Ward 7 — Humber River-Black Creek

Biography: According to her LinkedIn, Lorna Antwi is a social services worker, and has been a City of Toronto employee for five years, working as a caseworker in homelessness services, and counsellor in shelter and housing. Prior to this, Antwi worked at an organization that helps newcomers in Canada.

Platform: On her campaign website, Antwi says she’ll push for affordable housing by reducing the wait time for subsidized housing. She also says she will fight for rent control, and will support first time home buyers.

Antwi’s campaign priorities also include food safety, mental health and employment support for youth, and improvements in infrastructure like streets and parks. She supports reduced property taxes.

Biography: Amanda Coombs is a Toronto Community Crisis Service access facilitator at Gerstein Crisis Centre, a support service for those who are in a crisis. She volunteered as tenant director on the board of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation from 2018 to 2021.

Coombs is founder and executive director of Back 2 Basickz Youth Support Services, an organization that supports Black youth around the city through mental health programs, educational tools, and employment and mentorship programs. Since its founding in 2013, the organization has expanded its services to Scarborough.

Coombs has run for Ward 7 councillor twice, most recently placing third out of three in 2022.

Platform: Coombs says the pillars of her campaign are affordability, access to stable housing, and a prevention-based approach to crime. She supports robust community programs for the city’s marginalized residents, including seniors, youth, and newcomers.

Biography: Anthony Perruzza is a longtime politician and the current city councillor for Ward 7, having held the position since 2018. He previously served as the councillor for Ward 8 from 2006 to 2018, before the ward was redrawn and included in the new Ward 7. Prior to being on Toronto city council, he was NDP MPP for Downsview from 1990-1995, and a North York councillor from 1988 to 1990 pre-amalgamation.

During his time as councillor, Perruzza has introduced motions to support a Black youth employment strategy, and to post results for the city’s drinking water quality following reports of lead being traced and supported construction of the Finch West LRT. He has been supportive of the development of a First Nations park in the ward, and also proposed updating Black Creek Pioneer Village “with an emphasis on prioritizing the Indigenous perspectives of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Toronto.”

In March of this year Perruzza proposed a city-run grocery store to city council, similar to one that New York mayor Zohran Mamdani pitched during that city’s election. Perruzza says each community council district would have one non-profit grocery store, with priority given neighbourhoods with lower household incomes and less access to grocery stores. Council successfully passed the motion.

Earlier this year Perruzza said he was in favour of pulling $400 million from the City’s reserve fund to spend for its 2026 budget, claiming that it could help residents with affordability.

He also supported the redevelopment of Jane Finch Mall that includes housing in 2024.

Perruzza is endorsed by the Labour Toronto & York Region Council.

Platform: Perruzza’s campaign website has no platform at the time of publishing. On his website, Perruzza says that his principle during his time on Council has been “putting community first,” which has meant trying to make food more affordable, expanding property tax and utility rebate programs for seniors, improving infrastructure, and building new community centres and other recreational facilities—all of which he wants to continue, if re-elected.