It was my pleasure to interview the past Mayor of Etobicoke, currently sitting Toronto Councillor Doug Holyday. This destinguished gentleman has served a long term in the public sector.
In attending the offices at the Etobicoke Civic Center, my consideration was what a fabulous location on and off the highway that would better serve as high rise high density mixed use being a combination of retail commercial with residential above. [Hard not to be a realtor]
This became one of our conversational points. If the City moved its west offices to one of the subway hubs, either Kipling or Islington, and built on (vertically) what was previously a bus terminal, this would be a prudent, intelligent planning choice to provide services to the public (ultimately the city's customers) in a location where the residents could easily access.
Imagine, slipping home early on the subway for your extra stop at the New and Improved Civic Center to pick up your approved Fast Tracked Building Permit for the changes you are making in your house.
With the relocation of the civic centre to a subway corridor there is now the matter of the Burnhamthorpe site. DOug Holyday said "We don't need something as opulent as the Taj Mahal, we need something that is functional and will serve the residents long term". Councillor Holyday continued "this entire building could be extirely funded from the sale of the Burnhamthorpe and West Mall location sale, this would be betterment for the city in providing a new building and an improvement to the Neighbourhood that already has higher use structures." Have a look
The dedicated people that run the Municipal level of government are always under the microscope of public opinion and the purse strings of tax dollars. Money at these levels is not raised as a bake sale. Money comes from Federal and Provincial programs for infrastructure but ultimately a municipality raises funds thru the development fees collected and the ongoing taxation of residential and commercial property owners. These are issues for experienced people who are altruistic in their goals to help others in their own community. Hospitals, Recreation Centers and Transit identify the larger issues but the smaller councils also decide the fate of the tree on your front lawn.
Will the Double Miller Tax [Toronto Land Transfer Tax] be repealled with a new administration? How will transit expansion unfold in the near future? Will there be new subway lines ie Eglinton Ave.,?
Investigate and support someone who is running for office. Help them get elected. Have a voice in the process and how our tax dollars are being spend.
Thank you Mr. Holyday The second part of the interview is here.
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