Published Thursday, July 23, 2020 10:50AM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, July 23, 2020 2:45PM EDT
The province banned residential evictions at the outset of the pandemic in March but that prohibition is expected to come to an end once the provincial state of emergency expires later this month, causing some renters to worry that their landlords will quickly move to evict them over unpaid rent.
On Thursday Tory was delivering remarks at an event to mark the beginning of construction on a new sustainable building near Queen’s Quay and Parliament Street when dozens of protesters carrying signs and a megaphone showed up and demanded that he use his emergency powers to implement a city-wide ban on residential evictions to replace the provincial order.
First one of the protesters made reference to Tory’s “million dollar condo,” prompting Tory to say “the longer you talk about this sort of thing the more you are going to lose credibility.”
Then after they continued to interrupt him, he said that he would not allow them to “decide on the timing of when we speak to things” when he had already agreed to answer their questions and attempted to resume his remarks.
When he was interrupted yet again, he accused the protesters of being the same group that attempted to force their way inside his Bloor Street condominium during another protest earlier this month and walked off the stage.
Tory has previously said that he felt as though that demonstration crossed a line and left some of his neighbours “afraid” and “unnerved.”
“You are people that come and engage in violent activity in front of my home. Violent activity in front of my home. Alright here we go,” Tory said before abruptly walking off without completing his remarks.