Being as we the press are an essential component to this democratic process, we decided to do a deep internet dive into all the candidates running for office, because you the people deserve to know about who you’re going to vote for when you exercise your democratic right to vote.
Here’s what we found online:
Barbara Berardi
Berardi is a former hairdresser and income property owner. If elected, her biggest promise is to donate half of her salary to the Brantford food bank. This figure could reach as high as $50,000 based on her own estimates.
Berardi plans to turn the casino into a cultural center, building an amphitheatre along the Grand River and fix the city’s budgeting process.
If she wins, Berardi would be the second woman elected as the mayor of Brantford. No website was found which provided her official platform.
Berardi has no website campaign.
Kevin Davis
Davis is a former city councilor as well as a member of various committees and boards. Some of his roles include: president of the Brantford Boys and Girls Club; Director of the Brantford YM-YWCA Housing Corporation; and president of the Brantford Chamber of Commerce.
As mayor, Davis hopes to:
- Manage the city’s budget consciously–”smart spending”
- Improve infrastructure
- Improve links between cities such as Cambridge, Kitchener and Hamilton
- Build strong relations with neighbouring communities
- Ensure affordable living
http://davisformayor.ca/about/
Chris Friel
Friel has served as the mayor of Brantford for a total of 16 years. He was first elected in 1994 at the age of 27 and held the position until being defeated by 15 votes in 2003. Friel was re-elected in 2010 and has continued to serve as mayor since.
Friel’s platform focuses on continuing the work he has done to revitalize Brantford since his election. Points he mentions on his website, http://friel.ca/, include:
- Creating a vibrant community with improved access to health & wellness services
- Bringing together community partners developing immediate & long-term solutions to community safety challenges
- Significant long-term investments from new & existing international companies
Additionally, the website chrisfriel.ca has been dedicated to criticizing Friel’s relations with Six Nations. The website highlights some quotes of his and urges the city of Brantford to reconcile with Six Nations for the stolen land the city was built on.
Michael Issa
Issa is a tri-lingual business owner who heralds to a degree as a mayor-for-and-of-the-people.
His platform states that he will:
- Promote Canadian values
- Improve standards and better equip the education system
- Improve housing by creating jobs
- Examine the local healthcare system to cope with the aging population
- Promote diversity through “better relations among the different ethnic groups”
- Maintain an open-door policy at city hall
- Adhere the city to UN environmental initiative
http://www.ilovebrantford.ca/platform
Wayne Maw
Little of Wayne Maw’s platform is available online, save a tweet from @edward101963 which reads as follows:
“VOTE FOR WAYNE EDWARD MAW RE : OUR NEXT ELECTIONS ON OCTOBER 22 2018 UP COMING FOR CITY MAYOR OF BRANTFORD ONTARIO CANADA Long time member of Dalton Mc Ginty & late Jack Layton Ministry of Health of ONTARIO
my plans r to make many changes to the Telephone city to help those”
Maw has no website campaign.
John Turmel
Turmel is a “perennial candidate”, meaning he runs for office more often than not and loses the election more often than not. He is the founder of the Pauper Party of Canada, which he has used to give himself the nickname “King of the Paupers”—meaning “King of the poor people”.
Turmel has run in elections at municipal, provincial and federal levels, but has never managed to secure a seat. In total, he has run for office over 90 times and has lost all but one, where he won a by-election in Guelph. His win/loss ratio has earned him a spot in the Guinness World Record book for “most elections contested”.
David Wrobel
Wrobel has served as a councillor for Ward 4 in Brantford for the past four terms. He has worked with the Brantford Kinsmen club, Branlyn Neighbourhood Association, Brantford Welcome Inn and Yes Church, which he believes help him know what areas citizens want the most change in.
If elected, Wrobel plans to:
- Budget the city for the long term rather than a year–which is the current method
- Develop infrastructure and industry
- Improve social services such as housing programs
- Ensure his government is transparent
*A previous version of this article didn’t include Chris Friel’s platform website and was also published with the wrong visual online. We have now corrected these mistakes. As student media we do our best to report both factual and unbiased articles. Thank you for your patience and continued engagement with us.
