EARTH HOUR SURPRISE
Seems fewer Torontonians than expected took the opportunity to party off the grid during Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28. Toronto Hydro reported only a 3.5 per cent drop in electricity usage, well short of its 10 per cent goal. Hydro says the fact that more folks are conserving on a regular basis may account for the smaller than usual dip in power usage. In 2009, Torontonians achieved a record 15.1 per cent drop in power usage during Earth Hour, but that number has fallen steadily, to 6 per cent last year. There’s no dimming the reality, however, that climate change is happening and needs to be addressed.
DID JOHN TORY BUY THE ELECTION?
The evidence for
$2.86 million Amount he raised, the most ever by any mayoral candidate, according to a financial statement filed Friday, March 27.
$275,612 + $257,046 Amount paid by his campaign in salaries, benefits, honoraria, consulting and research.
$368,228 Amount spent on the election-day party (editor’s note: it was a cash bar)
493 Number of contributors who donated the maximum allowable $2,500, compared to 30 for rival Doug Ford.
68 Donors who identified themselves as living in North York.
47 Donors from Etobicoke.
16 Donors from Scarborough.
Also noteworthy The slew of donors from monied midtown addresses the usual developer suspects (DeGasperis, DelZotto, Bronfman, Sokoloski) media moguls (Ivan Fecan, Allan Slaight, the Thomson and Rogers families) bank presidents (Gordon Nixon) former senators (Trevor Eyton) and former premiers-turned-kingmakers (David Peterson).
The evidence against
$909,420 Amount spent by Doug Ford, who was in the campaign for little more than five weeks.
$526,979 Amount Ford blew on advertising, some $22,000 more than the $504,202 spent by Tory.
$106,555 Amount in the “other” category described in his financial statement as “promotional goods.”
Also noteworthy
50 out of 225 Contributors from outside the 416.
Courtesy of OAA
CITYSCAPE
Designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects in association with Charles Correa Associates, the Ismaili Centre is one of four Toronto projects among the 10 candidates for the Ontario Association of Architects’ 2015 People’s Choice Award. Cast your vote until April 15 at oaa.on.ca.
Compiled by NOW staff with files from Kate Robertson and Sakura Saunders.
