Peter Milczyn – Profile & Opening Statement at July 25, 2013 All Candidates Debate in Mimico

The following  Candidate Profile for Peter Milczyn is from the July 25, 2013 All Candidates Debate (or Discussion, if you prefer that term) in Mimico organized by the Mimico Residents Association.

Peter Milczyn:

Peter is the Liberal candidate. He was born and raised in South Etobicoke and currently lives in the Sunnylea neighbourhood of Etobicoke-Lakeshore with his wife and daughter. After graduating from Etobicoke Collegiate Institute and Mimico High School, Peter attended the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, graduating in 1989.

In 1994 Peter was first elected as Councillor with the former City of Etobicoke. Over the course of his three-year term his achievements included bringing architectural design excellence and urban design issues to the forefront of the political agenda in Etobicoke, playing a key role in the stimulation of development on the Etobicoke Motel Strip, including renaming it Humber Bay Shores.

Re-elected to the amalgamated city in 2000, and continuing his representation of Ward 5 to his current term, which is from 2010 until 2014, Peter proudly serves the residents of Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

Peter Milczyn’s Opening Three-Minute Statement at July 25, 2013 All Candidates Debate in Mimico:

Thank you. Good evening, everybody. My name is Peter Milczyn.

I want to thank the Mimico Residents Association for sponsoring this evening’s meeting.

I grew up just down the street here at Lake Shore and Burlington Streets.

I went to the David Hornell School and graduated from Etobicoke Collegiate Institute in Grade 12, but Grade 13 was actually Mimico High School.

So this part of Etobicoke-Lakeshore has a special place in my heart. This is my hometown.

And so I’ve had a long history representing many parts of Etobicoke-Lakeshore on City Council, first as the Etobicoke Councillor for Mimico and New Toronto, and subsequently now as the Toronto Councillor, and I’m proud of many of the achievements I’ve had here in Mimico – getting the Mimico by the Lake BIA up and running, after it fell into ruin; the Village of Mimico BIA; getting the Humber Bay Shores Condos Association up and running; renaming the Humber Bay Shores area; and starting on the Mimico Linear Park, back in 1995 – starting that process.

I’m proud to be running as a Liberal in this election because the Liberal Party and the Liberal Government has been making investments in our communities and people, over the last decade, and will continue to do so.

We’re investing in our public transit. For far too long, governments ignored that, and they cut transit funding. This government is investing $8.4 billion in new transit projects throughout the City of Toronto  – $41 million in Mimico GO Train Station; $56 million at the Kipling Hub; improvements at Long Branch Station; and many other projects throughout the GTA.

This government is investing in education, starting with early childhood education and the rollout of full-day kindergarten in schools across Etobicoke-Lakeshore. My daughter is four. I’m very happy that there’s a full-day kindergarten for her to go to this fall. I’m proud of it a government that invests in children.

I’m also proud of a government that is trying to address the issues of post- secondary education, by creating a reduction in tuition for up to 250,000 students – a 30% reduction for those who are most in need, so that their debt burden when they leave university or community college won’t be overwhelming.

A government that’s investing in our hospitals – providing funds to Trillium Health Care to create urgent care clinics and cancer care clinics here in our community; investing in more programs for seniors to be able to stay at home, with dignity in their homes – providing them more homecare.

This government is investing in our community, and I think you should elect somebody who’s going to be part of the government, that can ensure that those investments continue to flow here.