We launched our ”If I Were Mayor” series to coincide with the municipal election, asking what you would do if you were elected chief magistrate of Toronto when polls close in October.
In our most recent instalment, an actress took shots at Doug Ford, the president of a headhunting firm shared a creative plan to attract global talent and a St. Jamestown resident warned of what’s at stake if Toronto misses out on legislating flying cars.
We’ll publish more ideas like these in the weeks leading up to the Oct. 26 municipal election, and hope that you’ll send yours so we can share it with the rest of the city. Everything you need to know to send in your submission is at the bottom of this page.
Here are a few of our favourite recent submissions:
Akaash Maharaj, senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
If I were mayor of Toronto, I would do everything in my power to persuade city council to change zoning and land use rules, so all Torontonians could have fair and comparable access to parks and green space.
Today, the poorest fifth of Torontonians have access to a mere seven per cent of the city’s green space, while the richest fifth have access to 40 per cent.
This means poor Torontonians are far more likely to be forced to endure the swelter of urban heat islands during the summers, and far less likely to be free to enjoy the social and psychological benefits of nature.
It means that while poor Torontonians and rich Torontonians occupy the same city, they live in entirely different worlds.
I know that access to nature is an unglamorous subject, one that is unlikely to rally anyone to vote out councillors, let alone storm the barricades, but I also know that it is fundamental to every person’s quality of life.
It determines whether we experience Toronto as a leafy garden or as a concrete prison.
The mayor of Toronto must be a mayor for all Torontonians.
Stephen Lebovits, Weston-Pellam Park resident
I believe that Toronto deserves leadership that is clear, honest and practical, so if I were mayor, I would govern with a simple principle: fix what is broken, spend wisely, and make the city livable again.
First, I would repair the basics. That means maintaining transit before expanding it, clearing housing permit backlogs, improving procurement and publishing simple public dashboards so residents can see progress.
Second, I would treat public money like personal money. Every dollar must have a clear purpose. Budgets should be plain-language, major projects independently audited, and costs explained simply before approval.
Third, I would make Toronto easier to live in. I will speed up housing approvals, improve street cleanliness and maintenance, make transit more reliable, and care for public spaces properly.
I would introduce a mobility plan that makes transit free through a small universal fee, while reducing congestion and improving street management. I would also spearhead safe micromobility, faster commercial-to-residential housing conversions, and practical solutions that help people move, live, and work better.
My campaign would be about common sense, transparency, and measurable results. Toronto should work better than it does, and we should demand it!
Henry Argasinski, former mayoral candidate
I were mayor, I would work toward taking Toronto back to when the city was known and loved as “People City.”
I believe we have forgotten who we were and the city we had, one which was indeed a world class city without trying so very hard to secure that title. In the process, we lost our way. Toronto was the city of dreams, one in which people worked together.
But change over the years hasn’t been all bad.
Fifty years ago, I declared my intent to run for mayor as an 18-year-old Humberside student against David Crombie on a pro-development stance in defiance of the 45-foot development limit, which I believed was a poorly conceived, draw-from-the-hip response against major projects.
What was in 1976 considered runaway development is now run-of-the-mill. Toronto has, over the years, surpassed even my wildest expectations.
