What Kind of Toronto do we Want? A Zoom-Based Panel Discussion
Toronto is facing a crisis in affordable housing, transit chaos and growing divisions and inequality, while facing a budget crunch and the challenge of climate change. More than 100 candidates vying to be our next mayor will be telling us what kind of Toronto they want. What is the Toronto we want?
Join the Toronto-Danforth NDP, Etobicoke-Lakeshore NDP and Beaches East-York NDP for an online conversation with expert panelists to explore a progressive vision for our city. How can we address these critical issues and create a fair, healthy and dynamic city for all of its citizens?
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Panelists
David Miller - Former Mayor of Toronto
David Miller was Mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010 and served as Chair of C40 Cities from 2008 until 2010. Under his leadership, Toronto became widely admired internationally for its environmental leadership, economic strength and social integration. He is a leading advocate for the creation of sustainable urban economies.
Mr. Miller has held a variety of public and private positions and served as Future of Cities Global Fellow at Polytechnic Institute of New York University from 2011 to 2014. He has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waterloo in Environmental Studies, an Honorary Doctor of Laws from York University and is currently Executive in Residence at the University of Victoria. He is the author of ‘Solved, how the great cities of the world are fixing the climate crisis‘ (University of Toronto Press).
Bhutila Karpoche - MPP for Parkdale-High Park
Since her election in 2018 as MPP for Parkdale-High Park, Bhutila Karpoche has been active on issues around social justice, public health and the environment. She is a longtime advocate of affordable housing, workers’ rights, and public healthcare.
An epidemiologist by training, Bhutila is a public health researcher focusing on the social determinants of health. Most recently, she co-authored the report “A pu
blic health crisis in the making: The health impacts of precarious work on racialized refugee and immigrant women." She has been voted
Toronto's Best MPP by Now Magazine readers in 2019, 2020, and 2021; Toronto's Best Local Politician by Toronto Star readers in 2019; named one of Toronto's Most Inspirational Women of the year by TRNTO Magazine in 2019; and one of Canada's Top 25 Immigrants by Canadian Immigrant Magazine in 2022.
Kofi Hope - Co-Founder, Monumental
Kofi Hope is a Rhodes Scholar and has a Doctorate in Politics from Oxford University. He is the co-founder of Monumental, a Toronto-based strategic advisory firm. He writes a monthly opinion column for the Toronto Star newspaper and is an Urbanist in Residence at the University of Toronto School of Cities, an emeritus Bousfield Scholar with the Geography and Planning department and a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He serves as a board member for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and has volunteered widely across Toronto.
In 2017 he was the winner of the Jane Jacobs Prize and in 2018 a Rising Star in Toronto Life’s Power List. Kofi was the co-founder and former Executive Director of the charity CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals.
Amanda O'Rourke - Executive Director, 8 80 Cities
Amanda O'Rourke is the Executive Director of 8 80 Cities, where she has worked since the beginning in 2007. She was a key architect of the 8 80 concept, and has been a key driving force in the development and
growth of 8 80 Cities, working on numerous projects related to parks, public spaces, and sustainable transportation in North America, Europe, Mexico, and Australia.
She holds a Master’s of Science in Planning from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from Queen’s University. She is also currently Co-Chair of the Children, Play, and Nature Committee for World Urban Parks.
Moderator
Paula Fletcher - City Councillor, Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth
Paula Fletcher has a long record of service to Toronto-Danforth residents. She first became involved as a leader in the East End Parent Network and was then elected as the TDSB Trustee in 2000. Paula was elected as City Councillor for the former Ward 30 in 2003 and has served as Councillor since. She was re-elected in 2018 and again in 2022 to represent the over 106,000 residents of Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth.
Paula is a strong progressive voice at City Hall. She's focused on creating affordable housing, improving public transit, parks and other public spaces, fighting the climate crisis along with enhancing community and road safety for all users. Paula works with residents, community groups and local business owners to build vibrant, healthy neighbourhoods.
We look forward to seeing you, and please share this with your friends and contacts, for our community discussion What Kind of Toronto do we Want?
Monday, May 29th from 7:30 - 9:00 pm
RSVP today!
This forum is co-sponsored by the Toronto-Danforth NDP, Etobicoke-Lakeshore NDP and Beaches East-York NDP riding associations.