If you haven’t heard of her, then you just haven’t been following the local newsfeeds. In recent weeks, Ward 27’s fearless leader has made headlines for winning the war against shark finning, proposing a Bank of Toronto and butting heads with Rob Ford at almost every turn. We visited the rookie councillor at her City Hall office to find out what it feels like to be a thorn in Ford’s side.
Council recently voted almost unanimously to ban the use of shark fin in Toronto, a cause you have been championing for a while. You must feel victorious.
I really do. I became passionate about this subject during a trip I took to Hong Kong about 10 years ago. I was at a nice restaurant with my father and uncle, who are both chefs. We were having shark-fin soup and my uncle explained the cruel process wherein the sharks are caught, brutally de-finned and then tossed back into the water to die. I sent my soup back. It was a eureka moment.
Did you take heat from the Asian community for supporting the ban?
During the late summer and early fall I met with members of the Toronto Chinese Business Association and the Chinatown Business Improvement Area. I tried to bring them into the discussion as allies. The problem is that it came down to pure economics. The business owners are worried that Chinese diners will go out to Markham or Richmond Hill. Every restaurant owner I spoke with agreed to a nationwide ban; they just didn’t want to be unfairly penalized.
I couldn’t help but notice that Rob Ford was one of the four who voted against the bill. You and the mayor don’t seem to agree on very much.
I’m a very urban councillor and the mayor was a suburban councillor for 10 years, so we definitely look at city building in different ways. I have a lot of respect for the mayor. I think that he cares very much about the things he believes are right. I sometimes question his broader city vision. He’s been very vocal about ending the so-called “war on the car,” whereas I believe very strongly in the Complete Street initiative, which aims to create self-sufficient neighbourhoods, where all of the important amenities are within walking distance. When the mayor didn’t support the shark-fin ban, I didn’t take it personally. I just chalk it up to him being out of touch with Toronto.
Speaking of taking things personally—you are a gay, Asian, immigrant female. So you’ve been an indirect target of the Rob Ford insult machine several times over.
I think I’ve really grown into my job as an elected official by learning not to take things personally. If I did take every hurtful and hateful comment to heart, I wouldn’t be able to do my job effectively. I’m a very compassionate person, and I really believe that you have to be patient with people who need to be educated. Regardless of political stripes, I think all of the councillors are here because they care about the city and everyone works very hard. We just need to try harder to avoid the snickering, the eye-rolling, the name-calling…
What kind of name-calling?
I think there are some things that don’t deserve to be repeated.
Should Ford be working harder to get everyone to play nice?
I think it is the role of our mayor to unite council and to lead by example. Civility and decorum need to come from the top. It doesn’t matter if you’re a right-wing mayor or a left-wing mayor—if you’re not a consensus builder and a kind and generous person, your staff will behave in the same way.
As well as the shark-fin victory, you recently marked your one-year anniversary as an elected official. What grade would you give yourself for your first year in office?
I would say probably a B. I don’t believe I deserve an A, because I’m 11 months into my term and haven’t achieved all the things I wanted to. I was hoping to advance the agenda for gender equality by building a Toronto Women’s Equality Office—I’m not there yet. I’ve not been able to reform the city planning process by revising the Ontario Municipal Board, I have not built the community playgrounds I would like to build, I have not revitalized Yonge Street. On the other hand, I have worked hard to plant the seeds for these projects and many others.
Certainly sounds like you deserve an A for effort.
I care very much about my job and give it my best effort. I don’t think a person could humanly work more than I do. I only sleep about four to six hours a night.
Okay, now what grade would you give the mayor for his first year?
Depends on the category. I would give the mayor a D for listening. I don’t think he’s a very active listener. I would give him an F for environmental initiatives. He has no green strategy for the city.
What about a grade for gravy eradication?
I think so far we’ve cut about $22 to $27 million of so-called gravy, and when you look at the size of the budget, which is about $10 billion, that’s really just a drop in the hat.
You’ve taken quite a bit of heat for your proposal for the creation of a Bank of Toronto as a way for the city to generate income.
My proposal is about creating the mechanism that would allow us to create credit and generate income. Banking no longer has to be bound to brick and mortar. Walmart has a bank licence in Canada, so why not us? By my own admission, the concept needs to be studied, but at least I’m coming up with ideas to address our budget shortfall.
Okay, enough shop talk. You mentioned you’re a Buddhist. Do you meditate after a particularly tough day in council?
I try to find time to be still, to allow my mind to stop and regenerate. Being in touch with one’s spirit and inner voice is very important, I think. It helps me maintain focus on what I really care about.
You also own an art gallery on Richmond Street. Have you ever invited the mayor to one of your shows?
Actually, I have. It was last year right after the election. I called the mayor to congratulate him and also to invite him and his brother to be my guests at the Art Toronto festival or to visit my gallery. I thought I might be their bridge to the art world. We haven’t connected on that yet.
LIGHTNING ROUND!
Picasso or Monet?
Picasso.
Favourite animal?
Dogs.
Childhood ambition?
Lawyer.
Political hero?
Canadian feminist Nellie McClung.
Late nights or early mornings?
Both.
Favourite TV show?
The National.
Favourite ice cream flavour?
Cookies and cream.
