Candidate: Hamish Wilson

Who are you?

I've lived about half my life in the Toronto core. I've spent much time and effort on public interest and environmental causes including air quality, car reduction, better transit and biking. I'm back on the cycling committee in part to push the Bloor bike lane idea (takethetooker.ca), and I'm now less focussed on deflecting the costly Front St. Extension road project towards transit.


Why are you running?

I feel conflicted: I wish to run away from Smogtown for fresher pastures but I'd also like to make a difference locally to clean up our setting: bad air and climate change don't know boundaries and we're climate cariminals, and not as green as people might think. A specific goal beyond the Bloor bikeway beside the subway is exploring (in a rigourous corridor study) the transit options to the massive daily influx of cars and people into the core from the west south of Queen, and deep six the catering to the 905 cars for free. We almost spent a quarter billion on a road without looking at transit options. "Progressives" have been part of this problem.


What should a City Councillor be?

A Councillor should be both local and global in outlook and try to work with respect for all despite the limits from senior governments. But in the greenhouse century, a Councillor should be nearly unelectable by human voters. Cars vote, and trees and other life forms are excluded - so getting to power in our amanglemated motoropolis carrupts.


Anything else?

The TTC isn't always the best solution, nor are bikes. (Cyclists can be dangers and dolts). And it's so big in Smogtown, the car is useful sometimes, if it weren't for the other cars. But we must look at our carism.

For bikes: martino's bikelanediary.blogspot.com
For transit: stevemunro.ca

We need new leaders.