Leaside resident Trace Hanlon faces an embarrassment of riches when he goes to vote on Nov. 13.
Fifteen candidates, more than in any other ward race in Toronto, are vying to succeed Jane Pitfield, the current councillor for Don Valley West (Ward 26), who is in an uphill run for the mayoralty.
Of the hopefuls competing for Mr. Hanlon's vote, not one has held elected local office (though one is a former MPP). Six are Muslim, five are women, two have active backing from local Conservatives, and one is heavily promoted by big-name Liberals.
So what's a voter to do?
In Mr. Hanlon's case, he prepared a 10-point scorecard to rate the contenders at a recent all-candidates debate in Leaside, ranking their passion, political experience and knowledge of his community and city hall. Several "resonated" with him that night, but he was not ready to make a choice.
The election in Don Valley West matters on two fronts.
With Ms. Pitfield gone as a councillor, her successor could be a reliable ally for Mayor David Miller, assuming he is re-elected. But there are right-leaning candidates who would join the minority opposition on council.
Moreover, the winner could make history in Ward 26, an ethnically and economically diverse area where a railway line physically separates homeowners in tony Leaside from the high-rise towers of Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park, home to immigrant families.
For them, crime, safety and recreation services are top of mind. "When I was growing up [here] my mother was not fearful," says Thorncliffe Park resident Khudija Vawda. "Now with so many incidents at school and drug problems, when my children go out I pray to God they come home safely."
But development and traffic are hot-button topics in Leaside. "We have all invested in our properties," Phil Moran says. "If . . . it becomes a high-density population area, a lot of that value is bled away."
Leaside voters make up only 30 per cent of all voters in the ward, but represent 70 per cent of those who cast ballots in 2003 (not counting advance polls).
But in this crowded race, all bets are off since the winner may need as few as 3,500 or 4,000 votes. If apartment dwellers turn out in unusual strength, Don Valley West could elect its first non-Leaside representative -- and city council's first Muslim.
So what is a candidate to do?
"The biggest challenge is to get your head above the 15 [names]" says Geoff Kettel, a provincial civil servant who hopes his community credentials in Leaside and volunteer work in Thorncliffe Park will put him over the top. "It's like running a small business," he adds. "You have to have a marketing and communications strategy."
Some are using endorsements.
Rogers Wireless engineer Abdul Ingar, a local mosque president with deep roots in Thorncliffe Park, has strong backing from local Liberals. Provincial Education Minister Kathleen Wynne and federal MP John Godfrey are among those knocking on doors.
Businesswoman Debbie Lechter, a newcomer to politics, snagged a thumbs-up from outgoing city budget chief David Soknacki.
Others have a few gimmicks.
Mohamed Dhanani, a 35-year-old Ismaili businessman with links to Flemingdon Park and the more affluent Wynford-Concorde neighbourhood, parked a 40-foot trailer in Flemingdon Plaza to give his campaign some visibility.
Both Mr. Dhanani and Mr. Ingar, a Sunni, are making strong efforts to reach voters in Leaside.
This week, aided by local volunteers to make introductions, both candidates received warm receptions at the door.
After listening to Mr. Dhanani's pitch, homeowner Jackie Adams declared: "I've just met my candidate." She liked his promise to bring a bank to Flemingdon Park and add an ice-hockey rink in Leaside. She agreed to put a sign on her lawn.
The perceived front-runner in the race is Leaside resident John Parker, a one-term MPP in the Conservative government of Mike Harris in the mid-1990s.
But that perception took a hit when Mr. Parker came under fire from a questioner over the former government's Toronto policies. The big surprise was the warm audience support for the question.
This week, Mr. Parker was one of five candidates who appeared on Dale Goldhawk's cable television talk show and took barbed questions from on-air callers (and some opponents). Mr. Parker later called it "pick on Parker" night.
Another complication for him is that Natalie Maniates, a 27-year-old candidate from Leaside, has the support of some local Tories.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ingar, has come under fire from some Muslim candidates for not quitting as president of Darus Salaam mosque in Thorncliffe Park. He also handed out a letter from religious leaders urging Muslims not to "split the vote."
"The president of a religious organization can easily influence people's vote," says Bahar Aminvaziri, a provincial government environmental engineer and a Muslim. "It is unfortunate this has happened, but I have faith that people will make up their own minds."
Other candidates in the race are Muhammad Alam, Orhan Aybars, Michele Carroll-Smith, Razaul Jabbar, John Masterson, David Thomas, Csaba Vegh and Fred Williams.