Ward 41 - Scarborough-Rouge River

Councillor Bas Balkissoon

100 Queen Street West, Suite A10
Toronto M5H 2N2
416.392.1375 phone
416.392.1050 fax

Bas Balkissoon's Voting Record:

Bas Balkissoon is a fiscal conservative who took a number of progressive stands on issues in the last council. He is best known as the first councillor who blew the whistle of the MFP computer leasing scandal. He also took on the police in the public complains, resigning from the Police Services Board over the issue. Balkissoon tends to be excellent on the financial side of political issues but on social issues his stance is often troubling. He opposed the shelter bylaw and the fair wage policy. His relationship with Miller is excellent and he may yet play a major role in the new council.

Bas Balkissoon is chair of the Audit Committee and is on the Works Committee, the Toronto Transit Commission and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

With first-generation immigrants making up 80.7% of residents, Ward 41 is home to the highest proportion of newcomers in the city. The Chinese community, in particular, makes up 52.5% of ward residents. The ward is also dominated by homeowners: over three-quarters of residents live in houses rather than apartment buildings, and 79% own rather than rent their homes. Perhaps owing to the large number of newcomers who are not familiar with municipal politics, the ward had one of the lowest voter turnout rates in tne November 2003 election. 31% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the election, compared to a Toronto-wide average of 40%.