Rachel Chernos Lin wins race for Ward 15 council seat

Rachel Chernos Lin will be the new city councillor for Don Valley West after a commanding victory in the midtown ward's byelection on Monday night. 

With 52 out of 52 polls reporting, the Toronto District School Board chair and former school trustee had 12,899 votes, or 54.76 per cent of the vote, while her nearest rival, former journalist Anthony Furey, had 7,343 votes or 31.17 per cent.

"We could feel it going door to door," Chernos Lin told reporters at her election night party at the Leaside Pub.

"We could feel the positivity and the momentum. I had this feeling of calm for the last couple of weeks because I felt like things were really behind us and everybody was really supportive," she added.

"I think people love that I had been the local trustee. They understood I lived in the ward. They wanted someone with local knowledge who really had a stake in the community. But also, there was a very strong value placed on my experience and my work as a trustee and my proven track record."

Winner says she'll focus on improving city services

Chernos Lin told CBC Radio's Metro Morning that she's going to keep an eye on the services the city delivers.

"Many people don't mind paying taxes but they want to make sure they're getting good service in return," she said.

That means, she said, they want dead animals picked up and they want their 911 calls answered quickly when there's an emergency. She also said she's going to focus on building standards in Thorncliffe Park, where she "saw a lot of things" as she campaigned.

When asked how her approach would differ from her nearest rival, Furey, she said there's "not a lot of overlap, but there is some." 

Among those shared concerns: auto thefts, affordability and traffic concerns — including both gridlock and motorists speeding through residential neighbourhoods.

Ward previously represented by the late Jaye Robinson

The byelection was called after former Ward 15 councillor Jaye Robinson died of cancer in May. Robinson was also a former TTC chair.

Chernos Lin, who has taken a leave of absence from her job as TDSB chair, earned endorsements from a number of high profile people, including former Ontario Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne.

In late October, two byelection candidates, Dhruv Jain and Evan Sambasivam, suspended their campaigns and endorsed her for councillor.

As part of her campaign, Chernos Lin promised to work on improving TTC service, addressing community safety and ensuring that residents get value for their tax dollars.

Furey, who once wrote a column for The Toronto Sun, jumped in the race a little over a year after he surprised pundits by finishing fourth in last year's mayoral byelection with over 35,000 votes. 

According to the city, a total of 4,019 voters cast ballots in advance voting, which was held on Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27. The city says 1,877 people voted on the Saturday, while 2,142 people voted on the Sunday.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow joined the victory party, saying: "[Chernos Lin] cares about the people right here and wants to deliver results for people of Don Valley West."

Chow added she "wants to work collaboratively, not in a divisive way."

Mayor urged residents to vote

Earlier on Monday, Chow urged voters in the ward to make time to cast ballots for a new city councillor.

"Send a message that you want more housing built. Send a message that TTC can provide better public transit and let's feed more kids. Let's do that today. And this is your chance to elect someone that shares those values," Chow said.

Chow said city council will welcome the person elected on Monday night to represent Don Valley West.

"Whoever wins today, the good people of Don Valley will make the right decision," she added.

Voters in the ward said they would like to see the new city councillor deal with such issues as traffic congestion, bike lanes, high rent, affordable housing and support services for newcomers and youth.

Norman Light, a voter, said there are many issues in the ward but property taxes are on the mind of voters because it's not clear if there will be an increase this year and how much it will be.

"Housing is a big issue for many people, particularly of my children's generation," Light said. "Affordability is key. There's lots of things that the city wants to do, but we can't afford them all."

Dave Mimms, another voter, said "overspending" and "bike lanes everywhere" are among the top issues for voters.

"The city is getting to be unlivable now," he said. "We need to get control of spending and start doing things that people need rather than things that certain elements of the political spectrum want."

'Come and speak with people,' voter says

Salman Akbar, another voter, said it's important for the candidate who is elected to make themselves available to constituents after assuming office. He said real issues, such as traffic congestion and public security, need to be addressed.

"Come and speak with people. We want to see you once you are in the office. Come and talk to us. See us. Establish a reasonable, reliable link with the community, with your voters, and resolve their matters," Akbar said.

Ward 15 is bordered by Yonge Street to the west, Leslie Street to the east and Highway 401 to the north. Its southern border runs roughly along the Don River, just above the Evergreen Brickworks.