Inspired by the past to build for the FUTURE!

My name is Adam Smith, Beacher dad, avid volunteer, and activist.  I was born and raised in Toronto and would rather not live anywhere else in the world.  I love so much about Toronto, from the vibrancy and culture of our various neighbourhoods, to the peacefulness of our ravines and parks, to the year round public events across the wards.  But all is not well in our beloved city.

The threat of climate change looms ever closer, and every level of government is unwilling to make any real progress on halting carbon emissions while food insecurity worsens.  Poverty and homelessness are simply a permanent feature of some areas of Toronto.  Affordable housing seems close to crisis and we have a megalomaniac premier ready to pave over the greenbelt and farmland to enrich his developer friends, with not a care for climate change nor food security.

We are being dragged along for the ride as powerful entities shape our city in ways many residents oppose, and it’s time to reverse course before we no longer recognize the city we call home.  Our economic system is like a car designed with no brakes and no reverse, it can only go forward or crash.  We live on a finite planet, but this system requires infinite exponential growth or it collapses, and despite the fact our growth and consumption is clearly killing the planet, the elite keep driving us towards the edge of that cliff.

If Toronto and other cities are going to survive into this uncertain future they need the autonomy of decision-making and capital-generation to do so.  We must join in a chorus to question the motives and actions of the elite in power, lest their agenda take us so far down the road of ruin that there is no hope of reversing course.  We must revive our ailing democracy and get the public engaged again.  We must discard superficial divisions and think collectively, because only together do we have any chance of changing the system.

Sincerely,