Ask mayor to aid non-troubled kids find work too
By IAN ROBERTSON, TORONTO SUN
After meeting him yesterday at the second of four post-election visits around the city this weekend, the sisters said they feel left behind in the recent wave of concern and lobbying for jobless immigrants.
Black and Canadian-born, Yetunde, 24, said, "There are jobs for troubled youth, but what about the ones who are doing what they're supposed to be doing?"
"Too many get overlooked by negative instances of youth shootings and violence," Olakemi, 22, said after Miller complimented them for their dedication to education and careers.
With their parents promoting schooling and careers and with Mahatma Ghandi's lessons guiding them, the sisters chose industrial engineering at Ryerson University.
They came to the mayor's reception at North Kipling Community Centre to ask him about a mentorship program for minorities, Yetunde said. "It's scary when you go to school and you can't use your skills."
Miller has pledged $1 million in a "partnership" program with troubled communities by 2010.
He told the sisters the city is "starting an African-Canadian program geared to employment ... and are hoping to include students and professionals," Olakemi said.
'LIVEABILITY'
"It's all about improving productivity, and efficiency," ranging from building better cars or "faster hospitals," Yetunde said of their dreams.
"Liveability is what it's all about," Miller said, before he and Ward 1 Councillor Suzan Hall rejoined 150 visitors -- including representatives of the Tamil, Sikh, Somali and Italian communities in north Etobicoke -- for handshakes, hugs and photos.
"We want to make sure every young person, from every neighbourhood, has an opportunity," Miller said.
He repeated his latest campaign -- to lobby higher levels of government to bail Toronto out of its financial woes, increase public housing and extend public transit.
"There is no alternate plan" if the province and Ottawa snub him, but he said "we need a new deal, we need 1% of the sales tax if Torontonians want their city to succeed."
Before leaving the reception, which he said was staged to take the inauguration of the new city council into communities, the mayor also thanked namesake fans Joy Miller, 70, and her husband Leo, 75.
Unrelated, Joy, a retired receptionist, came "to praise him ... he does a good job," she said, adding Hall "is really good for the community."
Several civic employees who live in the neighbourhood greeted their boss, but unlike other taxpayers, they were strictly muzzled.
Today Miller will be at the Malvern Community Recreation Centre on Sewells Rd. at 1 p.m., then Lawrence Heights Community Centre on Replin Rd. at 3:30 p.m.
Source: Toronto Sun, Dec 10, 2006