Chair's Message

January 11, 2010

Dear Friends of the Toronto City Summit Alliance,

It is my pleasure to assume the role of Alliance Chair. I would like to thank the Board for their support in nominating me to this position. I am honoured to succeed the Alliance’s Founding Chair David Pecaut, who succumbed to cancer last month.

Just prior to his passing, David wrote to me and urged me to seriously consider taking the helm of the Alliance, which he and others have built into a huge force for city building. David taught us all civic responsibility and engagement, and showed us how energetic and passionate people like him can come together from many different backgrounds and experiences to achieve big goals. As Chair, I look forward to carrying on the vital work of the Alliance and to building on David's considerable legacy. This year, the Alliance will continue to focus on three current initiatives developed out of our 2007 Summit:

• Greening Greater Toronto: The 120-member Greening Greater Toronto Task Force and Working Groups have charted a plan to help the GTA become the greenest city region in North America.
• DiverseCity - The Greater Toronto Leadership Project: Guided by a 40-leader Steering Committee, the Alliance and The Maytree Foundation have developed a roadmap to help ensure that the Toronto region’s leadership landscape becomes as diverse as its population and draws on the growing number of visible minorities and recent immigrants who live in the region.
• Emerging Leaders Network (ELN): Launched in 2006, the ELN comprises over 200 Torontonians who, in their own organizations, projects or communities, are becoming known as City Builders, people who mobilize action, laying the social groundwork for the city of tomorrow.

We are also busy planning our next Summit of regional leaders from all sectors in 2011. They will highlight challenges and opportunities facing the GTA in a period when reinvigorating our regional economy and growth is crucial. They will also chart an action plan that we and our partners can collectively task to address the challenges and exploit the opportunities. Areas of focus at the 2011 Summit will be determined, in part, through a series of topic-specific roundtables in 2010. Each roundtable will bring together a broad cross-section of leading experts to discuss a range of social, economic and urban issues affecting the city region.

Toronto is a fantastic city region, full of promise, excitement and opportunity. It is the place I love and call home. Together with you, our CEO Julia Deans, our staff and the thousands of other people involved in Alliance and other city-building initiatives, I look forward to leading this outstanding organization and continuing the path that David has charted.

Warm regards,

John Tory
Chair, Toronto City Summit Alliance