Media Releases

University of Toronto’s IMFG new Pre-Election Paper highlights key election issues in six Ontario cities

September 30, 2014

TORONTO, ON — With the upcom­ing Octo­ber 27 munic­i­pal elec­tions tak­ing place, polit­i­cal change is com­ing to many of Ontario’s big cities. A new paper by the Uni­ver­si­ty of Toronto’s Insti­tute on Munic­i­pal Finance and Gov­er­nance (IMFG) at the Munk School of Glob­al Affairs pro­files elec­tion cam­paigns in six of Ontario’s biggest cities — Hamil­ton, Lon­don, Mis­sis­sauga, Ottawa, Toron­to and Wind­sor.

For each of the six cities, a local expert has been recruit­ed to ana­lyze the unique eco­nom­ic, demo­graph­ic and fis­cal con­di­tions in each city. The 17-page report looks at the major issues Ontario can­di­dates and vot­ers should be con­sid­er­ing before head­ing to the bal­lot box.

“There will be plen­ty of polit­i­cal intrigue in the run up to Ontario’s Octo­ber 27 munic­i­pal elec­tions,” says the paper’s edi­tor Zachary Spicer, a post-doc­tor­al Fel­low with the IMFG. “More impor­tant for res­i­dents, how­ev­er, are the crit­i­cal issues on the agen­da – from finan­cial man­age­ment, tran­sit invest­ment and renew­ing the local econ­o­my, to rebuild­ing trust in city gov­ern­ments that have been wracked by scan­dal.”

In the upcom­ing elec­tions, the may­ors of Hamil­ton, Lon­don, Toron­to and Wind­sor won’t be seek­ing re-elec­tion. It will also be the end of an era in Mis­sis­sauga, as May­or Hazel McCal­lion retires after 36 years in office.

The paper, “The Times They are a Changin’ (Most­ly): A 2014 Elec­tion Primer for Ontario’s Biggest Cities” can be down­load here: http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/imfg/uploads/293/1587_imfg_no_9_modified_r6_final.pdf

This is the third paper in a Pre-Elec­tion Per­spec­tives series of reports lead­ing up to the Octo­ber 27 elec­tions. The oth­er reports can also be down­loaded here: http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/imfg/resources/

About the Insti­tute on Munic­i­pal Finance and Gov­er­nance (IMFG)
The IMFG is an aca­d­e­m­ic research hub and think tank that focuss­es on the fis­cal and gov­er­nance chal­lenges fac­ing large cities and city-regions. It is locat­ed at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Toronto’s Munk School of Glob­al Affairs, and can be locat­ed online at www.munkschool.utoronto.ca/imfg.

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Media con­tact:

Zachary “Zac” Spicer
Post-doc­tor­al Fel­low, Insti­tute on Munic­i­pal Finance and Gov­er­nance
Tel: 416–999-2830
zachary.spicer@utoronto.ca

Enid Slack
Direc­tor, Insti­tute on Munic­i­pal Finance and Gov­er­nance
Tel: 416–946-0328
enid.slack@utoronto.ca

Media con­tact for Ontario experts out­side of Toron­to who con­tributed to the paper:

• Ottawa — Car­o­line Andrew (Uni­ver­si­ty of Ottawa caroline.andrew@uottawa.ca 613–562-5800 ext. 2755)
• Mis­sis­sauga — Tom Urba­ni­ak (Cape Bre­ton Uni­ver­si­ty tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca 902–563-1226)
• Lon­don — Dr. Andrew Sanc­ton (West­ern Uni­ver­si­ty asancton@uwo.ca 519–661-2111 ext. 82985)
• Wind­sor — Dr. John Sut­cliffe (Uni­ver­si­ty of Wind­sor sutclif@uwindsor.ca 519–253-3000 ext. 2360)
• Hamil­ton — Dr. Peter Graefe (McMas­ter Uni­ver­si­ty graefep@mcmaster.ca 905–525-9140 ext. 27716)

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