In the lead up to the 2022 Toronto municipal election, CJRU is reaching out to all candidates in the downtown wards.
After overseeing University-Rosedale as its Toronto District School Board (TDSB) school trustee, Chris Moise said he is ready to become Ward 13 Toronto Centre’s newest city councillor.
“I’ve advocated for my community for a long time, especially around issues of equity, ” he said.
For more than six years, Moise oversaw 34 schools in Toronto Centre and University-Rosedale. It is a role he believes he was able to offer a unique lense to, sitting at the board table as a gay Black man.
Seeing the deep pockets of poverty in Toronto Centre, Moise said various types of housing are required to ensure all residents can afford to have a home.
“Housing should be a right, not a privilege.”
As Toronto continues to see the emergence of tent encampments and the strain on its shelter system, Moise said there needs to be a “reimagination” of the entire system. New methods require building trust, he said.
For police reform, Moise said the role of policing needs to be redefined. Moise, who is a former police officer, said there is “too much stock” and “too much responsibility on the backs of police.”
According to Moise’s campaign manager Tyler Johnson, Moise was a police officer for about two years in Waterloo, ON.
Crime prevention should be the main responsibility of the police, and not crisis prevention, Moise said.
“When it comes to social aspects of our society that need support, be it mental health and the likes, I think we actually need wrap around services to help those in need.”
Moise said this includes introducing a non-emergency number to call when people are in a crisis.
With the installation of the current Community Crisis pilot project that responds to mental health crises without police present, Moise is advocating for its continued expanision in the downtown core as well.
Other initiatives Moise hopes to spearhead as a city councillor include creating a land trust in the Church and Wellesley corridor, as well as making the city a cultural hub.
“I feel like I’m very much connected in this community, and I’m looking forward to really representing them at city hall.”
Toronto’s election is set for Oct. 24 later this year.
This article was updated on Oct.18,2022.
Listen to Chris Moise’s full interview:
