What to know
- Gord Perks says he will not seek re-election in 2026 after nearly 20 years representing Parkdale–High Park at Toronto city council.
- He says he made the decision shortly after the 2022 municipal election, citing changes to the job driven by provincial reforms, including ward restructuring in 2018 and strong mayor powers introduced in 2022.
- Perks says the role of councillor shifted away from community engagement and became more focused on City Hall responsibilities, making the job feel “less and less comfortable.”
- He reflects on his tenure with pride in his advocacy for housing and says change will continue through “thousands of people” rather than any one individual.
After nearly 20 years representing Parkdale-High Park, Toronto city councillor Gord Perks says he will not seek re-election.
Perks, first elected in 2006 after years as a community advocate, told Now Toronto that the decision to leave City Hall was not made recently, but shortly after the 2022 municipal election.
He said he had a long conversation with his executive assistant at the time about how the job of councillor had changed significantly in recent years, largely due to provincial legislation. That included Ontario’s 2018 decision to reduce Toronto City Council from 47 to 25 wards, effectively doubling the size of each ward, and the introduction of “strong mayor powers” in 2022.
“The job of city councillor became less about engaging with the community and more about spending time at City Hall, and it just felt less and less comfortable,” he said.
Perks, a long-time left-leaning councillor and progressive voice on council, said he has always been “suspicious” of concentrated power and joked that he never fully embraced the formality of the job title.
Despite that, he said stepping away is emotional.
“It’s been a very emotional day,” he said. “I’m still dedicated to the causes I believe in, I just feel I need to do it in a different way.”
Looking back on his two decades in office, Perks said he is most proud of his work advocating for more social and affordable housing in Toronto.
His departure leaves a notable gap on the progressive side of council, but Perks said the work will continue regardless of who holds the seat.
“For a long time, we were the commodity condo capital of the world, just astonishing investments coming from all over the world to speculate on land. That’s something that we have to continue to resist,” he said. “I can tell you from the thousands of people I’ve known over the years in Parkdale-High Park, they’re going to keep on fighting.”
He also emphasized that change does not come from individuals alone.
“One thing that we should all be really suspicious of is when an individual thinks that they’re the change. I’m not the change. It’s the thousands of people who get up every day and imagine a better Toronto. I’ve just done my best to represent that impulse,” he said.
Nominations for the 2026 municipal election open on May 8. While potential candidates have yet to publicly declare interest in the Parkdale-High Park seat, Perks said he hopes voters choose someone “authentic.”
“You don’t have to agree with your councillor on everything. You just won’t, but look for someone who’s going to tell you honestly who they are and what they believe in,” he said.
