In 1886 Former Toronto Mayor William Holmes Howland coined the term, “Toronto The Good” as his city slogan. (Ruppert, 2006) Derived from associations with middle class, Victorian morality and representing a staunch religious right wing perspective, Toronto was held up as a representative example; thus, according to Frommer’s (tourist guide) it was dubbed “Toronto The Good” (Davidson, 2007). The roots of this label, from where we stand now, are less than ideal. An argument could be made that Toronto is not the ‘good’ that it purports itself to be. Issues of population density and its effect on property prices and, as Oliver Moore from the Globe and Mail reports, the failing public transit system, hydro and transportation infrastructures have
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These directives are tantamount to a partial revision of local economic and social structure attitudes towards Toronto’s inhabitants. Perhaps our vision could include celebrating and funding our more economically challenged communities to insure their growth and the lifting of the stigmatizing effects of income polarization. If we are to create income diverse communities from the ashes of neighbourhoods like Regent Park, then why not create an income-diversified community through current populations. By targeting social support funding to communities in need, we support those in the community attempting to break through systemic poverty. The skeletons of grass roots and state sponsored social welfare programs are still in place and could be re-envisioned and revitalized to provide the means for community members to develop themselves and the neighbourhoods they reside in. By doing this, Toronto could maintain its distinctive neighbourhoods, while empowering community members and successfully generate the diverse income communities that Toronto City Counsel envisions.
If we truly want to be seen as a world-class city in the eyes of the international community, then we must be seen to care for all our citizens from a critical social work perspective. That is, that we put our most valuable asset, people, not money or materialism at the forefront of our economic system as discussed by Professor Jim Ife of Curtin University. (2005, p. 65, pp. 5) This may run contrary to the neoliberal doctrine that we have acclimated to over the last 25 years. But, if we are to develop long-term community cohesiveness, then we must consider Pope John Paul II’s
These directives are tantamount to a partial revision of local economic and social structure attitudes towards Toronto’s inhabitants. Perhaps our vision could include celebrating and funding our more economically challenged communities to insure their growth and the lifting of the stigmatizing effects of income polarization. If we are to create income diverse communities from the ashes of neighbourhoods like Regent Park, then why not create an income-diversified community through current populations. By targeting social support funding to communities in need, we support those in the community attempting to break through systemic poverty. The skeletons of grass roots and state sponsored social welfare programs are still in place and could be re-envisioned and revitalized to provide the means for community members to develop themselves and the neighbourhoods they reside in. By doing this, Toronto could maintain its distinctive neighbourhoods, while empowering community members and successfully generate the diverse income communities that Toronto City Counsel envisions.
If we truly want to be seen as a world-class city in the eyes of the international community, then we must be seen to care for all our citizens from a critical social work perspective. That is, that we put our most valuable asset, people, not money or materialism at the forefront of our economic system as discussed by Professor Jim Ife of Curtin University. (2005, p. 65, pp. 5) This may run contrary to the neoliberal doctrine that we have acclimated to over the last 25 years. But, if we are to develop long-term community cohesiveness, then we must consider Pope John Paul II’s