City Idol
Encyclopedia
City Idol was a contest and part of a 2006 initiative called Who Runs This Town, a project to boost citizen interest and participation in municipal politics in Toronto
.
. The City Idol contest sought out ordinary Torontonians to seek elected office in the 2006 municipal election
on November 13. The goal was to have 100 candidates participate in a series of events whereby some would be voted off by a live audience. The "prize" was a campaign to run for Toronto city council, in the form of volunteer support (not funds). The first round was held at the Danforth Music Hall on April 28, 2006, and saw 70 candidates give one-minute speeches to an audience of more than 600 people who then voted for five candidates. A total of 48 candidates advanced to the second round regional runoffs.
After opening night, the winners were divided off for regional runoffs. The regions followed the same boundaries as Toronto's community council boundaries, which roughly follow old municipal boundaries prior to a forced municipal amalgamation in 1997. Because there were so many candidates in the Toronto-East York Regional Runoff, an extra semifinals event was held in which 24 candidates were narrowed down to six through a series of speeches and questions from the audience.
The format of the finals included short speeches, questions from contestants and the audience and a mock emergency press conference where candidates were told to research a topic prior to the event, and would have to address an emergency issue in a media scrum
with reporters from Eye Weekly
, NOW
and Toronto Life
.
The City Idol winners formally declared their candidacies on June 15. A number of other City Idol contestants who did not win the competition also stood as candidates.
Of the contest winners, Roszak had the most success in the general election, finishing second in his race.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Overview
Who Runs This Town and City Idol were created by Dave Meslin, founder of the Toronto Public Space CommitteeToronto Public Space Committee
The Toronto Public Space Committee is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that defends the city’s public space from corporate and private forces, including cars and outdoor advertising...
. The City Idol contest sought out ordinary Torontonians to seek elected office in the 2006 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 2006
The 2006 Toronto municipal election took place on 13 November 2006 to elect a mayor and 44 city councillors in Toronto, Ontario. In addition, school trustees were elected to the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest...
on November 13. The goal was to have 100 candidates participate in a series of events whereby some would be voted off by a live audience. The "prize" was a campaign to run for Toronto city council, in the form of volunteer support (not funds). The first round was held at the Danforth Music Hall on April 28, 2006, and saw 70 candidates give one-minute speeches to an audience of more than 600 people who then voted for five candidates. A total of 48 candidates advanced to the second round regional runoffs.
After opening night, the winners were divided off for regional runoffs. The regions followed the same boundaries as Toronto's community council boundaries, which roughly follow old municipal boundaries prior to a forced municipal amalgamation in 1997. Because there were so many candidates in the Toronto-East York Regional Runoff, an extra semifinals event was held in which 24 candidates were narrowed down to six through a series of speeches and questions from the audience.
The format of the finals included short speeches, questions from contestants and the audience and a mock emergency press conference where candidates were told to research a topic prior to the event, and would have to address an emergency issue in a media scrum
Media scrum
A media scrum is an impromptu press conference, often held immediately outside an event such as a legislative session or meeting. Scrums play a central role in Canadian politics and also occur in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand....
with reporters from Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...
, NOW
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
and Toronto Life
Toronto Life
Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings. Established in 1966,...
.
Winners
The winners of City Idol were- North York: Bahar Aminvaziri
- Scarborough: Amarjeet Chhabra
- Toronto-East York: Desmond Cole
- Etobicoke-York: Arthur Roszak
The City Idol winners formally declared their candidacies on June 15. A number of other City Idol contestants who did not win the competition also stood as candidates.
Of the contest winners, Roszak had the most success in the general election, finishing second in his race.