WEBSITE: www.johnfilion.com

EMAIL: johnfilion2010@gmail.com

PHONE: 647-860-3460

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What key issues define your campaign platform?
• Create/support a vibrant, interesting and caring community.
• Work with residents to enhance public space and facilities.
• Make developers follow the rules; protect neighbourhoods close to major roads; preserve existing redevelopment boundaries so that neighbourhoods remain stable.
• Continue to involve the community in all aspects of decision-making.
• Make City Hall more accessible, responsive and sensitive to neighbourhood needs and respectful of the individual character of neighbourhoods.
• Provide financial savings by decentralizing city government, creating greater bureaucratic efficiency and responsiveness.
• Return to North York standards of customer service and bureaucratic accountability.
• Focus on making our area attractive to young families through improved facilities (recreation centres, child care centres, parks) and programs, and by addressing neighbourhood traffic safety issues.
• Encourage tax breaks for seniors.
• Improve public transit capacity and customer service.
• Establish a North York Arts organization and create more programs to animate public space.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?
Experience: Being effective in a complicated city government requires knowing what it takes to get things done, e.g. getting a new community centre built at Edithvale, preserving the historic Rose Garden.
Community vision: I am continually coming up with new ideas and initiatives, such as Parkview Neighbourhood Garden, Cultura, community movie nights.
I combine fiscal responsibility with caring for those in need and supporting local charities.
Community focus: I approach all issues from the perspective of the residents.
I know how to protect neighbourhoods, e.g. stopping the legalization of rooming houses, preventing highrise buildings on Finch and Sheppard, preserving redevelopment boundaries, standing up to developers.
Political pragmatism: I oppose political parties at the municipal level and approach all issues from a pragmatic point of view.
Before making a decision, I always ask, “Is it good for the community?”
I have a proven track record of leadership.

What specifically do you plan to do for your ward, if elected?
Open three new parks next year: Edithvale, Olive and Maplehurst.
Create new child care centres to eliminate the current waiting list.
Continue Cultura (Friday night festival at Mel Lastman Square) and start new arts-based programing in other public spaces in Ward 23.
Build a new dog park to serve local residents (at a location that won’t interfere with neighbourhood park activities).
Protect the area from bad development.
Fend off damaging policies – e.g. legal rooming houses – coming from City Hall.
Continue working closely with community residents and organizations.

Please provide details on your personal bio.
Willowdale homeowner since 1978. Elected positions include Toronto City Council 1997–present), North York City Council 1991-1997, North York Board of Education 1982-1991. Leadership positions include chair of Toronto Board of Health (10 of past 13 years), chair of the City of Toronto Planning Committee (2004-2006), chair of Toronto Centre for the Arts 1997-2006, chair of the North York Board of Education (1985-1989).

Who do you plan to support for mayor?
I am not supporting any of the candidates for mayor at this time (as of Sept. 17).