"I have been asked — and I have accepted. I am seeking the nomination for the provincial Liberal Party in the riding of Trinity-Spadina," said Simon Wookey. Wookey, son of Kersti Lepik and grandson of the late Emanuel Lepik, who is remembered as the minister of the Orthodox Congregation worshipping at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, ran unsuccessfully in Ward 18 in the last municipal election, coming a strong second to (now) TTC Chairman Adam Giambrone, a NDP star candidate.
Wookey was present at the recent Toronto Green Living Show. He explained that, "beside signing up members for the nomination meeting, I have also been operating a family business – Seniority Investments – doing research on green technologies for homes. This is what I am doing at the Green Living Show. We have been looking at geothermal, passive solar high value installations," said Wookey.
Wookey is “working with people at setting up the first green BIA (Business Improvement Area) in Toronto, located in the Toronto Entertainment District. [The proposed BIA] runs from Queen Street to Front Street, University to Spadina. There is also a small bit that comes up along King Street over to Bathurst."
“I'm together with a group called BIG, Bloor Improvement Group, an umbrella organization that helps to promote and rejuvenate Bloor Street between Lansdowne and Spadina. It is rather unfortunate that Bloor Street, one of Toronto’s major roads, has been forgotten in the development of the city. We need to build a community where people can walk to their stores or reinforce a community where people can live, work, and play," adds Wookey.
" There's also a thing I am involved with called Smart Public Art. It is to make Toronto as a wonderful city of culture that we used to have: this great idea that we had in the sixties and seventies when people like Henry Moore came to Toronto and [originated] great public art installations. We are trying rejuvenate that, have stand-alone installations," said Wookey.
When asked if he has any spare time Wookey replied" Not much. After the (municipal) election, I wished my girlfriend happy birthday and immediately went to work on Michael Ignatieff's Liberal leadership campaign."
"I am extraordinarily happy to be running for the Liberals [because] they have shown so much initiative on so many different levels. From building one of the world's largest solar powered energy producing farms producing 20 megawatts in southern Ontario, going from 14 to 1,400 megawatts of wind power, I think we have some amazing green policies that are in place right now with the Liberal Party, and I am proud to call myself a Liberal," emphasized Wookey.
"It is not a matter of rural or urban nor Liberal or Conservative. I am seeing myself as a new voice, a new Liberal voice to deal with urban issues, to deal with issues we have to deal with. For example, we don't warehouse goods anymore so we need clear lines of transportation. These are issues any party has to deal with, be they Liberal, (Progressive) Conservative or NDP," said Wookey.
"We have to get people out of their cars and into rapid transit, so they aren't sitting in their cars, by themselves, wasting productive time. We are not just competing against ourselves, we are competing against the rest of the world and we have to be as efficient as possible. So if they are good for the planet, great. If they are good for the people, great. But they have to be good for business as well," noted Wookey.
"By the way, Tartu College is in Trinity-Spadina," added Wookey proudly.
For more information on Simon Wookey or the candidacy please visit
www.wookey.ca .
