File photo of Toronto city hall on May 23 2012.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Toronto city council spent the fourth and final day of its monthly meeting debating the future of Nathan Phillips Square, with the mayor making an unsuccessful push to have a wading pool built just outside city hall, and his councillor brother suggesting a bike station would "turn into a bathhouse," a comment he later withdrew when it was criticized as homophobic.
The plan to build the $1.2-million, 380-space bike station in the city hall parking lot, complete with a public shower, passed with a 26 to 5 vote.
But while a majority approved it, the proposal sparked a lengthy, acrimonious debate with Councillor Doug Ford suggesting the facility's showers would become a bathhouse, complete with a towel boy.
Both Councillor Ford and Mayor Rob Ford have said the bike station is a waste of money and have focused their criticism on its shower facilities, though they account for $20,000 of the overall cost.
Councillor Shelley Carroll was the first to ask Councillor Ford to withdraw the bathhouse remark. She was followed by Councillor Gord Perks, who called the comment homophobic.
Councillor Ford shot back: "Don't tell me I'm homophobic. I'm donating to the gay Pride Parade."
He then said there would be "hanky-panky" in the bike-station showers.
Speaker Frances Nunziata asked Councillor Ford to withdraw the bathhouse remark, which he did. However, during the withdrawal he said he couldn't wait to see council's reaction when someone was caught doing something untoward in the bike station.
He then withdrew that remark.
Councillor Ford denied afterward that his comments were homophobic. "I don't care if you're straight, gay, purple, pink, it doesn't bother me," he said.
Mayor Ford opened Friday's session by requesting a staff report examining the feasibility of converting the reflecting pool in the city's landmark plaza into a wading pool. The mayor said he was inspired by a similar set-up outside the Alberta legislature, which he saw during a visit to Edmonton last summer.
"I was really impressed when I went to Edmonton and saw their pool [or] fountain," he said. "I think we could utilize – whatever you want to call it, the pool, the fountain out there – a lot better."
The mayor stressed he was only requesting a report, and the city wouldn't move ahead if the cost of the conversion was "enormous." But it was Mr. Ford who, for a change, was accused of riding the gravy train.
Councillor Josh Matlow asked how much money the mayor would consider "enormous," but Mr. Ford declined to provide a number.
Councillor Adam Vaughan said there is already a plan for Nathan Phillips Square and it requires serious consideration, not a proposal he called "ridiculous."
And Councillor Janet Davis said there was no doubt the conversion would come with serious costs, including new filtration systems and lifeguards.
The mayor's motion did not carry, with the vote coming in at 16 to 16.