The last two elections in Ward 37 have been won in a landslide by Michael Thompson, but that does not mean the community itself has also stayed the same. Three new challengers have put their names on the ballot to be sure city hall keeps on top of the changing needs of Scarborough Centre.
A plan to build condos on the Bridlewood Mall site is among the big issues in Scarborough-Agincourt’s Ward 39.
Incumbent Mike Del Grande, who faces challengers Kevin Xu and Caldwell Williams, said he “had to vote in favour” of the plan in order to get a new $2.4 million library in the mall. The library will be paid for by the developer and money from Section 37 funds (funds provided by developers for community projects).
Ward 20 houses many of Toronto’s hot spots and cultural landmarks like the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre, the Entertainment District, Kensington Market, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Queens Quay and the Royal Ontario Museum.
Bounded by Christie and Bathurst streets in the west to University Avenue in the east and from the Canadian Pacific (CP) Rail tracks on the north to Lake Ontario on the south, the Trinity-Spadina ward is also home to a number of strong residents’ associations comprised of people who value their downtown lifestyle and are looking to hear from candidates about their plans for everything from garbage collection to nightclubs.
Keeping seniors in their homes and youth off the streets have emerged as the two big issues in Toronto’s Ward 12, the eastern half of the York South-Weston riding.
The area’s seniors made up just under 15 per cent of the ward’s population in 2006 — not much higher than the city average. However, the ward is much poorer than the city as a whole — almost half the households had incomes less than $40,000, according to 2005 census data.
Though Election Day itself is nearly a month away, on Oct. 25, advance polls start next week.
Licensed rooming houses are a necessity in Scarborough, say four of five mayoral candidates speaking at a debate here this week.
Rob Ford, however, said it’s up to neighbourhoods to say they want rooming houses or don’t.
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