Toronto Mayoral by-election race heats up as important debates set to take place

BY PAUL JUNOR

There is much excitement as the Toronto Mayoral by-election heats up in anticipation of the June 26^th, date.

There have been 71 candidates who have put their names forward. Some of the names include: Mitzie Hunter, Chloe Brown, Rob Davis, Giorgio Mammoliti, Josh Matlow, Mark Saunders, Knia Singh, Olivia Chow, Celina Caesar-Chavannes and Brad Bradford.

The first mayoral debate will be held on May 24^th, 2023, inside the University of Toronto Scarborough College Campus. It is largely through the efforts of: the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization (SCRO), Scarborough Business Association (SBA) and Scarborough United Neighbourhoods.

Dave Hardy, Chair of the event states, “This will be a premier by-election event. This will spark discussion on many topics of Scarborough concern among candidates. Scarborough represents a quarter of the city and we want candidates to have a clear understanding of what’s important in the eastern portion of Toronto. We look forward to hearing their views and ideas as well.”

The debate will commence at 7:00 p.m., and anyone interested in attending must register in advance at the website: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mayoraltopics.

The three groups, which are sponsoring this debate, believe that it is important that mayoral candidates share their personal vision and strategies for Scarborough. It is important that voters know how they will be tackling the many challenging issues that Toronto, especially Scarborough face. The mayoral candidates will respond to questions pertaining to: food security, public transit, job availability, economic development, and strategies to foster the growth and development of Scarborough.

There will be an oral debate on May 31^st, at the Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Ted Rogers School of Management. It will be co-hosted by the United Way of Greater Toronto and TMU along with the Toronto Star. The press release advertising this debate notes that this is a “Critical debate that may play the deciding role in who wins or loses on election day.”

In addition, the press release mentioned that, “This debate is equally important for voters, providing them with a unique opportunity to see each candidate‘s character and style.” Furthermore, “It will also help residents make an informed decision on who they think is the best person to tackle problems such as: poverty, affordable housing, jobs, transit crisis, crime, access to services and more.” This debate will be live streamed and it is intended to bring together a diverse group of: community leaders, students and the public from across Toronto to hear directly from the candidates.

The Outreach Committee at Knox United Church will host the second debate in Scarborough on June 7^th, 2023, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Knox CE Building located at 2575 Midland Avenue. David Warner, former MPP, will chair it and will be an all-candidates meeting.

There is an option for Toronto residents who want an alternative to in-person voting for the 2023 by-election; they can apply to vote by mail until May 26^th, at 4:30 p.m. They must complete an application before May 26^th, including those who previously voted by mail during any Toronto election. Applications for Mail-In Voting packages had started being accepted Monday, May 1^st, 2023, and will be accepted until the May 26^th, deadline.

Once your application is approved. Toronto Elections will begin mailing out packages to voters starting May 23^rd, 2023. Mail-in Voting packages will include:

1. A declaration form that must be signed for your vote to count.
2. An official ballot.
3. A white ballot secrecy envelope.
4. A yellow return envelope with a pre-paid postage.