Ontario Premier Doug Ford is firing back at Toronto after Mayor Olivia Chow said the province’s replacement school-zone signs — meant to stand in for recently banned speed cameras — are simply too large to fit on existing poles. Chow said the city received 20 oversized signs to replace 150 automated cameras previously installed in school zones, raising concerns about placement and a lack of supply for Toronto’s 641 school zones.
Ford dismissed those concerns on Friday, saying he “broke out laughing” when he heard the explanation. Speaking at a press conference, the premier accused Toronto of making excuses while every other municipality has adapted with no issues.
“Let’s get this straight — all the other municipalities, there’s no problem,” Ford said. “Do I have to go there and show them how to put up a big sign?”
Ford, who has repeatedly framed speed cameras as a municipal “cash grab,” suggested Toronto turn to speed bumps if it doesn’t like the signage, pointing out that the province is providing $210 million to support road-safety measures. He added that he and Chow “get along very, very well,” despite the disagreement.
Chow maintains the province has not offered a way to request more signs beyond the 20 already delivered, even though the province has agreed to cover the cost of new poles. Ford responded Friday that more signs are on the way.
Toronto’s automated speed camera program — in place since 2020 — issued hundreds of thousands of tickets every year and generated about $37 million in fines in 2024, with roughly a quarter sent back to the province. But the program was dismantled after the Ford government passed legislation on Oct. 30 banning the cameras, eliminating one of the city’s few tools for 24-hour speed enforcement.