Today is the first day of Rosh Hashanah. It’s also the first Toronto Centre candidates’ debate. This unfortunate scheduling means that our candidate Ellen Michelson will be unable to participate. Instead, I will represent her and the Green party at tonight’s debate. It’s at St. Simon’s Church (525 Bloor St. E, just east of Sherbourne) and begins at 7:30pm.

Shana Tova, my friends.

I’ll be on “Focal Point with John Taylor” tonight live between 8pm and 9pm on Rogers Newmarket. I’m a member of a panel. We’ll be discussing panely things.

Appearing:

Chris Tindal
Strategist, Green Party of Canada

Darryl Wolk
Conservative Party campaign

Chris Emanuel
Liberal Party Rep

Ed Chudak
Former NDP Candidate

I’m thrilled to announce that we’re about to make history by opening Toronto Centre’s first ever Green Party campaign office. I hope you can join us:

Tuesday, January 29th 2008
7pm onward
538 Parliament Street, between Carlton and Wellesley (map)
Facebook event is here.

A bunch of us (Jordy, Jess, Jeff, Jason, and Shaun…jeez, what is it with this campaign and people whose names start with J?) were in there last night getting it ready. The previous tenant left it in poor shape, so we’ve painted, put in a new floor, and added some insulation for heat loss.

It would be great to see all of you in person, again or for the first time! (Dot, even you’re invited, though I recognize that the trip from Calgary may be too much.)

My volunteer coordinator Jason, along with my events coordinator Robyn, would like me to let you know about a few things that are going on this week. (Eventually they will have the ability to post here themselves, but that’s still getting setup.)

Tonight, there is a volunteer information meeting at 519 Church Street at 7pm. If you’re interested in helping out on the campaign, this is a great way to get looped in.

This Friday, David Suzuki is speaking at the University of Toronto. We’re hosting an after-party on the top floor of O’Grady’s pub, on College at the base of King’s College Road. If you’re going to see Suzuki speak (as I am), then head over as soon as the event’s done. Otherwise, swing by around 8:30 or 9pm. I’m very excited that deputy leader Adriane Carr will be there with us, so it will be a great event.

For details on these events and others, don’t forget to keep checking the events page. Lots of new events are getting added all the time.

Just got back from taping an appearance for tonight’s not-so-appropriately-named “Live at 5:30″ news program on CH Hamilton (which I’m told is channel 11 most places, including Toronto). The Toronto Sun’s Lorrie Goldstein and I debate (again, “ish”) what’s going on in Bali and what Canada’s role should be. Lorrie keeps rightly pointing out how complex the issue is, which probably means it shouldn’t be dealt with in 8-minute television double-enders, but there you have it. If you miss it at 5:30, it re-airs at 11:30 (at which time, I’m assured, it’s still called “Live at 5:30″).