“Our children are our future!” yelped Evelyn Reese, middle-aged, pot-bellied, in a tight dress and brandishing a cigarette, “though I don’t have any, per se.”
Reese was the moderator for Who Wants to be a City Councillor? a debate masquerading as a game show organized by the Hart House Debates Committee.
A total of 10 candidates running for Wards 20 and 27 were present. Ward 27 candidates included Simon Wookey, Chris Tindal, Ben Bergen, Susan Gapka, Ella Rebanks, Joel Dick, and Kristyn Wong-Tam. Ward 20 candidates included Mike Yen, Dean Maher, and incumbent Adam Vaughan.
Reese, a Toronto-based comedienne whose real name is Susan Fischer, provided much-needed comic relief for the evening. She works as an administrator in the Alumni Office at U of T and approached the Debates Committee, offering to help.
As the night wore on, candidates battled each other in three game show-themed competitions, aptly named the Price is Right, Family Feud, and Toronto’s Got Talent. This format allowed candidates to showcase their know-how and sense of humour to a crowd of mostly U of T students.
Reese relayed game show etiquette to each candidate: “Rule 1: do what I say. Rule 2: I’m the boss.” With that, the games began.
The most interesting, and by far the most entertaining, point of the debate was the candidate talent show where some opted to take risks. Highlights of some answers included:
“My talent is sustainability. I used one sheet of paper for all my answers,” said Mike Yen, adding that he also had a talent for drawing stick men.
“Reaching out and getting things done,” said Joel Dick.
Elle Rebanks offered to share a joke her eight-year-old had taught her: “Knock knock/ Who’s there?/ The interrupting cow/ The interrupting cow wh- /Moo!”
“I can get more votes than the rest of these people,” joked Susan Gapka.
Ben Bergen, after admitting to leaving his dignity at home, crooned out a tune that was much lauded by the audience.
The most lauded however, was Simon Wookey’s response. “My talent is that I don’t drown,” after recalling his days as a stuntman for feature films.
Fun and games aside, candidates were well-acquainted with student concerns, isolated transportation, housing costs, and bike lanes as major issues.
There was much variance when candidates were asked what average undergraduate debt is upon graduation. Simon Wookey had the right amount with $37,000.
“Understandably, [councillors] don’t control tuition fees,” said Semra Eylul Sevi, communications director for Hart House Debates Committee. “Although this was game show, it was kind of sad that most of the candidates didn’t know the answer. I guess it kind of shows their character and what they stand for.” To prepare the answers to questions posed in Family Feud and the Price is Right, committee members asked 100 students a variety of questions about what students value most at U of T.
This was the second time council candidates participated in a game-show style debate. The first, held in June and developed by VoteTO, took place at Fly Nightclub.
“Some of the member[s] of [the] committee had attended the VoteTO event and said it was great in terms of informing and also engaging students. So we modelled it off their event and added new games like Family Feud,” said Sevi.
Once points from all three games were tallied, Wookey walked out the winner of the evening. The candidates will duke it out for the position of councillor on October 25.
Correction: *In an earlier version of this article it was reported that Adam Vaughan had expressed his plan to run for Mayor in 2015. In fact, the next Municipal election is a year earlier in 2014 and the remarks were made by another individual. The Varsity regrets this error.*
