Arts and culture key element of comprehensive plan for a green and vibrant city

Toronto – Mitzie Hunter as mayor will champion Toronto as a global creative city, raising our profile worldwide while at the same time driving quality of life and economic growth locally.

Hunter’s plan for the arts and culture will:

• Exempt from all property tax increases all creative facilities and arts sector small businesses.
• Create more live and work spaces for working artists.
• Place public parks at the heart of renewing the creative city.
• Dedicate 25 per cent of the Municipal Accommodation Tax to arts and culture amounting to $10 million in the first year.
• 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 champion Toronto as a leading creative city worldwide.

“I will create a climate of profound respect for the arts sector’s contributions to the Toronto’s quality of life as well as its role in supporting valuable jobs and driving economic growth.”

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.

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

Arts and culture is a key element of Hunter’s comprehensive plan for a Green and Vibrant city which also includes:

·       Climate Change and Environmental Resilience: Limiting greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change by getting people back on the TTC with reduced fares and re-investing in services to reduce emissions from cars; Electrifying the TTC fleet; expanding bike share; more public electric vehicle charging infrastructure; and protecting people from severe and dangerous weather and the risks of residential basement flooding and extreme heat.

·       Parks and Clean Neighbourhoods: Winterize and keep public washrooms open year-round; greater local control over our park programming; more trees through the neighbourhood shade tree program; add more than 17 acres of new parks and green space at 68 new affordable housing sites.

·       Small Business: Cancel and refund all 2023 application and permit fees for CafeTO and eliminate the application fee going forward; exempt small businesses from property tax increases through 2025; reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, while strengthening the supports that the city offers to new entrepreneurs.

·       Food Security and Support for our Most Vulnerable: Double funding for food access programs with an emphasis on supporting Toronto’s student nutrition program; Expand the number of community gardens; new affordable housing developments under Hunter’s plan to have retail space offered at below market rents to small and medium sized grocery stores providing fresh produce; making Wheel Trans completely free; providing 2,000 new supportive homes, including for persons with developmental disabilities.

Hunter’s vision of Toronto as a Green and Vibrant city is part of her 70-page, fully-costed and funded plan found at www.mitzieformayor.ca or you can listen to her new podcast series found on her website or wherever you get your podcasts.

“Toronto is at its heart a beautiful and diverse city,” says Hunter. “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 for a Toronto that is a green and vibrant city,” says Hunter.

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Contact:

Charmain Emerson charmain@culturedcommunications.ca

Remarks by Mitzie Hunter on her arts and culture element of plan for a Green and Vibrant city, June 18, 2023:

• Since the beginning of this campaign I have systematically laid out my priorities.

• More affordable housing, more quickly.

• Unlocking public lands for affordable housing.

• Below-market price housing for renters and buyers.

• Investing more in city services… so the city works better. 

• More affordable TTC… with seniors and Wheel Trans users to ride free. 

• Reversing the TTC fare increase and service cuts.

• Today…  I'm talking about my plan to champion Toronto champion Toronto as a global creative city.

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

• Under my plan I will exempt from all property tax increases all creative facilities and arts sector small business. 

• I will create more live-and-work spaces for working artists.

• I will ensure that we host more cultural events and activities in neighbourhood parks everywhere in Toronto. 

• 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.

• 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.

• I will appoint a new Culture Commissioner to spearhead and coordinate support for our world-recognized arts community.

• 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.

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

• It’s part of my plan for a Green and Vibrant city.

• Fighting climate change…

• More neighbourhood parks… 

• Supporting small business… 

• Increasing food security…

• Helping our most vulnerable. 

• Toronto as a Green and Vibrant city is part of my 70-page, fully-costed and funded plan found on my website. 

• Or you can listen to my podcast series found wherever you get your podcasts.

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

• 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 for a Toronto that is a green and vibrant city.

• 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. 

• 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. Let’s Fix the Six… Together.

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