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Toronto: City council is holding a special meeting today to select a replacement for the late Pam McConnell.
McConnell passed away in July following a brief hospitalization.
At its meeting in October council decided to appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of McConnell’s term rather than holding a costly byelection.
A total of 31 candidates ended up putting their names forward for consideration and those candidates will each be given five minutes to address council during today’s meeting.
Members of council will also be allowed to ask each candidate up to one question.
McConnell’s family has indicated that that they want anti-poverty activist Mike Creek to be chosen for the role; however the final decision will be up to council.
Some of the other notable candidates include former city bureaucrat Lucy Troisi and LGBTQ activist Susan Gapka, who would be the first openly trans member of city council.
“This is an opportunity with one year left in the term of city council to appoint someone who is not only a woman but a member of the LGBTQ community. We lack diversity at city council and this is as an opportunity now to address that,” Gapka told CP24 on Thursday. “It is long overdue for a trans person to be elected in the City of Toronto.”
The candidate who is chosen will remain in the role until the end of this current term of council on Nov. 30, 2018.
Toronto will hold its municipal election next October.
