First-term Ward 3 councillor Amber Morley (above) has been given a big promotion
by Mayor Olivia Chow who appointed the South Etobicoke native as deputy
mayor representing Etobicoke.
Morley was also appointed to sit on the powerful and influential Toronto Police
Services Board (TPSB).                                                                                                                                            Chow (below) said her appointments are intended
to reflect her commitment to a “deeply collaborative style of leadership and a
renewed purpose to deliver the kind of
change that the people demand.” Councillor Jon Burnside, a former cop,
was also named to the TPSB.

Morley stunned the community and made a name for herself in October 2022 by
defeating long-time Councillor Mark Grimes for Etobicoke Lakeshore.
Ausma Malik is the statutory deputy mayor of Toronto, Councillor Mike Colle
is deputy mayor for North York, Coun. Jennifer McKelvie, who served as former
mayor John Tory’s statutory deputy, is deputy mayor of Scarborough.
McKelvie is also chair of the Infrastructure and Environment
Committee and as a board member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
(FCM), where she will push for more robust funding partnerships with other
levels of government, Chow said.
Malik was elected in 2022 and has been one of the most vocal opponents of the
province’s controversial plan for the development of Ontario Place, which is in
her ward of Spadina–Fort York.
All four deputy mayors will also sit on Chow’s executive committee, the city’s
most powerful committee that sets key priorities and discusses big-ticket items.
Coun. Shelley Carroll is chair of the budget committee. The city hall veteran
steps into the role as Toronto faces a nearly $1.5-billion budget shortfall and
projected deficits of billions of dollars in funding for state of good repair projects.
“I’m proud of this new Toronto team, a team that reflects the city it serves. One
team deeply and single-mindedly focused on the people’s priorities and
building a city that is more affordable, safe and caring — where everyone
belongs,” Chow said in a letter.
Morley for more than 20 years has been working on behalf of the residents of
Etobicoke-Lakeshore, while pursuing advocacy at all levels of government. She
used her voice to bring attention to issues such as poverty reduction, youth equity,
good governance and access to city spaces and services.
She was a former Director of the South Etobicoke Youth Assembly at LAMP
CHC for many years.