Toronto’s not the only city with an election
It’s election day in Ontario, and while much attention has been devoted to the race in Toronto, the province’s biggest city, all municipalities in Ontario are having votes.
Globe columnist Adam Radwanski took a look at some of the races in Southwestern Ontario.
London
In a city where there are still fewer jobs than before the 2008 recession, and where the last elected mayor is serving house arrest for a fraud conviction, strong opinions are what’s selling. So Londoners have wound up with a much starker choice than most observers expected at the race’s outset.
Hamilton
A relatively affordable place to live and work in close proximity to Toronto, Hamilton has recently experienced stronger growth than most other cities in Ontario’s manufacturing belt – and all three of its mayoral contenders are more or less agreed on the need to continue aggressively diversifying away from steel. But interviews with them underscored that the city’s continued development can be impeded by intercommunity tensions, dating back to amalgamation with smaller surrounding towns when Mr. Harris was premier in the late 1990s.
Windsor
Courtesy of a power struggle between rival factions, the race has political intrigue. One leading candidate, Drew Dilkens, has received Mr. Francis’s endorsement and inherited his campaign team. The other, John Millson, is backed by allies of former provincial finance minister and long-time Windsor MPP Dwight Duncan.