Alumna runs for city council in Toronto

“I think a different type of leadership is needed almost everywhere. I think we’ve forgotten what good leaders look like … We need people who listen. We need people who work well with others. We need people who can rally people around a path forward,” says Siri Agrell, a candidate for Toronto city council for Parkdale-High Park.

Who is Siri Agrell?

Agrell, ’02, started her journalism career as an urban affairs reporter (external link)  at the Globe and Mail. Ten years later she became the deputy director of communications to the former Ontario premier, Kathleen Wynne.

Agrell also served (external link)  as director of strategic initiatives for John Tory in his first term as mayor. Her focus involved projects such as the  (PDF file) Bloor Street bike lane pilot (external link)  and King Street Transit Priority Project. She has been endorsed (external link)  by Tory.

“I like things that are complex,” Agrell says, “The original move into a political role wasn’t really about politics. I’m not partisan and like a lot of journalists I hate being part of any club.”

Working with Wynne on her speech after winning the Liberal leadership convention or working with the mayor to back road tolls are the kind of moments making her proud of her career so far. 

But the thing she is most proud of is her ability to be dropped into different environments and excel, she says.

Transitioning from journalism to politics and government

“I think journalism was great training: the ability to walk into any room and not be intimidated,” Agrell says.  

Her head-on approach to addressing issues, recognizing solutions and analyzing complex problems came from her experience as a journalist of ten years, she says. She has been senior staff on two different levels of government with no previous party affiliation or relationship with the leader, worked as an advisor to an Indigenous government, written books (external link)  and ran a tech incubator, Oneeleven (external link) . 

“If you can take in complex information, if you can ask questions, if you can really listen, and if you can articulate yourself clearly—then there’s nothing you can’t do. I have worked in almost every field and I will tell you that those skills are sorely needed.”

She points to her ability to have a sense of what the story would be, anticipate how people would react and be able to ask the right questions without being afraid, all transferable journalism skills that became valuable when she started her career as a senior political staff member.

Now, as she canvasses the ward as a candidate, she said she thinks about journalism all the time.  “People ask me if I hate going door to door. I don’t mind it at all. I love meeting different people and getting to talk to them and ask them questions.”

What type of leadership does the ward need?

Agrell’s campaign platform is all about making Parkdale-High Park the best place to live in Toronto, by addressing the affordability crisis, improving road safety and management, creating a safe cycling network, and more.

Parkdale-High Park includes the neighbourhoods of Swansea, High Park North, The Junction, Runnymede-Bloor West Village, Lambton Baby Point, Roncesvalles, and Parkdale, with a population of 108,805, according to The Local (external link) . Gord Perks, the current councillor, has served on city council since 2006.

One major issue in the High Park area is a spat that took place recently between cyclists, police, and park go-ers, about the high speed that many cyclists ride at and how it has proven to be a danger to residents in the area. Agrell was upfront about the cause and direct about the solution: she called on the city to a lot designated times for cyclists to use the park on a trial basis, according to a Toronto Star analysis (external link) .

She wants to ensure everyone in Parkdale-High Park feels seen and included, by wanting to implement more inclusive representation when discussing issues relating to inequalities.

Unique take on technology, journalism and political discourse

“Almost all of political engagement—from what journalists know to what the public knows - takes place online. That is a disservice. That is creating a reactive, reductionist environment that is damaging to our health and our democracy. It’s got to change,” Agrell says.

When Agrell launched her campaign, she intentionally decided to not use social media to spread her message. There is a value to discussing difficult topics in person, she said, which is why she has created other spaces where community members are encouraged to have face-to-face interactions. 

An example is her weekly “Ask Siri” sessions that are held for local businesses around the ward.

In her BetaKit  (external link) article, Agrell says that although Toronto is a great city for tech companies, more work needs to be done to ensure that the talent is going towards making the city even better.

Social media can be used as a space for facilitated conversations that would not be possible offline, but Agrell argues  (external link) that it is also a place where minorities are often subject to verbal abuse and harassment, both of which can lead to wider harm including polarization, deteriorating mental health and more.

“After the pandemic, I really appreciate talking face to face. It’s a completely different experience to look someone in the eye. You can hold space with them, you can work through difficult topics, you can handle complexity without being mean,” says Agrell. 

Agrell advises young journalists, graduating from j-school, to avoid falling into the trap of thinking that there is only one way to do meaningful work.

“It is not a choice between journalism and PR. Journalists are smart and curious and fast, hard workers. That means they can do anything,” she says.

Toronto’s municipal election is Oct. 24, 2022.