A vision for the future Apr. 16, 2006. 07:19 AM MAYOR DAVID MILLER SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Dreams are often visions of things that could well be and may one day come to pass. I have dreams like that from time to time. And they're often dreams of Toronto as the truly great city I know we are well on our way to becoming. I see a Toronto in the not-too-distant future where kids growing up in each and every neighbourhood have equal opportunities — real opportunities — to build good and decent lives. I see a yellowing front page of the Toronto Star shouting "Gun violence ends!" There are no guns on the street any more because a Toronto-led coalition of mayors from both sides of the 49th parallel stood strong against the American government on gun control. So persuasive were Toronto's arguments that the U.S. finally enacted common-sense gun control and repealed legislation that prevented lawsuits from being launched against firearms manufacturers. Instead of worrying about firearms, Torontonians are taking full advantage of the excellent municipal programs made affordable when the federal government awarded Toronto an increased share of the locally raised GST. Dalton McGuinty and his New City of Toronto Act get thanks for making it possible for Ottawa and Toronto to negotiate their tax-sharing pact face to face. And another tip of the hat to Queen's Park for doing its bit to correct the long-standing fiscal imbalance by returning to the city some of the provincial sales tax revenue collected in Ontario's capital. This helps explain why gangs aren't a problem any more. No one's drawn to the gangster life because of all the services the city can provide to all of its residents. There are childcare spaces for all parents who need them so they can work and make the money needed to nurture their children. And parks and recreation programs are available free for every child in every city neighbourhood. Training and jobs have been made available through partnerships established among City Hall, the Toronto Board of Trade and organized labour. Youth from neighbourhoods that were once Toronto's poorest get proper training and gain the self-respect needed to move forward in life. They become carpenters. And bankers. Even journalists. Whatever they aspire to be. No one in Toronto lives in isolation. Or on the street. Not the young. And certainly not their elders. Homelessness is a thing of the past. Because of the compassion and commitment of Torontonians, all orders of government came together as partners to provide affordable housing to anyone who needs it. There's an incredible array of services for seniors who want to remain engaged in the communities where they live and share their wisdom with other generations. It's the kind of wisdom that has led Toronto to be recognized as a world leader in promoting peace and harmony. The city will forever be a microcosm of the world's people living together with respect and not a hint of intolerance. Our Canadian Council for Christians, Jews and Muslims is cited around the globe as an example of how to build bridges among people of different faiths. Every man woman and child can walk down every street in this city and know they are recognized as Torontonians regardless of race, colour or religion. And when Torontonians are exploring their city on foot, they'll meet police constables walking the beats in the very communities they were sworn to serve and protect. These officers are truly representative of Toronto's diversity. There are as many women as men on the force, and the police service is so involved with the community that almost the entire membership has chosen to live where it works. Neighbourhoods, businesses and non-profit agencies have pitched in everywhere to create beautiful public spaces. Clean streets, beautifully landscaped parks and boulevards across the city. Magnificent public art at every turn. On the strength of our architecture, Toronto is recognized as a city where even routine buildings have the benefit of extraordinary design. University Avenue is a thoroughfare of the arts. It helps link all of our great cultural institutions with Nathan Phillips Square — the public meeting place associated with the name Toronto going back to First Nations people. Our subway stations are astonishing. As many people enjoy the exhibits at the TTC's Museum station as visit the ROM. They come for an enlightening look at the exhibits before moving on to their chosen destinations. There's a network of streetcars crossing this city on reserved rights-of-way. The Finch Hydro Corridor is now a conduit for light rail transit. People can get from eastern Scarborough to western Etobicoke quickly and at reasonable cost. Every neighbourhood has access to rapid transit, and every able-bodied Torontonian is within a five-minute walk of a bus stop and is one bus journey away from the subway or a light rail connection. For the disabled, every bus, streetcar and subway stop is accessible. People are talking about the Light Rail Transit funding agreement the City of Toronto recently signed with the city of Calgary and the province of Alberta. The Alberta government was looking for some place to invest the petro-fuelled budget surpluses it continues to amass every year and chose to use some of the money to keep Canada's economic engine running at top speed. It's a beautiful relationship. Like the one Toronto has with the City of Montreal. The waterfront is an expanse of dynamic neighbourhoods where people come to live, work and play. The streetcar is transport of choice along a lakeshore transformed into a creative hub of film, television, media and communications. Everything down there is green, green, green to the highest green standards. Toronto residents who embraced the city's green-bin program with virtual unanimity proved just as eager to be partners in energy conservation. And, as result of their openness to new ideas, a beautiful park has been created next to the retrofitted Thomas Hearn power plant in the heart Port Lands. Solar panels have been installed on roofs all over the city by Toronto-based environmental entrepreneurs. They're atop high-rises on Bloor St. And the sun is being harnessed to meet the energy needs of the eight-storey buildings that have gone up all along Kingston Rd. These highly successful developments are being hailed as models of intensification and offered as yet another example of Toronto's environmental leadership. Torontonians have taken back the water. And they got some help from a federal government that took a good hard look at the Toronto Port Authority's business affairs and quickly decided the federal agency had no legitimate reason to exist. Toronto took control of the harbour and linked it to the rest of the waterfront with a series of boardwalks and bridges. But no fixed link to the Island Airport lands, which have become a beautiful nature reserve. The waterfront has become a people place year-round. In February it's packed with kids playing shinny on the waterfront rink at Sherbourne Park. In July, people sit and sip cool drinks in the cafes and bistros overlooking the harbour, where children swim in the unpolluted waters. Toronto is recognized around the world for the vitality sparked by its creative industries. T.O. Live with Culture is a permanent fixture on the arts scene. Lord of the Rings is still playing at the Princess of Wales Theatre, and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is attracting world-class talent and patrons from everywhere. Smaller theatre companies and performance venues thrive. Film festivals, music festivals, festivals of all sorts. Toronto is a magnet for anyone looking to live in a vibrant, exciting world city. Businesses are flocking to Toronto following the lead of firms like SAS — the world's largest privately held software developer and a leader in providing employees an environmentally sensitive workplace. The business boom has made the TSX the third leading stock exchange on the planet. People have a working relationship with City Hall. They keep the City of Toronto from becoming a sterile institution by getting involved in the neighbourhood councils that have been established under the City of Toronto Act. Every neighbourhood is engaged in local governance. And this engagement has many public benefits For example, the Toronto Maple Leafs are so inspired by the city they call home that they win the Stanley Cup. The team is led by captain by Sidney Crosby, the NHL scoring champ who signed with Toronto as a free agent because he just had to live here. In case you're interested, the Leafs take the Cup in six. The final score in the deciding game is 3-2, with Crosby getting the winner in overtime. Beautiful.
well there is something intresting happening at the Island airport http://www.citynoise.org/article/3640/in/toronto@on and will he BAN personal cars from downtown to reduce the smog and or charge drivers a fee that do drive in the core like they do in Briton? will he actualy go after all the SUV's and bus's and cars that park with the motor running while the driver sits and yaks on the cell phone? will he DO something to put drunk drivers in jail and take them off the street ? WILL THEY ACTUALLY CHARGE DRIVERS THAT KILL CYCLISTS OR PEOPLE crossing the street ? (my spelling sucks )
I didn't think so.
5 comments:
A vision for the future
Apr. 16, 2006. 07:19 AM
MAYOR DAVID MILLER
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Dreams are often visions of things that could well be and may one day come to pass. I have dreams like that from time to time. And they're often dreams of Toronto as the truly great city I know we are well on our way to becoming.
I see a Toronto in the not-too-distant future where kids growing up in each and every neighbourhood have equal opportunities — real opportunities — to build good and decent lives.
I see a yellowing front page of the Toronto Star shouting "Gun violence ends!" There are no guns on the street any more because a Toronto-led coalition of mayors from both sides of the 49th parallel stood strong against the American government on gun control.
So persuasive were Toronto's arguments that the U.S. finally enacted common-sense gun control and repealed legislation that prevented lawsuits from being launched against firearms manufacturers.
Instead of worrying about firearms, Torontonians are taking full advantage of the excellent municipal programs made affordable when the federal government awarded Toronto an increased share of the locally raised GST.
Dalton McGuinty and his New City of Toronto Act get thanks for making it possible for Ottawa and Toronto to negotiate their tax-sharing pact face to face. And another tip of the hat to Queen's Park for doing its bit to correct the long-standing fiscal imbalance by returning to the city some of the provincial sales tax revenue collected in Ontario's capital.
This helps explain why gangs aren't a problem any more. No one's drawn to the gangster life because of all the services the city can provide to all of its residents. There are childcare spaces for all parents who need them so they can work and make the money needed to nurture their children. And parks and recreation programs are available free for every child in every city neighbourhood.
Training and jobs have been made available through partnerships established among City Hall, the Toronto Board of Trade and organized labour. Youth from neighbourhoods that were once Toronto's poorest get proper training and gain the self-respect needed to move forward in life. They become carpenters. And bankers. Even journalists. Whatever they aspire to be.
No one in Toronto lives in isolation. Or on the street. Not the young. And certainly not their elders. Homelessness is a thing of the past. Because of the compassion and commitment of Torontonians, all orders of government came together as partners to provide affordable housing to anyone who needs it. There's an incredible array of services for seniors who want to remain engaged in the communities where they live and share their wisdom with other generations.
It's the kind of wisdom that has led Toronto to be recognized as a world leader in promoting peace and harmony. The city will forever be a microcosm of the world's people living together with respect and not a hint of intolerance. Our Canadian Council for Christians, Jews and Muslims is cited around the globe as an example of how to build bridges among people of different faiths. Every man woman and child can walk down every street in this city and know they are recognized as Torontonians regardless of race, colour or religion.
And when Torontonians are exploring their city on foot, they'll meet police constables walking the beats in the very communities they were sworn to serve and protect. These officers are truly representative of Toronto's diversity. There are as many women as men on the force, and the police service is so involved with the community that almost the entire membership has chosen to live where it works.
Neighbourhoods, businesses and non-profit agencies have pitched in everywhere to create beautiful public spaces. Clean streets, beautifully landscaped parks and boulevards across the city. Magnificent public art at every turn. On the strength of our architecture, Toronto is recognized as a city where even routine buildings have the benefit of extraordinary design. University Avenue is a thoroughfare of the arts. It helps link all of our great cultural institutions with Nathan Phillips Square — the public meeting place associated with the name Toronto going back to First Nations people.
Our subway stations are astonishing. As many people enjoy the exhibits at the TTC's Museum station as visit the ROM. They come for an enlightening look at the exhibits before moving on to their chosen destinations. There's a network of streetcars crossing this city on reserved rights-of-way. The Finch Hydro Corridor is now a conduit for light rail transit. People can get from eastern Scarborough to western Etobicoke quickly and at reasonable cost. Every neighbourhood has access to rapid transit, and every able-bodied Torontonian is within a five-minute walk of a bus stop and is one bus journey away from the subway or a light rail connection. For the disabled, every bus, streetcar and subway stop is accessible.
People are talking about the Light Rail Transit funding agreement the City of Toronto recently signed with the city of Calgary and the province of Alberta. The Alberta government was looking for some place to invest the petro-fuelled budget surpluses it continues to amass every year and chose to use some of the money to keep Canada's economic engine running at top speed. It's a beautiful relationship. Like the one Toronto has with the City of Montreal.
The waterfront is an expanse of dynamic neighbourhoods where people come to live, work and play. The streetcar is transport of choice along a lakeshore transformed into a creative hub of film, television, media and communications. Everything down there is green, green, green to the highest green standards. Toronto residents who embraced the city's green-bin program with virtual unanimity proved just as eager to be partners in energy conservation. And, as result of their openness to new ideas, a beautiful park has been created next to the retrofitted Thomas Hearn power plant in the heart Port Lands.
Solar panels have been installed on roofs all over the city by Toronto-based environmental entrepreneurs. They're atop high-rises on Bloor St. And the sun is being harnessed to meet the energy needs of the eight-storey buildings that have gone up all along Kingston Rd. These highly successful developments are being hailed as models of intensification and offered as yet another example of Toronto's environmental leadership.
Torontonians have taken back the water. And they got some help from a federal government that took a good hard look at the Toronto Port Authority's business affairs and quickly decided the federal agency had no legitimate reason to exist. Toronto took control of the harbour and linked it to the rest of the waterfront with a series of boardwalks and bridges. But no fixed link to the Island Airport lands, which have become a beautiful nature reserve.
The waterfront has become a people place year-round. In February it's packed with kids playing shinny on the waterfront rink at Sherbourne Park. In July, people sit and sip cool drinks in the cafes and bistros overlooking the harbour, where children swim in the unpolluted waters.
Toronto is recognized around the world for the vitality sparked by its creative industries.
T.O. Live with Culture is a permanent fixture on the arts scene. Lord of the Rings is still playing at the Princess of Wales Theatre, and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is attracting world-class talent and patrons from everywhere.
Smaller theatre companies and performance venues thrive. Film festivals, music festivals, festivals of all sorts. Toronto is a magnet for anyone looking to live in a vibrant, exciting world city.
Businesses are flocking to Toronto following the lead of firms like SAS — the world's largest privately held software developer and a leader in providing employees an environmentally sensitive workplace.
The business boom has made the TSX the third leading stock exchange on the planet.
People have a working relationship with City Hall. They keep the City of Toronto from becoming a sterile institution by getting involved in the neighbourhood councils that have been established under the City of Toronto Act. Every neighbourhood is engaged in local governance.
And this engagement has many public benefits
For example, the Toronto Maple Leafs are so inspired by the city they call home that they win the Stanley Cup. The team is led by captain by Sidney Crosby, the NHL scoring champ who signed with Toronto as a free agent because he just had to live here.
In case you're interested, the Leafs take the Cup in six. The final score in the deciding game is 3-2, with Crosby getting the winner in overtime. Beautiful.
Public transit is good. Cycling is even better!
well there is something intresting happening at the Island airport http://www.citynoise.org/article/3640/in/toronto@on and will he BAN personal cars from downtown to reduce the smog and or charge drivers a fee that do drive in the core like they do in Briton? will he actualy go after all the SUV's and bus's and cars that park with the motor running while the driver sits and yaks on the cell phone? will he DO something to put drunk drivers in jail and take them off the street ? WILL THEY ACTUALLY CHARGE DRIVERS THAT KILL CYCLISTS OR PEOPLE crossing the street ? (my spelling sucks )
“Are you Mayor Miller?” No, I’m not. There’s only one Mayor Miller.
Did you forget something in your headline?
Fighting "carism" is avoided, when getting to power "carrupts" eg. FSE. Bikes are better in urban settings - he didn't mention "bike" did he?
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