] 14:57:20
For service, meaningful and really we’ve created a whole new bureau, which is designed to take patrol and investigative service out of business, but really, it’s about getting the right Partnerships in our community to Expand the Base to Stop the first Call from being the Fifth Call the Tenth.
[Dale McFee] 14:57:35
Called the twentieth call, the fiftieth call so we managed to shift, and change and then police, leaders in cities, have 2, I Think, distinct things that they need to be Evolved and obviously There’s There’s the Voice of Authority, you know Maintaining Law and Order, and Stuff but
[Dale McFee] 14:57:50
There’s also the voice of Influence We’re Not Elected, and we need our civic folks, or not for profits.
[Dale McFee] 14:57:58
We need them all to become one team, if we’re going to be successful and success is back to what we’re talking about, creating a safe environment.
[Dale McFee] 14:58:06
But also an environment, where presence, and safety are at the forefront, but it’s all about turning that into economic viability, livable, cities, that’s been our strategies from day one we get sidetracked and criticized, in question a lot, because a lot, of it becomes noise, but
[Dale McFee] 14:58:24
It’s allowed us to actually get that platform to do it, and for us.
[Dale McFee] 14:58:28
It’s about finding the right partners in the community that we can do it with there’s a lot of partners, give you one example, and I’ll shut up here we have a major domestic violence problem, which is expedited by call it we have 140 agencies working in that
[Dale McFee] 14:58:42
Area, and it’s still, our single biggest problem. Surely, we can collaborate and coordinate that better to get better results and that’s just an example and there and there’s a bunch of them but I think those are the things that it’s allowed us to do
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:58:54
Amazing I don’t know if anyone else. And I’m curious about you, you’re in a different role.
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:58:58
So like what’s your wisdom, what’s, your counterpart.
[Ana Bailao] 14:59:00
I mean, I I I I’ll I’ll speak about what happened in my last role.
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 14:59:03
Hmm.
[Ana Bailao] 14:59:05
I think that was that one key difference over the last couple of years.
[Ana Bailao] 14:59:08
Was we really this idea of the Team Toronto and I.
[Ana Bailao] 14:59:12
It worked, you know, as we came out, and you know you saw people to get anything from vaccines, but it.
[Ana Bailao] 14:59:18
It it was entrenched, we you know. We worked with united way to have our social service agencies together, and and this first and and targeting different geographic areas, we worked, you know, with our housing partners to be much closer to the it was if the need was great to come, together and I think
[Ana Bailao] 14:59:36
Now, as a response and to say, we can’t go back to the same.
[Ana Bailao] 14:59:40
We want to address these systemic issues. We need to find that that galvanizing force to bring us together, again, so that’s I think that it worked really well through during Covid and response, to this Major Crisis and I think we need to capitalize them that and and learn how to create this momentum to respond to crisis that we’re here, and that
[Ana Bailao] 15:00:02
Are just in some cases, worse and and and others. I I’m also an optimistic I don’t want to sound too pessimistic.
[Ana Bailao] 15:00:10
But there are crisis that I think are are very visible, and and people are demanding.
[Ana Bailao] 15:00:14
And in my opinion, opinion, rightly, so that we respond in a more urgent way
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:00:19
I want quick last words to Michelle and Michael Both of whom come from Industry, and from the economy. Side, Michelle a last word from you I know labor supply is what you’re focused on in the Recession, Anything else, you want to add
[Michel Leblanc] 15:00:31
So maybe to answer Zara’s question, the major change that I implemented was to Delegate, to group of People, decision, Making that Initially would have involved me so maybe it’s a Trajectory, that Any Ceos or Leader eventually get to which is to Delegate the real
[Michel Leblanc] 15:00:51
Decision-making, power, but not to individuals by themselves, but to groups of individuals and and by doing that.
[Michel Leblanc] 15:00:59
I think, we reach better decisions. There’s more expertise involved in making that decision.
[Michel Leblanc] 15:01:05
So it’s a number process that leads to you, understanding that sometimes you make mistake by your own self and others, as a group are more efficient and more intelligent than you are so that’s, my taking of the Covid.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:01:18
Michael that’s the last word to Michael Miss Grammar
[Zahra Ebrahim (she/they)] 15:01:19
The eternal commitment
[Michael Emory] 15:01:21
Well, thank you the experience I’ve had in the last 3 years reinforced my extremely deep conviction that leadership needs to be humanistic.
[Michael Emory] 15:01:33
It means to be intensely personal and it needs to be courageous and in my sense, your opinion and without ending on a negative note out political leaders have not demonstrated leadership over the past, 3 years and I think they need to some of the business, community has neglected damage over the
[Michael Emory] 15:02:00
Past, few years, and they need to step up the people. On this panel have all stepped up but that’s what I learned about leadership over the past 3 years, it really reinforce what I need, to do and it convinced me you know I’m in doubt that we need to interact
[Michael Emory] 15:02:23
In person physically, present with one another. If we’re going to achieve anything approaching the Level Achievement, We’re, Capable of
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:02:34
Right, well, on that on that very prophetic note, Michael, you know, I I always remember the famous quote you know I don’t know who it is.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:02:43
It takes a lot to kill a city. You know. Cities are unbelievably resilient. They have lasted for Millennia.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:02:48
They will continue to last, you are all part of that extraordinary collaborative experiment that we’re embarking on so I just want to thank you for helping us to just round the session up each of you is playing a role in the Canadian urban alliance for Robust
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:03
Recovery which is launching today and will work through 2,023 and very specific action agenda items for the Federal Provincial and Municipal Governments and for our Colleagues in the private Sector, the community, Sector, civil Society, Because, as We’ve Heard again, and
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:17
Again, and again, this is one big collaborative experience, and and the adventure we’re on.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:24
So may I thank Dave, nice to see you again, Michelle always great and I know.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:26
I’m gonna see you next week in person, Anna whatever’s next for you. We’re excited.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:30
We know that you will continue to serve the public interest in Michael.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:33
I know you’re just blocks away. I could call out my window, and you and I would hear each other, and we appreciate the leadership, that you’re providing to the industry to get.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:42
Engaged in solving these kind of collective challenges and Zara.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:46
Always great to have you on with us. So thanks for joining us, I’m gonna keep the audience on for one more, minute.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:50
Just to do this, and our palace can leave if they need.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:03:54
To I want to thank all of our staff that have been working for the last 1,000 days in a tireless way.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:04:00
And there’s a slideshow that will follow that will show you how many staff students interns that have helped make the Canadian Urban Institute be a service to the Urban and City building community through Covid, the Second thing, is We’ve, had a remarkable leadership from the Board
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:04:14
Zara is on the Board Marcy’s on the Board.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:04:16
My board chair is sitting behind me in the office behind us here he just brought me a piece of pizzas.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:04:21
Bless him, and I also want to thank all of our funders and our donors, and our underwriters, again on a slides show that we’ll follow here, you’ll be Able to see them and really, when you look at these slides folks just appreciate how Diverse and broad our Urban
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:04:38
City building. Constituency is in this country. It is a remarkable force, and we are connected horizontally working, collectively, to kind of up with the best solutions.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:04:48
And the best experience and build, that sense of urban empathy, that we’ve been talking about for the last 5 h, and then all the people that have come, on City Talks and have Come on Consultations we’ve done Helped Us write Reports help Us.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:05:00
Engage with different entities that are making decisions across the country you’re in the tens of thousands it’s, in a really significantly important constituency for the future of the country and so I want to thank you for being part of that and then you’ll also see that we have dedicated this
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:05:15
Whole observance, and we will continue to replay it to one of our Board members, who was on the Ci Board for many years and died, this year.
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:05:21
Kathleen Louell and Thomas worked for 4 Regional, 4 Municipalities in Various Capacities, and we think of Her and the Inspiration that She Provided to City Builders across, the Country, and It’s been a Privilege for Me to Be with you again and Learn so much from the
[Mary W Rowe, she/her, CUI/IUC] 15:05:37
City building, community that is part of the Canadian Urban too. So thank you for joining us.