The community centre gym had been repurposed for the candidates’ forum, with rows of chairs arranged between gymnastics mats and basketball hoops.
asserted
gym → repurpose → mats
Parents with kids in tow and seniors with handwritten notes listened closely as candidates laid out their stances on parking issues, multiplex developments, even raisins in cookies.
Incumbent Parthi Kandavel seemed at ease.
asserted
Kandavel → listen → ease
He pointed to traffic calming measures on Warden he championed, a bus lane on Kingston Road he opposed, and an expansion of an auto parts manufacturer at Kennedy and Danforth roads that he backed to bring in “good, well-paying jobs” for locals.
asserted
he → point → locals
“The record speaks for itself,” he said.
asserted
he → speak → itself
“Foul!” one person shouted from the crowd.
asserted
person → shout → crowd
“There’s been no wrongdoing,” Kandavel told the crowd, “and I’m hoping the OPP investigation concludes …
asserted
investigation → tell → crowd
I’ll leave it at that.”
asserted
I → leave → that
The investigation looms over campaign
Kandavel will soon find out if the spectre of the ongoing OPP probe will outrun him at the ballot box on Monday.
asserted
spectre → loom → Monday
Councillor Parthi Kandavel discussed payments to third parties, according to new allegations.
uncertain
Kandavel → discuss → allegations
He has denied wrongdoing.
asserted
He → deny → wrongdoing
Councillor Parthi Kandavel discussed payments to third parties, according to new allegations.
uncertain
Kandavel → discuss → allegations
He has denied wrongdoing.
asserted
He → deny → wrongdoing
Eight names are on the ballot for Scarborough Southwest voters, including Kandavel and the runner-up in 2023, Kevin Rupasinghe.
asserted
names → include → 2023
That race was decided by less than 800 votes.
asserted
race → decide → votes
In a bid to keep his political career alive, the embattled councillor appears to be leaning in to what many observers agree has been his strength since starting a career in public office a dozen years ago: A laser focus on issues affecting southwest Scarborough, a part of Toronto he says has been long neglected.
asserted
he → keep → Toronto
Constituents, city hall colleagues and former staffers say Kandavel’s attention to constituents and ground-level issues steers his voting record more than any firm political ideologies.
asserted
attention → say → ideologies
In May, the councillor confirmed he is under investigation by the OPP.
uncertain
he → confirm → OPP
While the force won’t say what specifically its anti-rackets branch is probing, the investigation appears to have been sparked by a complaint from a developer, and sources have since alleged to the Star that Kandavel was soliciting payments to third parties while projects needed city approval.
Kandavel has denied wrongdoing.
asserted
Kandavel → say → wrongdoing
The OPP said on Friday that the probe is ongoing.
asserted
probe → say → Friday
At the forum, some in the crowd started to applaud Kandavel’s response.
asserted
some → start → response
Then it was back to usual campaign matters, as the discussion pivoted to the local economy.
asserted
discussion → pivot → economy
Kandavel pointed to his office’s work assisting a production company with parking and zoning issues, to bring more television and film work to Scarborough.
asserted
Kandavel → point → Scarborough
Kandavel’s family moved to Scarborough when he was six years old.
asserted
he → move → Scarborough
He and his wife, Anu Sriskandarajah — who is running for re-election as a public school board trustee this fall after coming second in a council byelection last year — are raising two children near Warden and Danforth avenues.
asserted
who → run → avenues
Kandavel told the Star that his interest in politics was first sparked in 2007, amid a swirling debate over whether public funding should flow to more religious school systems.
asserted
funding → tell → systems
Kandavel chafed at the idea, believing the focus should be on improving the existing public system.
asserted
focus → chafe → system
“Real problems deserve structural solutions that improve the larger system,” he said in an email, responding to questions from the Star.
asserted
he → deserve → Star
Kandavel stepped into the political arena in 2014, running for a trustee spot on the public school board.
asserted
Kandavel → step → board
He won his first trustee race by only a few hundred votes.
asserted
He → win → votes
His work as trustee impressed parent council chairs, who would endorse Kandavel when he ran for city councillor, describing him as “accessible” and a “straight shooter” who responded quickly.
asserted
who → impress → accessible
Kandavel said he wanted parents to hear from him clearly and promptly, so they didn’t have to find out about board decisions from somewhere else.
asserted
they → say → decisions
“Parents knew exactly where I stood and that I wouldn’t let their concerns get buried,” he said.
asserted
he → know → ?
A parent council chair’s endorsement carries weight in the community, he said.
asserted
he → carry → community
“Parent council chairs are some of the most trusted people in their neighbourhoods … their neighbours know they’ve seen your work up close.”
From school board to city hall
Before setting his sights on city hall, Kandavel made an attempt at the Ontario Liberal nomination in Scarborough Centre.
asserted
Kandavel → know → Centre
As reported by the Scarborough Mirror in January 2018, he lost in what the outlet described as one of the party’s largest ever nomination meetings.
asserted
outlet → report → meetings
In 2022, he ran for his ward’s city council seat and lost that race, too, coming in second to the longtime incumbent.
asserted
he → run → incumbent
Just a year later, after the sitting councillor resigned, Kandavel won the byelection.
asserted
Kandavel → sit → byelection
When first elected to council, Kandavel told the Star he thought of himself as an ally to Mayor Olivia Chow, and more progressive than his ward’s predecessor.
asserted
he → elect → predecessor
Since then, Kandavel has cut an isolated, independent figure on council, without close ties to Chow’s progressive administration or the informal group of conservative members who oppose her.
asserted
who → cut → her
“The left-right spectrum often doesn’t fit city politics very well,” Kandavel said in his email responses for this article.
asserted
Kandavel → fit → article
…and 51 more, not listed.
The Aporia
