Ward 7 by-election occurring Sept. 26 to 29
Residents in Ward 7 will vote for a new councillor from Sept. 26 to 29.
There are eight candidates running for the position in this by-election: Kristian Chan, Killi Chelliah, Jenny Chen, Abdul Samad Katawazy, Vicky McGrath, Aranee Murugananthan, Nimisha Patel, and Omar Ullah.
Killi Chelliah is a real estate agent in Markham. As a current Ward 7 resident, he said that he lived in the area for 15 years, having moved there in 2011. His top priority for Ward 7 is traffic safety. He also acknowledged residents’ needs to improve snow removal services, slow down development, and reduce thefts.
Jenny Chen is a YRDSB trustee for Wards 1 and 8. Her website said that her main priorities are to control property tax increases, keep communities safe, celebrate ethnic diversity, and ban shelters or safe houses near community centres, parks, and schools.
Abdul Samad Katawazy is a TDSB assessor and the owner of All Lingua Solutions. His top issues for Ward 7 include neighbourhood safety, responsible growth, improved services, and greater representation.
Vicky McGrath is the owner of Here to Help Home Care Services, based in Newmarket. She also said that before founding her own company, she worked in the government sector for 20 years – nine of them being in Markham. Her main goals revolve around traffic congestion, overdevelopment, community safety, transit services, and the nearby Rouge Park.
Aranee Murugananthan is a human resources partner for Kira Talent. Murugananthan said that she is running for Ward 7 councillor to improve community safety. She also listed urban planning as a main priority and said that Ward 7 lacks the right resources or infrastructure to support its growth.
Nimisha Patel was the runner-up for Ward 7 councillor during the most recent municipal elections in 2022. She has lived in Ward 7 for over a decade. Patel said that her main issues for Ward 7 revolve around safety, government transparency, responsible development, and engagement with the community.
Omar Ullah said that he plans to use this by-election to help prepare him for future elections. Some of Ullah’s goals include improving snow clearing services throughout Ward 7, introducing housing co-ops for affordable housing, bridging connections between various faith groups, and maintaining positive renter-landlord relations.
Ward 7 residents can vote for the upcoming by-election as long as they are at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen, and registered to vote.
Eligible voting centres include Aaniin Community Centre and Rouge River Community Centre from Sept. 26 to 29, and Armadale Public School, Boxwood Public School, Cedarwood Public School, and Markham Gateway Public School on Sept. 29 only.
For more information, head to electionsmarkham.ca/en.
Photo: Many candidates’ election signs were featured on major intersections in Ward 7.
*Story and photo submitted by David Yin.