Mitzie Hunter issues five-point plan to boost Toronto’s arts and culture sector, promote city worldwide

Solidifying Toronto’s position as a global creative city improves quality of life, drives economic growth

Toronto – Mitzie Hunter, mayoral candidate, is issuing a five-point plan to boost Toronto’s arts and culture sector, saying it will both improve quality of life everywhere in the city and drive economic growth.

As mayor, Hunter’s five-point plan will:

• Exempt from all property tax increases all creative facilities and arts sector small businesses
• More live and work spaces for working artists
• Place public parks at the heartof renewing the creative city
• Dedicate 25 per cent of the Municipal Accommodation Tax to arts and culture
• Appoint a new Culture Commissioner to spearhead and coordinate support for our world-recognized arts community as well as nurture and create spaces for young emerging artists.

"Toronto's thriving arts and culture scene enhances quality of life in all parts of our city and drives economic growth,” says Hunter.

“As Mayor, I will solidify Toronto’s position as a leading creative city worldwide as well as create a climate of profound respect for the sector’s contributions to the Toronto’s quality of life.”

Here’s how Hunter’s arts and culture plan works:

• Exempt all Creative Facilities co-located in commercial buildings and all arts and culture operations that qualify as small businesses from all property tax increases, including increases to the City Building Fund through 2026. 

• Support access to city land and the retention and renovation of community live and work spaces for working artists — from rehearsal venues to studio space, venue space and live-work spaces where they can create and raise their families.

• Place public parks at the heart of renewing the creative city, recognizing their importance to quality of life and their potential to host cultural events and activities. 

• Dedicate 25 per cent of the existing Municipal Accommodation Tax – more than $10 million this year – to invest in arts and culture including outside the downtown and increase the quality of life for all Toronto residents as well as enhance Toronto’s ability to attract tourists, businesses and residents. Cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Houston and New York already do this. 

• Appoint a Culture Commissioner at City Hall who, in consultation with the arts community, will continue to build an ambitious and supportive official Culture Plan that capitalizes on Toronto’s strengths and rallies the entire community behind it. The Culture Commissioner will spearhead and coordinate support for our world-recognized arts community as well as nurture and create spaces for young emerging artists. 

“The Toronto we want is one that has emerged from the pandemic and is undergoing a revival. I want to lead that revival as your mayor and arts and culture will help us do it,” says Hunter.

“Toronto is at its heart a beautiful and diverse city. Culture is at the centre of life in every part of our city. We have global artists from Scarborough, Etobicoke, downtown, North York and East York and everywhere in between. It’s the soul of our city.”

-30-

Contact:

Charmain Emerson charmain@culturedcommunications.ca

Remarks by Mitzie Hunter announcing her arts and culture platform, May 18, 2023:

• During this campaign I have steadily unrolled policy that forms the basis of my campaign platform.

• Homelessness… and housing stability.

• TTC safety… so people can feel safe… and be safe. 

• Getting Toronto moving again…

• By reversing TTC service cuts… rolling back fare increases… 

• And seniors ride free… on the TTC. 

• Laying out my TTC construction priorities…

• The Waterfront LRT… the North York Scarborough subway… 

• The Eglinton East LRT extension, and…  

• A transitional dedicated busway in Scarborough. 

• Fighting back.. against food insecurity.

• My detailed and comprehensive plan for more affordable housing, more quickly. 

• All this, and I am committed to issuing a full costing in a budget before voting starts in June.

• I am putting forward my plan in a steady, deliberate and principled way… 

• So that when people vote for me… they know exactly what they are getting if they elect me as their mayor.

• Today…  I'm excited to share my five-point plan to boost Toronto’s arts and culture sector and promote it worldwide. 

• My arts and culture plan will solidify Toronto as a global creative city. 

• Arts and culture improves quality of life… and drives economic growth. 

• Here’s what my five-point arts and culture plan does: 

• One…  I will exempt from all property tax increases all creative facilities and arts sector small business.

• This applies to creative facilities co-located in commercial buildings… and all arts and culture operations that qualify as small businesses. 

• Two… I will create more live and work spaces working artists. 

• This means more access to city land and community spaces…

• From rehearsal venues to studio space, venue space and live-work spaces where they can create and raise their families.

• Three… Place public parks at the heart of renewing the creative city.

• Parks are where people gather. Parks improve quality of life. Parks are where we need to host more cultural events and activities. 

• Four…. I will ensure 25 per cent of the existing municipal accommodation tax is dedicated to arts and culture. 

• This will mean more than $10 million this year for helping the arts and culture sector in all parts of the city… including outside the downtown... and to increase the quality of life for everyone in Toronto.

• It will also be used to promote our arts and culture world-wide…

• And help bring back our global audiences and tourists to the city.

• Five… Appoint a new Culture Commissioner to spearhead and coordinate support for our world-recognized arts community. 

• The Culture Commissioner will nurture and create spaces for young emerging artists, including disabled artists, and artists from diverse communities.

• My vision is for a Toronto that has emerged from the pandemic and is undergoing a revival… and is thriving… in all aspects of our lives.  

• I want to lead that revival as your mayor. Arts and culture will help us do it. 

• Toronto is at its heart a beautiful and diverse city.

• Culture is at the centre of life in every part of our city. 

• We have internationally celebrated artists from Scarborough, Etobicoke, downtown, North York and East York and everywhere in between. 

• It’s our city’s soul... The soul of our city.

• Promoting Toronto a global creative city is the key to livability and to revitalization. 

• As Mayor, I will ensure Toronto is positioned as THE leading creative city worldwide. 

• I will help promote a climate of profound respect for the arts and culture sector’s contributions to Toronto’s quality of life.

• Putting arts and culture at the centre of civic life is another example of how I as your mayor will do things differently.

• We are at a point in our history where we simply must do things differently. We need to Fix the Six. 

• The same old, same old isn't working and everyone knows that. Let's choose to do better.  

• Toronto is at a turning point, we can’t let it become a breaking point.

• I want to turn Toronto around for the better.

• Toronto needs a new leader… with broader experience… and a fresh perspective -- not the same faces from the same places.

• It’s time we bring more people on the outside… to the inside of City Hall. 

• That’s who I am… and what I’ve done.

• In Scarborough… In business… At Toronto housing... And as cabinet minister in really tough portfolios.

• Let’s choose to do better.

• That’s why I am running for mayor.

• Because I want to lead Toronto’s revival as a city that works for everyone, everywhere.

• Join me. I ask for your support.

• Let’s Fix the Six… Together.

END