An unnamed organization in Chatham-Kent wants to get in the faces of Torontonians and tell them to leave their city and come west – to C-K.
Mayor Randy Hope and municipal CAO Don Shropshire would only say the organization is a “partner group,” and not a direct wing of the municipal government. The group hopes to market “Not Toronto,” to that city’s masses.
And Hope loves it.
The concept is to hold a high-profile event in the heart of Toronto – and Hope is slated to be involved – as well as pumping information, including a video, out on social media proclaiming that Chatham-Kent is not Toronto.
The mayor isn’t worried about any potential backlash from Toronto politicians or media – if the Not Toronto blitz is done properly, he said.
“What’s bad about it? It’s just about facts. They’re showing people where they live and showing what Chatham-Kent has to offer,” Hope said of the plan. “I’d do it, but if you don’t do it right, you’ll end up with egg on your face.”
Hope said the key is to focus on all the problems Torontonians face.
“They all know they have a (traffic) congestion problem, a transit issue, and extraordinary housing prices,” he said. “How do you dispute fact? We are not creating a myth.”
In terms of critics countering with the fact Toronto has more entertainment and activity options for citizens, Hope said we are an hour away from Detroit, Windsor and London, and there are plenty of options nearby as a result.
The in-your-face approach is an outside-the-box approach, Hope said, and some people may not be comfortable with that.
“I don’t have a problem stepping out of the box. This is designed to grab attention. You need to. Competing in a market where you want people to pay attention to you, it’s Davis versus Goliath,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shropshire stayed at arm’s length from the initiative.
“That’s their launch; their campaign. They’ve talked to the mayor about it,” he said of the unnamed group. “But if we are going to be successful to raise awareness about our community, it gives us an opportunity to talk about what’s great about Chatham-Kent. I think we would do some things a heck of a lot better than Toronto.”
Hope thinks the event would take place in the coming weeks, unless the organizers have a change of heart.
There are unlimited avenues to positively showcase CK "outside the box" without immediately offending your host. I don't see this playing out in CK's favour – but that's just my gut reaction.
why is this an "unnamed" partner and why is Randy the only person privey to this information?
I'm more concerned about a un-named organization! If you have something to say, show your face! Letter to the editors requires a name! A letter of complaint is worthless without a name. Bottom line, this un-know organization is representing the municipality….cowards hide! Show your face.
https://chathamvoice.com/2014/04/15/not-toronto-concept-just-an-idea-for-now/