By Fred Alvarado
Fred is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

On September 18th, 2023, Premier Doug Ford and Mayor Olivia Chow held a joint press conference at Queen’s Park to announce a working group with a mandate to address Toronto’s finances.

Premier Doug Ford says he agrees that the City of Toronto needs a “new deal” for ongoing funding after holding a meeting with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, but added that he’s not in favour of any new taxes that would help Toronto dig itself out of a fiscal hole.

“Toronto’s deep financial challenges are no longer sustainable,” Ford said in a statement. “Toronto is a major contributor to Ontario and Canada’s economic success. Governments need to work together to deliver solutions that protect services, avoid new taxes and put the city on a path toward long-term financial stability. I look forward to working with Mayor Chow to build a stronger Toronto and ensure it remains an economic engine for Canada.”

“The people of Toronto deserve an affordable city that can provide the services and build the infrastructure they rely on every day. To resolve Toronto’s deep financial challenges, we’ll need a partnership with all orders of government,” said Chow in a statement.

Shortly before the first official meeting of the two leaders, the province also announced it would be spending $26.4 million to help house asylum seekers in Toronto long-term, after refugees with nowhere to go were sleeping on city streets because of an overburdened shelter system.

Despite that announcement, the city's billion dollar budget shortfall was the focus of the meeting.