Mike Donachie tells us what's going on at City Hall.

Hello London, I'm Matt Brown and you're listening to the Matt Brown podcast.

It's a milestone episode of sorts, depending on how you count it.

We've just passed about 30 episodes for this podcast.

And today, City Hall Reporter Mike Donicky is going to join us to tell us all about what's

going on down at City Hall these days as we approach the 2026 municipal election.

And we're going to take care of some housekeeping items too.

I'll tell you all about it right after this.

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And we're back.

I mentioned that Mike Donicky is going to join us and he is in just a little bit.

We also have a little bit of housekeeping to take care of.

As we head into spring, the podcast is making its way towards its first anniversary.

We're going to celebrate that at the end of June.

I don't want to count any chickens at this point, but surpassing 30 episodes with a growing audience

is something most startup shows like this never get to experience.

That's all because of you and that's because of many, many excellent guests.

So thanks to everyone involved for that.

By many measures, the response to the projects has been really great.

I'm still learning the whole production side of things, I think, or at least I hope

the quality of the show, including the sound is getting better.

And I have to say that I've appreciated those views of reached out with suggestions and advice.

One thing I have definitely learned is that a good podcast needs great guests.

And I'm so grateful for all of the guests who have joined us for the past 30 plus episodes.

It includes community leaders, frontline workers, past members of City Council,

and even members of our current council.

And spoiler alert, by the end of March, that number of current council members

is going to grow to four.

And to the other 11 members of council, you're more than welcome to share this space too.

Drop me a line if you have something that you want to talk about.

And we'll find the time to hear what you have to say to.

We'll stick to the facts and we'll make sure that we're looking at issues of the day

from as many different perspectives as possible.

Most of the topics for episodes today have come from our audience.

Let's keep that going.

If you have an idea to picture, a comment to make about a past episode

or especially a different view, please drop me a line.

You can visit the map around podcast.com or send me an email to the same address at gmail.com.

And if you like what you're hearing, please keep sharing this show with your families,

your colleagues, and your friends.

And if you haven't subscribed just yet, you can do so pretty much anywhere that you get your podcasts.

So speaking of great guests, I mentioned off the top that we definitely have one for you today.

This is an abridged version of a conversation I had recently with local journalist Mike Donikey

is playing over on newsmakers right now.

That's the news program that I host over on Roger's television.

Mike is watching City Hall closely and he's reporting what's happening there on a regular basis

for a startup that he's just launched.

It's called London City Hall Notes and he publishes it using the substack platform.

As the municipal election scheduled for late October approaches,

you can expect to hear more from Mike in the weeks and months to come.

And today he's here to tell us all about what's going on down at City Hall.

So let's go.

Welcome to the program, Mike.

Thank you so much, Mike. It's always a pleasure to do this. I can't believe you let me do it.

Well, you know what we love having you on because you've been watching City Hall very, very closely

with your new project and there's been a lot going on down there over the past week or so.

What can you tell us about that?

Yeah, I'd use the word gladiatorial lately.

It's been a thing.

If you've ever seen the popular film Mad Max 3 Beyond Thunderdome, think of a Thunderdome.

What's happening there is everybody's in competition and they all want everyone's vote.

So there are a lot of new ideas coming forward that it's an absolute delight to see.

Okay, well let's talk about some of those ideas.

What would you say is the theme or the topic or maybe topics of the day right now?

Well, homelessness is never going to go away and sadly it pains me to say

homelessness linked to public order and linked to general environment in our community.

As the weather changes, we're seeing more people.

I like to quote Christina Rosetti's poem in this goblin market.

We must not look at goblin men.

We must not buy their fruits.

There is a general difficulty, fear of poverty and people see this and we feel it very, very

hard and we look at the city and say what are you doing about that?

And so some councils are coming forward with different ideas there

in different ways to help people and it's a matter of opinion,

perhaps otherwise.

I think there are some incendiary issues happening there,

particularly after the community and protective services,

conversation around giving out free needles and condoms and so on.

That's a lot. That's what topic.

That's right. So we had councilor Susan Stevenson

bring through a letter through committee to go to council just after merch break

and within that the councilor was indicating that condoms are being handed out

and the public's safe needles are being handed out.

What's behind that?

So yeah, so agencies help people and people need all kinds of help.

And let's not talk about the details of that.

But the fact is, and again I'm making facetions from much of a poetry,

but the fact is that we and our safe bubbles and our cars driving past

would feel a lot happier if the people that we return to city hall

have done something about it.

We feel it and we feel bad.

And so there are a number of agencies that are funded by city hall that are out there helping people

with tents and outreach and all sorts of things like that.

And that's part of that.

They're getting given out something like a little bit of foil when they need one.

And that does not sit well with every constituent of the current council.

So that's why there's a very difficult conversation happening there right now.

Okay, thanks for that.

We'll see where that goes when it hits council.

I also wanted to ask you about a 30 story building that was approved

in the downtown core a couple of weeks ago now.

The shoe was quite contentious.

And I think, you know, as I watched it from the outside looking in,

it didn't quite fit zoning.

It was very close to buildings that fit zoning.

But the discussion got very heated, focused around

who's taking campaign contributions from whom.

And in particular, from the proponent for the project at York Development.

What can you tell us about that?

There are about four or five different issues in there.

First of all, London does love a tower.

Here in London, we view a tower in Toronto-esque success.

So we want a big tower.

Economically, it makes sense.

There were really two arguments at council.

One was, it makes sense economically.

And we shouldn't be dogmatic about this.

If it was across the street, it would be in the different zone.

Which was true and could be built.

Great.

And the other side was, it's bad for the community.

It's bad for people that live there now.

They're going to be displaced by this sort of seriously disrupted.

Let's note that York developments have stepped up

to help those people since that was surfaced.

Good for them.

But also the idea that it went against the London plan.

It went against the expert advice from staff.

Why spend millions of dollars a year on city staff

if you're not going to listen to them?

There were a number of different arguments, different ways there.

Now the tower has gone through and will be maximum profit at 30 stories.

There was a lot of talk about above 18.

And the details don't really matter, Matt.

What's important here to understand

is that we're being commercially led by this stuff.

Councils in favour of it politically.

They want to see it happen.

They want to see intensification downtown.

And that's causing friction with people who are already there

who are having the quality of life affected.

I have a whole rant that we'll say for another show

of it quality alive here in London.

I think it ought to be front centre again.

And those people are right to some extent.

But what happened was that tower went through.

Now you've also got the murky issue off.

Who gave donations to whom?

And I'm not going to say anything because it's purely factual.

Any day of the week, anyone can look at London.ca,

that popular website.

And they can pull information about who donated to whom.

The difficulty is it's not really talked about in the right context.

I'm not making accusations.

Maybe it's legitimate.

But people finding that out causes them an emotional response.

And as you and I have discussed many times,

emotions are going to drive votes this year.

It's really, really important that people

feel emotionally motivated to vote the right way.

And I would invite people to go and take a look at that information

and make their own decision.

And to listen to other councillors who have different

different arguments and different directions

about who donated to whom.

Again, nothing wrong has happened.

Everything that happens, it's part of the legal process

of voting, of the election, of getting signs of it and like that.

Nothing wrong has happened.

And people are feeling things.

The look at the council that they've elected.

And they're asking, what did you do for us?

And it's about time for them to pay the paper.

I think we've got about time for one more issue.

But just before we go there, I think that, you know,

council did work together and that there was a compromise.

Councilor Skyler Frank brought through a compromise motion

where, as you indicated, the folks whose building

was going to be demolished and they would be displaced

would be granted.

I think it was $10,000.

They'd have three months notice.

And if they didn't take the $10,000,

they'd have housing provided by the proponent.

I think it's really important to say that nobody broke any rules.

And it just got very emotional and very political.

Last issue, I think, that we have time for.

But it was one that surprised me.

Wideening of driveways.

It seemed an awful lot like if someone watching from home

is familiar with, you know, council from 2010,

discussions about garburetors or backyard chickens.

What was happening there?

Yeah, I love a backyard chicken discussion.

Will it happen? Won't it happen?

We've got no idea.

But what it is, it's a great conversation

for your front porch this fall.

After Labor Day when that campaign really kicks in

and everybody's everywhere,

they're going to stand at people's front door steps

and say, we're discussing perhaps wideening driveways.

Look at that over there.

And I'll point at a brick or something.

It's very much a hook to hang your campaign on.

Any time, and I'm so sorry, I'm an old cynical scot

I've done this my whole life in more than one country.

And I've seen counsellors everywhere.

They're all the same.

This is their review.

And Matt, you know this well from your own history.

This is the point paying the piper.

This is the point that got to justify their existence.

And they're all working for that now.

And I am inviting voters to take a critical look at that

and ask themselves, is this where we want to place our bets?

OK, there is time for one more topic.

What I wanted to ask you about was the election.

We'll probably do a whole segment on it

as we get closer to the may time frame

when the election is upon us.

But what do you see in sort of in the early days?

Elections are a great level of us.

Everybody is aware that now is the time.

And so in the early days, so we're going to have a campaign

against mate, and not what always works in steps.

So the gates open in May when people can come forward.

There's a lot of discussion about who may or may not run.

And then London does its thing where it was terribly genteel

and people go to the cottage.

And it's not done to campaign too much in the summer,

but they all do.

And then after Labor Day, it will really kick in.

Nice and early, there's going to be a lot of positioning.

Who supports whom?

Who endorses whom?

There's going to be a few months of that

and then we're going to really kick in.

I am looking to see who the alternative is.

I'm feeling it in the city that people are asking,

well, okay, that's the thing.

What else is there?

And people are open to considering options at the moment.

We do not know who will run.

And I'm really excited to see who will.

Yeah, and I think, you know, you hear names kicked about

these days, they're really just rumors at this point.

No one's running until they file their forms

and they can't do that until May.

So I think for that one, we're just going to have to stay tuned.

Mike, it's always a pleasure.

Thanks so much for the project that you're doing.

Thanks for helping to keep us all informed as well.

And thanks for listening.

I appreciate all the engagement with this type of thing.

It makes us all better and that's what we need to do.

Great. Thanks for coming on.

And we'll be back to close out the show right after this.

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See you soon.

And that's the show.

As always, I hope you enjoyed it

and I hope you know a little bit more

about what's going on over at City Hall these days too.

Thanks as always to Mike Donnecke for joining us.

You can subscribe to his publication

over at Substack.

It's called London City Hall Notes.

You can also find them on most of your social media too.

Just search for Mike Donnecke.

You can't miss him.

He publishes regularly after committee and council meetings

and he always does a Friday roundup of local news too.

And to you, maybe this is the first episode you've listened to

or maybe you've heard them all

or you're somewhere in between.

I'm grateful for that.

Keep in touch.

You can always write to the show by sending an email

to the Matt Brown podcast at gmail.com.

Please tell us what you think.

Tell us about what you'd like us to cover

in a future episode or a criticism or comment

that you might have about a past one.

You can also pitch an episode that you want to be a part of.

Well over half of the episodes to this date

have come from listeners who want to share a story

or cause with all of us.

Who knows, the next one could be you.

And with that, that's the show.

I'm Matt Brown and this is the Matt Brown podcast.

It's the show of vote, all things local

and maybe some other stuff too.

As always, thanks for listening.

Bye for now and talk to you again soon.

London.