Should Toronto permit substantially more housing as-of-right in every ward, including areas currently dominated by detached and semi-detached homes?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerYes
Odessa Paloma Parker
Running for
Mayor
City-wide
Every ward votes
Days until polls open
29About Odessa
Written by Odessa Paloma Parker in answer to our questionnaire, and published as given. Not our description of them.
Odessa Paloma Parker is a cultural journalist, award-winning stylist, educator and brand strategist based in Toronto. She has held positions as both the Fashion and Art Editor at The Globe and Mail Style Magazine, and in 2022, she founded Opaloma, a stylish cultural platform featuring stories from Toronto and beyond. She is a co-author of the first edition of Louis Vuitton's City Guide Toronto, and her journalistic expertise has been acknowledged by an Honourable Mention for the 2021 National Magazine Award for “Best Column”. Odessa was also in the innovative role of Head of Content for a trio of cannabis brands in the year leading up to adult-use legalization in Canada.
In addition to supporting artists through her professional and philanthropic work, Odessa is passionate about promoting local talent and businesses within the city she has called home her whole life. Over a decade ago she founded Vintage Crawl Toronto, a city-wide shopping event, and she began her journalistic career by launching the independent, locally focused magazine, Plaid.
Our questionnaire
Where Odessa Paloma Parker stands
Odessa Paloma Parker’s own answers to the questions we put to every candidate, published as given — including, where they wrote one, their reasoning in their own words.
Five decisions facing the next council
When a person living in a park has been offered an available indoor space that meets their accessibility, safety and household needs, should the city require them to leave the encampment?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerNo
Should Toronto introduce road-pricing measures, such as congestion charges or tolls, if the revenue is dedicated to transportation improvements?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerYes
Should Toronto raise additional local revenue to address its infrastructure repair backlog rather than defer maintenance while seeking funding from other governments?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerYes
Should Toronto publish project-level budgets, schedules and performance updates for all major capital projects?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerYes
Public safety and public space
Which approach should receive the greatest additional investment to improve public safety?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerMental-health response, addiction treatment and youth intervention
Over the next council term, the Toronto Police Service budget should:
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerDecrease after inflation, with some responsibilities and funding transferred to civilian services
How should Toronto govern automated licence-plate readers and similar surveillance technology used on public streets?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerEstablish citywide limits on access, retention, auditing and data sharing
Transit and transportation
What should receive the greatest share of the next available transit funding?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerMore frequent and reliable service on existing routes
When there is not enough street space for every use, which should generally receive priority?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerTransit, walking and cycling
Housing and growth
If Toronto could make one major housing intervention this term, which should receive the greatest emphasis?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerBuild or finance substantially more affordable and supportive housing
What should be Toronto's primary role in delivering affordable and supportive housing?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerSupply land, funding and incentives to non-profit and private providers
Where should Toronto permit the greatest increase in housing density?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerPermit more apartments and multiplexes in nearly every neighbourhood
City government and service delivery
Which change would you implement to reduce the cost of building housing in Toronto?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerReduce development charges, parkland payments and related levies
What is the most important change Toronto should make to reduce capital-project delays and cost overruns?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerStart fewer projects and fully fund them before construction begins
Which service-delivery model should Toronto use more often?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerExpand permanent city staff and internal operational capacity
Taxes, spending and fiscal sustainability
Over the next council term, residential property-tax revenues should generally:
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerGrow faster than inflation to improve or expand services
Which type of additional revenue should Toronto rely on most heavily?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerLand-transfer taxes, development charges and taxes on real-estate activity
What should Toronto do first to address its infrastructure repair backlog?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerRedirect money from new facilities and projects toward existing assets
Governance and representation
What should be Toronto's primary approach to the provincial government?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerPublicly press for greater authority, revenue and a different fiscal arrangement
Strong mayor powers should be used mainly for:
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma Parkersetting spending and tax levels without assembling a majority
Your ward and your record
Which objective should receive the greatest attention in your ward during the next council term?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerTransit, roads, parks, waste collection and local infrastructure
Which single result should voters use to assess your performance at the end of the term?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerSafer, cleaner and better-maintained streets and public spaces
Priorities and trade-offs
Over the next council term, Toronto should:
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerExpand the protected cycling network, including projects that remove traffic lanes or parking
When demonstrations substantially block transportation or access to essential institutions, the city should prioritize:
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerAccept significant disruption unless there is an immediate safety threat
Where should Toronto direct its next major technology investment?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerPermits, licences, payments and service requests
When Toronto faces a structural operating-budget gap, what should it do first?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerRaise taxes, fees or other revenue
What is the most important municipal intervention for improving Toronto's business climate?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerExpand housing, transportation, public safety and infrastructure
How should Toronto attract major employers, investment and events?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerHousing affordability, transportation, safety and quality of life
What should Toronto prioritize to increase construction capacity?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerMaintain a stable, long-term pipeline of public projects
What should receive the greatest priority in Toronto's public-realm budget?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerCleanliness, roads, sidewalks, snow clearing, washrooms and routine park care
What should be Toronto's primary tool for supporting arts, culture and nightlife?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerGrants, city facilities and affordable cultural space
If autonomous taxi services operate in Toronto, which condition should the city prioritize?
CandidateAnswer
- Odessa Paloma ParkerAccessibility, geographic coverage and minimum service standards
Each card is one question, with Odessa Paloma Parker filed under the answer they gave and their own words underneath it. The other options offered are not shown, nor how the rest of the field answered.
How the whole city answeredRegistered candidates from the City Clerk’s official list, refreshed daily. Campaign sites are linked as published by the candidate; a link is not an endorsement.