Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau shares a laugh with Toronto Blue Jays' head coach John Gibbons as wife Sophie looks on during batting practice on Friday, September 4, 2015 in Toronto.Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press
The day after an election that saw Liberal candidates win in every single Toronto riding, Mayor John Tory extended his congratulations to prime-minister-designate Justin Trudeau, saying the decision gives "optimism" to Canada's largest city.
"The people of Toronto made a clear choice yesterday," Mr. Tory told reporters on Tuesday. "His victory and the number of Liberal candidates elected last night sends a strong message of what the city values going forward."
In particular, he said the Liberal Leader's promises on transit – including a commitment to fund one-third of the Toronto mayor's proposed SmartTrack plan – and on affordable housing leave him especially hopeful.
Full coverage of Federal Election 2015
On housing, Mr. Trudeau specifically pledged to make infrastructure funds available for social housing repairs, an issue Mr. Tory described as having "the greatest sense of urgency" for Toronto. The city's social-housing provider, Toronto Community Housing, is facing a $2.6-billion repairs backlog, with no specific funding commitments to date from either the provincial or federal government.
In his own campaign for mayor last year, Mr. Tory – who has deep Conservative ties – had emphasized his personal relationship with Stephen Harper. On Tuesday, he described his relationship with Mr. Trudeau as "excellent" – despite acknowledging that he does not know him as well.
The Toronto mayor, who called Mr. Trudeau on Monday evening to deliver his personal congratulations, said he has had a number of phone and in-person meetings with the Liberal Leader in recent months. "I think I'll have no difficulty working with him and his colleagues," he said.
Tuesday's election saw losses by a swath of Tory cabinet ministers, including Toronto-based finance minister Joe Oliver. Several high-profile NDP MPs were also swept aside by the red wave, including Peggy Nash and Andrew Cash.
"I think as much as anything else, like food you put in your refrigerator, governments have a certain shelf life," Mr. Tory said on Tuesday. "If you look nowadays at the average, it seems to rest at nine or 10 years. It's pretty tough after that period of time seemingly to get yourself re-elected."
Ann Hui