Cities are incubators for what is best about humanity

Cities are akin to living organisms where everyone can potentially thrive

Cities  are incubators for what is best about humanityWhen local voters across British Columbia recently ushered in a new slate of mayors and councillors – the City of Vancouver’s wholesale turnover being the best example – citizens sent a message: We like our cities and we love our neighbourhoods, so stop making them less desirable with ill-advised policies that exacerbate homelessness and crime.…

John Tory sleepwalks to a third term as Toronto mayor

This has been a cakewalk or, if you prefer, a sleepwalk for the incumbent Toronto mayor

John Tory sleepwalks to a third term as Toronto mayorSeveral Canadian provinces are in the midst of municipal elections this month. B.C. residents voted on Oct. 15. Many mayors were either re-elected or acclaimed. A few were defeated, including Colin Basran in Kelowna (by businessman Tom Dyas), Mike Morden in Maple Ridge (by former Liberal MP Dan Ruimy) and Fred Haynes in Saanich (by…

What annoys me about municipal elections

But no matter how annoying, we at least have the democratic right to vote

What annoys me about municipal electionsI am glad BC’s municipal elections are over for another four years. Quite apart from whoever has won or lost. I am sure I am not the only one who was getting really sick and tired of being endlessly bombarded with election pleas from the many and various candidates and parties. The miracles of today’s…

Local elections: democracy as it is meant to be

Candidates do not tend to have corporate sponsorships nor to conform to the wishes of political parties

Local elections: democracy as it is meant to beOn average, fewer people vote in local elections than in provincial or federal elections. Interestingly, each vote has a greater impact in local elections, especially in smaller communities. There is more to this phenomenon than numbers and proportions. Local governments not only respond to the input of their constituents on local issues, but school council…

Why Mark Sutcliffe is the best choice to become the next Mayor of Ottawa

He would be a tremendous asset to the city and a great public servant

Why Mark Sutcliffe is the best choice to become the next Mayor of OttawaOttawa Mayor Jim Watson, a former Liberal MPP and cabinet minister, announced last December that he wouldn’t be running for re-election. Several candidates announced their intentions to replace him, including former Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli (also a former Liberal MPP and cabinet minister) and Catherine McKenney, an Ottawa city councillor and former NDP staffer for…