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Silvia Watson (Parkdale-High Park) going provincial

A

AlvinofDiaspar

Guest
From the Globe:

Watson jumps ship

JENNIFER LEWINGTON

with a report from Jim Rusk

One of Toronto council's strongest members is jumping ship to run for the provincial Liberals in a coming west-end by-election.

First-term councillor Sylvia Watson had already filed to seek re-election in Parkdale-High Park, but confirmed yesterday she will leave city hall to run for the Liberals in the provincial seat of the same name vacated in May by Gerard Kennedy.

The former minister of education is now running for the federal Liberal leadership.

Ms. Watson, looking visibly pleased with her decision, said "this is an excellent opportunity for me to serve my constituents in Parkdale-High Park."

Until recently, she was not a card-carrying Liberal but said "my own thinking and way of approaching issues fit with the Liberal way of thinking."

David Fleet, president of the Liberals' Parkdale-High Park riding association, said a formal nomination meeting will be held July 6 to confirm the selection of Ms. Watson. Under riding-approved rules endorsed by the party, there will be no other contenders.

Mr. Fleet said Ms. Watson caught the attention of the riding association because she is "independent-minded and small-l Liberal in values" and has electoral experience that will be valuable in a by-election. The government has until November to name a date.

AoD
 
Until recently, she was not a card-carrying Liberal but said "my own thinking and way of approaching issues fit with the Liberal way of thinking."
Click to expand...

Also helps to get elected.

Bye-bye Silvia.
 
Has Kennedy made up his mind where he's running yet federally? The NDP must be hoping the answer is "somewhere not P-HP".
 
I think he plans on running in QC where he's also moved his family.
 
QC = ?

If you mean Quebec City, well, good friggen luck...
 
I meant the Province of Quebec. I assume he'll run somewhere in Greater Montreal.
 
Wouldn't be surprised if Lucienne Robillard retires--Gerard Kennedy representing Westmount and the McGill Zone; how fine & dandy can you get.

Doesn't mean Peggy Nash is completely in the clear, though; after all, Bob Rae might run against her, if Gerard Kennedy won't...
 
adma - that would be interesting all right! Does he live in the constituency?
 
Silvia and Peggy are my representatives.

Silvia, although not of my political persuasion has been fabulous for the Queen Street West cleanup, west of dufferin. She assisted in closing down two low rent wateringholes at Queen & Lansdowne at Christmas, and another at Brock and Queen earlier this year. Both were bar fight hell holes and drug hangouts. I don't know the reasoning but the area of Queen West I live on has been remarkably quiet these last two months. Usually there are 10 to 12 drug dealers and posse members on the street from midnight to 7 am. Not so much anymore. It was a regular thing even on Christmas day for the last 15 years. On Christmas Day in broad daylight, the disaffected youths took out the plateglass window on a foodstore (CJ Farms) and the bus shelter glass across the street.

Parkdale, making High Park property values rise since the 70's. :p

Peggy started talking about the social ills poor drug dealers had to deal with in their lives. :rolleyes
 
dupl - didn't you know gentrification is a swearword these days?
 
I call it garbage removal. The two taverns were drug hangouts and several stabbings happened in the last year they operated.

I have a baseball bat in my doorway on Queen West. Every 4 years I have to use it. Reputation seems to expire every four years, thus the need to reintroduce a lucky but plucky local youth to the wonders of tax funded canadian orthopedic surgery facilities. :evil
 
wow - you should post on Spacing Wire - I'd just sit back and watch the fireworks.
 
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