The Empire Club of Canada
Hybrid
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Toronto is a world-class city too often caught between big ambitions and everyday frustrations. From housing affordability and transit reliability to public safety, culture, and inclusive growth, the questions facing the city are immediate, practical, and deeply personal. As Toronto prepares to choose its next mayor, those questions carry even greater urgency.
Building on the spirit of the Toronto Star’s If I Were Mayor series and the annual City Report Card, this third annual Empire Club of Canada and Toronto Star event arrives at a defining moment for the city and the people who will shape its next chapter. Data, public sentiment, and lived experience come together to show where Toronto is performing well, where it is falling short, and what bold but realistic ideas could move the city forward.
Special remarks from Jordan Bitove, Publisher of the Toronto Star, will help frame the discussion, while polling conducted by Ipsos will offer a timely snapshot of how Torontonians see the city, its challenges, and its possibilities.
The discussion will explore not only what the numbers tell us about Toronto’s priorities, but also what residents are saying in their own words about the changes they want to see. Through a panel conversation moderated by Courtney Glen, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications at Kilmer Group, featuring Edward Keenan, Columnist and host of First Up at the Toronto Star and Jennifer Keesmaat, President & CEO of Collecdev Markee, the event will connect city-wide sentiment with the real experiences and proposals of Torontonians.
Fresh polling, audience engagement, and a curated selection of civic voices will create a conversation grounded in evidence, shaped by public opinion, and animated by the stories and solutions of Torontonians themselves.
What qualities should our next mayor have, and what issues matter most to you?
Join us on September 22nd to find out whether the pollsters’ view of the city lines up with yours — and to explore what happens when the public’s ideas are treated not as commentary, but as a serious part of the city-building agenda.
Jordan’s distinguished career at the forefront of Canadian business includes ownership of Canada’s leading media brands, and significant investment in businesses related to technology, online gaming, real estate, hospitality, natural resources, and distribution.
As a leader in Canada’s sports industry, Jordan helped launch the Toronto Raptors basketball team, the first NBA franchise awarded outside the United States, and he was part of the ownership consortium that built the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre).
Since 2012, Jordan has been a member of the Board of Trustees for SickKids Foundation. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Toronto International Film Festival, the Board of Governors of Western University, and the Canadian Advisory Board for Right to Play. In 2012, he was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for his philanthropic work. In November 2023, Jordan was awarded the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest civilian honour for extraordinary contributions.
Jordan is a graduate of Western University and holds the position of Honorary Consul to the Republic of North Macedonia
