Amended fair wage schedules Council approved fair wage schedules covering this year and next year for suppliers of goods and construction services to the City. Establishing fair wage rates is intended to create a level playing field and prevent conflicts between organized and unorganized labour in the awarding of civic contracts. The updated schedule adds apprenticeship training as a component of the new wage schedules in order to encourage contractors to hire and train apprentices. Benefits carrier for City employees Council approved an agreement with Manulife Financial Corporation to administer the City's employee life insurance, medical and dental plans. The arrangement with Manulife will take effect in the coming weeks as the City terminates existing arrangements with benefits carriers that were under contract with the pre-amalgamation municipalities.
Benefits remain unchanged.
The City will give high priority to strategies for managing storm water runoff that pollutes the Toronto waterfront. Council supported the creation of a Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan aimed at reducing or eliminating pollution that occurs when storm sewers overflow. The City considers the improvement of water quality along the lake shore important for the Olympic bid and for the revitalization of the waterfront area. Trans Canada Trail in Toronto Council endorsed the concept of a Trans Canada Trail across the Toronto lake shore area as part of a national project to create a 16,000-km hiking trail. About 1,450 kilometres of trail are now registered in Ontario for the Trans Canada Trail.