A ‘friend to many people’: Former Toronto councillor and TTC chair Howard Moscoe dead at 86

Former Toronto councillor Howard Moscoe has died at 86. Mayor Olivia Chow sharing the news on social media described as a friend to many people in Toronto.

Former Toronto city councillor and TTC chair Howard Moscoe has died at the age of 86, Mayor Olivia Chow announced Saturday.

The circumstances surrounding the passing are unclear but in a post to social media, Chow said she was sad to share news of the death of her former council colleague, describing Moscoe as a “friend to many people in the Toronto area and beyond.”

“Howard’s contribution to a better Toronto has been enormous,” Chow said. “The memory of Howard Moscoe is a blessing to us all. Rest in Peace, dear colleague and friend.”

Moscoe, who was born on Nov. 28, 1939, served in municipal politics for 31 years. Chow described his career as “long and illustrious” beginning as a North York alderman in 1978 before later serving as a Metro councillor and Toronto city councillor.

Before entering politics, Chow says Moscoe worked as a high school art teacher in North York, where he later became president of the North York Teachers’ Federation and a governor with the Ontario Teachers’ Federation.

“Howard was an early and strong supporter of the move to upload the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway to the province,” Chow wrote.

“An example of his tenacity was the purchase of the new subway vehicles built in Thunder Bay now serving Line 1.”

Chow also says that Moscoe was an advocate for affordable housing, particularly rent geared to income housing in North York.

Notably, Moscoe became the first chair of the TTC, following municipal amalgamation in 1997. He pushed for transit expansion, ridership growth and accessibility improvements for Wheel-Trans users.

“He had a lifelong commitment to struggle for a fair, just and equitable Toronto,” Chow added.

She described Moscoe as a “tenacious fighter for social justice” adding that he advocated for tenants, people experiencing homelessness, transit riders and people living with disabilities throughout his career.

‘A true champion for the little guy’

Meanwhile, Humber River-Black Creek Coun. Anthony Perruzza shared his reaction in statement online offering his thoughts and prayers to the family.

“Today I learned of the passing of my friend and mentor, Howard Moscoe, a dedicated City Councillor and a true champion for the little guy,” he said.

“He believed deeply in fairness, compassion, and standing up for those whose voices were too often overlooked... My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, daughters, family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched. I will miss him dearly.”

‘Legendary public servant’

Coun. Mike Colle, in a post on Facebook, called Moscoe an “Amazing Master of City Politics in Toronto for a half Century.”

“In all my years in public life there was never a more innovative, clever, intelligent plus darn right hard working Politician that Howard Moscoe,” the deputy mayor and Eglinton-Lawrence rep wrote.

Colle said Moscoe loved Toronto so much that he worked seven days a week, 24 hours a day helping people, while also “scheming to drive Mel Lastman crazy and that’s the person that Howard was.”

“He took on the most complex of files from the Taxis industry to the TTC to helping tenants as if it was the most important thing in the world,” Colle said.

“What a legendary public servant and political dynamo. … There will never be another Howard Moscoe as it would take a dozen people to even accomplish half of what Howard did in a day. You were the very best Howard and you made all of us better and you made this a better place.”

‘Larger-than-life,’ Bradford says

Also sharing his thoughts online is Beaches-East York Coun. Brad Bradford who says Moscoe was a “larger-than-life personality with many strong views.”

“I had the pleasure of meeting him during my time as a TTC commissioner, and his warmth and gregariousness left a lasting impression,” he wrote. “Howard was deeply involved in Toronto’s Jewish community, and his absence will be felt across the city.

TTC lowering flags at its properties

In a statement posted on social media, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) said it is “deeply saddened” to learn of Moscoe’s passing.

“On behalf of all TTC employees, we extend our condolences to Mr. Moscoe’s family and friends during this difficult time,” it wrote, listing the various roles he served with the commission.

“All flags across TTC properties are lowered to half-mast in Mr. Moscoe’s honour.”

It also pointed to his service as a city councillor, during which he was a “fierce advocate for transit system accessibility and for securing sustainable funding for the TTC.”

“Mr. Moscoe took the helm at the TTC during a very challenging and complex year for the new amalgamated City of Toronto. Under Mr. Moscoe’s first term as Chair, the TTC broke ground on the new Queens Quay streetcar line that would connect Union Station with Exhibition Place; began construction on the Sheppard Subway, as well as started building the new Transit Control Centre at Hillcrest Complex,” the TTC said.

“During his second term as Chair, Mr. Moscoe helped steer the TTC through the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis and North America’s largest electricity blackout affecting 50 million people across the North Eastern Seaboard, both of which caused significant declines in ridership. Under his tenure, the TTC introduced its Ridership Growth Strategy in 2003, a blueprint for transit investment for the decade that followed, which saw the system grow ridership to more than half a billion riders annually.”