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Priorities

Restoring Trust and Participation in our Municipal Politics

I believe that we are suffering from a dangerous level of voter disengagement in our municipal politics. Low voter turnout and a sense of pessimism in our politics have reinforced each other, leading to a cycle of apathy. Less than half of Torontonians who voted in the recent federal election did so in the 2022 municipal one, even though one could argue that municipal politics affects us in a more direct and immediate way.

As City Councillor, my top priority will be engaging at the local level with community leaders, non-profit organizations, Business Improvement Areas, and other neighbourhood groups. The people who live and work in our neighbourhoods understand them best, and we need to ensure their voices are heard in the decisions that shape them.

As one small step towards this goal, I am the only candidate in Toronto-Danforth to have signed onto the Community-Led Planning Champion Pledge from the Coalition for Responsible Community Development, a Toronto-based group advocating for more community involvement in planning and decision-making.

I believe that we also need to work with future provincial governments to examine structural ways to improve trust and participation in our democracy, including advocating for a return to the 47-ward model which Doug Ford discontinued, the removal of “Strong Mayor” powers, stronger conflict-of-interest rules for City Councillors,

ranked balloting, and a fresh debate over term limits for mayors and councillors.

If we can start to restore more optimism, trust, and participation in our local politics, together our voices will be so much stronger in fighting for real progress on the issues we care about.

Increased Tenant Protections and Affordable Housing

Our neighbours who are tenants need to feel safe and healthy in their homes, and we need to also ensure that people can continue to achieve the dream of starting a new life, family, or business in Toronto-Danforth.

There is a slumlord crisis in Toronto; too many tenants are faced with the terrible choice of staying in unsafe and unhealthy conditions or moving somewhere that has become even more unaffordable. We need to significantly expand RentSafeTO to take much quicker remedial action and issue meaningful penalties to landlords who refuse to maintain their buildings.

We must also advocate strongly to our provincial governments for stronger rent control and for the elimination of Above-Guideline Rent Increases (AGIs) which unfairly forces tenants to foot the bill for building improvements that already benefit the landlord. The increasing overuse of AGIs and resulting rate of rent increases is simply unsustainable from an affordability standpoint.

I also support the MURA program to acquire and preserve affordable housing, as well as investments in shelters, supportive housing, and services that will help people find and keep a home.

Safer Roads, Sidewalks, and Bike Lanes

Our roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes need to be safer and feel safer for everyone in our communities, including pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, kids, and senior citizens.

- More speed bumps on our residential roads, particularly those near schools, daycares, and parks, and those connecting major streets.

- Wider, more accessible sidewalks with more benches, including at every bus and streetcar stop.

- Safe, connected, and better-maintained bike lanes, including more prompt replacement of bike lane bollards and other damaged safety barriers.

- A revision of our snow-clearing program to prioritize long stretches of sidewalks near schools, parks, and hospital which often go uncleared, as well as our neighbours who are in need of assistance clearing their properties.

Protecting our Parks and Waterfront

• I oppose any expansion of Billy Bishop Airport or any jets on the Island Airport. The fight isn’t over!

  • I support Ookwemin Minising remaining public land, with housing developed via Long-Term Land Leases, not private sales.

• I support a permanent, expanded ferry system connecting the East End with the Islands and the rest of the city, with more affordable fares than the current East-West Shuttle pilot.

• I support a full feasibility study into a fixed-link pedestrian/cyclist route from Ookwemin Minising to Ward’s Island (across the Eastern Channel). More people enjoying the waterfront and Islands conveniently and affordably will mean stronger voices in protecting it.

• I support better lighting in our major parks to give people a better sense of safety.

• I support increased winter maintenance in select parks such as path clearing and salting. Winter is long; we should still be able to enjoy our outdoor spaces safely.

Better Support for our Local Businesses

Our small local businesses are the lifeline of our community, and they've been through a lot over the past decade, from the pandemic and the economic uncertainty that followed, to the cancellation of Taste of the Danforth and the ongoing Metrolinx construction.

My priorities for local businesses include a full review of municipal licensing fees, beginning with advocacy for the elimination of the Sign Fee and the Marketing Display Fee, sidewalk expansion to accommodate larger, more permanent patio and display spaces, and advocacy to our provincial governments for Commercial Rent Control and Lease Reform so that our businesses are not unfairly evicted via exorbitant rent increases.

Greener, More Accessible Main Streets

I support re-energizing our main commercial streets with wider, greener sidewalks including more trees and benches where people can take a break, better accessibility for senior citizens and families, more permanent patio and display spaces for our restaurants and retail stores, and safe bike lanes.

In the case of the Danforth, this would include leveraging the availability of our subway stops and Green P parking lots to limit on-street parking primarily to loading zones and 15-minute stops, while utilizing some of that space to instead create a vibrant, bustling, and modernized world-class street.