Toronto’s top parks official leaves city hall

Howie Dayton’s departure comes amid high staff turnover in the city’s senior ranks

Aidan Chamandy TorontoToday.ca Jun 2, 2025 1:15 PM

Howie Dayton, the head of Toronto’s parks and recreation division, is “no longer with the City of Toronto,” according to an email viewed by TorontoToday on Monday.

Tom Azouz, a deputy city manager, will take over from Dayton as the city searches for his replacement. The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dayton had been in the top parks and rec job since April 2024. He served in an acting role from September 2023 to April 2024.

Dayton’s tenure was marked by some notable controversies, including a damming audit of parks staff that used GPS data to reveal parks department workers were spending hours parked near restaurants, shops and other non-work locations.

Dayton’s departure comes at a time of high staff turnover in the senior ranks of Toronto’s civil service.

Carleton Grant, head of bylaw, told the Toronto Star last week he was leaving his job.

Last month, Abi Bond, head of the city’s housing secretariat, announced she was stepping down from her post to move to British Columbia.

The city is also still waiting for a new top doctor. Former medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa retired last year. De Villa’s deputy, Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey, took over in an interim capacity after the city went back to the drawing board to find a permanent replacement.

Last year, Jennifer Dockery, head of seniors services and long-term care, left for a new position at the North York General Hospital.

Former TTC CEO Rick Leary resigned in June 2024 following a tumultuous tenure. Chow has prioritized parks

Mayor Olivia Chow has made improving the city’s parks a centrepiece of her administration.

Chow’s 2025 budget gave the department a 14 per cent increase to nearly $600 million to hire nearly 500 new workers, up from about $525 million the year prior.

The department’s 10-year capital plan — used to build new parks and recreational facilities and upgrade existing ones — also got a big boost to $4.3 billion, up from just under $3.6 billion in 2024.

The extra money came with promises of better service.

Some city-run pools will be open for longer, from mid-June into September. All of the city’s 59 pools will also be open for two extra hours in July and August and lifeguards will staff four beaches into September.

In early May, Chow said the city will prioritize park cleanliness, particularly by ensuring washrooms are in working order.

“Give us this summer. You will see a marked difference,” she said. “There’s a real focus on cleaning the bathrooms.”