Incumbent councillors Holland-Berardinetti, Crawford squaring off in Ward 20

Thestar.com
September 7, 2018
David Nickle

In wards across Toronto, council veterans are preparing to square off against one another in the new, 25-ward election that may come this October if the provincial Bill 5 is upheld in court.

But in Scarborough, there are so far only two councillor-versus-councillor contests: Norm Kelly and Jim Karygiannis will be facing one another in Ward 22 (Scarborough-Agincourt).

And in Ward 20 (Scarborough Southwest), where a total of nine candidates are registered, Mayor John Tory’s budget chief Gary Crawford will be running against Michelle Holland-Berardinetti, as their current Wards 36 and 35 stand to be merged.

Although the Oct. 22 vote will put both of their political careers on the line, in interviews with Metroland Media Toronto, both council candidates are vowing to keep it civil.

“It’s really about running a positive campaign and running on my record,” said Holland-Berardinetti, who touted her work bringing funding to local initiatives in parks, recreation and subway stations improvement -- as well as her work taking the lead on innovation for Mayor John Tory.

“I’m not running a negative campaign,” she said. “I don’t think that’s a way to run a campaign.”

Crawford, meanwhile, says that he’s focusing on the positive and on the leadership that he’s brought to the city as Toronto’s budget chief, keeping property tax increases relatively low.

“I’ll continue to do what I have been doing -- being a strong voice for my community whether I come back as budget chief or just as a councillor,” said Crawford. “The issues in the north part of the new ward are very similar -- keeping those communities safe. Safety is a big issue as is the issue of gun violence, and (I’ll) just be a very strong advocate for keeping this city affordable. Whether as budget chief or anyone else.”

Both councillors acknowledged they had both done good work in their own current wards -- Crawford in the south toward Lake Ontario, and Holland-Berardinetti in the northern part of the riding. Both also acknowledge the challenge as incumbents, expanding their reach to the voters in a new ward that is new to them.

“This election is really about the undecided,” Holland-Berardinetti said. “The people that have already decided are the people who live where he’s done great work ... and he has his support there ... and I’ve done great work and have my supporters. Gary’s going to have his supporters and I have my supporters and really it’s the 40 per cent who are undecided.”

Crawford said that he has been focusing on canvassing in the north end of the ward, and “reacquainting” voters there with him, from the seven years he spent as a school trustee.

Crawford said he feels he’s making ground.

“When I meet people at the door, it’s not that they’re dissatisfied in any way but I am getting a lot more name recognition at the door than I had thought,” he said. “There are a lot more people up there that are aware of and know me.”

Holland-Berardinetti, meanwhile, said that she does have a connection with the southern part of the ward, particularly when campaigning there with former MPP and spouse Lorenzo Berardinetti.

“Ward 36 is familiar,” she said. “I’ve campaigned there with Lorenzo, and it’s where I am right now. I do my runs there, I have friends there. I’m familiar with the issues.”

Crawford said that he had met with Holland-Berardinetti when it became clear that they were going to have to face off.

“I told her that it’s my goal to win,” he said, and added when asked how he would do better than Holland-Berardinetti: “I work incredibly hard. We have a proactive office and I do think I’ll work harder than my colleague in ensuring that I’m a strong voice for the community.”