Last weekend, while wandering Pride, I met three people who really wanted to talk AT me. You guessed it: hopeful politicians all vying for my vote.<\/em><\/p>\n Today: Kristyn Wong-Tam<\/strong><\/p>\n As we push through the throngs of people during the Pride celebrations on Church Street, a smiley faced woman waves a pamphlet in my over-stimulated field of view. I look down and it has a familiar face on it. Kristyn!<\/p>\n About ten years ago I was painting as a hobby. Massive canvases of single panel outtakes from comics<\/a>. One day, on a whim, I asked the manager, Kristyn, of Timothy’s at Church and Alexander (the outlet affectionately known as “The Bear Store”) if they had space to hang and sell. She had me showing work within a month. I went on to show stuff there 3 times over the years and would sell out every time (except for the AstroBoy vs Pinocchio – I still have that one).<\/p>\n I told the woman that I knew Kristyn and was happy she was doing something different. The volunteer called Kristyn over and I’m the recipient of warm hugs and huge smiles. She remembered my paintings and complimented me on how successful each showing was. High praise coming from someone who has managed a couple galleries. I turned the love-fest around and said if I wasn’t working two jobs, I would seriously be volunteering for her campaign.<\/p>\n I’m not an overly political person; I’m such a fence sitter I have splinters in my private areas. But with Kristyn I have a good feeling that she would actually work for you. She has that kind of manner that suggests that she’s connected to you when you speak to her, a quality the other two politicians (Joel Dick<\/a> and George Smitherman<\/a>) I had met earlier were completely devoid of.\u00a0 She’s well spoken and knows her neighbourhood, having grown up in Regent Park<\/a> and also sits on the Church\/Wellesley BIA board.<\/p>\n Her campaign slogan should be a simple:\u00a0 “Connected”.<\/p>\n