Tory's Worried About How Difficult It Will Be To Get Toronto Back To The Office

While many Ontarians have been worrying about the provincial back-to-school plans, John Tory has his own concerns. The mayor is "very concerned" about Toronto’s office reopening plans for employees over the city. During his media briefing on August 12, he expressed worry over overloading transit systems, elevators, and the city's underground PATH system.

Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Tory admitted that he's feeling some anxiety over the matter.

“I spend a good part of my day focusing on this and I’m very concerned about it," he told reporters.

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He continued: “We need to try and achieve a balance of not overloading the transit system, the downtown elevators [..] while at the same time seeing the city restart itself in an effective manner."

He was then asked for a hypothetical example of a “bad situation” that could occur come the fall season.

“I will say to you an example that is an area of prime concern for me is [..] the underground PATH system,” admits Tory.

Toronto's PATH is a network of pedestrian walkways that connect the city's downtown area. It also hosts numerous stores and businesses.

“I don’t know the precise number of stores, but it’s in the hundreds and those hundreds represent thousands of jobs,” explains Tory. 

If the PATH system doesn’t see an increase in patrons soon, businesses that are located within the underground network could be at risk of closing permanently.

But Tory ensured Torontonians that public health is the number one priority when considering the issue.

When asked what his ideal return-to-work situation would be, Tory explained the city “can't have everyone come back to the work the day after the Labour Day weekend, but, at the same time we can't have no one come back.”

The mayor had stated back in late May that Toronto's reopening would be easier if everyone could work and study from home until at least September, where possible.

Now, though, his thoughts are turning to later in the year, and the difficulties that lie in store.

Tory stated that it would take striking a balance between a healthy economic restart and proper public health protocols to achieve a successful return to work. 

The mayor previously worked with provincial and federal government to get Toronto into stage three, which it transitioned into on July 31.

Tory says that back-to-work protocols will naturally differ employer to employer.

So if you're wondering what your return to the office will look like, it may be best to check in with your employer!