Election 2015

Canada Next: Richard Florida, Roger Martin and David Wolfe on getting innovation right

sgupta — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 11:32:07 +0000

Canada Next: Richard Florida, Roger Martin and David Wolfe on getting innovation right sgupta Thu, 11/05/2015 - 06:32

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U of T experts Richard Florida, Roger Martin & David Wolfe are among those calling for a shift in the way the federal government thinks about innovation

Noreen Ahmed-Ullah

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Noreen Ahmed-Ullah

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Martin Prosperity Institute

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“We’ve had an innovation policy in Canada that’s been useless and pathetic,” Martin says

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his cabinet, he added the term “innovation” to the title of the new Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

For U of T professors who have been calling for Canada to push hard on spurring business innovation it was an important first step.

“We’ve had an innovation policy in Canada that’s been useless and pathetic,” said Professor Roger Martin, institute director of U of T’s Martin Prosperity Institute and former dean of the Rotman School of Management. “If we want better innovation outcomes, we have to move from attempting to influence how policy-makers think innovation happens to attempting to influence how it really happens.”

For U of T’s key economic and political thinkers, Canada’s lack of progress on the innovation front has been frustrating to watch.

“Canada is behind,” said Professor Richard Florida.

Under Florida’s Global Creativity Index, a measure of how 139 nations worldwide stack on the 3Ts of economic development – technology, talent and tolerance – Canada ranks fourth, driven largely by the country’s high performance on tolerance.

Meet the new cabinet ministers from the University of Toronto

sgupta — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 14:55:46 +0000

Meet the new cabinet ministers from the University of Toronto sgupta Wed, 11/04/2015 - 09:55

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(photo by Asif Ali via Flickr)

Alan Christie

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Sworn in at Rideau Hall: Dr. Jane Philpott, Catherine McKenna, Kirsty Duncan, Dr. Carolyn Bennett and Dominic LeBlanc

Members of the University of Toronto community are solidly represented in the new federal Liberal government, with five of them sworn in as cabinet members.

Justin Trudeau became Canada’s 23rd prime minister on Nov. 4 after winning a majority government on Oct. 19. He was sworn in at Rideau Hall, along with a cabinet divided equally between men and women.

The new Parliament includes dozens of U of T alumni. Former grads from all three campuses were elected from across all three major parties, including Conservative Tony Clement (University College, Faculty of Law), Liberals Bill Blair (University of Toronto Scarborough) and Gagan Sikand (University of Toronto Mississauga) and New Democrat Murray Rankin (Faculty of Law).

Among them are the new cabinet ministers, taking charge of some impressive portfolios.

Dr. Jane Philpott: Minister of Health
Philpott has a clinical, part-time appointment with the department of family and community medicine at U of T at the rank of associate professor. In 2012 she completed a Master of Public Health degree at U of T. Philpott founded Give a Day to World AIDS in 2004 which raised more than $4 million to help those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

She served as chief of the department of family medicine at Markham Stouffville Hospital from 2008 until 2014. Philpott was elected for the first time on Oct. 19 in the Markham-Stouffville riding.

Catherine McKenna: Minister of Environment and Climate Change
McKenna attended the University of St. Michael's College at U of T and graduated in 1994. A former legal adviser and negotiator for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in East Timor, she co-founded Level (previously known as Canadian Lawyers Abroad).

McKenna, who has taught at U of T's Munk School of Global Affairs in the past has a degree in international relations and French at U of T and a master’s degree in international relations at the London School of Economics as well as a law degree from McGill. She was elected for the first time on Oct. 19 in the riding of Ottawa Centre.

Kirsty Duncan: Minister of Science
Duncan, who earned a BA from University College in 1989, studied geography and anthropology at U of T and earned a PhD in geography at the University of Edinburgh. She has previously taught at the University of Toronto Scarborough and at Royal Roads University.

Duncan served on the intergovernmental panel on climate change, an organization that won the 2007 Nobel Prize with Al Gore and wrote a book about the Spanish flu pandemic in 2003. First elected in 2008, she was re-elected in Etobicoke North on Oct. 19.

Dr. Carolyn Bennett: Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs
As a former minister of state for public health, Bennett set up the Public Health Agency of Canada. She obtained her degree in medicine in 1974 and is the author the book Kill or Cure? How Canadians Can Remake their Health Care System.

Bennett was president of the medical staff association at Women’s College Hospital and has a clinical adjunct appointment in the department of family and community medicine at U of T, at the rank of assistant professor. First elected in 1997, she was re-elected on Oct. 19 in in the downtown Toronto riding of St. Paul’s.

Dominic LeBlanc: Government House Leader
LeBlanc, who holds a BA in political science from U of T and graduated from Trinity College in 1989, is the son of former Liberal cabinet minister and governor general Romeo LeBlanc. He is a lawyer from New Brunswick who served as a special adviser to former Prime Minister Jean Chretien before being elected in Beausejour in 2000. He has been re-elected four times since. He ran for the Liberal leadership in 2008 before bowing out to support Michael Ignatieff.

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ISIS, refugees and resisting nostalgia: experts debate Canada’s foreign policy future at Munk School roundtable

sgupta — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 15:25:49 +0000

ISIS, refugees and resisting nostalgia: experts debate Canada’s foreign policy future at Munk School roundtable sgupta Fri, 10/23/2015 - 11:25

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Hugh Segal (centre) and Stephen Toope (right) debate the future of Canada's foreign policy (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Terry Lavender

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Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Three days after Canadians elected a new government, the Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, the Munk School of Global Affairs and the Canadian studies program at University College hosted a roundtable discussion on the future direction of Canadian foreign policy.

Among the participants were Massey College Master Hugh Segal, and Munk School of Global Affairs Director Stephen Toope.

They engaged in a lively and wide-ranging debate on a number of foreign policy topics.

Strengthening international partnerships is one of the goals President Meric Gertler described in the recently released Three Priorities: A Discussion Paper.

U of T experts on what's next for Canada's international reputation

sgupta — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 09:11:33 +0000

U of T experts on what's next for Canada's international reputation sgupta Thu, 10/22/2015 - 05:11

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Social media and mainstream media were full of images like this one in the days after the Liberals swept into power, with pundits focusing on Justin Trudeau's appearance and image as much as – or more than – his policies (photo by Alex Guibord via flickr)

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Election 2015

Having the world’s media fawning and gawking over Canada’s newly elected prime minister isn’t necessarily a bad thing, says Hugh Segal.

And that's particularly true at a time when Canada’s international reputation has been called into question, the Master of Massey College and former member of the Senate said in an interview this week.

“Any time a modern industrial democracy elects a leader who acquires a star standing around the world very quickly, that is a tremendous plus for Canada,” said Segal. “It’s an instrument he can use because of the interest in his new role as prime minister to shape some perceptions of our foreign policy and our priorities in a way that might not have existed for his predecessor. I think it’s a good thing, not a bad thing.”

How Canada can re-assert its influence on the world stage will be up for discussion on Oct. 22 when U of T’s Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect organizes a roundtable featuring Jennifer Welsh, the U.N. Secretary General’s special adviser on the responsibility to protect, along with Professor Stephen Toope, director of U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs, Marius Grinius, former Canadian ambassador to South Korea and permanent representative to the UN and Segal.

The event, which will lead discussion on both Canada’s foreign policy and the UN’s responsibility to protect principle, will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at the Munk School of Global Affairs. Register for the event here.

The erosion of Canada’s international reputation was the subject of internal reports by senior Foreign Affairs officials leaked in the final weeks before this week’s election. The reports identified climate change, building stronger democracies and engaging the United Nations as key areas where Canada’s influence has dwindled. And the Harper government was criticized at length for distrust of its foreign service, selling off embassies abroad and for hurting Canada’s reputation by backing military action rather than diplomacy. They called for a post-election focus on improving the country’s image.

Along with fixing the country’s economy and uniting the country, that’s one of the critical challenges ahead for Trudeau, said Segal.

“I think the prime minister – because of global interest in his election and because of the reputation that the other Prime Minister Trudeau had – has a rare opportunity for Canada to reset international expectations and lay out some compelling priorities which will make it perfectly clear that Canada will be an engaged participant in the critical issues facing our allies and the international community.”

As he builds a cabinet, Trudeau must choose a foreign minister. Both Segal, who chaired the Senate’s committees on Foreign Affairs and Terrorism until 2014 and was appointed recently by Harper to co-chair an advisory committee on public service, and Munk School Professor Robert Bothwell, who has been vocal in his criticism of Harper’s foreign policy and poor relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama, suggested former astronaut Marc Garneau (at centre of photo by NASA).

“I very much hope that Trudeau will pick a foreign minister who is capable of repairing morale and giving new and rational direction to the department,” Bothwell said. “These are housekeeping tasks, perhaps, but if we don’t do them we will have no house to keep. The name of Marc Garneau is frequently mentioned, and in my opinion he would be an excellent choice.”

Segal calls for Trudeau to order a review of Canada’s foreign policy “to signal to the world and many groups of Canadians like NGOs that the government is looking for input in a way that could be very instructive.”

Both professors point to important meetings and summits ahead: When Trudeau meets with Commonwealth leaders in early November in Malta as they choose a new secretary general, Segal says Trudeau should take a strong position in support of reform and modernization of Commonwealth especially on issues like development, education, rule of law and democracy. En route, he will likely be going through the United Kingdom to pay his respect to the Queen and have some initial discussions with the British Prime Minister to talk about Afghanistan and Iran, and work at building relations.

Bothwell says the forthcoming UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris is another opportunity to show change.

“It will be a very high profile occasion and an ideal forum for showing that Canada is no longer AWOL from international cooperation,” Bothwell said.

The event will be held at Room 108N at the Munk School of Global Affairs. It is co-sponsored by the Canadian studies program at University College, the international relations program at Trinity College, the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History, the Centre for the Study of Korea at Asian Institute, the Munk School of Global Affairs and the International Relations Society.

Registration is required.

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Election 2015: social media highlights of a 78-day campaign

sgupta — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:22:46 +0000

Election 2015: social media highlights of a 78-day campaign sgupta Tue, 10/20/2015 - 11:22

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One of the images shared widely via social media on election night featured Justin Trudeau's head superimposed on Jose Bautista's body

Sarah Khan

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Undergraduate Students

During its 78-day campaign, the 42nd federal election in Canada dominated conversations at the University of Toronto –along with the Blue Jays and exams.

U of T experts weighed in with their analysis of the election campaign strategies, tactics and issues while students took to video and social media to urge each other to vote and to share their opinions on election priorities and party platforms.

Election 2015: students watch as red wave rolls across country

sgupta — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 14:08:32 +0000

Election 2015: students watch as red wave rolls across country sgupta Tue, 10/20/2015 - 10:08

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Students gathered to watch the election results roll in at Hart House (photo by Sarah Khan)

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“I personally believe voting should be mandatory,” student says. “It’s that important.”

Over soft drinks and sushi, U of T political science students watched the election results roll in at U of T's Hart House. They had a rollicking good time.

The decidedly-pro Liberal group watched CBC as the Grits steadily climbed toward a majority government. But they also got a kick out of watching a YouTube version of Last Week with John Oliver, during which the comedian deemed Canada's 78-day election “adorable” and called Prime Minister Stephen Harper “an alien disguised as a human.”

The laughing stopped when they turned back to the CBC, and a hushed South Dining Room heard Peter Mansbridge say Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau would be Canada’s next prime minister at 9:40 p.m. Other networks called the Liberal win at the same time.

Arjun Gandhi, a second-year political science student on the executive of U of T's Political Science Association, organized the event, during which he would occasionally call out the score of the Toronto Blue Jays playoff game.

Gandhi, who voted Liberal in his Vaughan-Woodbridge riding, said the change in government is about “defining who we are as a country, both domestically and on the world stage.” Harper, Gandhi said, may have been good on the economy but “on social issues we were falling back, things like (the treatment of) aboriginal women and the Niqab issue.”

When the Liberals hit 100 seats one student raised her arms in the air, and when they reached the magic number for a majority government – 170 – students clapped as Mansbridge talked about the “red wave” sweeping the country.

Downstairs at Hart House, in a more subdued Arbor Room, Aisha Cuadir watched the results with a certain sense of bemusement. She had never voted in a Canadian federal election before but, as a dual citizen, voted for Barack Obama for president in 2012, in Florida.

The third-year astronomy and physics student voted Liberal in the Rosedale-University riding. She said “Canadian politics are a lot calmer than American. There is less negativity here, not as much slandering of opponents. People stress the positives here.”

Sitting at her table was Eric Shore, who voted Liberal in his York Centre riding. “I personally believe voting should be mandatory,” he said. “It’s that important.”

Like many other students who live off campus, Shore said he wouldn’t be staying late to watch the results. “I have a long commute up to Bathurst and Finch, so I need to get home,” he said.

Patrick Laberge sat with several engineering students who watched both the results and their laptops with equal fervor. Laberge said he voted by mail for a candidate in a Montreal riding, though he wouldn’t say for whom. But he said over the last four years the Canadian economy has been tied to the price of oil, which has hurt the Canadian dollar.

Another student, who didn’t want to give her name or say how she voted, simply said, “I’m here because I don’t have a TV at home.”

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Election 2015: what just happened – and what's next for Canada?

sgupta — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 13:02:26 +0000

Election 2015: what just happened – and what's next for Canada? sgupta Tue, 10/20/2015 - 09:02

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Newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a campaign rally in Winnipeg on the eve of the election (Photo courtesy Liberal Party of Canada)

Alan Christie

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Alan Christie

The election of Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister could usher in major domestic changes and improve the perception of Canada on the world stage, U of T Professor David Soberman says.

U of T News interviewed experts from across the university during the federal election campaign, getting their views on the issues, the advertising, polling and strategy leading up to Oct. 19.

Election 2015: “If you can make it in Brampton, you can make it anywhere,” says expert

sgupta — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 17:15:24 +0000

Election 2015: “If you can make it in Brampton, you can make it anywhere,” says expert sgupta Mon, 10/19/2015 - 13:15

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(photo by Sean_Marshall via flickr)

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Associate Professor Peter Loewen on the significance of the region and its five seats

Like much of the GTA, Brampton voted Liberal Monday, turfing out its Conservative representatives.

In the weeks leading up to the election, Brampton was a key battleground between Conservatives and Liberals. With five seats up for grabs, Brampton was an important player, says Associate Professor Peter Loewen of political science – and with recent history showing anything could happen in Brampton, Loewen was keenly watching the city's races and polling residents in the days leading up to the election.

In 2011, Brampton went from a Liberal stronghold to a Conservative sweep. The region had seen its population jump by 21 per cent and visible minorities account for 66 per cent of the residents. With the region's demographics changing rapidly, each Brampton riding had voted Conservative, helping to propel Stephen Harper to a majority government.

All of that meant pundits weren't surprised when Liberal leader Justin Trudeau picked Brampton to hold his largest campaign rally earlier this month. Or when the Conservatives ran ads in ethnic media last week claiming Trudeau would put brothels in their neighbourhoods – a move many felt was targeted to immigrant communities such as those in Brampton – and followed that up with a rally in Brampton.

Loewen talked to U of T News about voter sympathies in the area and why the city played such a significant role.

Why did Brampton matter so much in this election?
I think Brampton matters for at least three reasons. First, five seats are up for grabs. All were won by the Tories in the last election. To win government, those were useful pick-ups for the Liberals. To hold government, the Tories needed to protect them.

Second, Brampton is a bit of a media centre for a large non-English press that has reach and influence across the GTA.

Third, the Brampton constituencies are just the type that each party has tailored its policy packages to win. “If you can make it in Brampton, you can make it anywhere.”

Why did Brampton back the Conservatives during the last federal election?
On the face of it, it may seem surprising, but it should not. Brampton is exactly the demographic the Tories targeted: middle class, family-oriented, a lot of households often with a sole breadwinner, a distinct sense of being squeezed by taxes. The only factor that might – on the surface – have moved it out of the Tory category is the long-standing poor performance of the Tories among new Canadians. But that assumption fundamentally misunderstands both the Tories increased appeal among all immigrants and their specific appeal among many South Asian groups.

So what happened Monday night? How did the Liberals take it all in Brampton? Do the ridings vote as one community?
There was a uniform swing towards the Liberals. Those who voted NDP last time realized they needed to vote Liberal to remove the Prime Minister. They needed to coordinate, and they did.

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Election 2015: U of T students vote

sgupta — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 14:14:19 +0000

Election 2015: U of T students vote sgupta Mon, 10/19/2015 - 10:14

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“I was really excited that I could finally have a say in what goes on,” says Liana Ernszt with fellow first-time voters Arin Klein and Ben Levy (all photos by Johnny Guatto)

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“Our future is at stake,” first-time voter says

When Bushra Nassab urged students to vote in a U of T News video, it was no empty gesture. She did the deed herself with vigour and determination.

“I voted because I truly believe that if I don't vote I absolutely have zero right to complain about policies that I don't like,” Nassab said. “Canada has, unfortunately, taken a pretty bad turn over the past few years – with respect to both its domestic and foreign policies – and it is time that we turn things around.

“The Canada we have today is not the Canada I was raised upon, which was defined by tolerance, multiculturalism, and diversity. I want that Canada back and that is why I couldn't wait to vote.”

Nassab, 21, is in her fourth year as an undergraduate, studying political science, and peace, conflict and justice studies. She is also president of the Political Science Association on campus.

“My feelings after voting? Honestly, it felt amazing. Never think that your vote won't count. Every single vote counts and that is the message that I am trying to spread among young voters. If you want to see a change, exercise your right and get out there and vote.”

Nassab voted in an advance poll for Liberal candidate Omar Alghabra in her Mississauga Centre riding. But the joy she expressed in voting was echoed by students voting at Hart House Oct. 19.

Ben Levy, Liana Ernszt and Arin Klein entered the voting station at Hart House together. All are 18; all voting in their first election.

Levy, a first-year student studying life sciences at U of T’s Victoria University (pictured below), said voting is important.

“I think a lot of people overlook the student vote mainly because students tend not to vote so there is no reason for politicians to do things for students’ benefit,” Levy said. “ If we really make a concerted effort to raise voting rates for students then they would see a dramatic effect.”

Levy voted for Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland in the newly-created University-Rosedale riding that includes the downtown campus of U of T. Students who live in residence on campus can vote in the riding.

“I am really passionate about issues in Canadian politics, and our future is at stake,” Ernszt said. “I was really excited that I could finally have a say in what goes on, or at least be a part of having a say in what goes on.”

The first-year philosophy student had considered voting Liberal but after attending a town hall meeting liked what she heard from NDP candidate Jennifer Hollett and voted for her.

Levy and Klein watched as Ernszt drew a caricature of movie star Shia LaBeouf and a line saying “just do it” for a photo to be posted on social media.

Klein said, “it is important for all young people to vote because it seems the Conservatives seem to win without the majority of votes, and if a bigger percentage of young people voted we would have a better say in the future.”

For eighteen-year-old Jolee Tung (pictured below) voting is an important part of being a good citizen.

“People around the world are dying to have the privilege to vote; we are so privileged to be able to do it so easily, to have a say in our country. It would feel wrong not to vote.”

A life sciences student at U of T’s Trinity College, Tung voted for Conservative candidate Karim Jivraj .

“I believe that Stephen Harper and his party have been doing a pretty good job in managing Canada so far. I am pleased with the direction Canada is going in and its role on the world stage.”

Jane Gimian, a third-year Law Student, said she voted Liberal.

“Civic involvement matters, even if individual votes may or may not make a difference,” she said.

Gimian said she was impressed with Chyrstia Freeland “but also it was something of a strategic vote, to get rid of a Conservative government.”

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The Blue Jays and the ballot box: did Stroman send you to the polls?

sgupta — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 10:32:05 +0000

The Blue Jays and the ballot box: did Stroman send you to the polls? sgupta Mon, 10/19/2015 - 06:32

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(photo by recreation via flickr)

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U of T experts on the connection between politics and sports

Monday is the day of decision across the country. Will Canadians flock to the polling stations or watch the Toronto Blue Jays battle back from a 2-0 deficit against the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series?

These are not mutually exclusive options. Could there be a link between exercising your democratic rights and cheering on the team?

“The question of whether the good feelings and community spirit generated by sports victories spill over into the political arena has long been speculated on,” notes Professor Bruce Kidd, vice-president and principal of University of Toronto Scarborough.

The Progressive Conservatives had hoped the combination of Team Canada’s victory in the 1987 Canada Cup hockey tournament and worldwide approval of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary would give Canadians confidence that Canada had nothing to fear from international competition, says Kidd. It was a feeling with relevance to the federal election of November 1988, fought substantially on the issue of free trade, which the Tories won with a majority.

In 1971, Kidd adds, the Liberal government of Pierre Elliott Trudeau created Sport Canada as a mechanism to boost support for high-performance athletes. The belief was that victories in international competition give Canadians a better sense of themselves.

“But of course, how do you measure such a effect?” he asks. “It's almost impossible. So I'm reluctant to say anything about the spillover effect of the Jays.”

David Roberts, a lecturer in urban studies at Innis College, is likewise open to the possibility of a Blue Jays election boost but doubtful that any means exist to subject the phenomenon to scientific analysis.

“There are lots of things that drive voter turnout,” he says. “I have read that there have been record numbers of people voting in early polls, even while these polls were on days when the Jays faced elimination.”

It was natural, he adds, for political leaders to embrace the Blue Jays – while paradoxically avoiding games to prevent the perception of having jinxed the team in the event of a loss. This alone establishes a connection.

It also makes clear that the Blue Jays have become Canada’s team, and not just a phenomenon of interest to Torontonians. Fans from all over western Canada descended on Seattle late in the regular season.

Has the animosity often alleged to exist between Toronto and Canadians from other parts of the country been suspended?

“These tensions have roots and manifestations that go beyond a shared hope for the success of the Blue Jays,” Roberts says. “Even though the Jays are intimately connected to the city of Toronto, fans from other parts of the country find it easy to disconnect the two.”

If there has been one downer in the pennant drive, it was surely the episode in the series with the Texas Rangers in which fans threw beer cans on the field of the Rogers Centre after a controversial decision. An image of a mother and infant in distress was widely disseminated.

“Of course this behaviour cannot be condoned,” Roberts says. “But I hope we can place these acts beside the crowds that gathered to celebrate at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas. They took over the streets, but only during red lights, dispersing when traffic needed to pass.

“There are lots of ways in which people chose to celebrate victory after what was a bizarre and at times quite tense game. Most did not involve throwing beer. Hopefully those are more formative of the city’s image.”

Kidd, an Olympian and gold medalist in the 1962 Commonwealth Games, is philosophical about the beer-throwing outburst (which led the Blue Jays organization to announce a review of the policy of selling beer in cans).

“The beer-throwing incident did not reflect well upon the image of Toronto,” he said. “But such incidents are more characteristic of the atmosphere of professional sport than the cities where they occur. I do not think it will do much damage.”

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Election 2015

Canada Next: Richard Florida, Roger Martin and David Wolfe on getting innovation right

Read more about Florida's take on why Canada is behind

“We now know where innovation comes from. It does not just come from great entrepreneurs or even great companies. It comes from cities.”

Meet the new cabinet ministers from the University of Toronto

ISIS, refugees and resisting nostalgia: experts debate Canada’s foreign policy future at Munk School roundtable

Read more about the Three Priorities

U of T experts on what's next for Canada's international reputation

Election 2015: social media highlights of a 78-day campaign

Read more Election 2015 coverage

Election 2015: students watch as red wave rolls across country

Election 2015: what just happened – and what's next for Canada?

Read more Election 2015 coverage

Election 2015: “If you can make it in Brampton, you can make it anywhere,” says expert

Election 2015: U of T students vote

The Blue Jays and the ballot box: did Stroman send you to the polls?