In his annual New Year's Day video message, Mayor John Tory spoke of acceptance for "all backgrounds and cultures, all faiths and all sexual orientations.

"The message is clear: everyone is welcome in Toronto," he said in the video released on Twitter at one minute before midnight on Tuesday.

Tory highlighted Toronto's title of fastest growing city in North America, according to a study by Ryerson University. He attributed the growth to "our widely admired way of life here.

"We are a city that accepts people for who they are," he said.

Happy New Year Toronto! Wishing you and your loved ones all the best in 2020. Looking ahead to the new year and the new decade, there are so many things we can look forward to as a city as we work to continue to build up Toronto. <a href="https://t.co/Dg0XIMQXBW">pic.twitter.com/Dg0XIMQXBW</a> —@JohnTory

Tory promises to build up the city

The mayor also promised to continue building up the city by adding more affordable housing and improving the city's transit system, which has been a contentious issue since the Ford government took power in 2018.

However, Tory insisted he will continue to work with both provincial and federal governments "to make sure they are investing in Toronto.

Revellers watch the New Year's celebrations before midnight at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

"The other governments are partners in our success — they benefit from that success and they are crucial in making sure it continues," he said.

Overall, the message was a positive one, with Tory declaring: "This is going to be Toronto's decade.

"The world has taken notice of our great city. So, that means we have a responsibility to deliver."