Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000
Fund-raising dinner, Metro Convention centre 7 p.m.

This is a room full of friends. This is a room brimming with optimism, spirit and the pride of our great City of Toronto.

You can feel it everywhere.

You - the people in this room - have helped create a miracle and that miracle is called Toronto!

I am proud to be part of that miracle.

I am proud to run again as Mayor of the greatest city in the world.

With your help and support, we will win.

With your help and support, we will continue to build and strengthen this great city.

With your help and support, we will create a quality of life that will be the envy of the world.

It can be done. It will be done. Our Toronto will be the symbol of Canada and a true city of the world.

I've said the job of being Mayor of Toronto is the greatest job in the world.

Being Mayor of Toronto is a job of tremendous honour and enormous responsibility.

It is a job of trust. The Mayor of Toronto serves 2.4 million people and has the largest elected mandate of any politician in our country.

With your help, I received that mandate and have served three years as the first Mayor of the new City of Toronto.

In those three short years, we achieved more than any other municipality in North America.

We built a new city - from scratch -even though the job didn't come with a book of instructions.

We kept our promises despite incredible financial pressures and we brought seven former governments and six cities together into one booming city of 2.4 million people.

• We kept our promise of a three-year tax freeze and stimulated the economy. Like you, I hate tax increases. We will do everything we can to maintain a tax freeze in the new term.

If it can be done, it will be done!

• We also brought in market value assessment during our first term. Other governments had spent 46 years trying to do it! We included a 2 1/2 per cent cap on small business tax increases.
• We helped create 140,000 new jobs and reduced the unemployment rate.
• We became the high-tech headquarters for Canada and the second largest movie production centre in North America. In movies, we took our yearly production from $700 million in 1998 to $1 billion, $200 million in 1999. This year will be even higher!
• We created a task force on the homeless which resulted in $753 million in federal help.
• We developed a new no-smoking bylaw for the entire city and established one of the toughest restaurant inspection programs in North America.
• We are one of the safest cities in North America thanks to our many new crime programs - police helicopters and community action policing.
• We added more front-line police officers and hired a great new police chief - Julian Fantino, the first Italian chief in the history of our city. He is proving himself to be a "no-nonsense" chief who gets the job done.

We cannot be complacent about safety and crime. We must be diligent in keeping our streets safe. We will continue to reduce crime.

• Our safe streets and quality of life have attracted new investors from around the world. We are the third most popular business city in the world.
• There is virtually no class A office space available downtown and that will spark a building boom in downtown office construction. Thirteen different projects are in the planning stage right now.
• We also bought Union station from the railways after more than 40 years of trying. This will allow us to turn Union station into a downtown jewel full of shopping, entertainment and travel. Union station will become our downtown gateway to the world.
• Our quality of life and cultural diversity was cited in Rome where the Pope awarded Toronto the 2002 World Catholic Youth Congress - the largest and most important Catholic gathering in the world. More than 2 million could attend the Pope's mass.

I was honoured to have an audience with the Holy Father who mentioned our cultural diversity as an important factor in the selection of Toronto for the youth congress.

Much has been done. and it was done despite the pressures of downloading that cost our city $300 million a year - that's $900 million over three years.

Much needs to be done. - the redevelopment of our waterfront, the Olympics, job creation, a stable economy and a new financial deal with the provincial and federal governments for our city.

We have to make advances on the environmental front to protect our children and grandchildren.

And we must help our most vulnerable citizens - our children who are living in poverty.

The next three years are crucial in the evolution of our Toronto. There cannot be any mistakes!

I have committed myself to this city. I love our Toronto, I love the people, I love the spirit and I love the get-up-and-go!

We have to work now to ensure we leave our children a lasting legacy.

If we do our jobs right today, you won't recognize the Toronto of tomorrow.

We must set a target for future generations.

Within 10 years time, we must be a city with a fabulous infrastructure of transit and transportation, a city of clean air and clean lake water.

There is no middle ground in this area whatsoever. it has to happen!

Our Toronto should have a waterfront where every single citizen can find room to relax and enjoy lake breezes, green grass, a sandy beach and blue sky.

Our Toronto should be open, accessible and planned in a way to put our people first.

We are going to win the 2008 summer Olympics games! It will be a big boost to our long-range plans, but regardless, we must start working on the future today.

Huge challenges lie ahead, but together, we can face them and we can overcome them.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my vision.

We have that wonderful Toronto spirit. Just ask my moose - our moose art exhibition is a great example of having fun while raising money for charity. They are also great tourist attractions.

I will never stop working for this city.

Ihat's a promise and I never break promises!

Thank You.

October 10,2000
Canadian Club Of Toronto

President Linton, Deputy-Mayor Case Ootes, members of our head table, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is an honour to be invited to speak to the Canadian Club of Toronto.

This club has always been one of Canada's most important speaking stages.

President Linton asked me to speak to you today about the future of our new city. She asked me to give you an idea of where we are and where we are going.

Today, I can tell you we are in the midst of debate at city hall on a contract to send our garbage to the abandoned Adams mine in Kirkland Lake.

This debate has become highly charged and emotional.

The question of where to put Toronto's garbage has been a 10-year exercise costing more than $148 million in studies.

The Adams site has been approved by the governments of Ontario and Quebec. Kirkland Lake told us they wanted the garbage and new jobs.

I hope the contract is approved because we run out of options when Keele landfill closes in 2002.

Three years ago when I decided to run for Mayor of Toronto, our city was a different place.

Our economy was battered and bruised by years of recession.

We were handed a new city with no instructions, no help and no money from the senior levels of government.

Four municipalities had no money but lots of debt when we amalgamated.

Instead, senior governments began hitting our city with $300 million a year in crushing downloading. Our costs now total $900 million over the three years.

This battered our confidence and added to a sense of gloom and hurt.

The challenges were enormous but we faced them with the help of a great city council. No other city has come so far, so fast.

We said we'd hold the line on taxes. We gave our word -- and we kept our word. We've frozen taxes in each of the last three years.

We said we'd bring back growth and jobs and our economy would soar again. We gave our word -- and we kept our word.

In the past three years, we helped create 140,000 new jobs in this city.

We are the high-tech headquarters for Canada and the second largest in North America behind only the Silicon Valley in California.

When we took office, we had many vacant office and industrial buildings. Our downtown vacancy rate was double digit and even higher in the suburbs.

Today, there is virtually no office space available.

Developers are building again. O&Y properties will break ground in two weeks for a new $120 million office building at Queen and Yonge.

That's the first new office building to be constructed downtown in 14 1/2 years. Twelve other buildings are also on the drawing boards for downtown.

We brought in a new no-smoking by-law for the entire city. We created one of the toughest restaurant inspection programs in North America.

We put 325 more police officers on the streets. We put a new police helicopter in the air. And we're going to keep making this a safer city.

We secured $753 million from the federal government for new hostels and beds for our homeless.

Now we need a national housing policy to create rental units. The homeless need housing.

The federal money is coming on stream now. And we encouraged the province to create 523 new beds for people with mental problems. We said we'd make this a fun city again. We gave our word -- and we kept our word. If you don't believe us, we have 326 moose who will back us up.

We had the biggest and the best millennium celebration in North America in our city and we have created a series of special events second to none.

About a million people take part in our summer events each and every weekend.

We have huge celebrations like the Taste of the Danforth, the Jazz Festival, Caribana, Winterfest, our celebrate Toronto Street Festival.

There's something going on everywhere in our city.

In the past three years we've accomplished more than any city in North America. And we did all of this while merging six municipalities and seven governments into one.

It was an enormous challenge. But we took a mega-problem and turned it into a mega-city.

Toronto is a force to be reckoned with. We are a proud and united city and we are responsible for 20 per cent of the nation's economy.

Toronto cannot be taken for granted by our senior levels of government. We need a new financial deal from the province and the federal government. Our only revenue source is property tax.

Our property tax base cannot support a city of our size. We only get half of the property tax you pay less $300 million a year that the province and federal governments download on us.

We need new revenue sources or a share of the provincial and federal revenues. Other provinces have addressed the needs of their large cities.

Manitoba allocates revenues from personal income tax for municipalities on a per capita basis.

British Columbia shares its retail sales tax with municipalities. Montreal receives $47 million annually as a share of the gas tax.

Toronto receives nothing. We are the only major municipality in the world without any form of transit subsidy. Governments in the U.S., Europe and Australia all pay subsidies for operating and capital. We don't get a penny.

We must continue to grow, to prosper and to lead the nation. If you don't grow, you stagnate.

In 10 years, if we do our job right - which we will - this will be an incredible city of clean air, safe streets, strong neighborhoods, a booming economy and a quality of life envied around the world.

This will be a city anchored by 29 miles of beautiful redeveloped waterfront, - a waterfront like no other.

It will be a waterfront of parks, active public spaces, well-planned business, industrial and commercial areas and attainable housing.

Most important, it will be a waterfront of clean, clear water. You will be able to swim and fish. And when you catch a fish it won't have two heads.

This waterfront will be built through a co-operative of thefederal, provincial and city governments and the private sector.

Make no mistake, the waterfront will be redeveloped. It is vital to our future!

I won't be Mayor of Toronto when the waterfront is complete, but if I am re-elected to another term, I will devote my three year term to working and planning for our future.

There is much we can accomplish in the next three years:

Our movie industry is huge and growing. It was worth $1 billion, $200 million to our economy last year and provided more than 30,000 full- and part-time jobs.

Movie production is vital to our city and we can encourage this industry with new studios and production facilities.

We can and we should create a "film city" in our Toronto.

The industry should have a home where we can group together facilities, studios, sound stages and production houses.

I am pleased to announce we are currently in negotiations with an industry leader for a 1.5 million square foot facility. And that's just the beginning.

People in the communities say we need the studios where movies could be made and minimize neighborhood disruptions.

A Toronto film city would also be a tremendous tourist attraction like Universal Studios in Florida.

Over the next three years, we want to make Toronto the safest city in the world.

We have great police, a great new chief and they have excellent relationships with our community.

Crime is down, but we can and will do better. we must get tougher on guns and gun-related crime, we must get tougher on vicious youth gangs who break the law, we can put more officers into communities.

We will arrest people who vandalize our buildings and spray paint graffiti on our walls. Why should we tolerate these people?

We want people to build this city up, not tear it down.

We have to step up the battle on smog and pollution. Our environment dictates the way we live. None of us need gridlock and pollution.

The only way to do this is to give people a viable alternative to the car.

We need better transit and fewer cars. We need a balanced transit, new subways, more buses and more streetcars.

These must be our priorities to cut smog and reduce gridlock.

Our city is green and beautiful and we want to keep it that way. Over the next 10 years, I am planning one of the most ambitious tree planting programs in Canada - one million new trees by the year 2010.

Trees provide oxygen, shade and life. We want to build up our city of trees.

I get excited when I think of the future. These are not dreams, these are priorities. Winning the Olympic games for 2008 would accelerate the process. I was amazed to see what the Olympics did for Sydney and Barcelona.

But make no mistake. Even if we don't win the games - which we will - our growth and evolution will continue.

Union station is a good example of the future. We bought it this year from the railways after the former city of Toronto spent almost 50 years trying.

Soon, we will call for private sector proposals to restore and renovate this beautiful landmark.

Union station will be Toronto's gateway with dazzling entertainment, transportation, shopping and beautiful dining steps from the Leafs and Raptors.

I have always said being Mayor of Toronto is the greatest job in the world.

It's a job that's never done and it always provides the wonder and excitement of our great city.

Thank you.

Nov 1st 2000
Canadiana Restaurant & Banquet Hall, Priorites for Our Toronto

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to talk to you today about my priorities for the future of this wonderful City of Toronto.

In 10 years, if we do our job right - which we will - this will be an incredible city of clean air, safe streets, strong neighborhoods, a booming economy and a quality of life envied around the world.

To make sure this great city of tomorrow is in place for our children of today, we must work on an important set of priorities over the next three-year term.

As Mayor, I only have one vote on a council of 45. But it is important that the voters know what my priorities are if I am fortunate enough to be re-elected.

If we achieve them, we will remain the greatest city in the world.

My first priority is keeping taxes down.

The new city of Toronto has never had a tax increase! Council froze taxes for three years. It was difficult but we did it.

Like the last three years it's not going to be easy to do it again but if it can be done it will be done.

As Mayor, my job will be to show leadership every way I can -- to the council and the whole city administration -- leadership to help us do better.
As a result of amalgamation, so far the council has managed to save $136 million annually and reduce staff by 1800.

In the next three years we need to continue to find savings. We can do that with a crackdown on waste.

Our own departments can do better. And so can the agencies, boards and commissions that we fund.

We need to look at councilor's office budgets. Most councilors don't spend their full budget…so they can be trimmed. We need to eliminate life long free transit passes for TTC Commissioners.

These are just small things. But they all add up. And any waste is too much.

I want an independent Auditor General for Toronto.

Our city is as big as five of Canada's provinces. Our annual operating budget is $5.6 billion.

All provinces have an independent auditor general, who reports annually to the elected representatives and does value for money audits on key programs.

The time has come for the City of Toronto to have an independent Auditor General. He or she must look at every budget, big or small and find ways to save the taxpayers money.

Other governments are sometimes embarrassed by their auditor generals findings. We may be too. But in the end, no one loses when we learn from our mistakes, and find out how to do things better. That is our job.

There is no doubt that an extra voice for the taxpayer will only help us to do our jobs better and save the taxpayers money.

An Auditor General's office would more than pay for itself from the savings it finds.

Low taxes are important, but we can improve our quality of life by making Toronto the safest city in North America.

Toronto is one of the safest cities in Canada. We have added 250 new police officers and, despite other budget pressures, spent more money to ensure that our police have the equipment they need - but I am still not satisfied - we can do better.

We have hired the best police chief in the country - Julian Fantino.

Our plan will put 10% to 15% more police cruisers on the streets immediately through better deployment of officers.

I want to put those officers to work making our streets safer.

We will also make our successful community action policing program permanent.

We have just launched a new anti-graffiti police program and established graffiti officers in every division of our city.

The program is enforcement and education and it will work.

We want people to build our city up - not tear it down.

We need to save lives by making Toronto's red light camera pilot project permanent, and cracking down on unsafe drivers.

City council should review the police helicopter project now underway, and, if it is a success - and I am confident that it will be - provide permanent police helicopters.

We also need to get tough on guns in Toronto. That is why I continue to push the Federal Government for a minimum 10-year jail term for anyone convicted of using a gun during a crime.

We want the thugs off our streets.

Our quality of life also depends on investment in infrastructure now to improve our city.

The City of Toronto is growing. We need to start preparing for that growth today. I know that I will not be Mayor in 10 years, but I want to ensure that our Toronto has the infrastructure required to remain the greatest city in the world.

I will continue to fight to ensure that Ottawa and Queen's Park build and maintain the infrastructure necessary for Toronto to continue to prosper.

That includes having the right number of quality hospitals, schools, universities and colleges.

Closing an important community facility today that we will need tomorrow is no way to prepare for the future.

I will fight to make sure that decisions about our critical community infrastructure are based on a plan - a plan that reflects the real needs of a growing city.

Our infrastructure needs includes our transit system.

The TTC and GO Transit move the people of Toronto!

Right now we need more rolling stock - new buses, streetcars, and subway cars just to maintain the current system.

But in the longer term we have to build more transit infrastructure if we are going to move more people efficiently.

The Provincial Government must get back in the transit business.

Toronto is the only city in North America that supports a subway system solely through property taxes. This cannot be sustained - we need the province to commit to minimum annual capital support of $200 million for the TTC. Similar commitments are needed for go transit facilities and rolling stock.

One subway line replaces 27 lanes of highway - or the traffic volume of the 400, 401 and 403 combined.

No city in the world can build subways on its own.

Today the Prime Minister made a long awaited commitment to help fund public transit in Canada's cities - something that I met with him to discuss on two occasions.

There is a history of the Provincial Government in Ontario showing leadership on the building of this kind of critical infrastructure.

Now it is time for them to show that kind of leadership again !

Toronto's future also depends on our ability to improve and protect our natural environment. New trees - I want to increase our Toronto's plans, to plant 600,000 trees by 2010 to 1 million. Trees are vital to our communities and neighbourhoods.

Clean water in Toronto is also vital. I remember a time when kids could swim in Toronto harbour. I want our children to have the opportunity to swim in lake Ontario like I could when I was young.

City council has recently introduced the toughest sewer use by-law in Canada to reduce harmful material discharge in our sewers.

We have led by example, with 97% reduction in the city's use of pesticides - stopping harmful chemicals from entering our water.

The City continues to make improvements to our storm sewers. The soon to be completed western beaches storage tunnel will help make it safe to swim at the western beaches again.

Most important of all - our new waterfront revitalization plan includes one of the largest environmental clean ups in Canada's history - over $1 billion for clean water and clean soil.

I am also concerned about air pollution, in fact I believe all of us are concerned about the quality of the air we breathe.

To cut down on smog - both the Federal and Provincial Government need to get serious about funding for public transit.

Our government is also affected by the garbage we produce. In order to reduce our garbage I will be announcing task force 2010.

City Council has committed to the most ambitious waste diversion program ever.

30% by 2003, 60% diversion by 2006 and complete diversion (100%) from landfill by 2010.

We have the support of the people of Toronto. We have the political will and now we have to find the most economical way that is also fair to taxpayers.

The City of Toronto was a leader in recycling with the blue box program in 1988 -and in 2000 with the introduction of the OMG public recycling containers. The City of Toronto is currently involved in many exciting pilot projects on composting. We are currently test-driving combined garbage/recycling trucks that can be more cost efficient.

Our staff's focus has been on pickup and landfill - because that is what was expected - that has to change.

Task force 2010 - chaired by the Mayor with 2 other Councillors, people committed to recycling.

The taskforce will have five objectives:

• Oversee the achieving the city's stated diversion target of 30% by 2003, 60% by 2006 and 100% by 2010.
• Get the Provincial Government to institute deposit return like almost every other province in Canada. $42 million is collected every year by the province through existing environmental levies at the LCBO. This money belongs to the cities for recycling - we need and want this money to support our diversion efforts.
• Investigate new methods and means of economically diverting our garbage from landfill.
• Get the Federal money that is available for innovative recycling and composting projects in Toronto through the Federal green infrastructure program.
• Sell the benefits of increased recycling and composting to the people of Toronto.

Another important priority for the next term of council is to bring the 2008 summer Olympics to Toronto.

The Olympics is the greatest cultural and sporting event in the world and Toronto is ready to host the world in 2008.

This only happens to a city once in a lifetime if you are lucky. What a great thing for our children and grandchildren.

Winning the games will benefit our City, our Province and our Country.

Winning the Olympics will make Toronto recession proof.

The legacy of the games will be new infrastructure, housing, recreation facilities, cultural development, environmental improvements and improved transit.

As the most culturally diverse city in the world we stand ready to host the world in peace and harmony in 2008.

One year ago I promised a waterfront that would be the greatest anywhere.

The redevelopment of our magnificent 29-mile waterfront is now a reality.

Working with the Prime Minister and the Premier we have taken the first step with a $1.5 billion investment.

This investment will create 16,000 full and part-time jobs.

Toronto will get a waterfront that is green, clean and accessible to the public.

Toronto will also get a waterfront that is on budget and accountable to the taxpayer!

It will be a wonderful place for residents to live, work and play - and attract tourists from around the world.

There is no better investment in our future than making an investment in our children.

The decisions we make must reflect the needs of the 363,000 children in our City.

We have accomplished a lot in the first three years of the new city. In April 2000, Council approved over $6 million in new spending for children's programs.

We now have a Children's Advocate - a Children's Report Card - and a Children's Charter.

I will fight to get Toronto's share of the $300 million of new federal funds for children. We must put that money to good use to cut our childcare waiting list.

We will develop new partnerships with our "Boys and Girls Clubs", the YMCA, libraries, and our recreation centres to ensure the development needs of children that are home alone are met.

Another priority for me is our commitment to housing for those who are homeless.

For the past 2 years I have been working with council to pressure the Federal Government to deliver a National Housing Policy.

On any given night this winter 4500 citizens of Toronto are going to be without proper shelters - 900 are children.

That is not acceptable!

My action task force on homelessness - which the Federal Government supported - made it clear that without a national housing policy there would be no real solution.

The City of Toronto has committed funds that will build 500 affordable units this year and again next year.

People were asking - where is the Federal Government?

We even got the Province to commit to 1,000 supportive housing units for the mentally disabled in Toronto. 500 have already been provided. This is a start but more needs to be done.

Today the Federal Government is back in the housing business - with $680 million over the next four years. And with provincial partnerships up to one billion 300 million dollars to build much needed affordable housing.

This is a great day. I commend the Prime Minister. We spoke twice on housing - he has listened and more importantly he took action.

Mr. Prime Minister - my "best buddy" - on behalf of the people of Toronto - thank you.

City Hall is in the service business. Citizens deserve the best. All the time.

City Council worked hard to harmonize service levels from 6 former cities - while still protecting the taxpayer.

Children and seniors across our City of Toronto now enjoy free basic recreation services - and all of those in need have access to a full range of programs free of charge.

Snow removal services have been improved across the city and they will keep improving including windrow and sidewalk snow clearing where possible.

We are putting more into keeping the streets clean - and we will keep working on it. And we will back it up with our garbage hotline whenever there is a problem - just call and the city will be there.

While we focus on great services, we have to also take time to have fun.

Toronto is a great place to be…we know how to have fun.

We will raise money for charity with our moose in the city which brought millions of smiles and it didn't cost our city one cent.

We have festivals every weekend during the summer that attract millions including the new celebrate Toronto.

I want to add to the already great calendar of events including the beaches jazz festival, Winterfest, Gay Pride Parade, the Downtown Jazz Festival, the Taste of the Danforth, CHIN Picnic, Portuguese Concerts, Caribana and Celebrate Toronto.

As a result of these festivals we have over 1 million visitors every weekend to showcase our Canadian talent.

We can do more.

Toronto is also great because of the way we treat each other.

But it takes very little effort. It takes work. We just need to be reminded about how to be good to each other.

That's why I will create "Project Respect".

I want everyone to think more about how we treat each other. It's about common courtesy to a senior or a pregnant woman, giving up a seat on the subway or helping them with a parcel.

It's about helping people in need. Giving something back to our community.

Lots of people do these things every day. But we could all use a reminder.

Toronto also needs respect from the senior levels of government. The Federal and Provincial Governments have dumped $900 million in costs on the City of Toronto in the last three years.

This year the Federal and Provincial Governments will grab from the citizens of Toronto $3.8 billion more than they will spend in Toronto.

The people of Toronto are generous…we are happy to do our share - but Toronto's needs must be addressed too.

I am determined to stop the dumping on Toronto and lead the campaign for charter status.

What Toronto needs is a new deal with the Federal and Provincial Governments.

The Toronto Charter is about more than money. It is about respect. Respect for a city and its citizens. Our Toronto needs to have the authority to meet our responsibilities. To address our challenges with confidence.

We must make our city a magnet for jobs.

Today the economy is great - since the new council took office we have helped create 140,000 jobs in Toronto.

But we have to do more. The Mayor will be the Jobs Quarterback for Toronto - seeking out great companies to locate jobs in Toronto and expanding employment at the companies already here.

I want the best jobs for the best city in the world.

These are my priorities to make Toronto an even greater city. I ask you for your support on November 13th to make them a reality.

Thank you.

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