Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson is the Toronto City Councillor for Scarborough Centre.

Michael has earned a reputation as one of Toronto’s hardest working Councillors. A natural initiator, Michael created the "Scarborough Rocks" community image building campaign, spearheaded the creation of the Wexford Heights Business Improvement Area, co-founded the Taste of Lawrence Avenue East Festival and established a Job Fair that annually brings hundreds of job seekers together with dozens of employers.

Focused on youth development, Michael paved the way for new recreation facilities and brought floor tennis to schools in key neighbourhoods city-wide. He brought together businesses, schools, 41 Division police and the Future Aces program to create Ontario’s first Positive Ticketing program for youth. The program rewards good behaviour with valuable tickets and coupons.

With his encouragement and support, young people serve as volunteers in his office and at nearly all the community events he sponsors. In conjunction with Project Engagement, an initiative he co-founded in 2005, Michael has been promoting the development of young leaders from a wide range of cultural and economic backgrounds.

Michael’s leadership has had an impact well beyond Ward 37. Thanks to his persistent salesmanship, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the world’s largest student run professional association, will hold its annual conference in Toronto in 2010, bringing more than 10,000 young engineers and students to the city.

In 2006, as Chair of the Scarborough Community Council, he led the campaign to create a TTC transit strategy for Scarborough, an initiative that will significantly improve public transit services in the City’s east end.

Michael is the recipient of the African Achievement Award for Excellence in Politics and the Bob Marley Award, and continues to work with a number of charitable organizations including participation in the LIUNA Local 506 scholarship fund.