Written by Ryan Fields, Claudia Lugo-Aguilar, and Dimitrije Martinovic.

Ryan, Claudia, and Dimitrije Martinovic are community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

John Tory, who was mayor of Toronto from 2014 to 2023, shockingly and suddenly resigned on Friday February 17, 2023. His resignation came on the tail end of reports that he had an affair with a staff member who worked in his office.

John Tory for most of his tenure as mayor of Toronto enjoyed overwhelming support and praise for his work. However, there were segments of Toronto’s population that disagreed with some of policies, such as his defense of the Police budget, his handling of the encampments, and the TTC fare increase.

To gauge the nature of what his resignation has meant to residents of Regent Park, and to assess the extent to which Regent Park community members feel about his affair with a staff member, we asked two of our community reporters to go out to the streets to capture people’s thoughts.  

Dan, who works in Regent Park had this to say about John Tory, “I’ve not been a fan of the mayor’s time in office. He’s done things like vote to close warming centers. He hasn’t supported the city’s homeless or affordable housing or TTC. A lot of his policies have led to some of the problems we’re facing now. So I’m actually glad to see that he’s resigning. But, you know, if we look at  the mountain of issues that have led to this, frankly, should it come sooner?”

Another person interviewed by RPTV reporters, a resident of Regent Park named Mohammed, had a completely different opinion: “I took a picture with John Tory, where we talked a lot about Regent Park. I think he's a very nice person. I think he’s very pleasant with the city.” 

Ryan, a George Brown student doing placement in the community, gave a lengthy assessment of the issues involved. ”I feel that Mayor John Tory’s extramarital affair and issues of consent are a private matter and should not affect his position and profession. Yes, it is true that he engaged sexually with a fellow staffer. This staffer, with whom he engaged, is rightfully shrouded in mystery. I understand and respect that the media did not "out" this woman and reveal her identity. Such an action could be unsafe and have long-term consequences against her, as culture tends to demonize women in such situations.

Toronto has been going through many crises since the pandemic, including debt, homelessness, city violence, racism, and antisemitism, which are prevalent issues in our city. This is a terrible time for our mayor to have left as we need consistency of power. Although I have strong opinions on Mayor John Tory's decisions for our city, I still feel it is more detrimental for him to have left during this difficult economic and social time. He does more harm than good with his abrupt and unexpected departure.”

Additionally Claudia, a co-op student in Regent Park, made her views known. ”Elected officials are held to a higher standard of ethics and morality as they are responsible for representing the values and beliefs of their constituents. Toronto Mayor John Tory’s alleged affair has been deemed by some as a breach of public trust, potentially contradicting the values of commitment and honesty that he campaigned on. Such actions can raise serious doubts about an elected official’s ability to govern effectively.

Moreover, an elected official’s personal conduct can directly affect their capacity to govern. Engaging in behavior that undermines integrity can prompt questions about an official’s capability to make decisions in the best interest of their constituents. The potential loss of public trust and confidence, resulting from the scandal surrounding Mayor Tory’s alleged affair, could hinder his ability to govern effectively."

While an individual’s private life should typically be respected, public officials must be held to a different standard of accountability due to their role in serving the public. Their conduct, both private and public, is subject to scrutiny as it reflects their ability to serve effectively, impact their reputation, and credibility. If an elected official violates the public’s trust, they must be held accountable. For some, this could mean resignation, as it demonstrates responsibility and accountability to the public and a commitment to the principles of public service."

Opinions from multiple people, each as different as any two opinions can be - one against and one for! And so, John Tory’s legacy as Mayor of Toronto will be inexorably bound by both positive and negative points of view.