Scarborough debate to feature leading mayoral candidates on May 24

Those vying to be Toronto’s next mayor will take to the stage on May 24 at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus for a Mayoral Candidates Scarborough Debate ahead of this summer’s byelection.

CityNews political affairs specialist Cynthia Mulligan will moderate the 90-minute debate which will be broadcast on Citytv and CityNews 24/7 starting at 6:30 p.m.

Leading candidates Olivia Chow, Ana Bailao, Josh Matlow, Mark Saunders, Brad Bradford and Mitzie Hunter have all confirmed they will take part in the debate and discuss issues facing the city, with a particular focus on Scarborough including food security, public transit, job availability, economic development, and promoting Scarborough’s growth and unique culture.

The event is being organized by Scarborough’s leading community groups, including The Scarborough Community Renewal Organization, the Scarborough Business Association, and Scarborough United Neighbourhoods.

“This will be a premier byelection event,” said event chair Dave Hardy. “The debate will spark discussion on many topics of concern to both Scarborough residents and residents across the City of Toronto. Scarborough represents a quarter of the population of the city and we want candidates to have a clear understanding of what issues are important to us.”

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Hardy explained that 80 community organizations and 20 ratepayer organizations participated in a Scarborough-wide public engagement campaign to identify key questions to pose to candidates with almost 500 questions received covering a broad range of topics.

“The pandemic showed us that the City of Toronto is divided by income, race and health. If you are in Toronto’s wealthier, tony neighbourhoods, the City works for you. If you are a marginalized, racialized suburban resident, the City of Toronto works against you. This needs to change,” said Hardy.

“I’m hoping that the CityNews Scarborough debate will, for the first time, set the stage for mayoral candidates having to address ‘hard ball’ questions.”

Registration is mandatory for those planning to attend and free tickets can be obtained here.

As of May 15, 102 candidates had registered for the June 26 byelection which was called after Mayor John Tory stepped down back in February after admitting to an extramarital affair with a former staffer.

Watch the debate live at 6:30 pm on Citytv, CityNews 24/7 streaming online, on Rogers Ignite channel 100 and available on Amazon Prime. There will be full coverage on CityNews Tonight at 11 pm and the following morning on Breakfast Television.