DAVID MILLER COULD have written a tell-all and set the record straight on any number of issues.

But he didn’t. His new book, Witness to a City, highlights the lives of 18 Torontonians including former councillor Anne Johnston, (and one bridge) that, for Miller, represent the unique fabric of our city. This was the book he was compelled to write. And the first name on his list was Mohamed Gilao.

Fleeing a civil war in Somalia, Gilao arrived in Toronto with one mission: to keep his children safe, but he ended up working in the Somalian community to create opportunities for new immigrants.

“What a great story, someone who flees a civil war and creates basically volunteer organizations to help others.… Then his son was tragically killed at the Phoenix, shot, nobody really knows why,” says Miller.

“That is a real tragedy, and a human story, and I wanted people to see the face of Loyan, who was a marvellous young boy, as more than a headline: ‘Another young man gunned down, oh it’s drugs.’ Well, it isn’t. Maybe sometimes, but it often isn’t. So I wanted to push against our stereotypes. I also wanted to show the dignity of this family.…It still brings tears to my eyes.”

When talk turns to last month’s municipal election, Miller’s back doesn’t physically bonk the ceiling, but it is up.

Over the past two years, he says, he’s been saying he wished people could see Toronto through his eyes. His reasons are twofold: He wants people to understand the human side of public policy initiatives the city undertook during his tenure, such as Streets to Homes and the community safety strategy, but he also wants people to take another look at their city that was in the middle of a very negative election campaign.

“Torontonians need to understand the nuance of this city, which has accidentally become quite relevant during this election because, you know, three of the four leading candidates always talk about the city as if everything is a disaster,” Miller explains. “It’s not.

We’ve got an incredible city and these stories show why.” Miller is tight-lipped over his next move after he hands in the keys to the mayor’s office.

Maybe he’ll further his work in the environmental field, or maybe he’ll get to that tell-all after all. “There are stories I’d like to tell, but the jury is out on that one,” Miller explains.“My own story, I’m not as compelled. Maybe I’m too used to it.”