adminTORONTO. – Toronto will soon decide who will be its next mayor, after revelations of an extramarital affair pushed the city’s long-time leader out of office.
There is no shortage of candidates to choose from – in fact, a historic total of 102 names will be on the ballot, including Molly, the dog.
The six-year-old wolf-husky canine, and her owner Toby Heaps, are running on the promise to “Stop the Salt Assault” on city roads during the winter.
The overuse of salt on roads during the winter, Mr Heaps argued, can hurt the paws of tender-footed canines like Molly.
His campaign also proposes a fix to housing unaffordability, a tax-hike on billion-dollar businesses and a ban on fossil-fuel heating systems in new homes and commercial buildings.
If he wins, he said he will designate Molly as the city’s first honorary dog mayor.
“I think city hall would make better decisions if there was an animal in the room,” he told the BBC.
But along with a desire for change, Mr Heaps said this election is an opportunity he simply could not afford to miss.
It is the first by-election in Toronto’s history since six municipalities joined to form what is colloquially known as the “mega-city” 25 years ago.
The contest was called after the resignation of John Tory, the city’s mayor for the past eight years.
But the breadth and diversity of candidates this time around – from Molly the dog to an 18-year-old fresh out of high school – tells a story of how fragmented the city has become, Ms Chapple said.
With a population of nearly three million, including many newcomers and immigrants, Toronto is the fourth-largest city in North America and consistently cited as one of the most diverse cities in the world.
But with all those people from different walks of life, comes different perspectives on what kind of city Toronto should be.
Some are able to afford the city’s staggering real-estate market, while others rent basement flats with roommates.
There are commuters who live in the city’s outer limits battling daily traffic and downtown dwellers jostling for space on the subway.
Those different views are reflected in the pool of candidates.
Former police chief Mark Saunders has promised to increase the city’s police budget to tackle crime, while Ms Chow has focused her pledges on Toronto’s housing crisis, promising to build homes on city-owned land.
“You’re seeing sort of a reflection and microcosm of what Toronto is as a city,” Ms Chapple said. – BBC.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter