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Dear Neighbours,
Four years ago, I stepped away as the city councillor for University—Rosedale to spend more time with my family. I haven't regretted it for a minute. I've been to every school play and dance recital. I've taken my girls tobogganing at Bickford Park, swimming at Christie Pits and biking to the Toronto Islands. Those are moments you don't get back.
My kids are older now, and they are asking bigger questions. They want to know why their friend can't find an affordable place to live in the neighbourhood and has to change schools. Why they can bike on some streets and not others. Why the sky is orange and tastes like campfire. I have the answers, but that's not enough — I want to work on solutions.
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That's what I did at City Hall in the twelve years I was proud to serve you. When I represented this ward, I worked alongside the community to accomplish incredible things.
Together, we didn't just talk about affordable housing, we built it. The city took over 877 Yonge Street to provide supportive housing, and we helped the Kensington Market Land Trust buy its first building to protect longtime tenants from evictions. We demanded affordable housing in ALL new developments.
We didn't just study climate change, we took action on it. We developed TransformTO, the city's climate action plan. We launched an award-winning home energy retrofit program that cuts greenhouse gas emissions — and your energy bills. We put bike lanes on Bloor, University, Shaw, Yonge, Harbord and College.
We didn't just talk about diversity, we invested in it. When Mirvish Village was being transformed, we found a permanent home for the Blackhurst Cultural Centre, a community hub for African and Caribbean Canadians. We stopped efforts to de-fund Pride. We developed the Toronto Indigenous Reconciliation Strategy and funded the Spirit Garden at Nathan Philips Square.
There is so much more we can accomplish.
We can fund transit that runs on time and stays affordable. We can build homes people can actually afford, and keep them community-owned so they stay that way. And we can make your home cheaper to heat and cool — better windows, better insulation, a heat pump — with the city covering more of the upfront cost. We can put solar panels on every rooftop to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and strengthen the grid.
We have a huge opportunity before us. The upcoming election is a chance to elect a progressive mayor and council who can effect meaningful change. And I want to help lead this movement.
That's why I'm running to be your city councillor in University—Rosedale… again. For the community I live in, for you and your family, for the city I love, and for my girls who are growing up faster than the city is changing.
Together, we can build a city everyone can afford to live in and a city we can be proud to call home.
Mike