Who do We Think Really Runs Toronto?

Recently Toronto Life ran a fascinating article on Toronto’s 50 Most Influential People (we suggest you peruse it here.) After reading it, we highly agreed with everyone in their Top Ten, but we’ve broken it down a little further to include who we think should have been the Top Five.

5.) Drake
Drake may have only been getting global success in the hip hop industry for the past few years, but Torontonians have known about him for decades. He just sold his Toronto condo for over $1 million, a steal if you saw the pics; but he’s very vocal about his roots being tightly sewed in Toronto. Toronto Life even had him quoted in a recent interview saying that he should be on the payroll for Toronto Tourism because he gives the city so much promotion. We’re inclined to agree, which is why we think he’s one of the city’s most influential.

4.) Jim Flaherty
Anyone that can be so intricately intertwined with Toronto, but have such a huge impact across the nation needs to be on any most influential list. He’s made big promises saying that the Conservative government is going to eliminate the deficit by 2015, but it looks like they just might do it. Even if the fulfillment of that promise came by making some very controversial moves.

3.) Kathleen Wynne
Not everyone agrees with Kathleen Wynne’s post as the Premiere of Ontario, but she’s made some very big moves ever since taking office. She got the teachers back to work, has committed to the Scarborough subway expansion, and has also replaced former OLGC head Paul Godfrey with Philip Olsson. She’s also got the love of Torontonians behind her for the most part, but those in the suburbs might make it difficult for her to get voted in for another term.

2.) Gord Nixon, RBC
We can still remember the days when RBC was just this little start-up institution trying to compete among the big names out there. They’ve not only made a name for themselves in their own right, but Royal Bank of Canada has become one of the biggest banking players you’ll find around the globe. Nixon is one of the people that’s responsible for making that happen, and headed the move for Dell to buy back its stock and become a private company.

1.) Bill Blair
We couldn’t agree more with Toronto Life’s number one pick. The Chief of Police, Bill Blair, has been making Toronto a better city for years, but it was the Rob Ford scandal that really made him a household name. And, it’s also what proved him to be, in just about everyone’s mind, the most influential person in Toronto.