The walks take shape (14-Sep-06)

When John Sewell first ran for mayor of Toronto in the 1970s, a reporters of the Toronto Star, Warren Gerrard, asked him what he was going to do that was distinctive. John pondered the question and before he could come up with an answer, Warren said “You should do something which puts you on the street, like riding your bicycle, or maybe leading people on a walk.”

The walk idea was one that John thought about carefully, and decided it made sense. Six Sunday walks were arranged in different parts of the city for that first mayoralty campaign, and as the crowds increased in numbers, it was clear the campaign was gathering strength. John seemed to find the right mix of local history, humour, and local politics to draw and hold a crowd. The last walk before the election was held where John was raised in the Beaches, in the east end of Toronto, and drew a crowd of 5000. The numbers told the story, and a few days later he was elected mayor.

John has continued giving walks to school groups and for various causes, learning about different parts of the city. He has decided to lead four walks in Ward 21 during this campaign, starting on Sunday October 15 at 2 pm, meeting at Dupont and Spadina (where there’s a subway station).

“It’s a fascinating part of the city to walk through,” he said. “There are so many interesting stories about things you wouldn’t otherwise notice – like the way the Metro politicians left room to build the Spadina Expressway just in case it every got approved. Or the marvelous collection of very modest homes built by the people who lived in them in the south west quadrant of Bathurst and St. Clair. I’m sure people, on the walk will also have more stories of their own which are intriguing.”

And remember: we have Warren Gerrard to thank for this good idea.

More information on the walks can be found in the Ward 21 section of the website under Walks.