Torontoist Environment Editor Chris Tindal is currently engaged in a federal by-election campaign. This weekly column is an attempt to offer a behind the scenes glimpse into what it's like to be that mysterious Other: a politician. This is my last Campaign Confidential before E-day, yet I'm hesitant to pen any "final thoughts" knowing how much can happen in the final week of a campaign. It's been a bit of a strange campaign. On the......

With insignificant funds and hopeless political support, sometimes it's the earnest fringe candidate campaigns in our by-elections that have the most charm. Toronto Centre aspirant (and political opponent of Campaign Confidential's Chris Tindal) Doug Plumb has been taping-up these breezy home-made slogans downtown, and while this sign may not even mention the party he's running for, there's a quaint spunk in comparing himself to a down-home dessert. Other flyers feature the rather unimaginative call......

Torontoist Environment Editor Chris Tindal is currently engaged in a federal by-election campaign. This weekly column is an attempt to offer a behind the scenes glimpse into what it's like to be that mysterious Other: a politician. There is, of course, no multi-partisan training manual for new candidates on how one is to behave during an election campaign with regards to one's opponents. Therefore, the first time I ran (in the 2006 federal general election)......

Torontoist Environment Editor Chris Tindal is currently engaged in a federal by-election campaign. This weekly column is an attempt to offer a behind the scenes glimpse into what it's like to be that mysterious Other: a politician. Now that three out of four major party campaigns have offices up and running, our focus has turned to the meat and potatoes of campaigning: the canvass. If you live in Toronto Centre and you haven't yet heard......

Torontoist Environment Editor Chris Tindal is currently engaged in a federal by-election campaign. This weekly column is an attempt to offer a "behind the scenes" glimpse into what it's like to be that mysterious Other: a politician. A strange thing is happening here in Toronto Centre: Barack Obama seems to have become a candidate. Not literally of course, and (as you'll see) it's not clear what party he's representing, but his presence is certainly being......

Torontoist Environment Editor Chris Tindal is currently engaged in a federal by-election campaign. This weekly column is an attempt to offer a "behind the scenes" glimpse into what it's like to be that mysterious Other: a politician. Successful election campaigns require money, and that funding obviously has to come from donors. I've noticed a number of misconceptions about how political campaigns are funded, probably due to the fact that election financing laws have changed frequently......

Torontoist Environment Editor Chris Tindal is currently engaged in a federal by-election campaign. This weekly column is an attempt to offer a "behind the scenes" glimpse into what it's like to be that mysterious Other: a politician. Right before Christmas (and just days before the deadline) the prime minister finally called a by-election for the riding of Toronto Centre, left vacant by Bill Graham last summer. He also called by-elections for three other ridings across......

Queen Elizabeth II––who you will recall is our Head of State and yet still won't pony up to fix the TTC ––- has had her annual Christmas address posted on YouTube this year. The 81-year-old monarch gives a dignified formal message about her thoughts on the past year and hopes for the future before stripping to bra and panties and lip-syncing to Nellie Furtado's "Promiscuous." Stephen Harper made a perplexing statement on immigration, suggesting......

Ballet Jorgen's Anastasia is making its way around the country, and if you missed its Toronto stop on Saturday, you missed quite the treat. Audiences packed into the Toronto Centre for The Arts to see Bengt Jorgen's intricately choreographed tale about the infamous Russian Grand Duchess, which follows the four years leading up to that fateful day in 1918 when she disappeared forever. Jorgen is known for his eccentric ballets, but with Anastasia he......

Ballet Jorgen is notorious for its unique, original ballets, and they are leaping into their 20th year with their largest undertaking to date. Anastasia tells the story of the famous Russian Grand Duchess over four years during the Russian Revolution. Complete with an original score composed by Russian-Canadian composer Ivan Barbotin and an award-winning crew on hand, this piece is bound to mesmerize its audiences. Want to go? Well lucky you, because we have......

"It's hard to beat the system / when we're standing at a distance / so we keep waiting / waiting on the world to change." - JOHN MAYER How Do You Get To Massey Hall? I don't know, I only came close. I can at least tell you that practice has nothing to do with it. I'd practiced my speech a lot. Last night I was invited to represent my party (the Green Party of......

As you may have read, Blue Rodeo played a series of free concerts around the city yesterday. As you also may have read, there's a provincial election going on. Reader Matt Kim sent us the following story of a rather odd intersection of the two: Me and some of my co-workers left early today to see Blue Rodeo, who were playing various spots around Toronto, promoting their new album. By the time we'd arrived,......

Bill Graham retires. The MP for Toronto Centre hopes that the by-election is called promptly so that Bob Rae can run for his seat. Torontoist's reaction at losing Bill Graham and getting Bob Rae can mostly be described as a vaguely displeased-sounding "oh, goody." Ontario to establish $650 million fund to encourage development and manufacture of clean cars and other environmentally friendly products. Most predict that this will go towards new auto parts manufacturing, ensuring......

City council says up to 2,500 tonnes of dog poop are deposited in park trash bins every year. This is problematic since our garbage dumps in Michigan refuse to take it. So where should we put our growing heap of canine feces? Councillor Pam McConnell (Ward 28, Toronto Centre-Rosedale) thinks the city should provide green bins in parks, while Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth) doesn't think it's a big deal for dog owners......

The Liberal Party narrowly wins a minority government in Quebec. The ADQ came in a very close second, and Mario Dumont will be the official opposition leader when the Quebec National Assembly reconvenes. Many voters expressed their dissatisfaction with Premier Jean Charest, expressing their desire for a premier who looks less like Gene Wilder circa See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Toronto residents face a potential 3.8 percent property tax hike this year. City......

Health Minister, legislative pitbull and name caller George Smitherman is responding to Stephen Harper's open endorsement for John Tory by challenging him to a cage match. Actually, Smitherman only challenged the current Ontario Conservative leader to run in Toronto Centre. But seeing how Smitherman won with over 51% of the vote in 2003, doubled the PC candidate and the unpopularity of the Conservative party in the riding, Tory might actually fare better in the ring.......

Yesterday's good-natured debate between Toronto Centre candidates provided Ryerson with a few laughs, and few memorable quotes. Here's a sample: "I've spent a lot of time on the ground in Toronto Centre, and I am in favour of same-sex marriage. My leader embraces me for that position." - Conservative candidate Lewis Reford, getting a few giggles for an unintentional play on words "Bill Graham isn't here, but don't take it personally. This is the third......

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On Yonge Street just north of Elm Street, in front of the store in which 15-year-old Jane Creba killed by an errant bullet, a group of about 200 gathered to mourn the deaths of all those killed by guns in 2005. There was a moment of silence before each candle was dedicated to a shooting victim; one candle for any one of the 52 victims. Organizer Himy Syed placed his candle down for Jane......