'Kid from Regent Park' takes Ward 27
[attach]2647[/attach]It was the race that launched 15 potential candidates in a bid to represent Toronto Centre-Rosedale’s Ward 27.
But Kristyn Wong-Tam has won the war, claiming the seat vacated by retiring city councillor Kyle Rae.
Wong-Tam won 28 percent of the votes, beating out fellow frontrunner Chan who walked away with 26 percent votes.
“Who would have guessed a kid from Regent Park would be up here a councillor?”, Wong-Tam said to a crowd of her supporters. Flanked by her mother and father, Wong-Tam spoke of coming to Canada as a child. She thanked supporters and her fellow candidates, adding they each must have had their own unique journeys.
Wong-Tam said in her new role, she’ll explore commonalities, not differences.
She said in her first 60 days as councilor, she’ll meet with residents’ groups and BIAS and discuss how they are going to improve local community.
[attach]2648[/attach]Meanwhile at Chan’s camp at the party is still going on at 10:30 p.m.
A subdued yet confident looking Chan says he was proud of the campaign they ran and of all the support he got from the likes of John Tory, former mayor Art Eggleton and more.
“I still feel like a winner,” he said. “We couldn’t have done anything differently,” he said when asked if there could have been anything that may have swayed the ward away from his favour.
Chan says he has no plan B at the moment but still plans on being involved in community life.
“My whole life has been in community service,” he said. “And losing an election won’t change that.”