TORONTO

A sandwich was the only “subway” that got delivered at City Hall Wednesday.

Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti presented Mayor John Tory with a Subway sandwich with “extra cheese for the Big Cheese” just before the executive committee meeting went to lunch.

But the committee rejected a request from Mammoliti and fellow Councillor Jim Karygiannis to reopen the debate over the Finch Ave. and Sheppard Ave. LRTs after the meal break anyway.

Mammoliti wants a subway on Finch Ave. W. while Karygiannis wants to continue the Sheppard subway from Don Mills Rd. to McCowan Rd. where it would meet up with the yet-to-be built Scarborough subway extension.

After hearing from several members of the public, most who supported leaving the LRT plans in place, the committee voted to bury the issue by deferring the request indefinitely. “The LRT is not wanted along the Finch corridor and the subway is,” Mammoliti told reporters. “Subway doesn’t sell LRT sandwiches, they just sell subway sandwiches.”

Mammoliti dropped off the unexpected lunch to a smiling Tory.

“I said that I’m delivering him a sandwich on behalf of York West. We hope that you can reconsider changing the LRT to a subway,” Mammoliti recalled. “He shook my hand, he laughed and it’s over.”

Councillors Maria Augimeri and Anthony Perruzza both spoke in favour of the approved Finch West LRT.

“We flogged (the LRT debate) to death,” Perruzza lamented.

Tory — who confirmed he didn’t eat Mammoliti’s stunt sandwich — said he’s in favour of completing both the Finch and Sheppard LRTs.

“We should proceed ahead and not fall into the trap that Toronto always falls into which is reexamining, re-debating and re-deciding everything we ever do and ending up doing nothing,” he said.

Karygiannis explained his pro-subway push was about ensuring his residents were “heard” and suggested the funding was in place in the mid-1990’s for the Sheppard subway to be extended.

“It was stopped, I’d like to see it brought back,” he said.

Karygiannis argued Toronto is “so way behind it is unbelievable” when it comes to infrastructure like subways.

“We’ve got to bite the bullet and get the political will for us to move forward,” he said.

don.peat@sunmedia.ca

(Mobile users click here for City Hall coverage Wednesday)