The Ontario Provincial Police are investigating Toronto city councillor Parthi Kandavel<\/strong> following a referral from the Toronto Police Service, the councillor confirmed in a social media post Sunday evening. The probe centres on allegations against the first-term representative for Scarborough Southwest<\/strong>, though neither Kandavel nor police have disclosed the nature of those allegations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Kandavel said he learned of the investigation Friday afternoon and described the news as a surprise. “I’ve worked hard to earn the trust of the people of Scarborough Southwest, which I take seriously,” he wrote, adding that he would share more details when he was able.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The OPP confirmed Friday evening that it had received a referral from the Toronto Police Service related to allegations against Kandavel. “The investigation is ongoing, and we are unable to provide further comment at this time,” OPP spokesperson Tracey Mellersh<\/strong> said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Toronto police declined to answer questions Sunday. The force had previously told the Toronto Star it had “nothing on file” about the councillor.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n According to a source with knowledge of the probe, OPP investigators have sought information about a proposed highrise development at 708\u2013712 Kennedy Road<\/strong>, located within Kandavel’s ward. The source spoke on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n In June 2025, Kandavel introduced a council motion directing the city to accept a settlement offer from the property owners \u2014 a move that would allow the contested development to proceed. The motion passed by a show of hands, without debate, at council’s June 25\u201326 meeting.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Kandavel’s office referred the Star to his social media statement when asked about the development. A director at the holding company that owns the property did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The site sits on the west side of Kennedy Road, just south of Eglinton Avenue. In 2022, the owners applied to replace two four-storey apartment buildings \u2014 containing 98 rental units<\/strong> \u2014 with towers of 12 and 29 storeys, totalling 509 units.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n By March 2024, the owners had revised the plan upward again, proposing towers of 21 and 42 storeys with 682 units<\/strong>. City planning staff responded in a September 2024 report stating they had “concerns with the proposed building height and massing, and do not support the development in its current form.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Council voted in October 2024 to oppose the required zoning changes at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT)<\/strong>. The owners had already appealed to the tribunal in May 2024 after council failed to decide on the application within required timelines.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n In May 2025, the applicants submitted a revised proposal \u2014 reducing the tallest tower by four storeys and making other adjustments \u2014 along with a settlement offer to resolve the OLT appeal. The property owners’ lawyers argued the site warranted greater density given its proximity to transit: approximately 360 metres from Kennedy subway station and 500 metres from Kennedy GO station.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Whether city staff supported accepting the settlement remains unclear. The legal advice provided by city solicitor Wendy Walberg<\/strong> in her report to council was kept confidential. Kandavel moved a motion on the second day of the meeting that amended her advice and recommended council accept the settlement under certain conditions. It passed without debate.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n It is not uncommon for council members to overrule staff recommendations on planning matters.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Kandavel, a former elementary school teacher, served as a Toronto District School Board<\/strong> trustee from 2014 to 2022. He was elected to city council in a November 2023 byelection, filling the seat vacated by Gary Crawford<\/strong>, who stepped down to run \u2014 unsuccessfully \u2014 for the Ontario Progressive Conservatives.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n His wife, Anu Sriskandarajah<\/strong>, an associate professor at York University who also served on the TDSB, ran in the September 2024 council byelection in Scarborough\u2013Rouge Park, finishing second.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n With files from Mahdis Habibinia<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" OPP Investigating Scarborough Southwest Councillor Parthi Kandavel The Ontario Provincial Police are investigating Toronto city councillor Parthi Kandavel following a referral from the Toronto Police Service, the councillor confirmed in a social media post Sunday evening. The probe centres on allegations against the first-term representative for Scarborough Southwest, though neither Kandavel nor police have disclosed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,37],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1031","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-canada","8":"category-news"},"yoast_head":"\nOPP Confirms Referral from Toronto Police<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Investigation Linked to Highrise Development at Kennedy Road<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
A Development Proposal That Grew Significantly<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Settlement Offer and Kandavel’s Motion<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Kandavel’s Background<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n