WARD OVERVIEW:
Ward 1 – North Etobicoke is located in the North West corner of Toronto. It is bounded by Steeles Avenue to the NORTH, the Humber River to the EAST, the Humber River west branch to the SOUTH, and the Etobicoke – Mississauga to the WEST.
WARD POPULATION: 61,315
WHO LIVES IN THE WARD:
|
GROUP |
PERCENTAGE |
| East Indian | 26 |
| Jamaican | 5.9 |
| Italian | 5.1 |
| Canadian | 3.1 |
| South Asian | 2.5 |
| Filipino | 2.4 |
| Sri Lankan | 2.3 |
| Pakistani | 2.2 |
| Chinese | 1.9 |
| Guyanese | 1.7 |
| Others | 30.9 |
KEY FACTS:
- 16.7% of children 25 years of age or more living at home.
- 15.0% of population lives in a one-person household.
- 6.6% of residents have no knowledge of English or French.
- 3.36 persons per household.
- One of the largest amounts of subsidized housing in Toronto.
TOP ISSUES FOR WARD 1:
Crime/Public Safety
According to a 2011 CBC study, several neighbourhoods within ward 1 suffered from a high occurrence of crime. The West Humber-Clairville area ranked high on the list for stolen vehicles and theft over $5,000 with 84.5 vehicle thefts per 10,000 residents and 15.8 thefts over $5,000 per 10,000 residents.
Out of 10 Toronto neighbourhood’s, Thistletown-Beaumond Heights came fourth on the list for sexual assaults with 23.7 assaults per 10,000 residents.
Transit Service
A common complaint from residents in ward 1 is the lack of transit service in the area. With no connecting subways and long waits for buses, it can take up towards an hour for residents to travel to the nearest subway station.
The cancelled proposed transit plan created by former Toronto mayor, David Miller would have created seven new LRT lines including the Etobicoke-Finch West line. (PHOTO: Wikipedia)
In 2007, a proposed transit plan announced by former Toronto mayor, David Miller would have alleviated some of the frustrations of ward 1 residents by creating seven LRT lines including the Etobicoke-Finch West line.
The plan was unfortunately cut short by current Toronto mayor, Rob Ford who cancelled the project in 2010. In 2012, Toronto city council voted to restore the Etobicoke-Finch West line citing it as part of a new transit plan. So far, completion of this line is unknown.
Unemployment
According to a 2011 census, Ward 1 has one of the highest unemployment rates in Toronto, standing at 12.8 percent, much higher than the city’s average 9.8 percent. It also had one of the lowest income rates in the city, with residents making an average household income of $66,001 per year compared to Toronto’s average of $87,038.
Social issues
Social issues also affecting the area include lack of affordable housing and aging infrastructure.
CURRENT INCUMBENT:
Vincent Crisanti
A strong Ford supporter, Cristani ran and lost to competitor Susan Hall in 2000 and 2003. But with the help of the Ford family, Vincent Crisanti was elected as City Councilor for Ward 1- Etobicoke North on October 2010. Crisanti has been a resident of Ward 1 for over 31 years.
His program:
- Create more community and safety programs for youth and seniors.
- Rapid public transit (subway) for the Ward 1 area.
- More investment in infrastructure.
- Investing in local businesses.
TOP CHALLENGERS FOR WARD 1: Below are the other candidates running for Ward 1 – Etobicoke North city council. All candidates below are newcomers to the race.
Idil Burale
- Build the Finch LRT to Humber College and increase bus service
- Improve living conditions and advocate for a higher standard of affordable housing
- Better accessibility to community centres, libraries and other public centres remain open for longer periods of time
- Increased quality and subsidized child care options
Avtar Minhas
- Increase senior programs to help the ageing Ward 1 population
- Build a LRT for a better transportation system
- Repair and improve crumbling infrastructure, potholes etc
- Increase youth programs with a focus on employment and education
- Support to non-profit organizations advocating women’s empowerment.
Akhtar Ayub
- Introduce monthly job and educational fair for youth and unemployed residents
- Create a better support community for immigrants new to Canada
- Supports the idea of a LRT system for the area
- Renovate Central Albion Library with better computer labs and a community room dedicated to seniors.
ALSO RUNNING:
- Arsalan Baig
- Dino Caltsoudas
- Jeff Corbett
- Patricia Crooks
- Charan Hundal
- Khaliq Mahamood
- Christopher Noor
- Gurinder Patri
Sara Miller
Sara Miller is a graduate of the Journalism Advanced Diploma program at Humber College. She is now currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Journalism program at the Lakeshore campus.
