Toronto transit service briefly hunts for pricey art consultant

The city of Toronto has been getting attention lately over plans to cut spending, threatening to get rid of everything from libraries to community centres.

The Toronto Transit Commission doesn't seem to be as concerned about spending. They were briefly on the hunt Aug. 11 for an 'art consultant,' a position that would've earned the successful candidate $420,000 over a two-year contract.

Provincial agency Metrolinx and the TTC put an ad out in a local newspaper for an experienced art consultant that could brighten up the new Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) line.

But, despite provincially-funded Metrolinx footing the bill for the position, no one thought to notify Ontario Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne of the pricey position.

Within hours of seeing the original story in the Toronto Star, Wynne contacted Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig and told him to take the position down.

While Wynne admits that it's a "very rich contract" in another Toronto Star story, she doesn't say the position will be eliminated altogether, nor that the pay for the art consultant will decrease when one is eventually hired.

"There'll be lots of time to talk about art in stations," said Wynne to the Toronto Star. "But our focus right now is getting the line built. That kind of contract, hundreds of thousands of dollars is unacceptable at this point."

The Eglinton Crosstrain LRT will cost $8.2 billion altogether and stretch 20 km, over 26 stops, through the north end of Toronto. The original plan for the art consultant was to spearhead the selection of artwork and to work with artists to create an overall vision for the system.

"The stations themselves and the public space for the LRT stations need an element of design and pleasing aesthetics," said TTC spokesperson Brad Ross to the Toronto Star. "That's what this process is about, ensuring consistency and artist merit to the public space."

Ross says that the art in the stations could range from murals to mosaics and more.

Wynne says she was unaware of the job posting before reading the Toronto Star article because she understood the TTC was responsible for that part of the project.

(CBC Photo)