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"For a long time, of course, council has hid behind the fact this was delegated to staff ... but I think what this process has illustrated to me is that communities are being torn apart right now," says Councillor Bradford of the shelter site selection process.

Here's the text of Bradford's motion re: the Sixth Street shelter. Councillor Morley asks Bradford what his "interest" is in this shelter, given it's in her ward. Bradford says he "heard from a lot of people" about this particular site.

"Would you not agree this undermines the work that I have in fact been doing in my ward?" Morley asks. Bradford says that's not his intention. Morley asks Bradford if he really thinks deferring this rezoning will result in a different shelter site. Bradford says he can't "presuppose the outcome."

"So we should further defer, further delay, and keep shovels out of the ground? Is what you're suggesting with this motion?" Morley asks of Bradford's motion to defer the shelter zoning. Bradford says you have to be "going out and having the conversations" to deal with community concerns.

Councillor Gord Perks asks Nunziata to rule Bradford's motion out of order. He says the procedure bylaws do not allow councillors to defer part of the item. She says she'll look at it and make a ruling later.

Councillor Bravo asks Bradford why he's moving to defer the Sixth Street site but not others. Why is he being selective? "This site in particular has some specific considerations with land title," he says. Bradford says it's zoned for commercial. It "warrants further review."

Council breaks for lunch. There are 81 items left on the agenda. That's still too many. Back at 2 p.m. to chip away at it.

Council is slowly returning. Before they get back to business, there will be a salute to City Clerk John Elvidge, who recently won the "Prestige Award" from the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario. An honour just to be nominated, I presume. I hope he got a huge trophy

Whoa. I was joking, but this is actually a pretty big trophy.

Mayor Olivia Chow notes that one of the reasons Elvidge won the award was for his "seamless execution of the 2023 mayoral by-election." "Ahem, thank you," Chow jokes.

Standing ovation for the City Clerk. "It's a pleasure to serve in this chamber, and what happens in the chamber matters," says Elvidge in a short speech. "Now let's get on with the meeting."

Council returns to the shelter debate. Councillor Brad Bradford has tweaked his motion regarding the Third Street shelter, specifying that the reason he wants to defer it is to allow more consultation.

For clarity, here's what Councillor Brad Bradford is opposing today: replacing this 24-space parking lot with a 50-bed seniors shelter.

Councillor Shelley Carroll reminds her colleagues of the definitions of "dog whistle" and "poison pill", then says she intends to vote against motions by Holyday and Bradford. "I'm not drawing any connection to the definitions I just spelled out for you — you could do that yourselves," she says.

"We have to wake up to the fact that the three wards downtown don't have enough zoning tricks left in the bag to continue to absorb all of the vulnerability and all of the challenges that are happening in the city," says Carroll, on the need for more shelters in the inner suburbs.

Speaking about the homeless seniors who will find beds in the new shelter, Councillor Amber Morley says, "My care and concern for them is as deep and consistent as it is for the children of the families who are concerned about the potential implication of a shelter coming to our ward."

"For us not to show up and provide a glimmer of hope, with the resources and the responsibilities we have, that is negligent — and it perpetuates cycles of harm that we pay for, one way or the other," says Councillor Amber Morley, urging councillors not to dither or delay on shelters.

Councillor Perks is the final speaker on the shelter item. He calls the Bradford and Holyday motions "mischief" and urges councillors to oppose. "Saying a shelter brings problems to a neighbourhood is like saying a doctor makes people sick. You've got the cause and effect backwards," says Perks.

Councillor Brad Bradford's motion to defer the Third Street site from the rezoning process for new shelters FAILS 5-20.

Holyday's motion for a report on a new process for selecting shelter sites — an alternative to the delegated process — FAILS 7-18.

Rezoning for the new shelter at 1615 Dufferin Street CARRIES 23-2.

Rezoning for the new shelter at Eglinton & Caledonia CARRIES 23-2.

Rezoning for the new shelter at 2535 Gerrard East CARRIES 20-5.