Camille Labchuk

Not on Twitter, and not following the 2010 Toronto municipal race? Then you’re probably baffled by the title of this blog.

Over the past few months, chatter about Toronto’s municipal election has heated up, especially on Twitter — everyone’s favourite social media network. (Seriously, Facebook is over. Get on Twitter.) It was through Twitter that a group of engaged Torontonians first banded together, united by a conviction that the 2010 race should focus on the issues facing our city, and not simply the personalities of those in the horse race. (I think the mayoral drama of last week is a prime example of this misplaced focus.)

Under the name #voteTO, this group organized its first public event last week: #voteTOin416 — an urban issues forum featuring presentations from various community groups, or, as NOW Magazine put it, “an idea bonanza for civic nerds.” Each presenter was given a mere 4 minutes and 16 seconds to make the case for their issue as a ballot issue (hence the 416 reference). With the Annex Live venue packed to capacity with hundreds of eager Torontonians, speakers touched on topics as diverse as cycling, bed bugs, the stray cat problem, fair trade purchasing policies, and landlord licensing.

I carried the Fair Vote Canada flag with a presentation on the need to bring in proportional representation to Toronto elections. Democracy is in a pretty sad state in Toronto. We’re one of the most culturally diverse cities on this planet, yet 9 of 10 councilors are white, and 8 of 10 are men. Way too many of us will never get to elect anyone to city council, and the dismal voter turnout – 41% – reflects this disillusionment that I know many of us feel. You can watch my presentation above. Dave Meslin of Better Ballots also pitched the crowd on municipal voting reform. Judging by the audience response, the idea is a popular one.

Anyway, this “rock concert for city council junkies” was great, and given the venue was filled to capacity it sounds like there are plans to host more events in other areas of the city, and possibly a mayoral debate. To stay in touch, follow #voteTO on Twitter or join the #voteTO Facebook group.

Check out some media coverage of #voteTOin416 from the Toronto Star and NOW Toronto.

Finally, for those of you who are still wondering why the heck there is a # in #voteTO, it’s because the group’s name started off as a Twitter hashtag, something tweeters use to keep track of popular topics of discussion. Learn more about hashtags here!