Life on the margins

While better known mayoralty candidates David Miller, Jane Pitfield and Stephen LeDrew grab headlines, 33 other candidates are struggling to have their voices heard

By Chris Dart
(Originally published in the Toronto Observer, Fall 2006)

Torontonians could be forgiven for thinking there are only three candidates in the mayoral race.

Almost all of the coverage of the race has focused on three candidates: incumbent David Miller, former councillor Jane Pitfield, and former Liberal Party president Stephen LeDrew.
In reality, there are 38 candidates vying for the city’s highest office, each with their own reason for running. Fringe candidates are often passionate advocates for specific issues, using their candidacy to bring their issues into the debate. Others run to raise their profile for future campaigns. Some run just for the thrill of it. The cost to register as a candidate is $200.

For mayoral candidate Adam Sit, the municipal election allows him to be the voice of his generation. At 21 years old, the fourth-year Ryerson University student is barely old enough to vote in this election.

Sit says that while the mainstream candidates pay lip service to the concerns of young Torontonians, politicians are not really listening to them.

“Our opinions and voices aren’t paid attention to,” Sit said. “We are the future of Toronto and we have to show that we can make a contribution.””

Gun violence and transit

The issues that affect young Torontonians most, according to Sit, are gun violence and transit costs.

“When they raise the (TTC) fare, that can be really devastating, because that’s how most young people get to work and school,” he said. “If the fare goes up $10 a month, that’s a lot of money. If you’re a young person, particularly one from a lower-income family, that can be really hard.””

For mayoral candidate Monowar Hossain, the issues go much deeper. Hossain says the mainstream candidates are too concerned with the Gardiner Expressway and are overlooking the needs of people.

“David Miller and Jane Pitfield are the same,” Hossain said. “They care about infrastructure and superstructure more than they care about people.””

This election marks Hossain’s second bid for the mayor’s seat. In 2003, he netted 537 votes. Hossain says he is running on behalf of Toronto’s working poor who, he says, are being overlooked by Miller, Pitfield and LeDrew. More importantly, however, he’s running because he can.

“Man is a political animal,” Hossain said. “Without politics, man is just another animal.””

Hossain says the citizens give the city its personality. In order to make the city unique and appealing, the city’s appearance must reflect the personalities of its people.

Expense of campaigning

“Tourists don’t come to this city because it doesn’t look any different from Chicago or Los Angeles or any other big city,” Hossain said.

Both Hossain and Sit have been frustrated by the expense of campaigning. They have mostly financed their campaigns out of their own pocket, with small donations along the way.

“I know how politics is,” Sit said. “If I had $50,000, everyone would know I mean business. Because I don’t have that money, I can’t have that kind of profile. The people that listen to me are mostly students, so they can’t give me that much money. I know if someone gives me $25, that might be a lot of money for them.””

Hossain is even more blunt.

“Being mayor is very complicated,” he said. “It takes more than just having a lot of money like Mel Lastman.””

According to veteran Toronto Star city hall reporter Royson James, Sit, Hossain and their 33 fellow fringe dwellers would do well to run as local councillors and leave the mayoral race to the big guys. James says that relatively unknown candidates never do well in mayoral elections, but can occasionally come from behind in ward races.

“For the most part, fringe candidates are just that,” James said. “I can’t remember [a mayor] who just came from nowhere.”

Ward races, he says, are much more open, due in part to the lower cost of running a campaign. He points to Gay Cowbourne, councillor for Scarborough’s Ward 44, as someone who came from relative obscurity to win a seat in 2003.

James says there are a few key things a candidate needs to do in order to pull off a come from behind win.

“Start early, pay attention to ward issues. Help organize if there are people fighting certain by-laws,” James said. “The people who are involved are the people who are likely to vote. They’ll remember you as someone who was in the trenches with them.””

It seems unlikely that Sit will heed James’ advice any time soon. In fact, he admits that he is already thinking about running again in 2010.

“If I get 10,000 votes [in this election] from a high profile candidate, that’s 10,000 votes that they might need to win, so next time, they’ll know I mean business.””

Chow victorious in Trinity-Spadina

By Chris Dart
(Originally published in The Toronto Observer, Spring 2006)

The third time was the charm for Olivia Chow.

New Democrat Chow won the downtown Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina, unseating Liberal incumbent Tony Ianno in one of the most hotly contested ridings in the country. The two candidates faced off for the third time; Ianno won in 2004 by just over 800 votes. Although the post-election rallies took place only a short distance apart, they could not have been more different.

The mood at Chow’s victory party was jubilant. Supporters at the packed Guvernment night club cheered every word from Chow and other downtown Toronto New Democrats.

“I will be your voice to make child poverty history … I will join the NDP to give a voice to the voiceless,” Chow said.

The long time Toronto city councillor vowed to be a strong voice for Toronto in Ottawa and thanked the voters of Trinity-Spadina.

“(My supporters) never gave up … They voted with hope and I will be voice of hope in Ottawa” she said.

Chow also made a special point to thank students at the University of Toronto, which sits in her riding. She vowed to fight for affordable tuition and support for students.

At Ianno’s campaign headquarters, the mood was despondent as he announced his defeat, with supporters crying and vowing to take back the riding “next time.” In his concession speech Ianno blamed NDP leader and Chow’s husband Jack Layton for handing the Conservatives a victory.

“Because of the decisions of one person, the Conservatives will form a government,” Ianno said. “He may have won some seats, but Canada has lost.”

Councillor wants Yonge Street merchants to turn it down

If Kyle Rae has his way, by-law officers will be given increased latitude when handing out fines to businesses that make noise.

By Chris Dart
(Originally published in the Toronto Observer, Fall 2006)

Thanks to Toronto City Councillor Kyle Rae, Yonge Street should soon be getting a lot quieter.
A by-law change, proposed by Rae and passed by council on Sept. 28, will make it easier for city officials to get tough with merchants who have loudspeakers on the sidewalk.

Rae says he made the proposal after getting several complaints this past summer from residents of his downtown ward of Toronto Centre-Rosedale, who said they were disturbed by noise pollution from businesses on Yonge and Church streets.

Under the changes, by-law officers will be allowed to go into stores and issue fines and warnings, even without a resident complaint.

“I discovered through the complaints that staff are no longer able to act on a violation without a complaint from a resident,” Rae said. “So as we go about working on various festivals and projects, we are not able act on violations as we see them.””

'Noise cannot carry across property lines'

Rae says that by-law officers will not be measuring the actual volume of loudspeakers, but will determine if the offending noise carries across property lines.

Noise cannot cross property lines it’s not about a decibel level,” he said. “One property owner doesn’t have the right to force noise on another property owner.””

Philippe Gauthier, a manager at Seduction, an adult store at Yonge and Wellesley streets, says the by-law change is unnecessary.

“I don’t know why they would regulate it if there are no complaints,” said Gauthier. “We play music outside until midnight and it never bothers anyone. The cars are louder than the speakers, anyway. I don’t see why they should go through the trouble.””

Joe Taylor, owner of Honest Canuck trading at Yonge and Maitland streets, is more direct in his criticism of the by-law change.

'Just another infringement'

“It’s just another infringement in a country that’s hard enough to do business in already,” he said.” I think it’s kind of a shame.””

Rae says that business operators such as Gauthier and Taylor just don’t understand what downtown residents have to deal with. “They’re not residents who have to put up with the noise,” he said.

Taylor says that potential fines for noise represents a threat to small businesses such as his. “

“Rents on Yonge Street are so high most places are barely getting by,” Taylor said. ”I don’t know any businesses around here that are really making a ripping, so any fine goes right to the bottom line.””

Taylor says downtown residents should enjoy the music.

“If you live on Yonge Street, you’re used to the constant noise of cars and such. You’d think music would be a relief.””

To help enforce the by-law, Rae has suggested that council act on city staff’s recommendation that four additional by-law officers be hired. Says Rae, the cost of the additional officers would be in the neighbourhood of $300,000.

While he admits the city is short of money, he says it must address the fact that there is a demand from citizens to do something about noise.

“I would say noise is a major issue among residents,” Rae said. “I think there’s a political expectation that something be done about it.”

If there is a demand that retailers turn down the volume, it hasn’t reached Gauthier. In nine years of business, Seduction's neighbours have never mentioned the business' outdoor speakers.

“We’ve never had a complaint and we’ve forgotten to turn (the speakers) off over night,” Gauthier said.