BY: EDITORIAL
Meet Your Trustee Candidates in Humber River- Black Creek for the Municipal Election
Election Day is on Monday, October 24th, 2022. Don't forget to vote for the candidate of your choice! Please check out the profiles of the candidates below. Learn more about where to vote and what you need to vote at www.toronto.ca/city-government/elections/ or see the article on voting options.
Here is a list of candidates who are running in your area.
MATIAS DE DOVITIIS
Matias De Dovitiis is a community advocate who is highly active in the Humber River-Black Creek area. Matias was born in Uruguay and – as an immigrant who has made Canada his home – knows what it means to have to work multiple frontline part-time jobs to get an education. He finished his own post-secondary studies with over $60,000 in debt, which took years to pay off. Matias will work alongside the many leaders fighting to create a more just, fair education system in our community and city. He wants to help build a system that listens to different voices, is flexible and responsive, and can provide high, quality education and be a springboard for the disenfranchised.
As Chief of Staff for City Councillor Anthony Perruzza and Executive Director for the DUKE Heights Business Improvement Area, Matias brought tens of millions of dollars in investment into the community. He has worked to rebuild green spaces, including parks, and public realm improvements, including roads and sewers. Matias has also worked to create exercise pods and add new playgrounds, rebuild libraries, and advance public art projects.
As an activist and organizer, Matias has worked to ensure that there are more sustainable opportunities for youth in our area. He started bursaries for various groups and schools in the tens of thousands of dollars, has personally supervised placements for over one hundred youth, and created programs for hundreds of young people. Matias has led events where kids received free bikes, laptops, backpacks, and more. He has also worked with organizations to start lunch and breakfast programs. Matias will continue to work with local parents to advocate for students and improve our schools. He will partner with active community members to bring in the necessary resources to create a more equitable public school system for our kids.
NICOLE DASON
As a mom of two young children, Nicole is dedicated to making the education system in Toronto better for our community, especially when it comes to growing our community’s schools and keeping funding in classrooms.
Nicole is a graduate of York University and works in the banking sector. She has been honoured as a recipient of the Women in Capital Markets Emerging Leaders Award and is passionate about women’s rights and giving back to our community.
Nicole has lived and studied in Uruguay and volunteered in Peru working with women who were survivors of domestic violence. She is skilled in problem solving, managing significant budgets, working with others and is a strong communicator. Nicole also speaks French fluently and conversational Spanish.
Nicole’s key priorities:
Community: ensuring our community is prioritized so that our children may benefit and succeed alongside children all over Toronto.
Consensus: collaborating with parents, community members and fellow trustees to make strong choices for our students
Commitment: making sure that every dollar spent enhances our community’s schools and children’s learning experiences.
The following candidates are also registered for the TDSB Trustee position, however the Downsview Advocate team could not locate their contact information/platform online or via the City of Toronto website. We encourage you to look into their platforms and connect with them further.
King, Kim
Maharaj, Rameshdath
Patel, Pragneshkumar