Community News
Laura -Maria Nikolareizi brings Rich Experiences to Candidacy of Spadina Fort York
BY PAUL JUNOR
It will be an exciting race in one of the fastest-growing wards in the upcoming municipal election in Toronto on Monday, October 24th, 2022. Twelve candidates will be vying for a seat on Toronto City Council in Ward 10 that is found in the Spadina Fort York area.
Laura-Maria Nikolareizi is one of the candidates in this hotly contested ward. She has lived by the waterfront in Ward 10 for 20 years and has: lived, worked, played, prospered and grown in Spadina Fort York.
I interviewed Laura-Maria on Friday, October 14th, 2022 and she shared with me many of the personal and professional reasons that motivate her to run for this seat in Ward 10- Spadina Fort York. She has over 13 years extensive experience having worked at the: municipal, provincial, and federal levels working for Cabinet Ministers and Mayor Mel Lastman. She states, “I am the only candidate with political, governmental, stakeholder relationships, community and corporate experiences.” These real-life and working experiences have given her a birds-eye view into the important concerns that challenges residents, business owners, commuters, and parents faced in the downtown core.
“Laura-Maria has been campaigning to promote the next generation of leaders, innovators and creators, from Gen Z VCs, to founders, angel investors, start-up enthusiasts, and aspiring venture capitalists (VCs),” said City Councillor Candidate Laura-Maria Nikolareizi. “I believe the future of our city, and even our world could be incubating here in Toronto. From legacy industry to emerging ecosystems, business is rapidly innovating thanks to the ideas, inventions, and investments of this emerging and younger community of entrepreneurs.
Every job that you can think of now—and in the future that we don’t even know is going to be created—is somehow going to be tied to tech. There’s a critical role that tech is going to play in any economy of the future, especially Toronto, and I want to lead that direction and make Toronto the unicorn machine, a friendly place for tech talent, startups and investment. Cities must be deeply invested in their local startup ecosystems,and this includes Gen Z. This is a powerful community for the entire VC sector.”
She also discussed the urgency for climate action and making Toronto a net-zero city. She wants to ensure: real action on land use reform, active transportation, and green leadership. “Other cities in Ontario are looking to us to see what’s possible. Toronto can and must reassume a global climate leadership role and we should be the greenest cities in the world. It’s time to elect leaders with the courage to lead Toronto once again,” said Laura-Maria.
Laura-Maria told me that she is particularly concerned that many individuals and working families cannot afford homeownership or rental housing in Ward 10. “Everybody wants to be here, we’re an extremely desirable city, which is a great thing. We don’t want to be less desirable, but it’s also creating a bit of a supply glut, raising prices a little bit because a lot of people want to come and live in Ward 10.”
Laura-Maria shares that as the next Toronto City Councillor, she is committed to tackling the housing shortage and ensuring that all Torontonians can have a home they can afford. If elected, she would fight to ensure that the development levy fees of $50 000 per door are scrapped. She believes that these fees are highly prohibitive and a major hurdle to ensuring that housing units are equitable and affordable.
Her website captures the essence of her philosophy that everyone deserves: to LIVE, WORK, PLAY, MOVE & PROSPER. She states, “We have the power to shape the future and become disruptors because it belongs to us. Let’s connect, collaborate, and make a lasting impact in a rapidly changing city.”
As one voter commented about Nikolareizi “She’s a leader who listens directly to the needs of people and uses the power of government to protect the most vulnerable. As a voter in Ward 10,” Sharon A states, “I know that Laura-Maria Nikolareizi is the Toronto City Councillor our Ward 10 Spadina FortYork needs at this moment — and for the next four years.”
Anyone interested in learning more about Laura-Marie Nikolareizi can visit her:
Website:http://www.LMN4WARD10.com
Twitter:@LMN4ARD10
Instagram:LMN4WARD10
Facebook:LMN4WARD10
Youtube: LMN4WARD10
Facebook: LMN4WARD10