[sixrings]

Perhaps "traditional" was not a good choice of words because as you noted when you go back in time there was far less tolerance for people who were different in the 50's and 60's. Compared to most countries Canada has been in recent decades a very tolerant society. I would be a mistake to think that Canada will remain that way in fact I see signs that we are started to slip backwards.

had lunch with my aunt and her four friends in NYC.... 3 outta 4 would not vote for the female mayor candidate because she was lesbian... I thought they with 10 million ppl would be more progressive then that.

 

[dforthandbview]

In the previous election in 2010, Don Andrews (the notorious white supremacist) received 1,032 votes. Were they joke votes or do we have that many people here that supported him? That's scary. In the 1976 mayoral race he had 7,126 votes! 7,126!

 

[LowPolygon]

Perhaps "traditional" was not a good choice of words because as you noted when you go back in time there was far less tolerance for people who were different in the 50's and 60's. Compared to most countries Canada has been in recent decades a very tolerant society. It would be a mistake however to think that Canada will remain that way in fact I see signs that we are starting to slip backwards.

i don't know about that. i think the effect of the homophobic attitudes of certain immigrant groups (those from Muslim, African, and Caribbean nations) tends to be a bit overblown. Overall, all signs point the increasing acceptance of homosexuality in Canada, not the opposite.

In 2008, an Environics survey showed that only 55 percent of Canadians approved of homosexuals being allowed to run for public office. By 2012, that figure was 67 percent, while the share who strongly disapproved fell to 4 percent from 7 percent.

The portion of Canadians supporting gay marriage, which had hovered around one-third from 2001 through 2006, increased to 43 percent in 2010 and 57 percent by 2012. Only 19 percent of Canadians reported strong disapproval.

In June, the Pew Research Center released their 2013 Global Divide on Homosexuality report which ranked Canada among the most progressive nations polled. When asked whether or not society should accept homosexuality—80 per cent of Canadians said yes and 14 per cent said no.

The one area of significant concern is the recent rise in homophobic hate crimes reported to police. These have increased each year for which data is available: 88 in 2006, rising to 159 in 2008, 188 in 2009 and 218 in 2010. Although many of these increases could simply reflect better record keeping or a shift in people's willingness to report attacks.

 

[freshcutgrass]

In the previous election in 2010, Don Andrews (the notorious white supremacist) received 1,032 votes.

In the 2000 mayoral race, Enza came in third with over 13,000 votes. Toronto voters are all over the map.

 

[Eug]

had lunch with my aunt and her four friends in NYC.... 3 outta 4 would not vote for the female mayor candidate because she was lesbian... I thought they with 10 million ppl would be more progressive then that.

How old are your aunt and her friends?

Part of it may be generational differences.

 

[Peepers]

This is disgraceful ! The Catholic school board refused a donation of $80,000 worth of Football equipment from Mayor Ford. They contacted the Mayor late last week and told him to pick up the equipment or it would be thrown out!

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/08/catholic-school-board-fumbles-with-ford-football-gear

The taxpayers are now stuck with footing the bill (est. at $60,000) to purchase new equipment all because the petty hatred of a school official.

Of course the big "scandal" will be that Mayor Ford brought two staffers with him to retrieve the equipment and transport it to DECO labels.

 

[LowPolygon]

oh man , the Sun.

courtesy of Joe uh, "Warmington": "But I could tell from his tone this did hurt his feelings. “It’s good equipment,†he said. “There is a $10,000 blocking sled in there and very good stuff that is CFL level. I just wanted the best for the kids.â€"

poor old Fordy-Wardy: he jus' wanted the best for the kids. boo-hoo-hoo

 

[k10ery]

That article is almost completely BS. It claims that because there is a higher percentage of visible minorities and poor people in the wards that collectively voted for Ford, therefore visible minorities and poor people support Ford.

You're making a valid point, but I think you're exaggerating its importance. The correlation between Ford's 2010 vote and neighbourhood household income does not just hold at the Ward level, it's also true at the Census tract level. Census tracts are small and pretty homogeneous. If Ford got his votes from low-income tracts, then he almost certainly got his votes from low-income people.

We also have individual evidence from opinion polls. Ford's approval rating is highest among people with household income under $20,000.

It's also a pretty convincing hypothesis. Ford is a populist; he LOOKS like a working class striver, even if he's not; and like many populists he says he can make government cheaper, which must sound pretty good if you're poor. And, as somebody else said, he's not gay. Given all that, why wouldn't we expect the poor to vote for him?

Tough news for all you Marxist-Leninists who voted for Miller, but there it is!

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

oh man , the Sun.

courtesy of Joe uh, "Warmington": "But I could tell from his tone this did hurt his feelings. “It’s good equipment,” he said. “There is a $10,000 blocking sled in there and very good stuff that is CFL level. I just wanted the best for the kids.”"

poor old Fordy-Wardy: he jus' wanted the best for the kids. boo-hoo-hoo

IIRC, at the time his first reaction was 'go get my equipment', and he was told by staff he couldn't. Apparently the school is so embarrassed with its association with Hizzoner, they're burning bridges.

 

[adma]

Perhaps "traditional" was not a good choice of words because as you noted when you go back in time there was far less tolerance for people who were different in the 50's and 60's. Compared to most countries Canada has been in recent decades a very tolerant society. It would be a mistake however to think that Canada will remain that way in fact I see signs that we are starting to slip backwards.

"Compared to most countries" but, you have to admit, things have been blurred by how far the bar's been pushed in recent times. Let's keep in mind that SSM is still a fairly "fresh" subject, and the "very tolerant society" that's been Canada's would still have largely seen it as a radical weirdo concept prior to Y2Kish or so. That there's still a sizeable contingent that feels that way is "natural" at this stage of the game.

And when it comes to openly gay males: remember that a third of a century ago it would have seemed that to simply be an openly *pro*-gay male was the kiss of mayoral death, as John Sewell found out in 1980. And true to form, Sewell's successor Art Eggleton accrued a "homophobic" reputation over his mayoralty due to his stances on various issues--yet even by his own admission, if Eggleton had to do it all over again today, he'd accept today's pro-Pride or even pro-SSM status quo. And that wouldn't make him any less "electable".

On balance, I can't see fatal backward slippage; and if there *seems* to be, it's all a Ford-bluster smokescreen...

 

[nfitz]

This is disgraceful ! The Catholic school board refused a donation of $80,000 worth of Football equipment from Mayor Ford. They contacted that Mayor late last week and told him to pick up the equipment or it would be thrown out!

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/08/catholic-school-board-fumbles-with-ford-football-gear

The taxpayers are now stuck with footing the bill (est. at $60,000) to purchase new equipment all because the petty hatred of a school official.

Of course the big "scandal" will be that Mayor Ford brought two staffers with him to retrieve the equipment and transport it to DECO labels.

A) The article is from the Sun - so they don't really have the resources to do in depth reporting

B) Even this article notes that Ford had asked for the old equipment back. At some point he changed his mind.

 

[JWBF]

This is disgraceful ! The Catholic school board refused a donation of $80,000 worth of Football equipment from Mayor Ford. They contacted that Mayor late last week and told him to pick up the equipment or it would be thrown out!

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/08/catholic-school-board-fumbles-with-ford-football-gear

The taxpayers are now stuck with footing the bill (est. at $60,000) to purchase new equipment all because the petty hatred of a school official.

Of course the big "scandal" will be that Mayor Ford brought two staffers with him to retrieve the equipment and transport it to DECO labels.

"Perhaps the biggest fumble may be the fact that this year, Don Bosco has eliminated its junior football team and has not had the kind of turnout for training camp they are accustomed to during the decade Ford was in charge."

Really? 10 years at Don Bosco? Time flies when you are illegally soliciting funds.

If the TCDSB wants to divorce themselves from Ford's "benevolence" then it is their choice to make. I agree with them if they want to divest themselves from using his foundation's money.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Any news on the police business? I'm growing impatient

 

[RC8]

This is disgraceful ! The Catholic school board refused a donation of $80,000 worth of Football equipment from Mayor Ford. They contacted that Mayor late last week and told him to pick up the equipment or it would be thrown out!

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/08/catholic-school-board-fumbles-with-ford-football-gear

The taxpayers are now stuck with footing the bill (est. at $60,000) to purchase new equipment all because the petty hatred of a school official.

Of course the big "scandal" will be that Mayor Ford brought two staffers with him to retrieve the equipment and transport it to DECO labels.

So if I give you a $150,000 car and then take it away from you, does that mean you will replace it with another $150,000 car?

Back in the day we'd play football (soccer) with a tennis ball and we were happy and grateful towards whoever brought it from home.

 

[khris]

Any news on the police business? I'm growing impatient

Me too. I come to this thread to get new information, but all I see is squabbling. When is he gonna lose his job and go to jail?