Chris Stockwell, endorsed for Ward 3, criticized as ‘Ford proxy’

ABOVE: Community Council makes recommendation to council to fill Ward 3 vacancy. Mark Carcasole reports. 

TORONTO – One of the unsuccessful candidates hoping to represent Ward 3 criticized Chris Stockwell, a former MPP who was chosen as the preferred candidate to replace Doug Holyday, as another ‘Ford proxy’ on council.

Stockwell won in the third round of voting, receiving votes from Mayor Rob Ford and Councillor Doug Ford.

While Peter Leon had been endorsed by Holyday, it was Stockwell’s experience as a city councillor and MPP at Queen’s Park that secured him the victory.

“We need experience and that’s why I voted for Chris Stockwell,” the mayor said Tuesday.

But John Nunziata, a former MPP himself, suggested Stockwell was chosen to be a “proxy vote” for the mayor’s issues in city council.

“I think the mayor and the mayor’s brother swayed the votes,” he said. “At the end of the day, they decided to vote for someone who’d be a Ford proxy.”

Stockwell served as an Etobicoke councillor from 1982 until 1988. He then went on to represent the former riding of Etobicoke-West from 1990 until 2003 and served as a cabinet minister under both Mike Harris and Ernie Eves.

He resigned from cabinet in 2003 after an inquiry found he had breached the Member’s Integrity Act when his riding association paid for his family to accompany him on a trip to Europe.

While the mayor had been adamantly opposed to appointing a councillor, he cast a vote in favour of Stockwell on Tuesday. Stockwell served with Ford’s father at Queen’s Park and has a long history in Etobicoke.

The Etobicoke ward was left unrepresented at city hall after Holyday won a provincial byelection in August.

At the beginning of the day, 45 people had contended to represent the ward but by the end of the deputations just 27 remained.

Each candidate had five minutes to plead their case before the Etobicoke York Community Council and five minutes to take questions.

Stockwell’s endorsement will have to be approved by Toronto city council.

– With files from Mark Carcasole