Former Toronto councillor Augimeri taking on Sgro in federal election

Thestar.com
Aug. 2, 2019
David Rider

Former Toronto city councillor Maria Augimeri is the federal NDP candidate in Black Creek-Humber River, trying to unseat veteran Liberal MP Judy Sgro.

Augimeri, defeated in last fall’s election of a downsized city council, said in an interview that some people from church groups in the North York riding urged her to run federally.

“They don’t see the fight in her that they see in me,” Augimeri said of Sgro, who is finishing her seventh term as MP after stints as Metro and Toronto councillor.

“People look at what I’ve done here and say, ‘Oh my God, you can do this as a lowly councillor?” Augimeri said. ‘Imagine what she’d be able to do as an MP.’”

First elected to school board in 1982 and then North York, Metro and Toronto council starting in 1985, Augimeri said the federal riding encompasses about half her old ward.

She pointed to a library, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority building and amphitheatre among her accomplishments. If elected she said she’ll work to get a new residential “seniors campus” built.

Sgro countered that she has lots of energy and decided to run again only after constituents emphatically urged her not to retire.

One main issue in the October election, she told the Star, is affordability, and ways Ottawa can help people who might feel like they are falling behind even though Toronto’s economy is strong.

“They’re happy with what our Liberal government has done when it comes to our investment in housing, or the money people save thanks to the Canada Child Benefit,” Sgro said.

“I think that people have a choice,” she added, raising the unpopularity of Ontario Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford who, polls suggest, is hurting Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer in Ontario.

“They’re going to have more of the Conservative cuts and more of Doug Ford, or do they want us to continue to invest and build this country and build our communities and provide hope for people?”

In last year’s provincial election, the riding went NDP, with the Progressive Conservatives second and Sgro’s daughter, Deanna Sgro, coming third for the provincial Liberals.

Iftikhar Choudry, a small-business owner and energy industry professional, is running for the Conservatives in Black Creek-Humber River. His website says he is concerned with “Canada’s declining exports and widening trade deficit.”

His community work includes support for charity runs raising money for hospitals in Vaughan and Brampton.

Carrying the Green party banner is Mike Schmitz, an environmentalist and social justice advocate in the Jane St.-Finch Ave. neighbourhood.