The perfect G20 summit location

As the dust settles from the G20 summit in Toronto, a number of people have complained that Toronto was the wrong place to hold the summit meetings.

I disagree.

I can’t think of a better place to have held the G20 summit this year than in Toronto. Toronto is the economic heartland of Canada, and home to the Canadian banking sector: one of the largest employers in the country, and one of the principal reasons why our Canada did not fall into the same economic crisis that other G8 and G20 countries fell into during the recession . What better place to show Canada’s strength amongst its peers than to have the meetings in the financial capital of Canada.

It’s also important to note that the City of Toronto is partially responsible for the federal government’s decision to hold the summit in Toronto. For years, the Toronto government has been justifiably boasting its prowess to the federal and provincial government, constantly complaining that they are not treated like the mature city that they have become.

Take a look at any media release from the city and you will read in its tag line: “Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America.” If that is not a compelling missive for having the G20 here, I don’t know what is...

Other critics have complained that holding the meetings in the downtown core was just asking for the kind of violence and damage that we experienced.

I disagree.

The damage that occurred downtown was the result of a minority of misguided criminals who took advantage of legitimate peaceful protesters who were there for a cause that they believed in. Those peaceful protesters were able to get their message across without resorting to the violence and damage that some criminals decided to engage in.

As Canada Day fast approaches, this summit is one of the many reasons why I am proud to be Canadian: to live in a country that provides one of the strongest and stable economies in the world for individuals to pursue and achieve wealth. It is also a place where legitimate, peaceful protest is permitted and actually encouraged by our government.

About Dan Bordonali

Comments

[Sonny Yeung]

The G20 meeting went on to boast about cutting Deficits in half by 2013 but each country will actually chart its own course. There were people being penned in by the police in the Queen & Spadina intersection. That afternoon some bicyclists at Spadina & Bloor were boxed in as well. More than 5 metres away from the Fence!

The reason I protested is that various Neoliberal governments will be cutting services for the people because they have already spent taxpayer's money bailing out auto makers, corporation and the banksters. Pittsburgh security cost $18 million and London UK was $30 million. French leader: Nicolas Sarkosy who will be hosting the G8 & G20 next year says he can do it for one tenth of what it costs in Canada....

[Cheryl Smith]

"Those peaceful protesters were able to get their message across without resorting to the violence and damage that some criminals decided to engage in."
Really?
The focus is rather on the actions of those few and not the messages of the many, and peaceful.
Shame.

[David Sappleton]

This is a horrible article and I'm surprised the Star even published it considering their commitment to informed journalism.

I do not see how Toronto's desire to be treated as a mature body has anything to do the Conservative party's decision to host the G20 event in this City. Toronto's continued requests for attention relate to funding and regulatory abilities primarily, not necessarily to hosting completely disruptful and inconvenient events.

Furthermore, having a tagline that suggests that Toronto is a great city for various reasons is, again, not necessarily a reason to host an extremely inconveniencing event. If anything, the G20 disruptions diminished Toronto's large and diverse population, economy and creativity for an entire week.

As Canada Day approached after the G20 summit, i asked myself and other conscience thinkers, why would the Government of Canada, whom we rely upon for leadership, completely dismiss the Mayor of Toronto when asked NOT to hold the G20 in Toronto for the reasons that ultimately unfolded. And as July 1st came to pass, i wondered why $1 billion dollars had been spent when police leaders did not act proactive but rather reactively, when London and Pittsburg managed to host 'G' events with extremely low expenditures of public money.

Canada became, to me, for the first time, a place that I was not proud to live in thanks to the Federal Government. Canada became a laughing stock thanks to Harper. It seems to me that I'm better off in Pittsburg or London. I love Toronto and I'm disappointed at what Harper did to it.