January 25, 2022
Good morning and thank you for the kind introduction. My thanks as well to the Chamber of Commerce
for hosting this event as it has for the last 43 years. Let me acknowledge and commend Graham Henderson for his work in ensuring this remains the largest gathering of its kind in all of Canada, virtual or otherwise. We are grateful for the leadership you, your team, the Chamber Board of Directors, and all of your volunteers provides to London’s business community.
Let me also recognize City of London workers, union executives and members, as well as our senior leadership team, led by City Manager Lynne Livingstone. The support and cooperation we have enjoyed from each of you has been phenomenal. You have demonstrated leadership and a resolve to serve our City with distinction.
Similarly, and equally important, my sincerest thanks to those with whom I have the pleasure to serve as part of London City Council.
I want to give special recognition to Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan. He is a voice of reason, and a pragmatist to the core, something that’s increasingly rare in this political climate. He cares deeply about our city, and the people who live here. I am grateful for his support.
This, as we know, is the final State of the City before October’s municipal election, and regardless of what voters decide, we know the next Council will appear different than this one. It’s important then for me to address my colleagues, in this setting, to celebrate their hard-work and recognize their commitment to all Londoners.
Over the last four years, there have been debates, and there have been divides. However, on the issues of greatest importance, and of most significance, I am proud to say this Council has been united. There is no division on climate change. There are no close votes when it comes to caring for London’s most vulnerable, anti-racism measures, nor our historic commitments towards affordable housing. When it matters most, London City Councillors stand as one. It is my honour to serve alongside each of you, and your contributions to London will be felt long after this term has concluded.
Where matters of time, and calendar are concerned, I’d also note that Groundhog Day is next week. I point this out only because everyone may feel as if they’ve played starring roles in the famous movie of the same name. The calendar reads 2022, yet, in many ways, it resembles a repetition of 2021 and 2020.
Consider this: at last year’s State of the City address, on that same morning, thousands of businesses were coming out of a nearly 7-week lockdown. One year later, on this day, a separate round of restrictions are due to end next week. You know, I described the State of our city last year as tired, anxious, weary, and frustrated. One year later, those descriptors still apply, although I’d also add caring, determined, and resilient. Perhaps one more: exhausted. And, truly, how could it be otherwise?
COVID has dominated our lives, on a daily basis, for nearly two full years now and it continues to do so.
This is unlike anything any of us has ever known, and after all we’ve been through, after all we’ve sacrificed – individually and collectively – let’s be blunt: many aren’t only exhausted, perhaps most concerning — those who’ve done the right things, and continue to do the right things, may be left wondering “what’s the point? Does any of this matter?”
Well, let me tell you, from my heart, it does matter. It matters more than you know. These aren’t just empty words, or rhetoric. They’re born out in fact, and in lives saved.
If not for you, those who’ve done the right things, the wave of infections and hospitalizations we’ve seen recently would have been exponentially worse. Countless numbers of people would have lost their lives. The restrictions soon set to expire, measured in weeks, would have undoubtedly been measured in months. Our economy would’ve been in ruins, and our healthcare system in a state of total collapse.
You prevented that. And, that’s why doing the right thing matters, even when it means enduring the slings and sneers from those who do otherwise. All of us should be exceptionally proud that London is one of the top five most vaccinated jurisdictions in all of Ontario. That pride should swell even further when we think of thousands of Londoners who have fought this battle on the frontlines day after day: grocery store staff, delivery drivers, essential service workers, first responders, and healthcare heroes.
Omicron is subsiding, and by all indications, that decline will happen quickly. When it does, this may well be remembered as the storm before the calm. That is my hope. However, if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that hope is not a strategy, and therefore, a strategy is required to ensure that hope is realized.
To that end, I have two requests for our provincial and federal government partners.
Number one: unless or until we get serious about the unvaccinated, we can be certain that a future variant - and the one after that - will all but guarantee the same outcome. So long as one out of ten people refuse to take the most basic of precautions, our healthcare system will always be at risk of being overrun. Surgeries will be seriously delayed or cancelled, because those who overwhelm our hospital beds, and intensive care units are overwhelmingly the unvaccinated. It boils down to this: 90% of our society, those who have done the right things, repeatedly, for over two years simply cannot be expected to continue doing the heavy lifting in perpetuity for 10% who refuse to do the bare minimum. I don’t have the legislative tools to affect a solution, but it’s obvious where - and to whom - our efforts should be focused.
My second request: there’s an absolutely urgent need to begin a national conversation about healthcare capacity in Canada. This was an issue prior to COVID, and it’s been the dominant issue throughout the pandemic. Canada ranks 41st out of 137 countries around the world when it comes to healthcare capacity, according to a recent analysis. This includes nurses, specialists, physicians, and hospital beds per capita. It simply cannot persist. The situation is especially stark in Ontario. Among Canadian provinces, where these metrics are concerned, ours ranks at or near the bottom in every category.
We talk about our healthcare heroes, we love our healthcare heroes, but acts of heroism should not be required if these individuals had proper supports as part of a system that’s properly resourced. London is home to the best healthcare facilities in Canada, along with some of the best researchers, and medical innovators anywhere in the world. Brilliant minds like Dr. Chil-Yong Kang, and his team at Schulich who are developing a new vaccine that shows early promise in producing stronger, and longer-lasting immunity. We have unparalleled expertise, and the capacity to make significant contributions to this vital discussion, assuming there are likeminded partners willing to do the same. This is a national conversation that cannot wait. As we have done throughout the pandemic, London is ready to play a leading role.
In the short-term, COVID will become manageable, treatable, and preventable. Having said it, the virus will not go away. We must learn to live with it. However, learning to live with it also means ensuring we learn from it, and applying the lessons it has taught. Chief among those is the value of being proactive rather than reactive. That, in essence, is what I have proposed here today.
Despite our COVID related fatigue, our exhaustion, our malaise - perhaps, in some ways, because of those things - we have never needed reason to cheer, or reason to join together in common celebration as much as we have over these last several months.
That came from the London Majors, winning the Intercounty Baseball League Championship for the first time since 1971, a championship decided at historic Labatt Park, the oldest continually operating baseball grounds in the world. It came from the London Beefeaters, Ontario Football Conference Champions for the first-time in franchise history. It came too from The Western Mustangs, once again the best University football team in all of Canada, and once again reigning Vanier Cup champions.
In most other cities, any one of these achievements would be more than enough for a single calendar year. Well, not in the Forest City, or, as it’s now known, post-Olympics, Canada’s Golden City. From quite literally start to finish, London athletes in Tokyo captured the attention of our entire country, and put the world on notice.
Think about it: The Canadian flag bearer for the opening ceremonies is a Londoner; four of our country’s seven gold medals were linked to Londoners, and one of those gold medalists – Damian Warner – was also the flag bearer for the closing ceremonies. Another, Maggie Mac Neil, was named best female athlete at the Olympics. No other city in Canada produced more gold medals than London. In fact, if London was a country, we’d have more gold medals than 184 of the 206 nations that competed in Tokyo.
As a result, and until someone proves otherwise, London will remain Canada’s Golden City, but that’s not all. We are also - officially - Canada’s ‘City of Music.’ That’s straight from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, also known as UNESCO. Back in November, after a long process, UNESCO - based in Paris, France - designated London as a ‘City of Music.’ We are the only city in Canada with that designation.
This provides incredible opportunities, especially as our economic and social recovery from COVID begins to take hold in a major way. While there can be no doubt we earned the designation, starting this spring and beyond, we’re going to prove why we are - without question - Canada’s “City of Music.”
London’s internationally recognized, UNESCO City of Music designation will build better infrastructure, re-energize the core, redevelop a skilled workforce, and create more memorable experiences, while attracting greater events and new visitors to London.
Music can and will serve as an important contributor to London’s community recovery and renewal, while offering a sustained economic boost to our city.
As a first step, I propose that we formally designate London’s Core Area as our defined entertainment district, and further strengthen the role music plays in the heart of London. We will explore how we can streamline approvals for projects in the entertainment sector, and identify opportunities for investments in entertainment infrastructure.
To do so, we need to let the music play. As such, we will develop a new sound by-law for outdoor concerts and events.
Looking ahead, there are also tremendous opportunities to reinvigorate London’s downtown and core area through effective partnerships with the private, non-profit, and institutional sectors. London’s post- secondary presence in the downtown is strong with both Fanshawe College and now Western University signaling their intent to grow those footprints. We will explore alongside our partners to create new experiences in the core and new opportunities for London’s music talent – and our connection to global music talent – to succeed and thrive right here in London through investments into incubation capacity for the music and cultural sectors.
By taking deliberate steps to embrace and support our music and cultural industries, we will generate new energy and excitement in the core, drive economic benefits, and increased business engagement. We will foster new employment opportunities while bringing even more events, creating more internationally recognized spaces, and welcome world class artists to London as we continue to develop incredible talent in our community. We will build on the successes of the JUNOs, the Ontario and Canadian Country Music Awards, along with our phenomenal local music, theatre, culture, and arts venues.
This is an exceptionally exciting time for London. We have much to look forward to, and many future celebrations to share. I know those moments have, at times, been increasingly difficult to find. In fact, Londoners have spent much of the last year enduring and comforting each other through trauma, the likes of which few other communities have ever experienced.
I think of a toddler who lost her life, falling from a high-rise apartment balcony in Old East Village. I think of countless blue ribbons and blue porch lights in honour of Alexandra Stemp, the 8-year-old Girl Guide who was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle at Wonderland and Riverside. These families have experienced heartache beyond measure.
I think back to September, and the painful, visceral conversations surrounding sexual assault and gender-based violence in wake of trauma experienced both on-campus and off.
And, to this day, I think of June 6th.
I think of Salman Afzaal, Madiha Salman, Yumna Afzaal, Talat Afzaal. I think of Fayez Afzaal. We remember what happened. We must never forget why it happened.
It was a terrorist attack, an act of mass murder, and a grotesque expression of hatred rooted in Islamophobia. It was, without question, the darkest hour in London’s history.
The magnitude of what happened to this family, and to our Muslim community at large, can make us question who we are as a city, and who we are as Londoners. We now live in a time, and in a place, where thousands of Muslims -- our family members, neighbours, friends, and co-workers – when they’re out for a walk, and through no fault of their own, may be looking over their shoulders. We have an obligation to you, and to each other. We have an obligation to the memories of the Afzaal family. Above all, we as Londoners have a moral obligation to Fayez Afzaal.
All of us now must confront the question: in what kind of community, what kind of city, and what kind of country will that little boy’s recovery take place – physically, mentally, and spiritually?
It must not be one where clothing, and religion marks one for death. Instead, it must be one where we celebrate a Londoner, who attends the same Mosque, practices the same religion, who wears a hijab, and who today is welcomed with open arms as the first Muslim woman to serve on London City Council.
Ours must not be a community where Londoners look the other way, pretend not to hear, or keep to themselves while hatred goes unchecked. Instead, it must be one where, in the days that followed, thousands of us - people of all ages and backgrounds - walked our streets together. Where strangers comforted strangers at the site of the attack. And where children, with messages written in chalk, left promises of a brighter future.
Ours will not be a community where hatred that claimed the lives of the Afzaal family is allowed to fester, in ways both subtle and overt. Instead, it must be one where words are backed by action. The creation of an entire Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression division at City Hall to drive systemic change on what is, clearly, a systemic issue; bringing together voices from across the country as part of a National Summit on Islamophobia, listening instead of talking, and then acting on what we hear from those most directly impacted. Overhauling our community grants program to ensure 86% of the funds go to organizations doing anti-racism work and other efforts focused on equity and diversity.
Through these measures and so many more — this is how we begin to uphold our obligation to 9-year- old Fayez. And through him, how we honour his sister, his mother, his father, and his grandmother. That is how we ultimately reclaim our collective humanity, and restore dignity for all Londoners.
But, Islam is not alone in being targeted for senseless violence.
Anti-Semitism is sadly too common as is anti-Black and anti-Asian racism. Members of our LGBTQ2S+ community are similarly targeted. And anti-Indigenous discrimination remains prevalent. The recovery to date of more than twelve-hundred children buried at former Residential School sites across our country repeats a cycle of generational trauma for Indigenous communities. The arson, just two months ago, of an Indigenous-led shelter on River Road is a piercing and painful reminder that this is not only an exercise in confronting our past. It is one that continues to this day.
The path towards truth and reconciliation is long, and, at times, uncomfortable. The destination speaks
in a fundamental way to who we are as human beings, and what we hope to become as a community.
I believe Canada is the greatest country in the world. This is also a country whose complex history is marred by racism and violence against Indigenous people. Both of those statements can be true. This is not a call for cancellation, nor exuberant celebration. This is a plea for truth, understanding, and reconciliation.
In many ways, and especially in our city, these last twelve months were a time to grieve, a time to empathize, and a time to listen. We will continue to do those things, although in addition, and especially, 2022 must be a year for action.
The stakes are simply too high to do otherwise. People’s lives are literally hanging in the balance. In the last year, homeless Londoners were dying at an unprecedented rate. According to some estimates, that number was one person every week — a dramatic increase from the year prior.
If not now, then when? If not us, then who?
At this time last year, I not only issued a challenge — I made a commitment that we would provide an additional 3,000 affordable housing units in the next 5 years. London had just become the first community in all of Canada to achieve functional zero when it came to Veterans homelessness. We must do the same for chronic homelessness, period.
I’ll tell you this, politics isn’t just what you believe. It’s what you prioritize. And let me be clear, and in no uncertain terms: we have prioritized our most vulnerable, and this cause, like no other City Council in London’s history.
Since last year’s State of the City address, we have made historic investments. Our Roadmap to 3,000 units has been unanimously endorsed by Council, and is now an exceptionally detailed plan with a one- billion dollar price-tag.
We are not doing this alone. This is a multi-pronged approach consisting of the City of London, other orders of government, and the community at large. This is an issue that impacts all of us, and so it is one that requires our collective efforts. It requires our collective empathy and compassion. It also makes economic sense. Countless numbers of studies and research demonstrate the costs associated with housing are exponentially less than the costs associated with homelessness.
While this is a five year plan, I am heartened by some of the early signs of progress. Starting this year, thanks to a $68.5-million investment from Council, and with support from the CMHC, London and Middlesex Community Housing will repair and upgrade more than 2,000 units.
We also approved $11.2-million to support the Vision SoHo Alliance, a first-of-its-kind partnership among six local non-profit organizations, all of whom are working together to create the single largest affordable housing development in London’s history. This plan will see a total of 650 units, 400 of which will be affordable, built on the former Victoria Hospital lands. Construction has already started.
The progress in subsequent years will only accelerate. We have overwhelming support from the
provincial and federal governments, non-profits, and an endless list of support groups and agencies. We also have support from ordinary Londoners doing extraordinary things to make a difference.
Volunteering time, donating to fundraising drives and hamper programs, or a self-described ‘charity
grandma,’ a London woman who hangs hundreds of handmade toques from trees in Victoria Park, free for those who need them.
Another key contributor to this effort must be our development community. We need your increased participation as we work collaboratively. I don’t think there’s any question the City of London is a committed partner. Despite the pandemic, we issued more than one-billion dollars in building permits for a sixth straight year, and this time it happened faster than ever before. The value of that construction also skyrocketed, worth more than twice what it was the previous year.
Many developers have come to me, acknowledging London has been good to them, and good for business. They want to give back, they want to help. Let me say, in no uncertain terms, this is how you can help. Work with us, work with this community, and, together, let’s become the first city in Canada to achieve functional zero for chronic homelessness. Your legacy will be measured in lives saved on the street, not just cranes in the sky.
Our developers, our builders, and our construction workers are the best anywhere. They prove that time and time again. In fact, most recently, London ranked first among 10 cities analyzed by the Municipal Benchmarking Network when it came to new housing units built per capita. We outpaced Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal. Imagine what we could do if that same enthusiasm, that same dedication, and innovation was also applied to affordable housing?
Make no mistake: our commitment is strong, and unwavering. We are approaching this with as great a focus as anything that’s come before us, and we will use all tools at our disposal to ensure its success. We will deploy those measures to ensure even greater residential intensification in the core. While we are growing steadily, we require even greater resolve to make that growth incredibly dynamic.
Let me also say that while we undertake this historic effort, and just as we provide supports for London’s most vulnerable, there must be parallel supports for those who live, shop, and work in the downtown and surrounding areas. As such, we have amended our Core Area Action Plan to better reflect the realities of the pandemic. This includes greater investments in street cleaning and garbage collection, activating Dundas Place with music and other activities, and enhanced communications to highlight positive events in the core.
What has also become abundantly clear to me, however, is the need for more Police officers. Our London Police Service is one of the leanest police services in Ontario across almost every metric. For too long, we have asked them to do too much with too little.
An investment towards increasing the size of our Police service, at this stage, is as much about core area revitalization, and economic prosperity as it is about safety and security. We must find a way to provide our London Police Service with greater resources, thereby providing London residents and businesses with increased supports.
You’ll remember, I said earlier, politics isn’t just what you believe. It’s what you prioritize. When I first
took office, one month after being sworn-in at my first State of the City, I not only told you in what I believed, I told you what I would prioritize. Aside from London’s Most Vulnerable, I made clear jobs and economic prosperity would also be prioritized as never before.
Would it surprise you to know, that as of this moment, ours is the hottest economy anywhere in Ontario? In fact, not only is London’s the best performing economy in all of Ontario, according to Statistics Canada, our record is unmatched anywhere in the country.
London is currently in the midst of 18 straight months of net new employment growth. That’s the longest streak of monthly job creation of any municipality in Canada. During those 18 months, we’ve added 56,200 jobs. That’s 56,200 people now gainfully employed who were not working when the pandemic hit.
Our unemployment rate is now back to pre-pandemic levels, and lower than both the current provincial and national averages — neither of those things were true when this Council took office. Three-and-a- half years ago, our labour participation rate was the worst in Ontario. As of last month, it’s improved at a faster rate than anywhere else in the province.
And here’s something else: during the entire term of this term of Council, on a per capita basis, London’s workforce has increased at a greater pace than economies in Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, Guelph, and Windsor. Some thought I was over-promising after being elected when I said, by the end of this term, I wanted 13,000 additional Londoners working. Well, we’ve now exceeded that target nearly three times over. This has everything to do with the confidence the business community is showing in London.
We are once again the undisputed economic engine of southwestern Ontario. When this Council took office, more than a few people were asking “what’s going on with London’s economy?” The question hasn’t changed, but the tone most certainly has.
So, what is going on with London’s economy?
We didn’t ‘believe’ this turnaround into existence. Council and staff prioritized it, we narrowed our focus, and we worked on it, especially when the pandemic hit. We recognized in the very early days of COVID that rebuilding, and revitalizing London would necessitate an equally unprecedented response. That’s why, along with then-Deputy Mayor Jesse Helmer, we formed an economic and social recovery task force which would later become the London Community Recovery Network. A first of its kind approach in all of Canada, involving widespread representation from our public, private, non-profit and institutional sectors, the Network’s sole purpose was to drive a strong and inclusive recovery for London.
The many months of work put in by members of the Network is one of the primary reasons ours has performed better than any other economy in Ontario during the pandemic, and why it will continue to do so.
It is appropriate to pay tribute to our smaller employers who have been most impacted by COVID. I think of downtown London where, last year, despite ten businesses closing -- 36 new businesses opened,
including 20 restaurants. It’s why we put such great emphasis on shopping local, and ordering takeout. That hasn’t changed, and we need all Londoners to make that commitment. We also see constant examples of London’s entrepreneurial spirit. Look at In The Clear Zone, a female-led startup launched by two Western Grads, now receiving support from TechAlliance, the Chamber, and others as they go national.
Our efforts, of course, are far from over. The recovery continues, at times in fits and starts, but it continues nevertheless, and so too will our work.
And as strong as our economy has remained, like so many other things, we know there are even brighter days ahead.
Over the coming months, we can expect more than 1,200 jobs from two Amazon warehouses in London and a large fulfillment centre under construction at the former Ford assembly plant site. More than 1,600 jobs from Maple Leaf Foods when it opens later this spring. A few months after that, construction on phase one of the Hard Rock Hotel at The Factory should be underway. Others including AnvoPharma, Aspire Food Group, and Boss Innovations will soon open their doors, requiring hundreds of employees. The Nestle and Labatt plant expansions, to name just a few more, will also generate hundreds of new jobs in London.
The growth of our manufacturing sector is complemented by the efforts of Kapil Lakhotia and his team at the London Economic Development Corporation. In addition to incorporating the development of a Film Industry in our City, their next challenge will be to attract and retain white collar workers in London.
Not only are more jobs coming, but so too are more people. According to a recent study that looked at the fastest growing medium to large sized cities in North America over the last five years, London ranked second in Canada -- and seventh in all of North America. The cost of living remains comparatively low, and despite historic investments in affordable housing, and transportation, Council just approved its lowest tax increase in four years at 2.8% — well below the rate of inflation.
So, with all of these jobs, and all of these people, we need to improve how we get around - especially to areas where many of these jobs are located. This is something the London Transit Commission is working hard to achieve. Despite the pandemic, and despite an operator shortage, there are plans in place to extend transit into Innovation Park through a new On-Demand service. There are also plans to expand service to the Huron and Robin’s Hill Road area. The timing, however, depends on how fast we can recruit, and hire new operators.
In the same way we have proven ourselves the undisputed economic engine of southwestern Ontario, we are also the region’s transportation hub.
The provincial government has said as much on multiple occasions, and it’s why I was given the responsibility, around this time last year, of chairing the Southwest Ontario Transportation Task Force. This group includes representation from mayors and Indigenous communities across the region, with a mandate to augment connections between rail, bus, road, air, and local transit service. We’ve been meeting regularly over the last 12 months, and are in the process of finalizing a list of recommendations
to be submitted to Ontario’s Transportation Minister in March.
It would be premature to share details of our draft report - however, I can say there will be recommendations for enhancements, in the short, medium and long-term, to all modes of transportation. This includes rail, transit, and active transportation — all with an overarching focus on regional inter-city connectivity.
While I’m excited to share our specific recommendations as soon as we’re able, the wheels are already in motion on several fronts. For example, last month, Council endorsed the creation of a downtown transit hub where public transit and rail service will converge. This is in addition to bike storage, e- vehicle charging stations, shuttles, scooters, and car shares. The purpose is not only to make it easier for Londoners to get around London, it is equally vital to ensure people from neighbouring regions can get to and around London with greater ease.
The strategy is similar with the arrival of GO Transit. As of today, it’s no secret the service is limited, especially if you’re going to Toronto, but the fact is London now has a stake in the ground. It is an important first step, and it’s exponentially easier to build on something than it is to merely talk about something. The simple fact is Metrolinx would not have spent $2.5-million on a two year trial just to see that investment fail. I expect their presence to grow in and through London.
Here’s a fun fact: despite a temporary reduction in service due to COVID, our Via Rail terminal remains the fourth busiest in all of Canada. London matters. The provincial government recognizes this. The Federal Government does too. That’s why they’re in the process of studying how to provide faster, more frequent, and more reliable rail service out of London. These efforts will improve our connectivity to Toronto. That’s a priority. We also need to recognize, as a transportation hub, that in the same way we look to Toronto - others look to London. They want to come here, and we want them here.
That’s one of the most immediate benefits of our GO Transit service. Don’t think only of Toronto, think of the greater frequency of service between London and KW, London and St. Marys, London and Stratford. These are all incredibly important for our region, especially our ever-expanding tech and tourism sectors.
While all of this is taking place, work continues on building out our own Rapid Transit system here in London — the largest infrastructure project in our city’s history. In less than four years, we not only secured record investments from our provincial and federal partners, we have shovels in the ground.
Just a few weeks ago, work was completed on the first phase of construction of what’s known as the Downtown Loop. Work on the remaining phases will take place this year, and next. The East London Link, which connects downtown with Fanshawe College and the Airport, starts as soon as possible this spring, while work on the Wellington Gateway begins next year.
Each of these represent generational and transformative change to London’s transit system.
This transformation, by the way, includes a shift away from diesel and towards a fully electrified bus fleet. This was something I announced two years ago at State of the City, and after a lot of research, and, in spite of COVID — we’re moving forward. Just last month, in another unanimous vote, Council
approved $26-million to begin the process by purchasing 10 electric buses and seven chargers. With this
initial investment approved, we believe it will lead to even greater contributions from our provincial and federal partners. That will only accelerate the conversion to an electrified public transit fleet.
Locally, greenhouse gas emissions from LTC buses represent as much as 40% of total emissions either controlled by, or directly influenced by, the City of London. Electrification remains one of the single most impactful things we can do as a City to achieve our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, or sooner.
More details on how we plan to thoughtfully, and aggressively address what this Council has declared to be a climate emergency will be unveiled next month through the release of our climate emergency action plan.
I’ll say it again, politics isn’t just what you believe, it’s what you prioritize. You’ll remember when I first took office, just one month after being sworn-in at my first State of the City, I not only told you in what I believed, I told you what I would prioritize. Those priorities were then what they remain today: jobs, transportation, and supporting London’s most vulnerable.
In the same way this community has come together during the pandemic, during moments of great joy, and times of unimaginable sadness, we have likewise rallied in support of these three key priorities.
However, no municipality can do it alone. We require support and cooperation from our provincial and federal government partners. Regardless of political affiliation, London has been blessed in that regard, and we’ve enjoyed phenomenal partnerships from our local Members of Parliament and Provincial Parliament.
I’ve spent considerable time this morning detailing what, together, we have accomplished. I’d like, for a moment, to share with you what I have learned.
More than anything, I’ve learned that every time Londoners have had a chance to turn inward, to think only of ourselves, we have instead looked outward and thought of each other. Londoners believe in each other, and they believe in this community. We are not merely a city, we are a family. Families celebrate together, families grieve together, and families succeed together.
We’ve got a city to love, so let’s wrap our arms around it, let’s put our heads together, and lead. These are the traits of a great city, one that has proven itself capable of withstanding unimaginable trauma, while at the same time, allowing us to build a fairer, more prosperous, and more compassionate London.
Let’s not only continue believing in each other, let’s ensure we prioritize each other; and that we always prioritize the city we call home. While the state of our times is unprecedented, the State of our City is
strong. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to serve. Thank you.