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As a Toronto-Danforth resident for nearly my entire life, I’ve seen all manner of changes to my neighbourhood which I love dearly, and the increasing challenges that all Ontarians face are here in this neighbourhood as much as anywhere else. Passionate about the environment, human rights, affordability, transit access, urban planning and democracy, I’ve grown disheartened with how past and current governments have handled these issues and am proud to share and bring Danforth locals into a Green platform that outlines refreshing new ways to tackle the problems that Ontarians will be facing not just for the next four years but ideally for the decades ahead. Working close to Toronto’s Gay Village both in private and public workplaces – I’ve seen first hand the rise in hate towards the LGBTQ2AI+ community. Also, as a member of a racialized group I’ve also seen the increasing levels of racism affecting our communities. With less than half of the area feeling secure and confident enough in Queens Park or their power of the vote in 2022, I want to bring more people out to revive our democracy and to see that there is still a party that speaks to all Ontarians.
Orlando

A great hello to you all, my fellow neighbours and Toronto Danforth Greens! My name is Orlando Wright and it is a great honour to be your candidate for the upcoming 44th general Ontario election.

As many of you are well aware – this is an election we shouldn’t be having. It is a selfish move of a selfish government, desperate to appear as they’re fighting for Ontarians. It is a foolish move of a foolish man, who was utterly blind to the clear hostile intent of the government south of the border which he fawned for; racing us to the polls so we don’t pause and pay attention to the intentional and residual damage he’s caused along the way. Finally, its a cold act of a Queen’s Park with a cold heart, as many thousands of our fellow neighbours and Ontarians find themselves in lotteries for family doctors, needing food from food banks, without daycare for our children – our grandparents and parents in buckling elder care systems or our most unfortunate being left only with the option of freezing on the street while Doug continues to speak vainly on horrifically wasteful tunnelling projects.

I understand that the situation laid out sounds depressing. The fight for you and your fellow Ontarian is an arduous fight uphill. But it is in this fight that the greatest characteristics of Ontarians has been shown to me time and time again.

Despite the failures of our current government, despite the callousness of our world around us – the hearts of us Ontarians, I believe, are good and beautiful. We can’t shy away from our concerns for our families and others, which I’ve seen from the increase in community activism and charity – especially as we see the province and Ottawa withdraw and abandon from its responsibility to care for us. We love our neighbours, we love our neighbourhoods and when we see a lack of love from the government, our hearts are there for each other.

I accept if you’ve made it to this point with cynicism. Maybe the province let you down. Maybe it was a neighbour. In this day and age, it is very easy to be jaded. It might be difficult to expose your heart to the world for what you care about. Let me say this : I care about you. I want you to care about you. I want you to be able to go reach your neighbour and go, ‘you and I are in this together, and we can grow our province back together.’

We all need something to open our hearts on, well beyond this election.

Toronto-Danforth, my heart is open for you.
Orlando