The 2003 Toronto municipal election was held on 10 November 2003, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to elect the Mayor of Toronto, 44 city councillors, and school board trustees.
Incumbent Toronto mayor Mel Lastman chose not to run for re-election. A large number of candidates ran for the position of mayor, but five main candidates emerged.
Barbara Hall is the former mayor of pre-amalgamation Toronto and an independent who was formerly a member of the New Democratic Party and who had the support of many of the city's Liberals. She campaigned on a moderate policy of outreach to minorities and her connections to the provincial Liberal government which would enable a "new deal" for Toronto.
John Nunziata, a former Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party of Canada, was expelled from the party because of his opposition to his party's continuation of the GST, something that the party had promised to abolish as part of its election platform. He ran a right-wing campaign for mayor of Toronto, advocating stiff penalties against the homeless and a strong focus on law and order.
John Tory, who had just resigned as President and CEO of Rogers Cable. A supporter of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, he had served as Principal Secretary to Premier Bill Davis, and campaign co-chair of Mel Lastman's 1998 and 2000 mayoral runs. Tory ran a centre-right campaign promising to hire more police, fine panhandlers, and incinerate Toronto's garbage. He also promised rigorous fiscal discipline at city hall.
David Miller, the most left wing of the major candidates, is closely associated with unions and the New Democratic Party. He had long served as a city councillor. His main cause was halting the expansion of the Toronto Island Airport.
Tom Jakobek, the former Budget Chief, gathered much media attention at the start and participated in various debates with the other candidates. He was quickly distanced from the front-runner race when the vote neared, as his campaign was hampered by recent municipal mismanagement, and admissions that he had lied about accepting gifts from lobbyists.
The campaign began with Barbara Hall far in the lead. She had wide name recognition and attracted moderate support from across Toronto. She also had close links with the newly elected Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty. John Nunziata was in a distant second, polling around 9% at the best, due to his past experience as a federal MP. John Tory and David Miller were closely tied for an even more distant third.
Around September, Hall began to lose support when it became apparent that she lacked a campaign message, sticking mainly to her "love for Toronto" and arguing that she could get a "new deal" with the provincial Liberals. Miller was attacked by all candidates for musing about tolls on roads leading into Toronto, but he dropped the proposal before it could do much harm. Miller's next message about banning the island airport bridge distinguished himself from the other candidates and he eventually vaulted into first place, to the surprise of many. Tory's support also began to grow steadily as Hall's eroded and he moved into a close second. At one point, Hall, Tory, and Miller each polled similar numbers, making it a three-way contest.
As Hall's support dropped, the race had become essentially a two-way contest between Tory and Miller. As the race narrowed to a close, the two front-runners ran a respectful campaign without many negative partisan attacks. Tory was applauded when he appeared at Miller's rally to congratulate the latter's victory.
John Nunziata, long not considered a contender, dropped a bombshell on the media when it he announced that members of a rival camp offered him $150,000 and the Deputy Mayor's position to drop out of the race. Nunziata refused to release specifics, although the media speculated that it was Tory's campaign, which was subsequently cleared by the police investigation. Tory in fact received a boost in the polls for his promise to drop out of the election if any wrong-doing had been discovered, while Nunziata was accused of mischief and smearing his opponent with unsubstantiated claim. As the campaign continued, Nunziata's reputation also suffered when he was alleged to have bullied councillors who withdrew their support from him. He was also dogged by his "flip-flopping" on controversial positions that he had taken as a federal MP, such as denying his private member's bill to ban abortion.
Nunziata garnered only 5% of the vote and analysts believed that he had also damaged his credibility and future political prospects.
Despite this being his first election as a candidate, John Tory was credited with running a respectable campaign which provided wide recognition. He later became leader of the Ontario PC Party (2004–09), and in a return to municipal politics became Mayor of Toronto in 2014.
Although it was known from the start that Tom Jakobek did not stand a chance of winning, he still continued in the election.
On 17 July 2006, The Toronto Star reported that there were more than 300,000 people on the voting list who may – or may not – have been legally allowed to vote. Since Miller beat Tory by only 36,000 votes, with the results it would only take a small portion of the unconfirmed list to affect an election outcome. Toronto Star article
Luis A. da Silva is a banker, and was 33 years old in 2003. He was elected to the Metro Toronto Separate School Board in 1994, winning in the old City of Toronto's fourth division. He lost his bid for re-election in 1997, and was again defeated in 2000. Silva later served on the Mayor's Task Force on Drugs, and described himself in campaign literature as "The man with the plan". He supported subway expansion, and argued that the federal government had no right to collect the Goods and Services Tax in Toronto. He called for the number of city councillors to be cut in half, and said that he would require candidates for public office to pass a test on the workings of municipal government.<ref>Joe Fiorito, "This mayoral longshot finds a grateful audience", Toronto Star, 3 November 2003, B3.</ref> He also supported the creation of an "Order of Toronto" to honour prominent citizens.<ref>James Cowan, "Mayoraltymarathon metaphor", National Post, 15 March 2003, TO3.</ref> Less seriously, he called for the Toronto Maple Leafs to retire Frank Mahovlich's jersey. Silva acknowledged that he could not win, and aimed for a fifth-place finish. He received a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Western Ontario after the election, writing on the new City of Toronto Act passed by the provincial government of Dalton McGuinty.<ref>Luis Silva, "The province giveth, the province taketh away", Toronto Star, 28 December 2005, A17.</ref>
Timothy McAullife was a 28-year-old freelance writer. He supported skateboarding at the Eaton Centre and wanted to eliminate Toronto Transit Commission transfers.<ref>Bryan Borzykowski and James Cowan, "The Class of 44", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO1; Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan. "They would be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11.</ref>
John Hartnett was a 28-year-old student and bartender, and a third-generation Canadian. He said that he wanted to represent the "XYZ generation", and bring more young voters to the polls.<ref>Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11; "Who's got what it takes", Toronto Star, 6 November 2003, G3.</ref>
Gary Benner was a 51-year-old retired civil engineer.<ref name="autogenerated2003">Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11.</ref> He complained that rival candidate John Nunziata was in contravention of municipal campaign laws after he put advertisements in the Toronto subway system. Benner later accused all four major candidates of being in technical contravention of the elections laws, by virtue of having signs displayed in their campaign office windows.<ref>"No-hopers' niche", Toronto Star, 11 August 2003, E2.</ref> He indicated that he would ban election signs if he became mayor.<ref>James Cowan, "Nunziata at sea in debates", National Post, 16 August 2003, TO4.</ref> He supported the construction of 60 kilometres of new subway lines over 20 years, and opposed expansion of the Toronto Island airport.<ref>James Cowan, "Hall gets bad review at film fest: Latecomer takes over box", National Post, 13 September 2003, TO4. Benner criticized David Miller for describing himself as the only candidate who opposed the expansion, writing "I will presume that you were unaware of my position on the Island Airport issue when you created your radio ads." Cowan agreed that this was a safe assumption, given Benner's profile in the contest.</ref>
John Jahshan is originally from Kitchener, and was 35 years old in 2003. He was general manager of the Sports Centre Cafe in the 1990s, and later operated the Bliss Niteclub & Lounge. He pledged support for after-school programs and inexpensive day-care,<ref>"Who's got what it takes", Toronto Star, 6 November 2003, G3.</ref> and claimed the five major candidates were afraid to debate him. Twenty of his supporters picketed the first major-candidates' debate with signs depicting the frontrunners as chickens.<ref>"Wednesday's Canada News Briefs", Associated Press, 17 June 1998; "Fair or fowl?", Toronto Star, 13 October 2003, B2; Vanessa Lu, "Verbal jabs in first TV debate", 20 October 2003, A1.</ref> Jahshan went into hiding three days before the election, and was later arrested on charges of misappropriating funds intended for a wheelchair elevator at Driftwood Public School in the Jane and Finch area. In 2004 Jahshan plead guilty to fraud and was sentenced to 6 months in jail. After his release from jail he left Ontario and has faced new accusations in the Maritimes and later Alberta.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfyBrVu7G-0&list=UU5YAs3VZri4Sq_uYB-j9M3ATemplate:Webarchive Jeff Gray, "Mayoral candidate faces charges of fraud", Toronto Star, 21 November 2003, A9; Bill Dunphy, "Mayoral candidate flees with cash for handicapped", Hamilton Spectator, 22 November 2003, A10; Bill Dunphy, "Tying up a few loose ends on the news front", Hamilton Spectator, 3 December 2003, A14.</ref>
Michael Brausewetter is a truck driver and former security guard, who once spent sixteen months in a coma after a car accident.<ref name="autogenerated1">Bryan Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11.</ref> A former homeless person, he recommended turning Princess Margaret Hospital into a homeless shelter.<ref name="autogenerated3">"Who's got what it takes?", Toronto Star, 6 November 2003, G3.</ref> He also proposed moving the Toronto Island airport to the Leslie Street Spit.<ref>Bryan Borzykowski and James Cowan, "The Class of 44", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO1.</ref> He is running for a council seat in the 2006 municipal election.
David Lichacz has a degree from York University. He was 34 years old in 2003, and worked as a city greenskeeper. His campaign focused on public transit and accountability, and he indicated that he would cut the mayor's stipend if elected.<ref>Bryan Borzykowski and James Cowan, "Class of 44", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO01; Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11; "Who's got what it takes?", Toronto Star, 6 November 2003, G03.</ref> As of 2006, he is a supervisor at Dentonia.<ref>Jack Lakey, "Park's fountain has lost its flow", Toronto Star, 6 July 2006, R01.</ref>
Ram Narula was a 67-year-old retired teacher, who moved to Canada from India. He said could cure "arthritis, allergies, high blood pressure, stress, weight problems, prostrate (sic) and many others naturally", and would cause "perfect health" to radiate from city hall.<ref>Joe Fiorito, "Crouch or lie prostrate for straps", Toronto Star, 4 November 2003, B4.</ref> He also indicated that he would reduce tuition fees by 75%, and solve homelessness within three months.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/>
Elias Makhoul was born in southern Lebanon, and moved to Canada at age 21. He runs a falafel restaurant in downtown Toronto called Mystic Muffin, and was known for giving interviews about his candidacy while serving customers.<ref>Joe Fiorito, "Running for mayor, one pita at a time", Toronto Star, 21 March 2003, B2.</ref> He argued that each of Toronto's subway stops should be turned into a cultural pavilion representing a different nation, to highlight the city's multicultural nature.<ref>Joe Fiorito, "A tuna pita to go, with extra ideas", Toronto Star, 17 September 2003, B2.</ref> He was 37 years old in 2003.<ref>Katherine Harding, "In front, on fringe, 45 vying to become mayor", The Globe and Mail, 27 September 2003, A20.</ref>
Daniel Poremski was a 19-year-old psychology student at York University, and was the youngest candidate in the contest. He entered the mayoral race to find out more about municipal government. A newspaper quotes him as saying of his candidacy, "I want to learn more about the city and see what the people in Toronto ask of their politicians. It seemed like an interesting thing to do."<ref>Bryan Borzykowski and James Cowan, "The class of 44", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO1.</ref> He wanted to introduce environmentally friendly garbage incineration.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
Ronald Graham was listed as an Elvis impersonator and interior designer. He pledged to clean up garbage and pollution in the Beaches area of Toronto, and institute a zero-tolerance policy on racism and anti-Semitism.<ref name="autogenerated3"/>
Fen Peters was born in Trinidad. He was a 58-year-old communications publicist with Bell Canada, and favoured the creation of local community councils.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/>
Aleksandar Glisic was born and raised in Yugoslavia, where he earned a Mechanical Engineering degree. He came to Canada in 1967, worked ten years for Ontario Hydro as a mechanical engineer, and spent another decade as a taxi driver. In 1982, he became the first resident of Ontario to sue for wrongful dismissal under the Discriminatory Business Practices Act, arguing that he was dismissed from Ontario Hydro without due cause.<ref>Thomas Claridge, "Judge clears way for employees suit against Hydro", The Globe and Mail, 7 December 1982, P5.</ref> He supported Barbara Hall in mayoral elections before 2003, and says that he chose to run for office after being told that he could not work on her campaign. A colourful figure, he described himself as "Aleksandar the Great", "a sexy 66-year-old teenager" and "an Iceberg Man with a full-blooded loving heart for all people in Mega T.O., especially for the underdogs". His slogans included "Vote Aleksandar the Ex-Terminator for Mayor" and "sex shall save Serbia".<ref>Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall, "The mayoral candidate without a phone", The Globe and Mail, 25 October 2003, M4; Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11; sexy alexy, Official Campaign Website. Retrieved 20 November 2006.</ref>
Hashmat Safi was a 29-year-old medical doctor, originally from Afghanistan. He sought improve public transit and government accessibility.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/> Late in the campaign, he announced that he would support Barbara Hall.<ref>"Barbara Hall receives ethnic endorsement"Template:Webarchive, Barbara Hall campaign site. Retrieved 21 November 2003.</ref>
Simon Shaw was a 31-year-old computer hardware specialist, with a degree in Computer Science from the University of Western Ontario.<ref>Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They will be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11.</ref> His primary issue was targeting child sexual predators, and advocating life sentences for people who commit crimes against women and children.<ref>Katherine Harding, "In front, on fringe, 45 vying to become mayor", The Globe and Mail, 27 September 2003, A20; Catherine Porter, "It's more fun on the fringe, candidates prove", Toronto Star, 23 October 2003, B3.</ref> He also promoted a subway stop and casino on Toronto Centre Island, and championed campaign finance reform.<ref>James Cowan, "Would-be mayors rock the vote", National Post, 7 April 2003, AL2; James Cowan, "Mayoralty candidates sign off", National Post, 9 August 2003, TO3; Garnet Fraser, "A bid for mayor", Toronto Star, 4 November 2003, C4.</ref> He applied for an appointment to Toronto City Council's 30th ward in 2003, following the election of Olivia Chow to the House of Commons of Canada. The position was filled by a vote of other councillors. Shaw did not receive any votes.<ref>Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Council of the City of TorontoTemplate:Webarchive, 26 March 2003. Retrieved 22 November 2003.</ref>
Patricia O'Beirne was the candidate of the Communist League. She supported a thirty-hour work week, the withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan, and an end of the deportation of immigrants and refugees.<ref>"Who's got what it takes?", Toronto Star, G3.</ref> A member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees in Toronto, she was formerly a member of Lodge 205 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union at Domtar in Montreal, Quebec. She has written for The Militant, the Communist League's newspaper.<ref>Patricia O'Beirne, "Machinists at Fleet end long strike in Ontario"Template:Webarchive, The Militant, 30 June 2003. Retrieved 23 November 2006; Patricia O'Beirne, "Students in Canada Set a Day of Protest"Template:Webarchive, The Militant, 12 February 1996. Retrieved 23 November 2006.</ref>
Template:AnchorAbel van Wyk was born in the Netherlands, moved to Canada in 1957, and was an employee of Metro Works for 24 years. He is a frequent candidate for public office, having campaigned for Mayor of Scarborough in 1985, 1988, 1991 and 1994, and for Mayor of Toronto in 2000 and 2003. He supported an Ellesmere Road extension during the mid-1980s.<ref>Gay Abbate, "Residents fear road scheme could destroy neighborhood", The Globe and Mail, 27 December 1984, M3; Gay Abbate, "3 Scarborough mayoral challengers say they are second", The Globe and Mail, 6 November 1985, A15.</ref> His primary campaign issue in every election he has contested has been his plan for a waterfront causeway, a highway across Lake Ontario linking Highway 427 in Etobicoke to Highway 401 in Scarborough. Van Wyk argues that this link will save the city money and reduce pollution by 50%.<ref>Damien Cox, "'Inventor' running for mayor", Toronto Star, 19 May 1987, E3; Alan Ferguson, "Maverick chases causeway dream", Toronto Star, 10 November 1994, SD6; Darren Yourk, "What $100 gets you these days", National Post, 4 November 2000, E4; Kevin McGran, "Gridlock: If there's a will, there's a way", Toronto Star, 6 September 2003, H1.</ref> He also called for a ban on donations to municipal candidates and a reduction in the work week during the 1988 campaign. In 1991, he said that affordable housing should be constructed through the private sector.<ref>Stan Josey, "Freeze development in Rouge, Scarborough candidate says", Toronto Star, 20 October 1988, A7; Pat Brennan, "Home builders poll candidates on development", Toronto Star, 9 November 1991, E1.</ref> He was 80 years old in 2003. He considered running for mayor in 2006, but ultimately declined.<ref>Stephen Wickens, "Come back, Enza, all is forgiven", The Globe and Mail, 19 August 2006, M3.</ref>
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}}</ref> He argued in that election that cannabis-related charges were contributing to Canada's over-burdened court system, and said that officials "do not believe this mild intoxicant is a high priority".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He supported Canada's decision to legalize medicinal marijuana in 2001, but added that the changes did not go far enough.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His campaign slogan in 2003 was "Free 416", referring to Toronto's area code.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news He was 36 years old at the time. See Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11.</ref>
Rabindra Prashad is an artist, chef, and community organizer. He was born in Guyana, and moved to Toronto from Quebec at age 24. He addressed the crowd in French at one all-candidates meeting, saying that his years in Quebec had shown him the value of that province to the country.<ref>Catherine Porter, "It's more fun on the fringe, candidates prove", Toronto Star, 23 October 2003, B3.</ref> He also called for an east–west thoroughfare for bikes on Queen Street.<ref name="autogenerated3"/> He was 35 years old during the election.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
Hardial (Hardy) Dhir was a 65-year-old architect with a degree from the University of Toronto. He is the founder of the Bloor/Indian Grove Ratepayers and Tenants Association, and builds temples and synagogues in his private life. He previously ran for Mayor of Toronto in 1978, and for North York City Council in 1985 (appearing on the ballot as "Harry Dhir" on the latter occasion). In 2003, he called for property taxes to halved by forcing the provincial government to pay education taxes, and supported the introduction of Neighbourhood Watch "street captains" to prevent crime.<ref>Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king", National Post, 4 October 2003, TO11; Catherine Porter, "It's more fun on the fringe, candidates prove", Toronto Star, 23 October 2003, B3.</ref>
Kendal Csak was a 30-year-old motivational speaker, and the owner of CG Consulting. He supported a minimal wage increase and energy conservation in the business sector.<ref name="autogenerated2003"/>
Richard Weston favoured mandatory composting, improved recycling programs, and alternative energy sources such as windmills. He also called for webcams in the mayor's office and mandatory blackouts on the last Wednesday of each month.<ref name="autogenerated3"/>
Last-place candidate Barry Pletch was a 33-year-old operations manager, and the arts editor for the Etobicoke Guardian. He sought a clean-up campaign for Toronto's streets.<ref>Brian Borzykowski and James Cowan, "They would be king", 4 October 2003, TO11.</ref> His campaign slogan was "Better Ethics and Economic Responsibility", shortened to BEER.<ref>[Aparita Bhandari], "Wooing votes on the Web"Template:Webarchive, Toronto Star, 3 November 2003, D3.</ref>
City council
Most incumbent city councillors were re-elected. A prominent exception was Anne Johnston, the longest-serving member of city council. She lost her seat in Ward 16, apparently because of her approval of a controversial residential tower development in an adjoining ward. The council elections saw one of the highest rates of turnover in recent history. While only four incumbents lost their seats, many long standing councillors decided not to run for re-election. Of the 44 city councillors, 14 are newcomers. The election saw the council become more leftist, which should aid mayor Miller.
Luigi Rizzo was a first-time candidate. His father, Tony Rizzo, was a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from 1990 to 1995.<ref>Bruce DeMara, "Election primer: Wards and issues", Toronto Star, 8 November 2003, B1.</ref>
Howard Mandel was a first-time candidate. A newspaper column from the campaign observed that his name "sounds suspiciously like the incumbent's and appears ahead of him on the ballot".<ref>Bruce DeMara, "Election primer", Toronto Star. See also "Is Ward 24's Shiner courting career change?", Toronto Star, 29 September 2003, B3.</ref>
Jhadira Ramos was a first-time candidate. Ramos campaigned on a "Multicultural Candidate List", which was headed by mayoral candidate Jamie Castillo.<ref>Multicultural web site: 2003 Toronto electionTemplate:Dead link, web cache accessed 20 October 2006.</ref>
