September's here, bringing Toronto's municipal election into view — even if you're focused on squeezing the last bit of joy out of summer.
Here are some of the top storylines you might have missed, plus some of the questions we’re thinking about as the campaign heats up.
What’s this mayoral election about?
Candidate Brad Bradford lists his priorities like this: crime, traffic congestion, cost of living, cleanliness of public spaces and competitiveness of the city’s business environment.
It's a decent starting list, and you can expect Bradford, the Beaches-East York councillor, and other candidates to keep trying to frame this election around similar core topics.
But who knows what will happen between now and election day (Oct. 26.) Case-in-point: News that broke Tuesday about the Ford government pushing ahead with bike lane removals will almost certainly change the dynamic.
Local elections are an "immediate form of politics," as City Hall Watcher’s Matt Elliott puts it. As soon as you open your door, you’re seeing potential municipal issues — right down to the condition of the sidewalk — and how the city feels in the early fall will shape the tenor of the race.
"Civic vibe can shape an election like this," Elliott said in the first episode of CBC Toronto’s new election podcast, which also features the Toronto Star’s Mahdis Habibinia and Toronto Today’s Aidan Chamandy.
What are voters telling us?
More than 100 Torontonians from all over the city have answered our callout about their top election issues, or written in with questions.
These five issues have popped up several times:
Affordability is a big one, specifically when it comes to housing.
Homelessness and drug addiction is also a major concern for voters, though ideas about how to address the issues vary.
Bike lanes are also on people’s minds, with more folks calling for them to stay and be enhanced, rather than torn out.
We heard from some focused solely on defeating Mayor Olivia Chow. At the same time, many wrote in decrying Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s meddling in city issues.
Public safety was also an issue for some voters, though similar numbers were concerned about the state of the city’s infrastructure.
