Toronto is a world-class city too often caught between big ambitions and everyday frustrations. From housing affordability and transit reliability to public safety, culture, and inclusive growth, the questions facing the city are immediate, practical, and deeply personal. As Toronto prepares to choose its next mayor, those questions carry even greater urgency. 

Building on the spirit of the Toronto Star’s If I Were Mayor series and the annual City Report Card, this third annual Empire Club of Canada and Toronto Star event arrives at a defining moment for the city and the people who will shape its next chapter. Data, public sentiment, and lived experience come together to show where Toronto is performing well, where it is falling short, and what bold but realistic ideas could move the city forward. 

Special remarks from Jordan Bitove, Publisher of the Toronto Star, will help frame the discussion, while polling conducted by Ipsos will offer a timely snapshot of how Torontonians see the city, its challenges, and its possibilities. 

The discussion will explore not only what the numbers tell us about Toronto’s priorities, but also what residents are saying in their own words about the changes they want to see. Through a panel conversation moderated by Courtney Glen, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications at Kilmer Group, featuring The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Senior Counsel and Strategic Advisor at Cassels, Edward Keenan, Columnist and host of First Up at the Toronto Star and Jennifer Keesmaat, President & CEO of Collecdev Markee, the event will connect city-wide sentiment with the real experiences and proposals of Torontonians. 

Fresh polling, audience engagement, and a curated selection of civic voices will create a conversation grounded in evidence, shaped by public opinion, and animated by the stories and solutions of Torontonians themselves. 

What qualities should our next mayor have, and what issues matter most to you? 

Join us on September 22nd to find out whether the pollsters’ view of the city lines up with yours — and to explore what happens when the public’s ideas are treated not as commentary, but as a serious part of the city-building agenda.