By Neil Armstrong
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| Photo contributed Michael Thompson, Councillor, Ward 21, Scarborough Centre |
Several Jamaican, Caribbean and African Canadian candidates
were winners in Ontario’s October 22 municipal elections.
In Toronto, Michael Thompson, councillor representing Ward
21 Scarborough Centre, won his fifth term in office with 69.1 per cent of the
vote.
With the Ontario government’s cut of the size of the Toronto
City Council to 25 councillors, the boundary of his ward has expanded and its
population increased from 65,000 to 112,000.
Thompson said the victory means that he will have an
opportunity to work for the residents of Scarborough Centre, in particular, and
City of Toronto, in general.
“It means that I will fight for them to advance their
transit needs. It means that I will fight for them to advance a number of
issues that they outlined to me that was important to them for this term of
council. Housing is part of it, jobs are an ongoing part, investment in the
community and so on, safer roads, the amount of time it takes people to travel
the city and so on.”
The veteran councillor said he is humbled by the win and
that when he started [in 2003] he did not think that he would be around this
long.
“I’m very happy that people have the confidence that I’m
able to represent them so that I can articulate their concerns.”
Given the expanded size of the ward, Thompson says he will
have to be more strategic to manage the affairs of the constituents and he will
adopt some of the additional ways he used during his campaign to reach people.
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| Photo credit: DSiFunPhotos.com Kathy McDonald, Peel District School Board trustee, Wards 3&4, Brampton |
Kathy McDonald, Peel District School Board trustee for Wards
3&4 since 2014, said because the margin that she won by was so large in
this election – over 50 per cent -- it reaffirmed to her that the public
appreciates the work that she has been doing.
“I really try to make sure that I’m executing my duties as a
trustee to the best of my ability. I felt very encouraged and empowered by
this.”
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| Photo contributed David Green, Peel District School Board trustee, Wards 1&5, Brampton |
David Green, school trustee for Wards 1&5, serving in
that capacity for nine years describes his re-election as a “sweet victory” for
the community.
“There was some injustice that happened over the last four
years and I would be the one that speak out and stand up – they used to call me
the big mouth – stand up for my community and for the children that the
injustice happen to.”
He said the teacher federations accused him of not being
teacher friendly and endorsed a candidate to run against him.
“This win is very clear that my community speaks volumes and
the community that I represent they trust me and they have confidence in me and
the work that I’ve done over the last fifteen years.”
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| Photo contributed Charmaine Williams, Councillor, Wards 7&8, Brampton - the first Black woman elected to the Brampton City Council |
Also, in Brampton, Charmaine Williams, born in England of
Jamaican parents, was elected city councillor for Wards 7&8 becoming the
first black woman elected to the city council.
During her campaign, Williams outlined her community safety
plan which includes “a plan to get 500 guns off the streets of Brampton through
an annual gun amnesty and gun buyback program. Brampton will offer $100 to
people for each unwanted firearm turned in to the Peel Police Service.”
She also plans to promote “traffic calming policies that
reduce the number of speeding cars.” She created the “Please Slow Down”
campaign and will promote safety near schools.
“I have a plan to protect our young people, if marijuana
sales are allowed in Brampton. My by-law will prevent marijuana from being sold
within 500 metres of any school,” says Williams on her campaign flyer.
Granville Anderson, a former school trustee and member of
provincial parliament, was elected regional councillor for Wards 3&4 in
Clarington and Patrice Barnes was re-elected trustee in North Ajax for the
Durham District School Board.
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| Photo contributed Patrice Barnes, Durham District School Board trustee, North Ajax |
“It was a fantastic journey. I am
grateful and humbled by the overwhelming support of the voters of Ajax, Wards
1&2, in re-electing me to serve as an advocate for their children and
public education,” says Barnes.
Elizabeth Sinclair, who was born in St. Kitts, is the
trustee for Wards 3&4 in York Region District School Board.
Bernadette Clement, a longtime city councillor, is the new
mayor of Cornwall and the first woman to be elected to that office. “She is the
first Black female to be mayor of a municipality in Ontario,” notes Operation
Black Vote Canada on its Twitter page.
Clement, who was born in Montreal and has a Trinidadian
father and French Canadian mother, says she is proud to be the Francophone Black mayor of Cornwall and she hopes it will inspire children in the city.
Mohamed Salih, born in Sudan, was re-elected as councillor,
Ward 3 in the City of London with a landslide 73 per cent of the vote. Arielle
Kayabaga, born in Burundi, is the new city councillor for Ward 13 in London
City Council – the first black woman elected to the council.
Kemi Akapo, originally from Nigeria, was elected city
councillor for Town Ward and Stephen Wright, who grew up in Calgary and is of
Jamaican heritage, is the new councillor-elect for New Northcrest Ward – both
in Peterborough.
Chris Moise, who is from Dominica, was re-elected trustee
for the Toronto District School Board for Ward 10, Toronto Centre and
University-Rosedale. David Smith was re-elected trustee for Ward 17,
Scarborough Centre.
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