Opinions on Rob Ford divide Toronto’s black community | Toronto Star

2014/07/23 Leave a comment

Interesting article on Rob Ford and the black community in Toronto and how his “retail politics” as well as follow-up to specific requests by constituents continues to resonate with some:

[Ken] Bryan, raised in foster homes in some of the city’s most impoverished neighbourhoods, says he “gets” Ford’s support in communities ignored by other politicians unless they are “pandering for votes.”“

Ford shows up and helps someone fix their door that’s been broken for three months and they say, ‘Hey, this guy is a great guy,’” Bryan said. “His sort of populism appeals to that … ‘I’m just this poor little guy and there are these downtown elites who hold their noses up at us; they don’t come into our communities.’”

But Bryan bristles when he hears claims that Ford has done more for black people than any other politician, or that youths, as Ford has said, would be “dead or in jail,” if it weren’t for him and his football charity.

“It’s patently false,” said Bryan, “but he believes it and he says it and the people who don’t know any better believe it. And that’s unfortunate.”

…. Those struggling to eke out a living in Toronto may not have the time, or inclination, to follow the decision-making at city hall closely enough to realize the inconsistencies between Ford’s words and his policy positions, says Bryan.

“It is low information, not necessarily low education,” he said.For that reason, it’s up to those who are paying attention to bring those who feel left out “into the fold,” and get them involved in the political process, Bryan adds.

“The question to be asked is why do all these black people feel disenfranchised? The answer is larger and has to do with a lot more than Rob Ford.”

Opinions on Rob Ford divide Toronto’s black community | Toronto Star.

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Cultural communities feel left out of Toronto Pan Am Games

2014/07/16 Leave a comment

Seems like it may be a repeat of the Vancouver Olympics which were put to shame by London’s relentless upbeat and upfront multiculturalism:

But a marketing consultant involved in the outreach efforts said only a few thousand dollars had been earmarked to buy ad space in dozens of small outlets.

Milind Shirke, director of Ethos Communications, which specializes in marketing to diverse communities, said organizers need to find “respectable amounts” of money to spend on advertising in multicultural newspapers and television, because that’s where many immigrants get their news.

“There’s definitely a strong media consumption of their own media versus the mainstream media,” he said.

In order to attend, those communities “would need to be provided some basic information in terms of pricing, venues, options, discounts, because they’re also value-conscious…. That’s where the media comes in.”

Shirke said it’s also important to include other communities, such as the Toronto region’s large south Asian population, whose home countries are not competing in the Games.

Cultural communities feel left out of Pan Am Games.

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A 10-year record of immigrant success: TRIEC

2014/05/17 Leave a comment

Good profile on Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) celebrating its 10 year anniversary:

Over the past decade TRIEC has become so admired that it is now copied in 12 cities across Canada and in countries around the world, including the U.S., Finland, Germany and New Zealand.

Indeed, it is a true Canadian success story.

“Ten years ago the landscape facing skilled immigrants was pretty dim,” Omidvar said at a recent event in Toronto celebrating the 10th anniversary of TRIEC. The event was attended by hundreds of newcomers and employers who have been helped by TRIEC.

“Today, we’ve made much progress, but we’ve a long way to go and in many cases have actually fallen back in terms of immigrant jobless rates and poverty levels,” she said.

In general, poverty rates have been rising among immigrant groups and falling among Canadian-born residents. More than 36 per cent of immigrants who have been in Canada less than five years live in poverty, according to a 2012 Canadian Labour Market Report. In the 1980s the rate was 25 per cent.

At the same time, researchers have found that while 70 per cent of immigrants find a job within six months of arriving here, only 40 per cent of those get work in their chosen occupation.

A 10-year record of immigrant success: Hepburn | Toronto Star.

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Higher immigrant population means lower municipal voter turnout: Study

2014/05/16 Leave a comment

Interesting analysis of municipal voting and immigrants and minorities in Toronto:

Siemiatycki said the top 10 wards in 2010 had average voter turnout at 56.8 per cent, with 36.3 per cent of their population being immigrants and 27.3 per cent being minorities.

In contrast, the bottom 10 had a turnout of just 44.6 per cent, with an average of 63 per cent and 62.7 per cent of their population being immigrants and minorities.

Siemiatycki attributed the low turnouts in wards with high immigrant and minority concentration to the nature of municipal elections, which are not guided by a party system like the provincial and federal elections.

“Municipal elections are confusing and it’s hard to wrap your head around because candidates have no open party affiliations. It’s more difficult for voters to identify with the candidates and what they stand for,” he explained.

“There is also the incumbent advantage in local elections. There are fewer immigrants and visible minorities elected municipally. People are less likely to vote if they are less likely to see themselves in the candidates.”

Higher immigrant population means lower municipal voter turnout: Study | Toronto Star.

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Toronto

2014/03/25 Leave a comment

Nice piece from the NY Times on Toronto and its diversity and neighbourhoods.

It’s a great walking town, and part of what makes it so much fun to explore is the range and variety of the neighborhoods in which the city takes pride, and which have resisted the homogenization that has occurred throughout so much of New York City — from Yorkville, with its fashionable shops and department stores, to Old Town, where you can find the St. Lawrence Market, an immense covered structure offering a huge selection of foods and crafts, and where, on Saturdays, local farmers sell their produce. Some of the neighborhoods are known for their architectural beauty: the charming Victorian houses along the tree-lined streets of Cabbagetown, originally a working-class Irish enclave; the equally attractive brick mansions and neo-Gothic cottages of the Annex, a district of artists, professors and students who attend the nearby University of Toronto; the brick rowhouses and manicured lawns of Roncesvalles and the mansions of Forest Hill.

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1921 census provides a glimpse into Toronto’s multicultural past

2013/10/31 Leave a comment

A reminder that Canada’s diversity has a long history. And the value of a consistent national census.

1921 census provides a glimpse into Toronto’s multicultural past | Toronto Star.

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As Quebec decays, Toronto seizes greatness | Full Comment | National Post

2013/03/04 Leave a comment

As Quebec decays, Toronto seizes greatness | Full Comment | National Post.

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