Links:

Toronto Star: Case Ootes calls it quits

Toronto Sun: Case closed: Ootes retires

City Website: Case Ootes

BikingToronto:

Ward 29 Group

Ward 29 Forum: Case Ootes Retires

This is pretty significant news, as Ootes has held Ward 29 for 17 years… a Ward that straddles the dense urban residential environment of the Danforth as well as the slightly more dispersed but equally monied old borough of East York.

Ootes was once a fairly vocal and aggravating opponent of bikelanes in Toronto… and held up bikelane installation for months or years (notibly the Cosburn bikelanes) requesting extra reports, etc, even if the bikelanes were no where near his Ward. This changed a bit during this last term of Council, as Council streamlined the bikelane approval process, effectively preventing stall tactics like the ones Ootes used.

Although Ootes is not liked by bikelane advocates in Toronto, it is worth noting that politics is a profession where one must try to balance the needs and wants of all constituents in order to survive, and it’s something that Case must’ve been good at to hold Ward 29 for so long.

Ootes was deputy mayor under Mel Lastman from 1997-2003, and helped guide the City through the first years post-amalgamation.