South Etobicoke PIzza King Dino Ari has thrown his hat in the ring to represent Ward 3.
Two well-meaning candidates are running against incumbent Mark Grimes for the Etobicoke Lakeshore riding of Ward 3 in the upcoming October 24 municipal elections.
Long-time area resident and social worker Amber Morley registered May 10 and joined others in a race to replace Councillor Grimes, who has represented the riding since 2003.
AMBER MORLEY has many grass roots supporters in the community.
Morley obtained more than 27 per cent of the vote in the 2018 municipal election, when she took on Grimes.
“Her first candidacy proved there is a strong desire for change in Ward 3,” according to her campaign team. “This election Amber will rely on that strong base of support, as she looks to improve on 2018’s numbers and take a seat at City Hall.”
Also seeking the position is well-known pizza maker Dino Ari, owner of Dino’s Pizza.
Ari gained a profile for feeding hundreds of homeless or others in need with his famed pizza for free. The affable pizza maker believes he can do a better job than Grimes.
CANDIDATE Ira Bernstein
He is passionate about supporting local businesses, having seen their struggles during the lockdown himself, and wants to be the voice that supports them.
“I look at the traffic right where my store is. It’s very dangerous,” Ari says about a pet issue. “I’ve talked to Mark Grimes and other city councillors about it, but they didn’t do anything. Do you know how many accidents happen in front of our store?”
“I want to show newcomers that if I can do this today, they can do it too,” he says. ‘”If I can succeed in my business as a pizza maker, they can do even more.”
CANDIDATE Mary Markovic
In the provincial June 2 elections Etobicoke Lakeshore candidates face a tough fight from Incumbent MPP Christine Hogarth, whose signs are visible in the community as her team seek votes.
New Democrat high school teacher Farheen Alim hopes to secure more funding for Ontario schools and increase affordable housing.
Also running is Liberal candidate Lee Fairclough, a 22-year Etobicoke resident, who was nominated as the Ontario Liberal Party (OLP) candidate.
GREEN Party’s Thomas Yanuziello
Fairclough is a former president of St. Mary’s Hospital who led the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is an Adjunct Professor in Health Policy at the University of Toronto, where she earned her Master of Health Science in Health Policy, Management and Evaluation.
She started her career providing cancer treatment to patients at Princess Margaret Hospital as a Medical Radiation Technologist Therapist (MRT(T)).
Other provincial candidates include: Thomas Yanuziello, of the Green Party, Dr. Ira Bernstein, of the Ontario Party, Mary Markovic, of the New Blue, Vitas Naudziunas of NOTA.