The 2026 Council Power Rankings
City Hall Watcher #397: After an action-packed, surprising term of Council, how do councillors rank in terms of power and influence?
City Hall Watcher
A weekly newsletter about Toronto City Council by Matt Elliott
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Now loading: Data centre lobbying at Toronto City Hall
City Hall Watcher #396: Lobbyist Watch for July 2026, featuring notes on the grounded island airport debate, Loblaw's City Hall surveillance, and more!
Council closes term with debates on island airport, surveillance pricing and data centres
City Hall Watcher #395: Your complete recap of the July 2026 meeting of Toronto Council, with notes on housing, fires, a rebrand for the sewage treatment playground (why?), and more
Council sets sail for final odyssey before election day
City Hall Watcher #394: Your complete preview of the July 2026 meeting of Toronto Council, with notes on an island airport win, an attempt to ban surveillance pricing, pedestrian scrambles, and more.
Toronto's slow streetcars — and the search for silver bullets
City Hall Watcher #393: Damien Moule returns with a look at Toronto's seriously slow streetcars, plus notes on budgets, Bike Share and basketball
Breaking Brad: a look at Bradford's first batch of fix-it promises
City Hall Watcher #392: PLATFORM VIEW casts an eye at three Brad Bradford policy proposals, plus a look at committee agendas for the week
Lobbyist Watch lingers, Community Councils cram
City Hall Watcher #391: LOBBYIST WATCH for June 2026 hints at a major land deal, plus all the hits from the final community council meetings of the term
Council accepts big money from Queen's Park and Ottawa as part of blockbuster trade
City Hall Watcher #390: Your complete recap of the June 2026 meeting of Toronto Council
The tardy list: Are some city councillors dawdling on election registration?
City Hall Watcher #389: A look at which councillors are taking a long time to file for re-election, plus a preview of the June meeting of Council, featuring car-free streets, parking policy, and more!
Are Council contenders ready for "big freaking deal" changes to the Official Plan?
City Hall Watcher #388: Damien Moule on the "largest change to municipal land use planning in Ontario in decades", plus CITY HALL WATCHER LIVE lets you reflect on 15+ years of Council coverage