John Laforet delivering his speech after learning about his loss at the Fossil & Haggis Pub in Scarborough. (Photo Courtesy: Janice Yeung)
John Laforet lost to incumbent Paul Ainslie by a margin of 32 per cent in Ward 43 during the municipal election on Monday.
Laforet has been campaigning for this ward’s city councillor position since January 2010. He admitted that he was disappointed by the results, which showed Ainslie obtaining over 60% of the 8,600 votes that were cast.
Laforet spent election night at the Fossil & Haggis Pub in Scarborough with two tables of supporters and volunteers. He had booked the venue for what was originally going to be a victory party.
“We did a lot and we did it without a lot to work with,” said Laforet in a speech after his defeat.
“Everybody in this room should look forward and I am proud to continue the friendships I developed with everyone who participated in this campaign.”
The atmosphere at Laforet’s camp was quiet and peaceful. After hearing about his defeat, the candidate remained calm and composed. He stayed at the pub for an hour chatting to campaign volunteers who encouraged him and expressed their ongoing support after his loss.
“We still have a community here,” said Laforet’s campaign manager in a toast. “We know what our vision is and we will extend it even after this election.”
Laforet came second among the five candidates who were running in Scarborough East Ward 43. He gained 28.8 per cent of the votes, 4894 votes fewer than incumbent Ainslie, who secured a majority of 60.6 per cent of the voters' support. Other candidates running in this ward included Bhaskar Sharma, Benjamin Mbaegbu and Samuel Getachew.
As Ainslie's closest rival, Laforet heads the provincial coalition Wind Concerns Ontario, which opposes to industrial wind power facilities. One of the major issues of Ward 43 candidates includes a wind turbine project off the coast of the Scarborough Bluffs. With a background of fighting wind turbines for more than two years, Laforet has focused his platform on this area, claiming that the installation of wind turbines would be detrimental to the health of nearby residents and also to the natural environment of the Bluffs.
Laforet supported Rob Ford as a mayoral candidate in this election. “Since Rob Ford is from the suburban area of Etobicoke, I believe he better understands the issues facing Scarborough residents,” he said in an interview with InsideTorontoVotes before the election.
John Laforet talking to residents in Scarborough East at a Ward 43 Candidate Meet and Greet session on Oct. 14, 2010. (Photo Courtesy: Janice Yeung)
Like Rob Ford, he also referred to voters as taxpayers and delivered a platform pledging that he would not waste voters' taxes if he became councillor. He referred to Scarborough as an ignored community and believed that Ward 43 should enjoy the same quality of city services as Vaughan and Richmond Hill does. “Scarborough can't allow the city of Toronto to continue to treat us like the poor cousin, we are actually a part of Toronto,” he said in an interview before the election.
“We have a bigger population density and more importantly, we pay our taxes to the city of Toronto.”
Laforet also ran for city councillor in 2006. He came in fourth among seven candidates and lost to Paul Ainslie by 3744 votes. In a speech he gave after this year's defeat, he mentioned that at first he had a hard time deciding whether he should run for city councillor.
“In the end we ran an excellent campaign and I have no regrets,” he said in an interview after the speech. “I am very proud of the people who helped and the people who voted. I am at peace because I know we did everything possible.”
Having been elected three times as the President of the Scarborough Guildwood Federal Liberal Association, he thanked the residents of Guildwood for their generous support and volunteering throughout his campaign.
“I would never have made a run for city council without your [Guildwood residents'] support,” he said after the election results were released.
He “has no idea” what his focus would be for the next four years, however he also promised that he would find other ways to stay involved and help residents in Ward 43.
When asked about whether he would run for city councillor again in four years, he said, “I am not eager to find myself on a ballot anytime soon.”
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