Incumbent Paula Fletcher has sat on city council for the past 19 years and hopes to continue her run for another term in Ward 14- Toronto-Danforth.
Fletcher was initially elected as councillor for the former Ward 30 in 2003 and has served as councillor ever since.
She was then re-elected in 2018 to represent the new Ward 14, which includes part of East York and has expanded boundaries from Don Valley Parkway in the west, to Coxwell Avenue in the east, Lake Ontario in the south and just north of O'Connor Drive.
One of her key priorities is building more affordable housing and “continuing to push” developers to include affordable units and co-ops in their new projects.
However, housing for individuals experiencing homelessness is not listed as a top item on Fletcher’s platform like it is for councillor candidate Wali Abro.
The sales associate says if he’s elected he’ll work to get “immediate housing” for people experiencing homelessness or precarious housing.
“...Alleviating poverty by guaranteeing dignified permanent housing and provision of basic needs will be Wali’s top priority,” Abro’s online platform reads.
Councillor candidate and marketing professional Denise Walcott says she would work to make home ownership more obtainable in the ward with additional co-ops, downpayment assistance and rent-to-own opportunities.
Meanwhile, councillor candidate James Dyson, who is a father of two, lists strengthening programs for kids and youth and providing tax relief as some of his main priorities.
John De Marco is also running in the race but does not have a public website or platform available.
A full list of candidates running in Toronto's municipal election can be found here.
Toronto-Danforth at a glance:
Population: 106,875
Average number of people per household: 2.28
Median age: 39.8
Population growth over the last decade: 3.1 per cent (Toronto-wide average is 9.1 per cent)
Visible minorities: 33 per cent of population (Toronto-wide average is 51 per cent).
Average household income: $101,323 (Toronto-wide average is $102,721)
