Time to Think Locally

Toronto’s upcoming municipal election may shield our unpopular Premier as we all turn to look at who will represent us locally. With that being said, there’s good reason that the Ford government will feature prominently in many wards and municipalities across the province, especially for candidates with waterfronts or Greenbelt territory within their ward. Municipal campaigning has already started and will end with the election to be held on Monday, October 26.

Gord Perks, one of our own local councillors, has retired and his Parkdale-High Park seat is wide open with at last count a crowded field of more than 10 candidates. The candidates are Michael Corcoran, Nadia Guerrera, Debbie King, Diana Chan McNally, Bridget Ogundipe, Adam Pham, Andy Potega, Vanessa Raponi, Holly Weber, Steve Yuen.

The Northernmost ward in our readership, York South-Weston, will also be crowded with 9 candidates they are: Sharmarke Ali, Matthew Boateng, Daniel Di Giorgio, Maryama Farah, Ahmed Mawel, Frances Nunziata, Nekpen Obasogie, Chiara Padovani, Sileen Phillips.

The readership in the wards at the edges of our focus, Davenport and Etobicoke-Lakeshore, have less crowded fields with 4 candidates each. Both wards have popular incumbents, Alejandra Bravo in Davenport and Amber Morley in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Spadina-Fort York, another western waterfront ward, has a crowded field with 8 candidates giving incumbent and Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik a challenge.

Mayor Olivia Chow will also be running to win back her seat at the head of Toronto Council and we’ll have more on that soon.

These candidate lists may change slightly as final nomination lists are being approved by the city Monday.