The Issues in Ward 3:

‘Meeting Them Where They Are’
At Sistering, harm reduction means providing more than a space to sleep and the tools to use drugs safely.

“We Had to Save Ourselves”
When the pandemic hit Peel, it wasn’t the government that stepped in, but an army of citizens that mobilized to feed their neighbours, set up pop-up clinics, and demand better for their community.

“Somebody Is Going to Get Hurt”
Inspections at industrial workplaces in Ontario fell nearly 30 percent in the last decade, according to analysis by The Local. In the same period, critical injuries more than doubled.

“You Can’t Stop the Spread of the Virus if You Don’t Stop it in Peel”
Not enough support, not enough testing, not enough vaccines—Peel has been neglected at every step of the pandemic, and the results have been devastating.Not enough support, not enough testing, not enough vaccines—Peel has been neglected at every step of the pandemic, and the results have been devastating.

A Blurring Vision
Ms. Palmer is 93 and slowly losing her eyesight. Like so many seniors, she wants to keep living alone.
About the Ward
York South-Weston is bordered by the Humber River to the west, the Canadian National Railway track to the east, Highway 401 to the north, and the Canadian Pacific Railway track to the south. The average household income is well below the city average, at $67,954, and 45.6 percent of renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on shelter costs. Current councillor, Frances Nunziata, has sat on council since 1988, prior to amalgamation.
Where the Candidates Stand
There are just three candidates in the race for the York South-Weston city council seat, including incumbent Frances Nunziata—the longest-serving member of council. Voter turnout in the ward was among the lowest in the city in 2018, at just 36 percent. Of those who voted, 32 percent were in favour of Nunziata while 20 percent voted for Chiara Padovani, setting up what should be an exciting rematch on October 24. The third candidate in the race is Gabriel Takang (see all of their fact-checked bios in the next section).
The matrix below provides a head-to-head comparison of where council candidates stand on key issues. The Local combed through city council records to review all the decisions made over the last four years and identified a dozen votes that are the most telling on different issues: homelessness, transportation, housing, policing, taxes, and the environment. We then sent the challengers a survey asking them how they would have voted on those same 12 motions, adding the results to what we already know about how Nunziata voted. And the results are illuminating.
Firstly, there was full participation in the survey—permitting a head-to-head comparison among all three candidates.
Here Are the Takeaways
- Incumbent Frances Nunziata consistently voted with Mayor Tory (and other right-leaning councillors).
- Challengers Chiara Padovani and Gabriel Takang took similar, progressive stances on issues.
- Padovani is the only candidate who voted “No” on the motion to raise the 2019 police budget by $4.5 million in response to the rising rates of gun violence in the city, and “Yes” on the motion to increase the residential property tax rate by an additional 2 percent.
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Information in Candidate Tracker was compiled and written by The Local’s team of journalists and fact checkers. City council candidates were emailed a questionnaire asking for information about their history, experience, and plans. They were also surveyed about their stances on twelve key votes that took place in the 2018-22 council term. Not all candidates were reachable or responded. The Local also conducted its own research to independently source and verify information about each city council and school trustee candidate. If you’re a candidate whose information is not here, please email us at elections@thelocal.to. Last updated: October 11, 2022.
Contributors: Inori Roy, Ann Marie Elpa, Nikky Manfredi, Danielle Orr, H.G. Watson, Emma Buchanan, Dhriti Gupta, Zeahaa Rehman, Neville Park, Nicholas Hune-Brown, Tai Huynh, Craig Madho, Steve Combes, and Lia Mattacchione.