It’s the morning after what’s been an exciting election season, and an even more exciting election night, and BILD and it’s members are eager to begin to work with our newly elected municipal representatives.
For the past few months, members of BILD’s Leadership Team have been meeting with Toronto and GTA Mayoral candidates, continuing to advocate for the new neighbour. We’ve spoken about housing choice and affordability, the economic importance of our industry, the significance of the OMB, and policy objectives around intensification, the costs of infrastructure, parkland, Section 37, transit, transportation and more. We will continue to do so with the new municipal Councils.
We have also closely followed the Toronto Star’s Big Ideas campaign, and the City of Toronto’s Mayoral candidates perspectives on city building. Congratulations to our new Toronto Mayor John Tory! This is a significant new time in an evolving City, and we look forward to moving forward with a new Toronto.
With the highest voter turnout for a municipal election in the City of Toronto since amalgamation, we have 8 new Councillors of the 44 Wards. Etobicoke has seen the most changes. Rob Ford is back for another four years, but this time as Councillor for Ward 2. Ward 3 has a new face with Doug Holyday’s son Stephen Holyday winning the seat. In what was Gloria Lindsay Luby’s Ward 4, former school trustee John Campbell will be the new Councillor, and in Ward 5 Justin Di Ciano has won in the now MPP Peter Milczyn’s old ward.
Former Mayoral Candidate and Councillor for Ward 16, Karen Stintz endorsed Christin Carmichael Greb, who has won the seat. She was also endorsed by John Tory and Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly. Joe Cressy will be our new Councillor for Ward 20, the seat formerly held by now MP Adam Vaughan. John Parker is the only incumbent in the City of Toronto who is not returning, having lost his seat to Jon Burnside (also endorsed by John Tory) who lost to John Parker by approximately 400 votes in the last election. And with Mike Del Grande winning a Catholic School Board Trustee seat in last night’s election, the new Ward 39 Councillor is former MP Jim Karygiannis.
The face of Peel Region has completely changed, and we are very pleased to congratulate three new Mayors. Former Brampton Councillor and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Linda Jeffrey, with 49.4% of the vote, is the new Mayor for the City of Brampton. She is joined by another familiar face, former Regional Councillor Allan Thompson as the new Mayor for the Town of Caledon, who won that seat with 48.5%. And after 36 years, we have a new Mayor for the City of Mississauga with former Councillor Bonnie Crombie winning the chair with 63.4% of Mississauga’s vote.
In York Region, our members will be working with many familiar faces. Of the 9 municipalities, 7 Mayors retain their seats. We also congratulate the new Mayor for the Town of Georgina, Margaret (Jordan) Quirk, and new Mayor of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Justin Altmann. Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti and Vaughan’s Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua are returning with over 70% of the vote. Congratulations to them and to incumbents Mayor Geoff Dawe of Aurora, Mayor Virginia Hackson of East Gwillimbury, Mayor Tony Van Bynen of Newmarket, Mayor Dave Barrow for the Town of Richmond Hill, and Mayor Steve Pellegrini who was acclaimed in King Township.
Halton Region remains the same with the Mayors for the 4 municipalities, and Chair Gary Carr being re-elected. Milton’s Mayor, Gordon Krantz who has been the Mayor since 1980 and joined Council in 1965 is now the GTA’s longest serving Mayor. We also congratulate Oakville’s Mayor Burton, Rick Bonnette in Halton Hills, and Mayor Goldring who was re-elected in Burlington.
This was the first year that Durham Region voters saw Regional Chair Roger Anderson’s name on the ballot, and we are pleased to congratulate Roger on his re-election. Former Councillor and acting Mayor, Don Mitchell, has been elected as the new Mayor for the Town of Whitby, and we also see a few other new faces with the election of Tom Rowett in the Township of Scugog, and as of almost 1:00am with the still unofficial results, John Grant in the Township of Brock. Congratulations to Mayor Adrian Foster in Clarington, Mayor John Henry in Oshawa and Mayor Dave Ryan for Pickering who have been re-elected, and to incumbent Mayor Steve Parish who won over 83% of the vote in the Town of Ajax.
We also see several new faces for Simcoe County, with over half of the Mayors changing. Congratulations to all of the incumbents that we look forward to continuing to work with, as well as new Mayors Mary Small Brett for Adjala-Tosorontio Township, Rob Keffer for the Township of Bradford West Gwillimbury, Gordon Wauchope for the Town of Innisfil, Rick Milne for the Town of New Tecumseth, Steve Clarke for the City of Orillia, Brian Smith for the Town of Wasaga Beach, Christopher Vanderkruys for Clearview Township, Basil Clarke for the Township of Ramara, Bill French for the Township of Springwater, and George Cornell for the Township of Tiny.
With many new Mayors and Councillors, we are enthusiastic about forging new relationships, and building on existing ones as we continue to share our collective vision for creating complete communities throughout the Greater GTA.
On behalf of the BILD Board of Directors, Chapter Chairs and staff, we congratulate all newly elected Regional Chairs, Mayors and Councillors!
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