John Carter wins Agnes Macphail Award

Avid volunteer dedicated to East York community
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier

L-R: Last year's winner Bill Pashby congratulates 2011 winner John Carter. Photo courtesy City of Toronto.

As one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Agnes Macphail Award and ceremony, John Carter did what he has done every year since the dinner began: He showed up early to help set up a display.
This year he had another task to complete: receiving the award himself.
His demonstrated dedication is what led the awards committee to name Carter the 2011 recipient of the Agnes Macphail Award, bestowed annually on a member of the community who has made positive contributions to the East York community.
“I’m quite excited about it,” he said hours before the dinner. “There were 18 others who won it before and I’m part of that illustrious group.”
In the 1990s, Carter was one of the forces who pushed the former East York city council to honour Macphail, Canada’s first female federal politician.
Carter has also been one of the leading advocates pushing to have the Leaside home where Macphail lived at 2 Donegall  Dr. preserved as a heritage site.
And he successfully pushed for a park at Pape and Mortimer avenues, to be named after Macphail.

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Green Party federal candidates 2011

Green candidates seeking federal seats in Toronto
Kris Scheuer
(Updated with all candidates nominated.)

Sonny Day is the Green Party's federal candidate in York South-Weston.

It’s election time with another federal vote on May 2.
I have posted information on the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP candidates as they become known who are running for federal seats in Toronto ridings.
But this post focuses on Green Party federal candidates running for 22 seats in Toronto:
1)York Centre Green candidate Rosemary Frei.
2)York South-Weston Green candidate Sonny Day.
3)York West Green candidate Unblind Tibbin.
4)St. Paul’s Green candidate James McGarva.
5) Scarborough-Rouge River Green candidate George Singh.
6)Scarborough-Guildwood Green candidate Alonzo Bartley.
7)Scarborough Centre Green candidate Ella Ng.
8)Scarborough Southwest Green candidate Stefan Dixon.
9)Scarborough Agincourt Green candidate Pauline Thompson.
10)Etobicoke North Green candidate Carman Roberts.

Conservative federal candidates 2011

No Conservatives MPs with federal seats in T.O now
But these Tory candidates hope to change that
Kris Scheuer

John Carmichael is running for the third time as a Conservative candidate in Don Valley West.

The federal election is May 2, and the Conservatives want a seat in Toronto.
I will also post all candidates running for the Liberals, Green Party and NDP as they are nominated.
This post focuses on Conservative candidates running for federal seats in the 22 Toronto ridings:
1)York-Centre Conservative candidate Mark Adler.
2)York South-Weston Conservative candidate Jilian Saweczko.
3)York West Conservative candidate Audrey Walters.
4)St. Paul’s Conservative candidate Maureen Harquail.
5) Scarborough Rouge-River Conservative candidate Marlene Gallyot.
6)Scarborough-Guildwood Conservative candidate Kazimierz “Chuck” Konkel.
7)Scarborough-Centre Conservative candidate Roxanne James.
8)Scarborough Southwest Conservative candidate listed as Gavan Parachothy on the Conservative’s site.
9)Scarborough-Agincourt Conservative candidate Harry Tsai.
10)Etobicoke-North Conservative candidate Priti Lamba.
11)Etobicoke-Centre Conservative candidate Ted Opitz.
12)Etobicoke-Lakeshore Conservative candidate Bernard Trottier. 

NDP federal candidates 2011

Who is running for NDP in Toronto federal ridings
Candidates seeking TO seats in 2011 election
Kris Scheuer
(Updated with all candidates nominated.)

NDP leader Jack Layton is seeking re-election in his home riding of Toronto-Danforth.

While there are 308 ridings up for grabs in the May 2 federal election, this post focuses on the NDP candidates and current New Democrat MPs in Toronto seeking your vote.
I will also post candidates running for the Conservatives, Green Party and Liberals as they become known.
New Democratic Party federal candidates in 22 Toronto ridings as they are being nominated:
1)York-Centre NDP candidate Kurtis Baily.
2)York South-Weston NDP candidate Mike Sullivan.
3)York West NDP candidate Giulio Manfrini.
4)St. Paul’s NDP candidate William Molls.
5) Scarborough-Guildwood NDP candidate Danielle Ouellette.
6) Scarborough-Rough River NDP candidate Rathika Sitsabaiesan.
7)Scarborough Centre NDP candidate Natalie Hundt.
8)Scarborough Southwest NDP candidate Dan Harris.
9)Scarborough-Agincourt NDP candidate Nancy Patchell.

Liberal federal candidates 2011

Who’s running federally for Grits in Toronto ridings
Kris Scheuer

Rob Oliphant is seeking re-election as the Liberal Don Valley West MP.

It’s election time with another federal vote on May 2.
I have posted information on Conservatives, Green Party and NDP candidates as they become known who are running in for federal seats in Toronto ridings.
But this post focuses on Liberal candidates running for federal seats in 22 Toronto ridings:
1)York-Centre incumbent Liberal MP Ken Dryden.
2)York South-Weston incumbent Liberal MP Alan Tonks.
3)York West incumbent Liberal MP Judy Sgro.
4)St. Paul’s incumbent Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett.
5) Scarborough Rouge-River Liberal candidate Rana Sarkar.
6)Scarborough-Guildwood incumbent Liberal MP John McKay.
7)Scarborough-Centre incumbent Liberal MP John Cannis.
8)Scarborough Southwest incumbent Liberal MP Michelle Simson.
9)Scarborough-Agincourt incumbent Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis.

Canadian federal election 2011

Who holds power now
Kris Scheuer

PM Stephen Harper will be facing voters in a spring election. Town Crier file photo.

So a federal election is on for May 2.
Click on the Green Party, Conservatives, NDP and Liberals to see who each of those parties are running as federal candidates in Toronto ridings.
The Liberal Party’s motion expressing non-confidence in the current Conservative government over issues of contempt of Parliament passed 156-145 today.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will formally ask Governor General David Johnston to dissolve Canada’s 4oth Parliament tomorrow.
Here’s a low down on who all the current MPs are now.
What will new parliament look like post election?
Quick Facts:
There are 308 seats up for grabs.
There are 305 current Members of Parliament and three vacant seats, click here for the full list.
Current representation across Canada is:
Conservative MPs: 143
Liberal Party MPs: 77
Bloc Quebecois MPs: 47
New Democratic Party MPs: 36
Independents MPs: Helena Guergis (Independent Conservative) and Andre Arthur
Vacant seats of 3: Calgary Centre-North in Alberta, Prince George-Peace River in B.C., and Haute-Gaspesie-La Mitis-Matane-Matapedia in Quebec.
In Toronto there are 22 federal seats with 2 New Democrat MPs and 20 Liberals elected here currently.
Here’s the breakdown of the current reps in Toronto ridings.

Toronto city services

Here what your taxes pay for in Toronto
Kris Scheuer

What city services are most vital to you? Image courtesy of City of Toronto.

The city passed its 2011 operating and capital billion totaling $13.326 billion.
What is Toronto getting for this money? Well click here for some insight into all the services the city provides for your tax dollars everything from public health, snow removal, parks and roads to police, social housing, libraries, fire services and clean water.
Next year, the city faces a $774 million shortfall that has to be made up by cutting services and raising TTC fares, property taxes and user fees just to balance the 2012 budget. So what services are most crucial to you and what can we cut and do without?

2011 city budget with tax freeze

Budget includes some service cuts
And 2012 budget outlook grim: city officials
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Feb. 24)

Mayor Ford talks to city hall media Feb. 23 about the budget. Town Crier file photo.

The good news is that city approved its 2011 operating budget today with a tax freeze.
However, the 2012 budget is already shaping up to be one that will involve hikes in TTC fares and property taxes and selling off city assets to fix the projected $774 million hole for next year’s budget.
But that’s a worry for another day.
Mayor Rob Ford was beaming after the passage of the first operating budget of his administration.
“This is a great day for the taxpayers of the city. For the first time in 11 years we passed a zero percent tax increase,” Ford told the media. “We campaigned hard and definitely slowed down the gravy train.”
Ford said not only did he attend the four public meetings on the budget with hundreds of deputations, but personally returns calls from Torontonians regarding their priorities.
“If you talk to the citizens out there, I am sure 99 percent of them are happy at not having to pay higher taxes,” he said.
The city passed the $9.381 billion gross budget with few amendments.
Councillor John Filion that did get one through with a 44-1 vote to increase the Toronto Public Health Budget with one-time provincial funding of $100,000. This money from the provincial Ministry of Health and Long Term Care is earmarked for a communication strategy to encourage HIV and Syphilis screening.
Mayor Ford was the only one to vote against this provincial money.
“Everyone says it’s provincial money. No it’s taxpayers’ money,” Ford explained his vote to the media.

City votes for 2011 tax freeze

No tax increase in this year’s Toronto budget
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Feb. 23)

Mayor Ford is pleased council supported a 2011 property tax freeze. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

The weather may have warmed up, but inside city hall council voted to freeze taxes on the first day of a four days of budget votes.
Mayor Rob Ford didn’t campaign on a tax freeze but he announced after the election a tax freeze was a priority.
“Taxpayers won’t have to pay a property tax increase this year,” Ford told the media.
After the vote Ford said that taxpayers sent a clear message during the election that they are sick and tried of wasteful spending at city hall.
“We saved $66 million in the first 100 days that’s more than the previous government saved in seven years,” Ford boasted to the assembled media.
The biggest saving came from canceling the vehicle registration tax as of Jan. 1, which gives taxpayers $64 million back, said Ford.
However, canceling the tax means the city will lose $48 million in revenue and it will cost the city/taxpayers $16 million to issue refunds to car owners who paid for the fee in advance.

Toronto budget public input

Residents, business people have their say on 2011 budget
Opinions vary widely on priorities
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Jan. 21)

Margaret Watson advocates to sub-budget committee to not increase user fees for recreation. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Councillors got an earful from residents, businesses and community groups who came out to speak on the city’s budget at North York Civic Centre.
New councillor Doug Ford, brother to Mayor Rob Ford, chaired the meeting at times with occasionally humourous results.
He mistakenly introduced Margaret Watson from the Canadian Pensioners’ Concern as a deputant about prisoners’ issues. He made a joke of it by saying he needed glasses and playfully referred to former budget chief Councillor Shelley Carroll as “the warden”.
For her part, Watson gave a feisty presentation about preserving services.
“Many seniors are tenants who receive pressure from landlords. We are disappointed you have cut $100,000 from the tenant defence fund,” she said at the Jan. 19 public meeting. “We hope council doesn’t want to put more tenants at risk of homelessness.”