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A PERSONAL REFLECTION
Catching Election Fever, Asking Tough Questions
Last year around this time, an incredible excitement was sweeping not just the GTA but all of Canada: the Blue Jays had a chance to win the World Series and bring the championship back to Canada for the first time in 32 years. People in blue jerseys were talking about the previous night’s game. Even my doctor, who was reviewing some important test results with me, was wearing a Blue Jays jersey and had put up a big Jays banner at the front desk.
Don’t judge me, but I get a similar kind of giddiness when election season rolls around. Provincial and federal campaigns have party colours and daily media coverage of the electoral horse race—things our municipal campaign largely lacks, although Toronto’s mayoral race gets frequent polls. Here in Richmond Hill, candidates run without formal party affiliations, and there is no dominant local media outlet covering the race. Still, the buzz is there, on social media and in the campaign signs appearing across the city.
Volunteers—and sometimes candidates themselves—will knock on your door, offer a flyer, or ask what you see as Richmond Hill’s biggest challenges. Let’s be kind to them, even if we haven’t caught election fever. Running for public office takes courage. Candidates commit considerable time and personal resources that they could otherwise spend enjoying life with family and friends.
But let’s also ask them tough questions. Make sure the person you want to send to council understands the issues, is qualified to serve, and can offer workable solutions.
Personally, I would vote for a councillor who brings something of the love and care they have for their own home and family to this city and its residents. I want someone who, when asked about the street safety failures that cost a young woman her life, would not respond, “It was her fault!” If your own child were hit by a car, would blame be your first response?
I want someone who, on hearing that an unsafe sidewalk could cause seniors and other vulnerable pedestrians to slip and fall into traffic, would not say, “Then they’d better not slip!” And I would not vote for a candidate who puts their own financial interests ahead of serving the people of Richmond Hill.
Finding the right person may sound like a daunting task, but STRH has taken a few steps to help:
- Our Election Hub helps you make an informed choice. You can start with the basics: whether you are eligible to vote, whether you are on the voters’ list, which positions are on the ballot, and who is running for each one. We also contacted all candidates with questions covering housing, street safety, and more. We compiled their responses side by side so you can easily compare candidates in your ward and see whose positions come closest to your own.
- It’s not all homework—we’ve organised a game night, too. A municipal mystery in the city of Richmont Hale 🙂 needs solving, and we’d love your help. Join us on Wednesday, October 14, at 7 p.m. We hope to see you there and put your municipal mystery-solving skills to the test!
- We want to help residents examine councillors’ records, too. Our Election Hub compares candidates based on what they say. We want to go a step further by making it easier to see how councillors actually vote. We are considering building a Councillor Voting Record database. When I raised the idea with Mayor West and Councillor Cilevitz at an event, both supported it. Councillor Cilevitz even promised to bring forward a motion in the next term of council if she is re-elected. But rather than risk the idea being forgotten again, we want to take a crack at it ourselves. That will take help from our members. If you believe in transparency and accessible council voting records, please step forward.
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I would vote for a councillor who brings something of the love and care they have for their own home and family to this city and its residents.
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This work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Search engines and chatbots have picked up on the wealth of information in our Election Hub, and we are now appearing among the first one or two resources recommended for Richmond Hill election information. Recognition has come beyond the screen, too: Toronto Metropolitan University’s Voice the Vote project has awarded us a grant to support this work.
Candidates who completed our survey have also displayed the “Committed to Transparency” badge on their websites and social media, helping more residents discover the Election Hub.
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A CLOSER LOOK
Worth Your Time
Something to read, explore, or take part in.
Big Promises, Limited Powers
Can a mayor deliver everything voters expect? Toronto Star columnist Shawn Micallef argues that municipal campaigns often revolve around problems—homelessness, affordability, and addiction—that cities cannot solve on their own. His column is worth reading as Richmond Hill heads toward its own election: we should ask candidates which promises they can deliver locally, which require cooperation from other governments, and what practical improvements they will pursue with the powers they do have. Ambition matters, but so does an honest account of how to turn it into action.
When Fiction Starts Catching Up With Us
Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office estimates that known homelessness rose by 23% between 2022–23 and 2025–26—and projects further increases. In Republic of Glass, Catherine Leroux imagines a Montreal where housing is a luxury and people live in encampments. On CBC Radio, she expressed surprise at how quickly reality was catching up with her imagined future. If we ignore these warnings and look away from people sleeping in bus shelters or carrying their lives in shopping carts, the once-unthinkable can become ordinary. That future isn’t inevitable. Let’s ask candidates tough questions, push for affordable homes, and volunteer. We still have a say—but we have to use it.
Can condos ban e-bikes?
A tribunal says yes: Ontario’s Condominium Authority Tribunal upheld one Toronto condo corporation’s rule barring e-bikes and other electric transportation devices from its property, including residents’ units, because of fire safety concerns. This is not a provincewide ban. The decision raises a practical question for people who rely on e-bikes: where can they safely store and charge them if their building prohibits them?
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THANKSGIVING AND THE SPIRIT OF BUILDING TOGETHER
Walking Away
Thanksgiving is a good time to reflect on the generations who helped build the communities we call home. After more than twenty years here, I still wonder how people who left their homes for so many different reasons endured this harsh North American climate and built cities that others from all around the world now dream of moving to, even from places we imagine retiring to. What was their secret? My guess is that they didn’t wait for someone else to solve every problem. When something didn’t work, they repaired it or built something better. We can bring that same determination to Richmond Hill: notice what needs fixing, work together, and get started.
Happy Thanksgiving. As you enjoy turkey dinner with your family, spare a thought for what we can build together—and the fighting spirit it will take.
What’s one thing you’d like to help change in Richmond Hill? Hit reply and tell me—I’d like to hear your thoughts, questions, and ideas.
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