Toronto ACORN: Municipal Elections Heating up in Trethewey Park West
Posted September 30, 2022
On September 28th, several ACORN members, community members, and one city council candidate came out to Trethewey Park West to discuss important issues and have their voices heard before the municipal election in October.
We gathered in the park despite the distinct autumn chill in the air. People were excited to learn more about candidates’ platforms before voting in October, sitting in a small circle of folding chairs, some cupping warm hot chocolate in their hands, others chatting amongst themselves.
We had reserved seats for candidates.
Chiara Padovani arrived after doorknocking at a nearby apartment complex and brought pamphlets outlining both her platform and information about tenant rights in Toronto.
Frances Nunziata was conspicuously absent from the proceedings, and the spot we had reserved for her sat empty— that is, until Violet, a long-time ACORN member arrived, declared that there was no point in wasting a seat, and took her spot to ask questions about Padovani’s campaign platform.
The meeting went smoothly. ACORN members, including Weston chapter chair Bob Murphy, went over key points of ACORN’s affordable city platform. These included landlord licensing, no tenant displacement, and affordable housing.
Then Padovani introduced her platform. She surprised the crowd by noting that there are currently no tenants on Toronto’s city council! Her platform includes fighting for a rent freeze & stronger rent control, penalties for landlords who don’t do repairs, and generally stronger protections for tenants.
The group then transitioned into the question and answer period of the evening. Padovani sat on the stone table at the centre of the circle and answered tenant questions about RentSafe, TCHC, and support for seniors, among other issues.
New ACORN member Rikki moderated the Q&A period and recorded audio of the evening’s proceedings. This was very helpful— keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for updates once the raw audio is processed!
This is definitely just the beginning. Stay in the loop for more updates from ACORN before the municipal election in October!
