View Photos
View Video
View Attendees
View Urban Toronto Article

On March 8th, ULI Toronto hosted its 8th Annual Fireside Chat with guest William Fleissig, Waterfront Toronto’s new president and CEO, at the Toronto Region Board of Trade offices.

The Fireside Chat format is a little different than most ULI Toronto events, staged as an informal chat between two industry leaders (while a few hundred guests listen in, of course). This year, Ken Greenberg of Greenberg Consultants conducted the interview. Greenberg is a favourite of ULI Toronto and a wonderful interviewer with a great presence. On stage, the two gabbed about Fleissig’s move to the city and what a successful waterfront means to him.

Last December, Waterfront Toronto announced that Fleissig would assume the role of president and CEO. Although his experience of the city prior to accepting the position was limited to a few visits, Fleissig was immediately struck by the organization’s mission statement. As he recalled during the conversation with Greenberg, reading the mission statement “made the hairs on his neck stand up,” and Fleissig was immediately taken by the ambition and distinctiveness of Waterfront Toronto’s goal of transforming the perception of Toronto. He saw this as a unique and exciting challenge that he wanted to be a part of.

The pair continued to speak about opportunities Fleissig sees for improving, such as increasing investment in open spaces and the urgency of green infrastructure. He also spoke about diversity, and the unique advantage Toronto holds as this trait is so strongly ingrained in Toronto’s collective identity. Identity was a theme that came up frequently throughout the evening, with Fleissig and Greenberg concluding that a large part of Toronto’s personality is the element of transformation and becoming. Clearly passionate about the future, Fleissig repeatedly emphasized that decisions made today are shaping what Toronto becomes in the future. In a wonderful moment, Fleissig brilliantly referred to the waterfront as Toronto’s ‘front porch.’ If we do not take pride in maintaining our front porch, he said, no one will want to come inside.

A genuine forward thinker with a strikingly accurate understanding of Toronto’s needs, the audience left thinking of Fleissig as one of their own and excited to see the visioning process commence. And, as Waterfront Toronto begins the community engagement process, you can get involved and share your opinion on what makes a great waterfront.