Toronto Mayor Slams “Uncaring” City Culture Amid Utility Crisis

Toronto, May 28, 2025 — Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has sharply criticized the city’s public service, calling out what she described as an “uncaring” culture after a city watchdog report revealed that tenants in a Toronto rooming house endured six months without basic utilities due to municipal inaction.

The report, which has sparked widespread concern, details how vulnerable tenants were left without heat, hot water, or electricity for half a year, despite repeated complaints and clear evidence of hardship. Mayor Chow, who has made affordability and public service reform central to her administration, condemned the city’s failure to act, saying it reflects a broader problem with how Toronto serves its most at-risk residents.

“Over the last decade, Toronto has become a harder place to live. Far too many in our city are living paycheque to paycheque in the midst of a housing affordability crisis,” Chow wrote in her recent budget address, highlighting the city’s struggle to provide essential services and the urgent need for change.

The mayor’s criticism comes as Toronto faces mounting challenges, including a housing affordability crisis, aging infrastructure, and record demand for social services. Chow’s administration has already signaled a shift in priorities, with a bold budget aimed at reversing years of neglect and underfunding. However, the watchdog’s findings underscore persistent gaps in accountability and responsiveness within the city bureaucracy.

Chow’s remarks have intensified calls for reform. She has pledged to overhaul how the city responds to tenant complaints and to ensure that public service workers are held to higher standards of care and urgency. The mayor’s stance has drawn support from tenant advocates, who argue that systemic indifference has left many low-income residents vulnerable to neglect.

The incident also comes as Toronto negotiates with other levels of government for increased funding to address its affordability crisis and improve essential infrastructure. Chow has repeatedly called for federal and provincial support to help the city build more affordable housing, upgrade aging utilities, and strengthen social safety nets.

As the city grapples with these challenges, Chow’s condemnation of the “uncaring” culture within Toronto’s public service signals a renewed focus on accountability and compassion in municipal governance. The mayor has vowed to make systemic change a priority, stating, “Now is the time for rebuilding our city”.