In what is perhaps the worst-kept secret of 2009 George Smitherman — Ontario’s deputy premier, energy minister and friend of Dorothy — says he has told Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty that he’s leaving Queen’s Park for the heady wine of civic politics. He’s running for mayor of Toronto.
Read the Globe report here.
My favourite Smitherman quote came in 2007 when Xtra reporter Krishna Rau asked him about Queen’s Park’s ubiquitous honour as best cruising park in the annual Xtra Best awards.
"It’s a city park so we’ll have to defer to [city councillor] Kyle Rae,” he says. “But I’m not sure bragging about it is productive."
But Smitherman does remember an earlier favourite place for gay men.
“I thought it was very, very fitting that the Alexander Wood statue is located near to the [former] CBC parking garage."
There will be much more to come as the civic election heats up next year but at the very least we’re likely to have a sister on the ballot to spar with Enza. And that, on the face of it, is a good thing.
Here are some Smitherman highlights in Xtra over the past couple of years:
24 years on banks won’t take gay blood
Final electorial reform report delivered
Trans activists demand politcal reform
Pride Toronto gets cash infusion
Doctors say gay organ donor ban could lead to deaths
Gays should keep donating organs: Ontario group
