Delegations from the 905 off to Italy, China
Chicago? Meh. Mayors of Vaughan, Markham fishing farther afield
Toronto taxpayers may have gotten off easy.
While the bulk of the expenses for Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his entourage who travelled to Chicago for a trade mission last month will be covered by sponsorships and Invest Toronto, taxpayers in the surrounding regions are dishing out for more elaborate businesses trips by their city officials.
Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua is currently enjoying the fine fall weather in Italy, as part of an 11-day trade mission to boost the city’s profile. Announced just two weeks ago, the trip will include Milan, Turin and Rome in order to form economic and diplomatic ties with the cities.
“One of my priorities is to promote the profile of Vaughan, and I can’t do that from behind a desk,” said Bevilacqua, calling from Milan. “I need to work hard and bring Vaughan to the world.” Five people, including the mayor and Councillor Rosanna DeFrancesca are in Italy until Oct. 3 at a cost of approximately $6,000 per person. But Bevilacqua believes the cost of the trip is worth it. “If you are able to secure one deal in the future, as a result of this trip, you have paid your trip 100-fold.” Last week, Bevilacqua signed a memorandum of understanding with Milan to strengthen trade and investment ties. He said the achievement will also benefit the local community in Vaughan, whose population is 40 per cent of Italian origin. Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti is planning to travel farther east, to China, for the Greater Toronto Chinese Business Association trade mission, Nov. 21to Dec. 5. The five-person delegation will travel to Qingdao, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Huadu and Shenzhen to strengthen economic, business and cultural ties between the cities. The total cost of the mission is estimated at $53,000. Markham officials last visited China in 2008. This is Markham’s first international trip since it officially became a city in July. About one-third of its population is of Chinese origin.