More jobs for Torontonians, like their dad who lost his.
More soccer fields to run around on, spread across the city.
More security cameras, so walking alone feels safer.
More treasure hunts, to brighten people’s day and get them to exercise.
They may not be able to legally vote, but the sixth-grade students in Miss Jessy’s Grade 6 class at Avondale Public School have plenty of ideas to share about what they would do if they were in charge of Toronto, a perspective often overlooked by the people who make decisions about their future.
Inspired by the Star’s “If I Were Mayor” series, teacher Jessy Choi turned the concept into a classwide assignment to end their unit on persuasive writing and responsible citizenship.
In their sunny North York classroom, where one wall is decorated with brightly coloured self-portraits, her preteen students approached the task seriously.
“The ideas were just flooding,” Choi told the Star. “I always had hands coming up.”
Some of their concerns would be at home on any mayoral platform: affordability, housing and potholes. Many of Choi’s students thought about people facing homelessness and how to get them indoors, away from harsh winters. Others touted plans for litter-free parks and streets — and surprisingly detailed property tax changes.
Others were more specific, like giving $500 to every Torontonian from “one to 99” (an idea piloted, arguably, with Premier Doug Ford’s $200 rebate in 2024).
All the enthusiastic submissions that the Star received shared one thing: hope for a better Toronto. Choi said she was surprised how “deep” some of their ideas got.
“They have a wider perception of the world, more so than I thought,” she said. “I learned that they actually love the city.”
Here is some of that love, and some of their ideas. The submissions have been edited for length and clarity.
Anna Loundine, 11
I would lower property taxes to make housing more affordable and economical. People who get minimum wage cannot afford to buy a home, especially if they want food on their table that evening.
Neil Sampson, 11
I will fix the crazy traffic in Toronto by making more highways and improving existing highways with lots more lanes. I will replace all trains with new and better trains that can support more people and make commutes faster. I would be the Future Mayor of Toronto’s Public Transportation.
Sofia Neppel Correa, 12
We need more shelters that stay open 24/7. It isn’t fair that people have to sleep outside in the freezing cold. I’d also make sure these places have workers who can help people find real jobs and permanent homes. Toronto is a great city, but it would be even better if we made sure everyone had a roof over their head.
Aishwarya Bejawada, 12
I would change the gas prices, because people with vehicles have to pay a lot of money, so I want to make it less expensive. I would also improve neighbourhood safety by building a safe lock, so robbers can’t break in and I will build a large gate in front of the house.
Shahab Talebali, 11
I would invest in more buses for all our summer camps and program. I’ll be providing 10 different balls for every game for all the schools in Toronto.
In all schools that give laptops, I want to make their laptops better and more powerful.
I would put in more fields for kids to run around in, the best basketball courts and cool drinking water stations.
Yi-Jae Chung, 12
I would upgrade and deep clean the TTC because, one time, I went on a TTC subway I rubbed a wet wipe on one of the handles just for curiosity and the wet wipe turned brown. Imagine all those people touching those dirty handles every day. It is not good.
Kailey Yeom, 12
If I were mayor, I would increase surveillance in Toronto by adding more CCTV cameras, especially near schools and communal (and) public areas. This will help lower crime rates while reassuring citizens who are travelling alone.
Bana Ibrahim, 12
I would plant more trees, clean up litter, and create more fun spaces for kids and families. Parks are important, because they give people a place to relax, play and enjoy nature. Keeping the city green also helps keep the air clean and healthy.
Chengjun (Jayden) Shen, 12
Linji Choi, 12
I’ve seen garbage everywhere, even on school grounds. To get the policy to work, we can put CCTV cameras in public places to catch people who litter often and hold them accountable. The cameras will also help reduce crimes happening in public areas, creating a safe and clean environment.
Soulayma Maghrebi, 11
I would focus on making communities safer. This includes supporting youth programs such as sports, arts, and after-school activities. I would increase access to mental health services and community support to help those in need. I would listen to residents and involve them in decisions.
Ryan Seyedryan Abtahi, 12
I would add 10 soccer fields in every town and make soccer academy free for people that really want to become professional and talented players. I would also give every person in our city $500 for being a citizen of any age, from one to 99.
Shresth Thylambhal, 11
If I were the mayor, I would personally fix the potholes because there are so many. When I go off campus, I see so many potholes that I would not stop till I finish filling them.
Tymur Goncharenko, 12
When I use the TTC with my family some seats are really dirty and nasty so I would invest in more cleaning services. I would also invest in more affordable housing that would decrease homelessness and help newcomers.
Kaya Edelshteyn, 11
I would put more parks around the city. This will give kids places to go with friends, and people to take their pets. They will be well maintained, we can install timed sprinklers to go on at a specific time of day, during the spring and summer months, to keep the grass green and fresh.
Kian Amidi, 11
I would improve the city by adding big buildings with luxury houses and towers, just like luxury tourist towers in other parts of the world. I would go and make more tourist attractions to expand our tourism and bring more people to our city. It’s a very loving city that others should also enjoy.
Sasha Rostovskiy, 11
I would definitely make the life of Torontonians better by investing in more funding for schools, hospitals, and law-enforcement departments and increased safety measures. With the right funding and right people, it will come true. Toronto may or may not be better with me in the mayor’s chair.
Ronin Nayani, 12
I would invest in more neighbourhood safety measures to prevent robbers from breaking into houses and invest more into law enforcement and social services. I would also build more jails to keep criminals away.
Kyla Hong, 11
I would invest in more shelter space for homeless people so we can reduce the number of people who are sleeping on public streets, on the TTC or out in the cold, where these unhealthy environments make it easier for diseases to spread.
Rin Tanaka, 12
We should make an effort to beautify our communities by reducing graffiti and picking up litter. It would be especially good to utilize volunteer activities for litter picking. Also, that will lead to more tourists recognizing the city as safe.
Nathan Townsend, 11
We should have treasure chests; people could get a job where every few months they’d put treasure chests around Toronto. First, this would help since people could find chests while walking around, which could lighten their day. Also, finding the chests can be a good exercise, especially if they’re in hard spots like in a tree. Now, you may think that people would fight over the chests, but you can just put laws against that.
Roham Pakmanesh, 12
I would create the Toronto Nighttime Cleaning (TNC), where we will send the workers to clean the streets quietly. I would also lower doctor’s shifts from 12 to 10 hours to eight to six hours.
Nathaniel Melnichanskiy, 12
I would invest in more funding for the police, road maintenance, such as cleaning up potholes and work on smoother roads. I would also invest in our food banks to offer more relief for homeless people.
Lucas Welschke, 12
Focusing on low-income neighbourhoods, I would fix all the potholes and cracks in the road because they are bad and could cause accidents. I would also bump up the security because I really don’t want people to get hurt and see where we could invest more into the neighbourhood, such as more parks, and local businesses.
Neli Ghorabi, 12
I would also increase the number of police around areas where children commonly are. There has been a report that over 4,000 children go missing every year, which is a very large amount for a city. I would have police patrolling around schools, parks and malls.
Pak Lun Fong, 11
I would add more jobs to help more people, who don’t make enough money to help their families. More people can start making a living instead of asking for help to get money.
Farough Ghandiel, 11
I would increase job opportunities for people, so they have a good job that pays them enough to have a nice home to live in, have food to eat, and not become homeless. Also improve neighbourhood safety too, so thieves won’t break into your house.
