Toronto Centre may be the city’s smallest ward geographically, but it’s also one of its most densely populated, making it a critical battleground for the upcoming municipal election on Oct. 26.
While competition among the 11 candidates running in the ward will be tough, voters say they want to see real change when it comes to downtown issues like homelessness, open drug use, and public safety.
Yonge Street Mission president Angie Peters told CBC Toronto Ward 13 has a massive housing gap, pointing to Cabbagetown’s historic Victorian homes overlooking social housing blocks in Regent Park.
“It’s a study in contrast,” she said, noting she’s never seen so many residents sleeping rough on downtown sidewalks in her 13 years of serving the neighbourhood. “What we are seeing now is literally an illustration of what’s been broken in the system for so long. It’s time to make real changes, or we aren’t going to turn it around.”
That urgency hangs over the race as incumbent Coun. Chris Moise fights to retain his seat.
Coun. Moise says, if he’s re-elected, he’ll continue fighting the province’s move to close supervised consumption sites. (Mark Boschler/CBC)
Moise has framed himself as a problem solver. In a provided statement, he noted upon taking office in 2022, he inherited the city’s four largest park encampments, but worked diligently to transition those residents into permanent housing.
Now, he’s vowed to continue fighting the province’s supervised consumption site closures, saying the move created “a humanitarian crisis on our sidewalks, in our laneways, and in our parks.”
Meanwhile, he’s facing a slate of strong challengers.
Political newcomer Curran Stikuts is running against Moise from the progressive side. Stikuts previously worked as advocacy director at The 519, a 2SLGBTQ+ community centre and social service organization. In a statement, Stikuts told CBC Toronto he plans to treat affordability, safety, and transit as connected issues.
Stikuts has also received an endorsement from former area councillor and current NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam, who backed Moise in the last election. In a recent social media post, they wrote, “[Stikuts] has the connections to Toronto Centre to deliver the strong progressive representation we deserve.”
11 candidates running for Ward 13 council seat
On the other side of the political spectrum, Daniel Tate is also challenging Moise.
Tate is the executive director and founder of IntegrityTO, an advocacy group that’s called for stricter encampment enforcement and shelter oversight, and opposed city renaming projects. In a statement, Tate told CBC Toronto he offers “accountability, transparency, and honesty,” as well as “leadership that isn’t beholden to party ideology.”
Toronto Centre candidate, Daniel Tate, says a vote for him is one for accountability, transparency, and honesty. (CBC News)
Tate and Moise have a contentious history that started when IntegrityTO opposed the councillor’s plan to rename Yonge-Dundas Square to Sankofa Square. Following a confrontation where Moise accused Tate of holding a “white supremacy view,” the city’s integrity commissioner ruled the councillor acted in a “derogatory manner,” but recommended no penalties.
Eight other candidates are running for the Toronto Centre council seat. A full list can be viewed on the city’s website.
Homelessness, drug use key issues: community leaders
Anisha Ladha, who chairs the Corktown Residents and Business Association, told CBC Toronto more needs to be done about open drug use, shelter concentration, and property crime.
“We do see garbage everywhere. We do see illicit drug use in front of families, in front of children. You know, our businesses are impacted heavily,” she said.
While not endorsing any candidate, Ladha says she wants a more “tough love” approach to open drug use, as well as stalled developments on King and Queen streets.
Michael McClelland, chair of Friends of Allan Gardens, countered that Moise’s first term has been “exemplary.”
“He’s working with the homeless people, he’s working with Indigenous people … and it takes a lot of skill and effort to make connections there,” he said.
Transit, transparency among residents’ concerns
McClelland also lauded Moise’s recent involvement in securing council’s approval of $10 million in funding toward expanding the Allan Gardens greenhouse complex.
For some local residents, however, the ward’s pressing issues extend beyond local park projects to systemic city hall governance and provincial policy.
Aleksi Toviainen told CBC Toronto he wants a councillor who fights for more democratic transparency. He wants to see Freedom of Information exemptions revoked for councillors and wants the winning candidate to minimize the practice of deferring decisions to time-consuming staff reports.
Judas Leschyshyn says he wants a candidate who supports more transit funding, expanding pedestrian spaces (ie. the Church Street pedestrianization pilot), and stricter audits of the Toronto Police Service budget.
With just under six weeks left in the campaign, Yonge Street Mission president Angie Peters says Toronto Centre voters can agree on one thing: they’re more concerned about seeing real change than political alliances.
“We see a lot of polarization, so I think we need bridge builders,” she said.