The most important election facing Toronto is this Monday. A lot of people that I have talked to still are not sure who they are voting for or even who is running. Lawns and windows are festooned with political signs with names that are somehow familiar and then not so familiar. So who do you vote for?

Now I am not talking about the mayor’s race. My prediction is that some guy is going to make it in and they are not going to do nearly as much as they promised. So now that we got that out of the way let us focus on the more important race, the ward race.

The Mayor only has one vote, as does your councilor so it is doubly important to put your vote that matches your way of thinking. Councilors are way more accessible then your average Mayor and easier to hunt down and confront if they do not do what they promised to do.

I live in Ward 19 and there are a lot of great people running. We are blessed with a great group of candidates who on their own rights would make excellent councilors. After talking with the candidates and looking at their platforms, I am putting my vote behind Karen Sun.

Karen Sun is the best person to defend our cycling infrastructure, our parks and make the streets safe for all users. She understands the importance of a well funded transit system, she knows that Subways are not the silver bullet to our transit woes and that Queen and King streetcars carry more people during rush hour then Highway 401.

I own the Bike Joint on Harbord Street. As a business owner I like her ideas about how to improve things for small businesses, one of them lowering business taxes to match those in other parts of the GTA.

Karen is also for a participatory constituency who wants to work with the people to make sure they understand. She understands that services have to be improved and one thing is that the small things like better communication between departments, then maybe what happened on Harbord, with the city showing up to fill potholes before they tore up the street to pave it doesn’t continue to happen.

She has a quiet determination and courage that is greatly needed especially with the spectre of a Ford or Smitherman Mayoral win. We will need all the bike loving, pedestrian caring, transit, park loving people on council.

Karen Sun is not affiliated with a political party. She is for the people not for the politics. Regardless if you are Conservative, Liberal, NDP or whatever the colour of your sign is, she will be there for you and Ward 19.

Karen has been volunteering in the ward longer and has been involved in local issues longer than any of the other candidates. She has been endorsed by the Toronto Star as well as the local Ward paper. Her list of endorsements is long and growing.

I am voting for Karen Sun because her resume of past achievement do not change to make her look better.

I am voting for Karen Sun because she is the best person to tackle the many issues that will be facing Ward 19 and the city.

I could go on and on about why I think Karen Sun is the best vote for Ward 19, but you dear reader have a brain in your head, that is why you read ibiketo, why you ride a bike, why you care.

Regardeless of who you support, the most important thing that you can do is make an informed decision of who to vote for on Monday October 25th. Go to their websites, see what they have to offer and vote. I believe if you don’t vote then you can’t complain about the state of Toronto so whoever it is that you are supporting, I hope that its Karen Sun, get out there and perform what is quite possibly your most important civic duty.

Here are links to other people running in Ward 19, just so you can make an informed decision.

1. Rosario Bruto - rossbruto@hotmail.com
   2. David Footman
   3. Mike Layton
2. Jim Likourezos
3. Sean McCormick
4. Karlene Nation
   7. George Sawision
5. Jason Stevens
6. Karen Sun