2023 Toronto Mayoral by-election

[concrete_and_light]

But who has the best campaign slogan so far? A good slogan does go a long way when campaigning.

Ana Bailao
Services. Housing. Affordability.

Brad Bradford
Less Talk. More Action.

Josh Matlow
For a city that works.

Mitzie Hunter
A mayor who will make our city work for everyone.

Gil Penalosa
Toronto for Everyone

Bailao's is great. Direct. Gets in three significant major issues of the city adds to her image of being serious.

Bradford's is adding onto the feeling that Bradford's campaign is all about branding Bradford as suddenly a man of action or whatever. Just sounds like an empty slogan if there's no substance — and he's been on team no action for years now as people have said so it seems disingenuous. And it just seems like he's trying to inhabit a character. This slogan is the equivalent of his popped collar in the Instagram video above.

Matlow's is good I think. Focusing on the city and addressing the reality we all see that things are kind of falling apart. Gives a good sense of what his campaign is about, but not in a way that's aggrandizing and character-focused like Bradford. It's about the city.

Hunter's is alright but I think the "a mayor who will" makes it both a little too focused on her vs. what she'll do in a similar way to Bradford (but not douchey and self-aggrandizing seeming like his) but also it's just adding unnecessary words and making it too long and not concise as a slogan. And the "for everyone" thing is very close to Penalosa's already existing slogan so that's kind of a weird choice. My suggested edit: "A city that works for us all". Although that's a bit closer to Matlow's now — the slogan namespace is crowded!

Penalosa's is a good slogan, but it feels a bit vague when coupled with his campaign seemingly being a bit non-serious. It feels like a slogan for an aspirational idea of what cities can be rather than a plan of addressing our issues and getting real like a lot of the others are angling towards. But I think it's good in general as a campaign slogan and as idea to build around.

 

[christiesplits]

I can't put my finger on why I find Bradford off-putting. Maybe it's the overly slick videos and ad roll out? The sense that he was put together in a lab by political strategists? I'm not the average voter, so maybe he will gain traction, but I wonder if those on the centre and right will prefer a blander, wool-sweater type of status quo in the form of Saunders.

 

[afransen]

Serious answer:

I would only run if I thought I could win; making a serious attempt takes lot of $$ and experienced political operatives who have expertise in 'getting the vote out' and ads and all sorts of myriad nonsense that gives me indigestion.

I'm not 'unknown' in the City, but I don't have high name recognition either. Getting through 5, 6, 7 % to the point where you're in a debate is real challenge.

Having been at the front of a room in public meeting or two over the years, I'm not good at not rolling my eyes when hearing someone say something mind-numbingly stupid.

I think a detailed policy platform is great and people who could read though my 2,000 page treatise would likely vote for me; LOL; but regrettably that is a small part of the electorate.

I'm not a baby-kisser (unappealing and not overly hygienic as far as I'm concerned) LOL; I don't like parades (anyones); I'm not about to campaign on cancelling any, but I don't want to be in or at any either. (people's fascination with watching other people walking is really weird to me, suggests we may need to put something better on TV) LOL

Campaigning is expensive, and exhausting; I wouldn't say 'never'; but I'm probably better suited to being someone's policy wonk that the glad-hander in front.

For this reason alone, I think it could be beneficial for Toronto to have a more coherent party system (rather than the informal alignment that exists today). Say what you will about our parliamentary system, but it does facilitate cabinet government with some ministers (and often the PM) being better at the retail side of politics, with others having more aptitude for policy.

 

[picard102]

But who has the best campaign slogan so far? A good slogan does go a long way when campaigning.

Ana Bailao
Services. Housing. Affordability.

Brad Bradford
Less Talk. More Action.

Josh Matlow
For a city that works.

Mitzie Hunter
A mayor who will make our city work for everyone.

Gil Penalosa
Toronto for Everyone

Gonna have to go with Brad on this one. It's really the only concise tight sound bite of them all.

 

[SJD_Toronto]

Thoughts on this proposal?

 

[Richard White]

Thoughts on this proposal?

View attachment 466841

Not a bad thing.

Those of a certain vintage may remember the Nintendo and Lego pods at Ontario Place years ago. Atlantis was also there for a number of years. As a kid it was amazing place to play Super Nintendo in the pods.

My only thing is that Ontario Place is technically under the jurisdiction of the Province and not the City of Toronto if I am not mistaken. The City can ask to move the OSC but I doubt the Province would agree.

 

[Bayer]

Not a bad thing.

Those of a certain vintage may remember the Nintendo and Lego pods at Ontario Place years ago. Atlantis was also there for a number of years. As a kid it was amazing place to play Super Nintendo in the pods.

My only thing is that Ontario Place is technically under the jurisdiction of the Province and not the City of Toronto if I am not mistaken. The City can ask to move the OSC but I doubt the Province would agree.

I think it's a good idea, but less time and energy would be wasted if candidates limited themselves to their purview. They are not running in a provincial election.

 

[goreckm]

Thoughts on this proposal?

View attachment 466841

Ridiculous. Apart from what others have mentioned (she's not running for premier), the Science Centre is about to be located in a place with fantastic transit options. To move it and be less accessible to the public again is silly.

This also tells me that she doesn't want to put up a fight with the nimby's over where to put housing, so, that's not good. Not a serious candidate.

 

[Northern Light]

Thoughts on this proposal?

View attachment 466841

Already likely to happen. The province is looking at moving OSC down to OP; in the provincial version of this, however, the proposed OSC is in addition to Therme, not instead of it.

I would support moving the OSC, with the provisos that the issue of transit serving Ontario Place needs to be resolved; OP needs to be better connected to the Exhibition Grounds and walking/biking along Lakeshore needs to be a whole lot more pleasant; and I still don't want Therme or a mega parking garage.

***

Should add here, the OSC has been under invested in for a long time. Its in rough shape, its exhibits are increasingly dated.

It used to be one of the leader centres of its type in the world.

Whether the OSC is relocated or not, it needs a very large investment both for SOGR and to return it to preeminence in being a Science museum with a focus on interactive learning, particularly for children/youth.

 

[toonderly]

I would support moving the OSC, with the provisos that the issue of transit serving Ontario Place needs to be resolved; OP needs to be better connected to the Exhibition Grounds and walking/biking along Lakeshore needs to be a whole lot more pleasant; and I still don't want Therme or a mega parking garage.

For some reason I thought that the dream of the Ontario line was already supposed to go from the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place.

 

[vic]

For some reason I thought that the dream of the Ontario line was already supposed to go from the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place.

Put them in the same place, and you save a TON of money. A single-station Ontario Line!

 

[adma]

All the same, you'd probably have to figure out some way to reuse the existing OSC buildings, in part because they're located in a valleyland no-go zone for housing, in part because the modern-heritage community is going to tear a strip off anyone who'd propose demolishing Moriyama's work--as if the furor over the Japanese Cultural Centre wasn't enough.

 

[adma]

Anyway, we can snark about the candidates being Brad Bradford, Ana Anaford, Josh Joshford, Mitzie Mitzieford, Mark Markford, Giorgio Giorgioford, Celina Caesar-Chavannes Celina Caesar-Chavannesford, etc...

 

[zang]

Thoughts on this proposal?

Terrible.

The OSC right now is relatively close to the 401 and 404/DVP. Moving it down to the water might be great for tourists and those downtown, but makes the trip quite a bit longer for the schools of southern Ontario who pack the OSC on weekdays.

I love the OSC and its location and we’ve been members for 7 years. The valley is quite a big part of the natural sciences aspect, and being in its own little world down there helps ground the centre, and removes that which might distract from learning. Putting the OSC in a place where it’s going to be surrounded by condos, other attractions and god-forbid-if-Doug-has-his-way, probably a Ferris wheel—and all the people that come with that—will detract from it.

“Oh look kids, it’s a rich kid snorting blow off two girls on the deck of his daddy’s Benetti”.

 

[toaster29]

Terrible.

The OSC right now is relatively close to the 401 and 404/DVP. Moving it down to the water might be great for tourists and those downtown, but makes the trip quite a bit longer for the schools of southern Ontario who pack the OSC on weekdays.

I love the OSC and its location and we’ve been members for 7 years. The valley is quite a big part of the natural sciences aspect, and being in its own little world down there helps ground the centre, and removes that which might distract from learning. Putting the OSC in a place where it’s going to be surrounded by condos, other attractions and god-forbid-if-Doug-has-his-way, probably a Ferris wheel—and all the people that come with that—will detract from it.

“Oh look kids, it’s a rich kid snorting blow off two girls on the deck of his daddy’s Benetti”.

I really don't care if they keep the OSC where it is, or move it, but this argument is absurd, schools pack all downtown museums on weekdays, with many bad things happening around them - it has never been an issue. Also, have you been across the street of OSC in Flemingdon Park? This isn't exactly an area free of crime/issues. There's also a ton of new condos going in on the North side of Eglinton across the street (given the new LTR). There is probably a reason to argue to keep the OSC where it is, but this isn't it.