Voters in Ward 15 (Don Valley West) are heading to the polls on Nov. 4 to choose a new city councillor. The winner will represent the area for the next two years. Here’s everything you need to know about the Toronto byelection.
Why is the byelection happening?
In May, longtime area councillor Jaye Robinson died following a battle with cancer. With roughly half the term left, council decided to hold a byelection to fill the seat rather than have council appoint someone for the rest of the term
Who’s running?
There are 16 candidates who will be on the ballot, though two of them have already withdrawn and thrown their support to former Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustee Rachel Chernos Lin.
Polling has indicated that the byelection is a two-way horse race between Chernos Lin and Toronto Sun columnist and broadcaster Anthony Furey.
One recent poll indicated that Furey, who doesn’t currently live in the ward but grew up nearby, sits in the lead.
Furey will be familiar to some voters as one of the candidates who was running for mayor in the citywide byelection last year against Olivia Chow and a slew of others. He is running on a platform to tackle traffic, crime, and affordability. He says he’s also against property tax increases that are “unreasonably high.”
Chernos Lin, who also served as TDSB chair for two years, is promising to tackle gridlock and crime, make the community more walkable, and make sure that new developments reflect “our community’s values.”
She brings with her a slew of endorsements from several city councillors and trustees, as well as the MP and MPP for the area, and former premier Kathleen Wynne.
Chernos Lin’s supporters have characterized Furey as an “extreme right” candidate who must be stopped.
Out door-knocking for Chernos Lin recently, Wynne told CTV News Toronto that Furey “is a right-wing bigot” and that he is “somebody who will not represent the views and the ideals of this riding.”
In the past, Furey has railed against bike lanes, excessive taxation, and “pet projects” at city hall. He has criticized the city as caving to “fringe activists” on issues such as renaming Dundas Street.
Some of Chernos Lin’s supporters said they think Furey is simply using this council run as a springboard for another mayoral bid in two years.
Furey has not ruled out another run for the mayor’s office. However he said that attacks on him are mounting up because his opponents are scared they may lose.
“People are frightened by the fact that they’re going to lose their power, so they’re scrambling to do all these attacks on me. But I don’t think it’s working,” he told CTV News Toronto.
He said while running for mayor whet his appetite for city politics, he’s focused on his bid for the council seat.
“It was an amazing opportunity running for mayor, and it only increased my interest in city hall and my passion for municipal politics,” Furey said. “And now I’m looking to be on council, to be a voice for common sense and practical solutions.”
Other candidates in the race include Lesley Stoyan, who wants to improve food security in low-income areas and Sam Robinson, the son of the former councillor who says he shares the priorities of his late mother when it comes to “integrity, fiscal responsibility, and genuine care for the people and neighbourhoods she represented.”
What are the issues?
The diverse ward stretches roughly from St. Clair to Highway 401 north-south, and from Yonge Street to Leslie Street east-west. It includes affluent areas like York Mills and Leaside, along with areas like Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park, where a majority of residents are immigrants.
Affordable housing, traffic, transit and crime were identified in a recent poll as some of the top problems that voters in the ward care about most.
What’s at stake?
Voter turnout tends to be lower in byelections. Still, the results can sometimes be seen as a bellwether for changing attitudes and preferences among voters. A win for Furey could be encouraging for a possible right-leaning challenger to Mayor Chow in the next election in two years’ time.
Who can vote?
The byelection is open to Canadian citizens 18 and older who live in the ward. You can also vote if you or your spouse own property in the ward.
How do I vote?
Voting will take place at various polling stations in the ward on Monday, Nov. 4, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Taking your Voter Information Card with you to the polling station can help speed things up, but you can vote without it.
Voters need to present acceptable forms of I.D. to vote, such as a driver’s licence or a utility bill with your name and address on it. A list of acceptable ID is posted on the city’s website.
Full information for voters, including a list of voting places, is also on the city’s byelection page.
With files from CTV Toronto’s Natalie Johnson