Voters in Beaches-East York can Meet the Candidates this afternoon (Sunday, Oct. 2) at an event set for St. Aidan’s Anglican Church.
Presented by the Beaches Interfaith Committee of local congregations within the Ward 19 Beaches-East York municipal boundaries, today’s event goes from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
The event will be held in a “meet-and-greet style,” and is not a political debate.
Organizers said the meeting format will be “informal.” Candidates will be offered two minutes to introduce themselves and then voters and candidates are invited to mingle.
St. Aidan’s Anglican Church is located at 2423 Queen St. E. It should be noted that Oct. 2 is also the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi where St. Aidan’s holds a blessing of the animals. That has been slated for 3 p.m. to take place after the candidates’ event but to allow those attending the blessing to also meet with those seeking election locally.
A second meet-and-greet presented by the Beaches Interfaith Committee will take place on Thursday, Oct. 6, at Kimbourne United Church at 200 Wolverleigh Blvd. starting at 7 p.m.
The theme of both events is City Building with Equity.
“The focus will be on the candidates’ perspectives on the city’s role in addressing climate change (at St. Aidan’s) and poverty and food security (at Kimbourne),” said the organizers.
“Representatives of the Interfaith group agree that members of their congregations should inform themselves of candidates’ approaches to these and other issues that reflect their faith values. Many municipal responsibilities have a direct bearing on the way the community treats people who live on the margins and it is important for congregations to reflect on how the candidates align with their sense of what is right. That said, no congregation will be instructing its members on how to vote. Hosting this event is a way that the synagogue, mosque and churches can support informed ethical decision-making.”
The Beaches Interfaith Committee said it is sponsoring these candidate events because municipal politicians have a significant role in addressing a number of issue affecting the environment and people living on the social and economic margins of society.
“It is important for us to leverage our voices to ensure that politicians hear of our moral concerns about our neighbours.”
For more information about these events, please contact Paul Dowling, (chair of the Beaches Interfaith Group) at pdowling@rogers.com; Nicholas White, (head of Outreach at Kimbourne United Church) at nr.whte@gmail.com; or Michael Van Dusen, (deacon at St. Aidan’s) at mjpvandusen@gmail.com
To see a list of candidates registered to run in the municipal wards of Beaches-East York, Scarborough Southwest and Toronto-Danforth, please see our earlier story at https://beachmetro.com/2022/08/19/final-list-of-candidates-running-for-council-and-school-board-in-beaches-east-york-scarborough-southwest-and-toronto-danforth-in-2022-election/
Election Day is Monday, Oct. 24. Advance polls will also be open from Oct. 7 through to Oct. 14.
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