We see it all in the ER.
asserted
We → see → ER
It’s a barometer when public policy works or fails.
asserted
policy → ’ → ?
As a late-night ER doctor, I care for homeless senior citizens and cyclists hit by cars.
asserted
I → care → cars
I attend to intoxicated patients walking in traffic and overdose patients not breathing.
asserted
I → attend → traffic
These cases highlight issues central to our election.
asserted
cases → highlight → election
Our publicly funded health-care system is a shared resource.
asserted
system → fund → ?
The resources for one patient affect the resources for another.
asserted
resources → affect → another
The choices we make at a municipal level impact how many patients need care in our overstretched ERs.
asserted
patients → make → ERs
Traffic congestion compromises road safety for all users.
asserted
congestion → compromise → users
Municipal policies like freezing TTC fares, advocating for protected bike lanes, calling for speed cameras and capping costs for frequent TTC users — they are not ideological — they make sense.
asserted
they → freeze → sense
We have to get more cars like mine off the road.
asserted
cars → have → road
The importance of housing
Housing is central to health and a lack of housing causes and complicates ER visits.
asserted
lack → cause → visits
The homeless die prematurely — yet being unhoused is the reality for 11,000 people.
asserted
being → die → people
Toronto has embarked on a public builder model with 5,271 units under construction and now builds dwellings for homeless patients who heavily use the ER.
asserted
who → embark → ER
This is sound policy and we need more of it.
asserted
we → need → it
It’s smarter for taxpayers to build deeply affordable or no-cost housing than for the unhoused to see me at 2 a.m. looking for a shelter bed when all I have is a waiting room chair.
asserted
I → ’ → bed
Toronto’s increase in shelters means homelessness has dropped 8.2 per cent from 2023 to 2025.
asserted
homelessness → mean → 2025
But more is needed.
asserted
more → need → ?
To create public order, we need walk-in access to 24-hour respite centres and increased funding for daytime drop-in centres.
asserted
we → create → centres
It’s crucial when it’s too cold or too hot.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Trust me — it’s devastating to admit a homeless patient to hospital for amputation after their foot has rotted and died.
asserted
foot → trust → amputation
Half of Toronto pays rent.
asserted
Half → pay → rent
Not one councillor rents.
asserted
councillor → rent → ?
We need a city hall whose priority is balancing the rights of renters because the impact on health of substandard housing or losing housing is serious.
asserted
impact → need → housing
I’ve admitted to hospital renters whose living conditions were squalid.
asserted
conditions → admit → renters
We need local leaders who live these realities or with a proven track record for standing up for tenants.
asserted
who → need → tenants
Addictions policy must be driven by evidence, not emotion.
asserted
policy → drive → evidence
We require compassionate leaders driven by objective data and not fear-mongering.
asserted
We → require → data
Safe consumption sites are shown in police statistics to not increase crime.
asserted
sites → show → crime
They mean people aren’t using in other public places — the exact opposite outcome of Ontario’s recent legislative actions.
asserted
people → mean → actions
They’re a pathway to abstinence.
asserted
They → ’re → abstinence
Harm reduction is not a dirty word
When your doctor treats your diabetes or hypertension, they’re doing harm reduction.
asserted
they → treat → reduction
It’s not a dirty word.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Drug-recovery beds are crucial but only work if you’re not already dead.
asserted
you → work → ?
Progressive, data-driven city hall leadership is better than me being Toronto’s most expensive and ineffectual social worker.
asserted
me → drive → ?
One metric that makes clear the impact of municipal elections is the change in our emergency response times.
asserted
impact → make → times
Before 2023, it took up to 26 minutes for a police response.
asserted
it → take → response
Today, it’s 12 minutes.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
911 operators used to take up to 2 minutes, and sometimes up to 12 minutes.
asserted
operators → use → minutes
This time interval is now 3 seconds and is attributable to a targeted emergency services hiring blitz.
asserted
interval → target → blitz
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
