Mayor Tory plans to sell Toronto during 7-day Israel trip
Toronto Mayor John Tory’s trip to Israel is part of plans to "take our story to the world."

TheStar.com
Nov. 3, 2016
Betsy Powell

Mayor John Tory will continue selling Toronto — and Canada — to the world by leading a mission of 50 business and technology delegates to Israel later this month.

“We’ve got to go out, we’ve got to take our story to the world,” to establish relationships and encourage people to invest here, Tory said Thursday at the downtown offices of a finance technology company.

From Nov. 12 to 19, the mission will visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba and Ramallah in the West Bank.

Delegates will meet with business leaders and investors. Tory will also meet with the mayors of those cities.

Israel has emerged as a leading global hub for technology, Tory said.

“My objective is to go there, one of the hot spots in the world for innovation . . . (and) find out how they’re doing it, find out how they’re nurturing it.”

Tory plans to meet up with Montreal Mayor Dennis Coderre, who is also leading a delegation to Israel at the same time.

Tory said he believes it’s the first time the mayors of Canada’s two biggest cities will be on a trip of this kind, “where we’re putting our joint best foot forward” to “build up Canada.”

Since his election win two years ago, Tory has travelled on similar missions to Texas, California, China, Japan and England.

Councillors James Pasternak, Josh Colle and Christin Carmichael Greb are also part of the delegation. The city will pay for the politicians, while other delegates cover their own costs.

Tory said one of the things he is interested in is looking at a proposed park over a highway in Tel Aviv. A similar urban park is proposed for Toronto over the railway lines in the city’s downtown core.

“They are in the process, as we are, of exploring that and I want to very much have a chance to learn more about that.”

Sara Lefton, vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Toronto, said the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Israel has produced companies that want to expand beyond the Israeli market.

“They have a very, very particular culture around start-ups and growing companies,” said Lefton, who will be part of the community member delegation.

Parents teach their children to “innovate, starting at birth,” and by the time they graduate from school, instead of applying for jobs, “they’re thinking about the best idea they can have to start a company,” she said.

She thinks it’s “exceptional” that Tory is going over to sell Toronto “as the best place to come.”

Tory will visit other sites in Israel and the West Bank during the seven-day tour, “to learn/engage and pay respect,” the mayor’s itinerary says.