A
BULL'S-EYE VIEW OF A
PLACE CALLED "BAY STREET"
 WELCOME
to the first issue of The Bay
Street Bull. Our mission is simple:
to provide a magazine for the extraordinary
men and women who make up Canada's
leading business community. As you
will discover in this issue, the term
"Bay Street" means more
than the financial district located
in Toronto — it also signifies
people who have achieved the highest
level of business success in Canada.
It is a brand of
success and sophistication with a
life of its own, like no other in
the world. The magazine gives you
a "bull's-eye" view of individuals
who make up the Bay Street culture.
It gives voice to their achievements,
passions, lifestyles, fears and trepidations.
We start with our
poll of top business leaders from
across Canada, conducted by COMPAS
Inc. It concluded that "Bay Street"
to business leaders is a symbol of
success and luxury. Being "branded"
Bay Street in 2004 looks something
like having corporate success, driving
a BMW, flying on Westjet, buying Nortel
stock, and having the colour blue
as your choice for business dress.
You also admire a number of business
personalities both in Canada and the
U.S., but have no strong preference.
About 12 percent of those polled made
takeover king Gerry Schwartz the number
1 Bay Street personality.
We then explore the
darker side. Here we uncover a Bay
Street whose psyche has been bloodied
but not beaten over corporate scandals.
It's been a rough ride from investors
and the media. The usual handful of
suspects topped the poll: Enron/CIBC,
Bre-X and Hollinger. Worst, however,
is evidence of a prevailing feeling
among business leaders that the current
federal government has got off relatively
scot-free from a string of its own
ethical malfeasance.
Our Canadian confidante
Charmaine Semon gives us insight into
individuals whose power and success
have exhausted and depleted them.
For wearied warriors, Semon offers
private comfort and respite as well
as a healthy way back to the fast
track.
Next comes the fun.
With great aplomb, our lifestyles
reporter takes the COMPAS findings
a step further and stacks them up
against the preferences of the "the
Street." Our cover story on Donald
Trump is a reality check on where
Toronto stands as a world-class business
and culture centre. It's not New York
City, London or Paris quite yet. But
there is evidence the bar could be
raised if Trump succeeds in his plans
to build an ultra-luxury hotel-condominium
project on Bay Street. The mere presence
of a similar Trump edifice in Chicago
single-handedly accounted for huge
increases in that city's upscale real
estate market. The hope is the same
"Donald Effect" will prevail
in Toronto. But as Duff McDonald writes,
it's also going to take an influx
of international money and the desire
of the fabulously rich to become real
stakeholders in Toronto to put the
city over the top. McDonald concludes
that there is a glimmer of these factors
appearing on the horizon. But for
now it's all a matter of speculation.
"The Donald" himself also
had a few words to say to the Bull
about his views on Canada.
Then there is the
quest for political office by one
of Bay Street's own. Our story of
John Tory's life of politics is not
in any way an endorsement of the candidate.
Our interest lies in the fact that
rarely does someone like Tory, with
deep roots in the Canadian Establishment,
step out into the fray of public life.
What we learn about Tory is that politics
was always his first passion and that
has set him apart from a very early
age.
So here's to "Bay
Street," wherever you happen
to live the dream. Enjoy!
See you in December.
Sincerely,
Martin Power |
