Toronto mayor John Tory falls in love with London’s Docklands on visit
Perhaps it isn’t news that a conservative that goes by the name of “Tory” took a shine to Canary Wharf this weekend, but one conservative Canadian’s sheer jubilation at the sight of a Tube map was just too good not to share.
Following the Canadian general election, which saw the country’s Liberal party swan into office with a safe majority, conservative Toronto mayor John Tory (no, really) appeared to bury his head in the sand, taking a trip to Canary Wharf last week to discuss infrastructure and cheer on baseball team the Blue Jays at Covent Garden’s Maple Leaf pub.
Tory was so impressed with the high-tech financial district that he shared the visit with his 77,000 followers on Twitter. He’s planning some major developments in his own City and came to the train station for inspiration.
“I wept a bit when I saw this,” he said, sharing a map of London’s underground network. The mayor was also pleased with the financial district’s futuristic efficiency, with DLR trains departing from Canary Wharf’s platform every minute. What an age to be alive!
The real fun came when the mayor met the mayor. Boris Johnson met Tory to talk more about the underground network and the districts affinity with financial technology.
As is tradition on state visits, Tory presented him with a gift; a rugby ball for the rugger “crazed” mayor. Given recent events involving Japanese youths, perhaps the Mounties are wittier than some stereotypes let on…