Why would a Toronto councillor call an entire neighbourhood a ‘pedophile district’?

A controversial Toronto city councillor won’t apologize for calling a downtown neighbourhood a “pedophile district,” despite an online uprising from the community and rejection of the comments from his fellow councillors. But the real question is why Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti would make such a comment in the first place.

Mammoliti launched a seemingly-intentional smear campaign against Parkdale and its councillor, Gord Perks, in an official press release on Monday. The absurd comment was offered as part of a debate over whether to allow all-ages dance parties at Exhibition Place Grounds.

Mammoliti said all-ages dances shouldn't be held at Exhibition Place, because it is located in the neighbourhood of Parkdale. He later questioned why Perks supported adults and children attending the same parties.

"With 'all-ages' parties being held next to a pedophile district we are simply encouraging the continued abuse of our children," Mammoliti said in the statement.

"Given the rampant alcohol and illicit drug abuse and poor security, our children can fall victim to peer pressure participating in these activites or becoming victimized at the hands of current and past pedophiles. It is a disaster waiting to happen."

So, yeah. Not great. Mammolti was referring to a database of Ontario sex offenders recently obtained by Global News. The database details the reported location of registered sex offenders in the province and suggests Parkdale has among the highest concentration in Toronto, with 58 registered sex offenders living in the neighbourhood. That puts Parkdale at a rate of 164.1 registered sex offenders per 100,000 people, third highest in the city. Mammoliti told CP24 that he would not apologize for his comments, even suggesting it was the province of Ontario that was calling Parkdale a pedophile district (which, of course, it did not). But the real question is why Mammoliti would actually go so far as to intentionally smear an entire neighbourhood in the first place. Sure, he backs an Exhibition Place club owner who wants all-ages parties out of the area, but his comments go beyond that. The sad fact is that Mammoliti's smear has done exactly what smear campaigns are supposed to do: It planted a seed. Regardless of the absurdity of calling any Toronto neighbourhood a "pedophile district," here we are crunching the numbers, mounting defenses and subconsciously mulling over the question. This is how political smear tactics work; and they do work. According to a study conducted by Michigan State University following the 2010 presidential election, smear campaigns have a conscious and unconscious impact on our perception, especially when they falsely underline ways that someone may be different from us. The benefit of Mammoliti's smear campaign is questionable, consider he's running for re-election for a council seat very far from the Parkdale neighbourhood. But it has caused troubles for Parkdale Coun. Gord Perks, with whom Mammoliti has had previous run-ins. In a letter posted to his website, Perks said he was saddened by the slur. "As we all know Parkdale is the kind of community everyone in Toronto admires. We are economically, socially, and culturally diverse. We accept and welcome and love each other. If the rest of Toronto were more like Parkdale, Toronto would be an even better place to live," Perks wrote. Perks went on to encourage residents to post reasons why they love their neighbourhood. The response was a wave of positive messages on Twitter, using the hashtag #ParkdaleLove.

“I lived in Parkdale for years, and I miss it. I love the Tibetan restaurants, the vintage shops, the proximity to Lake Ontario, and the diverse, vibrant communities that call it home,” a man named Paul wrote.

Mammoliti has a history of bizarre statements and inappropriate actions. He once surreptitiously videotaped people who were participating in a Pride parade, he once called Toronto “the biggest pimp in North America.” He’s said the army should be called to deal with gangs. His best-known public position is a desire to turn Toronto Island into an Amsterdam-style club district.

The “pedophile district” statement may be a calculated smear campaign in the midst of the municipal election campaign, or it may be a case of Mammoliti being Mammoliti. Either way, it’s a dumb comment to which, at the very least, the people of Parkdale know better than to pay any attention.

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