Toronto Centre byelection Murray wins

Liberal Glen Murray voted in as next MPP tonight
NDP Cathy Crowe comes second, PC Pam Taylor third
By Kris Scheuer and Matthew Cohen
(Written Feb. 4 for Town Crier.)

Newly elected Toronto-Centre MPP Glen Murray gets congratulated by his mother Mary and Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

The Liberals are two-for-two in Toronto byelections after Glen Murray was chosen to replace George Smitherman in Toronto Centre.
Murray won handily, taking 47 percent of the popular vote with all the polls reporting. His total was just below the 47.85 percent Smitherman received during the 2007 general election.

Toronto election races to watch

No incumbent mayor, politicians retiring, wide open races
City’s 2010 election is guaranteed to deliver some change
By Kris Scheuer
(Updated and expanded Feb. 9.)

Coun. Case Ootes is retiring. Expect a dog fight in Ward 29 to replace him.

Early in Toronto’s election here are 13 reasons to pay attention.

1. There is going to be a new mayor. With David Miller not seeking re-election, as of Feb. 2 there are already 24 registered candidates seeking the city’s top job. Surely one of them will peak your interest?
2. Davenport Councillor and TTC Chair Adam Giambrone’s running for mayor so people in the Ward 18 he represent now need a new rep. By Feb. 8 there are three candidates.

Adam Giambrone registers for mayor

Giambrone became a mayoral candidate Feb 1
He remains a councillor and TTC chair throughout campaign
By Kris Scheuer
(Updated Feb.1 from story for Town Crier.)

Adam Giambrone has entered crowded race to be Toronto's next mayor.

Councillor Adam Giambrone made it official Feb. 1 by becoming a candidate in the Toronto mayor’s race.
Giambrone was at the Town Crier’s head office the same afternoon to meet with the newspaper and multicultural media partners for a sit down editorial board meeting. Read that story.
This is expected to be one of Giambrone’s first interviews on the day he announced his candidacy for mayor.
The 32-year-old councillor has also booked the Rival nightclub for Feb. 1 for an evening of “celebration” beginning at 5:30 p.m. with him speaking between 6-6:30 p.m., according to his city hall office.
Giambone also released a tongue and cheek YouTube video on how to prepare to run for mayor.

Rocco Achampong for T.O mayor

Young mayoral candidate among 21 running for city’s top job
Rocco Achampong launches his campaign Feb. 1
By Kris Scheuer

Rocco Kusi Achampong is running to be mayor of Toronto.

Rocco Kusi Achampong is running for mayor of Toronto in the 2010 election.
I don’t know much about this 31-year-old young man, but he knocked on the Town Crier’s city hall office this afternoon to introduce himself to me.
He officially launches his mayoral campaign at U of T’s Hart House debate room on Feb. 1 at 5:30 pm if you want to hear more from him personally.

Your Toronto web stories

Website allows you to upload your community memories
Story catchers also capturing Torontonians’ video tales
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Jan. 22 for Town Crier.)

Story Catcher Simon Rabynick captures your T.O tales on video for new website. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

A city comes alive through people’s memories and stories.
That’s the idea behind Leasider Adil Dhalla’s new website www.mycitylives.com that launched Feb. 3.
He describes it as Google maps meets YouTube. Dhalla has trained “story catchers” to videotape people telling personal tales and then link them to an interactive map on the website.
It’s a way to get to know the city, communities, streets and specific landmarks.
“We are trying to encourage people to live and shop local and to support the economy, arts and culture and reinvigorate a sense of pride in the city,” says Dhalla from a French coffee shop on Bayview Avenue.

Toronto a day in the life 11

What I learnt, observed, heard in T.O this week
By Kris Scheuer

We are all pedestrians. This is a city slogan but it’s also true.
Personally, I walk or take TTC everywhere and am also a passenger in cars, but I don’t drive.
So I am painfully aware of the ten pedestrians who were struck and killed by vehicles in the GTA in the past eight days.
I watch, each time, before I step off streetcars because often vehicles speed by the open TTC doors. And I watch before I jaywalk mid-block to make my crossing safer.
The Toronto Star’s Christopher Hume has a terrific column today on the recent pedestrian deaths (nine when he wrote it) saying, “Had the cause been gang warfare, H1N1 or car crashes, the news would be on everyone’s lips.”
The Toronto police are encouraging people to step up safety awareness by pointing them to an online resource iNavigait.
What should we do to make the streets safer?

Baquie Ghazi for Toronto mayor

Toronto mayoral candidate Baquie Ghazi.

Ambitious plans for mayoral candidate in 2010 race
His platform includes lowering taxes and TTC fares
By Kris Scheuer

Mayoral candidate Baquie Ghazi emailed me today with a more detailed look at why he’s running for Toronto mayor.
I admire the thought he put into developing policy ideas, but I would need to hear more about how he will implement them. His ideas include decreasing taxes and TTC fares while increasing housing.

Toronto Centre byelection candidates

Former Toronto Centre MPP George Smitherman running for mayor
Byelection to be held Feb. 4, meet the candidates then vote
By Kris Scheuer and Christopher Reynolds
(Written Jan. 13 for Town Crier. Election night UPDATE.)

There are fabulous candidates running: Greens Stefan Premdas, NDP Cathy Crowe, PC Pamela Taylor and Liberal Glen Murray in the Toronto Centre byelection Feb. 4.
Here’s a snapshot of each of them based on interviews by myself and colleague Chris Reynolds. Scroll down to read each mini profile. We didn’t interview Freedom Party candidate Wayne Simmons or Ontario Libertarian Party candidate Heath Thomas for our story but they are both running in the byelection.

Social housing Toronto beach property fix up

Interior at 42 Hubbard will be gutted, mould removed
Tenants can move back in summer 2011 to renovated apartments
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Jan. 14 for Town Crier.)

The city is fixing up this Beach-front social housing complex. Photo Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Deborah Beaven can’t wait to move back to her beachfront Toronto Community Housing residence.
Beaven lived at 42 Hubbard Boulevard for 20 years before she and all the tenants were relocated so TCH could fix the mouldy low-rise complex
The city-owned social housing provider recently held a meeting to update tenants on when they can return and how the building will be renovated.
“I was happy to know they are going forward and will rebuild,” she said.

North Toronto highrise revised

Erskine Ave proposal higher than previous  development application
Eight-storey building called unfit for area of single-family homes
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Dec. 18)

Paula Greco points out from her Erskine Avenue balcony several houses to be affected by the planned residential development. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

Paula Greco’s view from the balcony of her Erskine Avenue building could soon change from that of single-family homes to an eight-storey residential tower.
And she isn’t happy about it.
Greco overlooks a redevelopment site at 88 Erskine and 73-79 Keewatin avenues.
Verdiroc Development first applied to build a five-storey seniors’ residence and now has a new proposal for a 78-unit residential tower.
“It just doesn’t belong,” Greco said.