In the run-up to this month’s municipal election, the Star is profiling several key battleground races, offering intimate portraits of the candidates and the issues moving voters.
asserted
Star → profile → voters
While door-knocking in a quiet, quaint neighbourhood known as The Pocket near Danforth and Jones Avenue, the local school trustee gunning for a promotion to city councillor encounters the thorny question that defined the start of the hottest council race — and may still.
uncertain
that → knock → race
“My daughters told me about some sort of controversy?” a resident says to Sara Ehrhardt, referring to veteran Coun. Paula Fletcher’s last-minute retirement and the rumours that it was cooked up to give Ehrhardt the best chance of winning by leaving others minimal time to sign up.
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it → tell → time
Council races with incumbents like Fletcher typically attract fewer rival candidates as most are reluctant to take on a sitting politician.
“I would say that they could have (signed up).
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they → attract → politician
They maybe just chose not to,” Ehrhardt replied.
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Ehrhardt → choose → ?
Then one of the resident’s daughters came home and asked Ehrhardt to leave.
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one → come → Ehrhardt
When asked later by the Star whether she was given a heads-up about Fletcher’s retirement, Ehrhardt said: “Not in a clear-cut way.”
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Ehrhardt → ask → way
Liaison Strategies survey finds the incumbent holding a four-point edge among all voters, but undecided votes could still shift the outcome.
Liaison Strategies survey finds the incumbent holding a four-point edge among all voters, but undecided votes could still shift the outcome.
Toronto-Danforth was easily one of the most predictable races — for just a couple of days.
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Danforth → find → days
Fletcher’s surprise retirement announcement came just two days after she had registered for a sixth term.
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she → come → term
It blew the race wide open, leaving only 48 hours before nominations closed.
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nominations → blow → race
The ballot quickly ballooned from just four challengers to 18, turning the downtown ward into the election’s most-contested council seat — with a debate scheduled for two days before the Oct. 26 election.
Ehrhardt was the first to pounce.
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Ehrhardt → balloon → election
Then, speculation quickly spread that Fletcher, who Ehrhardt called a mentor, timed her announcement to give her mentee an ideal playing field.
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Ehrhardt → spread → field
Both have denied such political premeditation.
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Both → deny → premeditation
“I can empathize with (residents).
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I → empathize → residents
But, that wasn’t my timing choice,” Ehrhardt said in an interview.
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Ehrhardt → say → interview
“I jumped in because I thought I could be ready.”
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I → jump → ?
Others thought they were just as ready, too.
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they → think → ?
Former local councillor Mary Fragedakis, who was beaten by Fletcher in the 2018 incumbents showdown when wards were merged, decided to take another shot while in the midst of a lawsuit with a local BIA.
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wards → beat → BIA
At the eleventh hour, Coun. Dianne Saxe changed wards to avoid clashing with a returning political heavyweight in University-Rosedale.
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Saxe → change → Rosedale
Maria Voutsinas, former executive director of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, and Caryma Sa’d, a controversial lawyer who documents Toronto protests on social media, also jumped in.
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who → document → media
The highest-profile candidates have similar priorities, but whether the winner is as reliable a vote on council could also help shape the balance of power at city hall as the mayoral contest tightens.
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contest → have → hall
Why a Toronto councillor has switched wards
Saxe’s jump sparked immediate backlash, exacerbated by lawn signs saying to “re-elect” her — a few of which already have the “re-” scribbled out.
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re- → switch → which
Saxe, an experienced lawyer known for being a fiery debater, told the Star while canvassing that her signs are technically accurate, as she’s asking residents to re-elect her to council, just in a different seat.
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she → know → seat
On a rainy Sunday, she knocked on condo doors two at a time at a brisk pace and often followed her greeting with: “What can I do to earn your vote?”
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I → knock → vote
One condo resident in Broadview North asked about her ward switch.
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resident → ask → switch
“I’m very proud of the work I did in University-Rosedale and I was committed to retaining it, but when Mike Layton came in at the last minute with the full backing of the NDP and the mayor, it was really clear,” Saxe replied.
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Saxe → ’m → NDP
“Any good lawyer has to know when to fight and when to pivot,” she continued, adding people in Ward 14 encouraged her to run because of her climate advocacy and for being Ontario’s last environmental commissioner.
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people → have → advocacy
The resident said her loyalties lie somewhat with Fragedakis.
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loyalties → say → Fragedakis
“City council has changed dramatically since 2018,” argued Saxe.
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Saxe → change → 2018
“So the world she lived in doesn’t exist anymore.”
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she → live → ?
The condo resident, still absorbing the conversation, said: “OK.
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resident → absorb → conversation
You have moved the needle.”
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You → move → needle
However, at a candidates fair inside the Danforth Multifaith Commons, some residents were not as impressed, including Shannon Grobes and Donna MacIntyre.
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residents → include → Grobes
“I am concerned about the parachute candidates.
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I → concern → candidates
Why do they think my vote is easier to get?” Grobes said.
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Grobes → think → ?
“I do not vote for somebody jumping ridings,” said MacIntyre.
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MacIntyre → vote → ridings
“I just don’t.”
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I → do → ?
In an interview, Saxe noted she can have “a much easier life doing other things and make more money,” but said her belief in public service is unwavering.
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belief → note → service
She learned that from her dad, she said, who was a crusading Ontario chief coroner and whose name Saxe invoked when talking to residents about her commitment to road safety.
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Saxe → learn → safety
Still, there appeared to be some resentment on her part for being pushed out of the University-Rosedale seat — where she worked with locals to save Sneaky Dee's, championed climate policies at the TTC board, and tried to get a referendum on the ballot about Billy Bishop's expansion.
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she → appear → expansion
…and 42 more, not listed.
The Aporia
