First time candidate runs in competitive Don Valley West race
Local resident, volunteer and interpreter hopes for electoral success
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Aug. 20.)
Tanvir Ahmed is a ward 26 candidate.
Thorncliffe resident Tanvir Ahmed said it’s his desire to work for the community that prompted him to run in Don Valley West’s Ward 26.
He’s a volunteer with the Thorncliffe PS Council, a soccer coach at the school and has helped plan local family events for the local elementary school.
“It is very important for me to be involved, for the children to be involved and everyone else to be involved,” he said. “There are so many issues that need our involvement in the community. Otherwise we can’t solve those issues: unemployment, overcrowding.”
Before moving to Canada in 1999, Ahmed worked in legal services for the National Development Finance Corporation in Pakistan for 11 years.He is a certified language interpreter for the Immigration and Refugee Board in Toronto and works in the same capacity at the provincial courts.
A local issue he’d like to address in this election is overcrowding in residential buildings and schools in Thorncliffe and Flemingdon, Ahmed said adding council needs to ensure people in those communities have basic services.
He’s also focused on barriers facing newcomers to Canada.
“In Flemingdon and Thorncliffe the most important issue for newcomers is to get a job in their own profession,” Ahmed said, acknowledging councillors have limited jurisdiction over this issue.
Ahmed is running in one of the most heated races in the city where incumbent Councillor John Parker is facing off against the runner-up in the 2006 election, Mohamed Dhanani.
“I will try to tell people living in the area what I have been doing and what I wish to do,” he said. “If they like my vision, my agenda, definitely they will vote for me.
“It’s up to the voters whom they consider the best choice.”
He is holding meet-and-greets to get his message out. He also has a website.
As of Aug. 23, there were eight registered candidates: Tanvir Ahmed, Jon Burnside, Mohamed Dhanani, Salim Naweb Khan, Shaukat Malik, Yunus Pandor, John Parker and Sagu Vinothachandran.
Kris Scheuer 
Mr. Tanvir Ahmed has been Lead Events Committee of the Thorncliffe Park Public School council which organized the Fun Day on May 29, 2010. It was a team work involving other school council members. This event was attended by about 2500 to 3000 people. As regards, soccer coach, I am in the second year of coaching Thorncliffe soccer League. In the first year, I had three teams to coach, whereas this year due to time constraints I coached only one team i.e one day every week. If somebody has not seen me on many occasions, it is due to the fact that I only coached one team this summer.
Regarding the debate, I know finding job in relevant field is an issue in there but I did mention the limitations of the Councillor.
Tanvir,
thanks for taking the time to reply to the comment. I am always glad when a candidate can comment regarding something said about them.
This article has quite a few flaws, first off Mr.Tanvir Ahmed was NOT a volunteer at the Thorncliffe Park Public school, his only contribution was a speach at the annual school FUN DAY and the rest of the event was organzied by members of the parent council and voluteers. He takes credit for the entire event claiming her works for the community and helped organzied a school event. Same with the soccer coaching , my kids go the Throncliffe Soccer Club to which he claims to be a coah at and I have only seen him there twice in the entire 4 month summer season!
Similarly at the the recent debate he had no idea what a councillors jurisdiction is. All his ideas were not the responsibilities of a councillor but a MP! Just like he talks about jobs over here, thats not your jurisdiction buddy! Stop making claims for community work and actually get out there and do something
I will ask Tanvir to reply to your claims as this is the info he sent me to supplement the interview I did with him. Kris