Thread by @jen_keesmaat

Six years ago I was offered a wonderful new opportunity that brought me right into the heart of the public sphere — to serve the people of Toronto as Chief Planner. #Keesmaat4Mayor #topoli

I truly loved working with my Planning team and with the people in the diverse neighbourhoods of this great city. I learned that Torontonians love their city and have a tremendous amount to contribute to its future. #Keesmaat4Mayor #topoli

The best places are the places that draw on the energy and the passion of the people who live there. Local really matters. Local people, local streets, local neighbourhoods where people are a part of the sidewalk ballet. #Keesmaat4Mayor

That’s why what happened four weeks ago was so startling to me. After zero consultation with the public, the province swooped in and flipped our local politics on its head.
#Keesmaat4Mayor #onpoli

Right then, it became clear to me that it will be critical in the months and years ahead that people in this city have a real leader. Someone who will be willing to stand up and fight for Toronto’s best interests. That's why I've concluded that John Tory should not be Mayor.

Toronto is no longer the butt of jokes on late-night talk shows all around the world. That's good. But that’s not good enough anymore —I don’t think the kind of government we’ve been getting under John Tory is good enough either. #Keesmaat4Mayor

Toronto is one of the world's great cities. Vibrant, bustling, diverse. The economic engine of this country. A centre for arts & culture. There’s no dithering, no mediocrity, no low energy, no lack of bold ideas. But there is at City Hall, because John Tory’s in the Mayor’s chair

The heart of John Tory’s campaign last election, the so-called “SmartTrack” proposal was an idea developed on the back of a napkin. SmartTrack was nothing more than a mirage that was designed to get him elected. #Keesmaat4Mayor #topoli

I believe Toronto should be a leader, not a timid follower. More of the status quo isn’t going to solve the issues our city faces. The time for dithering and delay is over. We need real leadership and real solutions to the real problems facing our city. #Keesmaat4Mayor #topoli

There are bold, strong, practical steps we can take to dramatically increase the number of reasonably-priced homes that a middle-class family living in Toronto could actually afford to rent. #Keesmaat4Mayor

That’s why my very first policy announcement was a plan to build 100,000 new, high-quality, purpose-built rental homes that people can afford. #Keesmaat4Mayor #topoli

In this city, lots of people drive, lots of people take transit, lots of people walk, and lots of people bike – many people do some or all of those things in a single day. We need to focus on giving people more choice. #Keesmaat4Mayor #topoli

What we need is the vision to pursue solutions that acknowledge how people actually get around. #Keesmaat4Mayor

John Tory has been Mayor for four years and, in that time, we’ve heard him talk a big game about transit. But how many new transit projects have begun construction under his watch? Not one. #Keesmaat4Mayor #topoli

It’s time for bold ideas. It’s time to do better. Our children need to be able to walk to school safely. Our seniors need to be able to cross the street safely. People need to feel safe at night in every neighbourhood in the city. #Keesmaat4Mayor #topoli

We need to ban handguns and assault rifles in our city. We need a renewed and re-invigorated partnership with the police and with grassroots community organizations. #Keesmaat4Mayor

We need programs that create more opportunities for vulnerable youth, like community benefit agreements that ensure local jobs are part of every major infrastructure project. #Keesmaat4Mayor

The time for dithering and delay is over. We need real leadership and real solutions to the real problems facing our city. The buck stops in the Mayor’s office and we can’t afford to wait four more years. #Keesmaat4Mayor

We need to make our city more affordable so that our kids can pursue their dreams without worrying about whether they’ll have to move away. #Keesmaat4Mayor

We need to take the politics out of transit planning, build more of it, improve existing service, and provide better options for people to get around in every corner of the city, so that our commutes are shorter and our roads less crowded. #Keesmaat4Mayor

I think these are the things we need to solve together as a city right now, and what I’ve heard in my first four weeks in politics is that a whole lot of people are feeling the same thing. #Keesmaat4mayor

We’re up against an ingrained and powerful political machine that wants to maintain the status quo at all costs. Join me in fighting for a new vision to build a better Toronto that works for everyone. #Keesmaat4Mayor