John Tory says he will be stepping down as the mayor of Toronto after having a relationship with a staff member.
Tory made the announcement during a late press conference Friday evening.
Tory said the relationship did “not meet the standards to which I hold myself as mayor and as a family man.”
According to Tory, the relationship began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he and his long-time wife were spending “lengthy periods apart.”
Tory said he will be stepping down so he can “reflect on my mistakes” and “do the work of rebuilding the trust of my family.”
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He said the relationship “ended by mutual consent” earlier this year.
Tory said the staff member decided to pursue employment outside of city hall.
Tory called the matter a “serious error in judgment.”
He said he will work with the city manager, city clerk and deputy mayor Jennifer McKelvie to “ensure an orderly transition in the coming days.”
“While I deeply regret having to step away from a job that I love, in a city that I love even more, I believe in my heart, it is best to fully commit myself to the work that is required to repair these most important relationships, as well,” he said.
Tory said he is “deeply sorry” and apologized “unreservedly” to the people of Toronto, his staff members and his colleagues at city hall.
“Most of all, I apologize to my wife, Barb and to my family who I’ve let down more than anyone else,” he continued.
Tory said he has asked the city’s integrity commissioner to review the relationship.
Tory was first elected as Toronto’s mayor in 2014. He was re-elected in 2018 and again in 2022.
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