Petitioners,
It has been some time since our last update, but the Dundas renaming debacle continues to make headlines—more than two years after this misguided initiative was approved by City Council and Mayor Chow.
Recent budget notes reveal that the square formerly known as Yonge-Dundas Square has become a financial liability for taxpayers. The site is no longer generating sufficient revenue to sustain its operations. Private bookings collapsed last year, with corporate interest in the square falling sharply. In an incredulous attempt at deflection, Councillor Moise blamed the decline on “Trump’s tariffs.”
As many will recall, Mayor Chow and Councillor Moise vetoed the possibility of a corporate sponsor—an option that would have provided a critical capital injection to revitalize the square and its surrounding area.
In the wake of this ill-conceived renaming, it has become clear that corporations are reluctant to associate themselves with a square whose new name bears no meaningful connection to Toronto and is linked to a slave-trading Ghanaian tribe. The result has been reputational damage, lost revenue, and a deteriorating public asset.
This debacle will continue to haunt the Mayor and City Council, who failed to act when they had the opportunity to stop what is now widely regarded as one of the most dishonest, wasteful, and foolish scandals in Toronto’s civic history.
We will ensure the electorate remembers what happened when voters head to the polls on October 26, 2026. We remain confident that a new City Council will have the courage to undo this mistake and lift this dark cloud from Toronto.
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/sankofa-square-budget-losses