2013: A Train Wreck Year for Toronto

Christopher Hume reflects on Toronto’s year of natural, political and transit catastrophes.

1 minute read

December 31, 2013, 11:00 AM PST

By Kasper_O_Koblauch


“How fitting that 2013 should end in disaster; for Toronto, the year has been one long disaster,” writes Christopher Hume. “Though we can’t blame Rob Ford for the ice storm, he has already done more damage than anything nature could inflict upon the city.”

The ice storm that left 250,000 Torontonians without power wraps up a year plagued by scandals involving mayor Rob Ford and the derailment of established transit plans due to the mayor’s refusal to support surface light rail.

“The truth is that the city is in freefall,” Hume continues, “not just a joke to the rest of the world but, sadly, also to itself. Toronto is no longer taken seriously by its own inhabitants, let alone anyone else. If it can recover from the destruction wrought by its ridiculous chief magistrate, it will take years.”

Monday, December 30, 2013 in The Toronto Star

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight