Restore the Wards
Hello, my name is Adam Smith; lifelong Toronto resident, father, activist, and two-time candidate for Toronto councillor. I created the Restore the Wards campaign to convince …
The bedfellows of development and neoliberal ideology
This article was so incredibly off-base in so many regards it requires a whole blog post to debunk it. It is rife with pro-developer neoliberal ideology, …
Sapphira: Surprise Activist Extraordinaire
I’ve been doing volunteer work and activism for a decade now, but my wife Sapphira Charles’ newfound activism is putting me to shame. It’s been very encouraging …
Mask Hysteria
Below is the letter I wrote to City Council expressing my concerns about the mask law and the behaviour it is encouraging. Hello, I’m writing to …
The ongoing inaction of 55 Division
Picture: Protest in front of 55 Division, July 6, 2020 I went to the protest in front of 55 Division on July 6, and found the …
Defund the TPS Mounted Unit first
SIGN THE PETITION HERE My name is Adam Smith, I’m a lifelong resident born and raised in Toronto. I am requesting Toronto City Council to fully …
New lights at Dixon and Lockwood intersections
UPDATE: March 5, 2019 The petition supporting the recommendations of the report has been submitted to Councillor Bradford’s office on Feb 26, 2019. The petition garnered over 100 …
Discussing Toronto’s governance
On Feb 21, 2019 I spoke at the city’s Special Committee on Governance, which was formed to take public input on how to govern Toronto now …
Queen St East streetscape…
My years with the Beach Village BIA (2010-2016) were my first foray into volunteering, lobbying, and advocacy, and my first time on a board of directors. The board …
Auto-waste…
This is what I like to call “auto-waste”, and it’s a policy of FAR too many businesses, organizations, and charities in the Western world. Basically it …
Lessons from the campaign trail…
I learned ALOT from my campaign: about running a campaign but also about the community. Knocking on doors and meeting people you’d otherwise never have occasion …
Running an environmental campaign…
As I clean up and sort out the mess in my office post-campaign I am appalled by all the waste. Hundreds of unused flyers, dozens of …
My thoughts post election…
First of all, congrats to all the candidates, for having the courage to put themselves out there and making an effort to reach out to the …
Improving Small Business
For years people have been talking about the state of Queen St in the Beach, with our empty storefronts looking derelict and decrepit and dragging down …
Beaches Facebook group interview
Big thanks to Denise Angus for hosting the candidates and taking the time to do these thorough and in-depth interviews. It was a rare chance in …
Responsible Development – Heartwood
The Heartwood development at Queen and Woodbine (the old Shell Station) violates our urban design guidelines as it will block the view of our historical heritage …
Public Art
I try to beautify our neighbourhood any chance I get. Programs like StreetARToronto are important in covering all our grey concrete, and Community Centre 55 has …
Pedestrian Safety
Too many of our streets lack proper ground markings and curb cuts to direct pedestrians and warn cars where there are pedestrian spaces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HpSDeTsgMs
Carbon Emissions
Climate change becomes more undeniable every day, and carbon emissions are the main culprit. The city can be doing much more to ensure the public service …
Responsible Development – Eastdale
New developments around Eastdale and Lumsden are going to add a lot more density in an already dense area, right next to an ecologically sensitive ravine. …
Affordable Housing
Toronto’s affordable housing is strained, and we need to keep up with repairs and add new units. Inclusionary zoning is a start, but we need more …
Improving the Woodbine Cycle Track
The Woodbine Cycle Track has been a valuable addition to cycling infrastructure, but is riddled with design flaws that are causing confusion and unsafe conditions. I …
Retail Parking on Queen St.
Parking on Queen has been an issue for a long time, and after doing an audit of street parking for the Beach Village BIA years ago …
Child Care
There is a serious lack of available affordable child care in our city. As the father of a toddler about to enter daycare I know the …
Changing the wards
I filed my nomination to run for council a mere 2 hours before Ford made his first surprise announcement about changing the wards. I speak elsewhere …