2014 Municipal Election: Toronto Mayoral Race

[SecretSquirrel]

Welcome to my blocked list.

Please block me too.

 

[casita]

Olivia Chow speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin...

https://twitter.com/80sDougFord/status/444276223498153984

 

[the lemur]

With regards to Chow, Chinese is not a single language, but a group of similar languages. Mandarin and Cantonese are as different from each other as French and Spanish are different from each other. Lumping the Chinese languages together as a single language is like lumping all the Romance languages together and call them Latin.

I don't think that was actually in doubt, although it's accurate to say that 'Chinese' represents a group of not just similar but related languages. Cantonese and Mandarin may not be mutually intelligible but they are related in the same way two languages in another language family might be. It's just culturally expedient to refer to both as Chinese (in the sense of 'a Chinese language').

So far I still don't have a sense of her Mandarin proficiency, aside from statements in Wikipedia and her publisher's bio. My sense is that this really varies among native Cantonese speakers, depending on education and exposure, and that the number of Mandarin speakers in Toronto is growing faster than the number of Cantonese speakers, so it would be to her advantage to be able to reach a larger group of Chinese-Canadian voters.

What I've seen so far in Mandarin-language media has been Olivia speaking to other stations' reporters, in English, plus commentary from analysts in Mandarin and Cantonese (subtitled). No real indication that she speaks Mandarin directly to Mandarin-language channels.

 

[jusbokeh]

As a few forumers have pointed out before either on this thread or the RoFo one, Chow isn't a shoo-in for the "Chinese vote", because for one reason or another she isn't particularly highly regarded in (at least parts of) the Chinese community. Granted this is only from personal experience and not a poll of the community, but I have certainly heard it from both older relatives as well as friends from younger age groups. For example, I was quite shocked a few days ago when a friend of mine - young guy in his 20s, 1.5G immigrant, urban photographer, scientist - wrote to me that if it came down to a choice between Chow vs Ford he will have to vote for Ford (to which I replied if it came down to a pile of turd vs Ford I will vote for the pile of turd). The strongly (big and small-c) conservative-leaning mainstream Chinese-Canadian media certainly isn't helping, though now that one of "us" has a chance of becoming mayor it will be interesting to see if their tune changes a bit.

I pointed this out earlier.

1. chow is from hong kong, while the majority of chinese in north york and scarborough are from mainland china.
2. chow is cantonese, while majority of chinese in toronto are mandarin.
3. chow life path doesnt coincide with the ideals of chinese parents, she went to art school, not medical school or lawyer.
4. she has no children
5. she married a white man, many asian men will not vote for her

 

[Roy G Biv]

And free clothing as well. And free housing. And free transportation. And money trees to pay for it all.

You just tax the rich; it's easy and civilized. I am still undecided, but there are some things about this city I just can't shake: Seeing down and out homeless people who appear to be mentally ill, 75% of the time. Should we, as a city/society, not be responsible for these people?

Toronto is on its way to becoming a typical American city, with the middle-class replaced by pockets of extreme wealth and poverty.

Again, I am not advocating for anyone, but there is something seductive about becoming more "socialist", like Europe.

 

[Ralph]

I pointed this out earlier.

1. chow is from hong kong, while the majority of chinese in north york and scarborough are from mainland china.
2. chow is cantonese, while majority of chinese in toronto are mandarin.
3. chow life path doesnt coincide with the ideals of chinese parents, she went to art school, not medical school or lawyer.
4. she has no children
5. she married a white man, many asian men will not vote for her

It's telling that the only capital letter that jusbokeh uses is "I."

 

[the lemur]

Apparently, every snack comes with a side of Mandatory Re-Education and great leaps of forward. She's Pol Pot II!

Meh, Pol Pot I would have killed her off just for being a glasses-wearing, bicycle-owning intellectual.

 

[jusbokeh]

or im typing on my android....

 

[LordWanker]

I pointed this out earlier.

1. chow is from hong kong, while the majority of chinese in north york and scarborough are from mainland china.
2. chow is cantonese, while majority of chinese in toronto are NOT mandarin.
3. chow life path doesnt coincide with the ideals of chinese parents, she went to art school, not medical school or lawyer.
4. she has no children
5. she married a white man, many asian men will not vote for her

I happen to be of Chinese decent and being born & raised in Toronto, a majority of the Chinese speak more Cantonese and another peasant dialect ( cannot find a proper translation at the moment). Yes there has been a noticeable increase in Mandarin-speaking immigrants but not to the extent that they are now predominant language spoken in the various china towns.

 

[Greg Banks]

I mentioned the minimum home tongue breakdown (2011 census) for East Asians previously for Scarborough several pages ago....Here is the breakdown for North York (Wards 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26,33, 34)
Tagalog 23,970
Chinese (not specified) 23,855
Mandarin 19,125
Korean 15,295
Cantonese 13,355
Vietnamese 8,005

 

[edmundoconnor]

I for one will be very interested in Chow's plans for buses. For all the talk of LRTs and subways, buses are how a heck of a lot of passengers get to and from places. They are not as photogenic as other modes of transit, but more buses, run more frequently, with proper route management would make a big difference to many people. Especially if priority lanes with proper enforcement are added.

 

[Greg Banks]

I for one will be very interested in Chow's plans for buses. For all the talk of LRTs and subways, buses are how a heck of a lot of passengers get to and from places. They are not as photogenic as other modes of transit, but more buses, run more frequently, with proper route management would make a big difference to many people. Especially if priority lanes with proper enforcement are added.

Well, hopefully there will be a plan formulated to make use of Hydro right of ways for BRT ways.....

 

[ehlow]

I pointed this out earlier.

1. chow is from hong kong, while the majority of chinese in north york and scarborough are from mainland china.
2. chow is cantonese, while majority of chinese in toronto are mandarin.
3. chow life path doesnt coincide with the ideals of chinese parents, she went to art school, not medical school or lawyer.
4. she has no children
5. she married a white man, many asian men will not vote for her

LOL... I find 3-5 hilarious, but also strange. I have family from Hong Kong and I don't think they care about 3-5 at all, I certainly don't.

 

[edmundoconnor]

Well, hopefully there will be a plan formulated to make use of Hydro right of ways for BRT ways.....

Except that hydro corridors in the main aren't especially near anywhere anyone wants to go. Plus, Toronto Hydro might not be crazy about letting the TTC put a BRT route down their corridors, and even if they did allow it, the TTC would have to pay rent to Toronto Hydro for the use of those corridors.

 

[the lemur]

Except that hydro corridors in the main aren't especially near anywhere anyone wants to go. Plus, Toronto Hydro might not be crazy about letting the TTC put a BRT route down their corridors, and even if they did allow it, the TTC would have to pay rent to Toronto Hydro for the use of those corridors.

Is that the case with the busway along the hydro corridor to York U?