Michael Thompson (Canadian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Thompson
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Thompson in 2020
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| Toronto City Councillor for (Ward 21) Scarborough Centre Ward 37 (2003-2018) |
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| Assumed office December 1, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Lorenzo Berardinetti |
| Chair of the Scarborough Community Council | |
| In office June 27, 2005 – December 1, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Raymond Cho |
| Succeeded by | Norm Kelly |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Residences | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Michael Thompson is a Canadian politician. He has been a Toronto city councillor since 2003. Currently, he represents an area called Ward 21 Scarborough Centre.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Thompson grew up in Scarborough. He is a Jamaican Canadian. He went to Ionview Public School and Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate. Later, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University in Montreal. Before becoming a city councillor, he worked in finance. He also started his own business services company.
Michael Thompson's Political Journey
Michael Thompson first tried to enter local politics in 1994. He ran for the Metro Toronto council but did not win. In 1998, he became an assistant to Councillor Lorenzo Berardinetti. When Berardinetti was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Thompson ran to take his place. He won in the 2003 Toronto municipal election.
Focusing on Community Safety
After being elected, Thompson focused on making Toronto safer. He often spoke out about urban violence. He wanted to keep Julian Fantino as the chief of the Toronto Police Service. He also suggested creating a special phone line to report problems like rodents.
In 2005, Toronto experienced a lot of gun violence. Michael Thompson became well-known for his ideas to stop it. He wanted to find ways to reduce gun violence, especially in communities that were most affected. He later explained his ideas more clearly. He said his main goal was to make communities safer for everyone.
Public Transit Improvements
Michael Thompson spent many years working to improve public transit in Scarborough. He strongly supported replacing the old Scarborough RT train line. He wanted to extend the Bloor-Danforth subway instead. He believed a subway extension would serve more people than other proposed transit plans.
Recent Political Work
Thompson was re-elected in the 2014 Toronto municipal election with a very high number of votes.
In 2017, Michael Thompson helped airline crew and other passengers on a flight from Jamaica. An unruly passenger caused the flight to be diverted to Orlando, Florida. Thompson helped to safely restrain the person.
In the 2018 Toronto municipal election, Thompson ran again for Toronto City Council. The city's ward boundaries had changed, creating a new Ward 21 Scarborough Centre. Thompson won this election. He also supported the idea of reducing the number of city councillors from 50 to 25.
In 2019, Toronto Mayor John Tory gave Thompson a new role. He became the city's first Ambassador for the Night Economy. This job involves supporting businesses that are open and busy after the daytime.
During the 2022 Toronto municipal election, Mayor Tory announced that Thompson would step down from some of his roles. He agreed to no longer be the chair of the city's economic development committee or a deputy mayor.
Images for kids
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Michael Thompson in 2020
