Fragedakis takes over Ward 29

Mary Fragedakis to tackle city and ward issues
New councillor will be shift from retiring Case Ootes
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Nov. 11)

L-R: Second place candidate Jane Pitfield congratulates councillor-elect Mary Fragedakis. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

Councillor-elect Mary Fragedakis may be a new face at city hall, but she’s fairly familiar one in the community she will represent beginning Dec. 1.
“I’ve lived my whole life in ward 29,” said the new Toronto-Danforth rep. “My friends, family and neighbours are here. I started the Broadview Community Youth Group because of the lack of affordable programs. I understand the context of the area.”
And Fragedakis arguably made history on election night, introduced at her victory celebration as the first woman of Greek background to win a seat on council.
She captured over 41 percent of the vote, beating out runner-up Jane Pitfield and five other candidates.

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Mark Dewdney Ward 30 candidate

Candidate Dewdney wants constituents to access him 24/7
Interaction with residents key to being a good Toronto-Danforth rep
By Kris Scheuer
(Written April 8 for Town Crier.)

Ward 30 candidate Mark Dewdney. Photo courtesy of Mark Dewdney.

Mark Dewdney promises to be accessible to constituents if voted in as the next Toronto-Danforth Ward 30 rep.
And starting now as a candidate he’s giving out his home number.
Dewdney’s philosophy about being available to help around the clock is personal to him and stems from the fact others were there for him in his own life.
Born and raised in Cambridge and Kitchener, he was adopted at birth, lived in various group homes and credits others for making a difference in his life. Now he wants to give back and get voters more involved so city hall works for them.
“Something for me to guard against is complacency,” said Dewdney, who’s lived in East York most of his life. “You better give out your home number and have dinner in the ward with your family.”

City candidate uninvited to Grit forum

Jennifer Wood running for city council was invited to Liberal forum
But Ward 29 candidate was uninvited when she didn’t agree to conditions
By Kris Scheuer
(Written March 11 for Town Crier.)

Ward 29 candidate Jennifer Wood. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Wood.

Ward 29 city candidate Jennifer Wood was snubbed from a recent forum held by the Toronto Danforth Provincial Liberal Riding Association after refusing to sign a release stating she wouldn’t run against the Grits in future provincial or federal elections.
Wood first reached out to the Liberal association to speak about her candidacy.
The association contacted her with info about the March 8 forum to introduce Liberal-friendly council hopefuls to their members.
She was originally invited to the forum.
“They had three questions,” Wood said days after the forum. “Why I’m running, the credentials I’d bring and the third thing was an agreement not to run provincially or federally against any Liberal candidate in the future.”

Toronto Danforth Ward 29 candidates

Councillor Case Ootes not running in To-Danforth
Four candidates running to be new Ward 29 rep
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Feb. 11 for Town Crier.)

Former Leaside councillor Jane Pitfield is running in Toronto Danforth’s Ward 29 and I wrote about her on Jan. 6 the day current rep Case Ootes announced he would not seek re-election. But she’s not the only one seeking this seat.
Now meet a trio of candidates running here: Chris Caldwell, John Richardson and Mike Restivo. Scroll down to read each profile.

Chris Caldwell wants to involve residents more in planning process. Photo courtesy of Chris Caldwell.

Chris Caldwell registered as a candidate on Jan. 4 before Ootes made a decision not to run.
I looked forward to running against him,” Caldwell said from his home 180 metres outside Ward 29. “There’s a lot I didn’t agree with (Ootes) on but it runs deeper than that. It is how people are engaged in the planning process. They want to see their desires reflected in policy.”
He wants the community to be involved in any development planning application from beginning to end.
“We make better decisions with more information,” said the 41-year-old business analyst and consultant with a background in urban planning.

Sandra Bussin to seek re-election

Councillor Bussin plans to run again in Beaches East York
Toronto Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher already registered
By Kris Scheuer and Karolyn Coorsh
(Written Jan. 14 for Town Crier newspaper.)

Councillor Sandra Bussin will register for re-election in ward 32.

She may be in no hurry to formally register but make no mistake: Beaches-East York councillor Sandra Bussin is seeking re-election in her ward this year.
“Yes, I will be registering sometime in the future,” the ward 32 rep said in an interview at a Danforth Avenue restaurant. “There are a number of projects I am still interested in pursuing.”
One of the issues dear to her heart is ensuring incineration was not brought back to Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant.
In December, she successfully had council remove a certificate for approval for incineration at the treatment plant. This means burning the residue from water treatment is no longer an option as part of the approved Biosolids Master Plan, said Bussin.
She would like to be back to steer the completion of the Beach Skateboard Park and the new TTC streetcar storage and repair facility at Leslie Street and Lakeshore Boulevard.
She hasn’t decided on an election strategy yet.
“Every campaign is different,” she said. “Something (always) happens where there’s a new challenge of some sort.”

Jane Pitfield runs for Toronto council

Former councillor Jane Pitfield to run for election
She registered as candidate in east end ward
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Jan. 6 for Town Crier.)

Former councillor Jane Pitfield plans to run in Ward 29 after Case Ootes announced he'll retire. Town Crier file photo.

Jane Pitfield wants back into city hall and she’s chosen to run in Toronto-Danforth Ward 29.
Case Ootes the current local rep held a media conference this afternoon announcing he won’t seek re-election in this east end ward.
And at 3 pm today, Pitfield registered as a candidate for the ward she has political roots in.
“I was very surprised when councillor Case Ootes announced his retirement,” she told the media at the city’s election offices.
She met with councillors Ootes, Cliff Jenkins and Michael Walker weeks ago indicating her interest in running if any of them choose not to run.
“All of them said they thought they’d return,” she told the Town Crier today.
Then last night, councillor Ootes called to tell her he would not seek re-election.
“I felt my interest is so strong in coming back. Why wait?” she said in an interview.

Case Ootes won’t seek re-election

Veteran Toronto councillor Case Ootes to retire
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Jan. 6)

Councillor Case Ootes announced Jan. 6 he won't seek re-election after nearly 22 years in politics.

After two decades in municipal politics, Toronto-Danforth Councillor Case Ootes is calling it quits.
He announced today he will not run in the fall city election.
Former Leaside councillor Jane Pitfield plans to register this afternoon to run in his Ward 29.
“I am officially announcing today that I will not be running for re-election next October,” he told the media at 1:30 pm Jan. 6.
“I have been at it for 21 years and it’s been very rewarding, but I want to pursue some other things that are yet to be defined. And I want to spend more time traveling with my wife.”
“I do want to take the opportunity to thank the people of East York for re-electing me seven times over the last 21 years,” said the former deputy mayor under Mel Lastman.

Marilyn Churley appointed as a JP

Former Toronto politician now a Justice of the Peace
Churley will work at Ontario Court of Justice in the Toronto Region
By Kris Scheuer
(Originally written Oct. 15 for Town Crier.)

Former east end politician Marilyn Churley is now a justice of the peace in Toronto.
Her Worship Churley confirmed to the Town Crier that Attorney General Chris Bentley appointed her as a full-time JP on Oct. 2. She said she’s not permitted to do media interviews in her new role on the bench, which started on Oct. 14.
Churley was an MPP for Toronto-Danforth for the Ontario New Democrats for 15 years, and prior to that a city councillor. She also ran unsuccessfully for a federal seat in Beaches-East York.
Recently there were rumours she was running for city council in Toronto-Danforth’s ward 29 in the 2010 election.
That is not the case as she will not be running for political office of any kind now that she is serving on the Ontario Court of Justice in the Toronto Region, she said.

Burning biosolids in the beach?

Incineration was one of three options to dispose of wastewater sludge
But it’s not being recommended for Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant
By Kris Scheuer
(Written  Sept. 10 for Town Crier.)

If you read the draft of the biosolids treatment plan for Ashbridges Bay you could be forgiven for thinking incineration maybe coming back to the Beach.
Incineration, also known as “thermal energy”, is listed in the report as one of three possible options but officials tell the Town Crier that burning biosolids at the site is no longer on the table.
“All the options for each plant site were evaluated,” said Deborah Ross with consultant firm AECOM, which is producing Toronto’s Biosolids Master Plan. “Thermal energy ranked high, but it’s not being recommended.” 
Instead, the plan is recommending the waste be converted into biosolid cake and used as fertilizer or, as a second or temporary option, sending the material to landfill.