Never shy to voice his opinions, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore says Toronto should buckle down and "fix the traffic."
In fact, he could do it himself, he said.
"Seriously, if I had, like, a year I would come here for a dollar – an American dollar, not a Canadian dollar – and within a year I would get this traffic thing figured out," Moore told CTV outside the Ritz-Carlton hotel on Friday.
Torontonians have one of the longest commute times in North America, according to a 2014 report by the Greater Toronto Civic Action Alliance. The Toronto Region Board of Trade has estimated that gridlock costs the city about $6-billion each year.
Moore’s pithy comments appeared to be made in jest, and he described the offer as "a gift" for "all Canada has given to me."
The outspoken director is a regular presence at the Toronto International Film Festival. His latest movie, "Where to Invade Next," which premiered Friday, casts a critical eye on the American military and questions whether the U.S. has fallen behind other countries in terms of education, democracy, and overall quality of life.
Traffic aside, Moore expressed an affinity for the city and TIFF.
"I always love coming to Toronto. I’ve come here since I was a teenager," he said. "You have a diversity here that is unparalleled. There’s literally something for everybody."
Asked whether he’d consider making a documentary on Toronto’s traffic headaches, Moore said "I wouldn’t do a film," before getting cut off as a hovering publicist ushered him into a car.
