PCs pick Martow as candidate in Thornhill byelection

 

Thornhill Libral
Jan. 16, 214

Saying the PCs are the only party with a plan, a confident Gila Martow won the Thornhill provincial Progressive Conservative nomination Thursday night, exactly four weeks before the Feb. 13 Thornhill byelection.

Ms Martow, a practising optometrist who is married to a fellow optometrist and is a mother of four, said she is eager to hit the campaign trail.

Defeated in a bid to win a seat on Vaughan city council in Thornhill's Ward 5, this will be Ms Martow's second crack at elected office.

On Thursday evening, before about 150 PC members, she defeated challenger Bruce McIntosh. Results of the vote were not disclosed and Mr. McIntosh asked that the nomination be declared unanimous.

Ms Martow, even in her pre-balloting speech, referred to a Forum Research poll which she said had her 8 per cent in front of Liberal nominee Sandra Yeung Racco, a Ward 4 Concord/North Thornhill councillor in Vaughan.

"I'm not even nominated yet and they've got me winning," the 52-year-old quipped to hearty applause.

She also had some strong words for Premier Kathleen Wynne.

"Thornhill is going to tell her that she is not needed and she is not wanted and to please go home."

She added, "We are concerned about our university graduates finding employment and about sitting in gridlock and we see it worsening every single month. We want transit...that we are willing to take."

She said she wants to see the Viva rapidway route through Centre and Bathurst streets scrapped and the $100 million from that project spent on subway expansion north on Yonge Street from Finch Station to Richmond Hill.