Biography: According to his LinkedIn, Ian Cunningham is a corporate executive who sits on the board of directors at Mississauga-based tech company Baanto. Previously, he was on the board of directors at Meridian Credit Union, and worked as the chief operating officer of Tangerine Bank from 2014 to 2017.

Platform: In an Instagram video post, Cunningham says his first act as councillor would be to pave the path in Stanley Park South and add trees. He also says he supports safe consumption sites and safe supply programs for people who use drugs, but would combine those policies with “aggressive enforcement […] against open drug dealing and public intoxication that endangers others.” He wants to increase investments in after-school and recreation programs for students, as well as English classes and job training for newcomers.

He also says he would use data to drive decision-making at city hall, and bring “stronger oversight” by refusing to “defer to bureaucracy.”

Biography: Xue Ding, who sometimes goes by Alice Ding, is a businessperson. She says on LinkedIn that she is the CEO and founder of digital marketing and property management companies.

Platform: Ding’s platform focuses on lowering taxes and enforcing drug laws. “Xue believes tax revenue should increase from economic growth and job creation, not from current revenue,” her website states.

Ding also promises to remove encampments of homeless people from public spaces within 24 hours and increase police presence.

Her platform also mentions attracting business to the ward, and leveraging technology.

Biography: Andi Hoàng-Lefranc is a licensed lawyer and has worked for the Canada Revenue Agency, according to their LinkedIn.

Platform: Hoàng-Lefranc wants to make the TTC free for all riders, starting with youth. They say they will use signal prioritization to make the TTC more reliable and faster, which the city has already implemented on the Eglinton and Finch LRTs.

On housing, Hoàng-Lefranc says they will redevelop existing spaces, like legion halls, into mixed-use buildings that include residential units, and will focus on renovating and upgrading existing housing.

They say they will introduce city-run grocery stores, which Mayor Chow is already working on.

Hoàng-Lefranc says they will reclaim control and management of the city’s sidewalk bins; increase trash collection, provide free pet waste bags, and increase the maintenance of public garbage bins if elected.

This candidate has endorsed No Jets T.O., a moratorium on AI data centres, and pledges on publicly owned transit and community-led planning.

Biography: Bashar Kassir says he is a Syrian Canadian who immigrated to Canada in 2002. An electrical engineer by training, Kassir says he now runs a small business in the liquor industry. Kassir sat on the Council of the College of Optometrists of Ontario, which is the board of directors of the optometrists’ regulator, as a part-time member.

Platform: Kassir says he will decrease noise, clean up public spaces, and move to proactive bylaw enforcement rather than reactive enforcement that happens in response to complaints. Noise seems particularly important to him, as he regularly complains on X about nighttime snow removal and garbage collection outside his home.

Kassir has said he opposes the expansion of Billy Bishop airport and is supportive of affordable housing.

Biography: Ausma Malik is the current councillor for Ward 10, the deputy mayor, and a progressive ally of Mayor Olivia Chow’s.

She says that she worked to get public access to the new Toronto Tempo facility at 701 Fleet Street, and added on a public park, public washrooms, basketball courts, and gyms in exchange for a $1 lease on city-owned land. In July, she moved a motion to make ferry rides to the Toronto island free for kids and seniors for all of August. Malik has championed a new public park and pool on the Rees Street parking lot. She has pushed Premier Doug Ford to return island lands expropriated for the now-cancelled expansion of Billy Bishop airport. Malik has also said she wants to turn Lamport Stadium into a hub for women’s sports.

During her time in office, Malik has focused efforts on revitalizing Liberty Village. A new school, library, and community centre are planned for the neighbourhood, but could take up to 10 years to all be built. She has also been involved in planning a new library at Quayside.

Malik says that she has helped approve 285,000 new housing units, including 65,000 that will be rent-controlled and 41,000 that will be affordable. She lists a co-op in Alexandra Park and new affordable rental homes in Chinatown as wins. Malik also lists the renovictions bylaw, eviction prevention program and increased funding for the rent bank as policies she championed.

Malik is reportedly the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman elected to public office in Canada. She previously served as a TDSB trustee from 2014 to 2018, when she helped establish a new downtown public school. Malik was formerly a director of the Atkinson Foundation, a social-justice organization that says it focuses on racialized workers with the lowest incomes.

Platform: Malik has not released a detailed policy platform at the time of publication.

Biography: Paul Nash says on his website that he has experience as a Bay Street financial analyst and financial journalist. His articles appeared on Advisor.ca in 2012, when he wrote about so-called “vice funds,” investment funds that put money into tobacco, alcohol and weapons, and emerging markets. Nash also says he was a volunteer director of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Search and Rescue Unit in Toronto Harbour.

He told the Toronto Sun in May that non-incumbent candidates face a disadvantage because, as part of their work, councillors like Ausma Malik can put up signs with their names before the formal campaign begins.

Platform: Nash heavily implies that he is opposed to abortion and would push for “legal protection…from conception.”

Nash says on his website that Toronto has an “outrageous” problem with crime and public safety, and that he would pursue evidence-based policies to address crime as a city councillor. He wants to “integrate supervised consumption sites into those communities where they are needed.”

He says he’ll support climate action, tree planting, and will take a “cautious” approach to AI data centres. On traffic and road safety, Nash says he will reduce speed limits on “high-risk residential streets.” Nash also says he would protect Toronto’s waterfront from an expansion of Billy Bishop airport.

Biography: Husain Neemuchwala is the founder and CEO of multiple companies that recruited international students, particularly from India, to come to Canada. His LinkedIn lists his companies as Canada Campus, an online platform that lets colleges and universities advertise to prospective international students, Canada Campus Visits, a tour agency for prospective students, and Canada India Education Council.

Neemuchwala ran for the provincial Progressive Conservative party in Spadina-Fort York in 2022, placing third.

Platform: Neemuchwala calls his platform “T.H.I.S.,” which stands for transit, housing, infrastructure, safety. He promises to improve the TTC’s reliability, create “smarter traffic flow” on major streets like Spadina, King, and Queen, and install brighter lighting at transit stops. He also says he’ll support “real affordability” in housing, bring in stronger protections for renters, and repair potholes and crumbling sidewalks more quickly.

Biography: Aanchal Vashistha is the founder of a non-profit called Reach Out Together, which provides outreach to unhoused people, support groups for immigrants and survivors of war, mental health crisis response training, and other programs. She is also an inspirational speaker and the author of independently published self-help books, such as Ongoing Success and Wellbeing: A Daily Guide to Cultivate Fulfillment in the Pursuit of Achievement.

On her website, she says that she was unhoused and lost two brothers to suicide and malaria.

Platform: Vashistha has a detailed platform on reducing barriers to resources, infrastructure, and public spending, among other areas. She says she will attend free community events once a month to meet constituents; create a searchable website that shows residents to search for every rebate, permit, and program they qualify for; implement more of the Auditor General’s recommendations on spending; cut permit processing times for small businesses; and create a public-private program for affordable mental health counselling.

She has said she’s in favour of deferring the construction of data centres but believes, in principle, that Canada should host data centres in order to have more control over the information they store.

Vashistha also says she’ll build more public spaces like tennis courts and heated spaces for winter recreation.

Biography: Elina Feyginberg has worked in insurance and financial services since 2014, according to her LinkedIn. She is currently a branch manager for R.K. Mooney Insurance Brokers. She says on her website that she has also worked in “community and public safety,” though she does not specify in what role.

Platform: Feyginberg supports policing in schools, saying she will “champion community safety officers” and advocate for “clear conduct standards” to improve school safety. She also says she will “scrutinize spending” and report to parents, and work to ensure every school is delivering the same quality of education.

Biography: Andrene Gregory is a content writer, blogger, and self-published author. According to her website, she also has experience as a researcher, a life coach, and law clerk.

Platform: Gregory’s platform mentions providing transparency, accountability, and opportunities for students, with a focus on core skills such as literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking. She also says she wants to improve the quality of care that students receive by “examining the disparities within the educational system” and working to eliminate them.

Biography: David Gulyas previously ran in the 2023 Toronto mayoral by-election. At the time, he was a restaurant manager at the Queen West French bistro La Palette.

Platform: Gulyas does not have a platform online at the time of publication.

Biography: Jared Kolb is the managing director of Green Communities Canada, a national non-profit that coordinates the efforts of community-based climate action groups across the country. He has also served in leadership positions at Cycle Toronto and the Canadian Urban Institute. He is the co-chair of the parent council at Roden Public School.

Platform: Kolb’s platform mentions innovative learning opportunities for students, fiscal responsibility, and strengthening “core skills”.

Biography: Maureen Larkin is a community organizer who most recently worked in the office of Spadina-Fort York MPP Chris Glover as a constituency assistant.  As co-chair of the parent council at Market Lane PS, she says she “worked with parents, staff, and students to increase school safety and staffing.” Previously, Larkin says she worked in the film and TV industry as a writer, and taught film studies at the University of Toronto.

Platform: Larkin’s website mentions fighting to protect schools and the role of elected trustees in the face of provincial supervision. She lists her priorities as being accessible to the community, advising MPPs on the issues and challenges within the education system, and mobilizing community members to “stand up for public education.”

Biography: Andrew Massey says he is a technical writer and editor who currently works for Connect 6ix, one of the consortiums building the Ontario Line. On his website, he says he has a son in the TDSB.

Platform: Massey’s platform includes advocating to reverse cuts to special education and model school funding. He opposes school closures, and wants to address the TDSB’s maintenance and repair backlog. He calls the province’s takeover of the school boards an “open assault on our local democracy” and advocates for transparency and regular communication with parents. He advocates for the reinstatement of class size caps, and is against the presence of police in schools.

Biography: Gus Stefanis is the former leader of the Canadian Nationalist Party, a short-lived federal political party described by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) as an “overtly neo-Nazi” organization. According to the CAHN’s reporting, he has espoused a belief in the white-supremacist conspiracy theory known as the “great replacement”, as well as participated in a number of “white lives matter” protests, and spouted “antisemitic talking points.” Last year, he ran to be the trustee in Ward 11, Don Valley West, losing to Stacey Cline.

Platform: Stefanis’ platform focuses on repealing sex education, and his opposition to “gender identity theory” and “critical race theory”.

Biography: Little information is available online about Janine Viret. According to Imprint Pilates, where she works, she has been a registered massage therapist since 2004, and has worked as an insurance examiner in the auto insurance industry.

Platform: This candidate does not have a platform available online at the time of publication.

Biography: Jennifer Volk has served as a member of the parent council at Riverdale Collegiate Institute. She is also a member of education advocacy groups East End Parents for Public Education and the Toronto Education Advocacy Network. She is endorsed by the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, Progress Toronto, and by Toronto Education Workers/Local 4400, a division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Platform: Volk’s platform includes advocating against the provincial supervision of the TDSB, restoring the powers of trustees, and pushing for increased education funding.

Biography: Little information is available online about Rosina Bonavota. In 2022, she ran for trustee in Ward 9 and came in second out of seven candidates. She previously ran for city councillor in 2014 and 2006, and trustee in 2010.

Platform: Bonavota has not posted her platform online, but on the Toronto Public Library’s Know Your Vote website, she says that her priority if elected would be to improve achievement and ensure students have the necessary supports. She says that she would use achievement and equity data to find gaps. She also says that she would ensure that specialised programs are fairly distributed and accessible.

Biography: Little information is available online about Renato Fallico. He is a Technology Support Technician at Tommy Douglas Secondary School in Woodbridge, On. Fallico ran for TCDSB trustee in Ward 9 in 2022, coming sixth out of seven candidates.

Platform: This candidate does not have a platform available online at the time of publication.

Biography: No information could be found online about this candidate at the time of publishing.

Platform: Le has not posted a platform online. However, on the Toronto Public Library’s Know Your Vote website, he says his main priorities are caps on classroom sizes and ensuring proper student-to-educator ratio. He also says he will expand efforts to end bullying and harassment by reviewing current policy, push back on the province’s cuts, and allocate funding to special education classrooms.

Biography: Little information is available online about Jonathan Santos. He is a realtor.

Platform: Santos’ platform focuses on protecting Catholic values and traditions, making long-term decisions tailored to each school’s needs, and ensuring that parents have a voice.

Biography: Jean-François L’Heureux is the director of Collège Boréal’s Toronto campus. Prior to this role, L’Heureux worked as the investigations and early resolutions manager at the French-language unit of Ombudsman Ontario.

L’Heureux was previously a Conseil scolaire Viamonde trustee from 2010 to 2018: he was elected in Ward 3 in 2010, acclaimed in Ward 4 in 2014, and served as chair of the school board from 2014-2018. In 2018, L’Heureux ran for trustee for Viamonde’s Ward 4, and lost to Geneviève Oger, who has since been the incumbent trustee.

L’Heureux was also president of the École élémentaire Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau parent council, where he initiated raising funds for the council, with proceeds going towards paying for the cost of a new playground on the school site.

Platform: L’Heureux’s campaign website says he wants to have schools of “the 21st century” that are inclusive, safe and accessible, diverse, eco-friendly, and close to where families live. He also wants to promote the French language and culture within schools, and envisions a school board that is efficient with its spending, transparent, and communicative.

Biography: Anna-Karyna Ruszkowski is the incumbent trustee for Conseil scolaire Viamonde Ward 3. She was elected for the role during the Viamonde Ward 3 by-election in 2023. Her LinkedIn page says that she’s also a chief risk officer at BMO Insurance.

In 2018, Ruszkowski ran for Conseil scolaire Viamonde trustee within Durham but came in second place out of two candidates.

Platform: If re-elected, Ruszkowski says she will continue working on creating a board-wide extracurricular program that’s designed to retain students and preserve their French education. She also lists her desire to build another French school within the ward. When it comes to Collège français and École élémentaire Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, two schools in Ward 3, Ruszkowski says she will work on finishing gym renovations and addressing the sanitation issue on outdoor school grounds, respectively. She will also review cell phone use in schools by speaking with school communities.

Biography: Josiane Aboungono is a tenant council member of Toronto Community Housing, representing Champlain Place. Aboungono also says she’s worked as an executive assistant to the parliamentary assistant within the province’s francophone affairs department. Her campaign website also says that she volunteered at Matthew House Toronto, an organization that provides shelter and support to refugee claimants.

Platform: On her website, Aboungono says she wants to strengthen Catholic identity in schools as one of her priorities, alongside hiring French-speaking staff. Aboungono also wants to showcase francophone culture through supporting “cultural, artistic and sports activities in French.” She pledges to be transparent with decision-making, while also listening to the input of staff, parishes, and parents.

Biography: Yelena Nichilo says she’s worked in the financial services sector for over 20 years and has two children attending École élémentaire catholique du Sacré-Cœur. Nichilo is the president of the parent council at her children’s school, where she has advocated for things including transparency from the school board regarding changed design plans for the school’s soccer pitch. In her role at parent council, Nichilo also says she led a parent engagement survey which led to more community events, free snacks for students, more French-language extracurricular programs, and parent communication groups for each classroom.

Platform: If elected, Nichilo says she will prioritize transparency, communication, and consultation with parents. She mentions responsible management of public funds, and meaningful accountability at every level of the school board.

Biography: Angela Ogang is a lawyer who practices in both English and French. She runs her own law firm and her website says she teaches at Université de l’Ontario français. Ogang sits on the steering committee of the National Association of Women and the Law, was the 2025-2026 chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s Women Lawyers Forum. She served as the director of communications for the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. Ogang also says she provides legal services for Pro Bono Ontario, Ontario Action Against Violence Against Women, Southwestern Ontario Women’s Network, and the Law Society of Ontario’s mentoring network.

Platform: Ogang says she is running because she wants children to be able to “fully exercise their language rights.” She supports French education as a means to protect the language, but also to promote and transmit francophone culture, and help students develop a francophone identity and a sense of belonging in the community. Ogang promises to put students at the heart of her decisions and create opportunities to genuinely consult parents. She places an emphasis on meeting the needs of diverse francophone families, including if they are new to Canada or have one non-francophone parent.