Dewdney for Ward 30 2010

The arts & tourism bring in a LOT of money to Toronto.

From Caribana and Gay Pride Weekend to TIFF to theSouth East Asian Festival and Taste Of The Danforth, all the way to Blue Jay, Raptor, Argo & TFC games, exhibitions of Toronto's arts, tourism and culture bring in MILLIONS of dollars; we need to maximize these assets, while making sure we run these events properly, with the wishes of taxpayers respected first and foremost.

1) Council must make it a priority to aggressively promote Toronto in other provinces and countries.

When the hotels fill up with guests, we all win; those people pay to stay here, pay for things to do, pay to buy meals, souvenirs, pay to travel around Toronto...there's no question that tourism dollars must be chased aggressively - and that Toronto must be ready to receive the millions of yearly guests coming to see our city.

2) Toronto's infrastructure must be able to handle the extra people.

TTC is not, currently, up to the task. We worry a lot - and correctly so - about how to move commuters. We also need to keep the perspective on "off-peak" transit; moving tourists, sports fans, patrons of the St. Lawrence Centre, the National Ballet, or any of the other thousands of events. We also need to keep those events safe; properly securing those guests isn't cheap, but it must be a priority. People should come to Toronto, be impressed by our city and its' events - and should be moved so smoothly and safely around the city that they don't notice.

3) Toronto's independant arts communities must be helped wherever it is affordable.

We shouldn't have to resort to "sign taxes"; whether it's through city encouragement of private donation or the city itself helping out where appropriate, Toronto has a vibrant "indie" community, ranging from sculpture to theatre to music, that should be appreciated, not just for the money it brings in, but for the quality of life it brings us all. Where it can be responsibly afforded, and where the project and its' members abide by the city's codes of conduct, I will support the arts in Toronto - and work hard to bring legitimate new ideas to Toronto - that can pay for themselves.

4) All of this must be done in an affordable and sensible manner.

My Dad worked (hard) as an art-gallery curator, and I saw his struggles; he wanted to bring the most worthy art to his gallery. However, Dad also had a budget he had to work under - and, though Toronto's much bigger than Dad's gallery, we're no less responsible; we cannot afford to throw money around.

While supporting the arts wherever possible, I will demand accountability; in order to receive funding from the city, the artist(s) will have to clearly show how their skills & exhibitions will support Toronto - and bring money back in at least equal to the grant. It's a tough task, but you must be accountable to us - and to your art; if you can't make a living doing it, then, with all due respect, it's time to find something that DOES work. We'll help you make it profitable, but you're going to have to earn that support from start to finish.

Properly funded, the arts, sports and music are a FANTASTIC part of Toronto - and something I strongly believe in.