Race to replace Moscoe crowded
Longtime councillor Howard Moscoe’s retirement means the race for Ward 15 is wide open. Here are short profiles of all the candidates running to replace him.
[attach]2312[/attach]Tony Evangelista
A retired city planner with 34 years under his belt, Ward 15 candidate Tony Evangelista is running on a platform of improving customer service for Torontonians, and continuing to give a voice to residents on local development applications.
As a member of senior management teams at city hall, he’s organized over 600 public hearings, and provided expertise and opinion to city council and planning bodies such as the committee of adjustment and the Ontario Municipal Board.
After retiring in 2007, Evangelista started a planning consulting business.
More recently, Evangelista said he’s been busy providing advice and help for the Yorkdale West Ratepayers Association regarding scaling down building proposals for a local development project.
The massive plan to redevelop Lawrence Heights is also on his radar, as Evangelista says the current redevelopment plan is not the way to go. Rather than razing the neighbourhood and starting over, the city should be putting some tender loving care into fixing up the current buildings. If elected, Evangelista said he’d advocate for a return to the drawing board.
The married father of two said spending at city hall is out of control and must be restrained. If elected, he’ll fight to have the license tax repealed along with other “unfair taxes” in Toronto. He’s also a proponent of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
[attach]2313[/attach]Giuseppe Pede
Giuseppe Pede wants to improve transit, facilitate more job opportunities for recent graduates and obtain better benefits for the large population of seniors in Ward 15.
Pede said road infrastructure, proper services and subsidies are not being provided for seniors living on fixed incomes in the ward and beyond.
He said as councillor he would encourage the provincial government to provide more funding for seniors, and improve the lines of communication between local government and the elderly.
Pede said he’d support two-term limits for councillors, and the privatization of the TTC. He wants to encourage the city and province to abolish internal job postings for public employees to make it easier for college and university graduates to get civil service jobs. To improve transit, Pede suggests the city look at a new, alternative form of transit for Toronto — a high-speed, alpine cable car transit system that would run along the centre medians of all Toronto expressways. Pede said the system is a green alternative to the TTC, requires no land disturbance and can service vast geographic areas.
In terms of the controversial plan to redevelop Lawrence Heights, Pede said the plan was passed too quickly at council, and with little community consultation. He says council must re-assess the future demographics of the area before continuing with the approval phases.
The married father of two has worked in the retail automotive sector for 30 years, and has extensive experience in managing the affairs of large corporations.
[attach]2314[/attach]Eva Tavares
Eva Tavares has served on and chaired several boards, committees and councils in the non-profit sector including the North York Harvest Food Bank, North York Local Health Committee and Toronto Community Housing.
If elected, Tavares said she would work to implement tax incentives for small businesses, create more affordable housing, and facilitate faster street vendor licensing.
Locally, Tavares said she supports the community beautification in the area of Oakwood Village and Eglinton Avenue. Tavares ran for the Ward 15 council seat in 2006.
[url=https://streeter.ca/third-try-for-ward-15-hopeful-ron-singer.html][attach]2315[/attach][/url][url=https://streeter.ca/third-try-for-ward-15-hopeful-ron-singer.html]Ron Singer[/url]
If elected, third-time Ward 15 candidate Singer has pledged to reduce crime, and rid Toronto’s neighbourhoods of illegal booze cans. He wants to ensure the revitalization of Lawrence Heights does not impede on traffic and safety in the area.
[attach]2316[/attach][url=https://streeter.ca/former-councillor-to-take-on-north-toronto-stalwart-this-fall.html]Rob Davis[/url]
Catholic school trustee Davis says he’s opposed to the city’s car tax and would advocate for its rollback and cancellation. Davis served on the former York city council and as a city of Toronto councillor.
[attach]2317[/attach][url=https://streeter.ca/ex-trustee-to-challenge-howard-moscoe.html]Josh Colle[/url]
If elected to represent Ward 15, Colle said he’ll do more for families in the ward and beyond, including fixing up parks, push for the light rail plan for Eglinton Avenue to be done in a timely manner and encourage a more cooperative approach at council. Colle is a former Catholic school trustee and the son of Eglinton-Lawrence MPP Mike Colle.
[url=https://streeter.ca/extend-the-allen-candidate.html]William Reitsma[/url]
William Reitsma wants to extend the Allen Expressway to the Gardiner to alleviate traffic gridlock, and create more harmonious and engaged neighbourhoods by holding more community festivals.
