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2014 Municipal Election: Toronto Mayoral Race

ShonTron said:
Ummm, David Soknacki is of Polish descent. Toronto has had an acting African-Canadian mayor, otherwise the most "ethnically diverse" mayors Toronto ever had were Jewish.
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Thanks, I apologize, I can't usually differentiate Polish & Italian last names.

Yeah I learned about the African-Canadian deputy mayor in a History of Toronto class and was amazed, because that happened in the early 1900's, and Toronto was not a very tolerant place towards many groups back then. For example we learned about a white woman in Toronto who was imprisoned because she married & had a child with a Chinese-Canadian man.
 
ShonTron said:
Ummm, David Soknacki is of Polish descent. Toronto has had an acting African-Canadian mayor, (William Peyton Hubbard), but otherwise the most "ethnically diverse" mayors Toronto ever had were Jewish.
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I would not call Jewish "ethnically diverse" as it is like saying a Catholic mayor or muslim mayor.
 
ehlow said:
Thanks, I apologize, I can't usually differentiate Polish & Italian last names.

Yeah I learned about the African-Canadian deputy mayor in a History of Toronto class and was amazed, because that happened in the early 1900's, and Toronto was not a very tolerant place towards many groups back then. For example we learned about a white woman in Toronto who was imprisoned because she married & had a child with a Chinese-Canadian man.
Click to expand...

Hubbard only served as an acting mayor, who is usually named or appointed for a short term by the mayor in his or her place when unavailable to carry out the duties of office. This is a bit different than an interim mayor, which is a full and semi-permanent replacement (and usually elected by council) until a new election, normally after the mayor dies, resigns or is removed from office.
 
ShonTron said:
Ummm, David Soknacki is of Polish descent. Toronto has had an acting African-Canadian mayor, (William Peyton Hubbard), but otherwise the most "ethnically diverse" mayors Toronto ever had were Jewish.
Click to expand...

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Hubbard was a successful livery agent before he got into politics...Successful enough that for the better part of 100 years the colours of his livery (maroon/cream) became the colours of the TTC and its predessors...
 
Greg Banks said:
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Hubbard was a successful livery agent before he got into politics...Successful enough that for the better part of 100 years the colours of his livery (maroon/cream) became the colours of the TTC and its predessors...
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I heard that about the TTC - but the TRC - the privately owned street railway company had a dark red-brown colour. The City's small system, the TRC, painted its cars dark green. The TTC brightened things up with a brighter maroon-red and cream scheme that might have been inspired by Hubbard's use of similar colours.
 
Speaking of Soknacki, he released a discussion paper about the political gridlock. I think it's well thought out and deserving of credit (and discussion)!

Team Soknacki on the issues, again. Kudos to him and his campaign so far.

http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/ds/pages/118/attachments/original/1394816869/David_vs_Political_Gridlock.pdf?1394816869


A few key points:
-in favour of a ranked ballot system for the 2018 election
-proposes redrawing the ward boundaries
-proposes changes to the way the executive council is selected
 
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edmundoconnor said:
The busway to York U is a bit of a special case. Passengers are point-to-point (they aren't interested in getting off anywhere but York U), the busway has turned out to be a purely temporary measure in light of the subway extension, and the time savings are not that terrific for the money spent. I am not sure whether the TTC is leasing the land from hydro, or whether they bought it outright. Given that the subway was at least in the minds of many in the planning stages of the busway, I suspect the former.

Busways along hydro corridors may work in specific circumstances, but using them for a general option for BRT is merely an excuse for people who don't want to see BRT on actual roads. Such people suspect it is a Trojan Horse for that most feared of transit modes, LRT.
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The busway was a godsend due to all the construction in the Keele-Finch corridor. While the time savings routing via the busway and dedicated lanes on Dufferin weren't spectacular vs. the old route via Sheppard, Tuscan Gate, St. Regis, and Keele, Keele has been a mess ever since work on the station began three years ago.
 
Stintz is fast becoming the Rocco Rossi of this campaign: taken somewhat seriously at the start, but then destroyed any credibility s/he had in very short order, and had long become a joke by the time election day arrived. I still remember those 'Bocce Balls' and 'Rocco Rossi: He's a Wise Guy' ads, and shudder.
 
ehlow said:
It's flipping the whole "war on cars" thing in a way. Usually people using "going home to families" as an argument for pro-car decisions.
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It's a neat inversion, and an argument I've often thought would be a good one to counterpunch with. It's the first time I've seen it used 'in the field', though.
 
edmundoconnor said:
Stintz is fast becoming the Rocco Rossi of this campaign: taken somewhat seriously at the start, but then destroyed any credibility s/he had in very short order, and had long become a joke by the time election day arrived. I still remember those 'Bocce Balls' and 'Rocco Rossi: He's a Wise Guy' ads, and shudder.
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Her latest tweets are jaw-dropping. I've spectulated here that Stintz might be tag teaming for Tory/Kouvalis, it does sound like she's trying out Kouvalis-type attacks.

@KarenStintz
I believe in a transit plan that moves us forward as one city. With respect to @oliviachow she has spent the last 7 years in Ottawa.
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Stintz might like to remember that a good chunk of the money for her precious Scarborough subway came from Ottawa. It might be nice to have someone who is familiar with how the place really works. Also, I didn't detect any respect from her or her campaign for Chow. I despise people who say, "with respect", because it's clear there is no respect if you have to say it, and you're about to slam anyway.
 
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