MetroMan
Senior Member
It's still very early in the game but with an anti Ford movement building and Tory's tepid response putting him in Ford's corner whether he likes it or not, Keesmaat has suddenly become very competitive. She has a movement to get behind and this will be a 1 on 1 race with no left of centre spoilers splitting the progressive vote as in past elections. It's also been 8 years of Conservative rule with Rob Ford's disastrous term and Tory serving as a suitable pressure valve but not being an inspiring figure to lead us through the dark Ford years ahead.
Having seen internal polls back in May when Keesmaat was considering entering the race, she was seen easily winning downtown but not making enough inroads in the outer city, allowing Tory to get re-elected. That's why she had opted to sit this one out. That changed yesterday as the movement to fight Doug Ford blew up. Tory is seen as weak, as a talker and not a doer. Tory's poll numbers had already fallen earlier in the week with the Danforth shooting culminating a second Summer of Gun and yet again when he mused about consolidating more power in the Mayor's office. Tory was no longer unbeatable. Then Ford's election bombshell happened and it's expected that Tory's approval ratings have plummeted. Keesmaat saw her way in and she took it.
Now, this thread is not an election thread — head over to the Mayor's race thread for that. This thread, like the other _________'s Toronto threads is a forum to speculate on what Keesmaat's Toronto would look like. What challenges would she face? What signature changes would characterize her Mayoralty?
Leaving aside the inevitable confrontation with Doug Ford's provincial government, a good place to start would be on fact based decisions. Keesmaat is a technocrat; she makes decisions based on the advice of experts and is an expert herself. She was a proponent of the Boulevard Option in the Gardiner East debate. That would certainly be at the top of her list. The Scarborough Subway could lose City Hall's support. Both of these would face resistance from Ford who could upload the Gardiner and the subway network. Ironically, the city would be off the hook from these expenditures.
I can imagine a Dutch approach to downtown street design with a big focus on complete streets and on Vision Zero. The cycling network would undoubtedly be expanded. Free from subway building (if Ford uploads it), would the City push for a streetcar network expansion? Would we see busy bus routes replaced by streetcars? An obvious place to start: the Dufferin bus.
What measures, big and small do you imagine Mayor Keesmaat undertaking?
Having seen internal polls back in May when Keesmaat was considering entering the race, she was seen easily winning downtown but not making enough inroads in the outer city, allowing Tory to get re-elected. That's why she had opted to sit this one out. That changed yesterday as the movement to fight Doug Ford blew up. Tory is seen as weak, as a talker and not a doer. Tory's poll numbers had already fallen earlier in the week with the Danforth shooting culminating a second Summer of Gun and yet again when he mused about consolidating more power in the Mayor's office. Tory was no longer unbeatable. Then Ford's election bombshell happened and it's expected that Tory's approval ratings have plummeted. Keesmaat saw her way in and she took it.
Now, this thread is not an election thread — head over to the Mayor's race thread for that. This thread, like the other _________'s Toronto threads is a forum to speculate on what Keesmaat's Toronto would look like. What challenges would she face? What signature changes would characterize her Mayoralty?
Leaving aside the inevitable confrontation with Doug Ford's provincial government, a good place to start would be on fact based decisions. Keesmaat is a technocrat; she makes decisions based on the advice of experts and is an expert herself. She was a proponent of the Boulevard Option in the Gardiner East debate. That would certainly be at the top of her list. The Scarborough Subway could lose City Hall's support. Both of these would face resistance from Ford who could upload the Gardiner and the subway network. Ironically, the city would be off the hook from these expenditures.
I can imagine a Dutch approach to downtown street design with a big focus on complete streets and on Vision Zero. The cycling network would undoubtedly be expanded. Free from subway building (if Ford uploads it), would the City push for a streetcar network expansion? Would we see busy bus routes replaced by streetcars? An obvious place to start: the Dufferin bus.
What measures, big and small do you imagine Mayor Keesmaat undertaking?
Last edited: