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Election 2014 ward endorsements

Ward 7


York West

Arguably, Mammo, despite his outrageousness, once spoke to the alienation felt by local residents. True to form, he’s claiming temporary amnesia after emergency brain surgery to explain that illegal $80K fundraiser with developers and lobbyists in Woodbridge that cops are now investigating. The chickens are coming home to roost. Larry Perlman has been a lone voice in the wilderness in York West for a long time. Nick Di Nizio, who finished second last time, can win, but he’s not the most progressive candidate – 20-something Keegan Henry-Mathieu is. He has raised the importance of transit to connect priority neighbourhoods.

Ward 11


York South-Weston

Until Rob Ford came along and appointed her council speaker, Nunziata was little more than a bit player on the municipal scene who made her career by blowing the whistle on a few crooked colleagues over a development deal gone bad. Two-plus decades later, she’s riding that wave to another term, with her lobbyist brother John running in the riding next door. It’s a family affair in York South-Weston. Meanwhile, little has changed for residents of one of the poorest wards in the province.

Ward 34


Don Valley East

He’s the public face of the Ford administration’s biggest electoral accomplishment – private garage pick up west of Yonge. But the company who won that gig under questionable circumstances, GFL, ended up losing the contract it took over from Turtle Island in Etobicoke because of its safety record. When the Gardiner starting crumbling under his watch, he let bureaucrats take the fall and blamed Waterfront Toronto. Now he wants to spend untold billions keeping a useless section east of Jarvis up. Until Ford was caught with a crack pipe, he was the administration’s biggest apologist. And it’s hurting Minnan-Wong at the doors. He’s supporting Tory for mayor, trying to line himself up for another sweet gig.

Ward 35


Scarborough Southwest

Berardinetti began her first term on council by ripping out bike lanes in her ward and accepting a role on Rob Ford’s executive. While she eventually stepped away from the mayor, she displayed a similar disturbing disregard for facts as Ford in pursuit of political gain, and her policy proposals were often either misguided or impractical. Berardinetti has at times seemed in over her head, like when she put a motion on the council agenda in June requesting that shelter staff be allowed to run “warrant checks” on potential clients, even though the checks are not authorized.

Ward 38


Scarborough Centre

De Baeremaeker’s term was defined by his nakedly self-serving flip-flop on the Scarborough subway, an unnecessary and hugely costly project that will take more than a generation to pay off. We’d be tempted to overlook this gutless move if the councillor didn’t spend so much of his time on frivolous pursuits, like trying to ban pet walruses within city limits or holding “cutest dog” competitions. A devoted environmentalist, De Baeremaeker has shown himself to be an opportunist in progressive sheep’s clothing. Maybe the World Wildlife Fund is hiring?

Ward 42


Scarborough-Rouge River

No one knows when Cho was first elected to council he has always been there and, like the wind or the mountains, may persist long after we’re gone. (Just kidding! He became a Metro councillor in 1991 and a megacity councillor in 1997.) Regardless of his provenance, it’s time for him to go. His supposed values shift with uncomfortable frequency and without justification – he’s less an unpredictable maverick than a crisp autumn leaf blowing in the wind. We prefer Neethan Shan, the executive director of the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians and a former York Region school board trustee. But we do hope he steps down as president of the Ontario NDP if elected.

All endorsements here. For the full election guide, click here.

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