Toronto, the 4th largest and one of the fastest-growing cities in North America, is the powerhouse driving the Canadian economy, with unique responsibilities far beyond any other city in Canada. However, Toronto’s fiscal framework is broken as Ottawa and Queen’s Park have forced the city to take on expenses it can’t afford, and responsibilities it shouldn’t own. Toronto is choking on growth, falling behind and facing a $1.6-billion budget gap. It’s clear our city needs a major fiscal reset.
On May 23rd, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, alongside a panel of experts will unpack the City’s fiscal challenges and seek to identify solutions to get Toronto’s budget back on track.
Individual:
- Member: $40
- Non-Member: $50
Table of 10:
- Member: $400
- Non-Member: $500
9:30am - 10:00am: Registration and Open Networking
10:00am - 10:05am: Welcome Remarks from Jan De Silva, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade
10:05am - 10:15am: Address by Peter Wallace, Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group, Former Toronto City Manager, Senior Fellow, CD Howe Institute
10:15am - 10:55am: Panel Discussion & Audience Q&A
Panellists:
- Peter Wallace, Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group; Former Toronto City Manager; Senior Fellow, CD Howe Institute
- Leslie Woo, CEO, Civic Action
- Richard Joy, Executive Director, ULI Toronto
Moderator:
- Giles Gherson, EVP & Chair, Economic Blueprint Institute, Toronto Region Board of Trade
10:55am - 11:00am: Closing Remarks
Peter Wallace is a Senior Advisor at the Boston Consulting Group, a Fellow at the Munk Institute of Global Affairs and Public Policy and a Fellow at the CD Howe Institute.
Peter is an experienced public policy practitioner, with 40 years of service at all levels of government. Key roles include Secretary of the Treasury Board for the Government of Canada, City Manager of the City of Toronto and Secretary of Cabinet and Head of the Public Service for Ontario. Earlier senior roles in the Government of Ontario include Deputy Minister of Finance and Treasury Board, Deputy Minister of Energy, and Associate Secretary to Cabinet and Deputy Minister, Policy.
Peter is an independent trustee for the University Health Network. He is past Chair of the Ontario Financing Authority, Great Lakes Fishery Commission and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
Peter is a graduate of the University of Toronto, with a bachelor’s degree in political economy and Master of Public Administration.
A respected multi-sector leader with over 25 years of experience building sustainable communities and shaping urban development in Canada’s fastest-growing urban region, greater Toronto. Leslie assumed the role of CEO at CivicAction in September 2020 where she convenes established and rising leaders to catalyzes actions and impactful solutions. Before joining CivicAction, Leslie served as Metrolinx’s Chief Planning and Development Officer. An experienced planner, architect and community activator, she was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2017 by WXN, Spacing Toronto’s Transit Changemaker in 2016 and Canada’s Women’s Infrastructure Network’s 2015 Outstanding Leader. Founder of shebuildscities.org, Leslie uses her voice and platform to amplify and celebrate other women city builders.
Richard Joy is the Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Toronto. Since his arrival as the first full-time Executive Director in 2014, the organization has more than tripled its membership – now the largest chapter in the global network.
ULI Toronto’s multidisciplinary professional network extends across the private and public sectors to advance the global ULI mission to “shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.”
Prior to joining ULI, Richard served as the Vice President Policy and Government Relations at the Toronto Region Board of Trade (2008-2014) following a tenure as Director of Municipal and Provincial (Ontario) at Global Public Affairs, a leading Canadian Government Relations firm.
Richard’s extensive public policy knowledge and experience comes from over a decade of service at Toronto City Hall and Queen’s Park, where he was the Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing responsible for the public policy development for the City of Toronto Act (2006).
Richard received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Carleton University, and currently sits on the Advisory Committee at the Toronto Metropolitan University Centre for Urban Research and Land Development. He has previous served on the Premier of Ontario’s Community Hubs Advisory Panel, the City of Toronto, TOCore Advisory Committee, and the Greenbelt Foundation, Places to Grow Advisory Board.