The City of Toronto saw some big changes in 2023, including the resignation of John Tory, the swearing-in of a new mayor, and capping off the year with the signing of a sweeping new deal for the city that will inject billions into municipal coffers.

These headline-grabbers were just a few of the changes introduced at City Hall this year, joined by several new initiatives covering a range of issues like housing, drinking in parks, and helping businesses recover from recent challenges like public health crises and lockdowns.

Here are just some of the biggest changes seen at Toronto City Hall in 2023:

Tory out, Chow in

John Tory shocked all of Toronto in February when he announced that he would step down as Mayor of Toronto following a shocking exposé uncovering an affair between Tory and a former staffer.

Four months later, Olivia Chow was elected as the 66th mayor of Toronto after a whirlwind two-month campaign that saw many politicians vying for the city's top job.

Alcohol in parks

The City piloted a program allowing alcohol consumption in 27 parks in 2023.

Despite some blowback over the signage and selective implementation of the program, City Council has deemed the pilot a success and approved an extension of the program until March 2024.

Washrooms in parks

If you're going to let people get a nice buzz in parks, you'd better make sure they have adequate infrastructure to relieve themselves.

Dovetailing with the alcohol in parks pilot, the City finally started getting its act together in regard to terrible park infrastructure in 2023, including the earliest-ever opening of park seasonal washrooms.

New parks and public spaces

On top of the aforementioned changes to existing parks, the City opened several new public spaces in 2023.

The Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Community Recreation Centre and Library (pronounced Etta-nonna wasti-nuh) now welcomes the public next to Bessarion subway station in North York.

Another new space introduced in 2023 was Lillian McGregor Park, a lush urban oasis constructed atop a parking garage next to a new condo tower at Yonge and Wellesley.

Perhaps the most talked-about park opening in 2023 was the long-awaited Love Park, a heart-shaped space at Queen's Quay and Simcoe that has already proven popular in its first season of operation.

Other public spaces opened by the City in 2023 include the One Yonge Community Centre and the Aquabella Child Care Centre downtown, as well as The Macaulay Centres for Children – Tippett Child Care Centre in North York.

Business recovery

The City is touting its accomplishments in supporting small business in 2023, including programs like CaféTO, Main Street Recovery, and Rebuild grant programs, as well as its role in hosting the Small Business Forum in October, and a mix of webinars and training.

Toronto also hosted the Collision Tech Conference in June, welcoming approximately 40,000 innovators, tech professionals and visitors from around the world. The conference is slated to return to Toronto in 2024.

New Deal

Toronto capped off the year with a big win, inking a new deal with the province bringing $7.6 billion in capital relief for the City.

This includes the offloading of the Gardiner Expressway into provincial hands, a plan to bring 70 new subway trains to the TTC, and several other incentives that will ease Toronto's crushing financial burden.

It also marked a crushing blow to groups opposing the Ontario Place mega-spa, as the deal ironed out municipal-level details that will allow the controversial project to move forward.

In addition to all these accomplishments, the City is patting itself on the back for progress in many departments over the past year.

Other accomplishments touted in a recent roundup posted by the City include progress on affordable housing targets, the Toronto Community Crisis Response Service, expansion of the FitnessTO program, moves to increase shelter supports, transportation and congestion issues, advancing Indigenous reconciliation, and climate leadership.