Excerpts from introduction: This report is part of the larger effort to raise the profile of Canadian cities as centres of human and economic development. It describes the challenges Toronto faces in a faster-paced global economy. It demonstrates that a high quality education system, beginning with excellent early learning and child care services, is ultimately linked to economic innovation; and that it is crucial in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce, as well as maintaining the ethnic and socio-economic harmony Toronto requires if it is to continue as a vibrant and livable city.