Tag Archives: ward 27

The results

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Chris Tindal for Ward 27 CookieThe results are in, and while they’re not what we hoped for, we should be proud of what we’ve accomplished. Last night I spoke with five other Ward 27 candidates to congratulate them on strong campaigns, including Kristyn Wong-Tam who undeniably had the strongest campaign and earned a hard-fought victory. (I hope to speak with many of my other opponents soon as well.) Our incoming councillor was very generous in her comments, and said she looks forward to working together to build Ward 27.

I’m particularly proud of and happy about three things today. First, friendships that have been made and strengthened. A campaign is a community, and ours was a great one to be part of.

Second, and related, that we had such a strong showing without a big political machine behind us. This was a grassroots multi-partisan campaign that grew as we went along. Some of our most dedicated volunteers were people that joined us after we knocked on their doors, like a snowball rolling down a hill. I’m so humbled that so many great people gave so much of themselves.

Ward 27 campaign flyers in a doorThird, the strength of the other candidates. What an amazing thing we accomplished here. Over and over again people told me that there were multiple council candidates they wanted to vote for, who they thought would make great contributions to council. How often does that happen? When was the last time you voted in an election and thought, “gosh, there are just too many good choices?” It’s remarkable.

This week, we’ve got work to do closing up the campaign office, returning rented furniture, collecting and recycling lawn signs. Claire and I will then spend the weekend at a bed and breakfast in Prince Edward County before I return to work from my three-month leave of absence on Monday.

I’ve learned a lot during this campaign, and hope to share some of that in this space over the coming month.

More to come.

Today, your vote will make a difference. Here’s how.

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It’s been a long campaign, and it all comes down to today. Your vote will help ensure we have a city councillor who represents every one of Ward 27’s residents and neighbourhoods, and that we have improved public transit, responsibly managed finances and smart sustainable development.

How to vote

To find out where to vote, click here or phone 311.

You’ll need to bring ID that shows your name, signature and address. For a list of acceptable ID, click here.

Voting is open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. If you have any questions or require assistance getting to your voting station you can call our office (416.351.8000).

Why vote

Because the municipal level of government affects our lives more directly than any other, and because it’s more important than ever that we have a strong city council. This is a very tight race—it may come down to as little as 100 votes—your vote will make a difference.

Why Chris Tindal

Chris is endorsed by respected people from across the political spectrum and all over our ward. He has the best set of principles and priorities, and he has the business and governance experience to get results. I have been impressed by his honesty, integrity and genuine interest in what each and every person has had to say throughout this election. I am confident he is the best candidate for city council.

As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch by email or phone.

Best,

Lesley Myers
Campaign Manager, Chris Tindal Campaign
http://www.christindal.ca/
416.351.8000

Chris Tindal receives top grade from ArtsVote

press releases,

ArtsVote Toronto 2010 has released their Councillor Report Card and given Ward 27 candidate Chris Tindal a full 4/4 star “champion” rating. The report card seeks to evaluate each candidate’s “awareness of the needs of the arts community, their interest in engaging with artists in their Ward, and their willingness to act as advocates” for arts and culture.

“I am honoured that ArtsVote has given me their highest grade when it comes to recognizing the importance of investing in the arts in Toronto,” said Tindal. “I look forward to being a champion for the arts on the next council so that we can continue to build a beautiful city and support the many jobs in the arts and culture sector.”

For More information contact:
Matthew Ross
Media Relations
416.627.8928
matthew@christindal.ca

Creating a Pride where you belong

toronto,

Back before Pride Toronto made its controversial decision to ban two words from this year’s parade, I made clear the reasons why I opposed such a move. Since then I have done a lot of listening and a lot of thinking, and, apparently, so has Pride. Yesterday they announced that they are reversing their decision to be the judges of what language can or can’t be used in the parade, requiring only that participants agree to abide by the city’s non-discrimination policy.

The board members of Pride Toronto are to be congratulated for having the courage to change their minds, and a special thanks goes to the community members including Brent Hawkes, Doug Elliott, Doug Kerr, Michael Went, Maura Lawless and others who worked to build bridges and come to this agreement.

As Glen Murray points out this morning on Facebook, the most important thing now is the second part of Pride Toronto’s decision, to “appoint a panel of LGBTTIQQ2SA leaders and friends to recommend a policy to protect and advance the qualities of Pride and ensure it is true to its core values and principles” with a mandate to “consult with the community to develop recommendations to ensure a Pride that values and promotes freedom of speech and individual expression, inclusiveness and respect, pluralism and diversity, equity and fairness, celebration, humour and fun.”

This addresses the two main concerns I expressed to Torontoist earlier this month, saying “The [Pride] Board did not pass a comprehensive anti-discrimination policy… the decision was ad hoc. Had they gone through an open process, there would not be such anger.” Now we will hopefully have both a comprehensive policy and an open process to create it.

Now it’s time to move forward together, recognizing that while the decision that Pride Toronto originally came to was wrong, there are also some members of the LGBT community who have not felt, as Pride’s slogan puts it, like they “belong” due to language they perceive to be hurtful and even threatening. Let’s be clear, I’m not just talking about lobbyists and activists with a public profile. There are many people I’ve spoken with while knocking on doors who have told me they no longer feel welcome at Pride, and that’s a real concern. Creating an environment where everyone feels a sense of safety and belonging while also allowing a diversity of voices is the challenge, and I’m optimistic that Pride has created the right process to meet it.