Candidate: Alice Barton

Who are you?

I am Alice. I grew up in Ottawa, but Toronto has been home since '97. I am sort of a recovering academic, having spent too long getting a 'formal education'; now it's time to stop navel-gazing and actually do something useful. I have always been civic-minded but reticent, until recently, to get actively involved, satisfying myself with writing letters and feeling smug.


Why are you running?

I am running because I am tired of writing letters and sending them out into the ether. And, to butcher a Mark Twain quote: Loyalty to the city always, loyalty to the government when it deserves it. This is a great city, but goodness knows it needs some new leadership.

I am challenging my inner smug-ness, acknowledging that I don't have all the answers, and saying, let's work together to find the answers and make Toronto better for all of its residents.


What should a City Councillor be?

Recognizing that many people consider their vote to be their whole $0.02, a Councillor in that sense, like any other elected official, should be one who behaves and votes as she led her electors to believe she would. That being said, a good City Councillor won't rest on his laurels and coast through his term; she will actively engage the public not only in making decisions but in bringing up the things that matter to them.  

We need new leaders.