Ford’s attack on Toronto is an attack on urban diversity

MARIANA VALVERDE Premier Doug Ford’s declaration seeking to deprive Toronto of almost half of its city councillors has been seen, correctly, as a continuation of the Mike Harris “megacity” strategy.

But there is more to Ford’s plan than a suburban vs. urban divide. The politics of Ford Nation do not favour everyone in the inner suburbs. For example, the proportion of people without cars and who rent rather than own is significantly larger in the inner suburbs than downtown; the Ford Nation carcentred and ratepayer-centred vision does not represent them.

Incumbent city councillors, as I documented in my book Everyday Law on The Street, usually serve whoever shows up. Because older homeowners and business people do feel entitled, they are the ones who overwhelmingly show up, phone and email councillors. As a result, municipal politics skews heavily toward ratepayer associations, BIAs and car owners. Racialized young people and tenants, especially low-income tenants, often feel elections are not for or about them.

This is the vicious circle of municipal politics: marginalized residents stay away from the polls because their issues are never the main priority, and they don’t see themselves reflected in a council that is overwhelmingly white and property-owning.

On Friday, about 1,000 people assembled in Nathan Phillips Square to protest Ford’s decree. Some sitting councillors spoke, as did opposition leader Andrea Horwath.

Then, the assembled citizens were treated to a succession of passionate and articulate speeches by a series of relatively unknown, mostly racialized council candidates — committed people who have knocked on doors and recruited volunteers for an election that is suddenly in question.

One impressive speaker was Ausma Malik, who in a streetcar would be just another Torontonian but who would stand out on council because she wears a hijab. Several Black Torontonians with experience addressing violence and poverty are also running for council, such as Walid Khogali, also spoke.

One young candidate presenting a clear vision of the city’s problems was Chiara Padovani, running in York South-Weston. These are just some of the many non-traditional candidates who started running months ago.

The October municipal election is unusual: the combination of ward boundary changes and the retirement of a number of councillors has created the best chance of an inclusive council since the 1998 megacity.

Whatever his motives, Ford’s attack on the City of Toronto’s electoral process is also a direct attack on urban diversity. It is not enough for a city to be diverse. Governing bodies must be diverse as well.

If the provincial government retracts the plan or courts put a stop to it, October 2018 presents our best chance ever of achieving a more diverse city council, in the inner suburbs as well as downtown.