- Sarah Thomson (publisher)
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Thomson at the 2010 Toronto Mayoral debate held in June
Sarah Thomson, also known as Sarah Whatmough-Thomson,[1] (born 1968) is publisher and CEO of the Women's Post magazine[2][3]. She was a Toronto mayoral candidate in the 2010 municipal election.[4] Thomson was the Liberal candidate in the riding of Trinity—Spadina in the 2011 provincial election.
Contents
Childhood
Thomson was born Sarah Whatmough in Toronto. She began working at a gas station at age 16 and progressed through the ranks to become manager, franchise dealer, and eventually leaser of various service locations. After this, she formed a company to benefit under-performing gas stations and was one of the first to introduce retail stores to service stations. The company grossed over $30 million a year for various stations.[5]
Career
After forming the company, she returned to McMaster University, studying philosophy and English. Her next business venture involved renovating bought homes, where she ran into numerous problems involving zoning and permits. Thomson combated this by running for the Hamilton Council, though she did not succeed.[5] It had been stated on Thomson's website, and reported by various publications in reference to her site, that she had lost the council bid by only a shy 200 votes. However, a Toronto Life report stated that the real results were her placing fourth in a run with only four participants, with Thomson having lost by more than a thousand votes. The website was altered soon after the report was posted.[6]
Publishing
After running a community newspaper in Hamilton, the Examiner, she established the Women's News in 2002, renaming it the Women's Post in 2003.[1] The periodical currently has a verified circulation of 61,000[7] but claims a readership of over 300,000.[5]
Thomson was accused of being in a conflict of interest when her publication featured her on the cover of its February–March 2010 issue under the headline "Sarah Thomson: Toronto's Next Mayor ...". In an interview with the National Post, Thomson defended herself stating that she had paid for the issue as a campaign expense.[8] David Swick, a journalism ethics instructor at the University of King's College in Halifax, said that by masquerading electioneering as reporting, the Women's Post was risking a breach of trust with its readers.[9] Adam Vaughan, a former journalist who became a city councilor, argued that while entitled to use the Women's Post as a platform, Thomson's action "undermines the credibility of the magazine."[9] Bob Sexton, president of the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, told the Toronto Star that the magazine's "cover is considered an editorial page, just like any other editorial page in the magazine, so, therefore, placing an ad on the cover contravenes the industry guidelines."[9]
Mayoral run
Main article: Toronto mayoral election, 2010Thomson registered as a candidate for election as Mayor of Toronto on January 4, 2010.[10] She was endorsed by Conrad Black.[11][12] An April 2010 poll by the Toronto Star stated that Thomson had the support of 7% of respondents, but by June a poll showed her support had risen to 17%, putting her in third place.[13] [14] In late April it was reported that lawyer and former federal Conservative candidate Sam Goldstein, who was one of Thomson's leading advisors, had left her campaign to become co-chair of rival Rocco Rossi's mayoral campaign.[15] Thomson was supported by former mayoral canadidate John Tory's two sons. George Tory was appointed her campaign manger while John Tory, Jr., was a key campaign strategist.[16]
Among Thomson's ideas for the city were the privatization of Toronto's library system and the replacement of Transit City's recommendation for LRTs with new subways.[citation needed] These ideas were later advocated by mayor-elect, Rob Ford.
Thomson withdrew from the campaign on September 28 because of a lack of funds and threw her support to George Smitherman in a failed effort to prevent frontrunner Rob Ford from becoming mayor. [17]Provincial politics
On March 9, 2011, Thomson announced that she was planning to run as a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party in the riding of Trinity—Spadina in the provincial election taking place in October.[18] Thomson was officially nominated as the party's candidate at a nomination meeting on March 27.
References
- ^ a b "Personal loss opens new door for Post editor", The Publisher, March 1, 2004
- ^ "Women’s Post goes glossy" - Marketing Magazine
- ^ "Wink Intimates: Entrepreneur Andrea Clair Named Women's Post 'Woman of the Week'" - Marketwire
- ^ "Sarah Thomson — fringe or force?" - Toronto Sun
- ^ a b c "Lone woman runs in race for mayor's chair"
- ^ "Sarah Thomson’s slight discrepancy" - Toronto Life
- ^ Media Digest 2007-2008
- ^ "'You gotta step into the forefront'", National Post, February 26, 2010
- ^ a b c "The Selling of Sarah", Ryerson Review of Journalism, April 6, 2010
- ^ "On your mark ... Race for change at City Hall begins", National Post, January 5, 2010
- ^ "Convict Black wades into T.O. mayoral race", Toronto Sun, April 17, 2010
- ^ "Conrad Black backs candidate in T.O. mayoral race", CTV News, April 19, 2010
- ^ http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontomayoralrace/article/823103--mayoral-race-rob-ford-catches-up-to-george-smitherman?bn=1
- ^ "Ford makes early impression", National Post, April 17, 2010
- ^ "Thomson adviser decamps for Rossi camp", Globe and Mail, April 20, 2010
- ^ "A Tory family affair — on the Thomson campaign", Toronto Star, Wednesday, July 28
- ^ "Smitherman welcomes Thomson to his corner", Toronto Star, September 28, 2010
- ^ Sarah Thomson to run for Ontario Liberals in Trinity-Spadina "National Post"
External links
Categories:- 1968 births
- Canadian magazine publishers (people)
- Living people
- McMaster University alumni
- People from Hamilton, Ontario
- Ontario municipal politicians
- Ontario Liberal Party candidates in Ontario provincial elections
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