What you need to know about the race in Ward 6 - York Centre

Outside of an advanced voting poll station in Toronto. (Scott Lightfoot/CTV News Toronto)

Nineteen-year-old Hope Schrier is the youngest person running for city councillor and she’s up against a long-time incumbent in York Centre.

Schrier graduated from high school just last year in 2021, and is currently enrolled in the Creative Industries program at Toronto Metropolitan University. According to her campaign website, she plans to pursue a career “in publicity and promotions” when she graduates.

“I am so excited to take part in my first election as a candidate!” she writes. Her campaign goals for York Centre include making safety a priority, and making mental health services more readily accessible.

Schrier is up against incumbent James Pasternak, who sat on city council since 2010.

A map of Ward 6 - York Centre. (City of Toronto)

In the 2018 election, Pasternak had a tight race against Maria Augimeri, when the number of wards were slashed. Before the two wards were merged, Augimeri was the councillor for Ward 9, while Pasternak was the councillor for Ward 10.

Pasternak won by just under 10 percentage points, winning with a total of 47.6% of the votes in the newly-created ward.

“During his time in office, Councillor Pasternak has been committed to fiscal responsibility while simultaneously supporting investments in precious programs and services,” Pasternak’s campaign website reads.

“Councillor Pasternak has championed the improvement of city parks, recreation programs, senior’s issues, public realm projects and road infrastructure and storm water projects throughout York Centre.”

York Centre, or Ward 6, is bordered by Highway 401 to the north, Don River W Branch, Bathurst, Jane and Keele Streets.

Other candidates running in the ward include ironworker Basil Canning, and software developer Mike Arkin. Canning has vowed to introduce a higher property tax rate for investment properties to fund city services. Arkin, meanwhile, has promised to lower speed limits on residential streets and push for an expanded network of bike lanes.

“Since our last municipal election, a fixation with moving motor vehicles, rather than with moving people, means that over 1,500 people were killed or seriously injured on our streets—close to 100 in our ward alone,” he says on his campaign website.

York Centre at a glance

Population: 104,320 

Average number of people per household: 2.60 

Median age: 40.8 years

Population growth over the last decade: 8.5 per cent (Toronto-wide average is 9.1 per cent)

Visible minorities: 46 per cent of the population (Toronto-wide average is 51 per cent)

Average household income: $86,717 (Toronto-wide average is $102,721)