Just as San Francisco is the city by the bay, and Rome the city on seven hills, so Canada's largest city has a wonderful physical identity. From Scarborough to Etobicoke, Toronto is defined by its waterfront, and the rivers and creeks that empty into it. Right now, the city has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that waterfront magnificent -- and to reclaim the energy, the sense of shared enterprise that made Toronto a vital centre of community consciousness in the 1970s and early 1980s. But Toronto has lost its way. And it's in danger of losing its chance to reclaim its soul by allowing the same old political deal-making that has scarred the streetscape to destroy the likelihood of a revitalized waterfront.

When London reimagined itself in the 1990s as a river city, it reclaimed the Isles of Dogs neighbourhood. Transformed into what is now Canary Wharf, it injected commerce and vitality to the docklands and environs. The lands that lie east of Yonge Street to Leslie Street are 10 times the size of the Canary Wharf site. They similarly present the chance to transform a neighbourhood of neglect into an inspired urban centre, and so recharge the whole city. However, with great opportunity comes great responsibility: Whatever we do, must be done well. We must not repeat past mistakes.

The sad reality is that Toronto has done less with its waterfront than almost any other city in North America or Europe. A growing sense of dread is replacing the recent optimism many of us had that the lakeshore would be rejuvenated. We're concerned that this last chance to reclaim a crucial stretch of Lake Ontario shore is being undermined as the insatiable need for profits triumphs over the dreams of this city's people.

Toronto's past and future come together on the waterfront: Nature bequeathed the lake to us and it's where the city was born. Over the years, we have used it to make life better for all Torontonians: beaches where we could play, waters where we could swim and fish, grassy spots where we could picnic, read or run. These lands offer the possibility of an active, dynamic area for housing, recreational amenities and commercial enterprise. But a generation ago, in the 1966 official plan, we committed a crime of crushing mediocrity: We deemed the portlands "industrial use" and got ready to squander one of our prime assets.

Right now, Toronto has a conjunction of forces and resources in place that could redeem this situation. The federal and provincial governments, which have ignored Toronto on almost every other front, have fully participated in the development of the latest waterfront plans. Each is contributing $100-million annually for five years to a waterfront-revitalization corporation that's poised to act. We have a waterfront plan ("Making Waves") that has won international awards. Yet nothing has actually happened. Why not? The major reason is a great void in leadership. When city council came to its very first hurdle -- to expand the island airport to carry 11 times the current passenger volume -- it stumbled. Councillors did what they have too often done: They chose to support the private interests of the Toronto Port Authority (an agency of the federal government) and of an airline promoter over the needs of the people of Toronto.

We can't sit by and allow the hope for the future of our downtown and waterfront to be destroyed. We have to act immediately and decisively. The first thing we must do is urge the federal government, which has a voice in approving the island airport expansion scheme, to turn it down. It's worth noting that Transportation Minister David Collenette has already declared himself in favour of protecting and improving the waterfront. He has talked for years about his desire to see a high-speed rail link built from Union Station to Pearson International Airport. Now, we need him to get moving: Build the rail link. Put a stop to the airport expansion.

Second, all the stalling on the "Making Waves" plan is draining the project of its energy. Let's just get started. Now. We can begin by cleaning up the degraded portlands. In so doing, we'll assure Torontonians that these spaces will, indeed, one day be for their use and enjoyment. What better way to show our commitment to waterfront renewal than to bring back trees and grass, so that people enjoy this reclaimed treasure?

Third, the public must be engaged as true partners in the process of creating a new lakeside core for their city. I hear from many people who feel the land is being developed in spite of, not for, them. They wonder whether the shoreline will be theirs or simply another wall of condominiums. By working together, we must ensure it won't be.

Fortunately, at the November Toronto City Council meeting, a motion to have meetings of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation held in public was unanimously adopted and has now become part of provincial legislation. A critical step remains: Several of the corporation's directors have inherent conflicts because they represent interests with their own waterfront agendas -- power plants, theme parks, construction opportunities. These people should be replaced by visionary urban thinkers -- people such as architect Jack Diamond, planner Ken Greenberg, thought-provoking Jane Jacobs or former mayor David Crombie.

We have to demonstrate our commitment to the core principles of "Making Waves." The water's edge must be for people. It must include parks, museums, cafes, and shops. We must improve connections between the streetscape and the water; encourage quality urban design and architecture; build inclusive communities; and promote a clean, green waterfront.

Council failed the first test of our commitment to clean and green when it voted to permit a bridge to the island airport and the airport's expansion. We cannot stand by while it goes on making more mistakes.

Without leadership, the best intentions don't amount to much. It's time to open the doors of the back rooms, to do public business in public, to put an end to turf wars and private agendas, and to dedicate ourselves to creating a Toronto in touch with the best it can be -- a city that salutes its lake with a dynamic waterfront for ourselves and our children.
David Miller is Toronto city councillor for the waterfront ward of High Park-Parkdale, and a 2003 mayoral candidate.