Running into Anton Kuerti

"The best people use Toronto Dollars," says Mike Comstock, head of the St. Lawrence BIA, "the most altruistic people, the kind of people you'd like to meet and know." He's right, if by "the best people," we mean the Governor General, or the winner of this year's Jane Jacobs award, or Canada's most famous concert pianist.

Anton Kuerti

Anton Kuerti is among the celebrities that are committed to the Toronto Dollar. He shows up regularly to public Toronto Dollar events, or the Toronto Dollar booth at the St. Lawrence market, or at different watering holes where Toronto Dollars flow. But the Toronto Dollar is not just for our special visionaries. It's a tool for all of us who care about what money does. A friend of mine who works for the United Nations said, "The Toronto Dollar is the only system I know that links consumerism and distribution. It puts power in the hands of the community."

When we exchange our Canadian dollars for Toronto Dollars, we know we can spend them in all sorts of places. We can get our carpets cleaned, our furniture moved, our teeth fixed, our eyes examined, we can get glasses, food, clothes, appliances, take singing lessons - a whole variety of goods and services. At the same time, without having to make a donation, we are channeling funds to people among us in need.

It's one small action we can do to keep hope alive on a planet struck numb by growing poverty. Just imagine if our little Toronto Dollar spark could become a flame. What light it could bring into the world.