Simon Wookey is running for office in Toronto (5)
Archived Articles | 06 Oct 2006  | Adu RaudkiviEWR
If there are two more different types of campaign than those of Simon Wookey and John Sillaots, it would be hard to imagine.

The Wookey campaign had its opening party at an art gallery with fifty highbrow members of Toronto's art society (like Sylvia Tyson of Ian and Sylvia fame) complete with a top flight campaign manager (used to be Sheila Copps') and a polished campaign slogan "Let the Wookey Win" all written up in a page size article in the Sunday Toronto Star (September 24th).

Wookey, 35, is running in Ward 18, Davenport, in the west part of the city, up against incumbent, 28 year-old Adam Giambrone, who ran several times, before he finally was elected.

The Ward has a little bit of the commercial art area along Queen Street West but the rest is working-class Portuguese (38%) which is a slight problem for Wookey. His stepfather, literary agent Bruce Westwood, pointed out to him that his background of Upper Canada College and of growing up on Hazelton Avenue, which Wookey's father built from slum, might show him to be too upper-class.

Wookey is half Estonian. His mother is Kersti (born Lepik) who is the daughter of Emanuel Lepik, an Orthodox Priest, schoolteacher and architect. Grandfather's suggestion to Wookey was to learn a trade, because conditions may change and one will have to sustain one's family somehow.

With that exhortation Wookey learned to cook. He became a Cordon Bleu chef. He also worked as a camera assistant on "Star Wars, Episode I" and "Shakespeare in Love". He has worked in the software business and now works with his father at modernizing his company "Seniority Investments".

Wookey is dealing head-on with the Portuguese question by learning to speak the language. He has acquired the help of Ana Bialao, a Portuguese lady, who ran unsuccessfully in the last municipal election.

The phone number for the Simon Wookey Campaign is (416) 534-6504.
 

Viimased kommentaarid

Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
Rahvuslane08 Oct 2006 10:20
Language isn't the only determinant of ethnic identity but, certainly, it's the most important and, probably, the only one that's essential.

All this talk about "race" and "consciousness" has a nice ring to it but it doesn't add up to much upon closer inspection.
yes lulu, you are lulu08 Oct 2006 05:21
" .... Language is not the only thing required to have a consciousness of a race ..... and language is quite significant."
lulu07 Oct 2006 19:25
To the first commentator: His Estonian parent is not an ancestor. Half EStonian is fairly significant if you are raised with an Estonian conciousness, along with the consciousness of your other parent's race. That would imply a rather broad awareness. Language is not the only thing required to have a consciousness of a race. Genes have some bearing as do various cultural traits. Although, yes, we estonians are quite a mixed race as far as recent ancestors go, and language is quite significant.

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