{"id":13226,"date":"2010-08-12T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-08-12T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacingtoronto.ca\/?p=13226"},"modified":"2013-01-21T13:11:36","modified_gmt":"2013-01-21T18:11:36","slug":"contested-wards-part-one-ward-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/2010\/08\/12\/contested-wards-part-one-ward-19\/","title":{"rendered":"ELECTION: Council Turnover \u2013 Ward 19"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s not often that candidates for City Council are given the opportunity to run without an incumbent in the ward. This year there are eight wards with seats ripe for the picking. This post is the first in a series on the candidates in these contested wards, and the key issues in the neighbourhoods they seek to represent.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Ward 19 \u2013 Trinity \/ Spadina<\/strong><\/p>\n

From Dupont to the lake, Dovercourt to Christie above Bloor, and Dovercourt to Bathurst below Bloor, this ward covers the Christie Dovercourt, Grace Dovercourt, Liberty Village, Little Italy, Niagara, Fort York, Palmerston, Queen West and Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhoods, and was home to almost 50,000 people in 2006 according to the latest Census.<\/p>\n

The Candidates:<\/strong><\/p>\n

With Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone running for mayor, his seat at City Council is up for grabs; enticing quite a diverse group of candidates to show interest in doing a better job.<\/p>\n

Mike Layton<\/a>, the candidate endorsed by Pantalone, aims to follow his father into city politics \u2014 in the ward represented federally by his step-mother, Olivia Chow. But Layton, who has a BA in political science and masters in environmental studies with a focus on urban planning, says that it\u2019s not his familial relations that will win him the election. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be me meeting people and creating a relationship with them and building trust,\u201d he told Spacing<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to be my name, it\u2019s going to be the relationship that I\u2019m going to grow within the next 80 days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Running against this political offspring is Sean McCormick<\/a>. He\u2019s known to sports fans as the host of SportsNet\u2019s Connected<\/em>, a job which he left to campaign for council full-time. McCormick says that he was so tired of complaining about the way tax money was being spent and decisions were being made that he felt he needed to do something about it. He says that he wants to be a part of the change that Toronto needs.<\/p>\n

Also running is Karen Sun<\/a>, the executive director of the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter for the last four years. With over 10 years experience in environmental organizations, she promises to endorse sustainability and the enhancement of public parks and spaces.<\/p>\n

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Another contender to fill the shoes of Pantalone is Derek Chadbourne<\/a>, familiar with cyclists as the owner of the Bike Joint on Harbord. He is serious in his convictions to improve the safety of our streets, for cyclists and pedestrians. Having a devoted cycling advocate may prove to be beneficial to a cycling-mad ward. [ UPDATE<\/strong>: Chadbourne has dropped out of the race<\/em> ]<\/p>\n

Other candidates running for the Ward 19 seat on city council include David Footman, Daniel Iaboni,<\/a> Jim Likourezos<\/a>, George Sawision<\/a>, Joshua Shang<\/a>, Jason Stevens, and Peter Taccogna. Footman, Stevens, and Taccogna are without a website that could be found and Sawision hasn\u2019t added a platform to his site. While Iaboni, Shang and Lizourezes do have websites, their platforms aren’t explained.<\/p>\n

THE ISSUES SPECIFIC TO THE WARD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pantalone\u2019s<\/strong> moratorium on restaurants<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the end of 2009 Joe Pantalone responded to cries from constituents about the number of new bars on Ossington and the resulting increased noise level at night. City Council passed a motion limiting new bars, restaurants and cafes to 175 square metres of an existing, restricting patios to only the front and only until 11pm.<\/p>\n