Tory leaves behind complicated legacy stained by sex scandal: experts

Even John Tory conceded the last week of his political career will forever leave a stain on his legacy.

The now former mayor admitted as much as he said goodbye to city hall Friday afternoon in a news conference held less than an hour before his resignation was made official. Standing at a podium a week after admitting to having an affair with a former staffer, he was blunt in his assessment. 

"What do I want to be remembered for?" he asked as several dozen reporters looked on.

"I know my departure and its circumstances will rank high on some lists."

But Tory then listed a series of things he views as his greatest accomplishments, making one last attempt to carve out his legacy in his own words — and set it apart from the shocking sex scandal that had immolated the newly re-elected mayor's decades-long political career.

Transit is being built, so is housing, and establishing "financial discipline" on the city's books. These are all things Tory pointed to as key accomplishments. 

"But more than anything, what I hope is remembered of my time is that I did the work," he said.

"I did the work of keeping the city stable and moving forward. That I did the work of reaching out to those who share my deep love for the city and try to work with them to make things better."

That's how John Tory would like to be remembered. But some experts are critical of Tory's eight plus years in office, questioning what his lasting impact will be beyond the stunning events of the past week.

Zachary Spicer, an associate professor of political science at York University, said the shadow the scandal casts will be long and dark. 

"I think if you ask people in 10 years to think back on John Tory's time as mayor, they will probably point to this, primarily because the scandal is so outside of his character and very much off-brand," he said. 

Spicer said Tory has been a good manager, but he will not be accused of being a visionary leader. Instead, he said, Tory will be remembered for stabilizing city hall after the scandal-plagued years of former mayor Rob Ford and navigating the difficulty of the council cut of 2018 by Premier Doug Ford.

Spicer said the former mayor's list of accomplishments will be difficult for people to nail down. And on some files, including Tory's handling of the growing homelessness crisis, he will receive a failing grade, he added.

"Part of the reason why he has been so popular, or he has seemed to be, is that a lot of people can't rattle off 10 achievements, but they probably can't rattle off 10 failures either," he said.