Story Ideas

There are many interesting, frustrating and hopeful stories to tell about the Toronto region. Here are some great ideas…

The taxing power of municipalities is governed by the provinces. How does the range of tools available to Toronto City Council compare to other Canadian cities like Montreal or Calgary? What about American or European cities?

Much is made of Toronto's meager subway system and in particular the possibility of extending the Downsview line to York University. New underground lines may be cost prohibitive but what about solutions like dedicated bus lines or above-ground light rail?

Since January 2004 many Toronto hotels have been voluntarily levying a 3% tax in order to create a fund for marketing Toronto. How is this fund being used? Are the efforts working?

By international standards, the Toronto region posesses exceptional research strength and capacity, yet we are failing to attract new companies and research investment. What are other cities like Montreal doing to attract investment that we are not?

What would be the impact in Toronto of the federal Liberals following through on their election promise to spend $5 billion over five years on a Canadian child care program?

Since July 1st, 2004 five Toronto area schools have been re-opened for community use, free of charge. Local committees were put in place to decide how this space would be allocated- what are the results?

With the 'double cohort' entering the final stages of their bachelor's degrees, many are thinking about graduate and professional programs? Are those programs prepared?

Many internationally trained professionals try for years to break into their field in Canada with no success and then return to their home country or move to the US. Is Canada building a reputation that will hurt it in the international competition for skilled immigrants?

They say that the best place to have a medical emergency in Toronto is a taxi because the driver is likely to be a doctor. Indeed, many highly skilled immigrant men get jobs as taxi drivers- what jobs are most often taken by highly-skilled immigrant women?

For the Toronto region under-employed professional immigrants hold a special capacity- offering services in languages other than English. Are there any already doing just that?

The high price of housing in some parts of Toronto often leads people to live far away from their work. Is a lack of affordable housing adding strain to our public transit system? Are you heading towards the multi-hour commutes seen in cities like Tokyo?

The stars may be aligning such that there is new government money for affordable housing. Choices will have to be made about whether money should be spent: on rent supplements, new building developments, etc. What are leading advocates calling for?

With the decline of arts education in schools, how are young people being exposed to the arts? What initiatives have been launched by arts organizations to bridge the gap?