Miss Toronto Tourism

The Miss Toronto Tourism pageant has been run since 1997. In spite of the name, the pageant's management has no official ties to the city government, or to any charities or other organization established to boost the city.

In 2008 Karen Murray (also known as "Karen Director"), the organization's founder, spokesmen and longstanding director, stirred criticism when one of that year's volunteer judges was rejected. The judge Stephanie Conover, was the winner of the Miss Canada Plus pageant. However, after inviting Conover to serve as a judge, the pageant's management rescinded that invitation when they received her resume, which said her hobbies included practicing the Reiki massage technique, and included reading Tarot cards. Murray, and other members of the pageant's board of directors, characterized both Reiki and Tarot card reading as "dark occult arts", that had been "rejected by God, Jews, Muslims and Christians".

Several former Miss Toronto Tourism have been involved in controversies. Alana Kindree, formerly Miss Toronto Tourism 2010, was involved in controversies involving Rob Ford. She was observed partying with a heavily intoxicated Ford on March 17, 2012 -- St Patrick's Day. Isaac Ransom, one of Ford's aides, would later tell Police he suspected Kindree was an "escort or prostitute", and that she had brought hashish to the mayor. Other reports asserted the mayor had attended a "stag party" where Kindree was an entertainer.