With registration for the upcoming municipal elections now closed, six candidates have now stepped forward to run for Councillor of Ward 3 in Etobicoke Lakeshore.

The contenders have paid their dues and are registered on the City’s election website. The election to elect councillors, and a Mayor, will take place on October 24.

Incumbent Mark Grimes, who had candidates guessing on if he will run again, registered on August 17. The 19-year councillor has faced many uphill fights for the ward since first elected in 2003.

Grimes has a team of volunteers and his machinery in place to hit the ground running.

He is now pushing, and tests being conducted, to have the Bloor Street subway extended to Sherway Gardens Mall, which has been sought by the community for a long time.

He is running against Amber Morley, who took a sizeable amount of Grimes’ vote in the 2018 election. Morley obtained a respectable 27 per cent of the vote in the last election, compared to Grimes who won with 40 per cent.

She has worked at Toronto City Hall in various Council support capacities and spent the last five years in various roles, one being the Constituency Assistant in Ward 4, Etobicoke-Centre.

Morley is a vocal champion for the expansion of accessible community spaces across Etobicoke, including the development of local community hubs.

Also making inroads in the race is Zeynel Ari, or Dino the Pizza store owner, who is known for feed the poor in the community with his pies.

Ari, whose pizza store was burglarized, is pushing for more police officers in the community.

Bonnie Hu is also seeking office, along with Mary Markovic, who is calling for more rights of seniors and accommodation for lonely and vulnerable seniors.

Also running is Marco Valle, of which little is known.