Weston Tenants are VOTERS!

Weston ACORN hosts All-Candidates Debate for upcoming municipal election—and the incumbent is nowhere to be found!

Weston ACORN hosted a packed All-Candidates Debate last night—and tenants showed up! At least 70 people came out to hear from candidates running to represent Ward 5 York South–Weston. With the municipal election around the corner, Weston tenants made clear that they want to know where candidates stand on the issues affecting their homes, their communities, and their wallets.

Chairs of the Downtown and Weston Chapters, Stacey Semple and Marcia Stone, moderated the debate, while Weston ACORN members Susan Cox and Bill MacBean helped lead the event. ACORN members put themselves front and centre to demand accountability from candidates.

Three candidates participated: Matthew Boateng, Chiara Padovani and Sileen Phillips. Sharmarke Ali, who had previously confirmed his attendance, cancelled because of a family matter. Current Ward 5 Councillor Frances Nunziata confirmed her non-attendance in the middle of the day on the day of the debate. The debate gave residents a chance to compare candidates directly. Rather than candidates simply making campaign promises, members and residents were able to hear their positions on specific issues and ask follow-up questions about what they would actually do if elected.

After the moderators read out the rules of engagement, the candidates each gave a one-minute opening statement outlining their priorities and platforms.

The debate then moved into a 30-minute moderated section, with four rounds of questions. Each candidate had 60 seconds to respond, with a rotating speakers list. The questions were based on feedback collected from ACORN members through phone calls and on the Toronto ACORN 2026 Municipal Election Platform.

The four questions focused directly on issues that affect Weston tenants:

Q1 — RentSafeTO: “RentSafeTO currently focuses heavily on common areas, while tenants continue to report serious problems inside their units. Would you support regular in-unit inspections and expanding RentSafeTO to rental townhouses? What specifically would you do as Councillor to give RentSafeTO real enforcement teeth?”

Q2 — Extreme Heat: “Would you support a city-wide maximum indoor temperature of 26°C and expanding air-conditioning assistance to all low-income tenants? What would you do to make sure those protections are actually enforced, and how would you speed up enforcement?”

Q3 — Cost of Living: “What concrete actions would you take at City Hall to reduce the cost of groceries, internet, housing and other necessities for tenants in York South–Weston, including proposals such as City-run grocery stores and expanding the Vacant Homes Tax?”

Q4 — Provincial Pressure: “Rent control, social assistance rates and the Landlord and Tenant Board are provincial responsibilities. As a City Councillor, how would you use your political influence to pressure the province for stronger tenant protections, higher OW and ODSP rates, and LTB reform?”

And then the residents took over!

After the moderated questions, we opened up the floor for an audience Q&A. Residents lined up at the microphone with questions for the candidates, pushing them to give clear and specific answers about what they would do if elected.

Weston residents asked candidates about expanding youth employment and education opportunities, creating faster and more reliable transit in Weston—including support for the RapidTO plan—and whether candidates would commit to holding Know Your Rights workshops.

This was exactly what we wanted to see: residents asking candidates the questions that matter to them and making clear that they expect accountability after election day.

Weston tenants are voters!

The debate showed that tenants are paying attention to this election. The issues that ACORN members organize around every day—housing affordability, landlord accountability, building conditions, extreme heat, transit and the rising cost of living—are municipal election issues.

While the candidates did not agree on everything, they all recognized the importance of democratic participation and residents coming together to hear different perspectives.

And that’s what made last night so powerful. This wasn’t just a debate, it was political organizing. Residents who may not have been engaged in municipal politics before came out, learned about the powers and responsibilities of City Hall, asked questions, and started thinking about what they want from the person representing Ward 5. And we got some media coverage from citynews, which you can check out here. 

We’re showing candidates that Weston tenants are organized, informed and ready to vote. But we’re also showing residents that their voices matter—and that they have the power to demand more from the politicians asking for their votes. Tonight, Weston ACORN members have a chapter meeting, and they’ll be forming a political action committee. 

The election is coming, and Weston tenants are watching!