Toronto Poised Get Its First Openly Gay Mayor?

                      

George Smitherman, former deputer Premier of Ontario, has thrown his hat into the race for Toronto Mayor. If elected Smitherman will become one of only a handful a openly Gay mayors of major cities (cities over 1 million).

Smitherman has worked for the Ontario Liberals for a number of years serving as an MP which saw him fill the role of Minister of Health and Minister of Energy. The former has put a stigma on him with the e-Health scandal and could cost him in the Mayoral election, especially if the popular John Tory decides to run as well.

The things I like about Smitherman though is that he is tough and has the necessary connections provincially and federally in order to communicate effectively across all the levels of government, something that Toronto needs. Another thing Toronto has been lacking is firm leadership. There are some whiney bitchy people holding back the city that councillors and past mayors have tried to appease. “I don’t want a bridge to the Island airport”. When this comes from people who moved next to the airport the city needs to turn their backs on them. If you don’t like the airport you shouldn’t have moved next to it (I’ll have more on this in another post - so much to say with this one).

It is true Toronto has a lot of potential, but it also has a lot of humming and hawing and this needs to stop. For instance how does a soccer stadium get approved in a matter of weeks but the waterfront revitalization has taken DECADES? Not that I don’t mind the soccer stadium (TFC rocks!). But things like the waterfront revitalization, bike paths, rail to Peason International Airport, what to do with the Gardiner, are all things that the city has sat on its hands with for years and it needs to stop. Smitherman is someone I believe is ferocious and tenacious enough to make these things happen (with the exception of the rail to Pearson as this is already going through).

Slainte!