About 50 residents of London gathered Thursday evening in the cafeteria of Sir Frederick Banting secondary school to listen to seven out of eight candidates running for Ward 7, which includes Fox Hollow and Hyde Park. LFP’s Jack Moulton has the details.
WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?
Kamrul Ahsan: mechanical engineer, business owner, and community volunteer Germán Gutiérrez: college professor and journalist Sam Hajar: 52, business owner, city zoning and business co-ordinator Waseem Kazzah: 35, chartered professional accountant (absent) Bensy Mathew Dan Meinen: 40, city building inspector Djuma Moïse Sharifu: 33, civil engineering technologist, community advocate, and event co-ordinator Jonathan Sher: 60, Western professor and journalist
WHAT DID THE CANDIDATES SAY?
Seven candidates presented their ideas for leading the northwest ward-one of three wards in London where the current councillor isn’t running for re-election.
Ahsan criticized the four years of high property taxes under the present council and emphasized that a strong voice is necessary for Londoners. Gutiérrez called for a more responsive city hall along with fresh approaches to challenges like homelessness.
Sher described himself as “one of the best journalists in Canada,” taking credit for persuading city council to construct the Adelaide Street underpass and exposing wasteful spending at city hall during his time as a reporter.
Hajar and Meinen both have military backgrounds and currently work for the city. Hajar mentioned he understands how city hall functions from experience and stressed that elected councillors should reside in their respective wards. Meinen noted that city hall often reacts to issues like infrastructure and homelessness rather than being proactive. He shared that he’s campaigning actively for his family’s sake.
Sharifu pointed out that his volunteer work gives him insight into what challenges Londoners encounter daily. Kazzah laid out his priorities as responsible budgeting, infill development, and working closely with constituents.
WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS?
The widening of Wonderland Road emerged as a specific concern related to northwest issues discussed frequently throughout the debate. City council had previously voted against an environmental study for a proposed $212-million project back in 2021 due to costs and environmental impact but decided last year to restart it with new estimates now reaching $400 million.
Sher supported the widening project as a solution to accommodate planned highrises along this north-south route while improving accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians.
“It’s something that’s been needed for years. It’s something that’s going to get worse in the coming years because council approved new development, new highrises while delaying the first step of that widening process,” he stated.
Later during discussions on infrastructure matters, Meinen highlighted both the significant cost involved along with a mere two minutes saved according to estimates by city staff as reasons against proceeding with Wonderland’s widening.
“Two minutes for a $400 million investment? We’re talking about which projects we should prioritize,” he said. “This involves a road with four bridges plus all its underlying infrastructure – we need smart decisions on how we use your tax dollars so property taxes don’t rise by 25 percent over four years.”
Regarding infrastructure needs in fast-growing northwest London, Kazzah indicated he would assess “conditions, safety risk, service demand and cost of delay” when allocating funding. He also pushed for more transparency around “costs and trade offs” before any votes take place-specifically mentioning expenses related to London’s bus rapid transit shelters.
When asked about his past work at city hall concerning urban challenges faced by residents; Hajar acknowledged limited capacity as an employee but promised concrete plans if elected.
“I’ve got things I want to do differently here in London. For instance regarding taxes-our taxes are way too high,” he explained. “If I were on council when budgets were made I’d have tapped into reserves (and) lowered them down towards five percent until things settled.”
Sher challenged Hajar by questioning why he hadn’t pushed harder during his extensive career at city hall.
“At every place I worked I’ve sought ways toward betterment; just being part of an organization doesn’t excuse lackluster advocacy towards service improvement or enhanced working conditions,” Sher remarked.
LONDON’S 2026 CIVIC ELECTION
Voters will head to polls on Oct. 26 electing their next set of councillors-with early voting options available on Oct. 3rd ,8th ,10th , and from Oct.5th -10th at City Hall.
There are currently 81 candidates competing for mayoral position alongside 14 ward councillor slots-check out what many have expressed themselves right here!
jmoulton@postmedia. com
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