8/6/2018 Parkdale candidate in city election will stay the course after Doug Ford’s council plans | The Star

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Parkdale candidate in city election will stay the course after Doug Ford’s council plans

By RAHUL GUPTA Toronto.com Sun., Aug. 5, 2018

Provincial legislation intended to drastically cut the size of Toronto council has left the future of Kalsang Dolma’s election campaign uncertain.

A south Parkdale arts organizer, settlement worker and ESL teacher, Dolma had already declared her candidacy for an expanded Ward 18, which now covers swaths of Parkdale, the Junction and Bloordale. She considers affordable housing, transit, gun violence and inclusivity key planks of her election platform.

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Kalsang Dolma is vying to become the second Tibetan-Canadian elected to oce in Canada and the second woman of colour to hold oce in Toronto. (METROLAND)

Dolma, who would become only the second Tibetan-Canadian to hold elected office in Canada if she won, was expecting to go up against Gord Perks in the October municipal election, the incumbent councillor who has represented the former ward of Parkdale-High Park the last three council terms.

Should Doug Ford succeed in his plan to amend the City of Toronto Act to condense council to 25 seats from 47 (council has been at 44 wards but was to increase to 47 with the current election), another incumbent, , would likely enter the same race.

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Facing two sitting members of council makes Dolma’s campaign that much tougher.

“Certainly we’ll have a much larger electorate base to canvass, which will make it more challenging to get out to the voters,” said Dolma, who intends to stay in the race for the time being as the new legislation — introduced in the Ontario Legislature last week — proceeds through debate. 4/5 articles left Register for free to unlock more articles on The StarRegister “For new candidates like myself, it was quite a shocking announcement.” https://www.thestar.com/news/toronto-election/2018/08/05/parkdale-candidate-in-city-election-will-stay-the-course-after-doug-fords-… 2/4 8/6/2018 Parkdale candidate in city election will stay the course after Doug Ford’s council plans | The Star Dolma said she would wait to see what the response is to the new legislation. She did not rule out joining a class-action lawsuit to stop the amendment if it becomes law.

“I would 100 per cent support a group action,” said Dolma. “I’ve not been approached by anyone as of yet.”

Beyond money raised and spent on the campaign, Dolma said she owed campaign volunteers who have already spent many hours door-knocking and canvassing residents.

“We’ve spent months working and the commitment of the volunteers is invaluable,” she said.

Ford’s unprecedented decision to tinker with Toronto’s governmental structure during an election campaign has disrupted challengers like Dolma, seeking to become just the second woman of colour to hold office in Toronto, the other being Kristyn Wong-Tam.

According to Michal Hay from the advocacy group Progress Toronto, before Ford’s action, as many as 12 seats could have gone to progressive challengers in the Oct. 22 election, many of them younger women of colour.

But, as in Ward 18, those races could instead see long-time incumbents facing off against each other in an election version of the Hunger Games, as progressive councillor put it.

“This is literal gerrymandering of seats in the middle of an election campaign,” said Hay. “It’s completely unprecedented.”

Progress Toronto had only just launched itself into the city spotlight to get left-wing candidates with social justice and pro-environmental leanings elected.

While the group is mulling its own court challenge to the legislation, it has also launched an online petition, endorsed by thousands, as well as a letter-writing campaign to urge Ontario MPPs not to support Bill 5.

Hay also hoped moderate Progressive Conservatives could put a brake on the premier’s plans, even though Ford could bypass debate of the legislation within his own party, allowing for the passage into law in as little as a couple of weeks.

Hay believes the rationale stated by the PC Party for cleaving council, because it is fundamentally dysfunctional and too expensive to support, is undemocratic.

“It’s troubling and reckless,” said Hay.

Toronto council voted by majority last week to hold a special meeting in mid-August to determine if it should proceed with a court case against the province. 4/5 articles left Register for free to unlock more articles on The Star Rahul Gupta is a reporter at Toronto.com. Follow him on Twitter @RG_Reporter. Register https://www.thestar.com/news/toronto-election/2018/08/05/parkdale-candidate-in-city-election-will-stay-the-course-after-doug-fords-… 3/4 8/6/2018 Parkdale candidate in city election will stay the course after Doug Ford’s council plans | The Star Read more about: Doug Ford

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