Ottawa
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province will expand so-called strong mayor powers to other large municipalities in a year.
The province recently passed legislation that gives mayors of Toronto and Ottawa veto power over bylaws that conflict with provincial priorities, such as building housing.
Those powers are set to take effect shortly after next week's municipal elections.
Toronto's front-running incumbent John Tory has said he supports the strong mayor powers.
Leading Ottawa mayoral candidates Catherine McKenney and Mark Sutcliffe both say they do not support the new legislation.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario told a legislative committee in late August the government must conduct broad consultations before expanding those powers to other municipalities.
"We're using Ottawa and Toronto as a test area, per se, and then we're going to move forward a year after that and give it to other regions, other large municipalities, so that when you get elected as mayor, it means something," Ford said Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2022.
