Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto

[taal]

ve answers at the ready as to why. Be prepared to email, phone, tweet, or send a query to the media.

Cause for some of these, if there's a good answer, I surely want to hear it

Is this actually a huge surprise ? Were the numbers pre-pandemic - if so, I've seen costs jump anywhere from 20-60% depending on the type of work (speaking from the perspective of capital projects in a condominium) - this is backed by CCI presentations and the like.

 

[Northern Light]

Is this actually a huge surprise ? Were the numbers pre-pandemic - if so, I've seen costs jump anywhere from 20-60% depending on the type of work (speaking from the perspective of capital projects in a condominium) - this is backed by CCI presentations and the like.

@smably ; just 2 posts up, noted a 181% increase in the last 2 years for the Rail Path. That's far in excess of the 20-60% your reporting above.

I'll share some other projects where the numbers concern me shortly. I have a few work meetings today, so posts will be less frequent than usual.

 

[Northern Light]

What's the Dundas/Annette/Dupont project?? First I've heard of it...

To follow up, I've found a much larger budget number for this in the capital constraints section (unfunded); I suspect the funded work is design w/no implementation money.

The total (unfunded) amount is on the left at 8.9M the smaller numbers are in year budgets (again, unfunded) from 2027-2031

 

[allengeorge]

I really want to understand the breakdown of the increase. Clearly people’s salaries aren’t increasing by 2x YoY.

 

[Northern Light]

I really want to understand the breakdown of the increase. Clearly people’s salaries aren’t increasing by 2x YoY.

The increase in what? You need to be more specific!

 

[DSC]

Is this actually a huge surprise ? Were the numbers pre-pandemic - if so, I've seen costs jump anywhere from 20-60% depending on the type of work (speaking from the perspective of capital projects in a condominium) - this is backed by CCI presentations and the like.

We recently receive quotes on new windows that were higher by 2.5 or 3 from 2019.

 

[allengeorge]

The increase in what? You need to be more specific!

I see that the private sector quotes a projected 50% increase (at minimum?) over two years for construction costs. The Railpath increase is well over that. I’d like to understand what’s driving both those quoted numbers. It can’t just be salaries. Also, the prices of some construction materials have fallen from their peak. So, what is it?

 

[Northern Light]

I see that the private sector quotes a projected 50% increase (at minimum?) over two years for construction costs. The Railpath increase is well over that. I’d like to understand what’s driving both those quoted numbers. It can’t just be salaries. Also, the prices of some construction materials have fallen from their peak. So, what is it?

I found a partial answer, for the last round of increases, I'll link that here, and we can continue that discussion in the Rail Path thread:

Cycling: West Toronto Railpath (City of Toronto, Phase II Proposed)

Follow up number 2.......... Project is being delivered by Metrolinx, though the City is paying. Someone at Mx will need to account for what seems like extraordinary inflation. Extraordinary is right. I really am struggling to understand what's going on here. I went back through the...

urbantoronto.ca

 

[Richard White]

I just got to thinking and perhaps someone here can chime in.

What amount of money would be saved if reports and studies were to be limited? I am talking about all those times where councilors and departments ask for staff to report back on items.

It seems to be a common thread where more study and having staff report back are used to delay items.

Could they not save money on labour, resources etc by just getting straight to the point?

 

[DSC]

I see our (least) favourite contractor keeps winning tender bids!

 

[Northern Light]

I see our (least) favourite contractor keeps winning tender bids!

View attachment 532864

Number 1 above:

Number 2 above:

So avoid Leaside and the west side of Liberty Village in 2024................. and probably 2025 too, LOL

 

[DSC]

This from CNN gives some valid reasons why converting offices to residences is not easy. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/13/business/can-we-turn-empty-office-building-into-housing/index.html

 

[SubHuman]

https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2024/01/news-roundup-january-15-2024.55029
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-tobogganing-ban-45-hills-1.7082845
I was here a few months back, and the first thought in the still-a-kid part of my brain was that it it would be a good place for tobogganing, and then "why not?" when I got to this side of the pole and saw the sign.

 

[T3G]

It's like a feedback loop of stupidity. North Americans are incapable of taking personal responsibility for themselves, so the authorities respond with weird dime store dictator rules to protect the lemmings from themselves, lest they get sued. I truly hope there is no by law officer who will go around ticketing people for this.

Why can't they put up signs saying "Tobogganing on this hill could be dangerous, and the city takes no responsibility for any death or injury that may occur"?

 

[Northern Light]

https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2024/01/news-roundup-january-15-2024.55029
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-tobogganing-ban-45-hills-1.7082845
I was here a few months back, and the first thought in the still-a-kid part of my brain was that it it would be a good place for tobogganing, and then "why not?" when I got to this side of the pole and saw the sign.
View attachment 533407

It's like a feedback loop of stupidity. North Americans are incapable of taking personal responsibility for themselves, so the authorities respond with weird dime store dictator rules to protect the lemmings from themselves, lest they get sued. I truly hope there is no by law officer who will go around ticketing people for this.

Why can't they put up signs saying "Tobogganing on this hill could be dangerous, and the city takes no responsibility for any death or injury that may occur"?

There are a few things to note here:

1) This park has had tobogganing for years, and parks staff used to tie bales of hay to any trees or other obstacles.

2) I don't know, but wonder if this isn't a service cut by any other name, that Parks simply doesn't have the winter staff or budget to do this in as many parks as they used to.

3) PF&R 's legal team has better things to do............certain agreements with Hydro One may be gathering dust in that department. Their risk management program is obnoxious, it thwarts volunteers and slows down staff work, royal pain.