Item - 2026.MM42.31

Mayor Olivia Chow, seconded by Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, recommends that:

1. City Council request the City Manager, in consultation with the Moscoe family and local stakeholders, to report directly to the July 29, 30, and 31, 2026, meeting of City Council with recommendations on options to commemorate former City Councillor and Toronto Transit Commission Chair Howard Moscoe and his contributions to the City of Toronto, including consideration of a commemorative naming.

Howard Moscoe served as an elected member of Toronto, Metro and North York Councils for 32 years, serving on Toronto City Council for four consecutive terms from 1998 to 2010. He represented North York Spadina from 1998 to 2000, and Eglinton Lawrence from 2000 to 2010.

Prior to amalgamation, he was elected to the North York City Council – first as an Alderman from 1978 to 1985 and later as a City Controller from 1985 to 1988 – during which time he also served on on Metro Toronto Council. Later, he was elected as a Metro Toronto Councillor from 1988 to 1997 representing North York Spadina.

While a Member of Toronto City Council, he served as Commissioner, Vice Chair, and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission over his 14 years service on the Commission. He served on the Toronto Transit Commission Board from 1992 to 2006, and was Chair from 1998 to 2000 and from 2003 to 2006.

His working life started as a high school art teacher in the former North York where he became President of the North York Teachers’ Federation and a governor of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation. His art background later fed a very successful election sign business. As a member of the New Democratic Party, he ran three times to become the Member of Provincial Parliament in the riding of Wilson Heights.

Mr. Moscoe had many achievements throughout his political career. Highlights include promoting a municipal housing corporation in North York to support rent geared to income housing, being an early supporter of 2SLGBTQ+ issues in the early 1990s when the community sought ad space on Toronto Transit Commission vehicles, and immense contributions at the Toronto Transit Commission.

During his first term as Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, the Toronto Transit Commission broke ground on the new Queens Quay streetcar line that connects Union Station with Exhibition Place, began construction on the Sheppard subway, and started to build the Transit Control Centre at Hillcrest Complex.

In his second term as Chair, Moscoe helped steer the Toronto Transit Commission through the SARS crisis and the 2003 electricity blackout and the Toronto Transit Commission introduced it’s 2003 Ridership Growth Strategy—a guiding document for transit investment in the decade that followed, which saw the system grow ridership to more than half a billion riders annually.

Howard Moscoe’s contributions to the City of Toronto are worthy of recognition. As such, this motion gives direction to the City Manager to identify opportunities for Mr. Moscoe to be commemorated by the City.