By Lincoln Depradine
Toronto, Canada: Only one of three known Grenadian-Canadians was successful in being voted to office in Monday’s Ontario municipal elections for mayors, councillors and school board trustees.
Tiffany Ford, a 32-year-old born in Canada to a Grenadian mother, is the new Toronto District School Board trustee for York West in Toronto.
“I want to inspire young people around me; too many parents and students here have lost hope,” Ford said following her victory.
Other Grenadian-Candidates that contested the polls were Danielle Masanto and Dewitt Lee.
Masanto, bidding for a seat on the City of Milton council, lost by a mere 18 votes in her first ever electoral contest.
“We all fought hard and to my team, I’m proud of what we accomplished,’’ Masanto said. “I will continue to work to make Milton the best place to live and raise a family.’’
Lee was one of 65 candidates in the race for mayor of Toronto, Canada most populous city with a population of 2.5 million. He mustered 489 votes to place 20th. The last place finisher picked up 52 votes.
Businessman John Tory won the mayoral race with 40 percent of the votes. He will take over on December 1, presiding over a 45-member council that includes former mayor Rob Ford.
Ford, despite his inability to campaign because of illness, was elected as a councillor.
Among those who expressed satisfaction at Tory’s mayoral victory was Grenada-born businessman Trevor David.
“For the past 20 years I have seen John Tory out and about in the Black community, reaching out and engaging in conversations; to address issues you have to have a conversation. For that reason I feel John Tory’s heart is in the right place,’’ David told Caribupdate Weekly.
Tory, 60, has promised to unite and build Toronto.
“As your new mayor, I will work with the council that the people of Toronto elected, in moving Toronto not left, not right, but forward,’’ he said. “We will stop neglecting and leaving citizens behind in our city’s most isolated neighbourhoods. We will tackle our unacceptable youth unemployment rate.’’
