Candidate for City Councillor

Jason McDonald

Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence

Candidate details

Email: jason@mcdonald2026.ca
Phone: 416-931-6018

Issue answers

What's the most important thing you'd act on as a City Councillor, and what experience or strengths would help you make it happen?

Fix broken government by making it transparent and productive. Publish a public register tracking every councillor's motions from filing to completion, so voters know who actually delivers. A CBC Transparency Register shows where every community benefit dollar goes. No more motions filed and forgotten. My 27 years as a BIA chair, businessman, and community advocate on Eglinton West taught me what works

Housing

Housing costs weigh on Torontonians whether they rent or own, access to subsidized housing is limited, and a growing number of people have no home at all. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to help people find and keep a secure place to live?

Prioritize a Ward-Based Tenant Advocate — a paralegal in the ward office helping tenants facing eviction. Landlord and Tenant Board navigation shouldn't require a legal clinic referral. Also push for the Fair-Rent Registry so tenants know what neighbours actually pay, and use city enforcement tools against bad landlords immediately.

Cost of Living

The cost of daily life keeps climbing — housing, transit fares, city fees, etc. What is one thing you would prioritize on the next City Council to make Toronto more affordable, soon enough to matter to residents?

The Ward 8 Youth Employment Incentive: a wage subsidy up to $7,500 per hire for local businesses that employ ward-resident youth. When young people can find work near home, families keep more of what they earn. Pair it with frozen TTC fares and the school food program so parents aren't choosing between transit and groceries.

Safety in Public Spaces

Some Torontonians don't feel safe in parks, on transit, or on certain streets, even where reported crime is low. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to help people be and feel safe in the city's public spaces?

Clean, well-lit transit stations with platform edge doors at busy stops. Real reliability so people feel safe waiting for the next train. On streets: fix broken sidewalks and missing crosswalks, the infrastructure people navigate every day. TPS needs body cameras and independent oversight, not blank cheques.

Getting Around the City

Getting around the city is a source of frustration for many Torontonians, whether people drive, take transit, cycle, or walk. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to improve how people move around the city, however they travel?

Stable multi-year transit funding from all levels of government so the TTC can plan beyond next year's budget. Platform edge doors at busy stations, uniform cleanliness standards, and reliable service that gets people where they're going on time. A dedicated transit fund ends the annual begging at Queen's Park.

Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour

Many Torontonians are concerned about hateful and hostile behaviour, which can disproportionately affect newcomers and members of racialized, marginalized, and equity-deserving communities. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to respond and keep Toronto safe and welcoming for everyone?

Call it what it is: a crisis. Synagogues shot at, Jewish businesses vandalized, car-thefts from people's driveways. I'll require quarterly hate-crime reporting by neighbourhood, fund security grants for community institutions, and make sure every community knows the councillor's office sees them.

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