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Duly Quoted: Doug Holyday

By Hamutal Dotan

“I know that when I’m downtown, sometimes you have to walk around these people, they’re right in the middle of the sidewalk and you’ll run over them if you don’t pay attention… And from the taxpayers standpoint we’re paying millions of dollars to try to help people that need it but we’re also paying for it another way, when visitors come to Toronto and they see these people on the street, they probably get the impression that we’re not doing anything or we don’t even care.”
—City councillor and deputy mayor Doug Holyday (Ward 3, Etobicoke Centre), concerned about the human and aesthetic effects panhandlers may be having on Toronto. He is hoping that the City introduces a “bylaw with teeth” to deal with the situation.

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  • http://paul.kishimoto.name Paul Kishimoto

    I know that when I’m uptown, sometimes you have to walk around these incredibly sparse areas, they’re just endless miles of sidewalk and you’ll walk for hours if you don’t pay attention… And from the taxpayers standpoint we’re paying billions of dollars to try to build a Scarborough subway for people that don't need it but we’re also paying for it another way, when visitors come to Toronto and they see these godforsaken streets, they probably get the impression that we’re not doing anything or we don’t even care.

  • McKingford

    He is hoping that the City introduces a “bylaw with teeth” to deal with the situation.

    Yes, let us hope, for as we know…

    “The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor
    to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.”

  • tyrannosaurus_rek

    I was on board until I realized he meant rounding up poor people and shipping them off to camps. Because, man, if there's one thing I can't stand it's oblivious, meandering people blocking the sidewalk! Just want to push them into traffic. Move!

  • http://twitter.com/dpirraglia Daniela Pirraglia

    Maybe it's because I bike everywhere, but I don't find “these people” in the middle of sidewalks. If they are there, they're mostly off to the side.

    Where does he expect “these people” to go? Home?

  • drybrain

    I don't think anyone is shocked to see homeless people in a large city. It doesn't reflect especially poorly on Toronto…it's the way of the world. Also, Holyday's main concern seems to be not for the welfare of the homeless, but that they might be construed as unpleasant to be around.

  • butterfly99

    If we didn't have any hoemless on the street visitors would find that hard comprehend.
    I have visited several US cities, Chicago being one, the homeless are forced away from tourist areas but show up late at night.
    Their homeless  make our street people look like bay street lawyers. it really disgusting what this attitude can create.

  • torontothegreat

    How can anyone be so ill-informed on such a old urban issue?  The current city council makes me sick.

  • isyouhappy

    You know, I don't think I'd have a problem if he wasn't so blatantly condescending arrogant and classist. If he had said, you know we should all look into a diverse range options, making sure there is medical care, available services, and if they CHOOSE to want to not live on the street we find ways to deal with it. 'They' are human beings, 'they' have a multitude of reasons why 'they' are there. 'They' arn't graffiti that you can remove to make sure tourists think our city is clean. BULLSHIT.

  • tyrannosaurus_rek

    I've emailed Mr. Holyday, CC'ing Mr. Ford and my councillor (Mr. Layton) to express my displeasure at his classification of homelessness and poverty as a tourism-related issue.

    I encourage you to do the same.