Five differences as John Tory replaces Rob Ford as Toronto mayor

Changes are coming at Toronto City Hall, though you may not hear much about it in the rest of Canada, because the biggest difference of all is the removal of headline-maker Rob Ford from the Mayor’s Office.

Ford, who will sit as Ward 2 Councillor in this upcoming term, presided over the government of Canada’s largest city during what was undoubtedly its most turmoil-filled four years.

There have been court battles, police investigations, drug confessions, allegations of racism and that time the mayor literally bowled over an elder member of council to go shout at city residents; it’s been a tumultuous term.

And on Monday, Ford has been officially replaced by someone who vows absolutely no such excitement.

Today is John Tory’s first day as mayor, and things are already very different.

Over the weekend, Tory vowed to replace Toronto’s exciting-but-dysfunctional city hall will one that is dull but effective.

“It will be more likely under the ‘B’ for boring (category) than under the ‘B’ for bizarre in the case of my office and even my administration,” Tory told the Toronto Sun.

“If you look (boring) up in the dictionary and it says, ‘Get results, isn’t that exciting to watch in terms of controversy and chaos or show business,’ then we’ll be boring. But I hope boring is taken by people as a good thing in a sense it means a focus on results.”

Those aren’t empty words. Already, there have been some small changes that are a portent of things to come.

To wit, here are several differences that indicate the Ford circus is truly over.

Tory started his first work day at 6:30 a.m.

Via the Toronto Sun’s Don Peat, Tory arrived at the office well before sunrise on Monday. It is a key change from the latter part of Ford’s time in office, when he would often not appear at the office until after lunch, and had long stopped offering to account for his whereabouts. Detailed agendas were replaced with ambiguous claims of “meeting with constituents,” though a police investigation suggests that on more than one occasion such meetings were with a friend and alleged drug dealer. Tory, meantime, ran on a promise to return accountability to city hall.

The fishbowl has been frosted over

As Ford’s term descended into the chaos of drug allegations, police investigations and so many staff resignations and terminations that a turnstile should have been installed at the front door, the glass-enclosed foyer outside the mayor’s staff offices became the most engaging reality show in the city’s history. Reporters, demonstrators and various other spectators gathered outside and watched through the glass walls. Again via Peat, there is new frosting on those walls to make things less translucent.

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This may not be a spectacular shift, though. Frosted glass was installed last year, when both power and authority over the mayor’s staff were stripped from Ford and given to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly. Still, if Tory ever ends up stalking from office to office as key staffers resign, the news footage won’t be as compelling.

Introduction of regional deputy mayors

Tory hasn’t yet had to do much, considering his duties just began and he hasn’t even been officially sworn into office. But the biggest issue he has had to deal with has already indicated a major shift in tact – he has indicated his desire to name several deputy mayors that would represent regions of the city.

Tory’s first order of business was to name his choices for board members and other key positions. To the high-profile position of deputy mayor, he named longtime conservative councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong. But the National Post notes that Tory also intends to name three other deputy mayors, creating a four-person collective that would represent geographical areas of the city.

Minnan-Wong would represent the north, Vincent Crisanti would represent the west, Glenn De Baeremaeker would represent the east and Pam McConnell would represent the south, or downtown region.

The group will meet with Tory monthly to highlight regional issues and “make sure each of the regions of the city has a strong voice.”

Those three new positions must be approved by council, but that shouldn’t be an issue. The Post notes that former mayor David Miller had four deputies during his first term. Ford, meantime, first tasked his closest ally, Doug Holyday, to be his first deputy mayor (Kelly was given the job after Holyday moved to provincial politics). Ford and Holyday represented the same region of the city and shared similar points of view, becoming one of the earliest indications that Ford would run a “my way or the highway” office.

Toronto’s mayor will meet directly with Ontario’s premier

In what is a key change from the end of Ford’s mayoralty, Tory met with Premier Kathleen Wynne this morning for a general chitchat. It’s a clear indication that there will be better communication between the two governments, after Wynne turned a deaf ear to Ford and instead spoke with Kelly. Last January, when she denied Ford’s request for an “urgent meeting” about ice storm funding, she said it was important to meet with those who “have the responsibility for leadership.”

In contrast, upon the conclusion of her first meeting with Tory, Wynne said he showed a willingness to work with other levels of government and announced that frequent meetings were in the future.

Don Cherry isn’t invited to his inauguration

Tory will be officially sworn in as mayor during an inauguration on Tuesday. And while Tory is welcome to invite a special guest to the event, it won’t be Don Cherry. The formerly-relevant hockey commentator offered the first cringe-worthy moment of the Ford administration when in 2010 he introduced the city’s new mayor by attacking “pinkos” on council and insulting Toronto’s collection of “left-wing kooks.”

“You are entitled to have a special guest. No offence at all, but it will not be Mr. Cherry,” Tory told reporters after winning the mayoral election in October. See, the guy won’t even create controversy while snubbing controversy.

It’s going to be a boring four years.