21 big-city mayors urge voters to focus on urban issues

Twenty-one big-city mayors have urged voters intheircommunities to "Vote for Cities" as part of an initiative launched across Canada on Tuesday.

Mayors across the country held coordinated press conferences to ask votersto focus their electoral attention on three key issues in cities:transit,infrastructure and housing.

The initiative comes from the Federation of CanadianMunicipalitiesBig CityMayorsCaucus.

"It certainly is about infrastructure spending and the need to be supported in our infrastructure needs across our communities," saidDoug Craig, mayor of Cambridge, Ont.

"From an affordable housing perspective, some of the federal programs are going to be expiring," added Dave Jaworsky, mayor of Waterloo, Ont.

"In cooperative residences where rent is geared to income we're going to have a problem where they're going to have to go to market rates, and that's just not affordable."

Jaworsky said over 200,000 households across Canada would be affected by the scheduled end to current federal affordable housing projects.

National voices

Toronto, Ont. Mayor John Toryadded his voice to the national chorus.Tory saidhe's not going to tell people who to vote for, but he'surging them to make a choice that will foster a strong economy and abetter quality of life.

Halifax, N.S.Mayor Mike Savagesaidif the advance polls are any indication, Halifax hasa highly engaged electorate and he knows people will vote in a waythat best serves the interests of the region.

"It's an opportunity... to bring some focus to those urban issues," said Kitchener, Ont. Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, "to remind people to read up on them and ultimately to remind them to go and vote that's the mostimportant thing."