A post G20 reflection published in The Mark
“We need a public inquiry into the Toronto G20, and we need to find ways to make future forums more democratic and participatory.”
June 24th, 2010
G20 eve
There has been much consternation and alarm about the G20 this June 25 – 27 in Toronto. Including among many, this recent Torontoist tweet citing Mayor Miller: “The institution of the federal government doesn’t understand Toronto”? http://bit.ly/dlJCcm .” An email went around today from a co-tenant at the Centre for Social Innovation seeking ideas for witty protest, insightful intervention, and related “culture jamming.”
It is to weep short splurts of sarcastic saline solution. Who is listening? To whom? And do some among the array of protesters grasp that this very Canadian initiative–the G20–is about breaking the hold of “the West” and/or “the North” on “world” discourse? We have an ideological smorgasbord of leaders, some like Lulo who have helped raise millions out of poverty, and not some rigid falanx of the “Washington Consensus.” Certainly, much is pomp without much circumstance. It is too expensive (we’d like an audit Prime Minister). However, face-to-face still matters and this let’s leaders from every continent eyeball each other and try to lever some key agenda items into the floating consensus of world governance, such as it is.
Civil protest is of course a central, necessary part of any breathing democracy, any even remotely functioning state. Black Bloc play-time and its requisite smashed windows, not so much. Culture Jamming: for or against or to reveal what precisely? Oh I know I’d get a list but I’m “begging” for detail, research, insight and some sense of comment or action that rises above the bleating of spoiled children of the West, that transcends obvious left (or right) cliche.
If one wishes to “make change happen” then it’s a multi-terrain game. It may be peaceful protest, it may be satire, it may be cultural intervention it is also the hard work of electoral politics, of coalition building across representative communities. It is about engaging, what many protesters might dismiss as oppose to celebrate, the broad middle class. Connecting the middle class to those who are not progressing or being helped to rise out of poverty and powerlessness. It’s about unifying and connecting with an open mind, humility for the other, and a grasp of “real data” to back up and inform the questions (more than “issues”) one poses.
If one takes this broad, multi-terrain, well-informed, open-minded approach, then that would be something the leaders of the G20 and large segments of their electors and citizens, would “hear.” And what better place to have heard insightful contrapuntal opinion and questions than in Toronto?
September 27th, 2009
Mayor Miller 1
Thank you. Public life is a rough gig. You took it on and no one can gainsay that.
But sir you have too often grabbed a PR defeat from what ought to have been a policy victory. You too often promised too much and delivered explanations instead of the elegant solution. I support transit expansion. I support green roofs. I support using the powers of the City of Toronto Act (thank you Premier McGuinty) to creatively benefit the city. So we should have little argument. Still if the new taxing powers were indeed necessary you ought to have gone from ward to ward to make the case. You ought to have worked with developers to sell the green roof program (yes photo ops and sector-friendly announcements do matter).
And where are the things we could do but have not done: our own appeals board for Committee of Adjustment matters (one less round of OMB appeals). Where is our push for inclusive zoning, tax increment financing et al to engage the private sector comprehensively in city-building. Vancouver has created schools, parks, and cultural facilities on its downtown waterfront through the application of clear and consistent rules and incentives. Of course the planning act is different here, and yes the lament of the OMB, but indeed much more could be done.
Union Station is finally getting it’s re-do. But 6 years. Six years went by as marble crumbled.
If things on the Waterfront are indeed moving (and they are) they could have used a focused consistent nudging that it seems you have not provided; instead there has been micro-management and duplication of effort that has too often slowed things down.
Green bins that are filled with toxic mysteries that cannot make good compost; a problem one things could have been solved with attention to the file and an unequivocal directive to staff to fix it.
Yes TEDCO has been replaced by Invest Toronto and Build Toronto but surely that was a first-term item.
I’ll be more charitable in another post. But in thinking ahead to the 2010 contest I’d say to all contenders remember that buses need to run on time, the potholes need to be fixed, the parks need to be safe, and the fountains need to work. We need innovative programs and policies. We need transit expansion However, it must be built on a solid, sustainable plan that rolls out measurable achievements in every year. We need to have a mayor who commits to equal opportunity for all but also one who will be strategically deft and tactically flexible.
We need to be once again the City That Works and be a City That Shines.
November 13th, 2008
Clubland, Vaughan, & that demon nightlife
I was going to wait until I had a chance to so some ‘work’ on the standard WordPress template, write a proper ‘About Us/Me’ section and all that good stuff. Perhaps even a rationale for adding yet one more blog to the webverse. But inspiration came to me via an email or two this afternoon (see below). The lead off is Toronto Ward 20 City Councillor Adam Vaughan’s open notice about an upcoming forum on Toronto’s “Entertainment District” or ‘clubland’. This is a concentrated area of nightclubs, bars, and restaurants adjacent to the Financial District, Queen West, Chinatown, and City Place.
It has grown over the past twenty years into the largest single concentration of nightclubs in the City. Though by no means the only nightlife area it gets a lot of attention for its density, specificity and ability to attract, primarily younger, people from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Below is the text of an email that I wrote to colleagues at the Centre for Social Innovation, in ‘reply’ to the ciruclation of Vaughan’s notice (qutoed below). Also, below, I have quoted an email from Newsoundspace also sent out in repsonse to the Councillor’s notice.
[NOTE: I am alone repsonsible for the opinons herein expressed. ]
Friends:
Given some of Councillor Vaughn’s recent comments in the media it’s refreshing to see that a full spectrum of stakeholders are being included. It goes almost without saying that violence and guns are completely unacceptable and must be opposed and prevented to the extent possible and some of the incidents in the last few years in ‘clubland’ are disturbing.
However, as a long time habitué of Queen West (since it’s formative years some 27 years ago) and a former resident of the area, and current business tenant, it saddens me when “nightclubs” & “nightlife” are sometimes, let’s say it, demonized.
It’s worth remembering that the area between University & Spadina (and even more so toward Bathurst) between Queen & King, was an empty wasteland of underused industrial buildings that was dark, empty and lifeless before the club & café culture of Queen and to a lesser extent King West moved into the “in-between” zone beginning about 20 years ago.
This was followed in 1996 by the King/Spadina Secondary Plan which eliminated zoning controls (but not built-form controls) in the area in order to spur redevelopment. Just as artists and the café & bar culture that came with them, spurred the revitalization of life on Queen West from about 1979 on, so to in their own way, nightclubs actually made the blocks between King & Queen come alive in the late 80s & 90s.
Since the King/Spadina Plan opened the area to residential development, its true that obvious conflicts have emerged between nightlife culture and residents who have bought into the vibe but–understandably–object to some of the ‘negative aspects’ of that culture. Still it would be a false statement to suggest that nightclubs, as some have, were in some way foisted on unsuspecting residents. The clubs were there first. They City made a decision to support the creation of the area as an Entertainment District long before most of the condos were built.
The idea too that somehow our culture has outgrown nightclubs (as suggested recently by Councillor Vaughn) may perhaps be true of a certain demographic (Gen X is ageing after all). It is by no means true to think, though, that younger people are going to stop wanting to ‘go out dancing’ and that somehow, just because our political leaders are not ‘hanging out’ any more, that clubs are somehow a relic of the past.
E-mail on of Behalf Of Newsoundspace
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 3:20 PM
Subject: Nightlife Violence Summit Tuesday (Reg. ends 2moro) – make our voice heard!As you may know, Adam Vaughan, Toronto city councillor for Ward 20, has been
an enemy of nightlife since his election.He wants to enact policies that would make going out and having fun in Toronto much more difficult. This includes forcing nightclubs and bars to close down. He was a vocal opponent of CiRCA getting its liquor license and if he had his way, it never would have opened.
On Tuesday, there is a conference about nightlife and drinking called “Raising the Bar,” but if it was up to Vaughan it would be “Razing the Bar” we’re sure.
Anyway, free registration ends tomorrow, make sure our community is represented; this could have a very negative impact on nightlife in Toronto.
*****
Registration: Please provide name, organization, mailing address, e-mail address,
telephone, fax and dietary needs
E-mail: michelle_tortolo@camh.net
Fax: 416-595-6033 (Attention: Michelle Tortolo)
For more information, phone 416-535-8501 x 6173
Councillor Adam Vaughan’s Letter to Ward 20 Residents:
Dear Residents,
Please see the attached invitation to Raising the Bar: Toronto Summit on
Nightlife, Drinking and Violence. I will be speaking at the beginning of the event.Feel free to circulate this invitation to neighbours, colleagues or other interested parties. A poster for the event is attached, and a text version of the invitation is below.
The registration deadline for the event is Friday November 14 at 12 noon.
Best regards,
Adam Vaughan
Councillor, Ward 20 – Trinity-Spadina*****
Raising the Bar: Toronto Summit on Nightlife, Drinking and Violence
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Location: Montana, 145 John Street, Toronto
Time: 9am to 4pm
Admission: Free, registration is requiredRefreshments and lunch will be provided
Themes:
- Nightlife – What is Toronto’s nightlife like?
- What kinds of violence and other problems are associated with nightlife in Toronto?
- Prevention – A discussion of issues, strategies, experiences and approaches
Speakers include representatives of bar and club customers; owners and
operators; security staff; AGCO; the City of Toronto; police and researchersThose invited to attend include:
- owners, staff and customers of Toronto bars and clubs
- Toronto Police Service
- City of Toronto
- elected public officials
- Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
- Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area
- researchers
- health and policy experts
- students
- residents associations
- other interested stakeholdersSponsored by: CAMH, AGCO, City of Toronto, Montana, Toronto Entertainment District BIA, Toronto Police Service
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