Last week on May 24th, 2016 City of Toronto’s Mayor and Executive Committee heard loudly and clearly from the Expo 2025 Canada community that we want to see Expo in Toronto. Over 35 individuals representing a wide cross-section of labour, arts, business and community sectors waited patiently to have their voice heard. Our efforts, boosted by three former Mayors and a former Premier, were successful to move Expo one step forward.
Our work is not done. On June 7, 2016 City Council will be voting on the Mayor’s motion to allow a privately funded feasibility study to come forward and initiate discussions with the Federal and Provincial governments on the potential of bidding on Expo 2025. City Council must still vote to move forward with the privately funded study.
We are urging you to contact your City Councillor before June 7, 2016 and let them know that you want them to support the Mayor’s motion. Below is an e-mail that you can copy and paste and email to your City Councillor. You can find your Councillor’s contact information here. Your voice makes a difference!
Template Message
Dear Councillor <insert councillor’s name>,
As a constituent of your ward, I writing to ask you to support the Mayor and Executive Committee’s recommendation to move forward with a privately funded feasibility study to determine the cost and benefits of hosting Expo 2025 in Toronto. The item can be viewed here: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2016.EX15.7
At this stage now, this is not saying yes to a bid. It is saying yes to accepting private sector to pay for a study at no cost to the tax payer. I believe this is a prudent and responsible step to explore the cost benefit analysis of hosting and will trigger discussions with the provincial and federal governments.
The Expo movement of late is an incredible example of responsible active citizenship and I know the diverse group of volunteers driving this effort are from the community, arts, culture, corporate, and labour sectors from across the City, and represent the very best of the Toronto of today. They are willing and able to work with the city to explore this further.
I urge you to vote to carry the Mayor and Executive Committee’s motion to explore Toronto hosting an Expo in 2025.
Thank you for your consideration.
<insert your name>