George Fawcett

The Mayor and City Council

My top priority will be working to restore trust, optimism, and participation in our municipal politics, which has suffered from concerningly low voter turnout in recent years. This would include engaging at the local level with community leaders, non-profit organizations, Business Improvement Areas, and other neighbourhood groups to involve them more in the decisions that shape our communities. The more people we can inspire to become involved, the stronger our voices will be in fighting together for real progress on the issues we care about.

Housing

There is a slumlord crisis in Toronto; too many tenants are faced with the terrible choice of staying in unsafe and unhealthy conditions or moving somewhere that has become even more unaffordable. We need to significantly expand RentSafeTO to take much quicker remedial action and issue meaningful penalties to landlords who refuse to maintain their buildings. I also support the MURA program to acquire and preserve affordable housing, as well as investments in shelters, supportive housing, and services that will help people find and keep a home.

Cost of Living

The affordability crisis has not just forced many people to leave our city, it's also forcing others to re-consider big decisions like whether they can afford to start a family, open a small business, or make a career change. A city can only reach its full potential when its residents feel able to reach theirs. My priorities would include advocating for stronger rent control and the elimination of Above-Guideline Rent Increases, continuing TTC fare capping and service improvements, and reducing fees affecting families and small businesses.

Safety in Public Spaces

As the question alludes to, safety is not just about statistics, it is also about peace of mind for residents and about our public spaces being used to their full potential. My priorities would include improved lighting in many of our parks and other areas of concern, clearer signage with entry/exit directions in our parks and transit stations, and working with local community groups who know their neighbourhoods best. We must also continue working to find the right balance of police and trauma workers to assist people who may be in crisis.

Getting Around the City

We need to move away from the rhetoric that drivers, cyclists, transit users, and pedestrians need to be in competition with each other - this is often just used to score political points and holds us back from making real progress. The truth is that safe and connected bike lanes, and reliable and affordable transit, benefit everyone including drivers by easing congestion, improving safety, and providing more appealing alternatives. I also support wider, more accessible sidewalks wherever possible, and more speed bumps on our residential roads.

Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour

A key priority in my platform is strengthening participation in our local democracy by bringing together more neighbourhood groups representing all different backgrounds and beliefs. We need to keep building a strong sense of community and stand together against any form of hate. It is also sadly the case that hate is often learned at a very young age. I would work with our school board trustees and community groups to support educational programming, while also ensuring anyone targeted by hate feels safe reporting it and receives support.