City council hopefuls vying for the Ward 6 position, which includes Western University, Old North, Sherwood Forest, and Orchard Park, came together for a debate at the university on Thursday night. LFP’s Jack Moulton has the details.
Ian Sterling Leishman: 50, real estate broker, business association president Stephanie Marentette: 38, lawyer Naomi Nadea: 44, community advocate Sam Trosow: 73, incumbent city councillor
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WHAT DID THE CANDIDATES SAY?
All four candidates attended Thursday night at the Mercato building of the former Brescia University College and addressed an audience of over 90 people. The debate was led by former city councillor Sandy Levin. Leishman quickly launched into criticism of Trosow regarding his vote to redirect funds from intersection upgrades at Oxford Street-Wharncliffe Road towards bus rapid transit (BRT), while generally opposing city spending on BRT and rising property taxes. “I decided to put my name forward because of what has been going on in the ward and in London… the city’s mismanagement of funds is out of control,” he stated. Marentette, who previously chaired the London Transit Commission, began her speech by encouraging everyone to vote and to motivate their friends and family to do the same. “Three out of four eligible voters in London did not choose the 15 people who spend approximately a billion or more of your taxpayer dollars every single year; that is really scary to me,” she remarked. Nadea shared her intentions to support disabled residents in London as well as expand addiction treatment options. “That’s what I’m trying to advocate for-to help persons with disabilities,” Nadea mentioned. Trosow highlighted his full-time dedication to the ward. Having defeated appointed incumbent Mariam Hamou in 2022, he emphasized his experience and said key issues include traffic safety, better enforcement of property standards, and improved transit services among others. “I have been a hard-working, full-time councillor whose positions have been consistent and evidence-based,” he asserted. “My votes on council have been informed by my strong passion for healthy and safe neighbourhoods, environmental sustainability, and increasing affordability challenges.” Four candidates running for London’s Ward 6 city council seat spoke before more than 90 attendees during a debate at Western University on Thurs. Sept. 24, 2026. (Jack Moulton/The )WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS?
Many questions focused on local issues such as infill development plans, heritage properties preservation, and a new traffic-calming initiative for Old North. Regarding the traffic plan-which proposes temporary measures aimed at reducing cut-through traffic-Trosow acknowledged community members who advocated for it after an incident where a crossing guard was struck nearby. He expressed hope that similar changes could be implemented in other neighborhoods. Marentette pointed out that improvements are necessary but should not hinder residents’ mobility; she called for “a robust study done after this pilot project.” Commenting on positive aspects of the plan, Leishman stated there should be improved pedestrian infrastructure around St. Joe’s hospital. When asked about paratransit services, Marentette noted that London Transit has made progress with smart card reader installations while reducing wait times-but emphasized that more drivers and vehicles are needed to meet demand. Without directly naming Marentette-who was among those dismissed by council last year-Trosow criticized how prior transit leadership handled operations before council stepped in. He expressed optimism about service enhancements due to changes made by the new commission regarding paratransit providers. Leishman responded critically to Trosow’s comments saying it serves as “a pretty good example of how not to approach things” while advising against personal digs during debates. He later noted Trosow’s tendency to often stand alone or be part of minority votes on various council matters. Discussing development near campus neighborhoods Trosow praised residents’ efforts defending their communities while asserting that height limit changes approved in 2024 were “not well thought out” and were hastily passed “by a city council too beholden to developers.” Marentette stressed respecting “neighbourhood character” alongside ensuring infrastructure matches growth needs. Leishman argued property standards enforcement requires improvement while also calling for weekly garbage collection restoration.LONDON’S 2026 CIVIC ELECTION
Voters will head to polls on Oct. 26 to select their next city council members with advance voting available on Oct.1 ,3 ,8 , and10 as well as from Oct.5 -10 at city hall. There are81candidatesrunningfor Londonmayorandthe14wardcouncilorpositions-readwhatmostofthemhave tosayin Theirownwordsright here. jmoulton@postmedia. comSource link
