It’s been a very busy year in Toronto and around the world.
Mayor John Tory won a third term in office, Premier Doug Ford won a second, and a few familiar faces narrowly won the mayor’s chair in several GTA municipalities.
Within the span of 2022, Ontario finally saw most COVID-19 health restrictions lifted following a series of lockdowns, only to see the health system overwhelmed by an onslaught of other respiratory illnesses.
Along the way there were highs such as Toronto’s Grey Cup win, as well as low moments, such as the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Here’s CP24’s look at some of the big stories that shaped 2022 locally and around the world.
Freedom Convoy takes over Ottawa and visits T.O., Emergencies Act invoked
Angered by COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, groups of truckers headed to Ottawa in January to begin a protest that would last for weeks and bring the capital to a standstill. Residents of downtown Ottawa said they recorded sustained sound levels louder than lawnmowers in their homes as tractor-trailer horns honked nonstop for days.
A similar convoy also made its way to Toronto in early February, prompting officials to advise hospital workers not to wear anything that might identify them as such for fear of being blocked or harassed on their way to work.
The Toronto protests were relatively peaceful and dispersed after a couple of days.
But the Ottawa protests only dispersed after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act.
The use of the rarely used act has been the subject of an ongoing public inquiry this year which has questioned whether the government could have exercised other options first. A report on the inquiry’s findings is due by the end of February.
Ontario reopens – again, mandatory masking ends
It seemed at times that the revolving door of tightening COVID-19 restrictions, lockdowns and reopenings might never come to an end. But in February, as health indicators began to improve, the province began lifting restrictions such as capacity limits on stores, restaurants and social gatherings. This time, reopening seems to have stuck. All remaining masking requirements lifted at the end of April.
While many people have celebrated a return to a more normal way of life, health experts have cautioned that the pandemic is not over. And with a wave of influenza and RSV this season, many have called for a return to mandatory masking in some settings. So far, Ontario health officials have only gone as far as recommending people mask in crowded settings, but have framed it as a choice. The province’s top doctor raised at least a few eyebrows when he was spotted maskless at a party not long after making the recommendation.
MORE: Dr. Eileen de Villa on what the city can expect in 2023
Russia invades Ukraine
A year ago, the invasion of a peaceful democratic country in Europe in 2022 might have sounded like fiction to most people. But the world watched in horror in February as Russian forces moved into Ukraine under the pretense that they were moving to “denazify” the country. It was a contention that was odd, to say the least, about a country headed by a Jewish president.
The West, including Canada, responded with outrage, painful sanctions on Russia, and substantial financial support for Ukraine.
While Ukraine has put up a much tougher fight than Russia expected, the war has nevertheless been devastating for the country, with close to 7,000 civilians killed and more than 10,000 others wounded, according to the U.N.
Canada has also granted some 420,000 temporary visas for Ukrainians to come to Canada, though statistics show that only about 117,000 have actually reached Canada so far.
Travel chaos at Pearson
As restrictions lifted, air travel began to return to normal volumes. Travellers expected to feel elation at finally being able to go on vacation and visit friends and relatives once again, but many were left with decidedly angrier emotions as airlines and airports struggled to deal with the flood of returning passengers. Sky-high piles of lost baggage sitting idly in terminals became a regular sight at airports and lengthy tarmac delays, customs lines and cancelled flights became the norm.
Travel horror stories abounded and the problems culminated in Toronto Pearson International Airport being named the worst airport in the world for travel delays, a title they have been working hard to shake. Federal officials and airports have promised to fix the problems by hiring more staff. But as the holiday baggage chaos at the airport shows, there’s still a long way to go.
Ford captures another majority in Ontario
People might have had reason to believe that Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario could lose ground when voters headed to the polls in June. The province had just spent most of the past two years enduring a pandemic which included a series of rolling lockdowns which shut down schools and businesses and disrupted ordinary life.
But it appears that voters gave Ford and his party a passing grade for their handling of the crisis. Not only did the election result in another PC majority, but it resulted in the departure of both the NDP and Liberal leaders, who failed to gain much ground.
Ford has already set about on an ambitious agenda that includes further changes to municipal governance and an aggressive – and controversial – housing strategy.
Housing market cools, rents rise as rates go up
There was a time not long ago when it seemed that home prices in Toronto went in just one direction: up. And fast, at that. But with rising interest rates over the past year, that has changed. Toronto's housing market has softened in the past few months as borrowing costs have gone up. In the GTA, the average price of a home across all property types has fallen 19 per cent since reaching a peak of $1,334,062 in February. The changes have prompted at least one Canadian bank to label Toronto a buyers’ market.
In the meantime, rent in Toronto has gone up even more this year, rising 12 per cent over 2021 across all rental types. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto now stands at $2,551, while two-bedroom apartments average $3,363.
Public festivals and events reopen
One of the most conspicuous ways that the COVID-19 lockdowns affected the city was the absence of public festivals and celebrations. As the province closed down in 2020 in order to limit the spread of the virus, so did major festivals such as Taste of the Danforth, Toronto Pride, the CNE and many, many others.
But with nearly all restrictions in the province lifted ahead of the summer this year, Toronto saw a much-celebrated return of street festivals and public events.
While businesses and residents have been thrilled by the return of the festivals, those in the tourism industry say there is still some way to go before the city can claim a full recovery.
Hospitals overwhelmed by ‘triple pandemic’
While serious COVID-19 infections in the province may have dropped off, it seems like pressure on the healthcare system hasn’t lowered much at all this year.
Patients around Ontario reported lengthy hospital wait times through the summer. Children’s hospitals, in particular started to report being overwhelmed in the early fall as a “triple whammy” of COVID-19, RSV and influenza struck the province early.
The Ford government has defended its handling of the healthcare system, but has faced calls to do more, including a call from healthcare workers to re-introduce mandatory masking in some settings and to hire more doctors and nurses.
Education workers strike
What seemed like it would be a labour skirmish turned into all-out warfare early in the school year when educational support workers went head-to-head with the Ford government over a new contract. The 55,000 workers — comprised of administrative staff, educational assistants, janitorial staff and others — were seeking a flat $3.25-per hour pay raise per year over three years. The government wanted to hold to a two per cent increase per year.
Weeks of back-and-forth ensued between the workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Education Minister Stephen Lecce, culminating in a strike notice in late October. The government then moved to introduce Bill 28, the Keeping Students In Class Act, which sought to prevent workers from striking. Most egregiously, the bill invoked the Notwithstanding Clause in order to prevent any constitutional challenges to the legislation on the basis that it violates Charter rights.
The workers went ahead and held two days of protest anyway, shutting down schools across the province. The Ford government eventually rescinded the legislation in order to get the workers back to the bargaining table and a deal was eventually struck in mid-November. Workers have since ratified the deal, accepting a one-dollar flat rate hourly increase, or about 3.59 per cent on average annually.
Tory gets third term as mayor
Toronto Mayor John Tory easily won reelection to a third term in the city’s municipal election in October. Tory won the race with about 62 per cent of the vote, easily defeating, runner-up Gil Penalosa, who finished with about 18 per cent of the vote. Tory has said that this will be his final term in office. If he completes it, he will become Toronto’s longest-serving mayor.
The election also brought a slew of fresh faces to Toronto City Council, and resulted in a reversal of fortunes for Andrea Horwath and Steven Del Duca, who both stepped down as leaders of their parties following a poor showing in the provincial election, only to win the top job as mayor in Hamilton and Vaughan respectively.
Voter turnout in Toronto stood at a paltry 29 per cent, with similar figures recorded for many GTA municipalities, despite the introduction of online voting in some of them.
Strong Mayor Powers
Just months after winning reelection, the Ford government set about further reshaping municipal government in Toronto by passing legislation granting the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa so-called “strong mayor” powers. The move centralizes more power in the mayor’s office, allowing him to hire and fire department heads, set a budget, create new departments and pick a city manager. Mayor John Tory has already invoked the new powers to create a new housing department and to pick a new city manager.
In early December, the Ford government passed another law, Bill 39, expanding the strong mayor powers so that the mayor can pass bylaws on matters of "provincial priorities” with just one third of council in favour.
Critics fear that the new mayoral powers will weaken the consensus model of governance which has been the norm at Toronto City Hall for decades. Council has called on Ford to repeal the strong mayor powers, a call the premier has already dismissed.
Mayor John Tory has embraced the new powers, but has said that he will still try to govern by consensus.
Police killings
It's been a difficult year to be a police officer in Ontario.
Five officers have lost their lives in the line of duty since September this year.
The first was Toronto police Const. Andrew Hong, 48. Hong was one of three people who was fatally shot by a gunman who went on a shooting rampage in the GTA on Sept. 12. He was shot to death while on a lunch break at Tim Hortons.
In a funeral at the Toronto Congress Centre days later, his wife, colleagues and friends remembered him as a fun and affable character who cared deeply for both his police family and his wife and kids.
Two days after the rampage which left Hong dead, York Regional Police Const. Travis Gillespie was killed in a head-on collision with a suspected impaired driver on his way to work.
On Oct. 11, two officers with South Simcoe Police were responding to a disturbance call at a home when they were shot and fatally wounded. Const. Devon Northrup, 33, and Const. Morgan Russell, 54, were both rushed to hospital but did not survive.
Then on Dec.27, just days before the end of the year, Const. Grzegorz "Greg" Pierzchala was responding to a vehicle in a ditch outside Hagersville when he was fatally shot. Two suspects were quickly arrested and have been charged with first-degree murder.
While none of the incidents are believed to be connected, police unions say they serve as a “stark reminder” of the dangers of policing.
Ford housing bill slashes development charges, opens some Green Belt lands for development
It's no surprise to Ontario residents that there is a problem with the housing market in the province. Home prices have been skyrocketing for years, even as the province expects to welcome tens of thousands of new Canadians in the coming years.
Earlier this year the Ford government unveiled an ambitious housing plan to build 1.5 million new homes over the next 10 years.
While most people agree that more homes need to be built, Ford's strategy has raised eyebrows, to say the least. It includes providing breaks for developers to build more affordable and rental housing. However those breaks come at the expense of municipalities by slashing development charges which developers typically are required to pay in order to help the municipality upgrade infrastructure around the development, such as roads and sewers. Mayor John Tory has said that the loss of development charges could be a major threat to Toronto's finances.
Aside from potentially shortchanging municipalities, the Ford government has opened up land in the protected Greenbelt for development, a move which has raised an outcry from critics and environmentalists, and is moving to limit the power of conservation authorities to block development.
While developers and realtors have praised the strategy, city staff have warned that it could in fact slow the pace of development.
Cold case breakthrough
Toronto police never gave up looking for the person who viciously sexually assaulted and murdered two women in Toronto in the 1980s and then vanished. But it would take decades and multiple advances in genetic techniques in order to finally pinpoint a suspect.
On Nov. 28, Toronto Police announced that they had arrested and charged a suspect in the 1983 murders of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour.
The two women had been murdered months apart, but their killings were only linked by DNA years later. In more recent years police used a new technique which allowed them to search through family tree websites to narrow down the family the suspect may have come from.
The new technique led them to the doorstep of Joseph George Sutherland, 61, in Moosonee, Ont. Sutherland lived in Toronto at the time of the murders but had never been a suspect in the case. He has now been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
Gilmour's brother, Sean McCowan, said he never stopped pushing for the killer to be found because his sister "would've done the same" for him.
Roe v. Wade overturned in U.S.
After almost 50 years, the U.S. Supreme Court in June revoked constitutional protection for abortion rights by striking down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The shocking move came from a U.S. Supreme Court filled with conservative judges appointed by former President Donald Trump.
Women's rights groups have said the move puts women's lives in danger, particularly disadvantaged women who are unable to travel out of state to obtain an abortion if they need one.
While some conservative states have implemented laws criminalizing abortion in the wake of the decision, others have affirmed women's right to choose either through legislation or at the ballot box.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the move “devastating,” but it also prompted a conversation about how Canada treats reproductive rights.
Toronto gets a new chief
After a lengthy search, the Toronto Police Services Board announced in September that they had finally picked a new permanent replacement to serve as the city’s police chief.
Myron Demkiw, a 32-year veteran of the force, was sworn into the role on Dec. 19. He takes over from James Ramer, who had served in the role on an interim basis since the resignation of former chief Mark Saunders in August 2020.
Demkiw takes over the top job as police face a number of challenges, including an ongoing effort at modernization and building better relations with the community. While he was praised by the police board as a leader in policing, his appointment did stir some controversy due to his involvement in a raid at a women's bathhouse more than 20 years ago. Demkiw has said that he believes it is possible to rebuild trust with the LGBTQS2 community by listening and learning.
Queen Elizabeth II dies
On Sept. 8, Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign came to an end with her death at the age of 96. The death of Queen Elizabeth II was felt around the world, but especially in the commonwealth. Her passing was also mourned locally. The Queen visited Toronto many times over her reign. A day of mourning was observed for her in Ontario on Sept. 19.
Children’s medication shortages
Anxious parents spent months this year scanning pharmacy shelves for children's pain medications after a nationwide shortage of the medicine hit in the spring.
The government has said that it has taken action to make sure that more of the products reach store shelves.
The exact reason behind the shortage has remained murky, but an early onslaught of respiratory illness this year has been blamed.
The shortage of the medication has only compounded the problems facing overwhelmed hospitals.
Argos win Grey Cup
It was a tight game, but Toronto managed to secure a 24-23 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at the 109th Grey Cup in Regina on Nov. 20. Argos linebacker Henoc Muamba named Grey Cup MVP. The team celebrated their victory locally with a rally at Maple Leaf Square.
Jacob Hoggard trial
In June, former Hedley singer Jacob Hoggard was convicted of sexually assaulting an Ottawa woman in a high-profile court case. He was sentenced to five years behind bars, but has been granted bail as he appeals his conviction.
Depp-Heard trial
It was the sort of airing of dirty laundry that modern-day celebrities are typically careful to avoid. Few details were held back in a Virginia courtroom in April and May as former celebrity spouses Johnny Depp and Amber went head-to-head.
Depp was suing Heard for defamation, claiming that she had damaged his reputation and career when she claimed in a 2018 op-ed to have become “a public figure representing domestic abuse."
Heard countersued Depp for $100 million in damages.
Throngs of people who claim to hate celebrity gossip found themselves sitting wide-eyed at their computers with popcorn as the drama played out in front of cameras in court.
While neither party emerged from the drama looking particularly innocent, a jury awarded Depp $10 million and Heard $2 million in a split decision.
Both sides appealed, but recently settled, with Heard agreeing to pay Depp $1 million.
World Cup
World Cup fans were not disappointed this year as the massive tournament resulted in a nail-biting showdown between Argentina and France. Coming down to penalties, Argentina won the shootout 4-2 after the two sides battled to a 3-3 tie.
The event also marked a milestone for Canada, as Alphonso Davies scored the country’s first-ever World Cup goal in a match against Croatia.
-With files from CP24.com, AP and The Canadian Press
