Toronto Votes 2026: Toronto-Danforth councillor candidate Maqsood Ahmad profile

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Local voters will cast their ballots on Monday, Oct. 26, in Toronto’s municipal election. Along with voting for mayor and school trustee, local voters will also be electing a new councillor for Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth.
There are 18 candidates running for the council seat in Toronto-Danforth. The seat is open as incumbent councillor Paula Fletcher announcd in August that she was stepping down after representing the area for the last 23 years. For this Candidate Profile feature, Beach Metro Community News reached out to the candidates who we could find contact information for and asked them to send their profile and a photo in by a set deadline. We are only printing the profiles of those who responded by the deadline. The 18 candidates registered to run for councillor in Toronto-Danforth in this month’s municipal election are Maqsood Ahmad, Susan Chapelle, Michael Connor, Dennis Corcoran, Robb Dagenais, Peter De Marco, Sara Ehrhardt, George Fawcett, Mary Fragedakis, John Kladitis, Michael Mitchell, Caryma Sa’d, Dianne Saxe, Devyn Stackhouse, Jason Stevens, Christiane Tetreault, Maria Voutsinas and Denise Walcott.)

My name is Maqsood Ahmad, and I am running for Toronto City Council in Ward 14, Toronto–Danforth. I have lived in this community for 25 years. As a father of two children, a real estate broker with 20 years of experience, I understand the challenges families face in finding affordable housing, managing everyday expenses, and building a secure future.

I am running to bring a stronger, accessible voice to City Hall. Residents deserve a councillor who listens, answers their concerns, and follows through. My professional experience has taught me to solve problems, manage budgets, and bring people together.

One of my main priorities is standing up for thousands of ride-share and delivery workers who work long hours serving our community, but often have little voice in decisions affecting their livelihoods. I will advocate for fair base pay, transparent commissions and deductions,

compensation for waiting, traffic delays and long pickups, safe pickup and waiting areas, and protection from unfair deactivation through a meaningful appeal process. I will work within the City’s authority and with other governments to improve workers’ earnings without increasing customers’ fares.

I will also work for:

• Affordable housing: More rental homes, faster approvals for legal secondary and garden suites, and practical reductions in fees and other barriers to building affordable housing.
• First-time homebuyers: Greater relief from Toronto’s municipal land transfer tax to make buying a first home more achievable.
• Everyday affordability: Control property tax increases, support seniors and low-income residents facing property tax and utility costs, and advocate for lower TTC fares.
• Safer neighbourhoods: Better lighting, safer crossings, action on speeding, and stronger communication between residents, City services and police.
• Community support: Practical help for small businesses, emergency snow removal assistance for seniors, longer park washroom hours, and reliable follow-up on 311 concerns.

I want residents to feel heard and see their concerns lead to action. Together, we can build a safer, stronger and more affordable city—a place our children can proudly call home.