WARMINGTON: Forget the lights and cameras, mayor, we need action in Toronto

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Yes, that was Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow you saw on location for this movie production.

The scene for this Toronto movie script is being written in Dublin and London. Starring Toronto’s dancing and dressup mayor, this project is not being produced at our City Hall but ones in Ireland and England.

But funded by Toronto taxpayers.

“This trade mission is about supporting more economic opportunities for Toronto workers and businesses, including export diversification and foreign direct investment attraction,” Chow said in a news release on the rationale of going across the pond for film industry trade discussions until Saturday.

It may feel like a comedy, but it’s being sold as a business trip.

“I am pleased to be joined by leaders from Toronto’s film industry to highlight one of the many sectors in which Toronto is home to a world-class industry,” said Chow, who is expected to meet with Dublin Mayor Ray McAdam and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

With McAdam not tweeting about Chow’s visit and the Irish press not seeming to mention it, this feels more like a prime-time summer getaway at a time when Torontonians are struggling to pay for lodging and facing crime, high taxes and long waits for emergency services.

Apparently that stuff can wait.

“It comes down to a question of priorities,” said Councillor Brad Bradford. “And I certainly think there’s lots for the mayor and council to be working on on this side of the Atlantic.”

Turns out, though, that U.S. President Donald Trump is being written in as the villain.

“At a time of historic uncertainty, reliable trade partners have never been more important,” said Chow.

First Carney was taking Canadian trade to Europe and now it’s Chow.

“The city is leading collaborative, export-focused initiatives that enhance Toronto’s role as a global trade player,” said a release. “In addition to trade missions, Toronto is also delivering city-led and partner-driven programs that address key gaps especially for SMEs (small and medium enterprises) with a focus on three core areas: Education and capacity building, strategic market access through trade missions and targeted support for priority sectors.”

Say what? Move over Eglinton-Crosstown!

“I can appreciate the need to diversify our relationships, looking for new partnerships and investment,” said Bradford. “But as a local councillor, I hear about all the challenges facing the city right here at home. I hear from Torontonians struggling to make ends meet in a city that’s less and less affordable, gridlock that has made commutes unbearable and has ground the city to halt, parents who are concerned about safety in our park and safety on transit.”

It’s unclear how many people are on the Toronto tab for this trip, how much the bill will be and if there will be any economic benefit. But what is known is July is not a cheap time to visit the United Kingdom or Ireland.

“It’s peak season,” said Bradford. “Why now?”

It’s my view that nobody from city hall should be there and that no grants, funding or tax credits to foreign entertainment or business ventures should be offered. This includes the World Cup of soccer, which the elite should pay for with their own hundreds of millions.

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If the mayor or council want to go to the U.K, they should pay for expenses themselves – like late mayor Rob Ford did when he went to Austin, Texas, to check out the live music industry in 2013.

“I paid my own way and for my staff. I think it was $9,000,” Ford told me at the time.

There should be no municipal taxpayer money used to fund international soccer tournaments or concert stadiums or movies or basketball practice facilities. If the show they are putting on is good enough – like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which put on six soldout shows here in 2024 with no subsidies – then it benefits Toronto. If it needs to be propped up by families who can’t make ends meet, it’s not helping Toronto.

Local governments should stick to roads and public safety. I don’t want to ruin Chow’s excellent adventure, but with food bank lines around the block, she should get back here and do the job she’s elected and paid well to do. However, Chow’s news release argues “Toronto’s economic relationship with Ireland, as the only English-speaking country in the European Union, is a gateway into the EU single market for Toronto businesses.”

There may be a debate if this movie’s plot is fictional, but there’s no debating England and Ireland are nice in July – especially when someone else pays.