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William Thorsell
By WILLIAM THORSELL
From Monday's Globe and Mail
Toronto City Councilor David Miller started his campaign for mayor by visiting the greenest of grassroots: Toronto's business establishment. Ensconced in its gothic clubs, it is skeptical about everything it hears for the first time — but concerned about the state of its city.
This was a shrewd bow to his exposed flank: Mr. Miller went to Harvard and all that, but was known to be a New Democratic Party kind of guy. On the other hand, he was making a lot of sense about all too many practical issues, and Toronto was obviously in need of smarts.
Mr. Miller's power lunches with "people of influence" were aimed to neutralize their prejudices, if not garner their support. He emerged in most cases with the advantage of their open minds.
Meanwhile, a more famous champion was preparing in the wings: John Tory had all the obvious virtues in Toronto's situation. He was quick and wonderfully connected. He was tested and steeled by working with the pragmatic politics of Bill Davis and surviving the arbitrary storms of Ted Rogers in the private sector. Yes, he was the consummate back-room guy, serving even Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman's quixotic regime, but everyone who knew him knew him to be a fine man with a strong social conscience.
And oh yes, there was Toronto's former mayor Barbara Hall, the sentimental favourite of many, who turned out to be too sentimental. And there were the rest, covering the gamut from cowboys to liars and many unknowns with high ambitions: Democracy lives.
Which brings us back to David Miller.
Mr. Miller has confounded those who thought that Mr. Tory would be the only really promising choice, by showing a solid centre in his views and a certain courage in his convictions. He didn't go to the business establishment just to get to know them better — but the reverse. He has a visible record in public life and no problem defending it. He is calm in a manner that bespeaks integrity. He is smart.
Mr. Tory has to deal with this, because many of the same things apply to his own candidacy. He is perfectly suited to complete the promising troika of new leaders affecting Canada's largest city: Paul Martin, Dalton McGuinty and the mayor. How long have astrologers waited for this ideal alignment of stars to liberate our talents and potentials? John Tory was the square peg headed for the square hole.
So why is Mr. Miller slightly ahead in the polls on this election morn, which offers Toronto such unusual luxury in choosing a mayor?
It's the waterfront, stupid.
Nothing aggravates Torontonians more than the brutal state of their connection to Lake Ontario. They're angry about it. They're humiliated by it. They feel revengeful over it.
Only David Miller among the leading candidates came out against the expansion of a business commuter airport smack dab on the lovely islands in the bay — just across from the burgeoning condo neighbourhoods perched along the freeways.
If there is one thing John Tory might regret about this election, it is his embrace of a bridge to that airport, and the expansion of air traffic it implies. The zeitgeist is deeply hostile to it, and the zeitgeist can become a poltergeist on a dime.
Barbara Hall might have felt a need to demonstrate her business-friendly credentials in supporting the bridge and airport; John Tory needed no such raiments and perhaps, felt no such qualms. The airport has some value, but what's left of Toronto's waterfront needs vigilant care. The bridge has enormous symbolic content.
Then, in promising to hire 400 additional police officers, Mr. Tory received and accepted the blessings of Toronto's highly politicized police union. A lot of people squirmed.
Just weeks after the Ontario electorate voted to cancel provincial tax cuts to protect their public services, Mr. Tory promised more tax freezes at beleaguered city hall — another tweak, perhaps, to the zeitgeist.
And then, in the final weeks of the campaign, as if to offset his support of the island bridge, Mr. Tory opposed significant residential intensification beside subway stations north of Bloor Street, rejecting a basic wisdom in Toronto's new Official Plan.
And so Mr. Miller crept ahead, with no similar slivers in his platform.
But the dynamics remain fluid, especially on the matter of crime, and either man will be a fine mayor, marking an enormous step up in Toronto's capacity to take care of itself and shape its future. If the excellent John Tory loses, it will be because the solid David Miller has put on a very good show. This has been an election worth having.
William Thorsell is director and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum.
By WILLIAM THORSELL
From Monday's Globe and Mail
Toronto City Councilor David Miller started his campaign for mayor by visiting the greenest of grassroots: Toronto's business establishment. Ensconced in its gothic clubs, it is skeptical about everything it hears for the first time — but concerned about the state of its city.
This was a shrewd bow to his exposed flank: Mr. Miller went to Harvard and all that, but was known to be a New Democratic Party kind of guy. On the other hand, he was making a lot of sense about all too many practical issues, and Toronto was obviously in need of smarts.
Mr. Miller's power lunches with "people of influence" were aimed to neutralize their prejudices, if not garner their support. He emerged in most cases with the advantage of their open minds.
Meanwhile, a more famous champion was preparing in the wings: John Tory had all the obvious virtues in Toronto's situation. He was quick and wonderfully connected. He was tested and steeled by working with the pragmatic politics of Bill Davis and surviving the arbitrary storms of Ted Rogers in the private sector. Yes, he was the consummate back-room guy, serving even Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman's quixotic regime, but everyone who knew him knew him to be a fine man with a strong social conscience.
And oh yes, there was Toronto's former mayor Barbara Hall, the sentimental favourite of many, who turned out to be too sentimental. And there were the rest, covering the gamut from cowboys to liars and many unknowns with high ambitions: Democracy lives.
Which brings us back to David Miller.
Mr. Miller has confounded those who thought that Mr. Tory would be the only really promising choice, by showing a solid centre in his views and a certain courage in his convictions. He didn't go to the business establishment just to get to know them better — but the reverse. He has a visible record in public life and no problem defending it. He is calm in a manner that bespeaks integrity. He is smart.
Mr. Tory has to deal with this, because many of the same things apply to his own candidacy. He is perfectly suited to complete the promising troika of new leaders affecting Canada's largest city: Paul Martin, Dalton McGuinty and the mayor. How long have astrologers waited for this ideal alignment of stars to liberate our talents and potentials? John Tory was the square peg headed for the square hole.
So why is Mr. Miller slightly ahead in the polls on this election morn, which offers Toronto such unusual luxury in choosing a mayor?
It's the waterfront, stupid.
Nothing aggravates Torontonians more than the brutal state of their connection to Lake Ontario. They're angry about it. They're humiliated by it. They feel revengeful over it.
Only David Miller among the leading candidates came out against the expansion of a business commuter airport smack dab on the lovely islands in the bay — just across from the burgeoning condo neighbourhoods perched along the freeways.
If there is one thing John Tory might regret about this election, it is his embrace of a bridge to that airport, and the expansion of air traffic it implies. The zeitgeist is deeply hostile to it, and the zeitgeist can become a poltergeist on a dime.
Barbara Hall might have felt a need to demonstrate her business-friendly credentials in supporting the bridge and airport; John Tory needed no such raiments and perhaps, felt no such qualms. The airport has some value, but what's left of Toronto's waterfront needs vigilant care. The bridge has enormous symbolic content.
Then, in promising to hire 400 additional police officers, Mr. Tory received and accepted the blessings of Toronto's highly politicized police union. A lot of people squirmed.
Just weeks after the Ontario electorate voted to cancel provincial tax cuts to protect their public services, Mr. Tory promised more tax freezes at beleaguered city hall — another tweak, perhaps, to the zeitgeist.
And then, in the final weeks of the campaign, as if to offset his support of the island bridge, Mr. Tory opposed significant residential intensification beside subway stations north of Bloor Street, rejecting a basic wisdom in Toronto's new Official Plan.
And so Mr. Miller crept ahead, with no similar slivers in his platform.
But the dynamics remain fluid, especially on the matter of crime, and either man will be a fine mayor, marking an enormous step up in Toronto's capacity to take care of itself and shape its future. If the excellent John Tory loses, it will be because the solid David Miller has put on a very good show. This has been an election worth having.
William Thorsell is director and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum.