Steven Del Duca running to become mayor of Vaughan
Steven Del Duca is running to become the next mayor of Vaughan.
The former Ontario Liberal Party leader made the announcement Tuesday morning and pledged to focus on fighting traffic gridlock in the city.
"Well, first of all, I spent the last couple of months with family and close friends reflecting on what took place in June. It was a humbling experience. There's no doubt about that. But I'm passionate about public service again," Del Duca told CP24 Tuesday morning.
Outgoing Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua announced in June that he would not be seeking another term in office, after holding that role for more than a decade.
Del Duca says he had a chance to work closely with Bevilacqua and thanks him for his service to the city.
Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca speaks to journalists following an announcement in Etobicoke, Ont., on Thursday, May 11, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
"We've had exceptional leadership over the past 12 years from Maurizio Bevilacqua, a dear friend of mine, and I want to carry on with that tradition to keep building in particular to make sure that our transportation network keeps up with the growth because traffic gridlock is a brutal, brutal problem right now here in the city of Vaughan and that's what I want to focus on," he said.
Del Duca stepped down as the Liberals’ party leader in June immediately following his crushing loss in the provincial election.
The 49-year-old ran for a seat in Vaughan-Woodbridge but lost to incumbent PC candidate Michael Tibollo, who also beat Del Duca in the same riding in 2018.
Del Duca was first elected to provincial office in 2012, and served as transportation and economic development minister in the Kathleen Wynne government between 2014 and 2018.
He then became leader of the party in 2020, after Wynne stepped down following her defeat in the 2018 provincial election.
Last month, Ontario's Liberal caucus selected John Fraser as the party's interim leader.
Del Duca says his experience as transportation minister gives him an advantage to fight the “traffic gridlock crisis” in Vaughan.
"I want to see GO train lines through Woodbridge, and through what's known as Kleinburg-Nashville. I want the Yonge North Subway Extension to come up to Vaughan but we have a whole bunch of east west road connections that need to be built. On Teston Road, on Kirby Road. There's a whole bunch of work that needs to be done and it needs to be done in a way that helps benefit every family and every small business here in this incredible community."
Other candidates running in Vaughan's mayoral race include longtime north Concord/Thornhill Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco, and former Vaughan councillor and former federal minister of seniors Deb Schulte, among others.
Del Duca has lived in Vaughan for the past 35 years with his wife, two daughters and two dogs.
Municipal elections are set for Oct. 24.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.