In a civic election campaign that has recently focused on city hall spending, the environment has not been front and centre.
There is, however, a green thread running through many of the hot election topics, including public transit, bike lanes and the future of Toronto Hydro, which has mandated conservation and green energy production.
“I plead to you, make passionate love to your city,” said moderator Paul Bedford to a crowd of several hundred gathered on Monday night for a mayoral debate focused on heritage.
Bedford, former Chief Planner of Toronto, meant that we should take care of our historic landmarks and cultural landscapes, which are priorities the debate’s organizers — Heritage Toronto and the Toronto Historical Association — are worried don’t receive enough attentnio.
With a retooled team and his recall initiative making news, floundering candidate hopes to reinvigorate his bid
Torontonian heritage buffs got the chance to hear how the major mayoral candidates would protect the city’s historical sites during a Monday evening debate at St. Lawrence Hall.
Despite a lack of consensus on its origin or boundary, much has been made in the past of Toronto’s putative East/West divide. But, though it’s quite common to hear residents claim the superiority of one side over the other, I suspect the staying power of the debate is that no one really takes it all that seriously. It’s enjoyable to discuss where the better restaurants and amenities are located in relation to Yonge Street (or, as some would have it, the Don Valley) precisely because the stakes aren’t particularly high. After all, does anyone really believe there’s a deep-rooted ideological opposition between those who live in the East and those who live in the West? I doubt it.
But what about a North vs. South, urban vs. suburban divide?
Michael Erickson, candidate for City Council, Ward 14 Parkdale – High Park, announced the first 10 names of the artists involved in his ’14 Artist for 14’ button project, further solidifying his commitment to be a champion of The Arts. Erickson has approached 14 artists to design 14 different limited edition buttons for his campaign for City Councillor. The buttons all say ‘M.E. for 14’ on them; the artists create the rest.
The 10 confirmed artists are:
Allyson Mitchell Chris Ćirić David Hawe
Jeremy Laing John Webster Luis Jacob
Michael Comeau Syrus Marcus Ware Suzy Malik
Tyler Clark Burke
Different artists have different reasons for supporting Erickson but it is clear that they all share a common belief that the arts are vital to Toronto.
Nearly half of people surveyed said Toronto’s mayor should concentrate on improving the economy and creating jobs
The lefties are really going wild.
Just a day after several left-leaning councillors told the Sun the idea of Mayor Rob Ford was “appalling,” Councillor Maria Augimeri told AM640’s John Oakley Show Toronto’s suburban residents are at the bottom of the “learning curve” in understanding the policies of her downtown, “progressive” council colleagues.
August 26 2010
Toronto / Today Toronto city Council passed a recommendation to increase arts funding to $25 per capita by 2013. This should result in 17.5 million dollars in additional yearly investment by 2013.
This city building decision was made possible by the hard fought billboard tax initiated in 2001 by Beautifulcity.ca — but goes above and beyond the projected revenue. The effort was also boosted forward by an unfulfilled council decision from 2003 from the Culture Plan and recent studies showing the critical importance of increased investment in arts and culture in Toronto.
Devon Ostrom, founder of the Beautifulcity. Alliance stated: “This is an amazing day in Toronto’s development. Council has fulfilled the obligation to leverage the revenue from the billboard tax revenue into the arts, build a vibrant cultural capital, put food in the fridges of thousands of artists and has given a voice to hundreds of under-served communities across the city.”
Regarding the upcoming election, co-coordinator Sabra Ripley noted, “Almost all of the front-running mayoral candidates have endorsed using the billboard tax to rejuvinate the arts and cultural industries in this city. The next step is to get out and vote, encourage others to do the same and elect arts friendly, city building politicians to make sure this decision sticks.”
/ Inquiries
Sabra@beautifulcity.ca | 4169998903
julia@beautifulcity.ca | 4169281978
devon@beautifulcity.ca | skype: devon.ostrom
/ Save the Date!
Mayoral Arts Debate – Wednesday, September 29- AGO 7pm – 8:30pm
Presented by Business for the Arts, in partnership with ArtsVote Toronto, the Toronto Arts Council, the AGO and Manifesto
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Star: Feldman endorses Rossi for mayor
Mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi has picked up a second councillor endorsement, with Mike Feldman saying Tuesday that Rossi is the “consensus builder” Toronto council needs.