riverdaler

Tonight Jane Farrow launched her campaign at an event at Edward Levesque’s Kitchen in Leslieville. While Farrow registered to run for Ward 30 city councilor back in May, and has already been knocking on doors canvassing, this event served as her first big appearance as a city council candidate.

Farrow’s two campaign co-chairs, Chris Phibbs and Bob Ramsay, hosted the well-attended event. The co-chairs are no strangers to politics: Phibbs ran against Paula Fletcher in 2006 and was the Head of Planning and Development for former Mayor David Miller and Ramsay was a speech writer for former Premier Bill Davis.

After thanking the venue, volunteers, and supporters Farrow shared why she wanted to run. Farrow owns a house in the ward and her love for the neighbourhood seems very genuine. Farrow says “We can do better” and “there are opportunities that we are missing.”

Farrow didn’t mention incumbent Paula Fletcher by name but said that after eleven years there have been many missed opportunities. The failure to add bike lanes to Leslie Street after the construction, an incomplete approach to traffic calming on neighbourhood streets, barriers and permit fees to host events in parks, and spending money to light up the Prince Edward Viaduct instead of providing an accessible entrance to the Lower Don Trail were all called out as missed opportunities.

Farrow seems to have a positive view of new development as long as the planning is proactive and involves the community and said that currently residents feel excluded from the planning process.

She concluded by saying we are lucky to live in this beautiful neighbourhood but “we can do better” and “whatever we differ about, we all agree that we deserve a future that is more collaborative, more creative and more inclusive.”