Jamaicans win in Ontario municipal elections

Ontario’s municipal elections on Monday ended in victory for some Jamaican-Canadians who ran for councillor and school trustee positions.

Michael Thompson, who has been a Toronto city councillor since 2003, romped to re-election in Ward 21 Scarborough Centre for a seventh term with 51.1 per cent of the votes, amassing 16,053 votes compared with 4,653, or 14.8 per cent, for his closest contender, Krissan Veerasingam.

“I’m grateful to the people of Scarborough Centre,” said Thompson.

He attributed his success to “listening to people in the community, delivering for them, understanding what their needs are, working with them to ensure that their children have better parks, better playground equipment, and to ensure that the services they want are delivered on a timely basis.”

The seasoned Toronto politician, who has won previous elections by large margins, said most people in his community have his cellphone number and can call him if they have any major issues that are not being addressed either through 311, which provides easy access to non-emergency city services, or by his office if they have contacted it.

Thompson said he has been offered numerous opportunities to run federally or provincially, but municipal politics is where his fundamental interest lies and where he will always be involved.

“I have no desire or need to want to go to those other levels because municipal politics is where the rubber hits the road. It’s really where you’re with the people. It’s really where they know if you are serving them well, and they will support you if you do the job for them.”

Two incumbent Black councillors were not re-elected—Jamaal Myers of Ward 23 Scarborough North, who is of Jamaican heritage, and Chris Moise of Ward 13 Toronto Centre—both first elected in 2022.

Thompson is the longest-serving Black councillor in the City of Toronto and is a proud Jamaican.

“I don’t look at myself as a Black anything. I look at myself first and foremost as a servant to the people. I use the term ‘servant’ not in a pejorative sense but in the sense that as an elected official you apply for this job every four years, in terms of an election, and you’re either selected or not selected based on the record, on the work, and on the service you provide to the community.”

With regard to being Black and Blackness, Thompson said it is important because he is Black and there are many issues facing the Black community.

For example, he has fundraised $1.6 million for a technology hub to ensure that young Black children in Scarborough, not just in his ward, have greater access to learning about technology with experts, coaches and mentors.

The councillor also works with the skilled trades to help youth in general who want an opportunity to connect with those in the industry.

Twenty-two years ago, Thompson started the Taste of Lawrence, a street festival attracting thousands of people to the community.

He said it branded the community as a great place for food and restaurants, where “people are able to make a living through the work” that he started initially as a way to bring people together.

Having coined the motto “he gets things done” 23 years ago, Thompson said he continues to live up to it and takes personal responsibility for things that happen in his community and fall under his purview.

“If I haven’t delivered, I want to make sure that I address that. People bring something to my attention; we figure how to work together. I take on problems on behalf of the community but I work through the problems to make sure the community is engaged, involved, and so on.”

In Brampton, Ontario, three Jamaicans were elected as school board trustees: Kathy McDonald, who was a trustee in Wards 3 and 4 for 12 years but ran in Wards 1 and 5, defeating fellow Jamaican and incumbent David Green; former trade union leader Chris Campbell, who was newly elected in Wards 2 and 6; and incumbent Karla Bailey, who was re-elected in Wards 7 and 8.

Campbell said his win confirmed his ability to move from being president of a construction trade union to running for public office as a school board trustee.

“It took collaboration with individuals, community groups, local residents, the mayor, and just us going door to door, and using social media. It was a well-rounded approach because I really didn’t start hitting the pavement until the day after Thanksgiving. But I had good people around me that gave me good advice,” said the former president of Carpenters’ Union Local 27.

Campbell plans to meet with constituents in his ward to discuss where they want to see immediate improvements.

In the Township of Southgate, Joan John, who was first elected a councillor in the municipal elections in 2022, was re-elected.

- Neil Armstrong

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